Mumbai: Ezeego1.com, the online travel portal has launched a new product ?Online Sports Tickets? on its website in association with Sports Events 365 for sports enthusiasts. This facility will allow the customers to book tickets for major sporting events like Football, Tennis, Basket Ball, Ice Hockey, Rugby, Formula1 etc happening globally. Sports Events 365 is an International sports and concerts ticket supplier that sells over 20,000 tickets, yearly, to people from all over the world at competitive prices.

Apart from listing upcoming events, this product on Ezeego1?s website will also allow users to perform a location-based search of future sports events. One can also search for sports events by selecting a competitor. For example, fans of Manchester United or Roger Federer can find out where it is possible to see their favorite team or player in the coming months. It will provide detailed information on each event with date, time, place, venue, seating charts, local street map and address and public transportation to the venue.

Speaking on the launch, Neelu Singh, COO, Ezeego1.com said ?We are proud to launch this new product on our website in alliance with Sports Events 365 for sports fanatics who are interested in watching major sports events at the stadium. With sports tickets beings the fastest growing segment in the travel industry and our customer loyalty growing day by day, it was necessary to introduce an attractive product like this. It will not only enhance our product offering but will also attract a new category of customers.?

The ?Online Sports Tickets? section will feature the popular events like Football / Soccer - European leagues, Champions League, Europa League, Euro 2012; Basketball ? EuroLeague, European leagues; Tennis - Grand Slams, Masters, ATP and WTA tournaments, Davis and Federation Cup; Motor Sports - Formula 1, MotoGP, NASCAR; American Sports - Basketball (NBA), Football (NFL), Baseball (MLB), Hockey (NHL) and various Cricket, Rugby, Athletics and special events.

Bangalore: Catalyst announces the appointment of Shachi Irde as Executive Director of Catalyst India WRC and member of the Catalyst India Advisory Board. Based in Bangalore, Ms. Irde leads Catalyst India?s work with its growing community of close to 60 member companies committed to creating inclusive workplaces that leverage the skills and talents of both women and men and help address India Inc.?s increasingly competitive talent challenge.

Catalyst is the leading global nonprofit organization working to expand opportunities for women and business. Through its research, events, best practices and tools, consulting services and engaged community, Catalyst India WRC empowers corporate members to drive the change that will increase diversity, and in turn, expand the pool of top candidates available to Indian companies.

Ms. Irde brings a rich background in business development, marketing, human resources and diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices to her new role. She joins Catalyst after six years at Infosys, where she helped develop and manage D&I initiatives across the organization as the Head of Diversity. Her efforts helped launch D&I Councils regionally and within business units as well as the first leadership development program for women, and a ground-breaking employee resource group (ERG) for India-based LGBT employees. In addition, she conceptualized and delivered successful employee engagement programs focusing on communication, health and safety.

Ms. Irde also held HR leadership roles within WeP Peripherals. She is a member of the steering committee on D&I at NASSCOM. A strong advocate for women?s empowerment, she works with voluntary organizations supporting under-privileged women in her spare time. She received her Bachelor?s degree in computer science and Master of Business Administration from Pune University. She is married with one son.

"We are very pleased to welcome Shachi Irde to Catalyst India. Her proven expertise in diversity and inclusion, coupled with her skills in promoting and managing effective change, will be instrumental in expanding the Catalyst India community of corporate members committed to strengthening leadership pipelines and workplaces that that nurture talent," said Deborah Gillis, Chief Operating Officer, Catalyst.

"In the last few years, the significance of women in business and the workforce has gained momentum in India," said Ms. Irde. "Catalyst India can help companies accelerate their gender inclusion strategy. With its reputation for gold standard research, Catalyst India is poised to help India-based practitioners become true catalysts for change in their own organizations."

NEW DELHI: Make this summer vacation even more enjoyable with Discovery Kids’ special treat of three animated adventure movies based on the inspiring and timeless stories of Tintin. In each movie special premiering every Sunday starting May 12th at 10 a.m., Tintin will engage kids with his intriguing escapades, curious mind, riveting investigations and solve the deepest mysteries.

