Nicquel Rhoden, from Brisbane, beat more than 300 applicants to win the ‘Entirely World Famous’ competition run by New Zealand travel company, Entirely Kiwi.

The gimmick designed to help market New Zealand to the world attracted applications from all around the globe.

Personality plus
The dream role involves travelling New Zealand to meet with clients and promoting the country “through any means possible”.

Vanessa Forsyth, director of Entirely Kiwi, the Wellington company behind the job, said Rhoden had been chosen because of her personality.

“We chose Nicquel because she’s bubbly, vivacious and incredibly personable,” Forsyth said.

The competition required applicants to make a video explaining why they were the best person for the job, and then attract fans on a website blog.

Contestants were judged on their popularity, sense of humour and “ability to brag”.

Tourism degree
Rhoden, who is finishing a tourism degree at the University of Queensland, won free flights and accommodation for three months, transport, a daily food allowance, spending money and a camera. Her trip is scheduled to start in February.

Picking an Australian winner had caused some controversy among New Zealanders, said Forsyth, but Rhoden said she was “not at all surprised” to hear there had been a backlash.

“That’s exactly how it was in Australia when a Briton won our top job, so I kind of expected it if the New Zealander didn’t win,” Rhoden said.

“The most important thing is that I think I’m able to promote New Zealand just as well as a local could because I totally love the country.”

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Sydney, NSW, August 27, 2009 — IBS application software and services has been chosen for European operations of a world leading ERP distribution software company. International Business Systems (STO: IBS B) the leading application supplier for wholesale and distribution, today announced a contract with a major global customer for further installation of 1,000 users and status as preferred supplier for all European operations. The contract is valued at around 50 MSEK (AUD 8.2 million) over the next two years, of which around 17 MSEK (AUD 2.8 million) represents license fees.

“This is an achievement of which we are very proud”, says Mike Shinya, CEO and President of IBS. “This is a customer using several ERP business systems throughout the group today, of which we were one. We have undergone rigorous scrutiny from the professional team at this customer, not only in demonstration environments but by developing and implementing business critical systems for highly demanding units in several countries. Rolling out further in Europe, where the overwhelming majority of this company’s users are, also requires that we evolve our solution together with this client, and this is something both parties will benefit from.”

For more information, please contact:
Oskar Ahlberg, Senior Vice President of Communications, IBS AB
Tel: +46-70-244 24 75
oskar.ahlberg@ibs.net

Fiona Chong, Marketing Communication Specialist, IBS Australia
Tel: 1300 882 467
fiona.chong@ibsaustralia.com

IBS specialises in differentiating companies from their competitors on the strength of their distribution operations.

Founded in 1978, IBS has over 30 years’ distribution software solution experience in industries ranging from automotive and electronics to paper, publishing and pharmaceuticals. This deep understanding of enterprise distribution software models and best practices is embodied in IBS’ global ERPsoftware distribution system, which is enhanced with local expertise to create a unique system for each IBS client.

More than 4,000 companies in 40 countries rely on IBS to improve their distribution operations – enabling them to achieve both increased profitability and higher valued services to the channel.
IBS B share is listed on NASDAQ OMX First North Exchange Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.ibs.net/au

Contact:
Fiona Chong
IBS Australia
Level 3, 12 Waterloo Rd
Macquarie Park 2113
NSW, Australia
1300882467
fiona.chong@ibsaustralia.com
http://www.ibs.net/au

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Dwindling membership and rising costs have seen PINA posting consecutive losses for the last two financial years.

For 2007, auditors Ernst & Young put financial losses of PINA at F$3100. By 2008, however, PINA’s loss had worsened to F$30,633, an increase of $27,533 when compared to the previous year.

Auditors highlighted four major cost items: salaries, superannuation payments, provision for depreciation after an office refurbishment and travel and accommodation.

The 107 percent jump in salaries was not so much due to staff promotions but more about staff recruitment.

Salaries in 2008 totalled F$83,904 compared to $44,872 the previous year.

A greater slice of 2008’s expenditures too was in staff travel and accommodation, reaching F$28,671 from $11,899 in 2007.

Two consecutive losses meant that PINA has been eating away into its accumulated funds to survive.

At the beginning of 2007, cash reserves of the regional news body totalled F$72,516.

