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4 Days of Family Fun at Cotai Expo – Free-Admission Sands Shopping Carnival Open Now

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Sands China’s annual signature event, the 2024 Sands Shopping Carnival, kicked off Thursday at The Venetian® Macao with an opening ceremony attended by representatives from the government, finance, business, and community services sectors.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: “The Sands Shopping Carnival is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year. Over these five years, Sands China has maintained a steadfast partnership with the Macao SAR Government, the Macao Chamber of Commerce, and other supporting entities, providing relentless support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through this platform without seeking any financial return. Together, we have successfully created nearly 2,800 exhibition booths over the years. This year also marks the momentous 20th anniversary of Sands Macao. As a long-standing pillar of Macao’s business landscape, we have deep ties with the local community. Our commitment to supporting local SMEs is unwavering, and we embrace the philosophy of growing with SMEs. Year after year, we have organised the Sands Shopping Carnival, fostering mutual assistance and collaboration across various sectors in Macao.”
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, said: “Shopping is a key component of tourism. In the first quarter of this year, 48 percent of visitor expenditure in Macao was dedicated to shopping, which constituted the largest category of tourism expenditure, followed by accommodation and dining. Delivering exceptional shopping experiences is therefore crucial for enhancing the overall travel experience of tourists. It is essential for the retail service industry to catch up with market demands by continuously introducing products that cater to customers’ preferences and providing meticulous and personalised services.”
U Kin Cho, vice president of the board of directors of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, said: “Sands China is committed to supporting the Macao SAR government’s initiatives to promote the growth of SMEs. For five consecutive years, they have organised the Sands Shopping Carnival, a remarkable event that serves as a free business platform for SMEs. This event helps them expand their market presence and create new business opportunities. The Sands Shopping Carnival has been a resounding success, attracting over 100,000 participants annually. It has become one of the largest discount sale events in Macao and a renowned signature event in the local retail industry. We firmly believe that with the active involvement of major corporations like Sands China, and the determined efforts of SMEs in their own transformation and upgrading, Macao will undoubtedly regain its economic vitality.”
The Sands Shopping Carnival offers a free business platform for local SMEs and Sands retailers, helping them create more business opportunities, while providing a fun weekend destination hotspot for local residents and tourists in support of the Macao government’s ‘tourism+’ initiative. It is the fifth year that Sands China is running the shopping and leisure hotspot, with total visitation for the last four carnivals surpassing 420,000.
The carnival is free-admission, and is the largest sale event in Macao. It is open from noon to 10 p.m. daily, Thursday-Sunday, July 18-21 at Cotai Expo Halls A and B, with a special invitation-only preview session on the first day. The carnival features more than 580 booths, with a record-breaking 325 booths dedicated to local SME suppliers. Additionally, the carnival offers nine exhibition zones across 21,000 square metres: Sands retailers; household products; parenting and family; gourmet and wine; food court; green living; Macao cultural and creative; play and fun; and Macao specialties and souvenirs. Among the more than 260,000 products, the 2024 Sands Shopping Carnival features a limited number of special daily MOP 1 items each day for shoppers.
Furthermore, the Sands Shopping Carnival has witnessed a continuous increase in the number of participating community organisations, encompassing a wide range of areas including culture and creativity, as well as food and beverage. This trend reflects the transformation of the carnival into a grand shopping extravaganza, uniting all sectors within Macao. As part of Sands China’s long-standing efforts to promote social inclusion, Sands Cares Ambassadors are providing on-site support to local community organisations participating in the carnival, such as by helping man their booths.
The carnival features free parking as well as complimentary shuttle buses running routes to and from various locations throughout the city: Luso International Bank Building at Nam Van, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Frontier Post at Macao Port, Border Gate, and Hengqin Port (Macao side).
The Sands Shopping Carnival features a variety of shopping, an international-cuisine food court area, and family-friendly entertainment, activities and games. Carnival highlights include:

Over 580 booths offering more than 260,000 products and some of the best deals in town, including special daily MOP 1 products and huge discounts of up to 90 per cent off; visitors are encouraged to support sustainability by bringing their own shopping bags
BOC Smart Kids Presents: Little Master Chef Workshop, a free food-prep and decorating activity for children, led by Sands China’s food and beverage team, featuring Mexican Tacos, Vietnamese spring rolls, handmade sushi, and more
ICBC ePay Presents: National Essence: Hanfu Styling Contest, with adults aged 18 or above from cities in the Greater Bay Area competing Saturday for the Excellence Award and a judging panel awarding prizes on the same day
Bank of Communications Presents: Rising Stars: 2024 Kids Talent Showdown, providing a platform for children aged 5 to 12 years old in cities in the Greater Bay Area to showcase their talents on stage on Sunday; outstanding individuals and teams will be awarded an Excellence Award on the same day
Food Court featuring a variety of regional and international choices, with free eco-friendly utensils available

The 2024 Sands Shopping Carnival is organised by Sands China Ltd. and co-organised by the Macao Chamber of Commerce, with the full support of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, the Macao Government Tourism Office, and the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute. It is sponsored by BOC Macau, ICBC (Macau), Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. Macau Branch, and BNU.
The carnival’s opening ceremony on Thursday was officiated by Dr. Wong; Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Tai Kin Ip, director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau; U U Sang, chairman of the board of directors of the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute; Sun Yaohua, director of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; U Kin Cho; Grant Chum, chief executive officer and executive director of Sands China Ltd.; Dave Sun, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Sands China Ltd. and managing director of Venetian Macau Limited; Stephen Ieong, managing director of Bank of China Macau Branch; Huang Xianjun, deputy chief executive officer of ICBC Macau; Xia Ying, vice president of Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. Macau Branch; and Carlos Cid Alvares, chief executive officer of BNU.
More information about the 2024 Sands Shopping Carnival is available at the event’s official website at https://en.sandsresortsmacao.com/sands-lifestyle/events/sands-shopping-carnival-2024.html.
The post 4 Days of Family Fun at Cotai Expo – Free-Admission Sands Shopping Carnival Open Now appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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Digital Domain Teams Up with AWS to Scale Autonomous Virtual Human Technology and Introduces Generative AI-Powered Features

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Digital Domain Holdings Limited (“Digital Domain”, stock code: 547), a global leader in visual effects and transformative experiences, recognized for nearly two decades of pioneering work in the virtual human space, today announced its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to migrate its Autonomous Virtual Human (AVH) technology to the cloud. This collaboration, leveraging AWS’s advanced cloud infrastructure and generative AI and machine learning (ML) services, aims to propel the evolution and global reach of Digital Domain’s AVH technology and expand its use for multiple industries, including entertainment, gaming, healthcare, hospitality, and commercial applications.
As the innovator behind Zoey, the groundbreaking virtual human introduced in 2022, this collaboration marks a significant milestone for Digital Domain. AWS’s cloud services, particularly Amazon Bedrock, provide the necessary adaptability to drive AVH’s growth. With its high-performing foundation models, Amazon Bedrock significantly enhances virtual humans’ capabilities in real-time interactions. Additionally, Digital Domain is using Amazon Polly to help enhance voice outputs, and is considering using Amazon Rekognition for facial recognition and video-based services. AWS’s robust security and compliance features will safeguard Digital Domain’s data, reinforcing the integrity and scalability of the AVH platform. Through a successful partnership with Slalom, a leading technology consulting firm, Digital Domain has efficiently transitioned all AVH workloads to AWS in just nine months, enabling the company to scale AVH technology to meet the burgeoning global demand for real-time, AI-powered customer interactions.
By leveraging AWS’s cloud infrastructure, Digital Domain will unlock the flexibility, efficiency, and performance necessary to expand AVH capabilities. This scalability not only ensures a promising future for AVH technology but also opens up a world of exciting possibilities for its growth. By moving to the cloud, Digital Domain can offer AVH technology with greater speed, reliability, and cost efficiency, allowing clients in hospitality, entertainment, healthcare, and other business sectors to integrate these advanced digital humans into their operations seamlessly. This global accessibility means businesses worldwide can harness AVH technology to deliver personalized, real-time interactions at scale, enhancing customer service, boosting engagement, and elevating brand experiences. Whether it’s offering virtual concierge services, interactive customer support, or immersive storytelling, businesses can now more easily tap into this potent technology, adapting it to their unique needs and enhancing their operations.
“This collaboration with AWS marks a significant milestone for Digital Domain and our ambitions in virtual human technology,” said Daniel Seah, CEO of Digital Domain. “By migrating our Autonomous Virtual Human technology to the cloud, we are not only enhancing its scalability and performance but also expanding its accessibility to a global audience. AWS’s involvement is instrumental in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, enabling us to create even more immersive and interactive experiences for our clients and their audiences. This collaboration will also allow us to establish new industry standards in the hospitality and travel sectors worldwide with our partnership with Plaza Premium Group, one of the largest independently run pay-in lounge operations in airports globally.”
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Digital Domain in this transformative journey to the cloud,” said Samira Bakhtiar, General Manager of Media & Entertainment, Games, and Sports at AWS. “As virtual humans play a larger role across industries to engage directly with customers, Digital Domain is ensuring that everyone has access to its visionary AVH technology by combining it with the most secure, extensive, and reliable global cloud infrastructure, as well as AWS’s generative AI and ML services. We look forward to working with Digital Domain to further expand AVH’s capabilities and bring virtual humans to more AWS customers.”
Digital Domain’s AVH technology represents a leap forward in creating lifelike virtual humans capable of real-time interaction. Through this collaboration with AWS and the use of advanced AI and ML tools, Digital Domain is set to redefine the standards of virtual human experiences, unlocking new possibilities in storytelling, customer engagement, and interactive entertainment.
The post Digital Domain Teams Up with AWS to Scale Autonomous Virtual Human Technology and Introduces Generative AI-Powered Features appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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Driving Sustainable Digital Asset Mining: Kazakhstan’s AQGroup and Singapore’s MVGX Group Lead the Charge to Decarbonize Web 3.0

