Energy-efficient, functional remodeling projects proved most profitable for Texas homeowners in 2015

April 1, 2016

AUSTIN, Texas, April 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The most popular Texas home remodeling projects in 2015 were those that increased a home’s sustainability, according to the Texas Remodel Valuation Report released today by the Texas Association of Realtors. The report analyzes the project recoup costs in 2015 for 30 different remodeling projects nationwide, in the West South Central U.S., and in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, McAllen and San Antonio.

Leslie Rouda Smith, chairman of the Texas Association of Realtors, commented, “A growing number of Texas homebuyers are opting to purchase lower-priced homes that can be remodeled to suit their exact needs or make the home more energy efficient. More and more Texas homesellers, too, are seeing the value in investing in a few, strategically chosen projects before listing to sell their home faster and potentially at a higher price.”

The top home remodeling projects in 2015 were those that increased the functionality and sustainability homes, by improving a home’s curb appeal or energy efficiency. Fiberglass attic insulation ranked among the top five projects in most Texas markets, recouping up to 163.4 percent of project costs. Manufactured stone veneer projects were also popular across Texas, recouping up to 157.9 percent of project costs.

Overall, remodeling projects continued to be profitable, with a few projects in all markets recouping 100 percent or more of project costs. Home remodeling projects in Houston, McAllen and El Paso showed the highest year-over-year growth in profitability in 2015, while a majority of remodeling projects in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas declined slightly in profitability from 2014 to 2015.

Unlike in previous reports, remodeling projects that maximized a home’s existing square footage were among the least profitable projects in 2015. Bathroom, deck and master suite additions consistently ranked among the least markets nationally and in Texas, recouping as little as 25.5 percent of project costs. In general, upscale or luxury projects continue to be less profitable than smaller or mid-level projects.

Smith concluded, “There are many factors that go into whether a remodeling project is a good fit for a home in addition to impact on resale value, such as the homeowner’s expected tenure in the house and, for energy-efficient upgrades, how long it will take the project to pay for itself in cost savings. Texas Realtors can help homeowners, buyers and sellers determine which remodeling projects are the best fits for the short term as well as further down the road.”

About the Texas Remodel Valuation Report
The Texas Remodel Valuation Report is based on survey data from the 2016 Cost vs. Value Report by the National Association of Realtors and Remodeling magazine. The Texas Association of REALTORS® distributes insights about the Texas housing market each month, including quarterly market statistics, trends among homebuyers and sellers, luxury home sales, international trends and more. To view the Texas Remodel Valuation Report in its entirety, visit www.TexasRealEstate.com.

About the Texas Association of REALTORS®
With more than 100,000 members, the Texas Association of REALTORS® is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We advocate on behalf of Texas REALTORS® and private-property owners to keep homeownership affordable, protect private-property rights, and promote public policies that benefit homeowners. Visit TexasRealEstate.com to learn more.

CONTACT: Danielle Urban
Pierpont Communications
512-448-4950
[email protected]

Four Texas Metro Areas Collectively Add More Than 400,000 People in the Last Year, Census Bureau Reports

April 1, 2016

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Four Texas metro areas together added more people last year than any state in the country except for Texas as a whole, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today. The population in these four metro areas increased by more than 400,000 people from July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2015.

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The Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land and Dallas-Fort Worth–Arlington metro areas added about 159,000 and 145,000 residents, respectively — the largest gains of any metro areas in the nation. Two additional Texas metro areas adjacent to each other ─ Austin-Round Rock and San Antonio–New Braunfels ─ were each also among the 16 nationwide to gain 50,000 or more people over the period.

These four Texas metro areas collectively added about 412,000 people. Texas as a whole gained about 490,000.

The statistics released today provide population estimates for our nation’s 381 metropolitan statistical areas, 536 micropolitan statistical areas and 3,142 counties.

Eight counties drove Texas’ metro area growth and were among the 20 counties nationwide that gained the most population between 2014 and 2015. Altogether, they added 306,736 people:

The Dallas metro area contained four of these counties: Tarrant, Dallas, Collin and Denton.
The Houston metro area contained two: Harris, which led the nation by gaining more than 90,000 people, and Fort Bend.
Bexar, in the San Antonio metro area.
Travis, in the Austin metro area.

