text:
New York Cosmos: Twice in a Lifetime; A New Business Look at a Legendary Sports Franchise
Authors: Sarbjit Singh*
Sarbjit Singh is Assistant Professor, Sport Management, at Farmingdale State College in New York
*Corresponding Author:
Sarbjit Singh, MBA/JD
Farmingdale State College
2350 Broadhollow Road
singhs@farmingdale.edu
The New York Cosmos were the dominant professional soccer franchise, on and off the field, during the 1970s and '80s. However, the team folded just a few years after its peak, succumbing to excessive spending and lagging revenues. Twenty-five years later, the Cosmos returned seeking a place on the local, national and global sports scenes. Via a case study, we take a look at the team's history, its relaunch, and factors such as facility development and league affiliation impacting the team's business plans. Like the franchise itself, the reader is tasked with determining whether the team's new strategy and efforts can make it a profitable enterprise. The reader is also encouraged to think of practical ideas that will connect the team with both its first-generation of fans who regaled in their winning history and attract new fans who may not know their history and may be impatient when it comes to the team's performance on the field.
The "Twice in a Lifetime" case study is grounded with a review of historical and recent literature on the life of the Cosmos brand, providing a foundation for readers to understand the birth of the Cosmos franchise, its subsequent evolution, and those impacting the direction in which the team would go, e.g. Stephen Ross, Warner Communications, the NASL, and Pele. The proposed discussion builds on this understanding and the specifics of the Cosmos relaunch and asks us to act like real-life managers who may have some important information, but not all, and still must make important decisions determining the fate of the franchise.
KEYWORDS: Strategy, Sports Business, Entrepreneurship, Brand Management, International, Case Study
Seth Miller, Chief Executive Officer(1) of the New York Cosmos, stood on the sidelines of Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University on Long Island (NY) and contemplated another victory for the team. The team was finding success in 2015, the third year back for the storied soccer franchise in the also just-launched North American Soccer League (NASL). In their first year, the Cosmos won the NASL championship, thereby adding another trophy to their enviable haul from the 1970s and '80s. Even after another playoff appearance in 2014, and a strong start to the 2015 season, Miller knew the victories the franchise truly needed would have to take place off the field. And he would have to answer to his bosses just when and how the franchise would best achieve those victories.
In name, the Cosmos were the same as the legendary franchise from the 1970s and '80s that spent freely, won NASL championships, and were made up of world-class players from all over the globe. That club was the predecessor to today's globally-known soccer powers such as FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. It was, in essence, a global team with a global presence. Today, Miller was tasked to build a team with a much smaller budget that instead focused on its local market but remained relevant internationally. Miller would have to accomplish this in a different sports business market than the original Cosmos faced. Instead of a handful of professional teams in its market, the Cosmos were sharing the New York-area with 12 professional sports franchises – including two Major League Soccer teams (Table A.1). There were also several colleges and hundreds of high schools with sports teams sitting alongside Broadway shows, a slew of major concerts and live performances, and the everyday hustle and bustle of the New York metropolitan area. Globally, the soccer market had grown tremendously with teams spending hundreds of millions of dollars to land the sport's top players and fans rooting for teams playing on different continents.(2) It was within this dual environment that Cosmos management was working to identify the club's best strategic position while some soccer observers asked if there was room even for a legendary franchise like the Cosmos.
The Cosmos welcomed their on-field success starting in 2013 as they executed a business strategy of incremental and steady growth. Today's strategy – finding success as a local team with a global presence – was going to be different from the past. The current Cosmos saw growth being built mainly on the team's legendary history, a price-conscious and fan-friendly environment, and talented but inexpensive players (with the occasional star player in the mix). The old strategy, landing global superstars at or near their prime, was not going to be possible for the Cosmos in light of this new approach. (That sentiment was true for almost every professional soccer team in the United States.)(3) The team was also restricted somewhat by not owning its home stadium and not having a significant television presence. As part of the franchise's growth strategy, these issues were ones the team was planning to address as early as possible.
Even after winning the 2013 NASL championship, Miller knew wins on the field would not be enough to achieve the commercial goals the team had for itself. The franchise needed to have important partners in the areas of media, sponsorship, and facility development willing to stand with it as it took this deliberate approach to building the franchise. It would also have to work with the NASL, the league it had chosen to be a part of in its return to the soccer scene, to find ways to elevate the business of all member teams.
In addition to putting together a very competitive team on the field, the overriding short-term goals for the franchise were to drive awareness of the team and bring more fans to the stadium. The team had been hovering around the 5,500 mark for attendance – just around the league average – but for management that was not good enough, especially in light of the soccer-rich communities surrounding the team on Long Island and in Queens, NY. The team needed more fans to generate greater revenues, attract media attention, and to serve as ambassadors who could tout the team in their communities. The team had initiated several efforts to bring in fans, including offering various season ticket packages; promotions for fans in attendance; a youth academy affiliate program; and a rewards program for fans who spent money on the Cosmos and their partners. The various departments within the Cosmos franchise all had additional ideas on how to grow the Cosmos business, from ticket sales – discounts for selected target markets, to operations – adding pre and post-game activities for the fans in attendance, to marketing – better use of social media channels. CEO Miller had to collect these and future ideas, evaluate them, and begin to put some of them in play. He knew that the team's growth trajectory was directly dependent on its ability to double or triple its current attendance. In addition, he knew that game attendance would have to increase significantly if the team was to have a chance of sustaining itself in the 25,000-seat, $400-million stadium the franchise was pitching to the local marketplace.
The proposed stadium in Elmont, Long Island (NY) signified where the Cosmos wanted to be as a world-class soccer franchise. The size of the facility and its proposed amenities approximated those of other modern sports facilities in the U.S. and around the world. However, the stadium also represented the club's greatest challenge. First and foremost, the club would need to win the bid for the land on which to construct the stadium and a planned mixed-use development. This contest was in a New York market where government bodies were notorious for dragging out the facility-development process and being somewhat unpredictable.(4) Recently, the NHL's New York Islanders abandoned their years-long effort to secure a new arena on Long Island and moved their games to Brooklyn (NY).(5) Second, the Cosmos would have to build a professional sports team business warranting significant fan, media, and corporate support. While confident of its ability in that regard, the Cosmos franchise was still at the mercy of those government officials deciding on the bid for the land. The team's future, at least on Long Island, hinged on a favorable decision.
In addition to the stadium, Miller was also being asked to consider the team's current position in the NASL and the possibility, even if somewhat remote, of the team joining the highest level professional soccer league in the U.S., Major League Soccer (MLS). Having started 20 years ago, MLS had recently earned some significant business successes and was further along in its development than the NASL.
With the final whistle, Miller started walking back to his office basking in the glow of another victory and thinking about the opportunities/challenges that came with being the new New York Cosmos.
A. History
Few sports organizations have pasts colorful enough to warrant a book and documentary film. The Cosmos were such a franchise.(6)
The Cosmos launched in 1971, sprung from the vision and bravado of American entertainment industry entrepreneur Stephen Ross and Turkish-born music executive brothers Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun. At the beginning, resources were tight, not unusual for a start-up venture.(7) (Newsham, 2006) The team could not get players who reflected the grandiosity implied by the name "Cosmos" as it could not yet pay world-class salaries. The team also was without a stadium to call its own. It was a monumental task just to get a few thousand fans to watch this "new" game of soccer with unfamiliar players, let alone garner the support of a mainstream audience and corporate partners/sponsors. Fortunately for the team Ross and his partners were committed to seeing this not just work, but flourish long-term.
In a preview of its current situation, the team needed a "professional" place to play. There was no extra stadium space for the team to occupy a couple dozen times a year. The city also was in dire financial straits, making the possibility of a publicly-funded stadium close to zero. Though not ideal for professional soccer, the team had to do with what was available, playing in venues such as Yankee Stadium, Downing Stadium, and even their current home, Hofstra University. However, in part because they did not have a true "home field," the team struggled to build a presence.
Ross, "a natural-born impresario, decided in 1975 that what ailed the team could be cured by the biggest celebrity in the sport."(8) (Segal, 2011) In a world with few truly global athletes – boxer Muhammad Ali and Olympic champions Nadia Comaneci and Bruce Jenner – Ross went after perhaps the most famous athlete of them all, Brazilian soccer star Pelé. After many international flights and in-person meetings, Pelé was lured out of his recent retirement from national and club soccer and into a Cosmos jersey. The deal? A multiyear contract that paid Pelé more than $1 million annually.(9) (Lewis, 2015) For context, at the time the highest-paid athlete in America's national pastime, baseball, and home run king Hank Aaron, earned $240,000 per season(10) (Haupert, 2012) and Hall of Fame NBA star Jerry West made $90,000.(11) ("Some Athletes Were Legendary," 2010)
