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Summer 2020 Travel Trends: Travelers Are Embracing the ‘Staycation’

YourUpdateTV

The “staycation” has always been a great option for travelers looking to plan a last-minute getaway close to home, as well as an effective way to minimize expenses and maximize vacation time. Staycations allow consumers to save money on airline tickets and rental cars, avoid a lot of the stress associated with traveling and truly unplug – all without spending hours planning. Recently, travel expert Dayvee Sutton teamed up with Cambria Hotels and YourUpdateTV to discuss current travel trends and what goes into a perfect staycation. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/kHrCCrxQclo As COVID-19 restrictions continue to lift, more and more travelers are looking to get out of the house. Instead of planning elaborate, weeklong vacations, consumers are opting to stay closer to home and take shorter, more spontaneous trips that give them flexibility, which is renewing interest in staycations. The number of road trips planned in the U.S. has exploded in recent weeks, particularly as many Americans are still apprehensive about air travel. Staying at a nearby hotel is an easy way to relax, unwind and take a much-needed break away from home. With more than 50 hotels nationwide, Cambria hotels offer travelers the approachable indulgences they are looking for and, in many cases, outdoor spaces featuring scenic rooftop views and relaxing pools. Cambria hotels are found in central locations, conveniently located near businesses and various dining and entertainment options. Each hotel features thoughtful design and locally inspired food and beverage offerings that reflect the surrounding community, including a curated craft beer selection. While consumers may be ready to plan a staycation, they also want to know protocols are in place to protect their well-being. According to Travelocity , 72% of travelers name health and safety as their top priorities when deciding where and when to travel post-COVID-19. Choice Hotels’ Commitment to Clean initiative, which enhances hotels’ existing cleaning procedures with best practices for cleaning, disinfecting and social distancing, can help give guests added peace of mind when they choose to stay with Cambria Hotels. Cambria guests can also limit their interactions with hotel staff by using the Cambria Contactless Concierge Service, a text messaging service for housekeeping requests, to-go food orders, and more. Visit choicehotels.com/cambria to learn more, book your staycation and check out the latest promotions, such as the popular Stay Twice, Earn a Free Night promotion running through September 7, 2020. About Dayvee Sutton Dayvee Sutton is an award-winning journalist covering a range of beats: travel, sports, entertainment, movies and a number of lifestyle topics for television and digital media. As a national lifestyle and travel correspondent based in Atlanta, Georgia, Dayvee has represented more than 150 brands over the course of 15 years. Dayvee has a passion for travel and travels the country representing different brands on local TV, connecting with viewers on behalf of some of the best brands in travel. She's an avid traveler and a self-proclaimed karaoke queen. Dayvee Sutton is a southern California native and graduated from UCLA. About Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,100 hotels, representing over 590,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of March 31, 2020, the Choice® family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com . About Cambria Hotels® The Cambria Hotels brand is designed for the modern traveler, offering guests a distinct experience with simple, guilt-free indulgences allowing them to treat themselves while on the road. Properties feature compelling design inspired by the location, spacious and comfortable rooms, flexible meeting space, and local, freshly prepared food and craft beer. Cambria Hotels is rapidly expanding in major U.S. cities, with hotels open in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. There are over 130 Cambria properties open or in the pipeline across the United States, with more than 50 currently open. To learn more, visit www.choicehotels.com/cambria . About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content, produced by award-winning video communications firm. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

July 29, 2020 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CORRECTING and REPLACING Boston Children’s Hospital Teams Up with Boston Red Sox First Baseman Mitch Moreland and his wife Susannah for Christmas in July

