Day: December 20, 2023

Posted on

[INVNT GROUP]™, the Global Brand Storytelling and Marketing Agency Portfolio, Marks a New Era in Global Expansion with Significant Advances in United Arab Emirates (UAE)

From Expo2020 Dubai, to Audi, and technological world-firsts at COP28, the agency portfolio is powering immersive brand activations, campaigns and strategies, engaging local audiences, leaders, and the international community throughout the region

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — [INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ strengthens its commitment to EMEA and the UAE, growing it’s local Dubai team and full-service, integrated, strategic, and experiential marketing services to partners and clients including PepsiCo (Aquafina, Gatorade, Lay’s, Rockstar Energy), Audi, COP28, Emirates Airline, and more.

The group represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward-thinking challenger brands everywhere, impact the audiences that matter, both globally and locally.

[INVNT GROUP] established its presence in the UAE with the architecting of three interactive, award-winning PepsiCo pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai (2021), which featured activations with hall-of-fame athletes Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, and Usain Bolt, welcoming over 24 Million people across 6 months. The success of the global gathering led to the INVNT-produced launch event of PepsiCo’s Rockstar Energy, a market-first in the region, setting the stage for a series of milestone campaigns and projects including: COP28 in Dubai, Audi’s Investor Gala at the Geneva International Motorshow in Qatar, and the Emirates Airline debut of their industry first, immersive experience employee training platform, MIRA, at the Dubai Air Show.

For COP28, INVNT designed, produced, and project managed a series of activations, seamlessly integrating the traditionally separate Blue and Green Zones into a comprehensive experience at the repurposed Expo city site, accommodating for a daily crowd of 70,000 attendees.

INVNT’s activations at COP28 included:

  • The “Tree of Life”: A world-first, interactive, Artificial Intelligence powered digital art installation and contemporary symbol of environmental sustainability, educating attendees about the key themes and topics of COP28. The AI-generative art experience allowed for individuals to pledge commitment to global environmental sustainability.
  • The Stella McCartney Marketplace: An experience spotlighting product displays and information on the LVMH brand’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and conscious luxury movement.
  • One World One Humanity: A large-scale interactive entertainment performance using human-driven, larger-than-life characters to deliver a narrative inspired by COP28’s central message: “UNITE. ACT. DELIVER”, while celebrating our planetary connection through a unified lens.
  • The CNN x United Nations Foundation Exhibition: An educational immersive experience focusing on the climate crisis’s impact on gender inequality, displaying powerful film and imagery captured by Global South female photojournalists.
  • “Energy for Health” Activation (collaboration between the World Health Organization, Selco Foundation, and UNICEF): An immersive educational experience highlighting the importance of solar energy in delivering medical services to remote regions, showcased through compelling films and innovative technical solutions.

“Our investment across global geographies and the rapidly expanding UAE market, has endowed us with a specialized expertise, where innovative storytelling and technological mastery are not just aspirations but realities. Through projects like COP28, Expo 2020 Dubai, Emirates’ MIRA and others, our global team has immersed itself in the vibrant UAE ecosystem, where technology serves a cornerstone of society – reshaping our social fabric and global economy. We are not mere participants in this transformative era; we are leading the storytelling narratives, that elevate and define brands throughout the region and beyond, on the global stage. Through our commitments to impact driven marketing and audience engagement, we continue to deliver world class experiences, cultivating new strategic partnerships, and offering unparalleled value to our clients, partners, and stakeholders. Our mission is to weave a panoply of global communities, guided by the vision that creativity and technology are the lodestars of our collective future,” said Scott Cullather, President & CEO of [INVNT GROUP] and CEO of INVNT.ATOM.

The group has also grown its local partnerships and teams across various business units including INVNT™ the live brand storytelling agency, and INVNT.ATOM™, the digital innovation and Web3 agency based in Singapore. INVNT.ATOM recently launched BZAR™, the group’s patent-pending, self-funded, content-led immersive digital platform, built exclusively for brands and fans.