By bringing in Pelé and leveraging a key strategic business move – Ross brought the Cosmos under the Warner Communications umbrella so that all costs were assumed by the conglomerate – the Cosmos went on a global soccer talent "shopping spree." Over the course of seven years, the team assembled a veritable "All-Star" team of soccer talent from around the world. In short order, this star power put the Cosmos at the forefront of New York sports, no small accomplishment even at that time. Interestingly, not only was the team dominating the sports pages, it achieved a prominent place in the world of entertainment gossip as well. New York City was full of all types of celebrities and those with international fame were at the top of the list, soccer players included. Stephen Ross's big bet on Pelé and subsequent stars such as Giorgio Chinaglia (Italy), Carlos Alberto (Brazil), and Franz Beckenbauer (Germany), paid off in the form of a winning sports team whose on and off-the-field exploits served to attract the fans and corporate support that just a few years earlier had been so elusive.(12) (McGowan, 2013)
The team averaged over 35,000 fans per game during this period and eventually captured 5 NASL championships during its first run of 15 years.(13) (Newsham, 2006)
"The Cosmos personified fantasia," Hudson said. "They were spellbinding. I
remember looking around the field in one game and there were seven World Cup
captains on the field. It was the zenith point for all of us who had the privilege to
play in that league at that time. It will never happen again. I remember I-95 shut
down with fans getting off the exit ramps for Lockhart, and fans shoehorned into
that place, pushed up three deep against the fences."(14) (Kaufman, 2013)
– Ray Hudson, former star player, Ft. Lauderdale Strikers
However, this impressive run by the New York Cosmos, and to some degree the NASL, was not built to last. The league did not manage its costs well, mostly when it came to player salaries. The Cosmos were bringing in some of the world's best players and paying them accordingly. Most other teams in the NASL felt pressured to "keep up," spending money on salaries that was not supported by adequate revenue streams that are so common today, e.g. broadcast rights (local and national), club seats and luxury boxes, as well as robust corporate sponsorship. Teams found it increasingly difficult to put a competitive team on the field, and eventually the NASL could not sustain itself, folding operations in 1985. With the death of the NASL came the death of the New York Cosmos. The team known for its international superstars and huge crowds wherever they played was now reduced to some leftover team memorabilia and intellectual property. The Cosmos were gone as fast as they seemed to appear.
B. The U.S. Soccer Industry Comes Alive
As the 1980s turned into the '90s, the U.S. remained without a top-tier professional soccer league. However, on July 4, 1988, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the world governing body for soccer, selected the United States to host the 1994 World Cup. Those in the U.S. passionate about soccer and hoping to have a professional league were thus given a lifeline. The hope was that the world's biggest single-sport event would spur multiple stakeholders to work together to provide the financial and management expertise needed to make a new professional league work. Having the World Cup in the U.S. would potentially trigger the type of energy and interest that would convert millions of young players and the multitude of parents and coaches involved with the game into fans of a professional league. Despite the naysayers, especially those in the media who disputed the idea that the U.S. could be a "soccer market," there seemed to be a groundswell of support for the idea of a new league.
The proposed league, Major League Soccer (MLS), was being started by some very deep-pocketed owners such as Phil Anschutz, Bob Kraft, and Lamar Hunt (Anschutz was one of the richest individuals in America, while Kraft and Hunt were both owners of NFL teams). Despite this apparent financial cushion, league organizers chose to adopt a unique organizational structure. As a "single-entity" there were no individual team owners, but rather owner-operators, with ownership coming in the form of a stake in the league as a whole (no major pro sports leagues in the U.S. operated in this manner). This arrangement meant that the free-spending ways of the old NASL would not be repeated as MLS's league office had to agree to all contract signings. There would also be a team salary cap.
The decision to go with a single-entity structure was seen to be prudent in the face of the sports business environment the new league was facing. MLS had to adopt and implement policies and procedures to assist its development in the short and long term. The single-entity structure gave the league the ability to control costs while it sought to drive significant revenues, much of which would be shared amongst the teams, via a presence on TV, by attracting sponsors, and enticing all of those young soccer players and their families to come to MLS games.
After a delay of two years, MLS launched in 1996, starting out with ten teams. MLS experienced growing pains when it came to generating interest amongst fans, companies, and the sports media even though the U.S. had hosted an incredibly successful World Cup and the league had influential individuals and companies such as Adidas and Budweiser supporting its launch. These early troubles were partly due to the reality of the sports market at the time compared to 25 years before. There was far more competition, including more teams in existing leagues, the formation of new leagues, and the growing presence of international sports offerings on TV. Fans and potential fans were being offered a staggering array of options when it came to entertaining themselves.(15) (Sibor, 2015)
With the support of its deep-pocketed investors, the MLS eventually gained traction in the sports marketplace by first, just surviving. Fans were increasingly identifying with their local team after multiple seasons and rivalries were also forming, giving the league those "must-attend" games. Another significant move by MLS and Commissioner Don Garber was a push for soccer-specific stadiums for its existing and future teams in the league. The advent of these stadiums was considered a "game changer" for MLS. Now games would be played in stadiums that provided an infinitely better experience for soccer spectators, both individuals and corporations/organizations, and for generating sponsor and ticket revenue.
By having a better environment to play in and a better financial arrangement when it came to costs and generating revenue at the stadium, some MLS teams started to show a profit. In addition to team-generated revenues, the league itself achieved milestones. First, the league in 2014 announced that it had signed a new national TV rights deal with ESPN, Fox, and Univision running from 2015 to 2022 that would take the league's annual haul from $30 million to $90 million.(16) (Smith, 2014) The league also counted 8- and 9-figure expansion fees from the new franchises joining the league from 2010 to 2015. The MLS ended the first decade of the 21st century with 16 teams, reached 2015 with 20 teams, and had a host of cities expressing interest in joining this soccer "party" over the next ten years.(17)
C. The Cosmos Relaunch – Take 1
The buzz around soccer was palpable for not only was MLS establishing itself in the marketplace, the U.S. women's and men's national teams were regularly making news for their improved play. The 1999 World Cup win by the women and the 2010 World Cup performance by the men's team were especially thrilling and grabbed the country's attention. Soccer was earning a place in the hearts and minds of the U.S. public. At this time, there was also a buzz about the New York Cosmos, the club that first generated excitement around soccer in the U.S., making a return. The buzz was a mix of incredulity, hope, and excitement. The Cosmos represented what many felt soccer could be in the U.S. However, for a not-so-small group, the Cosmos also represented careless spending, big market dominance, and the reality that even with some of the best players in the world, a soccer league in the U.S. was not going to survive. The retort was that a top-level league in the U.S. was not only surviving, its growing success also encouraged the launch of two lower division leagues, the United Soccer League (USL) and the new NASL, in 2011.
The big questions being asked in 2010 when it came to the old/new Cosmos was, "So how do you begin to breathe life back into the New York Cosmos without it coming off as a cheap imitation? How do you go about restarting a professional sports franchise with such a loaded name basically from scratch, anyway?"(18) (Schaerlaeckens, 2010) In other words, should the effort even be undertaken?
Not much had taken place with the Cosmos since their last game in 1985. The team had devolved into a collection of memorabilia and intellectual property rights, both of which were being held by Peppe Pinton, the personal assistant to former Cosmos star Giorgio Chinaglia.
Pinton kept the team's trademark alive by running Cosmos-branded training camps for kids, maintaining a storage facility with Cosmos gear, trophies, etc. and "by suing anyone who tried to exploit the Cosmos name (by selling t-shirts, for instance). "I spent $800,000 to $900,000 in legal fees over the years," said Pinton. For years he looked for a buyer who shared his particular fervor for the club.(19) (Segal, 2011)
Relaunching the Cosmos would require the new owners to understand the current sports and entertainment business marketplace, global growth and competition, the incredible impact of technology, and consumer demographics and behavior. The U.S. and the world were different places in the 21st century, and this reality would impact the strategy undertaken by the eventual owners.
The consensus was that if the team was relaunched, it would have to "walk a tightrope between honoring the old and ushering in the new, between capitalizing on the brand and rebranding the club's identity." "We are passionate custodians of a great legacy in the New York Cosmos, an icon of this city," said Dan Cherry, then-chief marketing officer. "Having said that, this is not simply a retro brand play. You do not try to recreate an icon."(20) (Schaerlaeckens, 2010)