Boston Children's Hospital

The last sentence of the first paragraph has been corrected The corrected release reads: Boston Children’s Hospital is excited to announce that, for the third year in a row, Boston Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland and his wife Susannah will be collaborating on a fundraiser called “Christmas in July.” This year’s version of Christmas in July, typically a toy and donation drive, will look a little different as the current COVID-19 situation prohibits toy donations to the hospital. Instead, Mitch and Susannah will be matching monetary donations made to Child Life Services of up to $10,000. The campaign kicks off on July 27th and runs through August 2nd. Unlike years past when Susannah helped collect toys at Fenway Park during home games, this year’s campaign will run online. Anyone interested in participating can visit this link to donate: http://fundraise.childrenshospital.org/goto/christmasinjuly . “We are so happy Mitch and Susannah have again decided to raise money for Child Life Services at Boston Children’s, a critical program that helps patients and families as they emotionally and socially adjust to the hospital experience, relies on donations,” said Michael Bornhorst, AVP of Corporate Development Special Events, Boston Children’s Hospital Trust. “This year has been filled with a lot of uncertainty and challenges, especially for sick children and their families, so donations are more important than ever. We count on generous and caring people like the Morelands who play such a vital role in generating awareness for our programs and the important work of providing children and families lifesaving answers and hope.” About Boston Children's Hospital For the seventh year in a row, Boston Children's Hospital has been ranked the #1 children's hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. Today, 3,000 researchers and scientific staff, including 9 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 12 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators comprise Boston Children's research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children's is now a 415-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care. For more, visit our Discoveries blog and follow us on social media @BostonChildrens , @BCH_Innovation , Facebook and YouTube . Contact Details Carrie +1 617-587-2918 coneil@brodeur.com

July 28, 2020 04:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time

EXECUTIVE ORDER TO LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES BY ELIMINATING KICKBACKS TO MIDDLEMEN MUST BE ENFORCED

Alliance for Transparent & Affordable Prescriptions

An Executive Order to eliminate kickbacks to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) signed by President Trump on Friday July 24, 2020 is being met with cautious optimism by medical professionals and patients advocates from the Alliance for Transparent and Affordable Prescriptions (ATAP.) Many health industry insiders worry, however, that the Executive Order, as written, may make it practically difficult for the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to revive the “rebate rule,” meaning that the drastically reduced prices that could result may never become a reality for patients. “The policy making process in the coming weeks will determine if this Executive Order has teeth,” stated ATAP’s President Dr. Robert Levin. “This has the opportunity to be major victory for patients but could also fall flat if HHS fails to move forward because of the limiting language in the Order. For far too long, the PBM industry has been generating significant profits while patients struggle to afford the cost of prescription drugs. PBMs owe it to patients to pass along savings and the rebates received on to the patient.” HHS Secretary Alex Azar along with other elected and appointed policy makers in Washington have been hearing about the PBM problem for years from ATAP and its member organizations – making this historic action one that shows the efforts from these patient advocacy organizations are having a positive impact. “These leaders know what needs to be done,” Dr. Levin continued. “While it may be difficult for the PBM industry and insurance companies to forgo some of their profits, it is the right thing to do.” The Executive Order explains the problem with PBMs by starting: "...One of the reasons pharmaceutical drug prices in the United States are so high is because of the complex mix of payers and negotiators that often separates the consumer from the manufacturer in the drug-purchasing process. The result is that the prices patients see at the point-of-sale do not reflect the prices that the patient’s insurance companies, and middlemen hired by the insurance companies, actually pay for drugs. Instead, these middlemen — health plan sponsors and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — negotiate significant discounts off of the list prices, sometimes up to 50 percent of the cost of the drug. Medicare patients, whose cost sharing is typically based on list prices, pay more than they should for drugs while the middlemen collect large “rebate” checks. These rebates are the functional equivalent of kickbacks, and erode savings that could otherwise go to the Medicare patients taking those drugs. Yet currently, Federal regulations create a safe harbor for such discounts and preclude treating them as kickbacks under the law...” Section three of the Order calls for establishing “ new safe harbors that would permit health plan sponsors, pharmacies, and PBMs to apply discounts at the patient’s point-of-sale in order to lower the patient’s out-of-pocket costs, and that would permit the use of certain bona fide PBM service fees .” The Executive Order also prohibits the Secretary from moving forward if Medicare premiums might rise even a single dollar – which some say could be the ‘poison pill’ in preventing the implementation of this policy. “Patients today are suffering under a system that prevents them from getting medicine they need. The PBM industry profits significantly off rebates while interrupting the provider-patient relationship, solely to increase its own profits,” Dr. Levin continued. “With the Executive Order in place, a light is now shining on the previously hidden profit motives of the PBM industry. Patients, physicians, and policy makers now have the power to effect meaningful change. I am proud of the role ATAP holds in reforming the rebate system and look forward to working with Washington to move the rule making process forward to-that-end.” With regard to the other three Executive Orders, ATAP looks forward to engaging in the regulatory process, but reiterates its previous comments on the Administration’s existing importation and International Pricing Index proposals: expanding PBMs’ power to insert themselves into drug importation and Medicare Part B is a nonstarter, given the detrimental effect these entities in their current form already have on patient care. ATAP is working in many states to force the PBM industry to disclose rebate data and encourage transparency and reporting requirements for all entities involved in the prescription drug supply chain – PBMs, insurers, and manufacturers. ### Contact Details Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 daniel.rene@kglobal.com Company Website http://www.atapadvocates.com

