While the retail automotive industry is enjoying an increase in sales, fewer vehicles were sold in 2007-2010 and, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Customer Service Index, projected service volumes are expected to decline by as much as 25 percent, reaching a low point in 2013. To help solve this problem and the most dangerous trends facing auto dealers today, well known retail automotive industry veteran Ron Fortt has launched Automotive Retail Solutions (ARS), an independent consulting and training company that deliveries state-of-the-art products and services to the Automotive Industry. The company had been piloting in select dealerships for the past two years, achieving superior results, and is now ready for its official launch.

ARS? all inclusive programs are based around the superior execution of a suite of solutions that start on the service drive with well trained service advisors and improved walk around procedures. The programs include Service Advisor Training, Business Development Centers, Service Drive Extended Contract Sales, Windshield Repair Training, Equipment, Software Licensing and In Store Support.

Dealerships piloting the program have enjoyed a significant boost in profitability. One large volume dealership that does at least 150 repair orders a day increased the dealership?s 2011 net profit substantially. ?Since instituting an Automotive Retail Solution program we have been able to generate over $ 94,500.00 in Net Profit and we were just scratching the surface. These are dollars that we would not have otherwise realized. ARS dealership support and training has been world class! Their customer service is second to none,? said Mike Latham, fixed operations director with Maita Toyota.

According to ARS president Ron Fortt, there is a huge unrealized profit potential in the service drive and 70% of vehicle owners have a need for ARS? programs and products when they arrive for service. For example, windshield repair, which can be done in less than 15 minutes, and be extremely profitable for the dealership. ARS is there to help the dealership capitalize on all these potential profit opportunities in the service drive with programs, products and training that enable the dealership to perform at its greatest possible level. ARS also offers products and services that serve as unique customer retention tools and bring additional vehicles into the service drive. ?We assist our clients in increasing their profitability with their existing service customers. Our all inclusive turnkey approach increases the dealership?s net profit with virtually no out of pocket investment,? Fortt said.

Ron Fortt, a graduate of NADA’s Dealer Candidate Academy, has more than 36-years of experience in automotive retail and is well known and respected as an active dealer and leader in the minority dealer community; he served as Treasurer of the Toyota Lexus Minority Dealers Association and on the Toyota National Dealer Council Advisory Board. Fortt was co-owner of the highly successful California-based Tracy Toyota, which more than doubled predicted sales goals in its first year of operation and went on to become one of the top selling Toyota dealerships in Northern California, achieving Toyota?s prestigious President?s Award for 2002 and 2003. In 2001 Fortt Co-founded a Technology Company called OneCommand with M.C. Hammer. OneCommand specializes in digital communications in the Automotive vertical and has over 4000 customers today. Fortt is once again introducing revolutionary tools to the industry with the launch of ARS.

ARS trains the dealer?s service department to quickly identify the best sales and profit opportunities on the service drive and in how to convey the benefits to their service customers, resulting in increased profitability, satisfied customers and improved customer retention.

American Recovery Service (ARS), the premier national repossession servicing firm, and SWBC, a recognized leader and trusted business partner in the financial services industry, have announced the completion of their technology integration which streamlines systems and business processes between the companies.

ARS provides nationwide servicing of asset repossessions, skip-tracing, impounded asset retrieval, license plate recognition (LPR) recovery, and online remarketing, which will now be available to credit unions utilizing SWBC?s AutoPilot

Drastic changes are taking place in the oil industry workforce, with a major shift in the average age and expertise of oil industry employees. This mass changing of the guard is due to many longtime employees retiring and leaving the brunt of responsibilities in the hands of younger, less experienced workers. Though the idea of new jobs opening up for oil rig workers is a positive one overall, it also means a reduction in collective expertise, particularly in maritime safety practices, and could increase the likelihood of more offshore injuries occurring, including deaths at sea.

A recent story on National Public Radio spotlighted the issue, saying that thousands of oil industry workers are nearing retirement age, leaving significant gaps in maritime worker ranks, both in terms of numbers and oil industry experience. The article identifies the origins of the situation as going back to the 1980s oil busts when crude prices dropped by more than half, forcing companies to let go of workers en masse. Many did not refill those positions as the industry regained momentum and now there is a chasm in the oil industry workforce as older maritime workers retire.