In addition to the strength of the Cosmos name, the new ownership group was counting on its experience and expertise to make this relaunch work. The club's soccer clout included Paul Kemsley, chairman, who was prominent with the Tottenham Hotspur club in England. He had been working on the reincarnation of the Cosmos since July 2008, gaining considerable momentum when he acquired the club's rights in October 2009 and formally announced its rebirth in August of 2010. Also, there was Terry Byrne, the club's director of soccer, who previously worked for clubs Watford and Chelsea and England's national team; and Rick Parry, board member, who spent nine years as the CEO of the Liverpool club and was in charge of the development of England's Premier League.(21) Then there was soccer icon Pelé, of course, whose name conjured up memories not only of the Cosmos but the "beautiful game" played at its highest level.
The team's new ownership was aware that the sports landscape had changed to such a degree that what occurred with the Cosmos the first time around, i.e., signing hugely popular players at huge salaries, truly was "once in a lifetime." And they professed to understand the way Major League Soccer operated and how it viewed the expansion process.
The new management team at the Cosmos decided against importing global superstars and focused on a strategy it believed was more economically sensible and sustainable. The team planned to develop a pool of emerging talent and in furtherance of this "build vs. buy" approach, the Cosmos acquired two well-known youth soccer clubs in New York and Los Angeles. The hope was that the team would produce several starters by the time the club kicked off its inaugural season and would round out the team with free-agent signings. In all, the Cosmos were investing more than $1 million in youth soccer, a total twice the annual budget of the MLS's D.C. United soccer academy, which had delivered the best players of any MLS club to date.(22) (Schaerlaeckens, 2010)
With player development on relatively stable ground, the team continued to build out its relaunch. Unfortunately, the promise of a well-connected ownership and executive team did not translate into what seemed to be the Cosmos's key business and sporting goal, i.e. entrée into Major League Soccer. For despite the wonderful history and pedigree, the Cosmos had to deal with the reality of modern pro sports leagues. They could not just announce their desire to join MLS; they would have to be invited and be accepted by a clear majority of the league's owners. In professional sports, it was now the league, rather than prospective teams/cities, that had the leverage. And that was true of Major League Soccer. MLS was asking for a significant expansion fee that the Cosmos were known to be against. The league was also looking for the club to have a soccer-specific stadium ready when the team began league play. The Cosmos could not meet that requirement.
After 10+ years of steady progress and growing awareness and income, MLS was fielding more inquiries regarding expansion than it had openings available. Eventual league members Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Montreal, and New York and future members Atlanta and Minnesota were just some of the cities that saw promise in Major League Soccer. The Cosmos, while desirous of the 20th spot that eventually went to NYCFC, would have to wait its turn to apply, with no guarantee of inclusion, or seek out other options. Being part of a league was essential, for without membership, the Cosmos were nothing more than an interesting idea. For the Kemsley ownership group, the lack of certainty regarding entry into MLS was not something it could accept and it began to seek ways to unload its Cosmos dream.
D. The Cosmos Relaunch – Take 2
In early 2012 Sela Sports stepped in to grab ownership of the "potential" that was the New York Cosmos franchise. The change in ownership also included changes in senior management that got the soccer industry's attention. First, respected sports marketing executive Troy Kelleher was brought on as chairman. Kelleher was the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee at Lagardère Unlimited, overseeing the group's global sports and entertainment businesses. He was also founder and Executive Chairman of World Sport Group (WSG), one of Asia's leading sports marketing, media and event management companies. Over 20-plus years, Kelleher established WSG as industry leaders in Asia, employing more than 200 people in nine offices including Beijing, Beirut, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo and its headquarters, Singapore. Kelleher and WSG were recognized as key figures in the development of sports in Asia, specifically football, golf, and cricket.(23) ("Power 100," 2014)
The Cosmos also brought on senior sports executive Seth Miller to run the day-to-day operations of the team. Miller was no stranger to professional soccer as he previously had a successful run as Managing Director with MLS's New York Red Bulls (RBNY), in essence running everything related to the team and its players. At RBNY, Miller oversaw the construction and operation of Red Bull Arena, a $200 million state-of-the-art soccer stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. He also successfully recruited international soccer legend Thierry Henry to come to MLS in July of 2010. When Miller left the Red Bulls in August of 2011, they had risen from the bottom of MLS in attendance to #4, which included a 150% increase in season ticket holders. For his work at RBNY, Miller received the 2010 MLS Executive of the Year Award.(24) (Williams, 2013)
The new ownership and management team was not dissuaded by the challenges faced by the previous owners. They were committed to securing a firm position in the sports landscape from which they could pursue a larger, more comprehensive strategy. That meant finding a league of which to be a part. With league membership, the team would have a set of teams against whom it would play on a regular basis, as well as the opportunity to participate in national and international competitions.
While the Paul Kemsley-led Cosmos ownership group had discussions with Major League Soccer about being the 20th franchise in the league, that spot was not explicitly reserved for the Cosmos. The league had multiple ownership groups from around the country interested in joining its growing list of members and it never promised another one or two teams in the New York area. But was MLS the only option for Cosmos? What about barnstorming? Regularly employed by the early professional sports teams in the U.S., barnstorming had been one of the main revenue and publicity drivers for the original Cosmos. Perhaps the power of the Cosmos name would enable the team to regularly schedule games with teams in the U.S. and around the world. The challenge in taking that approach was that it was hard to, if not impossible to, execute as the sole element of a franchise's business model. Teams needed to produce a product, and that product was the actual game. A team needed a fan base that could plan to see it on a regular basis in a convenient location. Without opponents in an organized league, the Cosmos could do no more than sell merchandise and play an occasional exhibition game. That was clearly not the ultimate intention of the new owners.
E. The Cosmos and the new NASL
Kelleher and Miller continued to confer over the direction of the Cosmos and realized another option did exist. Coincidentally, the opportunity was with a new league that had adopted the name of the home of the original New York Cosmos, the North American Soccer League (NASL).
The new NASL was formed in 2009 and held its first season in 2011. The league started with eight teams and consisted of a bifurcated season schedule.(25) (Diaz, 2012) The league was recognized as the second level league in the United States, one step below Major League Soccer. In 2015, the NASL hosted 11 clubs, with plans to move to 13 in 2016. While the new NASL had no official connection to the former NASL that operated from 1968 to 1984, several of the present-day NASL teams were playing in cities where the former NASL had teams. In particular, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Tampa Bay Rowdies, and New York Cosmos clubs shared the same names and similar jersey designs as their NASL predecessors.(26)
The new NASL was owned and operated by its member teams through a Board of Governors. The Board consisted of a representative of each member team and oversaw league rules and regulations, governed the expansion and commercial strategy of the league, and managed the league office.(27) ("NASL Media Guide," 2012) Unlike MLS, the NASL did not employ a salary cap.
By joining the NASL, the Cosmos had what it sorely needed, a place from which they could execute their business strategy. That strategy, again, meant being a local team with a global presence. The team was excited by the NASL's business model and felt it was more reflective of the systems throughout the professional soccer world. In addition to not having a salary cap, team ownership was decentralized, as opposed to the unique single-entity model employed by Major League Soccer. Because of the Cosmos's rich history and strong brand name, the new team owners felt they would be sacrificing too much to the centralized MLS ownership structure, including the right to market and sell Cosmos' business interests. Also, the expansion fee required for the Cosmos to join the NASL was orders of magnitude less than what was being discussed in MLS ($100 million). The team felt it would be better to use the saved money on putting together a strong collection of veteran and young players that could regularly compete for a league championship and in outside competitions.
Kelleher and Miller agreed that the team's return to the field in 2013 required them to balance the club's special history with expectations of the "new" Cosmos in the "new" NASL. Being seen as the soccer world's most famous expansion team brought some challenges. It also, however, brought with it great promise as the team concluded its first season in the NASL by raising the league championship trophy. The goal to once again be leaders on and off the field was starting to come to fruition.
After winning the NASL championship in 2013, the Cosmos earned a playoff spot in 2014 and started off 2015 with a 13-game unbeaten streak. During the streak, the team took a ground-breaking trip to Cuba for the first professional sports event involving teams from the respective nations in more than 15 years. The game, which ended with the Cosmos earning a 4-1 win, captured the attention of news outlets throughout the region and much of the world.
This excellent run of play on the field for the Cosmos was an obvious source of pride for the team and its fan base. Winning was certainly better than losing as the club tried to attract fans, sponsors, and other business partners. In pursuit of that goal, team management also knew it had to answer two more important questions to ensure that the relaunch would continue to be successful: 1) when to fully execute its business strategy; and 2) with whom, NASL or MLS, should it align its long-term goals.
