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2019-2020 Resources & Events
The Barrington Council for Gifted and Talented (BCGT) is a non-profit organization of parents and educators whose common purpose is to support high ability learners and families in School District 220. Visit their website at BCGT where engaging student activities and parent support can be found!
- Click here for BCGT Membership online enrollment.
For District 220 Summer School opportunities please use this link: District 220 Summer School Opportunities.
Illinois Association for Gifted Children (IAGC)
National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
Northwestern Center for Talent Development
Midwest Torrence Center for Creativity/The Center for the Gifted Local weekend and summer workshops for students.
edX: Founded by Harvard University and MIT in 2012, edX is an online learning destination and MOOC provider, offering high-quality courses from the world's best universities and institutions to learners everywhere.
Free Weekend Seminars for Parents
Date & Time: Various, visit the Northwestern Center for Talent Development website (click here)
Location: Various
Audience: Parents
Description: Center for Talent Development's Weekend Enrichment Programs (WEP) offer free seminars for parents open to all Chicagoland families and available at WEP sites in Evanston, Naperville, Palatine, and Chicago, Illinois.
Back to School in the Park- Grove Elementary School, hosted by BCGT
Date & Time: Friday, August 23, 2019. 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Location: Grove Elementary School
Audience: Students, Parents, & available Extended Teachers
Description: A casual opportunity for students, parents, and available extended teachers to mingle in the park at Grove Elementary School before the new school year! Consider brining a blanket or chair to sit in while the students enjoy playing outside and making new friends. Please visit the BCGT website.
Parenting for Achievement, hosted by BCGT
Date & Time: Thursday, May 2, 2019. 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Barrington Area Library, Rooms A & B
Audience: Parents & students
Mrs. Georgia Nelson, a co-teacher of the Extended Self-Contained (ESC) classroom, will be the guest speaker to talk about inspiring gifted children for a lifetime of growth and learning, including what it means to have a "growth mindset" and how to talk to your children about their "giftedness." There will be a Q&A session afterwards. Children will be playing board games next door during our parent session, but they must be registered.
Parent University: Living with Asynchrony—Tips and ToolsDate & Time: Tue, April 9, 7:00pm – 8:30pmLocation: Barrington High School, CRC (front doors, turn left, first door on left)Audience: ParentsDescription: Barrington 220 parents are invited to this Parent University titled, Living with Asynchrony—Tips and Tools, featuring a presentation by Dr. Michele Kane from Northeastern University. Asynchrony is the term used to acknowledge uneven development between cognitive, emotional, and physical attributes of gifted children. "Gifted children often have significant variations within themselves and develop unevenly across skill levels. For example, a gifted child may be excellent in math, but poor in reading--or vice versa. Often, intellectual skills are quite advanced, but fine motor or social skills are lagging" (NAGC, 2019). Dr. Michele Kane will help to explain the developmental variance of our most advanced learners. Join us!
Parent University: Mindfulness Is...Date & Time: Wed, March 13, 6:30pm – 7:30pmLocation: Barrington High School, CRC (front doors, turn left, first door on left)Description: Barrington 220 parents are invited to this Parent University titled, Mindfulness Is..., featuring a presentation by Hough Street School teacher, Eleni Keller. Is your family stressed? Learn how to bring mindfulness into your family: how to help your family slow down, build focus, be present and express gratitude while taking care of your body and mind. What a powerful tool for parents and children to learn and implement! Come to find out how to incorporate these mindful routines into your daily schedule.
Click here to view the video
Science Night with Mr. Freeze & Guest Speakers (John Bruesch, Asst. Sup. & Dr. April Jordan, Director of Extended Programs & Staff Professional Development), hosted by BCGT
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 6, 2019. 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Location: Prairie M.S. Campus
Audience: Students (science event, cafeteria) & Parents (speakers, media center)
Please join us for a fun night of science exploration for students! Assistant Superintendent, John Bruesch and Director of Extended Services, Dr. April Jordan will offer a session for parents regarding the district's profile and successes of the Extended Services Program.
BGCT Members Free! Non-members $10/family; collected at the door.
Please RSVP on the BCGT website: https://bcgt220.org/upcoming-events/
Download the parent presentation here: District Profile & Extended Services Highlights, March 6, 2019
Summer Showcase, hosted by BCGT (gallery walk and visit vendors)
Date & Time: Tuesday, March 5, 2019. 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. NEW DATE!
Location: Barrington Area Library
Audience: Parents & Students
Need ideas for classes, enrichment, or camps for summer? Check out our summer showcase for gifted and talented students. Visit various vendors at your own pace in a gallery walk.
BCGT Member Only Event – Navigating BHS as an Extended Student
Date & Time: CANCELLED DUE TO ICE STORM
Location: CANCELLED DUE TO ICE STORM
Audience: Current Extended Services 8th Graders and Parents/Guardians
Do you have an 8th grader taking extended classes who has questions like, "Should I take AP World History? What science classes should I take in high school?" For answers to these questions and more, join us for a Member Only event for 8th grade students and their families. A panel of current BHS extended students will provide information and answer questions ranging from class selection to balancing homework and activities. This event is separate from the BHS transition night, because we'll focus solely on choices and questions of extended students. Past attendees have found this event very helpful and you won't want to miss. Registration is required.
Register here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0444ADA9229-navigating
IAGC Parent Conference
Date & Time: Saturday, February 2, 2019. 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.
Location: Chicago Marriott Hotel, 1801 N Naper Blvd, Naperville, IL 60563
Description: In conjunction with the 24th annual IAGC Conference, IAGC has once again organized a Saturday morning of presentations specifically for parents at the affordable price of $60. Unfortunately, IAGC does not offer onsite childcare. Register here: https://www.iagcgifted.org/Parent-Saturday.
Barrington High School Arts Open House
Date & Time: Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
Location: Barrington High School (enter at main doors); Arts wing
Audience: All Students & Parents
The halls will be alive at BHS on January 17th with the hustle and bustle of the performing arts! Come take a look at the classrooms, exhibits, and talk to the teachers about the abundant opportunities at the high school. Middle School Extended Art work will be on display in the museum. Gallery-style walk about (move at your own pace, mingle, and just pop into art the various rooms).
Annual Extended Services Program Overview: Information Night for Parents of Students New to the Program
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 28th, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Station Middle School Campus, Library Media Center
Audience: Parents of students new to the program
Please join us for an informational overview of the Extended Services Program. This evening we will explore characteristics of extended learners/high ability learners, the levels of service the program offers, the student identification process, and website.
2018 Big Wave Bounce Park, hosted by BCGT
Date & Time: Sunday, November 4th, 2018, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: 28039 W. Northpointe Parkway, Lake Barrington, IL 60010
Please join us in a fun social event that will have the kids jumping for joy, while the parents can get to know each other a little bit! Please let Big Wave know that you are part of the BCGT group. Rates are $8 for children 3 years and up and $5 for 2 and under. BCGT members and non-members are welcome. Snacks and drinks will be provided at no charge, although we do ask for you to register so that we can ensure there will be enough for everyone. We hope to see you there!
Register for Big Wave by clicking here.
Annual Game Night, hosted by BCGT
Date: Friday, Oct. 12, 2018
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Location: Barrington Area Library, Zimmerman Rm.
Audience: Students & parents
Please join the Barrington Council for Gifted & Talented for a family night of games and friendly competition!
Register at https://bcgt220.org/. BCGT members are free. Non-members $10/family at the door.
Parent University: Extended Middle School Math
VIDEO Parent University: Extended Math & the Blended Approach with the Elements of Mathematics Foundations (Sept. 2018): Learn more about the Elements of Mathematics Foundations and our blended approach used in extended middle school math.
We have reflected on our first year of a fully integrated blended learning approach for our 6th grade Extended Services math students. Special thanks to the parents, students, and teachers who completed the Elements of Mathematics Foundations survey last spring! Based on the feedback, we will be implementing the following to better support our learners now in 7th grade and 6th grade Extended Math:
- A Parent University will take place Sept. 11th ( 7 parents & students) and Sept. 12th (gr. 5 and 6 parents and students). EMF representatives and Barrington District 220 educators will co-present the tenets of the course, our approach to instruction, and how Schoology is integrated into the class.
- A new informational link on the Extended Services webpage was created (Course Pathways), Barrington District 220 Extended Math-EMF.
- Curriculum pacing was adjusted (some topics require more time, others need less time).
- Math Journals will be utilized (paper-pencil approach to note taking, modeled and practiced strategies of problem-solving, and reference guide for students).
- Math Review Day and/or Start Summative Assessment. Teacher support will continue to be built into instruction routinely (allowing students extra support and time to work through challenges with the teacher before a summative assessment, if needed).
- Show Work/Test Support will be required on class summatives (computational, conceptual, and problem-solving document completed so students can illustrate their thinking and understanding of concepts).
- Supplement Unit Support will be integrated (more time and practice on traditional math; e.g. pre-algebra, algebra, etc.)
- Students will be explicitly taught how to use the EMF Help Forum (allowing for continued support from home)
Parent University: Grade 7 Extended Math
When: Tue, September 11, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Where: Guidance Resource Center at BHS (map)
Description: Join the Director of Extended Services, Dr. April Jordan, Iain Ferguson from the Elements of Mathematics Foundations IMACS, and the Extended middle school math teachers in this Parent University.
Intended Audience: Grade 7 Extended Math Parents & Students: A Blended Experience with the Elements of Mathematics Foundations (EMF).
Parent University: Grades 5 & 6 Extended Math
When: Wed, September 12, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Where: Guidance Resource Center at BHS (map)
Description: Join the Director of Extended Services, Dr. April Jordan, Iain Ferguson from the Elements of Mathematics Foundations IMACS, and the Extended middle school math teachers in this Parent University.
Intended Audience: Grade 5 & 6 Extended Math Parents & Students: A Blended Experience with the Elements of Mathematics Foundations (EMF).
2017-2018 Resources & Events
CANCELLED. The Center for Gifted, Midwest Torrence Center
A World of Wonder Summer Classes, 2018 (Gr. K-8)
Date: SESSION I: June 18-22, 2018 SESSION II: June 25-29
Location: Prairie Middle School Campus
Audience: Students Gr. K-8
See flier for details: Summer 2018 Flier
Sign up using this link: Register for Summer 2018 Courses, The Center for Talent development, Midwest Torrence Center
Barrington Council for Gifted and Talented, Summer Showcase
Date & Time: February 27, 2018, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Location: Barrington Area Library (1st Floor Meeting Room)
Audience: All Parents
It may be cold outside, but we're thinking ahead to summer! Are you looking for options to keep your extended student learning, challenged and growing over the summer? We've invited a number of local educational providers to showcase summer programs and resources. Whether your student is an elementary school kid or a BHS teenager, there's something for everyone. So stop by! We'd love to see you.
- List of vendors and summer opportunities presented by BCGT: BCGT, Summer Showcase.
- For District 220 Summer School opportunities please use this link: Barrington Summer School. Enjoy!
Parent University- Bridging the Digital Cultural Gap
Date & Time: February 21, 2018, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Location: Barrington High School (Door 1), GRC
Audience: All Parents
Brandon Tessers (M.A., Marriage and Family Therapy) is a counselor with the Center for Identity Potential. He will be sharing a message that will help families balance a healthy integration of technology into their daily lives. Brandon will help us all explore the conflict that technology sometimes creates and the important questions we must ask ourselves to find the happy medium. "Are we more concerned than parents in the 70's or are we simply faced with different obstacles?" Brandon presents a framework to make conflict less likely or less intense within the household.
Click here to download presentation: Bridging the Digital Cultural Gap, Brandon TessersBCGT Student Panel: Life in High School
Date & Time: February 6, 2018, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Location: Barrington Area Library
Audience: All Parents & Extended Services Students, Grade 8 (BCGT MEMBERS ONLY)
This event is sponsored by the Barrington Council for Gifted & Talented (BCGT). It is a wonderful opportunity for 8th grade Extended Service students to hear about the high school experience from Barrington High School students! The transition to high school does not have to be one filled with anxiety. Please join us with your 8th grader to hear more about the course pathways students choose, socializing, and joining clubs.
For more information about this event, or to become a BCGT member, visit www.bcgt220.org/upcoming-
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2018
Location: Marriott, Naperville, ILAnnual Barrington 220 Extended Art Reception & 8th Grade Fine Arts Open HouseDate & Time: January 18, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.Location: Barrington High School (Door 1), Art WingAudience: Parents & StudentsDescription: Middle school students will be able to see an extended art showcase in the art gallery and learn more about visual arts and performing arts classes at the high school. Courses include: drawing & painting, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry making, printmaking, photography, dance, choir, orchestra, band, theater and many more.
Game Night for Families (parents are encouraged to stay and play!)
Please join the Barrington Council for Gifted and Talented for a family night of games and friendly competition!
Date & Time: Friday, November 17, 6:30–8:30 pm
Location: Barrington Area Library Meeting RoomBCGT Members are FREE!
Non-members $10/family collected at the door. REGISTER WITH THIS LINK:http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f49a5ac22aaf49-bcgt
Information Night for Parents of Students New to the Program
Date & Time: November 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: Station Middle School, Media Center
Audience: New Parents
Parent of new students to the Extended Services Program are encouraged to join the Director, Dr. April D. Jordan, for a presentation of general program information. We will review placement criteria, the continuum of services, and how you can support your extended learner.
Fall presentation for viewing (click here).
Executive Functioning, Your Child, and YouLocation: Maine Township 1700 Ballard Rd., Park Ridge, IL 60068Audience: Students & ParentsREGISTER WITH THIS LINK: REGISTRATION FOR Executive Functioning, Your Child, and You
The term Executive Functioning (EF) is being used more and more, yet many people still aren't quite sure what it means. It's clear that it is important, but many don't know why or what to do about it. Enter Andy Mahoney. Andy has worked as a counselor specializing in incorporating neuropsychological testing into his work with gifted and talented individuals for over 30 years and has traveled the country talking to various groups about the importance of understanding the way the brain works and how it affects our day-to-day lives.
In this workshop, Andy will help attendees understand what Executive Functioning is, how to notice the effects of EF strengths and weaknesses in a person's life and relationships, and how to improve EF skills and make changes. Particular focus will be put on EF issues for children and teens and how parents and helping professionals can understand and help.
If you know a child who is struggling academically (even though it seems like they understand the things they're learning), who struggles to motivate or communicate or self-regulate, who doesn't manage their time or their priorities or their physical space well, or who seems to get things one second and forget them the next, then you know a child who could use Executive Functioning support. Find out how to be the support they need.
This free event is sponsored by Maine Township's MaineStay Youth & Family Services and Chicago Behavioral Hospital. It is appropriate for community members and professionals and includes 1.5 free CEUs for social workers, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and nurses. Check in will be from 6:30-7:00 PM. Advance registration is requested as seating for this event is limited.
*Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Maine Township Food Pantry.Northern Illinois University STEMfestLocation: NIU Convocation Center (1525 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115)Audience: Students & ParentsSTEMfest celebrates innovations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Northern Illinois University STEM departments, student groups, regional corporations, museums, educators, and national labs are joining forces to present hundreds of activities that range in complexity to entertain people of all ages. More information can be found at http://www.niu.edu/stemfest.
BCGT Parent Speaker Event
Title: Giftedness & Academic Underachievement: What Lies Beneath
Date & Time: October 3, 7:00 p.m.
NEW Location: BHS, Guidance Resource Center (GRC). Enter through main doors and turn left to find the GRC. This event has exceeded the capacity of the former location.
Audience: ParentsAndy Mahoney is a recognized expert and pioneer in the field of counseling the gifted and talented. He is the founder of The Center for Identity Potential – a leading provider of counseling and consultation services geared specifically to gifted, talented, and exceptional people. During his presentation Andy will share his expertise on how to help your gifted student achieve to their full potential, how to identify and address academic underachievement, and how undiagnosed learning problems can impact gifted and talented students.
Register at: http://www.signupgenius.co
m/go/30e0f49a5ac22aaf49-gifted ness or through the link on the BCGT website - www.bcgt220.org .NOTE: This event is subject to cancellation if an attendance minimum is not met by September 29th...RSVP today