Louisiana maritime injury lawyer William Gee III believes the issue of offshore platform worker safety should be top priority as the oil industry replenishes its ranks. Incoming oil rig workers need to take extreme caution and heed all offshore safety training in order to avoid suffering a maritime injury in an offshore rig accident.

Proper training for all maritime jobs involves industry specific safety procedures and equipment, in order to protect offshore and maritime workers from drilling accident injuries and production platform injuries.

Vice president of accreditation and certification at the International Association of Drilling Contractors, Mark Denkowski, told NPR that in-depth safety training programs are now mandatory and a distinct contrast from his own experience in the oil industry. “No longer would you have a person that’s just hired and literally put on a boat or on a helicopter and flown out to a rig with little or no orientation or training,” he said. “Companies are going to be required to prove that that individual has been through that orientation.”

This period of transition across the oil industry is going to be complicated and every oil platform rig employee?whether new, mid-career or retiring?must be extremely cautious and committed to learning everything they can about safety procedures and equipment.

The oil industry is a backbone of this nation’s economy and every maritime or offshore company should do all it can to protects its employees from oil rig accidents by investing time and money into effective safety training and equipment.

About The Law Offices of William Gee III, renowned maritime lawyer based in Louisiana

For over twenty years, William Gee has represented those injured while working in maritime industries. His practice focuses largely on representing victims of offshore maritime accidents involving vessels, submersibles, semi-submersibles, jack-ups, inland barges, drill ships, barges, and drilling platforms.

Clients include Jones Act seamen, vessel captains and pilots, deckhands, commercial divers, and other types of offshore workers, as well as maritime employees working on inland waterways and rivers. William Gee is a graduate of Tulane Law School and a licensed attorney in Louisiana and Texas. He has experience litigating admiralty and tort cases in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.

More Pilot School Press Releases

ServicePilot Technologies expands their support of voice over IP (VoIP) and unified communications (UC) platforms with the general availability of ISM Enterprise version 8.1, their integrated network and application performance monitoring solution. The new release includes support for Avaya VoIP and UC products and Acme Packet Net-Net? session border controllers (SBCs). ServicePilot ISM Enterprise already provides support for a wide range of UC, VoIP, application and infrastructure technologies from Cisco

Phillips Charitable Organizations, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit foundation, has awarded a grant to the MicroLearning Foundation for a new school for African American boys K-5.

MicroLearning Foundation (MLF) has partnered with UCLA?s Graduate School of Education?s Black Male Institute and the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood and has started a pilot school program, which is a hybrid between a home school and a charter school. The program is located at the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood with the idea to create an individualized learning environment for students.

The data is harsh and defines the crisis. According to the Schott Foundation, the graduation rate for African American boys is 47%. http://blackboysreport.org/

?Innovators take action and risks to reach goals. Lisa Jones Johnson, founded the MicroLearning Foundation after seeing her own son struggle in a traditional public school. She is investing her own resources to change the educational crisis African American boys are facing. She has demonstrated remarkable commitment, energy, and resourcefulness,? said Eric Garvin, board member PCO.

?The PCO grant came when MLF faced a serious funding challenge. The generosity of PCO, has allowed MLF to continue its vision of making a difference in the lives of African American young men,? said Lisa Jones Johnson. PCO?s focus on urgent need and their ability to decide quickly was critical for this Program.

?The PCO board thanks Eric Garvin for doing extensive due diligence on the MicroLearning Foundation in a compressed time period and strongly recommending this wonderful program. We commend Ms. Johnson on her bold efforts to make a difference on one of the most important issues of our generation,? said Charles Phillips, President PCO.

The two major operating principles of PCO are to (1) evaluate and decide on grants quickly, normally within 48 hours, to help people with urgent challenges that can?t wait for lengthy application processes and (2) expend 100% of foundation funds on helping people in need and nothing on administrative overhead which is funded by the board itself.

For further details contact Phillips Charitable Organizations, 888 838-1077, info(at)phillipscharitable(dot)org, http://www.phillipscharitable.org or facebook.com/phillipscharitable.

For more information on the MicroLearning Foundation go to http://www.microlearningfoundation.org.

Related Pilot School Press Releases

Millions of people around the UK are getting ready to welcome the world to London in 100 days’ time.