First, regarding timing, should the team wait until it had at least secured a formal agreement to build a new stadium before rolling out new major initiatives? Or should it operate as if that was going to take a few years, or in the worst case, not happen at all? Some of the Cosmos's plans, including the hosting of international friendly matches and selling of premium seats and luxury boxes, were being held up in part due to the stadium issues. The team was still leasing space at Hofstra University's stadium but did not see it as a viable long-term home for the team due to its limited seating capacity of 12,000. Also, there was limited opportunity to market to corporate entities, whose financial and marketing support were sorely needed.
Miller questioned if the team could build a financially sustainable, winning identity without a stadium to support the vision, strategy, and brand of the team. As he saw with the Red Bulls, you could only get so far without the credibility that a professional-level facility could provide, credibility with players, fans, corporate sponsors, and media partners. Professional sports were no longer just about the game. The Cosmos wanted to effectuate fully their goal of being a successful sports brand and that meant having their own stadium.
Miller knew what a stadium could do for the franchise, but he and Kelleher communicated to the club's staff and business partners that waiting for that stadium's development before rolling out marketing and sales initiatives would not be the right way to go. In the notoriously difficult real estate and political environment in the state of New York, a quick resolution to the team's proposal for a privately-financed, soccer-specific stadium on Long Island was likely not going to happen. The team had to act now and prove to fans, sponsors, broadcast partners, and players considering joining the Cosmos, such as Spanish legend Raul, that it had the ideas to be successful and the ability to follow through on those ideas.
Second, there was the question of which league the club should align with. This had seemingly been answered. The Cosmos had joined the NASL and started off strong. The league itself showed signs of progress with the addition of several expansion teams. However, there was no doubt that the improved fortunes for MLS, which now included a second New York City-area team in 2015, NYCFC, the joint venture between the New York Yankees and Manchester City, made it an attractive, albeit longshot option. There was precedence of lower-division clubs finding a place in MLS, most recently the Minnesota United, a former NASL club that was projected to join MLS in 2017 or 2018. Minnesota joined the Montreal Impact, which went from the NASL to MLS after the second-division league's inaugural season in 2011, and continued a trend in which teams in lower leagues ascended to MLS, including the Seattle Sounders (2009), Portland Timbers (2011), Vancouver Whitecaps (2011) and Orlando City SC (2015).(28)
The future of the Cosmos and its two New York-area competitors – New York Red Bulls and NYCFC – were tied directly to the development of their respective leagues. While MLS was older and richer, the NASL was also making inroads worthy of attention. In addition to adding teams, the league was improving when it came to media exposure for its teams, a key part of the Cosmos' strategy. In 2015, the NASL formally announced that it had expanded its relationship with industry powerhouse ESPN, with a minimum of 120 league matches to be carried live on ESPN3, ESPN Play and ESPN Player in 75 different countries. Eight of the league's clubs were to have all 15 of their regular-season home matches live on ESPN3.(29) (Krishnaiyer, 2015) The Cosmos were encouraged by this new partnership.
Soccer in the U.S. had grown tremendously since the first version of the New York Cosmos dominated the market in the late 1970's and early '80s. At that time, the Cosmos were soccer in the U.S. Now the country was host to a top level professional league, multiple lower-level leagues, and a vibrant youth and high school and college scene. The question now about soccer was not about survival but rather about just how far up the ladder of American sports could it go. The Cosmos were now in a situation where everything regarding the health of soccer in the U.S. did not rise and fall with the team's fortunes. And without this burden, the franchise was confident of its chances to succeed.
The audience for this case are undergraduate upperclassmen and graduate students studying sport management and/or business management. "New York Cosmos – Twice in a Lifetime" (hereafter "Twice in a Lifetime") asks the student to understand both the history of a sports business entity – the New York Cosmos – and the challenges and opportunities it now faces in a changed marketplace. With this understanding, the students are asked to consider which strategies may be best for the Cosmos to undertake to achieve ownership's short and long term goals.
The case is written to provide the necessary foundation for students to understand the basic history of the Cosmos and the related players impacting the direction in which the team may go. Those players are the two top professional soccer leagues in the United States, Major League Soccer (MLS) and the North American Soccer League (NASL). However, the case also purposely gives the instructor the opportunity to assign outside readings and research to the students (sample readings are listed below). This can be done before the case is initially assigned and/or during discussion of the main points presented in the case. The idea is to force students to act like real-life managers who may have some important information, but not all, and therefore, must seek out information and input from other sources.
The case asks the students to imagine themselves as a senior executive with the New York Cosmos.
The learning objectives aimed for with this case study include:
1) Having students appreciate how the history of a franchise can possibly be both an asset and liability.
2) Getting students to take the knowledge of that history to help frame the context of the current situation faced by the team.
3) Encouraging students to undertake efforts to learn about factors in the marketplace that may impact the existing or pending strategies of the franchise.
4) Enabling students to go through the exercise of comparing and contrasting compelling business opportunities.
5) Providing a chance for the students to evaluate a decision and be able to change course as circumstances may have changed in the marketplace.
The case study is purposely left "framework agnostic," in that the instructor can adopt one of an array of theoretical frameworks, including new product development (NPD), ID branding, venture analysis, or brand development, amongst others, when leading the case. By using these frameworks in class, the students can point out the facts and factors in an organization and marketplace that are impacting the ways sport management professionals handle the challenge of introducing newer versions of brands, e.g. sports teams, which are steeped in history and tradition. This analysis and the related discussions will be valuable additions to the body of knowledge shared by the students and instructor.
Discussion Questions:
1) What are some key factors in today's sports business marketplace that would have an impact on the Cosmos relaunch and subsequent business activities? How do they differ from what the Cosmos faced in the past?
2) What is the better option for the New York Cosmos in the short term and long term, when it comes to league membership (NASL or MLS)? Please explain in detail the reasoning behind your choice.
a. Start and stay in the NASL
b. Start in the NASL and move to the MLS
3) What marketing and business development opportunities should the Cosmos pursue in the short and long term?
a. Would the approach be different depending on which league the team was in? If so, how?
b. Would the approach be different if the Cosmos were in its own soccer-specific stadium? If so, how?
4) The Cosmos have been referred to at times as a local team with a global footprint. How can the team maintain a global presence while it works to firm up its position in the New York/U.S. soccer market?
5) With the MLS and NASL both experiencing growth on and off the field, what are the chances that we could see them merge, and if they do merge, which business model do you feel would be adopted? Why?
While these questions can be addressed by individual students, the case also lends itself to a group setting, as one or more groups of students can approximate the franchise's senior management team, while others can be positioned as important franchise stakeholders. One additional possibility is that this exercise, especially as it relates to "Objective #4," can be executed in debate form, with groups arguing their sides to one or more decision-makers.
Sampling of additional materials for review
Allaway, R. (2009). Corner offices & corner kicks: how big business created America's two greatest soccer dynasties, Bethlehem Steel and the New York Cosmos. St. Johann Press.
Asher, A. (2014). "How The New York Cosmos Are Quietly Making MLS Nervous," Soccerlens, Jan. 11, 2014. http://soccerlens.com/new-york-cosmos-quietly-making-mls-nervous/154485/
Bell, J. (2013). "Reborn Cosmos Return to the Field," New York Times, Aug. 2, 2013.
www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/sports/soccer/reborn-cosmos-return-to-the-field.html?_r=0
Botta, C. (2013). "For Cosmos, rebirth on a modest scale," Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal, July 29, 2013, p. 8. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/07/29/Franchises/Cosmos.aspx?hl=new%20york%20cosmos&sc=1
Eisenmenger, L.E. (2013). "Doing everything right: NY Cosmos offer free shuttles to games," examiner.com, July 18, 2013. http://www.examiner.com/article/doing-everything-right-ny-cosmos-offer-free-shuttles-to-games
Griffiths, Ian. (2011). "Failed property tycoon goes for Cosmos glory," theguardian, June 10, 2011. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/jun/10/new-york-cosmos-pele-eric-cantona
Krishnaiyer, K. (2015). "New York Cosmos and NASL need to stop focusing on MLS competition," World Soccer Talk, Aug. 20, 2015. http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/08/20/new-york-cosmos-and-nasl-need-to-stop-focusing-on-mls-competition/
Labidou, A. (2013). "New York Cosmos explain reasoning behind ambitious stadium project," Goal.com, Jan. 17, 2013. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/66/united-states/2013/01/17/3677255/new-york-cosmos-explain-reasoning-behind-ambitious-stadium
Megdal, H. (2015). "As soccer focuses on New York, the Cosmos aim global," POLITICO Media, March 26, 2015. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2015/03/8564795/soccer-focuses-new-york-cosmos-aim-global
Oshan, J. (2012). "New And Humbled New York Cosmos Seem To Be For Real This Time," SB Nation, July 13, 2012. http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2012/7/13/3157936/new-york-cosmos-return-humble
Shires, F. (2015). "New York Cosmos chief hopeful over Georgios Samaras deal," HITC Sport, Nov. 14, 2015. http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/11/14/new-york-cosmos-chief-hopeful-over-georgios-samaras-deal/