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Fact of the day – Feet
Here are a few facts about our feet! Did you know that two feet are never the same, one of them is usually longer than the other, this is why you must always try both shoes on when purchasing a new pair. When walking, each time we lift our heels from the ground this then…Details

subset: commoncrawl


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is working on 3d projects at home a waste of time and life? after many years of doing it on and off im convinced it is. especially with so many companies and youtube these days churning out shit you cant compete with.
if you have a passion for it, no its not a waste.
>>511958>so many companies and youtube these days churning out shit you cant compete with.So you are basically saying you have no ideas or stories of your own?
>>511958>not being good enough and not bothering to get good>blaming the medium
>>511958The black dude on your pic is actually the closest thing to a decent person in that game.
op is truth
>>511958If you're not enjoying it then it is a waste of your time. If you're not making more money than you would working as a barista then why waste your time doing something you're not enjoying.
>>511958>churning out shit you cant compete with.Then get to a level that you can compete with them?What the fuck?Do you need everything spoonfed to you?
I've seen some high quality stuff on forums, but also some shitty quality SFM comic both get popular. You don't need an amazing set of skills to be popular to the general public. Get your head out of your ass and make something, OP.
The problem OP is 3D.3D is so fucking hard compared to pixel art. If someone would have warned me a year ago I would have done pixel art intead.Look at Risk of Rain, Look at undertale. All 2d pixel art game that made it.
gitgud OP
You seem to be under the incorrect assumption that you have to be better than everyone else to get a job in 3D.Ever see really shitty art? Like one of those daytime television commercials where the 3D models look like abominations? Someone paid someone else to make that. That abomination made someone a few thousand dollars.You need to understand that in --> ANY INDUSTRY <-- people will pay for things that they don't know how to do themselves. That's where you come in.The local used car dealership doesn't give a fuck about some photo realistic renders on some asshats DA page. They only know they want a commercial that has a CG rabbit. Once again, that's where you come in.I'm not even saying your art is bad, only that people with bad art skills are getting creative jobs all over the place, so why can't you?The best advice I can give you is to keep practicing & to make sure everyone you know, knows that you know 3DCG. The job I have right now, I have solely because I did that.>We really need a sign made for this...>I can make a sign, I actually do graphic design on the side...Boom. Work experience and something else to add to my portfolio. Easy as that.Worry about getting work, then worry about getting paid. Because you'll never get paid without a job, and you'll never get a job if you never create opportunities for yourself.
>>511958>(I) feel like working on 3d projects at home is a waste of time and life? After many years of doing it on and off (I'm) convinced it is. Especially with so many companies and YouTube these days churning out shit (I) cant compete with.If (You) want to give up just stop doing itordo it better


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You're busy – trust me, I can relate! Teaching is a lot of work, and you certainly don't have time to get too many emails, social media alerts, etc.
We want to help. We want our newsletters to be so exciting that you can't wait to open them because you KNOW they will be useful and filled with ideas or resources you can try with your own kids right away.
So…. instead of occasional newsletters that might be interesting to you, we are going to send you a fun filled, "news you can use" newsletter called Sunday Surprise.
What is it? Well, each week (on Sunday evenings) you will receive an email with the subject line of Sunday Surprise (Don't forget to check sneaky spam or add us to your approved senders list). While I can't tell you what the surprises will be each week, I can give you some ideas as to what to expect.
- free resources to use instantly (downloads expire each Tuesday so you MUST download them by then!!!)
- exclusive product discounts not announced elsewhere (expire Tuesday as well!)
- giveaways and other fun things!
- Of course some of our latest blog posts, ideas, and inspiration will be included as well
- and more!
Download the Free Printables
These freebies are just one of your subscriber gifts when you join our fun and FREE email newsletter!
Just pop your email in the box below, download your freebies, and never miss out on our fun activities and resources for early childhood.
You are also agreeing to our privacy policy.