Red Arrows flypast confirmed in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
Giant Olympic Rings, visible on Heathrow flight path, unveiled at Kew Gardens
Games motto revealed ? ‘Inspire a generation’

70,000 volunteers are already a significant way through the million hours of training they will receive ahead of the eight million hours of volunteering they will deliver; over eight million people have said in a recent survey they are getting ready to line the streets and cheer the thousands of community heroes carrying the Olympic flame around the UK; two million school children are learning about the values of the Games and the countries and cultures of the 10,000 plus athletes from over 200 National Olympic Committees coming to the UK; and eight million Olympic and Paralympic tickets will be in the hands of British sports fans by the summer.

While the UK gets ready to host the Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announced that the world-famous aerobatic display team the Red Arrows will perform a nine-ship flypast in Big Battle formation across the UK to mark the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games (27 July), providing a stunning curtain raiser to the show. Flying over London 2012 Live Sites in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London before the Opening Ceremony begins, the iconic Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team will herald the start of the Games, and welcome the world in quintessentially British fashion.

London 2012 Live Sites will be among the destinations in 22 towns and cities across the UK for communities to come together and cheer on the athletes this summer. Up to 500,000 people per day are expected to celebrate the Games at Live Sites throughout the country, and watch the sporting action on the big screens. The sites, run in partnership between London 2012, the BBC and local authorities, and supported by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, partners BT and Lloyds TSB, and supporters Cisco and Cadbury, will become fully dedicated to London 2012 from May. Fully branded, there will be seating provided so crowds can watch the sporting action in style. Many Live Sites will also feature ‘have a go’ sessions for Olympic sports.

LOCOG also today unveiled the motto for the Games ? ‘Inspire a generation’. Reflecting the promise made when London bid for the Games, the motto will appear on branding and publications in the run-up to, and during, the Games.

Today sees the latest ?spectacular? installation of the Olympic Rings unveiled ? at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, west London. The Rings, which are 50m long, will be made up of 20,000 plants and will be visible from the Heathrow flight path. The flowers were planted over a period of five days by a team of volunteers and Kew staff and consist of Pansy ?Light Blue?, Viola ?Clear Yellow?, Viola ?Black Delight?, apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) and Viola ?Red Blotch? plants. They will be in full flower for the summer.

LOCOG and its delivery partners are getting ready for the Games ? 31 out of 42 sport test events have been successfully completed, with the biggest test event to come in May, involving over 80,000 people on the Olympic Park for six events. In total, around 250,000 people will have attended the London Prepares series of test events.

Finally, preparations are well advanced for the London 2012 Festival – the country?s biggest ever arts festival which will see over 1,000 events held across the UK to welcome the world as part of the Cultural Olympiad. There will be 10 million free opportunities to take part in events across the UK.

Across the UK, thousands of people will be marking 100 days to go. At Weymouth and Portland, the venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing competitions, a giant sandcastle has been built featuring the Olympic Rings. There will also be activities including have a go sessions and interactive video games at many Live Sites throughout the day on 18 April.

To celebrate the UK’s role in the birth of the modern Olympic movement, a total of 40 ‘Coubertin Oaks’ oak trees are being planted at venues around the UK. Trees grown from acorns taken from an oak planted in 1890 during the visit of the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, Pierre de Coubertin, to the Wenlock Olympian Games will be planted at Kew Gardens; William Brookes School in Much Wenlock, Shropshire; the Forestry Commission?s National Arboretum; and at the UPS London Central Centre, in Camden. Twenty-six Get Set schools will also plant oaks as part of this project.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: ‘Organising the Olympics is a team effort and over the next hundred days, people from all walks of life and from all around the world will play their part in helping to make London 2012 a Games that will inspire a generation. From the athletes refining their technique, to the volunteers learning about their roles, to the torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame and the people supporting them as they go, each and every one of them is playing their part in making these a Games to remember. Around the world, the excitement is growing and expectations are high but I am confident that Britain and London will deliver a great sporting event and a warm welcome too.’