July 28, 2020 01:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Cloud Conventions Expands Registration Capabilities with 3rd-Party Providers

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions , a full-featured virtual tradeshow and event technology solution today expanded its capabilities to offer connections to two new external registration technologies, providing additional options to register attendees for virtual conferences or association events. The first in a series of integrations are with Experient, a division of Maritz Global Services and RegFox, a California-based registration company. Cloud Conventions is a virtual event SaaS platform from Convey Services . “Many show producers or event managers have a history of using platforms like Experient to manage complex registrations, including taking payment, managing travel and lodging, and selecting program extras,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey Services. “These proven registration platforms will augment Cloud Conventions’ internal registration engine, giving event operators the flexibility of using a solution they are familiar with and may already have a contract.” Cloud Conventions connects to external registration systems through an application program interface (API) to collect and transmit data. Once Cloud Conventions receives a registration, the system creates a unique attendee record and assigns a classification based on the purchased event package. Attendees receive a welcome email from Cloud Conventions with access credentials so they can login immediately or a welcome email can be scheduled for a later date. Event organizers have the option of approving all applications any action is taken. “Some events have complex payment structures or need to validate an attendee against a membership record,” added Bradfield. “Many organizations have relationships with a registration company that offers greater customization. All a show needs to do is identify the external platform to Convey and we’ll connect the two systems.” Cloud Conventions can provide a personalized content experience with customized dashboards, segmented email communication or restricted access to some or all exhibit booths or content based on attendee type. To learn more about the options available for a virtual conference, tradeshow or event, visit the Online Resource Center at CloudConventions.com . About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. 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™, Conduct™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

July 28, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cloud Conventions Launches Online Resource Center for Virtual Event Managers

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions , a full featured virtual tradeshow, conference and event technology solution today launched an Online Resource Center to guide future event planners and operators though the expanding world of virtual events. The Center provides strategies, best practices and ideas for effective event design to engage attendees and deliver a strong ROI to exhibitors and sponsors. Articles and eBooks outline how to set up, manage and run a world class virtual event with engaging educational and social sessions that deliver an interactive experience for both attendees and exhibitors. Cloud Conventions is a virtual event SaaS platform from Convey Services . “Almost every event manager, show operator or association is having to learn how to manage a virtual event for the first time, we have been doing online events for years,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey. “Most event managers make the mistake of believing that a series of webinars constitutes a virtual experience that will inspire attendees. Webinars have been overused and most people are not motivated to sit through an endless stream of repetitive webinar sessions. An effective virtual experience needs a higher level of content from the event and its exhibitors, with live sessions offered alongside on-demand programs.” The Online Resource Center features the Virtual Event Playbook, a guide to the features and capabilities of the Cloud Conventions platform in addition to curated articles and videos on best practices in delivering virtual sessions, enhancing the attendee experience or managing and working with exhibitors and sponsors. “We are constantly curating best practices from across this dynamic new industry so that event managers, even novices to the world of virtual shows, can be successful hosting their first event,” added Bradfield. “Exhibitors must embrace a different strategy to capture attendee information and interact through chat, video meeting rooms, scheduled meetings or gamification. A virtual tradeshow should center around a theme or mission, offer rich content, ways to connect with exhibitors, as well as other attendees along with opportunities to socialize.” Cloud Conventions has features to promote interaction with discussion forums, opt-in attendee directories, social sessions, and live exhibitor meetings. Exhibitors can use chat, streaming video meetings, or integrated meeting calendars. They can offer ‘virtual swag’, show specials or promotions and give away CloudPoints™ for attendees who engage inside their booth. For more ideas on how to make a virtual event both informative and engaging, visit the Online Resource Center at CloudConventions.com. About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. 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™, Conduct™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