Florida, Texas and Coastal Carolinas Dominate List of Fastest-Growing Metro Areas

The Villages, Fla., a metro area west of the Orlando metro area, was the nation’s fastest-growing metro area for the third year in a row, as its population increased 4.3 percent between 2014 and 2015. It was joined in the top 20 by five others in the Sunshine State: Cape Coral–Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford and Naples–Immokalee–Marco Island.

Five Texas metros ─ Midland, Odessa, Austin, College Station–Bryan and Houston ─ were also among the 20 fastest growing between 2014 and 2015.

In addition to growth in several metro areas in Florida and Texas, three metro areas partially or completely within South Carolina were among the 20 fastest growing between 2014 and 2015:

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.-N.C. (which ranked second nationally), Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort and Charleston-North Charleston.

Houston, Austin and Orlando were the only three metro areas nationwide to be among both the 20 with the largest numeric gains and the 20 fastest growing (percentage gain) between 2014 and 2015.

North Dakota was home to each of the four fastest-growing counties (among those with populations of 10,000 or more in 2015) between 2014 and 2015. McKenzie (16.7 percent population growth) led, followed by Williams, Mountrail and Stark. McKenzie passed the

10,000 person threshold in 2014 for the first time. However, eight of the 20 fastest-growing counties were in Texas, with three more in Florida and two in Utah.

Two Metros Power North Carolina’s Climb to 10 Million Milestone

State population estimates released in December revealed that North Carolina added more than 100,000 people during the last year to become the ninth state with 10 million or more people. The growth to reach this milestone was, in large part, propelled by two metro areas partially or completely within the state: Raleigh, N.C., the 16th fastest-growing metro area in the U.S., and Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, N.C.-S.C., the 17th largest numeric-gaining metro area in the U.S. Together, these two metro areas grew by about 78,000 people.

Other findings:

Counties

Los Angeles, Calif., is still the nation’s most populous county with 10.2 million people on July 1, 2015.
The nation’s second-most populous county ─ Cook, Ill. ─ experienced its first population decline since 2007: 10,488 between 2014 and 2015 to 5.2 million.
Two counties passed the 1 million population milestone between 2014 and 2015: Fulton, Ga., which is home to Atlanta (1,010,562), and Wake, N.C. (1,024,198). Wake, which includes Raleigh, was also the nation’s 19th largest numerical gainer among counties, adding nearly 25,000 people.
Another two counties passed the 100,000 population mark: Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska (101,095) and Gallatin, Mont. (100,739).
Next to Texas, California (five) and Florida (three) contained the highest number of counties on the list of the top 20 by numeric growth between 2014 and 2015.
Maricopa, Ariz. (Phoenix) led the nation’s counties in net domestic migration increase (38,000), followed by Clark, Nev. (Las Vegas) at 25,000. Los Angeles led in net international migration (57,000), followed by Miami-Dade, Fla. (44,000).
Among the largest counties (those with populations of 250,000 or more in 2015), Fort Bend, Texas, was the fastest growing, as its population climbed 4.3 percent between 2014 and 2015, to 716,087.
Among very small counties, Loving, Texas, was the fastest growing of those with a population of fewer than 5,000 people in 2015 (28.7 percent growth). Among those in the 5,000-9,999 population range, Bailey, Texas, led in rate of growth (3.6 percent).
Cook, Ill., had the largest numeric decline among counties at 10,488 people. The next largest decline belonged to Wayne, Mich., at 6,673.

Metro areas

The nation’s metro areas contained 275.3 million people in 2015, an increase of about
2.5 million from 2014.
Most (285 of the 381) metro areas nationwide gained population between 2014 and 2015.
Four of the 20 fastest-growing metro areas between 2014 and 2015 were in the Mountain states: Greeley and Fort Collins in Colorado and St. George and Provo–Orem in Utah.
Between 2014 and 2015, Fargo, N.D.-Minn., was the fastest-growing metro area outside of the South or West, ranking 23rd.
The Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach, Fla., metro area added about 75,000 people between 2014 and 2015 to surpass 6 million in population. Two more Florida metros ─ Orlando and Tampa–St. Petersburg-Clearwater ─ also gained more than 50,000 people.
Three California metro areas gained more than 50,000 people between 2014 and 2015: Los Angeles-Long Beach–Anaheim, San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward and Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario.
Between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., surpassed Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md., to become the sixth most populous metro area. New York–Newark–Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa., remained the most populous, followed by Los Angeles, Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., Dallas and Houston.