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said: ‘With 100 days to go to the start of the Games, millions of people are getting ready to do the best work of their lives and welcome the world this summer. There is a groundswell of support and excitement, not just in the UK, but internationally as the final countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games begins. Whether it?s the competing athletes or people getting ready to join their communities in supporting Torchbearers on the streets of the UK, the whole world is getting ready for London. Expectations are high, and we won?t disappoint.?

Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said, ?The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics are within touching distance now and there?s something incredibly exciting about that. The country is getting ready to welcome the world this summer, and it?s set to be an amazing celebration that we will never forget.’

Officer Commanding the Red Arrows, Red 1, Squadron Leader Jim Turner said, ?The Red Arrows are honoured to have been invited to take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games celebrations to represent both the Royal Air Force and the very Best of British. My whole Squadron, pilots and ground support staff alike, share the pride and privilege of being part of such a special occasion.’

Notes to editors:

The horticultural rings are being planted at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class Herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world.

Live Site activity on 18 April:

In Belfast, members of the public will be treated to boxing, fencing and athletics ?have a go? sessions, as well as four schools competing in the interactive screen game ‘Dash Dodge Dive’.

In Birmingham, sports volunteers will gather at the Live Site to take part in a ?100? photo call to launch Olympic-related activities taking place in Birmingham, including Pre-Games Training Camps (USA and Jamaica) and the Torch Relay.

In Coventry, ‘Team Extream’ will be on site with their urban freestyle show which includes freestyle football, break dancing and BMX.

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

London 2012 Games partners:

The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald?s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners ? adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters ? Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers ? Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury?s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.

Curt Lewis & Associates (CL&A) announced today that Dr. Dennis J. Lessard will become a Senior Associate with CL&A.

Dr. Lessard holds a Ph.D. Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Management. He has accumulated over thirty years of aviation management and leadership experience in government, industry and academia at various levels.

As a professional pilot with over ten thousand hours of flight time in general, military and commercial aviation, Dr. Lessard holds an Air Transport Pilot certificate with multiple type ratings. He retired as Colonel, Director of Transportation, after twenty-three years in the US Air Force; and, as a Captain and Flight Manager after fourteen years with United Airlines.

Dr. Lessard?s background includes specialized training and experience in aviation safety including aircraft accident investigation, accident reconstruction, failure analysis, systems safety management (SMS) concepts, human factors assessment, crew resource management (CRM) and risk management programs.

Possessing accident and incident investigative expertise, Dr. Lessard has participated in over ten major accident investigations, three representing a major air carrier under the auspices of the NTSB accident investigation system and has conducted over 500 minor accident and incident investigations. He has also been recognized for his expertise in human factors, analyzing aircraft operating environments, operational safety programs, organizational design and programs development.

As an Educator, Dr. Lessard has served as an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor on multiple University faculties including; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and The George Washington University. He also served as Dean of the School of Education for Northcentral University; and, Chair of both the Aeronautical Science Department and the Safety Science Department for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott Campus.

Dr. Lessard holds four academic degrees and has also attended the Air Force Flight Safety Accident Investigation School at the University of Southern California and numerous specialized Airline and Air Force courses. He is a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI).

For more information, call 817.303.9096, or e-mail Curt Lewis at: curt(at)curt-lewis(dot)com.

Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC is a multi-discipline consulting firm specializing in aviation and industrial safety. The firm, established in 2005, targets safety management systems, system safety audits and safety training programs, risk management, accident investigation and quality assessments. For more information, visit http://www.curt-lewis.com.

Contact Information:

Curt Lewis

817.845.3983 (cell)

817.303.9096 (office)

curt(at)curt-lewis(dot)com

Today the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is holding a full dress rehearsal to test the operations around the Olympic Torch Relay ? presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The rehearsal is taking place on the Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay route and is the culmination of the Olympic Torch Relay test schedule. Previous tests have focused on torch performance, hotel operations, desk top exercises and testing the vehicle convoy.

Dress Rehearsal covers the Relay route from Leicester to Peterborough
Rehearsal day to test operational elements of the Relay
122 students and participants acting as Torchbearers

The Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay was chosen because it will test every element of the Relay including convoy splits and alternate modes of transport. It represents a typical day of the Relay including both rural and city locations and is the first time that elements such as crew, convoy and communications are being tested. The convoy consists of 14 core vehicles, including a pilot car, Torchbearer drop-off and pick-up shuttles, Presenting Partner vehicles, a media vehicle, a command car and security vehicles.

