Industry News July 2008
Posted in News on June 30th, 2008LinkedIn appoints Hoole as European PR chief
LONDON - Professional networking website LinkedIn is reinforcing its brand drive across Europe with the appointment of Cristina Hoole as European director of PR and marketing.
Hoole, who was previously head of PR at online payment firm PayPal, will be responsible for extending the LinkedIn brand across the region.
She will support the firm’s European managing director Kevin Eyres, who is driving LinkedIn’s strategy to build on its member base (it currently has more than 1m UK members and 5m European members).
Eyres said: "At the start of the year, we opened our first European office with the intention to consolidate LinkedIn as the professional network of choice in Europe.
"Cristina’s experience in expanding and driving the growth of online brand PayPal will prove invaluable in helping deliver LinkedIn’s ambitious growth plans."
LinkedIn also recently strengthened its European business with the appointment of Henry Clifford-Jones as director of European media sales.
At PayPal, Hoole oversaw the establishment of the brand as one of the most popular means of making online payments. Before joining PayPal, she was head of retail and consumer PR at Visa Europe.
Ovation Merge with MCI
Ireland’s leading events, meetings and destination management company Ovation Group, has recently announced it is to merge with MCI Group, Europe’s largest and fastest growing company in the meetings and events sector. The merger will see Ovation’s Events and Conference business in
Ireland re-brand as MCI Dublin and MCI Belfast while MCI destination management business worldwide will re-brand as Ovation International.
Commenting on the merger, co-founder and Managing Director of Ovation Group, Patrick Delaney said:
"The island of Ireland is set to benefit enormously from this merger as Dublin, Belfast and other key events and meetings locations in Ireland will now be offered to MCI’s considerable customer portfolio in the corporate and institutional sectors."
Padraic Gilligan, co-founder and Marketing Director of Ovation added
"Our corporate customers will also enjoy the added advantages of MCI’s strategic and visionary approach to meeteetings and events management"
President of MCI Group, Roger Tondeur welcomed the merger
"Patrick and Padraic have built an impressive company with an enviable global reputation. We look forward to releasing the full potential of both organisations by taking MCI into Ireland and taking the Ovation destination management expertise worldwide."
Headquartered in Geneva Switzerland, MCI Group employs over 500 people at 18 offices around continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Offering meeting, event and conference services to corporate and institutional customers MCI turns over almost €120m.
Specialised in meetings, conferences and destination management, Ovation Group employs over 50 people at offices in Dublin and Belfast with turnover of €15m. Ovation Group was listed amongst the 50 best companies to work for in Ireland in 2006.
€7.5 Million Refurbishment Underway at Hilton Dublin
Dublin’s iconic canal side hotel, Hilton Dublin is currently undergoing an extensive €7.5 million refurbishment, which is due for completion in September 2008. The revamp promises to bring stylish contemporary looks and cutting-edge facilities to this popular venue. Located close to the city’s main shopping and business areas and next to the Charlemount Luas stop, Hilton Dublin is the ideal location for meetings, business trips and leisure visitors.
The hotel’s 193 guest rooms are being restyled in natural colour tones and chic furnishings, with the additional benefits of air conditioning and plasma screen TVs. Combined with a relaxing room layout, business and leisure travellers will find a tranquil, peaceful setting to unwind.
Rich colours and traditional soft furnishings will transform the hotel’s main banqueting suite and pre function area - The Charlemont Suite - which can cater for up to 400 delegates or 280 guests banqueting style. The hotel’s Third Stop bar and Waterfront restaurant are also being made-over, creating two exciting new spaces with plenty on offer for guests as well as local residents.
An extensive renovation of the reception and surrounding lounge area gives a welcoming atmosphere with its floor to ceiling windows and outdoor terrace, providing the perfect location for an informal business meeting or to meet up with friends over a coffee.
Overlooking the canal, Hilton Dublin is three miles from the RDS International Convention and Exhibition Centre and a 10-minute walk from city centre attractions like Dublin Castle.
Google plugs YouTube into PS3
To the surprise of no one, Google is now offering software that streams video, photos, and music from your PC to your television.
"In the old days, we used to watch a simple device called a television. Nowadays, all the stuff worth watching and listening to tends to be stored on or accessed through a computer," writes software engineer David Garcia on the Google Desktop blog. "To help remedy this, we are pleased to release the Google Media Server."
The Google Media Server is a free Windows app that sends media files to your TV via the PlayStation 3 and other Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) devices. It works in tandem with Google Desktop, the desktop search tool that also runs various and sundry software widgets known as Google Gadgets.
With help from the Google Media Server, your TV can access videos, music, and photos stored on your PC, and naturally, it can tap straight into YouTube, the video-sharing site where Google hopes to serve an enormous number of advertisements.
Google is already streaming YouTube videos into living room via third-party devices like Apple TV and HP’s Media Smart TV. And now it’s reaching out for the Playstation 3 crowd.
The Tudors make Emmys shortlist
For the first time ever Emmy organisers have unveiled a list of the top 10 comedies and dramas competing to be nominated for the television awards.
Traditionally the organisers of the awards, which will be presented in September, do not reveal this list, only the final nominations.
According to Reuters the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ list of drama finalists includes the Irish-shot ’The Tudors’, which stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Other dramas to make the shortlist are: ’Lost’, ’Boston Legal’ and the two medical shows, ’House’ and ’Grey’s Anatomy’.
Other drama finalists include ’Mad Men’, the legal drama ’Damages’ and the final season of ’The Wire’.
The top 10 comedies feature two previous Emmy winners ’30 Rock and ’The Office’, as well as the animated series ’Family Guy’ and newcomer ’Pushing Daisies’.
Acclaimed programmes ’Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and ’Entourage’ are also on the list.
The 60th Emmy Awards will take place on 21 September.
