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ThriveFantasy Closes $3M Funding Round as Platform Continues to Experience Sizable Growth

ThriveFantasy

ThriveFantasy, the leading player prop daily fantasy sports and esports platform, announced today the closure of its latest funding round, raising $3 million (USD). The round will be used to acquire strategic talent, solidify numerous sports/esports partnerships and continue its aggressive marketing programs to exponentially increase strong user growth. ThriveFantasy was created to give everyday fans a better chance at winning by challenging them to pick simple player props for sports or esports contests such as, over/under of yards, catches, touchdowns, assists or kills and more. The platform’s ease of use and focus on both sports and esports contests continues to attract many different types of users and led to significant growth over the past 12 months. “We are excited to see how ThriveFantasy has become the prop game of choice for the exploding number of fantasy players”, said Adam Weinstein, CEO of ThriveFantasy. “Our investors truly understand this unique value proposition and enthusiastically helped us complete this round very quickly to help supercharge our ongoing growth.” The round was led by Cardinal Sports Capital Inc. (formerly, Shore Capital Sports & Entertainment LLC), an advisory and investment firm with offices in Toronto and New York. As part of its strategic investment, Cardinal Sports Capital Inc. will take an active role assisting ThriveFantasy with business development, strategic partnerships as well as financial advisory services. Scott Secord, Managing Partner, will also join the ThriveFantasy Board of Directors. Mr. Secord is the former President/CEO of Gaming Nation Inc., a publicly traded company on the TSXV, which was acquired in 2018 by a private equity firm. Prior to Gaming Nation, Mr. Secord held the position of President/CEO of Pointstreak Sports Technologies Inc. from 2009 until 2015. “ThriveFantasy is exciting because it is a unique fantasy platform that gives both esports and traditional sports fans a fun and easy playing experience,” said Secord. “The opportunities in the sports and gaming industry seem limitless, but we understand that one of the strengths of this market lies in the quality and experience of the platforms. Thrive’s is one of the best we’ve seen. Our investment in Thrive shows our commitment to continually improving how these games are offered to the growing number of fantasy fans.” Due to ThriveFantasy’s popularity, current and former professional athletes participated in this investment round. Notable investors include: New York Angels members, Yolo Investments, Reflect Ventures and Stage 1 Ventures. For more information, please visit www.Thrivefantasy.com About ThriveFantasy ThriveFantasy is a Daily Fantasy Sports and Esports App for Player Props. Thrive eliminates the countless hours of research users have to spend, by only focusing on the top-tier athletes that have the biggest impact on the game. Follow ThriveFantasy on Instagram (@ThriveFantasy), Twitter (@ThriveFantasy) and Facebook (ThriveFantasy). Contact Details Michael Adorno madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.thrivefantasy.com/

September 15, 2021 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Knowledgehook enters Mexico to level up math attainment