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The 2019 Lineup
We want to reimagine the SEO conference with UnGagged Los Angeles. No fluff, no BS, just actionable methods and strategies from the leading industry experts. Our presenters aren't just marketing megastars, they're passionate about sharing ideas and shaking up the status quo!
Because there's no censorship and no recording, our speakers can share insights and strategies they can't share at other conferences. You may have heard these speakers before, but you definitely haven't heard what they say when they Get UnGagged.
2019 Los Angeles Speakers
Andrew is CEO of LocalSEOGuide.com a leading SEO consultancy with a specialty in Multi-Location & Enterprise SEO for 10+ years. Andrew is editor of the Local SEO Guide blog which … more
Andrew Stone is a Key Account Manager at Buffalo Partners, one of the world's largest Online Casino Affiliate Programs. With over 13 years' experience in the online casino world, Andrew … more
Arsen Rabinovich is a marketer, SEO, international speaker, and the founder of TopHatRank.com LLC, a Los Angeles-based, award-winning Marketing Agency that specializes in innovative digital marketing techniques for modern brands … more
Digital Marketing Consultant at Brent Csutoras, LLC and Managing Partner at Search Engine Journal, one of the top Digital Marketing publications online. Speaker at many of the top marketing conferences, … more
Bruce Clay is founder and president of Bruce Clay, Inc., a global digital marketing company recognized as a worldwide leader in search marketing. Bruce began conducting SEO training in 1999, … more
Christi is the Head of Evangelism for Bing at Microsoft and is on the Board of Directors for the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) and the University of Idaho … more
Cindy Krum is the CEO and Founder of MobileMoxie, LLC. MobileMoxie was founded in 2008, and provides mobile marketing consultancy as well as offering a custom suite of cutting-edge online … more
Dana is President & Partner at Kick Point, where she helps people and teams do better marketing. After almost 20 years in the digital marketing industry, her deep experience in … more
David is Owner and CEO of digital advertising agency FMB Media, and one of the world's best-known experts in online advertising. A former Apple Computer executive and serial entrepreneur, David's … more
Duane Forrester is the Vice President of Industry Insights for Yext, leading industry outreach, evangelism and authorship for the company. Between Microsoft and Yext, he was the VP, Operations with … more
Frédéric Dubut is a product leader and international public speaker with 10+ years of experience delighting customers by shipping online services, enterprise software and consumer products at Microsoft (Bing, Office, … more
Gary Illyes is Google Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google, but according to his Twitter bio, he's also the House Elf and Chief of Sunshine and Happiness at Google. Gary's dedicated … more
Gerry has been working in the digital sector for 15+ years, mainly in SEO but often swapping over to work in analytics, strategy, social and more. Having worked on some … more
Greg is an experienced Local SEO consultant specializing in the automotive industry. An experienced conference speaker, his movie-themed slide decks are always audience favorites. Specialties include: Search Engine Optimization, Local … more
Hamlet's story begins to the south: he was born and lived until 2010 in the beautiful tropical island of the Dominican Republic. He is a US Genius Visa holder – … more
Hannah is Business Director at UK based award-winning digital marketing agency Found, Hannah has over five years of search experience having devised and managed a range of successful online campaigns … more
Jennifer Hoffman is Marketing Director at DeepCrawl, she's an enthusiastic and passionate Marketing Director with 15+ years of experience in the B2B SaaS sector. Jennifer Specializes in brand building and … more
Jen is a longtime search marketer, speaker and author of many guides and articles on Google & SEO. She began working in the search industry over twenty years ago and … more
Jenny Halasz has been in search since 2000, first working in affiliate marketing for Art.com, where she became familiar with "this bidding thing on GoTo" as part of her responsibilities. … more
SEO veteran since 1996. A former software tester with WordPerfect and Novel, he tests the algorithms and affiliate markets to gain leverage against competitors with over 1,100 test domains. Uses … more
Jim Boykin has been actively involved in SEO and Internet marketing since 1999. Jim's knowledge and experience have made him one of the most respected and referenced SEO's in the … more
You might know him as Cygnus, or @CygnusSEO, but IRL he's Joe Sinkwitz, a man that built an empire on the back of payday lead gen over an 11 year … more
Judith is a renowned writer, trainer, blogger and a digital and media consultant specialising in applying strategic understanding of digital technologies to help businesses innovate and optimise their effectiveness within … more
Kristine Schachinger started her career in 1998 as a front-end developer and website designer. She has two decades of website design, development and implementation experience and has helped design/code/implement sites for … more
Loren Baker is the Co-Founder at Foundation Digital and Founder of Search Engine Journal. At Foundation, Loren works with companies such as ESPN, AirBNB, SONY Pictures and American Eagle Outfitters … more
Marty is an entrepreneur, author, speaker & wilderness guide. He founded Aimclear®, a driven marketing agency dominant in psychographic targeting, winner of 10 US Search Awards, including 2X Best Large … more
For more than 20 years Michelle has lived at the intersection of technology, marketing, and data. She is an accomplished marketing, technology, and media professional with deep experience as an … more
Nick is a serial entrepreneur who has has built and sold a handful of businesses, and countless websites and domains. He's not into awards in the SEO industry as he … more
Nikunj Daga is a Program Manager in the Bing Webmasters team at Microsoft. He works towards improving and adding new capabilities in Bing Webmaster Tools, making it more useful and … more
Pam is an entrepreneur, mentor, and marketing veteran who has led digital advertising strategies for 20 years. Cultivating her craft directing in-house teams at agencies and then consulting independently at … more
Patrick Stox is Technical SEO at Ahrefs. He's an organizer for the Raleigh SEO Meetup (the most successful SEO Meetup in the US), the Beer and SEO Meetup, and the … more
Robert Hansen became the CTO of Bit Discovery after his company OutsideIntel was acquired. Mr. Hansen has worked for Digital Island, Exodus Communications and Cable & Wireless beginning as a … more
Ross Hudgens founded Siege Media in August of 2012. Siege, now more than six years old, made the Inc. 5000 in 2017 and 2018, in addition to being named one … more
Russell McAthy has been working in digital for over a decade with data analytics at the heart of his career. Working with businesses from startup to FTSE100 he has guided … more
Ruth Burr Reedy is an SEO, people manager, speaker, and karaoke enthusiast living in Oklahoma City, OK. She is the Director of Strategy at UpBuild, a boutique technical marketing agency … more
Ryan Jones is an ex software engineer who turned into an SEO about 14 years ago. He currently runs the SEO team at PublicisSapient where he works with several large … more
Simon Heseltine is the VP of Audience Growth at Trader Interactive in Norfolk, VA. His team is responsible for all traffic channels for industry leading sites such as Cycle Trader … more
Upasna, more commonly referred to as Pas, is a Product Manager at CNN where she develops and optimizes the technological infrastructure that powers CNN.com. Prior to her Product Management role … more
Could you Get UnGagged? Submit your request to speak in LA here. We're always looking for talented and knowledgeable speakers who are prepared to engage in an honest discussion on the state of digital marketing.


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BuzzFeed Community is a hub for BuzzFeeders to create awesome quizzes and posts that people love. Make your own, or browse what other people are making.Make your own post!
20 Winter Yarn DIYs (That Aren't Scarves!)
As the temperature drops, embrace the oncoming chill with these cozy yarn crafts you can make without knitting needles.
15 Surprising Things You Can Put In The Dishwasher
Everything you own is dirty. Make life easier for yourself and add these surprising items to your next load. Disclaimer: puppies are not dishwasher safe.
15 Ways To Rock A Room With Heavy Metal Accents
Keep your spring flowers, summer brights, and fall jewel tone decor. Winter is for shiny, sparkling, and bold metallic accents.
Tips To Avoid Washing Dishes For The Rest Of Your Life
Maybe you have lazy room mates, maybe the idea of being elbow deep in soggy food water induces your vom reflex, I'm not judging. If washing dishes just isn't your thing, use these resourceful (lazy) college student hacks and never wash another dish again.