Micro areas

The nation’s micro areas contained about 27.3 million people in 2015, an increase of around 27,000 from 2014.
Nearly half the U.S. micro areas (261 of the 536) gained population between 2014 and 2015.
North Dakota contained the nation’s two fastest-growing micro areas between 2014 and 2015: Williston and Dickinson, whose populations rose by 9.9 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.
Two micro areas, Bozeman, Mont., and Williston, N.D., each gained more than 3,000 people between 2014 and 2015, increasing by about 3,500, and around 3,200, respectively.

Puerto Rico

San Juan continued to be the most populous of the municipios (which are similar to counties), with 355,000 residents on July 1, 2015, followed by Bayamón and Carolina.
Most municipios experienced a population decline between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015. The fastest losing were Lares and Ponce (both at -2.6 percent), followed by Las Marias and Mayagüez (both at -2.5 percent). San Juan experienced the largest numerical population decline, losing about 8,800 residents over the period, followed by Bayamón (more than 4,200) and Ponce (more than 3,900).
Gurabo is the only municipio that grew over the period, gaining 176 residents (an increase of 0.4 percent).
Each of Puerto Rico’s seven metro areas and five micro areas declined in population between 2014 and 2015. San Juan-Carolina-Caguas was the most populous metro area, with about 2.2 million people.

In the coming months, the Census Bureau will release 2015 population estimates of cities and towns, as well as national, state and county population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin.

The Census Bureau develops county, metro area, and micro area population estimates by measuring population change since the most recent census. The Census Bureau uses births, deaths, administrative records and survey data to develop estimates of population. For more detail regarding the methodology, see <https://www.census.gov/popest/methodology/>.

The Office of Management and Budget’s statistical area delineations (for metro and micro areas) are those issued by that agency in February 2013. Metro areas contain at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population and micro areas contain at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 (but less than 50,000) population. Both metro and micro areas consist of one or more whole counties or county equivalents. Some metro and micro area titles are abbreviated in the text of the news release. Full titles are shown in the tables.

Public Information Office	Federal State Cooperative for Population Estimates
email: [email protected]	Detailed tables
301-763-3030	Graphic \| JPG \| PDF \|
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eMerge Americas Announces Major Investment From Orkila Capital, Manuel D. Medina And Other Strategic Investors

April 1, 2016

MIAMI, April 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — eMerge Americas, a B2B technology and innovation conference connecting companies with business and government leaders from North America, Latin America and Europe, today announced it has secured a major investment round led by Orkila Capital, a leading media growth equity firm based in New York, and the event’s founder, Manuel D. Medina. The highly anticipated third edition of eMerge Americas will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center April 18 and 19.

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Orkila Capital, a growth equity investment firm with deep investment experience in the media, entertainment and live event sectors, and eMerge Americas’ founder and chairman Manuel D. Medina are joined in the strategic investment round by an impressive group of notable Florida leading figures, including Armando Christian Perez, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Fernandez, Brian Ballard, and Bob Dickinson. Additionally, Frank Anton, Vice Chairman and ex-CEO of trade show industry leader Hanley-Wood, has joined the Board of eMerge Americas.

“eMerge Americas has experienced amazing growth over its first three years, based on the compelling value the event provides for attendees, sponsors, media partners and its community stakeholders,” said Jesse Du Bey, Managing Partner of Orkila Capital. “We are big believers in the value of iconic events and are confident that eMerge Americas will continue to strengthen its position as the must-attend technology event that links the Latin American, North American and European technology markets. We look forward to working together with Manny, Frank and the eMerge leadership team to grow the event in the years to come.”

eMerge Americas will use this investment round to continue building the event’s size, content scope and brand as it continues to grow. In April, the event will once again feature its Startup Showcase, Women Innovation & Technology Summit and eGov – Government Innovation Summit, with additional programming tracks planned for future years.