Knowledgehook

Knowledgehook, the world’s most comprehensive mathematics learning platform, has launched in Mexico as the country fights back from the devastating impact of COVID-19. It is now available to schools across the country for children in Year 3 to Year 9 classes, through RadIx Education, a change consultancy working with local governments and schools across Mexico. Knowledgehook’s proprietary technology harnesses the power of data to track where students are on their math journey. Their programmes connect a child’s at-home learning with in-school education, providing real-time insights to teachers on learning gaps. The platform empowers teachers to develop an understanding of the maths concepts related to their students’ challenges, enabling them to adjust instruction and monitor student progress. The launch of Knowledgehook in Mexico comes at a time when Mexican teachers and officials are working hard to improve math outcomes for their students. Math achievement is at a low ebb with 35% of 15-year-olds not achieving the minimum level of proficiency in math, according to the recent International Student Assessment (PISA) 1. Indeed, Mexican 15-year-olds rank last among students in the 36 OECD member countries in mathematics, reading and science, according to a recent International Student Assessment (PISA) survey. Moreover, UNICEF reported that, on average, schools in Latin America were closed longer than any in any other region as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Qamar Qureshi, President of Knowledgehook, commented:“This is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved in education in Mexico to turn the tide and accelerate change in math outcomes for young people. Having the right, personalised guidance for teachers makes all the difference. Every student deserves to have a teacher who has access to the best pedagogical tools, and parents who have insights into their learning. Our platform is not a game, it pulls together a 360 view on a child’s learning journey, enabling people around them to improve the child’s math experience and outcomes”. Knowledgehook’s AI-enabled platform has grown to support schools across the US, Mexico, and the UK. It is designed to scale across multiple countries and languages, developing teacher capacity while engaging students and providing actionable insights for parents. Over the years, Knowledgehook’s research-based solution has garnered industry-leading partnerships and investments from the most recognised global education bodies, notably from the University College of London (UCL), the global leader in education research. In launching Knowledgehook across Mexico, Erik Ramírez Ruiz, founder of Radix Education, commented: “Despite the historical lows in math attainment levels for Mexican children, we know that the gap between the top and bottom performers in math and science has shrunk over time. It’s now time to accelerate this change and move the needle further. Knowledgehook has proven across the world it makes a difference. We have already seen this first hand during the testing phase and are optimistic the technology will help teachers and improve the life chances of many young people ''. Knowledgehook actively collaborates with governments around the world while also working directly with schools and their suppliers, to offer curriculum-aligned solutions. The company currently empowers teachers in more than 100,000 schools. In 2021, it is anticipated the solution will reach 50,000,000 students globally. Launching Mexico is the first time Knowledge will be available in Spanish. The solution is also available in French. We have received growing interest for our technology and expertise to be applied to other subjects and we look forward to expanding our solution to empower more educators and support the learning of students to become the problem-solvers of tomorrow,” Qamar Qureshi added. Ends 1 Based on the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey. It is conducted once every three years and is the most extensive and widely accepted measure of academic proficiency among lower secondary school students around the world. About Knowledgehook Knowledgehook, a leading educational technology company, empowers hundreds of thousands of teachers and parents to collaboratively support the mathematics learning journey of millions of students worldwide. Winner of Google’s Game Changer Award and named Top Disruptor by BNN, its platform analyses student understanding through engaging assessments, providing real-time personalised solutions to close learning gaps between classroom teaching and at-home learning. Designed by leading numeracy and research experts, Knowledgehook’s Instructional Guidance System is known for reinventing how online technology supports education and educators, while inspiring the problem solvers of tomorrow. Knowledgehook is backed by UCL’s VC fund Discentia Capital, Mesoamerica’s Alexandria Corp., Nelson Education and John Abele’s North Point Ventures. Contact Details Knowledgehook Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

September 15, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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METER Group Acquires Drying Technology, Inc.

METER Group, Inc.