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PostgreSQL Practice Workshop
This course is especially suitable for database administrators (Linux / Windows / Solaris / Mac OS X) and sysadmis, with less time, who cannot attend the 5 days training.
Installing PostgreSQL
- Creating database instances
- Creating databases
- Encoding issues
Using indexes
- Simple btree indexes
- Full Text search
Understanding transactions
- Concurrency issues
- Using savepoints
- PostgreSQL locking behavior
- Transaction isolation
MVCC and space management
- Understanding MVCC
- PostgreSQL disk layout
- VACUUM: Reclaiming space
- Autovacuum
PostgreSQL monitoring
- Understanding PostgreSQL system tables
- PostgreSQL system statistics
- Creating logfiles
Windowing and analytics
- Analyzing data
- Using analytics
PostgreSQL performance tuning
- Tweaking checkpoints
- Configuring shared_buffers
- Additional memory parameters
Backup and recovery
- Running backups
PostgreSQL stored procedures
- Writing SQL functions
- Using PL/pgSQL
- Working with triggers
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text:
Instant Desert Island Books
What books are on your desk right now? These are your desert island books!
To my left I have:
The Case of the Persevering Maltese, Harry Mathews
The Beatles. The Beatles. The Beatles. 100 Hits for All Keyboards (sheet music; this is a book I bought in Korea about 14 years ago; the phoneticized Korean title is "Beatles Memory 100.")
Aubrey's Brief Lives, ed. Oliver Lawson Dick, foreword by Edmund Wilson
Beowulf: An Illustrated Edition, transl. Seamus Heaney
A strange batch! (Send your list right now to thedizziesATgmailDOTcom.)
* * *
Dizzyhead Susan sends in this short list:
Likes: ferns, geese, telepathy
Dislikes: the news, telephony
Labels: Beatles, Beowulf, Desert Island Books, Edmund Wilson, Harry Mathews, Instant Desert Island Books, John Aubrey, Seamus Heaney


text:
We are pleased to announce a successful completion of the writing exercise for Innovative Future Essay Writing Contest 2018. This edition, which is the second of our annual essay writing event was conducted at the SBMT hall of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba.
The writing exercise took place between 11:30 am and 12:45 pm, with the Junior and Senior students spending 1 hour and 1 hour / 15 mins on their work respectively. Mr. Kalu Chinemerem ESQ was the supervisor for the duration which the exercise lasted.
Topics For 2018 Edition Of Innovative Future Essay Writing Contest
Senior Secondary School Category
- Embracing Digital Education to Grow the African Economy
Junior Secondary School Category
- The Effects of Digital Technology on Social Values
Innovative Future Essay Writing Contest 2018 Statistics
Overall, 107 students took part in this edition of the contest. 57 students belonged to the Junior Secondary School Category while 50 students belonged to the Senior Secondary School.
Excitingly, this was a massive improvement to last year's figure where only 60 students were involved in the contest.
Represented Schools at Innovative Future Essay Writing Contest 2018
- Merit Base International Secondary School
- Intellectual Giants Christian Academy
- Divine Wisdom International School
- Dynamic International Christian College
- Experience International Schools
- New Bethel Secondary School
- St Joseph College
- Great Omega College
- Diamond Schools
- Major Model School
- Abba Comprehensive Secondary School
- Better Foundation Academy
- Christ Intellectual Academy
- Ndiegoro Girls Secondary School
- Iruka International Academy
- St Patricks International Academy
The Innovative Team wishes to thank every school and student that made this year's writing contest a SUCCESS.
When Will The Results For Innovative Future Essay Writing Contest 2018 Be Announced?
Students, parents, prospective sponsors and school teachers are by this notice invited to attend the prize-giving event billed for Saturday 27th October 2018 at the same venue.
Time : 12:00pm prompt
Cash + Other prizes will be handed out to the best three students from each category at this year's gala!
Will you be there?


text:
Whilst idly watching Hugh F-W and his latest Veg programme, hubby and I were taken with the individual roasted squashes he cooked, they looked fantastic and having got several little squashes in an autumn display in the kitchen just going begging for something to be done with them I knew exactly what that would be. I am sure the recipe is in Hugh's latest book or on the website, but I codged together the ingredients as below.
Oven Roasted Squash with Leeks & Cheese
Serves 2 WW pro points per serving 9
2 small-medium squashes/pump, lids sliced off and seeds scooped out, trim the bottom is needed so it sits flat.
2 leeks, thinly sliced
80g strong Cheddar, grated100g half fat creme fraiche
small knob butter2 tsp oil
1 tsp dried thyme - optional (well I forgot to add it and it did not miss it)
Preheat the oven to 180oc.
Heat oil and butter in a pan, add the leeks and fry gently until soft.Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Into a bowl add the leeks, cheese and creme fraiche. Add S&P and thyme if adding. Mix together.
Pour into the hollow squashes.
Replace lids and pop into the oven for 1 1/2 hours
You will have wonderfully brown squashes and the softest squash flesh imaginable along with the most delicious cheesy-leeky mix. It was a really warming comforting meal but be warned it was super filling.


text:
Our vision is to challenge students to use technology in ways which encourage collaboration, communication, and creation over consumption. The effective use of technology can be transformational when put in the hand of responsible global digital citizens. At Rosalie Primary School there is the continual and consistent integration of Digital Technologies and Design and Technologies learning within every classroom.
Rosalie PS will also provide continual authentic Digital Learning opportunities to provide digital skills and knowledge for students, through extracurricular learning and community connections.
ICT Capabilities in the Classroom
ICT Capabilities includes the student's effective management and operating of technology to solve authentic problems. Digital tools help develop students' '4 C's' – Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical Thinking. ICT Capabilities are developed through a wide range of activities at Rosalie Primary School. We have improved student access to a wide variety of technologies, including our Personal Learning Device Project, iPad Discovery Project and STEAM challenges.
Links and Resources
- Rosalie Primary Online Learning Portfolios 2018
- Rosalie ICT Vision
- The Padagogy Wheel
- 2018 Student ICT Acceptable Usage Agreement PP-2
- 2018 Student ICT Acceptable Usage Agreement Years 3-6
- Digital Technology Curriculum Overview (Year 4)
- Department of Education's Focus 2017 Document
- Notes to Accompany PLD Presentation


text:
Key economic indicators stable
NEW YORK — A key gauge of future U.S. economic activity crept higher for the fourth straight month in July, suggesting that some improvement may lie ahead for the economy.
The New York-based Conference board said Monday that its Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose 0.3 percent to 109.9, the same amount it rose in June.
Analysts had expected a 0.1 percent increase.
"The signal from the ... index, in terms of its depth and breadth, is that economic conditions, sluggish through the entire first half of the year, could begin to make way for a better economy this fall," Conference Board economist Kenneth Goldstein said.
The index is closely watched because it indicates where the overall U.S. economy is headed in the next three to six months. It stood at 100 in 1996, its base year. The U.S. economy has been besieged over the past year by anemic corporate earnings, plunging stock prices, massive layoffs and a downward spiral in the manufacturing sector.
In an effort to prevent the economy from slipping into a recession, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates six times this year and was widely expected to make an additional quarter percentage point cut when it meets Tuesday.
The central bank's aggressive rate-cutting campaign and an improvement in consumer expectations were among the factors that helped push the index higher last month, analysts said.
"That means the easing of monetary policy has saturated the economy with cash, which can be used as fuel for an economic rebound," said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at Wells Fargo & Co. in Minneapolis.
Sohn also said he anticipates that the recent federal income tax rate cut and refunds will provide another boost to the economy.
Consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of all economic activity, has managed to hold up well during the economic slowdown and is one of the forces that has prevented the economy from tipping into recession, economists say.
The markets closed higher following the release of the report.
The Conference Board said five of the 10 components that make up the leading indicators index improved last month: money supply, average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance, interest rate spread, average weekly manufacturing hours and index of consumer expectations.
The negative contributors to the index were stock prices, building permits and vendor performance. Other indicators held steady.
The group's index of coincident indicators, which measures current economic activity, edged up 0.1 percent in July to 116.3. The index of lagging indicators, which reflect changes that have already occurred, decreased 0.7 percent to 104.7.
The Conference Board is a nonprofit research and business group with more than 2,700 corporate and other members around the world.
On the Net: http://www.conferenceboard.org


text:
THERE is no shortage of space in this two-storey home.
It has space for a large family to share time together or seek peace and quiet, space to entertain in style, ample storage space and more than enough space for kids and pets to play to their hearts' content on the 1103sq m block.
The ground floor includes a theatre/games room and large open-plan family/dining/kitchen area.
The kitchen can easily cope with family meals or larger gatherings and has a walk-in pantry, European appliances including a Bertazzoni Italia range, stone benchtops and breakfast bar.
Bi-fold doors in the family and dining zones open to the alfresco area, creating a seamless flow for indoor/outdoor entertaining.
This area is large enough for a dining and lounge setting.
It looks out to the sparkling pool and provides access to a large lawn area and basketball 'court'.
The ground floor also includes two bedrooms, a study, bathroom and laundry.
There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs, including the master with walk-in robe and ensuite.
All bedrooms have either walk-in or built-in robes.
There is also a large living area on the first floor with access to a balcony.
The home has quality features throughout including travertine tile flooring, ducted and split system airconditioning, gas pebble fireplace, built-in speakers, pivot front door and automatic gates.
It is close to parks, cafes and shops, with a range of excellent schools nearby and just 8km from the CBD.


text:
This week's episode is the inaugural episode and it is an introduction to the Podcast and what to expect in the future!
If you liked the episode, please like, follow, or share!
Thoughts? Opinions? Click here to join the community and let us know!
Trolls.gg is committed to providing community content without clogging annoying pop-up advertisements. If you enjoyed this article, please consider donating so that we can show appreciation to our writers. Please include the name of the article with your donation.
Nate "dorshe1" Louderback has proved that he can obtain useless scraps of paper with a Masters Degree in Political Science and a Masters in Business Administration. In his day job he is the consummate financial professional, but at night he transforms into a Blizzard fanboi!
He enjoys being an active participant in the amateur Heroes of the Storm scene as a participant in Bush League. If you have ideas for stories, podcasts, Twitch.tv shows, or just want to chat, feel free to contact him at email@example.com or @Nlouderback.