INVNT.ATOM – in partnership with AWS (Amazon Web Services) and other tech partners – powered the Dubai Airshow debut of Emirates Airlines’ immersive employee experience platform ‘MIRA’, which uses extended reality (iXR) to train new joiners and will revolutionize employee training. VR offers realistic simulations, providing hands-on experience without the physical constraints, enhancing how skills are taught and learned through greater consistency of message, increased engagement, and retention, while offering safe and scalable training environments redefining the future of employee learning.

“In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, our focus across the group is squarely on engaging both global and local audiences through immersive brand storytelling. We’re not just expanding our reach in the UAE and world at large, we’re redefining frontiers of engagement by creating experiences that resonate universally while honoring local narratives and cultures; inspiring new dialogues, fostering connection, and pioneering alongside brands looking to reach new plateaus of audience engagement. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, challenging everything, and leveraging the power of next-generation creativity and technology to build bridges between diverse communities and creating a truly global impact,” said Kristina McCoobery, CEO of INVNT and COO of [INVNT GROUP].

At the Geneva International Motorshow, INVNT partnered with Audi to produce the Investors Gala and Dealer Event in the National Museum of Doha (Qatar), unveiling the future of automotive innovation, and showcasing the company’s 2024 advancement strategy in the UAE and beyond.

“We are committed to deepening our connections and partnerships with brands, organizations, and the local UAE community. Our team blends global vision with local insights and tactics, ensuring our initiatives resonate meaningfully in the region. This approach allows us to contribute positively to the region’s growth while embracing and learning from its technological ethos and rich cultural heritage,” said Farah Hindiyeh, Managing Director of INVNT Dubai. 

###

ABOUT [INVNT GROUP]
[INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ is a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward-thinking organizations everywhere, impact the audiences that matter, anywhere, with offices in New York, London, Sydney, Singapore, Dubai, San Francisco, Mumbai , Stockholm, Detroit, and Washington D.C. Led by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP]™ was established as a growing evolution of the live global brand storytelling agency INVNT™, with a vision to provide engaging, well-articulated, impactful brand stories across all platforms.

The GROUP consists of: modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero™; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; production studio & creative agency, HEVĒ™; events for colleges and universities, INVNT Higher Ed; digital innovation division, INVNT.ATOM™; creative multimedia experience studio, Hypnogram™; ITP Live (Any Venue Video, Thunder Audio, In Sync), portfolio of full-service production for live entertainment; and the original live global brand storytelling agency, INVNT.

For more information visit www.invntgroup.com

Attachment

Jhonathan Mendez de Leon
[INVNT GROUP]
Jmendezdeleon@invnt.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9008009

Posted on

Wecan is Now Listed on Bitstamp, One of the World’s Most Prestigious Exchanges

LUXEMBOURG, Dec. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, with great pride, we announce the listing of the WECAN Token on Bitstamp, one of the world’s most renowned exchanges. This marks a significant milestone for Wecan Group, positioning the token at the heart of the global financial landscape.

After a successful presale raising $1.9 million, the listing on Bitstamp represents a highly anticipated moment at the end of this year. The company has already brought together more than 13 private banks and 100 financial intermediaries, collectively managing assets exceeding $1.8 trillion.

The strategic decision to list the WECAN Token on Bitstamp comes just before major events such as Bitcoin’s halving, announcements of ETFs by international financial giants like BlackRock, and other significant developments in the sector. WECAN is positioning itself as the institutional token of choice, offering a robust and reliable solution for institutional investors and financial market players.

At the same time, Bitstamp is becoming a Wecan Group customer to facilitate onboarding for banks, financial intermediaries and their end customers.

“As market maturation continues to attract institutional investment, listing the WECAN Token as a secure and efficient digital asset is another step towards ensuring the development and widespread adoption of crypto,” said Jean-Baptiste Graftieaux, CEO of Bitstamp. “As such, we’re delighted to develop our partnership with Wecan Group, who share our commitment to transparency and security, alongside building credibility in our ever-expanding industry.”