“When I founded the Technology Foundation of the Americas, it began with the idea of advancing the technology ecosystem in Miami and eMerge Americas was the first initiative in that effort,” said Manny Medina. “The event has surpassed our expectations in all aspects, and by securing this investment and transitioning it to a private entity we’re able to optimize its long-term success, invest in the future of Technology Foundation of the Americas and allow both organizations to focus on their key goals. By combining our powerful partnerships with organizations like NBCUniversal, the Knight Foundation and Miami-Dade County with the expertise and experience of a firm like Orkila, we will be able to take eMerge Americas to all new heights.”

“eMerge Americas is a pillar of the innovation ecosystem that we, along with many others, are working so hard to build in Miami,” said Matt Haggman, Miami program director at Knight Foundation. “We are proud to have been a founding partner, and even prouder that it has become independently successful in such a short time. eMerge Americas is now poised for enormous growth for years to come, and that will deliver benefits across Miami’s rapidly growing technology and startup community.”

For more information visit www.emergeamericas.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About eMerge Americas

eMerge Americas serves as the preeminent B2B technology event of the Americas. The event serves to connect industry and government leaders across Latin America, North America and Europe. eMerge’s founding partners include: Knight Foundation, Miami-Dade County, Medina Capital, Greenberg Traurig and Miami Herald. For more information, please visit: www.emergeamericas.org.

About Orkila Capital

Orkila Capital is a growth equity firm focused on the media and consumer sectors and based in New York. Orkila was founded in 2013 by Jesse Du Bey, a former Managing Director at Providence Equity Partners, and has deep experience in the media, live event, entertainment and consumer sectors. Recent investments led by Orkila (or its affiliates) include Recognition Media (owner of The Webby Awards, the internet’s highest honor), Crash Line Productions (owner of leading music festivals including Boston Calling and Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival) and Bellator MMA (sold to Viacom).

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Releases ‘Be Light’ for Dark Political, Cultural Times

March 31, 2016

National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference logo.

SACRAMENTO, California, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — In “Be Light: Shining God’s Beauty, Truth, and Hope into a Darkened World” (WaterBrook, ISBN: 987-1-60142-816-5), Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, lead pastor of New Season and President/CEO of one of the world’s largest evangelical organizations, acknowledges that today’s world is troubled and in many ways dark. Yet, in these times when religious liberties are being attacked and there is great pressure for political correctness instead of biblical truths, the Church needs to rise up in all of life’s arenas and become “the bright city on a hill.”

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“We cannot deny we live in dark times…sin, immorality, moral relativism, infanticide, racism, false prophets, watered-down preaching, religious extremism, terror, violence intolerance and disbelief,” said Rodriguez. “But, when light stands next to darkness, light always wins.”

In “Be Light,” readers will be inspired and given the blueprint to confront and overcome spiritual, emotional, relational, family and financial darkness and live as light. The book can be read as a 30-day journey, with each chapter portraying a spiritual analogy to light with real-life examples and testimonies, scripture and a reflection to lead the reader to action. The foreword to the book was written by Roma Downey, producer, celebrated actress and president and chief content officer at LightWorkers Media (a division of MGM Studios).

“Be Light” is a biblical mandate. The word “light” is mentioned more than 200 times in the Bible. Light is an important part of the Christian narrative beginning in Genesis, when God said, “Let there be light.” In this new book, Rodriguez offers clarity to this important Christian metaphor and how it relates to individuals of faith living in current times.

Rodriguez uses the laws of light – including reflection, refraction and the bending of light; destructive light and lightening; and celestial light – to challenge followers of Jesus to take up its responsibility to stand up and be something inherently different from society.

“Like a prism when light passes through it, we reveal the full color spectrum,” writes Rodriguez. “We are called to be the light of the world, but that does not mean that we, people of faith, are uniform, monochromatic or one dimensional. The light of God may appear to be single beam of white light, but when it passes through the prisms of His people, its full complexity and beauty are revealed.”

“Be Light” will release May 3, 2016 from WaterBrook, an imprint of Crown at Penguin Random House, LLC. The book has been endorsed by a number of leaders including: Dr. Ronnie Floyd, president, Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Cross Church, Robert Morrison, founding senior pastor at Gateway Church, and James Robison, founder and president of LIFE Outreach International.