text:
The past year has been one of significant change for the healthcare
PR sector. One of the main areas of debate has been the blurring of the
lines between pharmaceuticals, food science and biotechnology. This has
meant that traditional healthcare agencies are finding their work
becoming more 'full service' as it overlaps into new areas of business.
They are now having to be strong in consumer and business-to-business PR
as well as healthcare.
The growing use of the internet was one of the most significant new
trends in healthcare PR in 1999. At the Shire Hall Group, where fee
income was up 40 per cent, CEO Margot James says: 'From a small base in
1998 our internet business really boomed last year. Clients were using
the internet to develop on-line communities and create genuine dialogue,
rather than just as poster sites.'
Cohn and Wolfe was another agency benefiting from its new media skills.
'We did a lot more on the new media front, including webcasts,
monitoring chat rooms and reporting back to clients, and banner
advertising,' reports executive director, healthcare, Angie Searle.
The rise in influence of the internet reflects the increasing importance
of consumers in healthcare marketing over the past year, another boon
for those agencies with consumer expertise. Searle says: 'We've been
doing a lot of work driving brand messages to patients to encourage them
to go to their doctor to talk about treatment,' says Searle.
One of the big issues in healthcare PR over the past year has continued
to be direct-to-consumer marketing. Regulations still forbid direct
communication to consumers about prescription drugs, but pharmaceutical
companies are now finding ways of getting round this. In 1999, for
example, Lowe Fusion worked on the first migraine awareness advertising
campaign in Europe, which was aired in the UK on Meridian
'This was a co-ordinated activity which involved not only patient groups
but also doctors working in this area so they felt fully on board, and
it was backed up by press and broadcast media relations,' explains Lowe
Fusion MD, Julia Cook.
James agrees that disease awareness campaigns can be a powerful way of
increasing sales for certain products. 'Many people soldier on with a
medical problem because they are not aware anything can be done. Once
companies advertise that conditions can be treated and people get more
information it can lead to a huge amount of latent interest being
expressed,' she believes.
Direct-to-consumer communication may be in its infancy, but many in
healthcare PR are confident it will lead to more work. 'Large scale
communications activity needs to get underway in advance of advertising
campaigns, laying the foundations and building support. Once the ad
campaign is running we can also build on it through media activity,'
says Ralph Sutton, MD of Burson-Marsteller's UK healthcare practice.
It may still be some time, however, before direct-to-consumer
advertising of branded products is permitted. 'The internet and consumer
demand for information is going to make the current regulations in
Europe unworkable, but it's going to be a long slog to get the
regulations changed. The whole EU directive will need to be changed, and
this would take at least four years,' says James.
One of the inevitable consequences of the power of the internet is the
increasing globalisation of healthcare PR programmes. 'Only two years
ago international work was about 25 per cent of our total fee income,
last year it was nearly 70 per cent. There is increasing recognition
that you have to have international co-ordination for global products,'
says Cook. An example of this is Lowe Fusion's work for Novartis to
ensure a consistency of approach across international markets.
The PRCA Healthcare Practice Group's audit of healthcare agencies in
December showed that despite the globalisation of the healthcare
industry, 77 per cent of accounts held were for UK work.
And against the increase in international work, agencies say they are
keen to maintain a balance with UK work. Searle at Cohn and Wolfe backs
this up: 'Our client base increased significantly but the split between
UK and international work stayed the same. We don't want any one area to
be too big.'
Another aspect of globalisation was continued merger activity in the
pharmaceutical industry, including Aventis being created from the merger
of Rhone Poulenc Rorer and Hoechst Marion Roussel.
However, such mergers seem to have had little effect on PR activity - so
far. 'If we end up with 20 large pharmaceutical companies, corporate
image and positioning will become very important. As yet companies are
still very product-focused,' says James. Merger activity could also
allow healthcare PR specialists to broaden their field of activity into
the change management sector, communicating the impact of mergers to
Another key factor which has dominated the past year's developments in
healthcare communications was the dramatic changes which have been made
to the workings of the NHS and Department of Health, including the
creation last April of the National Institute of Clinical
This was set up as a special health authority with the power to decide
whether drugs should be approved for NHS reimbursement, and is already
having a knock-on effect on PR for new products. NICE's refusal to
reimburse Relenza because of insufficient clinical evidence about the
effectiveness of the new flu treatment showed the importance of
presenting the right data in the right form, opening up new
opportunities for PR.
Prescribing decisions have traditionally been made by GPs and hospital
doctors alone, with some feedback from local authorities. However, the
introduction of NICE and NSFs (National Service Frameworks) mean that,
increasingly, clinicians will be pressured to prescribe according to
these guidelines.
Countrywide Porter Novelli director of healthcare Pippa Evans says:
'While certain medical bodies are still fighting for clinical freedom,
it is inevitable that NICE's recommendations will eventually be adopted.
This is good news for some products but bad news for others.'
The advent of NICE and changes in the NHS have also seen increasing
demand for public affairs consultancy in the healthcare sector.
'Companies that previously didn't engage in dialogue have woken up to
the fact that the UK is not as easy a market to operate in as it once
was. Talking to Government is now of critical importance,' says Tamsin
Richmond-Watson, who heads the healthcare practice at APCO UK, which now
accounts for 22 per cent of the specialist public affairs agency's total
fee income.
The NHS itself has had its own communications challenges in the past
year. NHS specialist agency Jonathan Street PR had a busy year in 1999
as the Government sought to put through a wide-ranging modernisation
programme in the face of a continually critical press. 'It's been a big
challenge to try to close the credibility gap between some of the
stories you get in the press about things such as bed closures and the
huge changes that are happening in the NHS,' says Jonathan Street PR
director, Mark Purcell.
The importance of staying in touch with the Government is becoming even
more critical as it prepares to publish its five-year national plan for
the NHS in July. The Government is now engaged in a consultation
programme to seek the views of the public and the one million people who
work in the NHS.
The rise in patient power, and the increasing access of consumers to
healthcare information has also made its mark on healthcare PR in the
past year. At B-M, Sutton says: 'Until recently patient groups were very
quiet. They have moved from being support groups to being far more
powerful advocates for their members in terms of lobbying and raising
their profile in the media. I think we will do a lot more work with
patient groups, particularly in therapeutic areas where there are new
drugs coming through.'
The ongoing saga about rationing medicines and treatments has provided
another opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to forge links with
patient groups. 'We've been doing campaigning work advising patient
groups and companies on who they should be putting pressure on to raise
the profile of the treatment being rationed,' says Richmond-Watson.
The changes continuing to take place in healthcare indicate a bright
future for PR. GCI Healthcare managing director Catherine Warne, who
also chairs the PRCA healthcare practice group, says: 'PR is becoming
much more integrated in the marketing mix. We're working a lot earlier
with new drugs, often two years or more before launch, the relationship
is going on much longer, and we're getting involved at a much deeper
level with the marketing team.'
1 1 Medical Action 9,900,000 7,520,000 32
2 2 The Shire Hall Group *1 5,903,000 4,222,000 40
3 4 Meditech Media 3,883,000 2,958,000 31
4 3 Hill and Knowlton* 3,370,380 3,028,350 11
5 5 Shandwick International* 2,083,920 2,586,300 -19
6 7 Fleishman-Hillard*2 2,056,235 2,256,245 -9
7 9 Grayling Group* 1,829,173 1,779,910 3
8 8 Holmes and Marchant 1,800,570 2,004,990 -10
10 6 Ketchum* 1,761,296 2,401,982 -27
11 11 Cohn and Wolfe* 1,703,498 1,565,764 9
12 21 Charles Barker BSMG* 1,669,598 673,897 148
13 10 Munro & Forster 1,610,122 1,609,155 0
14 13 Countrywide Porter Novelli* 1,566,741 1,433,009 9
15 17 Edelman PR Worldwide* 1,440,113 982,722 47
16 12 Lowe Fusion Healthcare 1,320,537 1,478,293 -11
17 15 Ruder Finn 1,288,500 1,204,453 7
18 14 The Workhouse 1,245,923 1,220,845 2
19 19 Harvard Public Relations 873,244 787,140 11
20 18 Biss Lancaster*3 871,905 927,616 -6
21 20 Sante Communications 781,920 766,761 2
22 24 The Euro PR Group*4 594,862 403,657 47
23 - Ogilvy Public Relations*5 585,600 - -
24 - Key Communicatons* 549,990 - -
25 23 Jonathan Street 525,542 460,748 14
Public Relations
26 22 Manning Selvage and Lee* 518,040 535,500 -3
27 25 BMA Communications 414,692 355,016 17
28 - Barclay Stratton* 374,811 - -
29 28 Nexus Choat * 372,600 297,920 25
30 27 Jo Spink Public Relations 339,604 316,665 7
99 98 99 99
1 1 Medical Action 9,900,000 126 100 Surrey
2 2 The Shire Hall Group *1 5,903,000 75 100 London
3 4 Meditech Media 3,883,000 140 100 London
4 3 Hill and Knowlton* 25,926,000 330 13 London
5 5 Shandwick International* 26,049,000 359 8 London
6 7 Fleishman-Hillard*2 3,607,429 61 57 London
7 9 Grayling Group* 8,794,100 108 21 London
8 8 Holmes and Marchant 3,831,000 41 47 London
9 16 GCI UK/APCO* 11,471,600 167 16 London
10 6 Ketchum* 8,806,480 143 20 London
11 11 Cohn and Wolfe* 6,309,253 83 27 London
12 21 Charles Barker BSMG* 9,821,166 108 17 London
13 10 Munro & Forster 2,300,174 47 70 London
14 13 Countrywide Porter Novelli* 19,584,259 280 8 Oxon
15 17 Edelman PR Worldwide* 9,000,705 100 16 London
16 12 Lowe Fusion Healthcare 1,320,537 19 100 Surrey
17 15 Ruder Finn 1,789,583 24 72 London
18 14 The Workhouse 1,245,923 11 100 Surrey
19 19 Harvard Public Relations 4,596,023 61 19 Middx
20 18 Biss Lancaster*3 9,687,832 149 9 London
21 20 Sante Communications 781,920 15 100 London
22 24 The Euro PR Group*4 1,189,724 21 50 London
23 - Ogilvy Public Relations*5 4,880,000 63 12 London
24 - Key Communicatons* 6,111,000 69 9 London
25 23 Jonathan Street 656,927 13 80 London
Public Relations
26 22 Manning Selvage and Lee* 4,317,000 60 12 London
27 25 BMA Communications 1,884,964 17 22 London
28 - Barclay Stratton* 2,677,224 38 14 London
29 28 Nexus Choat * 3,726,000 65 10 London
30 27 Jo Spink Public Relations 390,349 11 87 London
All figures relate to the year ended 31 December 1999 Fee income = PR
fees + mark-up *Denotes PRCA member 1 Includes figures from 4D
Communications 2 Includes figures from CPR 3 Formerly listed as Euro
RSCG International Communications 4 Formerly listed as EMC Euro PR 5
Includes figures from Sector PR and Magellan PR
31 29 Myriad Public Relations 333,950 270,352 24
32 26 Henderson Group One 326,274 316,749 3
33 33 Beattie Media 295,000 206,000 43
34 36 Barkers Public Relations* 265,106 167,680 58
35 38 Square Mile Communications 264,909 151,056 75
36 37 The Red Consultancy 240,946 163,556 47
37 34 CCD Healthcare PR 236,000 205,000 15
38 - Willoughby Public Relations* 217,871 - -
39 - The Communication Group* 188,050 68,420 175
40 - Jackie Cooper PR 176,170 - -
41 39 Staniforth Public Relations* 125,260 124,070 1
42 46 Lawson Clarke* 88,779 63,366 40
43 - Charlton Communications 82,373 - -
44 50 Barrett Dixon Bell* 81,900 44,800 83
45 44 Wyatt International 77,983 70,255 11
46 - Sinclair Mason 75,904 - -
47 49 Keene Public Affairs Consultants* 38,131 45,391 -16
48 - Hobsbawm Macaulay Comms 34,767 22,736 53
49 - Catalyst Communications 33,569 33,407 0
50 48 Audax Communications* 23,577 49,260 -52
99 98 99 99
31 29 Myriad Public Relations 878,817 23 38 Cambs
32 26 Henderson Group One 326,274 9 100 Surrey
33 33 Beattie Media 5,900,000 93 5 Glasgow
34 36 Barkers Public Relations* 2,209,215 41 12 Glas/
35 38 Square Mile Communications 2,649,088 36 10 London
36 37 The Red Consultancy 4,015,769 77 6 London
37 34 CCD Healthcare PR 236,000 6 100 London
38 - Willoughby Public Relations* 777,000 26 28 B'ham
39 - The Communication Group* 3,761,000 46 5 London
40 - Jackie Cooper PR 3,523,403 68 5 London
41 39 Staniforth Public Relations* 2,505,200 44 5 M'chester
42 46 Lawson Clarke* 443,893 14 20 Glos
43 - Charlton Communications 823,730 24 10 Oxon
44 50 Barrett Dixon Bell* 546,000 17 15 Cheshire
45 44 Wyatt International 779,827 14 10 B'ham
46 - Sinclair Mason 1,518,076 19 5 Leeds
47 49 Keene Public Affairs 476,637 8 8 London
48 - Hobsbawm Macaulay Comms 695,349 22 5 London
49 - Catalyst Communications 559,479 15 6 London
50 48 Audax Communications* 471,539 13 5 N'ham
All figures relate to the year ended 31 December 1999 Fee income = PR
fees + mark-up *Denotes PRCA member
pounds 9,900,000
MAC's impressive fee income growth of 32 per cent confirms its number
one position at the top of the table. UK managing director Gary Hobbs
identifies the key drivers of this success as his agency's global
outlook and its rapid conversion of pre-launch awareness to post-launch
product usage. This is expressed by MAC's new brand statement, 'Create
the Future', which was developed by Hobbs, on his arrival from Franklin
Scientific Projects at the beginning of 1999. 'It reflects the belief
that powerful healthcare communications can determine marketing outcomes
if properly planned and powerfully implemented,' he says.
This new company vision has been rolled out through an extensive
employee development programme and some new blood. Last April, Smita
Desai arrived as director of strategic business development from the
Shire Hall Group and in January, Jasmine Zidane joined the agency as
director of scientific services from Oxford Clinical Communications.
Throughout 1999, MAC extended its new media activities for clients such
as Roche with its carvedilol heart treatment, and developed a new brand
alignment process called Brand Syzygy. 'Any agency which doesn't
understand that the traditional barriers between PR, branding and
education have been blown away by the need to be on message through all
communications activities will be left behind in the 21st Century,' says
pounds 5,903,000
A healthy fee income rise of 40 per cent to pounds 5,903,000 means that
Shire Hall returns to form after a disappointing 1998 and retains its
second spot in the table. A major factor behind this success was the
complete turnaround of medical education arm 4D Communications based in
After a dip in revenues in 1998, 4D grew its business by 93 per cent
last year, and raked in pounds 1.2 million in fee income.In addition,
Shire Hall benefited from an increased commitment to web-based services
for clients, including webcasting from international conferences. 'We
now have ten clients who buy new media services, compared to maybe two a
year ago,' says group chief executive Margot James.
Similarly, organic growth was strong, with SmithKline Beecham expanding
its international and UK vaccine programme. The agency also fought off
fierce competition to retain one of its longest-standing accounts,
Pharmacia and Upjohn's anti-smoking aid Nicorette. Shire Hall
experienced some personnel changes in 1999, promoting Lois Hall to MD of
its campaigns arm, Shire Hall International, following the departure of
Smita Desai to Medical Action Communications. In October, the
international division appointed three new programme directors. Two -
Stephanie Snow and Jacqui Brommell - were recruited externally, from
Homes and Marchant and CPR respectively.
The third, Angela Van den Berghe, was an internal promotion. However,
the biggest change for Shire Hall last year was its acquisition by WPP
in August. 'We had been an independent for 13 years, but to expand with
a strong US programme, we felt the time was right to sell the business,'
says James.
pounds 3,883,000
It was a good year for MediTech Media, which moved up the league table
on the back of wins including the global PR account for Avandia and the
launch of the Alexander Network web site. It was also an active year for
the agency internally. An OTC division was launched and its board of
directors was restructured to create a stronger platform to drive the
brand forward.
The last year has seen the agency concentrate its efforts in new
technology, with the development of web sites, webcasting, educational
and interactive CD ROMs. 'Our expertise will help differentiate us from
other agencies, which often have to outsource out such work,' says
director Jane Nichols. 'We believe webcasting will come into its own in