Soshnick, S. (2015). "Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony Buys Soccer Team in Puerto Rico," BloombergBusiness, June 11, 2015. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/knicks-all-star-carmelo-anthony-buys-soccer-team-in-puerto-rico
Wilson, B. (2015). "NASL football league looks to kick on in North America," BBC, July 31, 2015. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-33551387
The author would like to acknowledge the guidance and support of the Farmingdale State College (NY) Sport Management department, including Professors Ira Stolzenberg and John Meindl, as well as Professor David Kilpatrick of Mercy College (NY). Research assistance was provided by Christine Meany, Research Director at ORC International, Inc.
There are no material conflicts of interest related to the development of this paper. While the author has had a number of interactions with the New York Cosmos as part of his position as Assistant Professor at Farmingdale State College, no pressure, implicit or otherwise, was exerted by the New York Cosmos franchise in the writing of the case study.
1. Names of some individuals as well as the elements of proposed discussions were altered to protect identities and for the purpose of triggering discussions and debate in an academic setting. The case study should be read as a presentation of a realistic business situation rather than a commentary on specific actions taken by any individuals or entities referenced in the case study.
2. "REVEALED! The top 10 BIGGEST SPENDING clubs in world football since 2005," talkSPORT, http://talksport.com/football/revealed-top-10-biggest-spending-clubs-world-football-2005-141009117930
3. Badenhausen, Kurt, With $300 Million Haul, Floyd Mayweather Tops Forbes' 2015 List Of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes," Forbes.com, http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2015/06/10/with-300-million-haul-floyd-mayweather-tops-forbes-2015-list-of-the-worlds-highest-paid-athletes/
4. Bondy, F. (2005). "Just another building block: Local stadium plans never have the blight stuff," New York Daily News, Jan. 23, 2005.
5. Singh, S. & Stolzenberg, I. (2013). Nassau Coliseum: Death of an arena? International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(15), 40-48.
6. Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (2006) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489247/ (book authored by Gavin Newsham (2006)).
7. Ibid.
8. Segal, David, "The New York Cosmos Want to Take the Field Again," New York Times, April 15, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Cosmos-t.html?_r=0
9. Lewis, Michael, "40 years on: how New York Cosmos lured Pelé to a football wasteland," The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jun/02/40-years-on-how-new-york-cosmos-lured-Pelé-to-a-football-wasteland, June 2, 2015.
10. Haupert, Michael, "MLB's annual salary leaders, 1874-2012," Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), http://sabr.org/research/mlbs-annual-salary-leaders-1874-2012 , Fall 2012.
11. "Some Athletes Were Legendary, But Their Salaries Weren't," NESN.com, http://nesn.com/2010/05/sports-legends-salaries-may-surprise-you/, May 23, 2010.
12. McGowan, Tom, "New York Cosmos: Reawakened in the city that never sleeps," CNN.com, August 2, 2013. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/02/sport/football/new-york-cosmos-pele-football/
13. Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (2006) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489247/ (book authored by Gavin Newsham (2006)).
14. Kaufman, Michelle, "Cosmos, Strikers matchup brings back memories of storied rivalry," The Miami Herald, September 17, 2013.
15. Sibor, Dough, "An Oral History of Major League Soccer's Frenzied First Season," Complex, May 12, 2015. http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/05/oral-history-major-league-soccer-first-season. "Welcome to the MLS History Section," www.majorleaguesoccer.com; "History of Major League Soccer," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Major_League_Soccer
16. Smith, Chris, "Major League Soccer Announces New TV Deals With ESPN, Fox, Univision," Forbes.com, May 12, 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2014/05/12/major-league-soccer-announces-new-tv-deals-with-espn-fox-univision/
17. Carlisle, Jeff, "Examining the candidates for the next round of MLS expansion," ESPNFC.com, May 7, 2015. http://www.espnfc.us/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/2438275/examining-the-candidates-for-the-next-round-of-mls-expansion
18. Schaerlaeckens, Leander, "Twice in a Lifetime," ESPN.com, November 29, 2010.
19. Segal, David, "The New York Cosmos Want to Take the Field Again," New York Times Sunday Magazine, April 17, 2011, p. MM22.
23. "The Power 100 Panelists – Seamus O'Brien – Chairman, CEO, and founder, World Sport Group," http://www.bloomberg.com/ss/08/10/1002_power100_panel/23.htm; "Seamus O'Brien – Founder & Executive Chairman," http://www.wsgworld.com/about-us/management/seamus-obrien/
24. "Erik Stover, Chief Operating Officer at New York Cosmos," https://www.linkedin.com/pub/erik-stover/15/b5b/925; Williams, Jack, "Q. and A. With the Cosmos' Erik Stover," New York Times, April 8, 2013. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/q-and-a-with-the-cosmos-erik-stover/?_r=0
25. The split-season model has several intended benefits for NASL. A break in July that coincides with the international transfer window allows teams to acquire (or sell) players during the summer, providing ample time for new players to become acquainted with their new club and league. Secondly, NASL teams can use this break to generate additional revenue by hosting international friendlies or going on tour. (Cesar Diaz (October 2, 2012). "Q & A with N.A.S.L. Commissioner David Downs". New York Times Soccer Blog. Retrieved August 7, 2013.)
26. North American Soccer League – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League
27. "NASL 2012 Media Guide" (PDF). July 19, 2012.
28. "Make Way for Minnesota: MLS' 23rd team to begin play in 2018," Big Apple Soccer, March 25, 2015. http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/leagues/mls2.php?article_id=40534
29. Krishnaiyer, Kartik, "With NASL-ESPN deal, NASL games now more accessible online than MLS," Worldsoccertalk.com, http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/03/26/with-nasl-espn-deal-nasl-games-now-more-accessible-online-than-mls/#JSP0oFBRXR1Vv4xE.99
Badenhausen, K. (2015). "With $300 Million Haul, Floyd Mayweather Tops Forbes' 2015 List Of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes," Forbes.com, http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2015/06/10/with-300-million-haul-floyd-mayweather-tops-forbes-2015-list-of-the-worlds-highest-paid-athletes/
Bondy, F. (2005). "Just another building block: Local stadium plans never have the blight stuff," New York Daily News, Jan. 23, 2005.
Carlisle, J., "Examining the candidates for the next round of MLS expansion," ESPNFC.com, May 7, 2015. http://www.espnfc.us/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/2438275/examining-the-candidates-for-the-next-round-of-mls-expansion
Diaz, C. (2012). "Q & A with N.A.S.L. Commissioner David Downs," New York Times Soccer Blog, Oct. 2, 2012. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/q-a-with-n-a-s-l-commissioner-david-downs/?_r=0.
Haupert, M. (2012). "MLB's annual salary leaders, 1874-2012," Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), http://sabr.org/research/mlbs-annual-salary-leaders-1874-2012.
Kaufman, M. (2013). "Cosmos, Strikers matchup brings back memories of storied rivalry," The Miami Herald, September 17, 2013. http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/article1955086.html.
Krishnaiyer, K. (2015). "With NASL-ESPN deal, NASL games now more accessible online than MLS," Worldsoccertalk.com, http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/03/26/with-nasl-espn-deal-nasl-games-now-more-accessible-online-than-mls/#JSP0oFBRXR1Vv4xE.99.
Lewis, B. (2015). "Pelé on what Cosmos must do to become relevant again," New York Post, http://nypost.com/2015/04/16/Pelé-on-what-cosmos-must-do-to-become-relevant-again/.
McGowan, T., (2013) "New York Cosmos: Reawakened in the city that never sleeps,"
CNN.com, August 2, 2013. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/02/sport/football/new-york-cosmos-pele-football/.
Newsham, G. (2006). Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos, 2006; Documentary, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489247/, 2006.
Schaerlaeckens, L. (2010). "Twice in a Lifetime," ESPN.com, November 29, 2010.
http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/5703157/rebirth-new-york-cosmos.
Segal, D. (2011). "The New York Cosmos Want to Take the Field Again," New York Times, April 15, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Cosmos-t.html?_r=0.
Sibor, D. (2015). "An Oral History of Major League Soccer's Frenzied First Season," Complex, May 12, 2015. http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/05/oral-history-major-league-soccer-first-season.
Singh, S. & Stolzenberg, I. (2013). Nassau Coliseum: Death of an arena? International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(15), 40-48.
Smith, C. (2014). "Major League Soccer Announces New TV Deals With ESPN, Fox, Univision," Forbes.com, May 12, 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2014/05/12/major-league-soccer-
announces-new-tv-deals-with-espn-fox-univision/.
Williams, J. (2013). "Q. and A. With the Cosmos' Erik Stover," New York Times, April 8, 2013. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/q-and-a-with-the-cosmos-erik-stover/?_r=0.
"Erik Stover, Chief Operating Officer at New York Cosmos," https://www.linkedin.com/pub/erik-stover/15/b5b/925
"List of New York Cosmos (1971–1985) seasons," http://bit.ly/1IqR1Kz (Wikipedia).
"Make Way for Minnesota: MLS' 23rd team to begin play in 2018," Big Apple Soccer, March 25, 2015. http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/leagues/mls2.php?article_id=40534
"NASL 2012 Media Guide" (PDF). July 19, 2012.
"North American Soccer League," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League.
"REVEALED! The top 10 BIGGEST SPENDING clubs in world football since 2005," talkSPORT, http://talksport.com/football/revealed-top-10-biggest-spending-clubs-world-football-2005-141009117930
"Seamus O'Brien – Founder & Executive Chairman," http://www.wsgworld.com/about-
us/management/seamus-obrien/.
"Some Athletes Were Legendary, But Their Salaries Weren't," NESN.com,
http://nesn.com/2010/05/sports-legends-salaries-may-surprise-you/, May 23, 2010.
"The Power 100 Panelists – Seamus O'Brien – Chairman, CEO, and founder, World Sport
Group," http://www.bloomberg.com/ss/08/10/1002_power100_panel/23.htm.
U.S. Sports Academy2016-05-24T07:46:01-05:00May 27th, 2016|Commentary, Sports Management|Comments Off on New York Cosmos: Twice in a Lifetime; A New Business Look at a Legendary Sports Franchise