Delta T Moisture Sensing and Control Technology provides actionable drying intelligence to SKALA Control Dashboards, empowering food manufacturers with insights to adapt production variables in real time, optimizing water activity, improving quality, shelf life, and sustainability METER Group, Inc. USA (METER) today announced that it has acquired Drying Technology, Inc., accelerating the availability of proven, closed-loop moisture control for continuous lines for METER Food customers. Delta T sensor technology and patented algorithm reduce moisture content variation in foods, improving production efficiency and quality while lowering energy consumption and waste. This cutting-edge system consistently and precisely maintains the target moisture content inside a dryer using real-time data and an exclusive control algorithm. As part of METER Food’s SKALA platform, Delta T Moisture Control adds closed loop drying intelligence for continuous lines. Coupled with METER’s patented drying algorithm for manufacturers that dry or bake foods in batches using ovens, smokers, and cure rooms, SKALA Delta T Moisture Control extends METER’s ability to help processors predict exactly when a batch has been dried to the correct moisture level. Food manufacturers must ensure that their products are dry enough to inhibit the growth of mold and microorganisms while also mitigating the risk of excessive over drying, unnecessary energy consumption, reduced product volume and quality. Unfortunately, most companies are hindered by inadequate technologies that only measure downstream moisture. Without moisture sensors inside the dryer, it is impossible to detect moisture variations, much less automatically readjust this add point in response to load changes as they occur. This glaring lack of control within drying processes is a notorious cost center for food manufacturers that also threatens production rates and product shelf life. METER’s new moisture control module combines rugged temperature sensors installed inside the dryer with a patented control algorithm to measure moisture changes entering the dryer and adjust the setpoint automatically. This not only reduces moisture variance, but also time and moisture barriers by more than 30 percent. “This acquisition benefits METER Group and its customers on multiple fronts,” said Takuya Ohki, VP of Food, METER Group. “As only 10 percent of Drying Technology’s customers manufacture food, METER Food will bring our drying intelligence solutions to new markets while also offering Delta T closed loop control to our installed customer base. It’s the perfect complement to our portfolio, extending our ability to support manufacturers worldwide. “While ROI improvement calculations vary, average energy costs drop between four and 10 percent. Some factories are ROI-positive in as little as a month, others take as long as six months, with the average being just under three months. Impact on the bottom line depends so much on the size of the company, number of lines, amount produced and the cost of finished goods. For example, one customer saw an $8 million increase in profits due to increased yield in the first year.” Available as part of the METER Food’s SKALA platform for drying intelligence, the Delta T continuous line module will augment SKALA’s advanced machine learning algorithm to generate actionable dashboards, optimize the drying process, and boost revenue. “Our goal is to help processors predict exactly when the batch has been dried to the correct moisture level to conserve energy, time and waste from rework. The addition of Delta T Moisture Sensing and Control enhance METER Food’s product offering, delivering complementary features with very little overlap either in product offering or customer base,” added Ohki. About METER Group METER Group, a Decagon and UMS combined company, delivers real-time, high-resolution data that fuels production and processes for the food quality, environmental research, urban and agriculture sectors. Through the power of its employees, METER combines science, engineering, and design expertise to turn physical measurements into useful information. Learn more at www.metergroup.com. Contact Details JMRConnect Mostafa Razzak +1 202-904-2048 m.razzak@jmrconnect.net Company Website http://www.metergroup.com/

September 15, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CSG Wins Coveted 2021 ColoradoBiz Top Company Award

CSG

CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today was honored as the winner of the 2021 ColoradoBiz Top Company Award for Technology and Software. As one of only 15 state-wide businesses to receive a Top Company designation, CSG is featured in the ColoradoBiz magazine Fall issue highlighting the winners of the 34 th annual Top Company Awards. “The incredible work that each person at CSG does every day around the world to make our customers’— and our employees’ — ordinary experiences extraordinary is the real reason why CSG is a top company,” said Patricia Elias, CSG’s chief people and places officer. “Nearing our 40 th birthday, CSG has continually pushed to innovate our employee experience, reinvent our products and services, and evolve to consistently exceed the expectations of both our customers and our employees.” “This award represents CSG’s ability to not only win in the marketplace, but our ability to win in the workplace,” added Elias. “We’ve made great strides in building a trusted and inclusive culture that enables success by celebrating our differences and allowing each of us to come to work as our true authentic selves. Our work here is continual as we strive to do what’s right for our people and our communities. This award is a humbling recognition of our efforts to enrich and enable a better, more future-ready world, and we celebrate this win as one CSG family.” Established in 1988, the ColoradoBiz Top Company Awards program recognizes Colorado companies of all sizes for their continuous commitment to excellence. The magazine determines its annual award winners based on their outstanding achievements, community involvement, and financial performance. # # # About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Jordy Spitale +1 (504) 615-8820 Jordy.spitale@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

September 15, 2021 06:30 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Stagwell (STGW) Brings Together Assembly and ForwardPMX as Unified Global Brand