the next year.'
Nichols puts much of the agency's success down to the scientific
expertise of staff, as well as its independence. 'In a time of mass
mergers, we believe our independence is allowing us to maintain our
focus on client business. It is a real strength as it allows us to be
flexible, builds morale and really allows us to develop 'out of the box'
creative strategies.'
Nichols foresees a number of changes in the sector, particularly in the
consumer field. 'As the consumer develops an increasing thirst for
information, OTC marketing will have to become much more professionally
driven, with a responsibility to enhance understanding among healthcare
professionals and consumers,' she says. Nichols also believes
self-medication will become an increasing trend, with the Government
already considering how to make certain drugs available without a
prescription, thereby freeing up healthcare resources.
pounds 3,370,380
Hill and Knowlton dropped one place in the table but still had healthy
fee income growth of 11 per cent for its healthcare work. According to
UK health and pharmaceutical practice managing director Wendy Mair, this
performance was the result of an even split between organic growth from
existing clients who increased their spend and successful new business
growth. 'More importantly, client satisfaction increased,' she says
'demonstrated by our client retention rate of 100 per cent.'
In 1999 Hill and Knowlton undertook two major initiatives to consolidate
its healthcare offering and anticipate the needs of its clients. In
April, it launched a medical education and publications planning
company, Health Learning Systems, which now brings in around pounds 1.5
million per year. And in the autumn, the agency formally integrated its
pharmaceutical and consumer health divisions to create a health and
pharmaceutical practice. In September, Mair moved from H&K's marketing
communications division to head this new practice and replace former UK
healthcare chief Karen Moyse who left to spend more time with her
Head of European Health and Pharmaceutical Practice, Dr Martin Godfrey
says: 'Against the backdrop of globalisation and the move to direct to
consumer marketing, the pharmaceutical industry now has to take a leaf
out of the book of the big FMCG brands. It needs to look at more
sophisticated ways of building brands within the context of treatment
pounds 2,056,235
Fleishman-Hillard moves up in this year's table as a result of its
acquisition of international healthcare specialist CPR Worldwide. Last
year, CPR had seventh place in the table, while F-H was at 35. The deal,
signed in October, re-establishes the agency's European healthcare
practice and matches F-H's strong healthcare practice in the US.
However, CPR Worldwide has kept its company founders and directors,
Scott Clark, Dr Steve Carroll and Moira Gitsham. In addition, it remains
a separate brand, despite the arrival last month of healthcare
specialist Paul Blackburn as F-H UK managing director. 'We are still CPR
Worldwide and will continue to be so,' says joint CEO Dr Steve
The agency gained some high-profile new accounts, including the launch
of Astra-Zeneca's proton pump inhibitor for acid-related disorders,
Johnson and Johnson's anaemia and fatigue treatment for cancer
sufferers, and an anti-fungal drug for Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Carroll
is bullish about the future. 'While CPR in its own right did not
experience fee income growth, we did finish the year in a strong
position, with our order book for 2000 fuller than it has ever been in
our history,' he says.
pounds 1,800,570
The big news for the Holmes and Marchant group in 1999 was the merger of
its advertising arm, Holmes and Marchant Healthcare with its PR
healthcare offering through Holmes and Marchant Counsel, to create a new
integrated marketing division - Holmes and Marchant Healthcare
Communications. This has enabled the agency to offer broader marketing
skills across branding, advertising, events, medical education, PR and
issues management.
'We recognised the changes affecting our clients, such as greater
consumer power and the shifts in the NHS, and as a consequence we now
have more flexibility to offer integrated communications programmes to
our clients,' says Holmes and Marchant Healthcare Communications
managing director Gill Markham.
The agency will have to wait until next year's league table to see how
this reorganisation pays off, as healthcare income for 1999 was
disappointing. The agency managed to retain its position at number eight
despite a dip in fee income of ten per cent.
The agency gained some corporate identity work from Cardionetics - which
makes devices to detect abnormal heartbeats. The agency's consumer focus
remained strong, with organic growth coming from Stafford-Miller's
indigestion treatment Setlers, allergy product Piriton and sleep aid
pounds 1,320,537
Lowe Fusion Healthcare slid down four places in the table with fee
income down 11 per cent. In fact, this is Lowe Fusion's second
consecutive year of income loss. But managing director Julia Cook says:
'1999 was a good year for our reputation and we consolidated various
areas of the business.' The agency also strengthened its international
capabilities last year, with international work accounting for 70 per
cent of its business, compared to 25 per cent two years ago. This growth
came from a number of clients including Astra-Zeneca which put global
accounts for a new asthma treatment and a breast cancer treatment the
agency's way.
Personnel stayed fairly constant last year, with Maggie Malpas-Spencer
joining the agency in October as business development director. After a
disappointing period of fee income, Cook is confident that this move
will help the agency to build on its reputation for 2000.
Although much of Lowe Fusion's business is in the ethical healthcare
arena, it also works for OTC and consumer clients, including Whitehall
Laboratories and its Anadin pain reliever. In addition, the agency has a
Manchester operation that was set up in 1998, to help service clients
such as Astra-Zeneca, whose international headquarters is in
pounds 1,288,500
Despite its corporate and consumer PR capabilities, in 1999, Ruder Finn
decided to focus on developing a direction for its healthcare business.
This is one of the reasons behind its solid health fee income growth of
seven per cent. 'We had a great year,' says Ruder Finn UK managing
director Alison Miles. 'But at a strategic level, we were very selective
in deciding which areas of business to develop and which pitches to go
for.' This resulted in a 75 per cent success rate in pitching for new
With sister agencies in continental Europe and the US, a key element for
the UK office was building a two-way flow between US and European
clients. By September 1999, this brought nine new income streams from
five existing clients. These included Novartis Consumer Health, which
expanded its international medical nutrition and corporate work with the
agency into the UK, and awarded the London office further international
work on its ethical dermatology product portfolio and IBS (Irritable
Bowel Syndrome) treatment, Zelmac.
Throughout 1999, the agency continued its relationship with Pfizer and
its lifestyle drug Viagra, and picked up the pharmaceutical giant's
schizophrenia treatment Zeldox. Other important new business wins
included Astra-Zeneca, which put two pre-launch programmes the agency's
way with another account due later this year.
However, Ruder Finn has also spent the past 18 months expanding its
healthcare offering into broader areas. 'It's no longer enough for a
agency to be niche, you need to be able to offer a full range of
services,' says Miles.
In 1999, this strategic outlook resulted in the appointment of three
client services directors: Judith Cranford, formerly with the National
Society for Epilepsy; Mike Dixon from Burson-Marsteller; and Alison
Denham, an internal promotion.
For 2000, the agency has made a greater crossover into the corporate and
consumer arena, picking up two OTC product accounts - antiseptic cream
Germolene and piles treatment Germaloids - from Bayer.
pounds 781,920
Sante spent much of the year consolidating its business base among
existing clients, which Aventis Pharma, Pfizer and Schering-Plough,
which led to fee income growth of only two per cent. During the year,
Sante introduced a satisfaction programme for clients, including
elements such as disease knowledge, strategic thinking and creativity.
Managing director Liz Shanahan says: 'It has allowed us to evaluate our
weaker areas and address them via targeted training and development
programmes, or by changing our practice.'
In June, Bryony Box joined the agency as an account director,
specialising in the NHS. Like many in the sector, Shanahan admits the
agency has been affected by the difficulty in recruiting and retaining
good staff.
Shanahan predicts direct to consumer advertising will increase the focus
on communications rather than decrease it. The agency recently worked
for the National Osteoporosis Society and Procter and Gamble
Pharmaceuticals on a joint DTC advertising campaign for
osteoporosis.However she says the slew of mergers and acquisitions in
the pharmaceutical industry have had a negative effect: 'The pharma
industry mergers have caused some disruption, including client changes,
distracted clients and budget freezes for long periods of time.'
pounds 525,542
Jonathan Street PR was established five years ago by Jonathan Street and
co-director Mark Purcell, both of whom had worked for the NHS since
1981. The agency now has 13 staff and had fee income growth of 14 per
cent last year. In February last year the agency was hired by RSL
Steeper, a leading rehabilitation and prosthetic design and supply
company. In May the agency won a contract to provide PR services to the
Camden and Islington Health Action Zone, a multi-partner health
improvement agency, and in July, it was engaged by BMI London Region to
help raise the profile of the independent hospital group.
An existing client is the London Regional Office of the NHS Executive,
for which the agency provides a 24-hour, 365-day service for all
London's NHS organisations. The agency helped deal with the fallout from
the Paddington rail crash and the Soho nail bomb attack and was involved
with the Harold Shipman case.
'We worked with West Pennine Health Authority throughout the trial and
organised the press conference the day the verdict came in. Through a
policy of openness, we helped establish some key points, including that
nothing will stop a determined serial killer except for vigilance.'
Street believes the next year will be exceptionally busy for the NHS.
'We will see more emphasis on quick access to care as part of the
consumerist agenda of the Government, allied to pressure to improve
services for key patients, such as the elderly and those with cancer and
heart disease.'
pounds 339,604
Last year consumer healthcare specialist Jo Spink PR celebrated its
tenth anniversary. There were no client losses during the year and the
agency gained a raft of new accounts on the back of existing clients, to
grow by seven per cent. Director Jo Spink says one of the most exciting
gains in terms of income and breadth of activities was Motilium 10 from
Johnson and Johnson MSD Consumer Pharmaceuticals' brand for the stomach
condition dysmotility. The campaign led to a joint venture with Prima
magazine. In September Jo Spink PR was appointed international marketing
and PR adviser for Collagen Aesthetics International. The campaign
involved the development and implementation of a strategic
communications plan for Europe which embraced advertising as well as PR.
There were a number of newcomers to the agency. Sarah Winterbottom
joined as an agency director from Charles Barker, while Anna Bunketorp
joined as an account manager on OTC brands from Hill and Knowlton.
Elsewhere, Pollyanna Cooper returned from maternity leave to take up the
role of new business director.
Looking ahead to the next year, Spink says: 'We are well positioned to
cope with the increasing trend for DTC promotion of prescription-only
medicines and the PR challenges this presents. In addition, we foresee
considerable growth in agency income through our affiliation with
consumer specialist agencies throughout Europe.'
pounds 326,274
Henderson Group One had fairly static growth of just three per cent
during 1999, despite winning three major accounts in 1999. The first
came when it was hired to organise meetings on pain clinics in
veterinary practice for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. The second was a
new business win from Schering-Plough Animal Health to develop a
programme to promote its participation in the world's biggest veterinary
conference in Birmingham.
Thirdly, Henderson was hired by pet food company James Wellbeloved to
educate the veterinary profession in the importance of hypo-allergenic
foods to deal with dermatological problems in dogs. 'For us, healthcare
is a broad church and includes animal health,' says Nick Henderson,
former veterinary surgeon and chairman of Henderson Group One.
Highlights of the year include winning the PR Week Healthcare Award for
the its work on the centenary of aspirin for client the European Aspirin
Henderson predicts healthcare PR will become more competitive. 'As
chairman of the Health and Medical Special Interest Group of the IPR, I
am impressed by the large number of agencies now attending our monthly
meetings,' he says. 'They are hungry for knowledge and training for
their younger staff members, and there has been an explosion of interest
in all healthcare matters, from the running of the NHS to the public
relations strategy for the manufacturers of Viagra. This trend can only
grow, despite major mergers at international level.'
pounds 236,000
It was a good year for CCD which saw fee income rise by 15 per cent on
the previous year to pounds 236,000. The agency, which plans consumer,
business-to-business, public affairs, crisis PR, trade and corporate PR
campaigns on behalf of its clients, has experienced an annual growth
rate of between 20 per cent and 30 per cent since it was established in
1992. MD Justin Clark says the success of the last year was largely due
to CCD's increasing reputation in healthcare PR.
The agency has also taken a proactive approach to client referrals. 'We
now write into contracts with existing clients that they must be
available to speak to potential clients about our performance four times
a year,' says Clark.
CCD did not experience any client losses during last year. It racked up
a number of new wins, including The Fitness League, Added Dimension
Dentistry (dental facelifts), and Tony Buzan (a memory improvement
However, the year's highlight came when the agency won its first major
pharmaceutical brand - Covonia Cough Medicine.
- Last year, number two agency the Shire Hall Group gained pounds 2.2
million of new accounts and added 11 clients to its books. These
included Schering Health Care which, in February, put its oral
contraceptive portfolio the agency's way, Schering-Plough which awarded
Shire Hall its new asthma product, Asmanax and Bristol-Myers Squibb with
an account for its anti-hypertensive drug Omapatrilat
- MD of number 37 agency CCD Healthcare, Justin Clark says the focus of
2000 will be racking up more pharmaceutical brands and securing campaign
coverage for the internet arms of traditional healthcare companies. This
latest venture was set up last year, when the agency launched an
internet service for health insurance company Western Provident
Association, called XShealth.co.uk
- MAC embarked on extensive programmes for several new blue-chip clients
last year, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Glaxo Wellcome and Johnson
and Johnson. However, it also maintained a clear focus on the global
communications needs of its existing client base, including Pfizer,which
has been with the agency for over ten years
- In 1999 Ruder Finn apppointed three client services directors: Judith
Cranford, formerly with the National Society for Epilepsy; Mike Dixon
from Burson-Marsteller; and Alison Denham, who was an internal
- Key new business wins for Hill and Knowlton included Glaxo Wellcome's
Zovirax and Peconase, plus the pharmaceutical giant's anti-viral
influenza treatment Relenza. In January, Johnson and Johnson put its
skin adhesive Dermabond account H&K's way. Organic business growth came
from an ongoing international campaign for Durex and public affairs work
for Procter and Gamble in the cardiovascular arena. However, the agency
suffered a major loss when Astra Pharmaceuticals dropped its antacid
Losec account
- Fleishman-Hillard-owned CPR kicked off the new millennium with an
appointment from the World Health Organisation to brand its department
of surveillance and response. This was won in a pitch against 11 other
agencies, with a remit to build awareness of WHO's role in monitoring
and responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases including HIV,
malaria, tuberculosis and the ebola virus
- Sante Communications has been striving for excellence internally. In
September,it was awarded Investors in People accreditation. It has also
developed its own training resource, the Sante Fact File, to promote
knowledge-sharing and to offer employees a 'bible' of PR techniques,
based on scientific data and industry issues. Finally, a fast track
programme has been developed for promising employees.