“Wecan is honored to be listed on Bitstamp, a platform that epitomizes excellence and credibility in the world of cryptocurrency,” says Vincent Pignon, CEO of Wecan Group. “This milestone reflects our commitment to transparency, security, and innovation in the global financial sector.”

The WECAN Token, as an institutional token, provides a secure and efficient platform to facilitate large-scale financial transactions. With a strong financial backing and an expanded network of partner institutions, Wecan continues to strengthen its position as a key player in the evolution of the global financial landscape.

For more information on the WECAN Token and its listing on Bitstamp, please visit our website at https://wecangroup.ch/wecan-token/.

About Wecan
Wecan is an innovative company in the blockchain field. With the support of more than 13 private banks and 100 financial intermediaries managing over $1.8 trillion in assets, Wecan is committed to redefining standards of security and efficiency in the global financial sector.

More info is available at https://wecangroup.ch/
Wecan Media Contact: contact@wecangroup.ch

About Bitstamp
Bitstamp is the world’s longest-standing cryptocurrency exchange, continuously providing safe and open access to crypto since 2011. With a proven track record and mature approach to the industry, Bitstamp provides a secure and transparent trading venue to over five million individuals and is the preferred choice for a range of institutional clients seeking a trusted partner to participate in crypto markets. Bitstamp is a sector leader in both security and compliance, with more than 50 licences and registrations secured with financial regulators across the globe.

More info is available at bitstamp.net
Bitstamp Media Contact: Europe – Pagefield PR, bitstamp@pagefield.co.uk

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000905065

Posted on

Wecan is Now Listed on Bitstamp, One of the World’s Most Prestigious Exchanges

LUXEMBOURG, Dec. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, with great pride, we announce the listing of the WECAN Token on Bitstamp, one of the world’s most renowned exchanges. This marks a significant milestone for Wecan Group, positioning the token at the heart of the global financial landscape.

After a successful presale raising $1.9 million, the listing on Bitstamp represents a highly anticipated moment at the end of this year. The company has already brought together more than 13 private banks and 100 financial intermediaries, collectively managing assets exceeding $1.8 trillion.

The strategic decision to list the WECAN Token on Bitstamp comes just before major events such as Bitcoin’s halving, announcements of ETFs by international financial giants like BlackRock, and other significant developments in the sector. WECAN is positioning itself as the institutional token of choice, offering a robust and reliable solution for institutional investors and financial market players.

At the same time, Bitstamp is becoming a Wecan Group customer to facilitate onboarding for banks, financial intermediaries and their end customers.

“As market maturation continues to attract institutional investment, listing the WECAN Token as a secure and efficient digital asset is another step towards ensuring the development and widespread adoption of crypto,” said Jean-Baptiste Graftieaux, CEO of Bitstamp. “As such, we’re delighted to develop our partnership with Wecan Group, who share our commitment to transparency and security, alongside building credibility in our ever-expanding industry.”

“Wecan is honored to be listed on Bitstamp, a platform that epitomizes excellence and credibility in the world of cryptocurrency,” says Vincent Pignon, CEO of Wecan Group. “This milestone reflects our commitment to transparency, security, and innovation in the global financial sector.”

The WECAN Token, as an institutional token, provides a secure and efficient platform to facilitate large-scale financial transactions. With a strong financial backing and an expanded network of partner institutions, Wecan continues to strengthen its position as a key player in the evolution of the global financial landscape.

For more information on the WECAN Token and its listing on Bitstamp, please visit our website at https://wecangroup.ch/wecan-token/.

About Wecan
Wecan is an innovative company in the blockchain field. With the support of more than 13 private banks and 100 financial intermediaries managing over $1.8 trillion in assets, Wecan is committed to redefining standards of security and efficiency in the global financial sector.