Assembly + ForwardPMX

Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW ) agencies Assembly and ForwardPMX today announced that they are uniting as one organization, operating under the name Assembly globally. The newly combined agency will be home to 1,500 employees in over 20 countries and 30 locations across the globe, working with world-class brands, including Nike, Adobe, Ralph Lauren, Con Edison and Red Robin. Assembly will be part of the Stagwell Media Network, which manages nearly $5 billion in media across 7 agencies and delivers client-centric solutions across media, data, technology, insights and creativity. Assembly will be led by current ForwardPMX Global CEO, James Townsend, who is also the Global CEO of Stagwell Media Network. The agency’s management team will be a combination of Assembly and ForwardPMX leadership. In North America, ForwardPMX Managing Director Valerie Davis will be taking a lead role as North American President of the agency. Assembly executives Kim Sivillo and Kendra Mazey will also take on senior leadership roles within the US operation, with Shannon Pruitt and Jon Schaaf being elevated to new global roles across the Stagwell Media Network. Further management announcements will be shared in coming weeks. “In bringing these teams together, we are answering a clear market, client and employee opportunity to challenge the status quo,” said Townsend. “Assembly’s omnichannel media capabilities and buying scale paired with ForwardPMX’s digitally-led talent and global footprint can deliver something that is truly market-leading and capable of driving change and growth for CMOs and marketing leaders worldwide.” Townsend continued, “These are two growing businesses, with undeniable momentum, that belong together. Today, we’re taking a confident step forward to design and build an exciting future – one which ensures clients can access our strongest combined capabilities, while connecting our people to a wider, more diverse global community of experts.” A respected industry leader, Assembly has an impressive track record of driving results through a uniquely integrated media approach, having been named to Ad Age’s coveted A-List as Media Agency of the Year in 2018 and landing Adweek’s Media Plan of the Year in 2019. ForwardPMX brings global scale in data, technology and digital media, which are complementary to Assembly’s strength in omnichannel media and competitive US scale. ForwardPMX will help the combined business exponentially expand global capabilities, with its current footprint in more than 20 countries and a reputation as the partner of choice for brands navigating the complexities of global growth. The integration of Assembly and ForwardPMX is a key part of Stagwell’s effort to offer brands innovative partners that can help transform their businesses. Stagwell Chairman and CEO, Mark Penn, commented, “This combination brings together state-of-the art offline media and performance marketing expertise. Assembly and ForwardPMX have been partnering successfully for the past two years, so we know they can succeed for clients and that their cultures mesh well. We thank all of our current clients for their trust and are excited to share our new offering with the market.” About Stagwell: Stagwell is the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 10,000+ specialists in 24+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us For more information go to: www.stagwellglobal.com. Contact Details Assembly Sara Pollack, Vice President of Marketing +1 917-438-4923 sara.pollack@assemblyglobal.com

September 15, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The 2021 American Thoracic Society Virtual Event

Convey Services

In 2021 the American Thoracic Society hosted their annual conference as a virtual event. The ATS Virtual Conference provided both attendees and exhibitors with a virtual experience that would closely replicate the in-person environment. The ATS International Conference attracts pulmonary, critical care, and sleep professionals, from those in the earliest stages of their careers to those whose research or strides in clinical care has gained them international recognition. Each year, nearly 14,000 of these professionals choose to attend, present, and learn about the latest advances, meet with colleagues from around the world, and create new collaborations and connections. It is truly where today’s science meets tomorrow’s care. Download the case study for free at: Case Study in Virtual & Hybrid Events for Medical Organizations — The story of ATS 2021. “The MCI Group was tapped to be the event management company for the ATS virtual event, said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Cloud Conventions. “MCI is a global engagement and marketing agency that creates human-centric touchpoints to unleash the power of people to deliver innovation and growth. Cloud Conventions was selected as the virtual technology platform to manage the ATS virtual event. Our solutions is a sophisticated enterprise platform that manages everything needed to execute a flawless virtual event, tradeshow or conference.” ATS Virtual Conference Goal The virtual conference was designed around three main elements to meet the goal: • Presentations & Sessions • CME/MOC Education • The Industry Solution Center for sponsors Attendees at the ATS Virtual Conference engaged through networking events featuring experts from the medical industry, attendee-to-exhibitor real-time chat, online discussion forums and “ Community™ ” featuring searchable attendee directories, profile cards for each attendee and instant messaging between attendees. The live portion of the virtual conference was held over a five-day period, and on-demand content was made available for ninety days. Click here to download: Case Study in Virtual & Hybrid Events for Medical Organizations — The story of ATS 2021 About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions from Convey Services is Cloud Conventions is an enterprise virtual/hybrid event management platform that redefines the exhibitor and attendee experience to allow companies to provide easy access to in-depth product information, showcase their brands with graphics and videos, create calls to action and generate immediate sales leads. Used around the world for large managed events and smaller self-directed meetings, conferences and corporate kickoffs, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, continuing education, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Cloud Conventions supports multiple languages and currencies, internal, external and single-sign on registration, and supports all conferencing carriers and platforms. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Cloud Conventions Enterprise Event Network™, Community™, SafetyNet™, Cloud Kickoffs™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