This dropped to $69,416 at the end of 2007 and again shrunk to $38,783 by the beginning of this year.

Two consultants who looked into the financial future of the media body in early 2009 now warn that unless PINA finds other sources of revenue, its current rate of operation is unsustainable.

In their report tabled at PINA’s annual general meeting in Vanuatu in late July, the two– Ulafala Aiavao and Moses Saitala–observed that while subscriptions to PINA’s news service PACNEWS increased by 5 percent during 2007 and 2008, PINA’s membership fees declined by 42 percent.

“The decline in the payment of PINA’s membership fee is a worrying trend,” noted Aiavao and Saitala in their report titled ‘Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) – A Sustainable Pathway into the Future’.

“Those PINA members who have not paid their annual membership fees have their own reasons for not doing so.

“It is quite clear nonetheless that given the nature of PINA, many would not pay their annual subscription if they no longer see the benefit of doing so.”

Non-payment of membership fees is reflected in the figures released by the two consultants in their report.

By early 2009, some 28 newspaper and magazine companies were members of the regional news organisation.

When the deadline for the payment of fees expired at the end of March 2009, only eight companies had paid up.

Defaulters included key players like the two News Ltd-owned newspapers in the islands; Post-Courier in Papua New Guinea and the Fiji Times.

Publications in Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti (French Polynesia) and in the northern Pacific have all not paid on time, as well as the University of the South Pacific’s journalist students’ newspaper, Wansolwara.

At least one member, the Vanuatu Daily Post, made the decision in August this year to withdraw its membership from PINA due to differences with key officials in their own media organisation, the Media Association of Vanuatu (MAV).

The president of MAV, Moses Stevens, is now also president of PINA.

The seeming disinterest of print members of PINA is ironic given that they were the original founders of the association.

Broadcasters used to have their own Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association (PIBA) until November 2004 when PIBA was dissolved and merged into PINA.

It is also worth noting that since the merger, broadcast members have been active in the regional body.

Since 2005, for instance, radio or television members of PINA had been elected as PINA presidents.

PACNEWS is also a PIBA initiative which is now funding the bulk of the PINA secretariat’s day-to-day costs.

For the future, the two consultants observed that a 107 percent increase in personnel emolument between 2007 and 2008 in the face of a 5 percent decline in PINA’s core revenue was “likely to be unsustainable”.

The challenge this posed to the secretariat, they said, was “serious but not insurmountable”.

As a way to grow its revenue base, the consultants are suggesting that PINA develops and implements donor-funded capacity building projects that address the needs of its members.

It should also consider tapping into European Union funding for civil society organisations, and that the PINA secretariat employs stringent cost-monitoring accounting practices.

“The level of expenditure would normally be determined against future revenues the organisation is expected to raise in the next financial year,” said the Aaivao and Saitala report.

“Where adjustment is needed to be made to the organisation’s financial position, it is normally the organisation’s expenditure that has to be adjusted to provide for a sound financial position.”

Among their recommendations is the introduction of multi-year budgeting for the PINA secretariat and exploring more user-pay services to help grow its revenue earning streams.

PINA, they said, should also revisit its membership criteria to help build a more sustainable and viable platform into the future, and that the flow of information between the secretariat, the PINA board and its members should be “actively improved”.

The consultants are also recommending major changes in the way Pacnews operates, in that the news service should “decentralise some of its operations” by making it a “virtual network”.

“Initially, it could start with a member taking on a temporary role as a guest subeditor or reporter for one or more days a month by rotation.

“The actual mechanics will be coordinated by the Suva-based chief editor and PINA in consultation with the members.

“The network will use the internet to remove the need for travel and associated costs.”

The new Stevens-led board of PINA will now look into the recommendations contained in the Aiavao and Saitala report.

A former news editor of the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation, Stevens also has a print background when he started his own newspaper in Port Vila a couple of years ago. He is also a former
executive of the Vanuatu Football Association.

He succeeded the CEO of the National Broadcasting Corporation of PNG, Joseph Ealedona, as PINA president. Ealedona didn’t seek re-election at the Vanuatu meeting.

Stevens beat Fiji’s Mai TV and Mai Life magazine editor Stanley Simpson by 10 votes to 8.