More info is available at https://wecangroup.ch/
Wecan Media Contact: contact@wecangroup.ch

About Bitstamp
Bitstamp is the world’s longest-standing cryptocurrency exchange, continuously providing safe and open access to crypto since 2011. With a proven track record and mature approach to the industry, Bitstamp provides a secure and transparent trading venue to over five million individuals and is the preferred choice for a range of institutional clients seeking a trusted partner to participate in crypto markets. Bitstamp is a sector leader in both security and compliance, with more than 50 licences and registrations secured with financial regulators across the globe.

More info is available at bitstamp.net
Bitstamp Media Contact: Europe – Pagefield PR, bitstamp@pagefield.co.uk

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000905065

Posted on

AGL Selects Fluence to Deliver the 500 MW Liddell Battery Project in Australia

The Liddell Battery Project expands Fluence’s work with AGL and is the largest energy storage system announced to date Fluence will deliver in Australia

AGL Selects Fluence to Deliver the 500 MW Liddell Battery Project in Australia

AGL Selects Fluence to Deliver the 500 MW Liddell Battery Project in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fluence Energy, Inc. (“Fluence”) (NASDAQ: FLNC), a leading global provider of energy storage products, services, and optimisation software for renewables and storage, today announced that the company has been selected by AGL Energy Limited (AGL) to deliver a 500 MW / 1000 MWh energy storage system for the Liddell Battery Project. Located at AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub in New South Wales, the project is the biggest energy storage system announced to date that Fluence will be designing, engineering, and constructing in Australia.

The project will use Fluence’s Gridstack™ energy storage product with a 5-year service agreement contributing to AGL’s planned 850 MW national grid-scale battery rollout. Construction for the project is expected to begin in early 2024, with the commencement of operations targeted for mid-2026. The project will also utilise Fluence’s asset performance management software, Nispera™, to optimise the operational performance of the asset.

“We are excited to approve another major grid-scale battery project in our development pipeline, supporting the local economy and creating energy transition jobs at our Hunter Energy Hub,” said AGL Managing Director and CEO, Damien Nicks. “Importantly, the Liddell battery will be a key component of achieving our interim target of approximately 5 GW of new renewables and firming capacity in place by 2030, marking a significant milestone in AGL’s decarbonisation pathway and the transition of its energy portfolio.”

“We are thrilled to expand our work with AGL and appreciate the trust that their team has placed in our energy storage technology,” said Fluence SVP & President APAC, Jan Teichmann. “We are honoured to further strengthen our relationship with AGL with the Liddell Battery Project, the second battery storage system we will deliver to AGL in Australia. This grid-forming battery storage system is an important milestone for Fluence since it is the largest system announced to date that we will deliver in Australia, which further demonstrates our long-term commitment to the country’s energy transition.”

To date, Fluence has been selected to deliver over 1 GW energy storage projects within Australia to enhance grid stability and enable the country’s clean energy transition. Globally, Fluence has deployed and contracted 7.6 GW of energy storage projects.

About Fluence

Fluence Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLNC) is a global market leader in energy storage products and services, and optimization software for renewables and storage. With a presence in 47 markets globally, Fluence provides an ecosystem of offerings to drive the clean energy transition, including modular, scalable energy storage products, comprehensive service offerings, and the Fluence IQ Platform, which delivers AI-enabled digital applications for managing and optimizing renewables and storage from any provider. The company is transforming the way we power our world by helping customers create more resilient and sustainable electric grids.

For more information, visit our website, or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. To stay up to date on the latest industry insights, sign up for Fluence’s Full Potential Blog.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements described herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the operational performance of the Liddell Battery Project, expected timeline of the Liddell Battery Project, and anticipated performance of Nispera. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this press release, words such as “may,” “possible,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “targets,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions and variations thereof and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events, and their potential effects on our business. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and there can be no assurance that future developments affecting our business will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, which include, but are not limited to, impacts to the Liddell Battery project from geopolitical instability, extreme weather, and/or changes in Victoria and/or Australia’s regulatory regime and energy goals relating to renewables and energy storage, failure to achieve the anticipated benefits and operational performance from the Liddell Battery project, and other factors set forth under Item 1A.“Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023,filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on November 29, 2023, and in other filings we make with the SEC from time to time. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the effect of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made in this press release. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which we become aware of, after the date hereof, except as otherwise may be required by law.