September 14, 2021 04:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Cloud Conventions Creates DIY Playbook for Managing & Delivering Virtual Events

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions today released a new Do-it-Yourself (DIY) eBook for associations, nonprofits, and businesses designed to reduce cost and increase efficiency with a self-managed program to create and deliver a virtual conference or trade event. It’s all outlined in “The DIY Virtual and Hybrid Event — Case Study,” available for free to download. Cloud Conventions is a sophisticated event management platform that redefines the attendee and exhibitor experience focused on delivering virtual and hybrid events for associations and business. “Most organizations with live events that were scheduled in 2020 and 2021 have now had the experience of staging those events virtually,” said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Cloud Conventions. “Even though live events are returning, maintaining a virtual event option will be vital to your event strategy, even after all of the challenges of COVID have passed. To simplify and demystify the process, we created a DIY program for meeting planners that have gotten comfortable with virtual events but want to maximize their effectiveness, while managing more of the elements themselves to reduce cost and maintain more control.” The cost and effort to add virtual options to complement a live event or as a stand-alone event has been overwhelming for many organizations with limited staff or a tight budget. Cloud Conventions’ DIY Virtual Events offer a low-cost subscription to the event management platform and a step-by-step playbook to simplify planning, execution, and management. The DIY event program shows you on how to create a content and session strategy, a virtual exhibit option for sponsors, expanded attendee engagement strategies and a way to automate onboarding attendees and manage the platform. A DIY platform comes configured and organized, making it easy to brand and add other elements without technical expertise or programming. “We generated two of our own virtual events before we began delivering virtual events to clients,” added Bradfield. “We took the lessons we gained from our events and coupled them with what we learned from executing hundreds of events for other customers. We created an eBook that outlines 9 key steps for executing a successful DIY virtual event. In this eBook, we relate those steps to how we delivered Cloud Conventions 2021, a virtual trade event for the telecommunications and cloud sales channel in May 2021.” The Cloud Conventions technology platform is designed with the non-technical user in mind with self-help and user tips built into administrative routines. The platform comes with templates for email communication, virtual exhibitor booths, session and content posts, directories and pages. Customers can take advantage of built-in Zoom or BlueJeans by Verizon conferencing capabilities to broadcast video sessions and keynotes. Event planners can also use their own preferred video accounts such as Teams, GoToMeeting or GlobalMeet. Analytics and reporting are automated to give the event organizer and exhibitors a detailed view of all attendee engagement. Click here to download: The DIY Virtual and Hybrid Event — Case Study About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions from Convey Services is Cloud Conventions is an enterprise virtual/hybrid event management platform that redefines the exhibitor and attendee experience to allow companies to provide easy access to in-depth product information, showcase their brands with graphics and videos, create calls to action and generate immediate sales leads. Used around the world for large managed events and smaller self-directed meetings, conferences and corporate kickoffs, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, continuing education, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Cloud Conventions supports multiple languages and currencies, internal, external and single-sign on registration, and supports all conferencing carriers and platforms. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Cloud Conventions Enterprise Event Network™, Community™, SafetyNet™, Cloud Kickoffs™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

September 14, 2021 03:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cloud Conventions Releases New eBook for Associations Detailing 2021 Virtual & Hybrid Event Outlook