The rehearsal is an operational rather than a spectator event as there is no evening celebration and no Flame, meaning that torches will not be lit. The exercise is also a chance for host communities to experience how the Relay looks and operates in advance of the Olympic Torch Relay start at Land?s End on 19 May 2012.

A crew of approximately 400 people are working on the dress rehearsal; a typical day on the Relay will include around 370 people. The rehearsal will test rotational team members and allow each of them to test their individual roles. Core teams of LOCOG staff, the Metropolitan Police Torch Security Team, Presenting Partners, host Police Forces and host Local Authorities are working together in a live environment for the first time.

Photos from today?s Olympic Torch Relay rehearsal will be available to download throughout the day. Broadcast footage will be available on request from footage@london2012.com

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: ?The dress rehearsal is a great opportunity to test all parts of the Olympic Torch Relay. I would like to thank the host Local Authorities and Police Forces for working with us on this rehearsal.

?Tests are essential to ensure the smooth running of our operations around the Torch Relay. When all the final elements are added for the Relay itself the excitement will really build for the start of the London 2012 Games and the UK will get its moment to shine.?

During the dress rehearsal, the convoy will pass through 12 communities along an 80-mile route. Starting the day in Leicester and continuing through Quorn, Loughborough, Hoton, Wymeswold, Asfordby, Melton Mowbray, Langham, Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford before finishing in Peterborough. 122 participants are acting as Torchbearers during the rehearsal. These participants have been recruited through the host Local Authorities, the Relay?s three Presenting Partners and from the Royal College of the Blind, Loughborough College and Leicester, De Montfort, Loughborough and Northampton universities.

The Olympic Torch Relay will start at Land?s End, Cornwall on the morning of 19 May 2012. On leaving Land?s End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympic Flame comes to a place near them.

The Relay will take the Olympic Flame to within ten miles of 95% of the population and will showcase as much of the UK as possible. The route for the rehearsal and for all 70 days of the Olympic Torch Relay were devised after extensive consultation with representatives in each nation and region.

James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, The Coca-Cola Company, said: ?With just a few short weeks to go before the Olympic Flame arrives in the UK, we?re really excited to be putting our Torch Relay operations to the test during the Leicester to Peterborough Dress Rehearsal. We?ll be unveiling our ?Beat Fleet? ? the vehicles that will travel around the UK galvanising nationwide support the Relay and for our Future Flames, the inspirational people we have chosen as Torchbearers. We can?t wait for Relay to begin on the May 19th and for everyone around the UK to share in the magic of London 2012 by lining the streets to celebrate their local Future Flames!?

Sally Hancock, Director, 2012 Partnership and Group Sponsorship at Lloyds Banking Group, said: ?As the National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch relay Lloyds TSB is bringing the Olympic Flame closer to our customers and communities. For Lloyds TSB, the Relay binds all of our programmes together in 2012; allowing us to continue to take the inspiration and excitement of the Games to the heart of communities across the UK.

‘Our Torchbearers will be representing their local communities, Local Heroes will be carrying the Flame for their sport and young athletes all over the UK; schools will be lining the route and helping us celebrate along the way, and with branches on nearly every high street we?re inviting our customers and the local community to celebrate with us as the Torch passes their front doors. The test event brings us one step closer to the start of the Relay and the moment when every corner of Britain will start to feel the excitement of London 2012.?

Mr Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said: ‘Today is about fine tuning the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay logistics and as Samsung thrives on robust testing, we’re delighted to be part of this final run through. The dress rehearsal marks nearly two years of creative and logistics planning by Samsung with LOCOG, so as a Presenting Partner this is a tremendously important milestone in our London 2012 journey. This is a very exciting time for everyone and we look forward to welcoming all our Olympic Torchbearers and Olympic fans from across the UK and around world. I believe this will be the very best Olympic Torch Relay in the history of the modern Olympic movement and we’re extremely proud to be playing our part in making it happen.?

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

Notes to editors:

About the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners:

As the longest standing Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola will be using its heritage and experience to spread excitement across the UK ahead of London 2012. Coca-Cola’s national nomination campaign – Future Flames ? has focused on finding inspirational young people from across the country to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. This summer Coca-Cola will celebrate these Future Flames: young people who use their passions in areas like sport and physical activity, music and dance, and community and the environment; to spread happiness in their local communities.