In addition to the changes recommended for the secretariat and Pacnews, Stevens and his board will also consider a motion seeking the expulsion of Fiji’s Ministry of Information from PINA.

The motion was proposed at a session on media freedom at the main PINA Pacific media summit in Port Vila late July, in which delegates felt that a member that could not support a core function of the association—that of upholding media freedom—should be deemed to have lost its right to membership.

PINA members, however, endorsed its secretariat’s position that it should remain in Suva in spite of the strict censorship all media outlets in Fiji have to work in.

“This is PINA’s real testing ground, thus the need for the secretariat to continue its efforts to engage with the interim government on behalf of our members in Fiji,” argued Pacnews editor Makereta Komai in her report to the PINA AGM.

A move to incorporate the online network of journalists and former journalists known as the Pacific Freedom Forum to be the media freedom watchdog arm of PINA was not discussed at the annual meeting.

Stevens moved that the matter be considered by his board.

Writing on this subject, PINA secretariat manager Matai Akauola suggested that PINA should not outsource this responsibility.

“We are so quick to call leaders seditious in certain quarters but at the very same time we are becoming like the very same people we accuse or label,” wrote Akauola in his biennial report to the AGM. “PINA may have dropped the baton in some instances, but it doesn’t mean we give it up and quit.

“PINA, a body recognised by the nations and governments of the Pacific and beyond, will step up to the mark for its members.

“We will not allow this work to be done by someone else,” Akauola said.

Source: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=18851/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl

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New look for Tagata Pasifika

Tuesday 8 September, 2009

Tagata Pasifika, New Zealand’s flagship Pacific Island show relaunches with a new format and look, Thursday 10 September, at 11pm on TV ONE.

Now in its 23rd season, Tagata Pasifika serves the Pacific Island communities in New Zealand and increasingly in the South Pacific region via TVNZ’s Pacific Service.

General manager of Maori and Pacific Programmes at TVNZ, Paora Maxwell, is excited by the changes. “The Pacific communities are an integral part of New Zealand, and Tagata Pasifika has an important role to reflect these communities on New Zealand’s screens. The show’s revamp will continue to engage with Pasifika communities.”

Acting producer, John Utanga, says Tagata Pasifika must continually seek to engage with its audience, and the structuring of the show and story selection will achieve that, while staying true to its Pacific roots.

Tagata Pasifika’s new presenters, Angela Tiatia and Tom Natoealofa both grew up in the Pacific communities in South Auckland. Angela, who is also currently studying a Bachelor of Visual Arts, is no stranger to television screens having appeared in Shortland Street and many modelling assignments.

Tom, who is completing a Pacific Island Performing Arts Diploma, says he is delighted to be Tagata Pasifika’s co-presenter. He’s from a theatrical background and is a proud Samoan.

Beatrice Faumuina, the show’s presenter for the last four years, has left TVNZ to pursue other commitments and opportunities. She wishes the programme well for the future.

Tagata Pasifika screens Thursday nights at 11pm and Sunday mornings at 7.30am on TV ONE. Tagata Pasifika also screens on TVNZ 7 and on Maori Television.

Source: tvnz.co.nz

Tagata Pasifika: tvnz.co.nz/tagata-pasifika

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Sydney, NSW, August 27, 2009 — International Business Systems (STO: IBS B) the leading application supplier for wholesale and distribution, today announced a significant contract with a large American importer and distributor of spare parts, to deliver business systems to help make inventory, logistics and distribution processes more effective. IBS application software and services have been chosen to help expand distribution management for a leading distributor’s US, Canadian and Mexican operations. The agreement contains a substantial license fee, of which $1.5M (SEK 10 m) that was recognized as part of the second quarter earnings.

Further details of this contract will be announced at a later date.

For more information, please contact:
Fiona Chong, Marketing Communication Specialist, IBS Australia
Tel: 1300 882 467
fiona.chong@ibsaustralia.com

IBS specialises in differentiating companies from their competitors on the strength of their distribution operations.

Founded in 1978, IBS has over 30 years’ distribution software solution experience in industries ranging from automotive and electronics to paper, publishing and pharmaceuticals. This deep understanding of enterprise distribution software models and best practices is embodied in IBS’ global erp software distribution system, which is enhanced with local expertise to create a unique system for each IBS client.