All animated adaptations of one of the most popular comic classics of all times, Tintin movies premiering on Discovery Kids include Tintin and the Calculus Affair airing May 12th, Tintin and the Lake of Sharks airing May 19th and Tintin and the Prisoners of the Sun airing May 26th.

The intrepid young reporter Tintin and his trusted aide Snowy travel around the world accompanied by an interesting cast of characters including Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus and the detective Twins Thompson and Thomson.

Rahul Johri, Senior Vice President and General Manager - South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said, “This summer vacation kids will be presented with an exciting line-up of television entertainment with the biggest animation series, Transformers Prime and three Tintin movies from Discovery Kids. Tintin will entertain, engage and enlighten the kids with his clever and curious adventures all through the month of May.”

Follow Tintin on his adventures with Discovery Kids’ installment of exciting Tintin movies:

· Tintin and the Calculus Affair: In Tintin and the Calculus affair, mysterious events unfold at Moulinsart, chandeliers explode, glass shatters and mirror cracks. Professsor Calculus is deep in nuclear physics and later, gets kidnapped! His invention – a machine capable of destroying objects with sound waves gets the unwanted attention of the secret services and it is up to Tintin and Captain Haddock to help him keep the machine in good hands. Will Tintin and Haddock outwit the secret agents and find Professor Calculus?

· Tintin and the Lake of Sharks: Shark Lake, the headquarters for a worldwide art theft operation has the criminal mastermind Rastapopoulos behind it all. Will Tintin be able to solve the mystery? Will the evil Rastapopoulos go free? Watch as Tintin uses Professor Calculus’s inventions, and his own good sense and courage, to rescue people and put an end to the schemes of the crooks in Sildavia.

· Tintin and the Prisoners of the Sun: Professor Calculus is kidnapped while Captain Haddock, the Thompson twins and Tintin are condemned to death. How will they escape? Watch Tintin and Captain Haddock continue their efforts to rescue the kidnapped Professor Calculus through the Andean villages, mountains, and rain forests before finding a hidden Inca civilisation in the temple of the Sun.
 

MUMBAI : Group M and Optimystix Entertainment promoted, O4 Digital Media announced a strategic alliance to create India’s first digital video-led Brand Solutions Company – MashUp. MashUp is a content led Brand solutions company with a key focus on ‘video led sustained engagement’ for brands – a first of its kind in the Indian digital industry. Mash Up Brand Solutions will work with brands to connect with consumers on digital & social media platforms using customized and differentiated content to create rich engagement.

With Mash Up, Optimystix Entertainment, India’s leading TV Production Company is now turning its focus to the rapidly growing online video space. Group M, India’s leading media agency network is extending its online offering to include strategic content solutions backed with metric and measurement. With its digital expertise and understanding of online consumers, the launch of MashUp is set to revolutionize the online brand promotion and engagement space.

The Internet video consumption market in India is growing at a tremendous pace, with nearly 80% more video views in 2012 than 2011. The current market size in India is equal to 43 million + monthly unique viewers; 3.3 billion + monthly total video streams and approximately19 billion minutes are spent watching videos online every month*.To harness the potential of this untapped market, MashUp, with its expertise in understanding and engaging viewers will create “rich media video packages” and provide brands with additional effective touch points for sustained consumer engagement on social media platforms.

Commenting on this development, CVL Srinivas, South Asia CEO at Group M, said, “Internet video consumption is expected to further increase 6 fold by 2016*.The Internet audience size is crossing the English-speaking audience size in our country and video has a larger role to play considering the formatcomprises a universal appeal. We see an untapped as well as cost-effective opportunity in this market for leading brands to engage with their consumers on a more personal level. Optimystix Entertainment is the leading premiumcontent creator and we are happy to combine our strengths to form MashUp.”