July 27, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Published National Findings in Lyme Disease Testing to Be Discussed on July 30 Webinar Hosted by Quidel Corporation

Quidel Corporation

Elizabeth Lee-Lewandrowski, Ph.D., MPH, a national key opinion leader on tick-borne diseases, will discuss the findings of a national seven-year study on Lyme disease testing on a webinar she will be conducting on Thursday, July 30. The webinar is part of an ongoing series hosted by Quidel, the California-based diagnostic healthcare manufacturer known for successfully developing rapid diagnostic health solutions. Over the past year, Dr. Lee-Lewandrowski has published two large epidemiological studies documenting changing trends in tick-borne diseases as well as a third paper documenting national trends in non-Lyme disease tick-borne infections. Data from one of these papers was presented to the Health and Human Services Tick-Borne Disease Working Group to assist the group in providing policy guidance to the U.S. government. On the webinar Dr. Lee-Lewandrowski will share the published results of a “national reference laboratory” study on blood-testing for Lyme disease, which she conducted along with her collaborators ( https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article/152/1/91/5461358 ). Among the findings were that: Lyme disease occurs in all age groups and in all regions of the country; males and females are roughly equally at risk; Lyme disease is seasonal, but a significant number of cases are diagnosed in the winter months; and the demographics of Lyme disease is changing with greater rates of infection in traditionally low-risk states. The study also revealed that Lyme disease is about 10 times more frequent than reported cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Lee-Lewandrowski is a member of the faculty of the department of pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where she also serves as a clinical laboratory scientist in chemistry. She is also assistant professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. A member of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Dr. Lee-Lewandrowski received her Ph.D. in chemistry from Brown University and her master’s in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She brings to her July 30 presentation a deep interest in the clinical applications of point-of-care testing technologies that improve outcomes and the efficiency of clinical operations. Among those expected to attend the webinar are physicians, other allied health professionals, scientists and healthcare researchers interested in hearing the latest regarding the prevalence of Lyme disease and results of testing. The free July 30 webinar will take place from noon-1 p.m. (EDT). To register, click quidel.com/webinars . About Quidel Corporation Quidel Corporation serves to enhance the health and well-being of people around the globe through the development of diagnostic solutions that can lead to improved patient outcomes and provide economic benefits to the healthcare system. Quidel’s products aid in the detection and diagnosis of many critical diseases and conditions including not only Lyme disease but, among others, COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, strep A, herpes, pregnancy, thyroid disease and fecal occult blood. Quidel’s research and development engine is also developing a continuum of diagnostic solutions from advanced immunoassay to molecular diagnostic tests to further improve the quality of healthcare in physicians’ offices and hospital and reference laboratories. For more information about Quidel, visit quidel.com . # # # Contact Details Jim Yeager +1 424-644-0225 jim@breakwhitelight.com Company Website http://Quidel.com

July 22, 2020 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Bring your mission-critical programming in-house

BPM Microsystems

Contact Details Scott Bronstad +1 832-816-6579 scott_bronstad@bpmmicro.com Company Website https://bpmmicro.com/

July 21, 2020 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cloud Conventions Announces CloudPoints Rewards Program