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AQGroup, Kazakhstan’s leading green electricity producer and a leader in infrastructure development for computing services – including data centers for artificial intelligence, digital mining, and international IT companies, together with MVGX Group, a pioneering Singapore-based digital green fintech group led by MVGX Holdings Pte. Ltd. are proud to announce a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership. This partnership seeks to leverage on the knowledge, expertise and know-hows of three key members of the MVGX Group in relation to their respective industries – Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd., MetaComp Pte. Ltd. and MVGX Tech Pte. Ltd.
The two groups have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the prestigious global conference, “Token 2049 Singapore“, marking the beginning of an ambitious collaboration. This MoU outlines plans to construct an innovative hybrid green power plant that combines wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems, ensuring a sustainable supply of green electricity to AQGroup’s Data Centres. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for the establishment of a joint carbon credit trading exchange in Kazakhstan, driving forward a shared vision for sustainable energy solutions and carbon market development in the region.
Kazakhstan, the world’s 9th largest country by territory, holds enormous potential for green energy production through wind and solar power plants (WPPs and SPPs) equipped with energy storage systems. The country’s proximity to China offers unique advantages, including access to high-quality equipments for WPPs and SPPs, alongside significant savings on logistics.
Additionally, the Kazakhstani government with its favorable government regulations—such as a 10-year tax exemption for renewable energy projects—offers a highly supportive environment for green energy development. Their advantageous geographical location between Europe and Asia, positions the country as an emerging regional hub for Data Centres, providing computing services to global markets.
MVGX Group, leveraging its strategic position as a Singapore-based group of companies, is well-positioned to build a financial bridge that empowers the generation and sale of green electricity from Kazakhstan’s green mining initiatives. This partnership offers seamless access to Singapore’s advanced financial services and dynamic capital markets. As the financial hub of South-East Asia, Singapore with its forward-thinking regulatory frameworks has attracted many advanced financial and fintech solutions to set up their headquarters here. MVGX Group seeks to leverage Singapore’s strength as a pivotal force in driving Web 3.0 innovation across the region.
By combining the competitive advantages of both countries, this partnership establishes a strong foundation for sustainable energy initiatives and financial infrastructure. It also creates a strong bridge of friendship and forges long-lasting, mutually beneficial cooperation between the business communities of Kazakhstan and Singapore for many years to come.
In his speech, the Chairman and the Co-Founder of AQGroup Islambek Salzhanov said, “We are very pleased to begin mutually beneficial cooperation with MVGX Group in this transformational project. Together, we will leverage our resources to promote sustainable initiatives, from green energy generation to developing a robust financial infrastructure for Web 3.0. This partnership affirms our shared vision of creating a cleaner and greener future.”
Dr. Bo Bai, the Executive Chairman and the Co-Founder of MVGX Group, added, “By combining our efforts with AQGroup’s extensive experience in green energy and operation of the Data centers, including digital mining, we aim to create a powerful platform that not only supports environmentally sustainable practices but also establishes a global hub for sustainable green digital mining and carbon credit trading.”
MVGX Group and AQGroup plan to leverage respective resources to establish a dedicated investment fund to be distributed by Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd., a capital market service license holder under the MVGX Group, to special classes of investors. The investment fund seeks to attract substantial financing for this groundbreaking joint project. This fund will not only support the construction and operation of green energy infrastructure but also, drive innovative financial solutions, such as the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) with the technological support of MetaComp Pte. Ltd. By leveraging blockchain technology, the tokenization process will enable these special classes of investors to participate in the green energy sector in new and efficient ways, fostering transparency, liquidity, and accessibility in sustainable investments. This forward-thinking approach highlights the partners’ commitment to integrating digital finance with renewable energy development, setting a new standard for future projects in the sector.
In addition to seeking investment, both AQGroup and MVGX Group are open to collaboration with a wide array of partners. They are inviting investors interested in green energy, as well as equipment manufacturers specializing in WPPs and SPPs, energy storage system suppliers, and experienced EPC contractors. These collaborations are vital to creating an integrated value chain for sustainable energy production and computing services, further solidifying the partnership’s role as a leader in advancing global sustainability and technological innovation. Together, AQGroup and MVGX Group aim to forge long-lasting industry relationships that drive their shared vision for a greener, more innovative future.
The post Driving Sustainable Digital Asset Mining: Kazakhstan’s AQGroup and Singapore’s MVGX Group Lead the Charge to Decarbonize Web 3.0 appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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J.S. Held Expands Executive Leadership to Oversee Next Phase of Growth