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An Opportunity to Give…The Lodge Partners with Morningstar
The Lodge is excited to announce our partnership with Morningstar in Brunswick.
Residents, staff and volunteers welcomed the kids of Morningstar Children & Family Services of Brunswick to The Lodge on June 16 to kick off the Pen Pals and More Partnership between these two faith-based Communities.
Steve Hein, the Director of The Ball Raptor Center on the campus of Georgia Southern University and a friend of The Lodge, provided a showing of the many animals and birds of The Raptor Center for the kids and the Residents to enjoy.
Our own, Mr. Bill Barnes, then presented the keys to a Golf Cart that he donated to Morningstar and our own Jordan Scott (Deborah's grandson, pictured) completed the event with a presentation of his original artwork that has become the signature of our Partnership with the Kids.
To follow up on the June kickoff, some of our residents traveled to visit with the kids in August at Morningstar in Brunswick. As a part of this adventure, the residents delivered school supplies that were collected for the children just in time for the beginning of a new school year.
The Lodge is hoping to continue a giving relationship with the children at Morningstar. We ask you to consider joining us by sponsoring a child at the school. The cost of sponsorship for one child to have the basic necessity of two school uniforms for a school year is $200/child. It is another opportunity for us to meet our "call to serve" confirming that "we live better, together."
If you are interested in sponsoring a child or making a contribution to the sponsorship of a child for this purpose, please contact us.
For more information about The Lodge at Bethany, please call 912.764.7960 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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IT Audit in 2019: Hot Topics and Trends
The turn of the calendar to a new year is always a great time to take pause and reflect. Now that 2019 is in full swing, I wanted to take a quick snapshot of hot topics and trends for the IT audit field in 2019. And just to make sure I wasn't completely winging it, I checked in with a couple valued industry contacts.
1) Security and availability remain atop nearly all IT (and by association IT audit) departments' list of top priorities. As John Steensen, a senior director of technology audit for Visa noted, "At Visa, Job #1 is security and Job #2 is systems availability." This is echoed daily in conversations with heads of IT audit from around the country. IT auditors can continue to expect a steady diet of: firewalls and routers; internet, intranet and web services; remote access systems; telecommunications (data and voice); threat intelligence; systems security (penetration testing, vulnerability management, malware protection); activity and event monitoring; cyber defense and incident response, Dev-Ops, and AWS and cloud infrastructure.
2) Heightened focus on data and data governance. Dan DerGarabedian, the head of information technology and data audit (a title that is in itself telling) for BNP Paribas USA, noted that "Data governance, management and quality has been a very hot topic in the banking industry, and the trend is continuing." As a result, they value candidates with "hands-on experience in enterprise data management." Ronnie Dinfotan, VP of information technology internal audit for First Republic Bank in San Francisco, echoed that sentiment, noting that "These days, data savvy resonates more in the world of technology as opposed to only having network savvy."
3) Increased focus on data analytics. In part related to the above, we continue to see increase focus on the use of data analytics for more efficient and effective auditing. As DerGarabedian noted, "Ten years ago, data analytics were a 'nice to have.' Today, it is an absolute and necessary (and expected) skill set to have within your audit department." Among the desired skillsets, DerGarabedian further noted, are Python, SQL, and the use of visualization tools such as Tableau.
4) Return of the technical IT auditor. Over the past several years, in an effort to address more complex IT environments and heightened technology-related risks, we have witnessed an unmistakable trend to add more technical muscle to IT audit departments. Steensen noted that "at Visa, over the past year we have been transitioning to more of a 'practitioner hiring model,' where we seek out experienced technology practitioners with audit experience … and the payback has been great – our audits are deeper, more insightful, and address technical issues at a deeper level than ever before." (For a more detailed examination of this trend and its challenges see my blog post, "Return of the Technical IT Auditor").
5) New areas of focus. Continued movement to the cloud, big data, and other technology advancements have continued to bring new areas for IT auditors to focus. Steensen noted some of these new areas of focus for technology audit at Visa: Robotic Process Automation (RPA), machine learning and artificial intelligence, textual analysis, and blockchain, while continuous monitoring/auditing continues to evolve.
Ronnie Dinfotan sees value in an IT auditor with a forensic skill set. "I think the cybercriminals have figured out a long time ago that vulnerability tools were going to detect their backdoor services, and that an IT auditor with a forensic skillset and malware detection experience is what is needed to match some of today's cybersecurity issues."
Finally, increasing movement to the cloud requires IT audit to take into account consideration of the legal and contractual perspective. Thierry Dessange, an SVP and audit director with Wells Fargo, notes that, "Everyone is moving to the cloud. As an IT auditor, what should you consider when your organization is confronted with the complexity, and often inflexibility, of a third-party cloud computing contract? Ensure you've got the right skills at the table (i.e., legal, information security, finance, IT, operations, sourcing, etc.). You also should be clear about what types of compensating processes, and associated costs, need to be in place where the contract doesn't provide you with all of the elements that you would want from the third-party cloud service provider."
Written by Todd Weinman, President and Chief Recruiting Officer, The Weinman Group; excerpted from the ISACA Now Blog


