MUMBAI: Group now operates from 11 offices across seven countries 18 October 2010, Singapore ? Singapore?s largest homegrown public relations agency Mileage Communications today extended its footprint into Vietnam by forming a joint venture in Hanoi.

Known as Mileage IPRO Communications, the joint venture is formed with IPRO

Communications, a leading Vietnamese integrated marketing communications agency. The agency is headed by Mdm Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, who has 20 years of experience in public and government affairs. She has also previously worked for more than 10 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam.

Mileage IPRO Communications is located along Phan Dinh Phung Street, in the heart of Hanoi?s well-known Ba Dinh District. The joint venture also has a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City.

With the joint venture, the Mileage Communications Group now operates in 11 offices across seven countries. The Group is headquartered in Singapore and also operates in China (Shanghai), India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai), Indonesia (Jakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Thailand (Bangkok).

Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Chairman of the Mileage Group, said: ?Vietnam?s economy has bounced back from the global downturn. The government has set a target of eight per cent GDP growth per annum for the next few years. This is an opportune moment for our company to serve the many foreign companies investing or expanding their businesses in Vietnam.?

Mdm Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, Chairman of Mileage IPRO Communications, said: ?We are delighted to partner the Mileage Communications Group because we can draw on its expertise in financial public relations and crisis management to better serve our Vietnamese clients. In addition, its regional footprint will greatly benefit Vietnamese companies seeking exposure overseas.?

To commemorate the joint venture, Mileage IPRO Communications, the State Securities Commission and Bloomberg jointly organised a seminar on ?achieving a successful IPO? in Hanoi last month, where Mr Yap was a speaker.

In another seminar organised by the Vietnam Economic Times in Hoi An, Mr Yap (the only foreign guest speaker) spoke on Crisis Management.

MUMBAI: MSLGROUP, Publicis Groupe?s flagship speciality communications, PR and events network, today launches a new brand identity and vision created to meet the rapidly changing needs of clients and marketplaces. Beginning today, the former global PR networks MS&L and Publicis Consultants ? along with a number of speciality communications agencies - are united through this single vision and identity. Together they are also unified in a network-wide approach that places engagement, and communications that are unbounded by traditional divisions, at the centre of MSLGROUP?s offering.

?PR has always been focused on relationships, artful storytelling, strategic advice and engagement with key influencers. With the trends reshaping communications today, and the impact of social media, now is the time for PR to reinvent itself and take its place as a leading discipline in driving audience engagement and building bigger brands,? said Olivier Fleurot, CEO of MSLGROUP.

Commenting on the brand, Glenn Osaki, President of MSLGROUP Asia said, ?Conversations between brands and audiences are more critical than ever before. MSLGROUP Asia?s speciality communication offering use insight-driven campaigns to help clients creatively engage with people and communities. We house a wealth of expertise and experience, and are committed to helping grow Asia?s global, regional and local brands."

Commenting on the brand launch, Jaideep Shergill, CEO, Hanmer MSL part of MSLGROUP Asia said, ?As Hanmer MSL continues on its growth path, we remain focused on enhancing and improving our capabilities and providing clients with a broad range of knowledge and expertise. The new brand identity reiterates our vision and mission to continue delivering insights-guided thinking, compelling and creative ideas, unrestricted by geography, together with thorough execution?

MSLGROUP?s new brand vision capitalises on the strength and unique position of the network in the face of ever-more blurred boundaries between communications channels. Leveraging the network?s rich and diverse heritage in PR, corporate and financial communication, public affairs, events and digital, MSLGROUP seeks to help clients build stronger brands, manage their reputation and evolve their organisations into the relationship development and response engines that will become the hallmarks of the conversation economy.

One of the world?s top 5 PR and events networks, MSLGROUP distinguishes itself among its global competitors due to the dual nature of its strengths ? both in terms of size and reach but also the speciality communications powerhouses that reside in key geographies around the world. From Kekst & Company, the Corporate and Financial Communications Agency of the Decade in the USA to JKL, the largest and most respected Corporate and Public Affairs agency in the Nordics, Publicis Consultants France, one of the country?s top 2 players, and SAS, the UK?s global innovator in brand and talent communications - a core strength of MSLGROUP is its innovative hubs of expertise around the world.

Recent investments by the network underline MSLGROUP?s central commitment to growth in two key areas: the digital space, and emerging markets. Last month Publicis Groupe announced it was to acquire 2020Social (India?s first and leading social media strategy agency) and 20:20 MEDIA, making MSLGROUP, already owner of Hanmer MSL, the largest PR network in that rapidly growing market. More recently MSLGROUP named renowned social media evangelist Gaurav Mishra in the new role of director of digital, Asia.
 