text:
Guest Artist Recital: J. Taylor Hightower, baritone and Michael Buchman, piano
J. Taylor Hightower, baritone
Michael Bunchman, piano
The Kennesaw State University School of Music presents guest artist Taylor Hightower, baritone, Associate Professor of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi along with Michael Bunchman, pianist, Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano, University of Southern Mississippi.
Hightower, J. Taylor and Bunchman, Michael, "Guest Artist Recital: J. Taylor Hightower, baritone and Michael Buchman, piano" (2018). School of Music Concert Programs. 1038.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
MitonOptimal's latest acquisition to create new Jersey presence
by Mark Margetts-Smith | Mar 12, 2018 | All Articles, All International News Articles, Press Releases, Scott Campbell
PRESS RELEASE: MitonOptimal International, the Guernsey-headquartered discretionary fund management company, is delighted to announce that it has agreed the acquisition of Orchard Wealth Management Limited in Jersey, after receiving regulatory approval from the Jersey Financial Services Commission.
Orchard Wealth Management Limited is led by highly respected Fund Manager Richard Harwood, who will be joining the MitonOptimal Group board of directors. Richard manages the Orchard Fund, a sub-fund of Orchard Funds PLC; a Dublin listed UCITS with a highly successful track record since 2003.
Scott Campbell, Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at MitonOptimal stated "We have invested with Richard and watched his progress for a number of years now. The benefits of joining our businesses together, particularly with our Dublin fund focus, and partnering with the MitonOptimal team to further develop our Jersey discretionary fund management (DFM) services make sense.
As we continue to develop our DFM, Model Portfolio Services and Funds business on a global basis, this was a sensible next step for us both." Richard Harwood added "With increased regulation and distribution cost for small fund management businesses, MitonOptimal was a logical choice to partner for the future. My aim is to focus on continuing to deliver top quartile performance on our Orchard Fund (an Enhanced Global Equity Income strategy) and building on our Jersey relationships".
Download Press Release: MitonOptimal Acquisition in Jersey – March 2018
For all queries, please contact:
Scott Campbell, Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer +27 82 3014001
Richard Harwood, Managing Director Orchard, +44 1534 761701
MitonOptimal Portfolio Management (UK) Limited
Derwent House
42-46 Waterloo Road
WV1 4XB
MitonOptimal Portfolio Management (UK) Limited is part of the MitonOptimal group of companies. Registered in England and Wales No. 10524374. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA no. 770509.
Where you have a complaint or dispute with us and we are unable to resolve this to your satisfaction then we are obliged to offer you
the Financial Ombudsman Service to help resolve this. Please see the following link for further details: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/
Copyright MitonOptimal Group | 2002 - 2023 - All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
MitonOptimal Group
The MitonOptimal group of companies are independent multi-asset investment managers, majority owned by our management and directors. With a growing AUM of GBP700m, we employ over 70 staff across offices in Guernsey, South Africa, United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Singapore. Our primary business focus is the delivery of Discretionary Investment Management and Client Portfolio Management services to a global client base of intermediary and private clients, as well as a range of regulated funds.
MitonOptimal Guernsey
Our Guernsey office is focussed on delivering offshore Discretionary Fund Management (DFM), Private Client and Fund Management services to our global client base.
MitonOptimal UK
Our UK office is focussed on delivering Discretionary Fund Management (DFM), Private Client, and Fund Management Services to the UK and across the EU, as well as offering a range of funds under our Coram Funds banner.
MitonOptimal South Africa website
Our South Africa office are focussed on delivering Discretionary Fund Management (DFM), Private Client, Institutional Asset Consulting and Fund Management Services to the African Continent.
Our Singapore office is focussed on delivering customer support to our growing Discretionary Fund Management (DFM) and Private Client services clients in Asia.