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions today released a new eBook exclusively for event planners of professional associations and trade groups entitled “2021 Virtual & Hybrid Event Outlook for Associations,” available free to download. It offers practical advice for associations to make their next live, hybrid or virtual event deliver the right experience for the organization, its members, and sponsors. The eBooks focuses on the business case for redefining online event experiences backed by research. “Professionals that manage live and virtual conferences for associations struggle with how they should engage their membership now that live events are starting to return,” said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Cloud Conventions. “We assembled this eBook to look at research from well-respected sources to see how having virtual event options has impacted how members engage with associations before, during and after the pandemic. We look at how sponsors view their investment in virtual events, and what it tells us about how associations should plan their event strategy moving forward.” In 2020 the pandemic forced associations to cancel in-person gatherings and pivot to everything from webinars to multi-day virtual conferences. Scrambling to offer some sort of online experience to replace the much-anticipated live conferences represented a fundamental change in the way an association and its membership connected historically. The result was a lower revenue producing virtual option that represented a huge decline in the association’s bottom line. However, the upside of virtual events, when effectively done, has been a game changer for many associations leading to increased attendance, greater member engagement and additional sponsorship revenue outside of membership or attendance fees. “Now that live events are starting to return, associations have asked themselves if continuing virtual events are really worth it,” added Bradfield. “ The 2020 study of 1,000 respondents, ‘Association Trends: From Disruption to Opportunity ’ produced by Community Brands reveals that having a virtual option for membership participation has moved from a nice to have, to a must have. Recent cancellations of live events because of renewed COVID concerns scheduled for this fall is an indicator that the pandemic is far from over. Having a virtual or hybrid option still is the best insurance that the show will go on, no matter what.” Although 2020 was disruptive, in the last several years revenue from membership dues has declined for many associations, while revenue from other sources increased, accounting for over half of the funding for a given group. “2021 Virtual & Hybrid Event Outlook for Associations” reviews the value delivered to the membership and key factors behind increased participation when doing virtual or hybrid events. Cloud Conventions is an event management platform that redefines the attendee and exhibitor experience with a strong focus on delivering virtual and hybrid events for association and nonprofit groups. Click here to download: 2021 Virtual & Hybrid Event Outlook for Associations About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions from Convey Services is Cloud Conventions is an enterprise virtual/hybrid event management platform that redefines the exhibitor and attendee experience to allow companies to provide easy access to in-depth product information, showcase their brands with graphics and videos, create calls to action and generate immediate sales leads. Used around the world for large managed events and smaller self-directed meetings, conferences and corporate kickoffs, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, continuing education, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Cloud Conventions supports multiple languages and currencies, internal, external and single-sign on registration, and supports all conferencing carriers and platforms. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Cloud Conventions Enterprise Event Network™, Community™, SafetyNet™, Cloud Kickoffs™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

September 14, 2021 03:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Hong Kong-based EdTech Company Preface Sees 500% YoY Surge in Revenue, Overcoming Impact of Pandemic