MUMBAI: CNNGo harnesses its unique and extensive resources to demonstrate its continuing commitment to provide the ultimate insider?s guide to Asia?s greatest cities with the launch of its first ?Best Eats Awards?.

From luxury dining rooms to hidden street carts, CNNGo is collaborating with local food critics in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Singapore and Mumbai to review top restaurants and dishes, providing a definitive selection of go-to places and must-eats for each city.

Panels of local experts including award-winning food critics, celebrity chefs and directors of culinary schools bring their own unique insights as judges, putting their taste buds to the test on sophisticated and skillfully crafted dishes to roadside fast food. They will decide which establishment has the culinary Midas touch across a range of categories, ensuring that the CNNGo ?Best Eats Awards? is a region-wide and in-depth culinary authority unmatched by other sources. Readers will also be asked to contribute their own choices and feedback on a voting page, culminating a ?Reader?s choices? award for each category.

?In a continent as culturally diverse as Asia, it is a huge challenge to find the true stand-out dishes across such a wide culinary landscape,? Bikram Sohal, General Manager of CNNGo.com says. ?Our goal for this ambitious project is to promote the must-eat local delicacies to our global readers.?

Each city has a unique ?Best? list with a minimum of 15 categories to reflect its local cuisine. The announcement of ?Best Eats Awards? will roll out city-by-city over an eight-week period, starting with Hong Kong on October 18th, followed by Tokyo on October 25th, Shanghai on November 1st, Bangkok on November 15th, Singapore on November 22nd and finally on Mumbai on December 6th.

MUMBAI: Disney Channel?s Art Attack ? kids favorite on-air art and crafts workshop brought alive the hopes, dreams, ambitions and messages of over 16000 kids from several cities across India, in the form of a first-of-its kind art installation unveiled yesterday at a special event held at the Courtyard, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, Mumbai.

The unique and colorful art piece made of globes painted by kids from across the country marks the culmination of an exciting campaign ?Paint Your World? hosted by Art Attack and its new host Gaurav. Kids were asked to put together a little magic, an eye for colour, some imagination with lots of fun and paint on white globes provided by Disney Channel?s Art Attack. Representative globes from all cities were included in this unique art piece conceptualized by Gaurav, in line with Disney Channel?s aim to encourage kids to believe in themselves, follow their dreams and express themselves.

Says Gaurav, Art Attack?s new host and a 24 year old artist from Dehradun, ?It is heartening to see the messages and creativity showcased in each of the globes that kids created. We believe that everyone can be an artist with Art Attack! I hope to inspire many more kids to unleash their creativity with easy to find material at home. This is also a great way for the entire family to come together every Sunday morning and enjoy creating something new each time with Art Attack?.

The unveil took place at a fun filled evening, engaging kids in several art and craft related activities with Gaurav, hosted by Disney Channel?s popular icons Murtuza. Kids from a host of Mumbai schools and families witnessed the event and participated in interactive activities such as creating a stenciled painting on a larger than life canvas with paint filled balls! The excitement continued as Gaurav showcased his creative talent with an on-the spot life size painting.

Commenting on the initiative, Srikanth Sarathy, Director, Marketing and Creative Services, Walt Disney Television International India said, ?Art is fun! It is a great way for kids to express themselves and Art Attack encourages kids to approach art and craft through entertainment. Paint Your World is an effort showcasing the philosophy of Art Attack and encouraging kids to practice it. I am thrilled to see the response received by this unique art piece from Gaurav showcasing their collective work.?

Fans can tune in for more fun with Art Attack on Disney Channel every Sunday at 10.30 am. The show?s fun, lovable and extremely creative host Gaurav graduated from the prestigious National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. In addition to his passion for arts and crafts he is also an animator and has conducted several workshops in animation as well as crafts for diverse groups ? artists, kids and students at leading institutes. Extremely funny and talented, Gaurav loves to work with kids. He seeks to engage and inspire them to create art forms out of pretty much anything! In short, he is the perfect host for Art Attack!

?With Gaurav hosting the show, Art Attack will make art accessible and fun to all kids irrespective of skill levels. In addition, unique marquee initiatives such as Paint Your World helps kids get a complete experience of the show,? adds Sarathy.