As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the spirit and inspiration of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. Schools can be right at the heart of the celebrations through our Flame Followers programme, giving them access to free resources to get their pupils inspired and excited about the Olympic Torch Relay. Customers can be the first to hear how they can follow the Olympic Flame, through our customer-exclusive programme Trackside.

As a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung aims to encourage everyone to be part of the greatest show on Earth to make London 2012 ?Everyone?s Olympic Games.? We aspire to offer new and memorable experiences for everyone around the world through our own innovative and smart wireless technology. Samsung is providing 1,360 Torchbearers, who have ?gone the extra mile? by contributing to the local communities, through its worldwide public nomination campaign. In total over 25,000 nominations were received. Samsung will support towns and cities to celebrate the exciting moment of the Torch Relay and help showcase Great Britain?s cultural landmarks to provide a more enjoyable experience to everyone. The evening celebrations that will be staged by Samsung in 66 towns and cities throughout the Olympic Flame?s journey across the UK, will allow Samsung to entertain the community they are visiting. The Samsung caravan, complete with LED screen on the side showcasing runners and goodwill messages, will follow the Torchbearers around the UK cheering up everyone to celebrate the Torch Relay with music and interaction with local communities. It is Samsung?s ambition that London 2012 will be an event that reaches and involves more people than on any other Olympic Games occasion.

The Supporters of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay are:

Worldwide Olympic Partners Procter and Gamble and Visa, Tier One Partners adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT and EDF, Tier Three Providers Aggreko, Holiday Inn and NATURE VALLEY.

London 2012 Games partners:

The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald?s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners – adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters ? Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS.

There are now 28 domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers ? Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury?s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery

The national flag carrier of Bhutan, Drukair, announced that it will open up new services to Hongkong and Singapore. The national airline currently operates between five countries- Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal, and India, flying to the Indian cities Delhi and Kolkata, and making stopovers at key places like Guwahati, Baghdogra, and Bodhgaya in India. Karma Tshering, the director of BhutanTravelAgency.com made global travel media aware of this development in Bhutan Tourism. He also said Bhutan travel has become simple like never before.

The new destinations will be included after the recently ordered Airbus A319 begins to operate in Bhutan.

The inclusion of these cities will ease the tourist traffic of the in Bhutan, especially during the festive months of September, October and November, when several major festivals and the perfect weather entices travellers into Bhutan by the droves for Bhutan Thimphu Festival Tours.

The Thimphu festival held annually beside the stunning fortress of Thimphu also known as Tashichhodzong, is a major tourist attraction during autumn. The festival is actually two events that take place in succession, beginning with the Thimphu Drubchen. The festivals are held based on the lunar calendar, and so their dates vary annually. This year, the Thimphu Drubchen, which continues for five days, will begin on September 20.

The Thimphu Drubchen, also known as the Lhamoi Drubchen, is a festival dedicated to the female protecting deity of Bhutan, Palden Lhamo. The festival is said to have been conceptualised by the reincarnation of a saint who was close to the founder of medieval governance in Bhutan, Zhabdrung Nagwang Namgyel. The festival also honours Zhabdrung and Drukpa Kagyud, his school of Buddhism, widely followed in Western Bhutan.

The Thimphu Tshechu begins immediately following the conclusion of the Drubchen. It is one of the many similar festivals held annually in the districts of Bhutan during various times of the year. However, every Tshechu is unique, and the Thimphu Tshechu is popular with tourists as well as locals.

The Thimphu Tshechu is a three day event, dedicated to the 8th century saint credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan, Guru Rinpoche. The festival consists of various dances with intricate masks and elaborate costumes. The dances, depicting deities, lords, yogis, and great saints, have remained unchanged in their choreography for centuries. They have a mesmeric quality, with their precise steps and beats, and people believe that watching these dances will bring them great merit.

The highlight of the Thimphu Tshechu, especially for the locals, is the Guru Tshengye Cham, or the dance of the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche appears in the midst of the people during this dance, and that it watch it is to be blessed by the Guru himself.