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Global consulting firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, announces Lee Spirer as its new President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jonathon Held.
Lee Spirer is a transformational leader with extensive experience creating value for investors in human capital-intensive businesses by focusing on developing innovative, high impact services for clients and building platforms which attract world class professionals to maximize their career success.
Over his 30-year career, Lee Spirer has been known for keen strategic insight tightly tied to successful plan execution, building and developing teams, tapping into innovation, and leveraging technology. His teams have balanced organic and acquisition-based growth strategies while driving operational performance.
CEO, Jonathon Held, commenting on Lee’s appointment to President and COO, reflects on his “extensive experience and proven ability to drive strategy focused on financial results and operational excellence.” Held continues, “I look forward to partnering with Lee to support all J.S. Held stakeholders – our team members, clients, and investors.”
Having started his professional career serving large complex clients as a strategy consultant, Spirer set the stage for his success in creating and cultivating human capital businesses including:

Navigant, where he led the growth and transformation of the 6,000 professional company, more than doubling revenues and ultimately taking the company private and merging with Guidehouse.
Kroll Risk & Compliance, where as President, he founded and built a new business intelligence division.
IBM Business Consulting Services, where following the IBMs acquisition of Mainspring, a digital strategy/transformation company, he led global financial markets for the Fortune 100 company.

Over his career, Lee Spirer has operated in public and private companies, acquired and sold businesses, guided a company through an IPO, and interacted with a wide range of investors and boards. Most recently, he worked with several private equity firms to identify and evaluate potential investments. “Lee is a growth-focused business leader with a strong track record of success,” observes Steve Dutton, Partner at Kelso & Company, J.S. Held’s private equity partner. Dutton continues, “Lee’s proven ability to identify, evaluate, and drive value creation in the professional and technology-enabled services sectors makes him an ideal partner to support further growth at J.S. Held.”
Lee Spirer, commenting on what attracted him to J.S. Held, shares, “J.S. Held’s unique combination of a very strong market position on which to build, extraordinary human capital, a proven track record of organic growth, and ability to augment with acquisitions and successfully integrate those professionals presents the ideal platform for growth at all levels – presenting career opportunities for our professionals, value to our clients, and returns for investors.”  Spirer continues, “As president and COO, I am focused on further strategic growth, evolution, and scale through service innovation and technology.”
Lee Spirer is now part of the dedicated and entrepreneurial team of experts who help transform J.S. Held. Explore our story and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com.
The post J.S. Held Expands Executive Leadership to Oversee Next Phase of Growth appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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