More than 4,000 companies in 40 countries rely on IBS to improve their distribution operations – enabling them to achieve both increased profitability and higher valued services to the channel.

IBS B share is listed on NASDAQ OMX First North Exchange Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.ibs.net/au

Contact:
Fiona Chong
IBS Australia
Level 3, 12 Waterloo Rd
Macquarie Park 2113
NSW, Australia
1300 882 467
fiona.ching@ibsaustralia.com
http://www.ibs.net/au

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A well established natural parenting resource, NaturalTransition.com has launched a blog that deals with all area’s of childcare from Planning Pregnancy to Breastfeeding and beyond which is offering a massive selection of prizes to new readers in a #blessingway competition to be held on Twitter and her newly launched blog.

Julie Cottle found herself extremely busy this week with the birthdays of her 3 young children, all 3 boys have their birthday in the same week. This got her to thinking she never arranged a blessingway for her three boys. Julie explained,

“I’ve wanted a blessing way for each of my 3 births but have never gotten around to it. I would like to use the idea of the blessing way in the lead up to my blog’s birth day. Very simply put, a blessingway is thought to have been a tradition that was begun by Native Americans. It was a ritual to offer blessings at life passages and has now become a popular alternative to a baby shower. It gives other mothers present the opportunity to share experiences, their learned wisdom and to offer support and encouragement as the new mother makes her transition to motherhood. ”

So as she missed the chance with her children, she has decided that she will do it with her latest baby, albeit a virtual one.

The competition includes a wide variety of prizes including:

1x Natural Transition new Mama gift bag
1x Pink Kit ‘Just for Staff Midwives or Obstetrical Nurses’ CD
2x Pregnancy and Yoga DVD’s
1x Post Natal Yoga with Baby DVD
1x Hemp and organic cotton teething doll from the Hemp Gallery
1x Natural Transiton Queeze Eze tea (for pregnancy)
1x Natural Transiton Transition tea (for birth and birth preparation)
1x Natural Transition Healing Bath tea (for healing after birth)
1x Natural Transition Nurture tea (for breastfeeding)

For additional information Contact:

Julie Cottle
E: julie@naturaltransition.com

Ph: +61 02 94824884
Mobile: 0422503908
Address: 9 Haldane St. Asquith, NSW 2077, Australia
http://naturaltransition.com

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Sydney, NSW, August 12, 2009 — Instead of taking cash to buy plastic kitchenware, guests are asked to bring jewellery from a failed relationship and get money in return. Australia’s first ”gold party” will be held on August 19 at Bondi Icebergs, hosted by GoldCompany, a subsidiary of the Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia.

The cash-for-gold parties are inspired by the success of similar ventures in the US and Britain.GoldCompany director Roy Cohen said he and fellow director Dan Novick expected a mix of guests, who would have their pieces appraised and be paid by cheque on the spot.

Mr Cohen said parties were preferable to dealing with pawn shops. ”Pawn shops are for your second-hand bicycle. When it comes to diamonds or gold, you want … genuine dealers,” he said.He said the economic downturn – coupled with high gold prices, which last week hit almost $1150 an ounce – had increased the number of customers. ”We get literally dozens of calls a day where people are trying to find out what their items are worth,” he said.

Mr Cohen said broken engagements were the source of much business. ”We were thinking of running an ad along the lines of, ‘Got rid of the man? Now get rid of the ring’,” he said.The company will refine all the gold it buys.

Gold parties took off in the US last year. Gold scrapping in general has boomed, with the largest online buyer, Cash4Gold.com, reportedly recording an average 25,000 transactions a month.Individuals are also keen to host parties. Treska Roden, 63, of Cremorne, plans to organise events for women and fund-raising groups in which hosts could get 7 per cent of earnings.

The GoldCompany is the safest, most discreet and convenient way to get the highest price for your Gold. All you need to do is fill out the FREE online GoldPak Request and the rest is as follows.

We send you the Secure GoldPak.
You use the Secure GoldPak to securely send us your gold.
We give you the best offer.
You accept.
We pay you immediately.
No cost to you at all… It is that easy.