text:
Obit: Surf Guitarist Dick Dale (1937-2019)
Jack Campin 18 Mar 19 - 03:44 AM
Mrrzy 18 Mar 19 - 09:36 AM
Roger the Skiffler 18 Mar 19 - 09:50 AM
gillymor 18 Mar 19 - 09:57 AM
punkfolkrocker 18 Mar 19 - 10:11 AM
GUEST,Tunesmith 18 Mar 19 - 01:55 PM
punkfolkrocker 18 Mar 19 - 02:12 PM
Eric the Viking 19 Mar 19 - 06:44 AM
Subject: Obit: Dick Dale
From: Jack Campin
Dick Dale has died, aged 82, playing to the end.
http://californiarocker.com/2019/03/17/rip-dick-dale-king-of-the-surf-guitar-passes-away-at-82/
Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Dale
His last years were a grim testimonial to the effects of capitalist health care:
Touring to stay alive
Subject: RE: Obit: Surf Guitarist Dick Dale (1937-2019)
From: Mrrzy
How could I have never heard of this genius?
From: Roger the Skiffler
John Peel used one of his tunes on his show and I think the Surfaris Wipeout, used to effect in the Return to the Forbidden Planet musical was based on one of his tunes.
From: gillymor
My interest in Surf Music was renewed after hearing Junior Brown's "Surf Medley" and it led me back to Dick Dale. I loved that music when I was a kid and most of what you heard of it on the radio was The Ventures and The Surfaris, I don't think Dale made as big a commercial splash back then but listening to him now he really was the KOTSG.
From: punkfolkrocker
Surf is one of the top 3 biggest influences on my guitar sound...
I spent an aftenoon listening to Dick Dale only a few weeks ago...
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
I don't think Dick had much influence on UK guitar players.
Tunesmith - Maybe not so much before the 1990s,
he probably didn't stand out too much from the rest of the guitar instrumental and surf genre
ruled over by the Shadows and Ventures...???
But then a certain influential Film Director brought him to wider attention over here...
Also a lot of 'younger' bands have absorbed influences from surf and spaghetti western music...
From: Eric the Viking
Yes, got to a decent age and had a revival, thanks to Quentin Tarrantino. Bernie Torme (Ozzy Osbourne, Gillan and others) died as well. Metal players up there will welcome him with open arms.