Convey Services

When Cloud Conventions 2020 went live from May 11-14 it featured CloudPoints ™, a unique incentive program that awards prize points from sponsors to attendees in exchange for scheduling a meeting or demo, connecting for education, registering deals or submitting a lead. CloudPoints lets exhibitors on any Cloud Conventions virtual event or tradeshow reward engagement by offering ‘Virtual Swag.’ It drives booth traffic and ensures that booth visitors provide their contact information. Attendees can collect points from multiple vendor and sponsor’s booths and all points are redeemable for gift cards, prizes, travel, concerts or other promotional gifts at the close of the event. Cloud Conventions is a full-featured virtual event SaaS technology platform from Convey Services . CloudPoints rewards fulfillment is delivered and managed by Calusa Marketing . “Cloud Conventions 2020 was the largest virtual trade show ever staged in the telecom/cloud channel,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey. “We wanted attendees to experience the fun activities and rewards of attending a live in-person event, even though most tradeshows have been postponed or cancelled for at least the remainder of 2020.CloudPoints offer an unprecedented opportunity for vendors to elevate their brand, raise their profile and promote themselves. We are seeing that Cloud Conventions virtual events attract thousands of people who don't normally travel to traditional in-person events. CloudPoints is one more reason for attendees to explore virtual booths and directly connect with exhibitors.” About Calusa Marketing Calusa Marketing is a technology-based incentive marketing firm, specializing in loyalty, engagement, and motivation for employees and customers. We build and manage programs for our clients and vendor partners with solutions that include digital gift card programs, incentive travel (individual and groups), cloud-based SaaS reward platforms, and a member benefits online discount club. Based in St. Petersburg, FL and founded in 2015, the company has over 50 years combined experience in loyalty, incentive marketing, and reward fulfillment. For more information visit www.calusamarketing.com About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. 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. Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

July 20, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Brian Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, US Department of Justice, to discuss recent updates to its guidance on FCPA and Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs

Ethics & Compliance Initiative

WHAT: Brian Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, US Department of Justice, will discuss the latest updates to two foundational documents in corporate ethics and compliance: the 2nd Edition of the Resource Guide to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs document, at the Ethics & Compliance Initiative’s (ECI) Best Practice Forum, July 30, 2020. This event is the first public speaking engagement for Rabbitt in his new role, which he officially assumed on July 3. Following Rabbitt’s Q&A session, two industry experts including David Ogden, former Deputy Attorney General and Charles (Chuck) Duross, who served as the former Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section and who was one of the principal authors of the first edition of the FCPA Resource Guide , will discuss their perspectives of the updates to these monumental documents. WHEN: Thursday, July 30 at 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT WHERE: ECI’s Best Practice Forum – Register here WHO: Brian Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, US Department of Justice David Ogden, Partner, WilmerHale Charles (Chuck) Duross, Partner, Morrison Foerster Patricia Harned, Chief Executive Officer, ECI SPONSORS: Affiliated Monitors, Inc. Founded in 2004, Affiliated Monitors, Inc. (“AMI”) was the first company in the United States to focus on providing independent integrity monitoring and assessment services across a wide range of regulated industries and professions. AMI helps companies facing ethics and compliance challenges that may put them at risk for suspension, debarment, fines or reputational damage. www.affiliatedmonitors.com NAVEX Global Trusted by thousands of customers worldwide, NAVEX Global is the industry leader in integrated risk and compliance management software and services. Our solutions help organizations manage risk, address complex regulatory compliance requirements and foster an ethical, highly productive workplace culture. www.navexglobal.com About the Ethics & Compliance Initiative The Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI) is a non-profit organization that empowers organizations to build and sustain high-quality ethics and compliance programs. The organization provides research and a best practice community, as well as certification opportunities for ethics & compliance professionals. Last year, ECI launched an innovative research tool that organizations can use to assess the effectiveness and maturity of their E&C programs. The High-Quality Program (HQP) Assessment is the first measurement tool of its kind that establishes a baseline for program success and provides a framework for building effective E&C programs beyond the minimum-standard. This can be a critical first step in evaluating and building program effectiveness as described in the DoJ's Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs Guidance. Through its membership, ECI represents entities across nearly every industry, located in 37 countries on six continents each dedicated to promoting the highest levels of integrity. www.ethics.org Contact Details Brad Fulton +1 210-278-4809 brad@ethics.org Company Website https://www.ethics.org

July 20, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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