Speaking about the venture, Sanjiv Sharma, CEO and Executive Chairman at Optimystix Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd. said, “India is the 2nd largest consumer of Online Videos. Having produced TV Commercials for every leading brand in the country and producing highly successful Primetime TV Programming for all leading broadcasters, our DNA as company allows us to understand and service brand needs and create high quality video content at an industrial level. Realizing this opportunity, OptimystixEntertainment started this journey of "Video Led Sustained Engagement" with AIRTEL to create and produce video content for engagement across their social media communities. Our partnering with Group M is a step further in creating a leadership position in this space.”

The key focus for Mash Up will be to understand the brand needs in the social media space and to create a compelling digital engagement strategy using “rich video packages” to create and nourish this relationship with consumers. Mash Up shall also provide other digital services including evaluation of the brand and its competition in the social media space, social media management& Marketing, online media planning and buying, analytics and measurement of brand progress and more. Mash Up shall work with Group M clients as well as other players, and currently some of its clients include established brands such as Airtel, Ford, Mercedez Benz, Shoppers Stop, Streax,Citi Bank, Skoda, Gillette, etc.

MUMBAI: In ongoing efforts to support charities dedicated to fostering socio-economic development around the world, ZEE Americas sponsored the American India Foundation‘s 6th Annual New York Young Professionals Gala this April. Each year, AIF raises awareness and funds for one major cause, ranging from neo-natal health and education to healthcare for HIV positive women and children. This year‘s nominated program was MANSI (Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative), which aims to lower the infant mortality rate and lessen childbirth complications for women in rural areas of India who have limited access to proper medical facilities and practitioners.

ZEE Americas GM, Sameer Targe said "As a leader in South Asian entertainment, we are an inseparable part of the South Asian community in the United States. ZEE believes in supporting initiatives that promote social and economic change, especially when it comes to empowering the youth and their efforts to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate."

AIF‘s annual gala has grown from strength to strength each year. With 500 guests in attendance this year, the event was hosted by Reshma Saujani, the first Indian-American woman to run for Congress, and included a live and silent auction (with prizes including a 3-night stay at the Leela Palace Hotel in Bangalore and a tour of the Nasdaq Headquarters with CNBC host Seema Mody), buffet dinner, and dancing featuring music by DJ Tiger. AIF raised over $100,000 this fiscal year with all the proceeds benefitting MANSI. Highlights of the gala can be seen on ZEE Americas‘ entertainment network, ZING, which is specifically geared toward the South Asian American youth and their strides within the community.

The 6th Annual American India Foundation Young Professionals Gala on ZING: http://bit.ly/12Lm3ZD

MUMBAI: Followed by the enormous success gained by the first ever 3day promotional campaign held in Bangalore, Sri Lanka's second 3 day mega joint promotional campaign, named as "Get Sri Lankaned", will be held in Mumbai from 17th -20th May 2013. Organized under the patronage of H.E the President Mahinda Rajapaksa the event will feature the joint efforts of key government institutions and private sector organizations in Sri Lanka creating a single collaborative platform for promoting travel, trade and investments of the country.

The event will unfold in five stages covering all areas of opportunity created for private and public sector organizations to interact and generate fruitful ventures to promote the two countries travel trade and industrial relations. The campaign will feature an array of activities including media briefings, ‘Sri Lankan Evenings‘ with fashion shows, Sri Lankan food festivals, B2B (business-to-business) meetings, travel and investment forums and shopping Mall activations between the travel traders of the two countries .

India is identified as a key potential market consisting vast opportunity for growth in areas related to travel and tourism trade of Sri Lanka while focusing to strengthen the trade and investment relations between the two countries. The main objective of the event is to promote destination Sri Lanka for the prospective travelers in India, given the fact that Indian market generates the highest number of travelers to Sri Lanka for many years.

Sri Lankan Cricketing Legends such as Hon. Arjuna Ranathunga, Hon. Sanath Jayasuriya, Mr. Mahela Jayawardena, Mr. Muttaiyah Muralidaran, Mr. Lasith Malinga and the Bollywood film legend Amitabh Bachchan will also grace this event that will be held in Mumbai.