“Sammy Rodriguez is a dynamic leader,” said Dr. Alton Garrison, assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God USA, “His influence impacts other leaders, both spiritually and politically. Yet his compassion touches the hurting, the marginalized, and the underrepresented. His message is compelling. He does not just articulate problems; he also gives solutions. His book, ‘Be Light,’ is a must-read if you are tired of the darkness. Share it with your friends and help turn on the light.”

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization, which serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,000 U.S. churches and another 500,000 congregations spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora. He has been named by CNN and Fox News as “the leader of the Hispanic Evangelical movement” and Newsmax included him in the “Top 100 Christian Leaders in America.” For more information, visit http://pastorsam.com/.

April is National Car Care Month: Time to Make Auto Care a Top Priority

March 31, 2016

BETHESDA, Maryland, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Analytics are big these days in business, sports and politics. When it comes to auto care, the numbers tell a very revealing story as 80 percent of vehicles need service, a new part and/or repair, according to the non-profit Car Care Council.

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“With so many vehicles in need of service, National Car Care Month in April serves as an important reminder to take action today so you can depend on your vehicle down the road,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “It’s easy to postpone vehicle maintenance when things get busy, but don’t put it off. Addressing minor service needs before they become major will help you avoid unexpected car trouble and unplanned costly repairs.”

The Car Care Council reports that vehicles inspected at community car care events held throughout the country in 2015 failed one or more aspects of the inspection process. Some areas posting the highest failure rates include: low fluid levels (washer fluid 26 percent, engine oil 23 percent and coolant 19 percent); clogged or dirty air filters 19 percent; illuminated check engine light 13 percent; worn belts 13 percent; and needed battery service and wiper blade replacement 13 and 12 percent, respectively.

“Many maintenance needs are quick and inexpensive to resolve, so it’s easy to make auto care a priority during National Car Care Month,” continued White. “To help you ‘be car care aware,’ the Car Care Council has many free tools available at www.carcare.org, including the popular Car Care Guide and a customized service schedule with email remainders that makes it simple to follow a routine maintenance program.”

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For more information, visit www.carcare.org.

CDC estimates 1 in 68 school-aged children have autism; no change from previous estimate

March 31, 2016

CDC (PRNewsFoto/Centers for Disease Control)

ATLANTA, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — An estimated 1 in 68 (14.6 per 1,000) school-aged children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a CDC report published today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summary. This report shows essentially no change in ASD prevalence, the proportion of school aged-children with ASD, from the previous report released in 2014. However, it is too soon to know whether ASD prevalence in the United States might be starting to stabilize. CDC will continue tracking ASD prevalence to better understand changes over time.

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The data come from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network – a tracking system that provides estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of ASD among 8-year-old children in 11 communities within Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin. The data in the latest report are for 2012 while the data in the previous 2014 report were from 2010.

Although the average ASD prevalence of the 11 ADDM Network sites combined did not change between 2010 and 2012, ASD prevalence still varied widely between the 11 communities. Differences were seen by geographic region and between sites with different access to data resources.

“What we know for sure is that there are many children living with autism who need services and support, now and as they grow into adolescence and adulthood,” said Stuart K. Shapira, MD, PhD, chief medical officer for CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

The new report also underscores where efforts and resources can be directed to better support children and families with ASD. Black and Hispanic children continue to be less likely to be identified with ASD than white children. In addition, black and Hispanic children receive developmental evaluations later than white children.

“Targeted strategies are needed to identify and address barriers in order to lower the age at which black and Hispanic children are evaluated, diagnosed, and connected to the services they need,” said Daisy Christensen, PhD, a CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the ADDM Network report.

The report also shows that, overall, less than half (43%) of children identified with ASD receive developmental evaluations by age 3. This suggests that many children may not be getting identified as early as they could be. Progress needs to be made to reach the Healthy People 2020 goal of increasing to 47% the proportion of children with ASD having a first evaluation by age 3.

“The most powerful tool we have right now to make a difference in the lives of children with ASD is early identification,” said Dr. Shapira. “Parents, childcare professionals and doctors can monitor each child’s development and act right away on any developmental concerns. It’s important to remember that children can be connected to services even before an official diagnosis is made.”

CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program provides parents, childcare professionals, and healthcare providers free resources, in English and Spanish, for monitoring children’s development. The program offers parent-friendly, research-based milestone checklists for children as young as 2 months of age. The program also offers information about what to do if there is a developmental concern and whom to contact for assistance.

