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TechVenue.com's Blogcast/Podcast News, Networking & Events
Friday March 10th 2006
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FEATURED ORGANIZATION: NetWorlding
A system for networking, building relationships with a commitment to community, and developing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.
http://www.networlding.com
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EUROPE:
LATEST NEWS:
Papa John's Announces Sale of Perfect Pizza Chain in the United KingdomWednesday March 8, 10:00 am ET LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2006--Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA - News) today announced the sale of the Perfect Pizza brand in the United Kingdom to Smartfirst Limited. The transaction, completed as a sale of assets, included the sale of all franchise rights and leases related to 110 franchised Perfect Pizza units, as well as a distribution facility.
The purchase price was approximately $13.0 million, with $8.0 million paid in cash at closing, approximately $900,000 to be paid to Papa John's within 12 months...the company will continue to franchise and operate the Papa John's brand in the United Kingdom. There are currently 89 Papa John's restaurants in the UK (86 franchised and three company-owned units), with plans to open as many as an additional 20 Papa John's restaurants in 2006. Papa John's UK has also recently invested in point-of-sale technology and its online ordering capabilities, both intended to enhance the customer ordering experience.
Event Of The Week (EOW):
London will celebrate St Patrick's Day on Sunday 12 March 2006 with a parade and festival in central London. http://www.londonstpatricksday.org.ukTo get involved call 020 7983 4000, or email stpatricksday@london.gov.uk
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NEW YORK:
Event Of The Week (EOW):
The Great Sales and Marketing Debate: The Cagy Sales Veterans Debate the Young Up-and-ComersMonday, March 13 2006 6:00pm - 8:15pm
This one should be fun! Our industry is fixated on the idea of the "new new thing." But do we sometimes miss out on some older ideas and techniques that can help us? In Sales and Marketing, is it true that there is "nothing new under the sun"?
Two of the savviest and most successful veteran sales people in the New York area - in fact, in the whole country - have had enough! The legendary Alan Kaufman, the sales guru behind Cheyenne Software's dramatic rise in the early 90s, and the equally formidable Ed Martino, currently Sprint's Director of Industry Business Solutions and former IBM sales all-star, have issued an open challenge. They will debate ANY TWO of the hot tech industry Sales and Marketing up and comers. What makes a great tech salesman/woman? Has web advertising and the new Web 2.0 techniques made previous "best practices" obsolete?
Don't miss the INTERGENERATIONAL FACE-OFF!!!
WANTED: Young up-and-comers: want to debate Martino and Kaufman? Send your credentials to events@nysia.org, subject line "Debate".
ALSO: Sales and Marketing Elevator Pitch Contest!! 2 minutes of fame - make your best sales pitch in two minutes. The first five NYSIA "industry" members who apply will be accepted for the contest! send your request to Events Manager, Urcella E. Di Pietro at events@nysia.org
Register here: http://www.nysia.org/events/calendar_disp.cfm?me_id=470
or call (212) 475-4503
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BOSTON:
Event Of The Week (EOW):
New! MITX Digital Marketing Series - A select group of Web 2.0 startups will be joined by market leaders Yahoo! and IBM to explore this burgeoning category of digital communications. The panel will address:- How are companies and consumers adopting these new technologies?- What is the real business impact?- What are the implications to future marketing and communications efforts?
Register at http://www.mitx.org
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CHICAGO:
Event Of The Week (EOW):
Chicago Independent Computer Consultants Association (ICCA)2006 Annual Membership Meeting and Chapter Officer Election and Selecting and Working With Recruiting Firms: Things You Need to Know A Recruiters' RoundTable DiscussionTuesday, March 14 2006 5:30pm - 9:00pm Rock Bottom Brewery 1 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL
http://www.icca-chicago.org
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SILICON VALLEY:
Event Of The Week (EOW):
Monte Jade: Annual Conference - The New World - Technology-WiseSaturday, March 18 2006 12:30pm - 10:00pm Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA http://www.montejade.org Monte Jade's objective is to promote the cooperation and mutual flow of entrepreneurship, technology and investment. This provides an opportunity for professionals and corporations on both sides of the Pacific to network and share valuable experiences in investment, opportunities, management, technology and business information exchange.
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ONLINE:
Event Of The Week (EOW):
ORGANIZATION NAME: FrontRange Solutions
EVENT NAME: “How To” Services CRM Web Seminar
EVENT START DATE: 3/14/2006 11:00AM - 12:00PM Pacific Time (US & Canada)
EVENT THEME: ONLINE Events
EVENT DESCRIPTION: Are you looking for ways to help make your customer service the best in the industry? EVENT PURPOSE: Discuss key steps to creating consistent positive customer interactions and keeping loyal customers for life.
EVENT SPEAKERS: JoAnna Brandi, customer retention and loyalty industry expert, and Greg Anderson and Paul Peterson, of FrontRange Solutions.
EVENT COST: $0
EVENT RELATED WEBSITE: http://tinyurl.com/dfkhg
EVENT CONTACT NAME: Bob Dirkes
EVENT CONTACT PHONE: 847-279-0022 x237
CONTACT EMAIL: bob.dirkes@techimage.com
MUST ONE RSVP?: No
INVITATION ONLY?: No
EVENT NOTES: Specifically learn ways to: • Develop a centralized repository of customer history to help build lasting relationship • Use functionality to create better customer communications • Attract new customers with service best practices • Determine differences between customer retention and customer loyalty • Create consistent positive experiences to keep customers engaged • Make ways to impact your customer's buying behavior Learn low-cost, high value “touch” strategies you can implement now. Attend this “How to” Services informational webinar and bring back new information to your teams – register today!
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Technology/Career News This Week (TNOW):
IT Hiring Outlook Improves Along With The EconomyRising economic tides appear to be lifting IT hiring boats across the U.S., according to the most recent Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report.
By W. David Gardner (wdgardner@adelphia.net)
Mar 8, 2006 12:25 PM
Rising economic tides appear to be lifting IT hiring boats across the U.S. according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report, released Wednesday. The executive recruitment firm said it had an independent research firm poll 1,400 CIOs in several cities and found that the national average of CIOs who said they plan to hire IT professionals in the second quarter was 8 percent.
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Humorous News This Week:
Absence makes the glass glow fondly Wed Mar 8, 3:20 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers have come up with a novel way to keep long-distance lovers in touch -- high-tech wine glasses that glow warmly however far apart the pining couple are. When either person picks up a glass, red light-emitting diodes glow on their partner's glass. When one puts a glass to their lips, the other glass glows brightly.
Distance is not a problem as liquid sensors and wireless links have been built in to the glasses.
Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's media lab in Boston, said communal drinking is a vital part of social interaction that lovebirds miss out on when separated.
Lee, whose findings were reported in New Scientist magazine Wednesday, said the wireless glasses really do "help people feel as if they were sharing a drinking experience together."
The loving cups are to be unveiled next month at a conference in Montreal on computer-human interaction.
MP3 Link:
http://TechVenue.com/PODCASTS/TechVenue_3_10_06.mp3
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