The ?Get Sri Lankaned? campaign creates an opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka as a tourist and trade destination for Indians. The three day campaign organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau will kick start with a Press Conference on 10th May 2013 in Mumbai as the introductory step of the series of events. It will be followed by Sri Lanka Night on 17th May considered as the most glamorous of all with the participation of 500 high profile guests from Mumbai including Indian film sport celebrities, Sri Lankan Cricket celebrities including Sri Lankan cultural show and food festival launched on this night.

The ?Get Sri Lankaned campaign? will also be launched at Phoenix Shopping Mall in Mumbai during 17th ? 19th May which will provide consumers with the opportunity to taste Sri Lankan food, get a glimpse of Sri Lankan Culture and traditional dancing, while DJ?s and Entertainers will interact with the audience. Live games will be organized at the Phoenix Mall and the winners will be awarded with free holiday packages to Sri Lanka.

The B2B Meetings for Travel & Tourism Industry will take place on 18th May. Travel & Investment Forum will be held 20th May with the participation CEO?s from key government & private sector organizations from India and Sri Lanka.

All activities like Media Briefings, Sri Lankan Evenings with Fashion shows, Sri Lankan Food Festivals, B2B meetings between the travel trade of the two countries and Business Seminars etc. will be launched at the Taj Land?s End in Mumbai from 10th May onwards. The events will include nearly 70 Sri Lankan public and private sector institutions, representing tourism, trade and investment.

Sri Lanka Tourism, under the guidance of the Minister of Economic Development, Hon. Basil Rajapaksa, launched a five year strategic development plan for the sector, from 2011-2016, based on the Mahinda Chintana -Vision for the Future - Development Policy Framework. This strategic development plan of Sri Lanka Tourism will achieve its core objectives of serving the needs of all stakeholders and ensuring the economic benefits of the industry expanded within a larger cross section of the society from fisherman, craftsman, farmer, street vendor, tour guide and tour operator, and the Hotel industry. With the visionary leadership of H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the guidance of Hon. Minister Basil Rajapaksa, the tourism industry is poised for growth being in line with the national effort of making Sri Lanka, the emerging Wonder of Asia.

Sri Lanka Tourism, under the Ministry of Economic Development, has organized this event in partnership with state associate partners such as Sri Lankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Cricket, Sri Lanka Tea Board, National Gem and Jewelry Authority, Export Development Board, National Film Corporation, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Sri Lanka Handy Craft Board (Laksala), and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Taj Hotels and Palaces, Sri Dalada Maligawa-Kandy, Tourists Hotel Association Of Sri Lanka(THASL),Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators(SLAITO), Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism (ASMET) ,Avirate, Dankotuwa porcelain, Noritake, Prasanna Bathik, Dilmah Tea, Siddhalepa, Stone & String, SpiceJet Airways, join as the associated partners for this joint promotion campaign.

SLTPB believes that the upcoming city based campaign series in India will help the country to capture a slice out of the vastly growing outbound travelers of India. According to the UNWTO, Indian outbound tourists will rise to 50 million by 2020, while in 2011 this number stood at 14.21 million. Sri Lanka welcomed 170,000 Indian tourists in 2012; the biggest number arrived from a single country. SLTPB is also expecting to attract 400,000 Indian tourists by the year 2016, thus helping to reach Sri Lanka?s goal of 2.5 million visitors by the year 2016.

Sri Lanka makes an ideal destination for Indian travelers due to factors such as close proximity between the two countries, Sri Lanka?s diverse tourist attractions such as, pristine beaches, Shopping, Adventure, Food, Nature, Casinos, Night Life and many more.

Nearly 100 flights (Sri Lankan airlines, Jet airways, Indian airlines) travel between India and Sri Lanka per week. Sri Lankan Airlines operates in eight Indian cities, giving easy connectivity between the two countries.

The ?Get Sri Lankaned? campaign is scheduled to cross over to the other cities in India namely Delhi, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad in the next months of the year 2013.