MUMBAI: Kitchenware needs are evolving with lifestyle changes. Food habits are changing rapidly as more and more people worry about their family?s health and wish to serve food that is tasty and nourishing but low on oil and calories. Thus it is time to upgrade the kitchen to cater to the modern-day food needs of your household. Recognizing this change, HomeShop18, India?s first 24 hour Home Shopping channel has partnered with award winning Korean manufacturers ?Happy Call? to bring in the their exclusive range of premium kitchenware products into India. The product range of Happy Call consists of Double Sided Pan, a Direct Oven and a Diamond Fry Pan.

An International Best Seller, the Happy Call product range is designed for healthy cooking and offers energy-efficient kitchenware products from GS Shopping. In Korea, each time Happy Call is aired, it converts into sales close to a quarter million dollars. The company has sales operations in many countries across the globe including USA, Japan, and Canada. The popular range is now being introduced in India for the first time and will be available exclusively on HomeShop 18. H.S. Lee, Chairman ? Happy Call from South Korea joins the show to showcase the Happy Call innovative product range. The full range of these products will bring together the efficiency of multi-utility cooking and the satisfaction of perfect results to form a masterpiece combination offering ?quality without compromise?. Happy Call Kitchenware will not only make cooking easy but also allow you to cook like a pro!

Leveraging its partnership with GS shopping in introducing a premium and very successful range of Happy Call kitchenware products for the Indian market, Sundeep Malhotra, CEO HomeShop18 said, ?HomeShop18 is clearly emerging as a destination where customers can get high quality products at great value and enjoy the convenience of shopping from home. We are proud to introduce Happy Call creative kitchenware in time of the festive season.?

Each product has its own unique features like the Happy Call Double Sided Pan allows you to cook your meal in just minutes. It is uniquely designed with patented double-sided cooking pan. The pan needs less oil for cooking and its high pressure mode helps in reducing the cooking time, thus making cooking fast and fun!

The Happy Call Diamond Fry Pan is truly an amazing breakthrough and innovative product from Korea. Based on hi-tech nano technology, it allows completely oil free cooking. Its auto steam lid also permits cooking of vegetables and fish in its own natural juices without any water.

The Happy Call Direct Oven is ideal for those who love restaurant food. The food cooked in the direct oven will taste exactly the same.

The assorted range of exclusive Happy Call products will not only provide healthy and tasty food but will also prove fruitful for those customers who constantly worry about their calorie intake and are very health conscious.

For details on HomeShop18 shows and its various products, customers can call 1800-1800-918 or they can log on to www.homeshop18.com and check exciting offers.

MUMBAI: Everyone is gaming together! Idea Cellular, the pan-India mobile operator, and Zapak.com, India?s largest gaming company, joined hands to celebrate a unique initiative ?Idea World Gaming Day? on 13thOctober 2010.

Earlier, Idea and Zapak.com had launched a unique initiative called ?Idea World Gaming Day? to provide gaming platform to millions of avid Gamers. The month long celebrations of ?Idea World Gaming Day? witnessed participation from 1.24 million gamers from across the country. ?Idea World Gaming Day? encouraged gamers to ?Play Fair and Win Big!? by participating. Gamers had a chance to participate through all gaming platforms. They participated by gaming on their mobile phones, Consoles, Online games and Offline games.

Gul Panag, a gaming enthusiast herself was present at the event sharing her passion with gamers.

High on enthusiasm, Gul Panag said, ?I love the adrenaline rush every time I game. I am a Gamer and believe that it is a true stress buster. I enjoy console gaming and get hooked on to it every time I am at home. I am thrilled to be a part of ?Idea World Gaming Day?. It is a great initiative by Idea and Zapak to celebrate the gaming phenomenon.?

?Idea World Gaming Day 2010 celebrates the Spirit of Gaming & promotes Fair Play, the overwhelming response to the celebration is proof that Gamers across the country believe in the same. Zapak has always stood its stand to encourage gaming in the country and reach out to the maximum number of gaming enthusiasts.? said Rakesh Rao, Business Head ? Consumer Activation, Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd. With the introduction of Mobile Gaming this year, Idea World Gaming Day 2010 has truly become the First Multi Platform Gaming Event in the World featuring Online, PC LAN, Mobile & Console gaming. Zapak truly cherishes our partner, Idea Cellular & their efforts in making this a truly fantastic initiative & hope to build on the success together year on year.?

?Idea World Gaming Day? was aggressively marketed across various mediums TV, Radio and Online in India. To participate, users had to log on tohttp://wgd10.zapak.com/ to get gaming.

The celebrations of the World Gaming Day have been a big success. It received great response from gamers and has already got them looking forward to it next year.