Media Contact
Adele Zhang, Head of Marketing & Communications, APAC
Email: Adele.Zhang@fluenceenergy.com
Phone: +61 406529688

Analyst Contact
Lexington May, Vice President of Investor Relations
Email: investorrelations@fluenceenergy.com
Phone: +1 (713) 909-5629

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/63ded6e2-6df4-4de9-9dd6-def3b9d8aaf5

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9007638

Posted on

3 weather systems to bring rain showers across PH Wednesday


MANILA: Three weather systems will continue to bring rain showers across the country on Wednesday, the weather bureau said.

In its weather advisory issued at 11 p.m. on Dec. 19, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the low-pressure area (LPA) and shear line may bring a significant amount of rain in the next three days.

The LPA’s trough was last spotted at 185 km. south of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, and the shear line will bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Zamboanga Peninsula, the Bangsamoro region, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, and Aurora, PAGASA said in its 4 a.m. weather advisory.

The northeast monsoon or “amihan” will continue to cause rains over the Cagayan Valley and Cordillera regions.

These areas may experience flash floods or landslides due to moderate to heavy rains.

The northeast monsoon will also continue to cause isolated light rains over the rest of Luzon.

The rest of the country will have
isolated rain showers caused by localized thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, Northern Luzon will have strong winds and rough seas.

On the other hand, moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas will prevail over the Visayas, the rest of Luzon, and the eastern section of Mindanao.

Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate with slight to moderate seas, PAGASA said.
Source: Philippines News Agency

Posted on

80% of Eastern Visayas LGUs eye DRRM recognition


PALO: The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has urged 80 percent of local governments in Eastern Visayas to work on receiving the highest recognition for disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).

In an interview on the sidelines of the 2023 ‘Gawad Kalasag’ awarding at the Oriental Leyte here, OCD regional director Lord Byron Torrecarion said that although more areas received the DRRM award this year, the number of local governments is only 20 percent of the total in the region.

‘We have been going around the region to encourage our provinces, cities, and municipalities to comply with the requirements to earn the award. Our Gawad Kalasag caravan also provides technical assistance and guidance to our local governments,’ he told the Philippine News Agency.

Torrecarion said they are the only OCD regional office that holds caravans as a proactive measure to encourage wider participation in the search for outstanding areas for DRRM.

The region has 149 local governments, including six provinces, seven cities an
d 136 towns.

Of the total, only 29 areas earned the 2023 ‘Gawad Kalasag’ award for being beyond and fully compliant, representing 20 percent of the total.

Of the 29 awardees, there is one province, two cities and 26 municipalities.

Recognized as beyond compliant are Can-avid, Eastern Samar; Catarman, Northern Samar; and Southern Leyte province.

Fully compliant local governments are the towns of Arteche, Balangiga, General Macarthur, Guiuan and Maydolong in Eastern Samar; Tabango, Ormoc City, and San Miguel in Leyte; Gamay, Laoang, Lope De Vega, Palapag, San Antonio and San Roque in Northern Samar.

Also awarded are Marabut and Tarangnan in Samar; Bontoc, Liloan, Limasawa, Maasin City, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, Silago, Sogod and Hinundayan in Southern Leyte.

In 2022, only eight local governments received the ‘Gawad Kalasag’ award.

Kalasag is the Filipino term for “shield,” used by early Filipinos to protect themselves from enemies’ attacks or harmful animals.

Gawad Kalasag was conceived to prote
ct high-risk communities against hazards by encouraging the participation of various stakeholders in designing and implementing DRRM programs.

To qualify for the award, entries must have demonstrated effectiveness and innovation in disaster risk reduction and management, community participation, sustainability and replicability.
Source: Philippines News Agency