For more information about “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” visit www.cdc.gov/ActEarly. For more information about CDC’s autism activities, visit www.cdc.gov/Autism.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting people from health threats, and saving money through prevention. Whether these threats are global or domestic, chronic or acute, curable or preventable, natural disaster or deliberate attack, CDC is the nation’s health protection agency.

#PortadaLat Announces Major Speaker Roster including Avon, MeliaHoteles, Best Western, Brown Forman and Nestlé

March 31, 2016

PortadaLat, the two-day annual gathering of key brand marketing, advertising, media and digital leaders from all over the Americas taking place on June 8-9 in Miami, is announcing an amazing speaker roster. PortadaLat comprehends the Latin American Advertising and Media Summit, The Data Marketing Forum, the Travel Marketing Forum and the Online Video Forum. Early bird tickets are going fast register now! (http://www.portada-online.com/events/portadalat/)

MIAMI, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — PortadaLat, the two-day annual gathering of key brand marketing, advertising, media and digital leaders from all over the Americas taking place on June 8-9 in Miami, is announcing an amazing speaker roster. PortadaLat comprehends the Latin American Advertising and Media Summit, The Data Marketing Forum, the Travel Marketing Forum and the Online Video Forum.
Early bird tickets are going fast register now! (http://www.portada-online.com/events/portadalat/#Register)

Travel Marketing Forum (June 9) Speakers Include:

Montserrat Santaella, International Promotion Manager, Grupo Posadas
Christopher Arjona, Director de Mercadotecnia Digital Americas, MeliaHoteles
Dorothy Dowling, CMO, Best Western
Ricardo Rivera, CMO, Volaris
Rolando Aedo, Chief Marketing Officer, Greater Miami Tourism and Convention Bureau
Ismalis Mendoza, Senior Manager of Marketing and E-Commerce, Marriott International
Lara Migliassi, VP, Global Brands – Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Residence Club & Hyatt
Carlos Orta, VP Corporate Affairs, Carnival Corporation

Data Marketing Forum (June 8) Speakers Include:

Mebrulin Francisco, Partner, Director Marketing Analytics Multicultural, GroupM
Francisco Morillo, Digital Marketing Manager, Xoom
Jose Luis Valderrama, CEO and Founder, Hispanic Group
Ana Crandell, Group Account Director, OMD Multicultural
Oscar Padilla, ‎Senior VP of Marketing, Digital Media & Insights, ‎Pulpo Media

Latin American Advertising & Media Summit (June 8-9):

Carlos Leal, Gerente Senior de Marketing de Consumo, Nestlé
Juan Guillermo Restrepo, Gerente de Marketing Digital, Falabella
Adam Singolda, CEO, Taboola
Dorothy Dowling, CMO, Best Western
Jeremy Gilbert, Director Strategic Initiatives, The Washington Post
Carlos Espíndola, e-Hub, Manager Latin America, 3M
Rebeca Ricoy, Digital Strategies, Sr. Manager Nola, Avon
Maria Carrasquillo, Senior Marketing Manager- Latin America, Jarden Consumer/Sunbeam-Oster
Marta Martinez, SVP Sales Advertising, AOL
Michael Schott, Director of Online Marketing, Open English
Wayne St. Armand, CMO, Brand Networks
Andres Franklin, Director Latin America, Sojern
Cynthia Evans, Director Insights and Analytics, Group M, Latin America
Adriana Grineberg, Head of Operations Miami, Facebook

Online Video Forum (June 9) Speakers Include:

Juan Davila,SVP Managing Director, LiquidThread
Borja Beneyto, Digital Director Regional América Latina, Starcom Media Vest
Luiz Schmidt, Head of Marketing, Latin America & Caribbean, Brown Forman

Plus more major speakers to be announced soon!

MAJOR 2016 ADDITIONS TO #PORTADALAT:

Data Marketing Forum: Using Data Driven Marketing to reach Latino Consumers
#PortadaLat will provide a unique setting for marketers targeting Latin consumers in the U.S. and Latin America to delve into how Big Data can revolutionize marketing efficiency.

Travel Marketing Forum
Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market are a key inbound and outbound destination for global Travel and Luxury marketing companies. Hear how major brands are approaching the region and their innovations in digital marketing.