Preface

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 14 September 2021 - Preface, the Hong Kong-based EdTech company, has announced the completion of its Series A funding from prominent investor Sunlink Holdings (H.K.) Limited. Preface aims to tackle the issues raised by Hong Kong's traditional education model, cultivate future global talents and promote coding as the world's universal language, facilitating Hong Kong to strengthen its connection with the world. Tommie Lo (front row, second left), Founder and CEO of Preface, and the Management Team The global EdTech industry is worth more than US$100 billion. It is expected that the number of people learning coding in Hong Kong will reach one million in the coming five years [1]. Despite the impact of the ongoing pandemic, Preface has seen a continued improvement in its performance, with year-on-year revenue growth of 500% over the past 12 months under its unique “Decentralised Classroom” delivery model, highlighting the growing momentum. Tommie Lo, Founder and CEO of Preface, said: “Coding is the foundation for all kinds of modern technology and will become the universal language of the future. Trusted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and UNESCO in the provision of programming education, Preface offers award-winning programming curricula to global academia and leading multinational corporations. Through the high-mobility classroom model we are initiating, coding education has been rapidly popularising in Hong Kong. Our goal is to equip future talents in Hong Kong and around the world with this key language.” “We are very excited to support Preface in its Series A round of funding. In the digital transformation era, education has become one of the fastest-changing landscapes and we see enormous potential for the business. We trust that a forward-looking company like Preface can revolutionise the education industry through their innovative approach,” said Angus Chan, COO and CFO of Sunlink Holdings (H.K.) Limited. With the digitisation of society, cultivating global coding talents has become the responsibility of education A study [2] indicates that over 64% of international companies and 51% of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hong Kong have encountered difficulties in hiring innovative and technological talents. Nearly 80% of Hong Kong companies need to strengthen the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and related professional knowledge for their employees, showing that there is significant demand for training courses. “Hong Kong is in danger of falling behind the rapid growth in technology globally. Nearly 30 countries around the world have included coding education as compulsory courses to enhance their international competitiveness. However, Hong Kong’s education is limited by its traditional framework, with coding education still being regarded as extracurricular study rather than a core education subject. Hong Kong’s students will lag behind in the digital world which will reduce their competitiveness in the market,” Tommie explained. As the first Asian teaching platform to win an award at “EdTech Summit in Europe”, the world’s largest education process programme, Preface Coding by Preface is committed to nurturing talents and cooperating with universities around the world, such as MIT and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Preface has also designed official coding courses for top-ranked universities in Hong Kong and co-organised seminars and workshops with multinational technology companies and non-profit organisations. Preface has now trained more than 10,000 students around the world. Decentralised Classroom – solving issues raised by the traditional education model and fuelling innovation technology Preface's innovative teaching concept provides a solution to tackle issues raised by the traditional education model. Its "Decentralised Classroom" delivery model emphasises that students can learn from daily life, and that education should not be restricted by time and place. Students from Preface are able to choose how and where to attend coding courses as they prefer, receiving teaching materials according to real-time analysis and being matched with teachers through AI technology. The traditional education model is limited in its approach. Hong Kong, for example, is still using the "one-to-many" classroom design that is an outmoded education concept from the 19th century. Preface believes that future education should no longer be restricted to one-way delivery; rather, the learning and teaching process require innovation to ensure that the ultimate goal of education – teaching students in accordance with their aptitude – can be achieved. Preface will use the latest round of funding to further develop its business in major cities including Hong Kong, Tokyo and London, with a determination to popularise coding knowledge and make it a universal language. The company aims to equip the new generation with this key language for a better future. [1] Calculated based on internal data, the numerical conclusion is for reference only. [2] Google Hong Kong “Smarter Digital City - AI for Everyone”： https://forhongkong.withgoogle.com/intl/zh-HK/acceleration-digital-transformation/ About Preface Founded with a vision that personalised education is for all, EdTech company Preface is committed to liberate knowledge and promote coding as the future’s universal language. As an award-winning coding education company, Preface reshapes both the teaching and learning experience by providing personalised classes. Our businesses are across Hong Kong, Tokyo and London, with a focus on the coding education platform Preface Coding and F&B and lifestyle concept space Preface Coffee & Wine. Stay up to date at www.preface.ai About Preface Coding Preface Coding by Preface specialises in delivering personalised coding courses. Powered by an artificial intelligence (AI) data analysis system and teacher-student matching technology, Preface provides tailor-made course materials to teach students in accordance with their aptitude. Adhering to the concept of breaking the inherent framework of traditional classrooms, we are committed to introducing award-winning coding curricula and training for MNCs, academia, secondary and primary schools in Hong Kong. Our programs are trusted by authoritative international institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and UNESCO. About Preface Coffee & Wine Preface Coffee & Wine by Preface is an F&B and lifestyle concept space that brings together a quality coffee and wine store with a free learning space, where customers can enjoy quality food and beverages and learn about knowledge related to technology and coding at the same time. The space also hosts regular seminars and exhibitions about science and technology with international companies and organisations from different industries. The concept space is currently located in Tin Hau and Central. A flagship store in Causeway Bay opens later in 2021 Quarter 4. High-resolution images are downloadable here. #Preface Contact Details 5ives Communications Alice Ma alice.ma@5ivescommunications.com Chloe Chan chloe.chan@5ivescommunications.com

September 14, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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