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European Immunization Week 2015: Commitment to immunization
Immunization has saved more lives than any other public health intervention, yet 2013 saw 31 685 measles cases alone in Europe, an increase of 348% compared to 2007. The cost of these outbreaks in both human and monetary terms is extremely high. To move closer to WHO's vision of a European Region free of vaccine-preventable diseases, renewed commitment and innovative approaches are needed, as set out in the European Vaccine Action Plan 2015–2020 (EVAP).
The 10th European Immunization Week, on 20–25 April 2015, focuses on the need for renewed commitment to immunization at political, professional and personal levels. Communication and advocacy activities will celebrate progress achieved so far – particularly towards elimination of measles and rubella, maintaining the Region's polio-free status, and introduction of new vaccines – and focus on what immediate action needs to be taken to maintain momentum and achieve the Region's ambitious immunization goals. Examples of new policies and initiatives will illustrate innovative ways to address the key factors affecting immunization decisions: complacency, confidence, convenience and access.
World Immunization Week (WIW)
As in previous years, European Immunization Week 2015 will coincide with the global WIW campaign spearheaded by WHO headquarters. This year's campaign focuses on closing the immunization gap and reaching equity in immunization levels as outlined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) ― the global framework upon which EVAP is based.


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Bank of Baroda PO Recruitment 2018: Apply Online
Today is the last day to apply online for BOB PO 2018 Recruitment. The course consists of -9- month on-campus program and on successful completion of the course, the candidate would be awarded a Post Graduate Certificate in Banking & Finance and will be offered appointment in the Bank as Probationary Officer in Junior Management Grade/Scale-I.
Schedule of Events Dates-
Date of Online Examination (Tentative) 28th July 2018
Schedule of Events Dates-
The start date for Online Registration: 12th June 2018
Online Payment of Application Fees / Intimation Charges: 12th June to 02nd July 2018
Download of Call letters for Online Examination (Tentative): After 18th July 2018
Date of Online Examination (Tentative) 28th July 2018