See:
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/shopping/love-was-a-splendoured-thing-now-flog-the-ring-20090808-ediu.html

In tests done the GoldCompany was shown to pay 20% more than similar services.
And up to 400% more than pawn Brokers.
http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/

Contact:
Michael Cohen
GoldCompany
Suite 1 Level 1
133 Castlereagh Street
Sydney, NSW
1300-506-707
info@thegoldcompany.com.au
http://www.thegoldcompany.com.au

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Mumbai, August 12, 2009—LANXESS India is extending its support to Save The Children India (STCI) on the “Child Welfare and Educational Project”, a community program which both organizations embarked on last year. Specifically, LANXESS has donated Rs. 392,870 to STCI to cover the education-related expenses of five pre-primary schools (called ’balwadis’) under its care.

In addition, LANXESS has donated water purifiers to the ’balwadis’, which should mean cleaner drinking water for the children. As a small contribution to school sports, LANXESS will also donate two footballs to each balwadi, which have about 20 to 25 students.

The aim of the project is to provide underprivileged children with pre-primary education through STCI’s centers in Mumbai, so that they can enter the mainstream Bombay Municipal Cooperation (BMC) schools and continue with their studies. The project will also focus on awareness programs—covering topics such as child rights and life skills—for the local community.

Dr. Joerg Strassburger, Managing Director and Country Representative of LANXESS India said, “Education is a critical issue. Through our collaboration with Save the Children India, our goal is to encourage poor children to strive for a better future for themselves and their families. One important step will be to enroll and strive to go as far as possible in the formal school system.”

About Save The Children India (STCI)
Save The Children India (STCI) is a non-profit organization established in 1988 and has been working towards the empowerment of the disadvantaged children and women, with its health, nutrition, education and vocational training programs. It is headquartered at S F 9, G Block, Next to American School of Bombay, Behind Citi Bank, Bandra Kurla complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai – 400 098.

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.58 billion in 2008 and currently around 14,800 employees in 21 countries. The company is represented at 44 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.

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The small business market is maturing quickly and expectations are shifting accordingly. Demand for a managed search engine optimization (SEO) solution that provides businesses with assured outcomes is greater than ever before.

One of world’s top search engine marketing companies, ineedhits (www.ineedhits.com) has stepped in with the launch of a new Google SEO service. It promises to help businesses feature at the top of Google’s organic listings when people go searching for their products or services.

ineedhits CEO, Warren Duff explains that “our customers and partners have told us they need more advanced online marketing services. They want services that deliver guaranteed results and strong ROI. This was a perfect opportunity for us to respond”.

ineedhits’ new SEO solutions provide guaranteed top ranking in Google and many other popular search engines. This allows businesses to connect directly with ready to buy customers.

ineedhits has over 13 years experience delivering proven marketing solutions to small businesses across the globe. They understand the small business landscape and the needs of businesses to reach new customers quickly and cost-effectively.

“We actually launched the product to a select group of customers back in January.” explains Mr Duff. “Initial results were extremely strong. We go to market with a service which is not only backed by 13 years of experience, but which guarantees to deliver results.”

High ROI combined with guaranteed results, makes this a marketing solution for all businesses.

ineedhits’ new Google ranking service can be tailored to meet the specific needs of any business. For further information please contact Warren Duff, CEO on +61 89333 8224 or visit http://www.ineedhits.com/optimization/seo-packages.aspx

About ineedhits:
Founded in 1996, ineedhits (http://www.ineedhits.com), a pioneer in search engine marketing, has provided search engine optimization (SEO), and search engine advertising (pay-per-click) services to small and medium sized businesses for over thirteen years.

ineedhits has serviced over 30,000 customers and 700,000 subscribers.. They have retail partnerships with Yahoo!, LivePerson, ExactSeek and Net Applications.

ineedhits first launched their co-branded reseller program in 2006. During this time the program has grown considerably with a steady stream of new international partners coming on board. Larger partners in this program include Sitepal, Lunarpages, Liveperson and Intertec.

The company has received numerous awards including the Deloitte Touche Fast 50 (2003 & 2004) and BRW Fast 100 (2002 & 2003).

For further details:
Warren Duff
Chief Executive Officer
ineedhits.com Pty Ltd
Level 1, 229 Stirling Highway,
Claremont, Western Australia
Australia 6010
Direct: +61 89333 8224
Email: warren.duff@ineedhits.com

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