More Sessions exploring the Marketing Technology Revolution
From Content Marketing Technologies and Practices, to Digital Targeting to Crowdsourcing, leading experts will provide actionable insights to major leading practitioners about major innovations.
Expanded Speaker Roster of Brand Marketing and Media Stars.

Expect the #PortadaLat Speaker roster to be filled with dozens of key brand marketers, major media agency players, key social influencers and media stars.

Online Video Forum
A unique hub for excitement and idea sharing on the OTT Revolution throughout the Latin world. Monetization, Viewability, YouTube, Facebook and beyond.

Already Confirmed Sponsors of PortadaLat

Leader Sponsor Plus:
Taboola (http://www.taboola.com/)
Brand Networks (http://bn.co/)

Leader Sponsor: Sojern (http://www.sojern.com/)

Distinguished Sponsor: Hola (http://us.hola.com/)

Attendee Bag Sponsor: Latcom (http://www.latcom.com/)

Attendee Badge Sponsor: Multimedia Inc. (http://www.multimediausa.com/)

Official Wire Partner: Marketwired (http://www.marketwired.com/)

Contact Information:

To align your brand with the eight annual edition of PortadaLat (http://www.portada-online.com/events/portadalat) the main conference for Brand Marketers, Digital Innovators, Media Properties and Influencers targeting the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic markets, please contact Portada’s Sales and Marketing Director Kelley Eberhardt at [email protected].

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(Español) Guía del paciente: Tratar un tobillo roto

March 31, 2016

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español.

Hiring Plans Steady As Business Owners Sour On U.S. Economy

March 31, 2016

PITTSBURGH, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Small and mid-sized business owners are cautious about the next six months amid greater pessimism about the economy given the stock market volatility and presidential election rhetoric, according to the latest PNC Economic Outlook Survey findings.

The spring findings of PNC’s biannual telephone survey, which began in 2003, reveal that 43 percent are pessimistic about the U.S. economy, the most since 2012, and up from 33 percent in the fall. Meanwhile, 30 percent are pessimistic about their local economy, which is the highest since 2013.

Yet one in four (24 percent) plan to hire additional employees during the next six months, similar to the 26 percent last fall and 22 percent a year ago. The bright spot is that 43 percent of manufacturing firms plan to hire, which is up from 26 percent six months ago.

PNC’s survey findings show a positive trend over the past five years among small and mid-sized business owners when it comes to making money. Nearly half (45 percent) expect profits to increase during the next six months while 41 percent expect the bottom line to remain the same. Only 12 percent expect a decrease, the lowest since 2006. In terms of sales, 51 percent expect an increase compared to 52 percent in the fall.

“Business owners’ mood may have been impacted by the stock market volatility and presidential campaign rhetoric since the start of the year,” said PNC’s Chief Economist Stuart Hoffman. “But their cautious optimism about sales, profits and hiring represents solid fundamentals for the economy. These findings are far from a warning sign of recession from small business owners.”

Hoffman estimates the probability of a U.S. recession in 2016 is only about 20 percent. He added that the overall survey results reinforce the fundamentals are solid for the U.S. economy and supports PNC’s forecast for real GDP growth of 2.0 percent this year, slightly slower from the 2015 pace.

Financing Needs Remain Limited

Although expectations for business prospects are promising, loan and credit demand continue on a slow path upward. Eight out of 10 owners (83 percent) say they will not pursue new loans or lines of credit in the next six months while 14 percent will. Asked if the prospect of rising interest rates would impact pursuit of a loan, 76 percent said it wouldn’t.

Other key findings include:

Presidential Matters: More than half (53 percent) said they were not satisfied the potential presidential candidates were addressing the key issues for business owners.
Fewer Pay Raises on the Way: 34 percent expect to increase employees’ pay compared to 42 percent in the fall, which was the most since 2007.
Shortage of Skilled Workers: Three in 10 say it is harder to find qualified employees compared to 6-12 months ago. The biggest hiring challenge is that candidates don’t have the technical skills specific to the business, i.e., computer applications, tools or machinery.
Further Decline in Pricing Pressure: Nearly three in 10 (29 percent) plan to charge higher prices, on par with (28 percent) in the fall. For prices charged by suppliers, 44 percent expect price hikes compared to 50 percent six months ago. Seventy-seven percent expect consumer prices to rise this year, partly reflecting the sharp drop in energy prices.
Healthcare Cost Impact: Asked about the Affordable Care Act, 78 percent say it had no effect on their 2015 hiring and a similar number (82 percent) don’t expect impact this year. Most (56 percent) said insurance premiums increased in 2015 – and nearly half said they went up 10 percent or more. Looking ahead to 2016, 40 percent expect costs to increase, down from 49 percent in the fall.
Housing Prices Continue to Rise: Most (57 percent) expect prices to rise in their local market in the next 6-12 months, on par with 58 percent in the fall.

An online media kit containing national and regional survey results is available on PNC’s website at www.pnc.com/pncpresskits.

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

Methodology

The PNC Economic Outlook survey was conducted between January 21 to March 8, 2016, by telephone within the United States among 1,867 owners or senior decision-makers of small and mid-sized businesses with annual revenues of $100,000 to $250 million. The results given in this release are based on interviews with 502 businesses nationally, while the remaining interviews were conducted among businesses within the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania plus Washington, D.C. Sampling error for the national results is +/- 4.4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. The survey was conducted by Artemis Strategy Group (www.ArtemisSG.com), a communications strategy research firm specializing in brand positioning and policy issues. The firm, headquartered in Washington D.C., provides communications research and consulting to a range of public and private sector clients.

This report has been prepared for general informational purposes only and is not intended as specific advice or recommendations. Information has been gathered from third party sources and has not been independently verified or accepted by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. PNC makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of the information, assumptions, analyses or conclusions presented in the report. PNC cannot be held responsible for any errors or misrepresentations contained in the report or in the information gathered from third party sources. Any reliance upon the information provided in the report is solely and exclusively at your own risk.

CONTACT:

Alan Aldinger
(412) 768-3711
[email protected]

From The Director And Producers Of Velvet And Gran Hotel, Comes The First Netflix Original Series Shot And Produced In Spain

March 31, 2016

DIRECTOR CARLOS SEDES AND PRODUCERS RAMÓN CAMPOS AND TERESA FERNÁNDEZ VALDÉS REUNITE FOR NETFLIX

AMSTERDAM, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Netflix, the world’s leading Internet television network, announced today that its first original series filmed entirely in Spain, will start production in Madrid in 2016 and debut exclusively on Netflix around the globe in 2017.

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101014/SF81638LOGO

The drama is centered upon four women from different backgrounds, hired to be switchboard operators for the country’s only telephone company in 1920s Spain. These women have come from all over Spain to work at the forefront of a communication revolution in the middle of Madrid – a place which represents progress and modernity, where jealousy, envy and betrayal get mixed up with a hunger for success, with friendship and love, but, above all, with dreams.

The series is produced by Madrid-based Bambú Producciones, led by Ramón Campos and Teresa Fernández Valdés, producers of the acclaimed Spanish series Gran Hotel and Velvet, and co-created by Gema Neira. The 16 episode first season will begin shooting later this year. Episodes will run 50 minutes.

“It is incredibly exciting to have Netflix in Spain. We are enthusiastic fans of its original series and it is a real honor for us to now be part of this project,” said Ramón Campos, co-creator and executive producer of the show. “It is a joy to work with Netflix’s extremely talented team, who is revolutionizing the television industry worldwide,” added Teresa Fernández Valdés, executive producer of the series.

“We’re delighted to be working with Bambú Producciones, director Carlos Sedes and co-creator Gema Neira on our first original series filmed in Spain. We’re huge fans of their work on Gran Hotel and Velvet, epic romances that have been embraced by our members around the world,” said Erik Barmack, vice president of international original series at Netflix. “We’re certain that our members will love this unique and engaging drama created by some of the best storytellers in Spain.”

About Bambú Producciones

Bambú Producciones is a production company created in 2007 by Ramón Campos and Teresa Fernández Valdés to develop and produce fiction projects for television. After only eight, it has positioned itself in the international market as a European producer of reference thanks to titles like Grand Hotel, Velvet or The Refugees. The quality of its creative department and its productions grant a unique style without sacrificing large audiences.

About Netflix

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is the world’s leading Internet television network with over 75 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

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