On the final day of the festival, a Guru Thongdroel, a giant appliqueimage of the saint, is hung from the walls of the central tower of the Tashichhodzong. ?Thongdroel? can be literally translated to ?release on sight?, meaning that to look upon the image is to release all negative karma.

The Thimphu Drubchen and Tshechu is an important event for the locals, who turn up in their best outfits with their entire families, and enjoy the festivities while also meeting old friends, picnicking and having a good time while also ensuring that their children learn the basics of Buddhism. It is a great opportunity for tourists to interact with locals, and get interesting photography, and especially, to get a sense of what Bhutan is really about.

With the addition of these new flights, Thimphu festival clearly seems to be the one which will benefit from it. Already one of the biggest attraction for Bhutan festival tourism, it’s the tourist who stands to gain reports Karma Tshering, the director of BhutanTravelAgency.com

The Thimphu Tshechu offers a wonderful respite to your holidays in Bhutan, and imbues your travel Bhutan experience with some spiritual meaning.

Related Flight School Press Releases

The average cost for a family summer vacation is $ 4,000 – It really pays to get airline flights and hotel stays covered for free. Using miles and reward points can cut the cost of summer family vacations in half. Below are some strategies and online resources that show consumers how to rack up miles and rewards points so they can stop paying high prices in cash for their flights.

If that touches a nerve — then it?s time to start earning miles and points and start traveling more often, cheaper and in style.

NoobTraveler is a website dedicated to educating its readers on reward travel, travel tips, and cost-saving travel techniques. The editorial particularly focuses on new travelers (or as they like to call them, “Noobs”), and it teaches its readers how to save big when traveling.

Noobtraveler informs its readers that the quickest way to start earning miles is by signing up for rewards credit cards. The banks backing rewards cards today are giving away huge sign-up bonuses for applying for their cards. These miles and points bonuses are large enough to redeem up to four round-trip tickets overseas a year. That?s some instant value.

Below are 5 actionable strategies that help individuals save when traveling this summer.

1. Maximizing Your Hard Earned $ $ $

People work hard for their money, and they want to stretch their dollars. A personal motto should be: Every dollar spent that doesn?t earn a mile/point is a missed opportunity. Individuals should use their rewards card(s) for their everyday purchases and bills to maximize their dollar.

There are many spend bonus categories within rewards credit cards that earn between 2-5 reward points per $ 1 spent. Extra miles and points can be earned for buying gas, groceries, and paying bills. Chase Ultimate Rewards Program has lots of extra add-ons for miles and points.

2. Sign Up For Rewards Programs

Don’t miss out on using your hotel rewards membership number when you stay at hotels. It?s free to sign up for airline and hotel rewards programs, and it is easy to sign up on their websites. Once signed up, individuals can fill in their membership number during the booking process to receive miles/points, and often times other benefits.

3. Playing with Promotions

Companies are always running promotions or having sales to increase business. The same goes when it comes to miles and points. For example, last month there was an offer for 25,000 American Airlines miles for users who signed up for DirecTv. Considering the value, this equals your first year of DirectTv for free. This is just one example of many great bonuses out there for services that individuals may already be using.

4. Travel During Non-Peak Season

Also, traveling during non-peak season can save thousands of dollars. It takes a little organization and planning ahead, but the savings are well worth it. It can be a challenge to travel off peak during the summer months, but traveling towards the end of the summer and in particular traveling to South America, offers off-peak pricing. The best time to travel for non-peak miles and points pricing is in August or early September just before school starts back again. The difference in prices and reward rates a week before or after a non-peak season can often be double.

5. Bidding Better

Priceline offers consumers a way to get a hotel at a very competitive rates. The site lets you bid for hotels after picking your chosen location and star rating. Great, right? But how do you know the magic number to bid? Don?t worry, there is a great website called betterbidding.com. It lists the latest bids so consumers don’t overbid for a hotel.

NoobTraveler.com is a blog dedicated to educating its readers on the best airline credit cards, reward travel, travel tips, and cost-saving travel techniques. The blog particularly focuses on new travelers (or as they like to call them, ?Noobs?), and it teaches its readers how to save BIG. All the while, the site maintains a humorous writing style that is both fun and informative. Noob Traveler also curates the best rewards travel deals in his daily blog posts and articles.

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