text:
Fitjar – norweskie miasto i gmina leżąca w regionie Hordaland.

Fitjar jest 361. norweską gminą pod względem powierzchni.

Demografia
Według danych z roku 2005 gminę zamieszkuje 2895 osób. Gęstość zaludnienia wynosi 19,97 os./km². Pod względem zaludnienia Fitjar zajmuje 279. miejsce wśród norweskich gmin.

Edukacja
Według danych z 1 października 2004:
 liczba szkół podstawowych (): 3
 liczba uczniów szkół podst.: 432

Władze gminy
Według danych na rok 2011 administratorem gminy () jest Atle Tornes, natomiast burmistrzem (, d. ) jest Harald Rydland.

Zobacz też
 gminy Norwegii
 okręgi Norwegii

Bibliografia
 dane liczbowe: Statistisk sentralbyrå
 dane adresowe i dotyczące władz: Kommunenøkkelen

Gminy w okręgu Hordaland
Miasta w regionie Hordaland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
require 'test_helper'

class NumericExtensionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase

	test "chart round should return" do
		#	10 is default for now
		assert_equal 10, 0.chart_round
#		assert_equal Rational(11,10), 1.chart_round	#	11/10
#		assert_equal Rational(11, 2), 5.chart_round	#	11/2
		assert_equal 1, 1.chart_round
		assert_equal 5, 5.chart_round
		#
		#	TODO Fix the above ( the purpose is to provide a larger ROUNDED number )
		#			Need the rational cast as otherwise 11/10 becomes 1
		#
		assert_equal 11, 10.chart_round
		assert_equal 55, 50.chart_round
		assert_equal 110, 100.chart_round
		assert_equal 550, 500.chart_round
		assert_equal 1100, 1000.chart_round
	end

#	a leading 0 makes it octal!!!

	test "to_ssn for 12345678 should return '012-34-5678'" do
#test/unit/numeric_extension_test.rb:11: Invalid octal digit
#		assert_equal 012345678.to_ssn, '012-34-5678'
#		                      ^
		assert_equal 12345678.to_ssn, '012-34-5678'
	end

	test "to_ssn should return nil for 1234567890 as is too long" do
		assert_nil 1234567890.to_ssn
	end

	test "to_ssn should return nil for 999999999 as is invalid" do
		assert_nil 999999999.to_ssn
	end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Remembering Harriet Brisson (1932–2019)
Paula Sibrack Marian
Harriet was a force. Thirty-five years ago, we met on an NCECA pre-conference trip to Mexico. I had recently gotten involved in ceramics, and she became a mentor to me. She inspired me to evolve as a clay artist and traveler and offered me a view of how a working artist ages.
Harriet took me under her wing; she introduced me to Gerry Williams, the founding editor of Studio Potter magazine. I began writing articles for the magazine's newspaper-style newsletter, Studio Potter Network News. In 2000, Harriet encouraged me to join the SP board. Board meetings were usually held in Massachusetts, a six-hour round trip from my home in Connecticut, so I stayed at Harriet's home, and that let me spend important time with Harriet. Through our years on the SP board together, Harriet introduced me to many clay artists whose work I had studied in grad school.
Harriet had a mathematical mind, richly reinforced by her artwork and the life she created with her husband and fellow artist, David Brisson. Her modular ceramic creations, with components that fit together effortlessly, are evidence of her keen logic.
Harriet approached her tenure as president of the SP board the same way: She ensured that all the pieces fit, while keeping a window open for creative details. Harriet's powerful memory for names, places, and details allowed her to navigate the board's agenda during a time of fiscal challenges. For example, she walked the tightrope between Gerry Williams's strict policy of no advertisements in the magazine and the younger board members' recognition of the need for advertisements as a revenue source.
Harriet and I traveled several more times together to Mexico. We went to Rosarita Beach, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Morelos, and Cozumel, and she never complained about the less-than-stellar accommodations. Physically and mentally vigorous, she had unbounded energy to be an artist and a board leader and to explore ceramics abroad.
In 2015, Harriet was honored with the Regional Award of Excellence at the Providence NCECA. Her son pushed her in a wheelchair to the front of the lecture hall to accept the award. By that time, her health was in rapid decline, and she was a shadow of her stronger, younger self. But, she still had the pixie gleam in her eye as I embraced her after the presentation.
I often recall Harriet's wisdom and devotion to making art. I now mentor other potters, knowing that Harriet would approve of my paying it forward. Her memory will live on through her students, friends, and colleagues at Rhode Island College, through NCECA and Studio Potter magazine, through her loving family, and through her masterful ceramic artwork that remains for our enjoyment.
Editor's Note: Harriet E. Brisson died on August 24, 2019. A memorial service was held Friday, September 20, 2019 at 2:00 pm at the Rehoboth Congregational Church in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.
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Author BioPaula Sibrack Marian
A potter for more than forty years, Marian lived in Latin America and studied textiles in Bogota, Colombia. Through her travels, Paula continues her commitment to her clay work. She recently retired as head of the art department at New Milford High School, Connecticut. She is a member of Connecticut Clay Artists, a founding trustee of the National K12 Ceramic Exhibition, and past Board member of Studio Potter.
paulamarian.com


text:
Tag: Lalah Hathaway
BJ The Chicago Kid – "Roses" [New Music]
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There is no stopping at BJ The Chicago Kid!
[ione_embed src=https://www.youtube.com/embed/vsDucVp7_No service=youtube width=583 height=328 type=iframe]
The three-time Grammy nominated artist BJ The Chicago releases a new soothing tune just in time for Valentine's Day. "Roses" adds to the love-filled day expounding on the color of red and a love interest that just keeps him going, as she plays with his hair, he says.
BJ also took the time out to congratulate his fellow Grammy Nominees and now Winners, Solange who snagged the award for Best R&B Performance of "Cranes In The Sky", Lalah Hathaway who won two awards for Best R&B Album, Lalah Hathaway Live LP, and Best R&B Performance of the Anita Baker classic, "Angel."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQcNnvfAweN/?taken-by=bjthechicagokid
The Chicago Kid will now be adding to his music resume as he will be producing music for FOX's new drama Shots Fired starring Mack Wilds, Sanaa Lathan, Stephan James and more.
The series is set to debut on March 22 At 8/7c.
Tags BJ The Chicago, Grammy's, Lalah Hathaway, Solange
Pharrell Williams Releases New Song "Crave" From The 'Hidden Figures' Soundtrack
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Filling us with all types of soul, curator of the upcoming Hidden Figures film soundtrack (Dec. 9th), Pharrell Williams drops off yet another soulful tune titled "Crave."
Check it out above.
In case you missed it, check out "Runnin'" & "Surrender" featuring Lalah Hathaway below:
Tags hidden figures, Lalah Hathaway, Movie, Music, Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Shares Two New Songs "Runnin" and "I Surrender" FT. Lalah Hathaway Off The 'Hidden Figures' Soundtrack [New Music]
Post author By Bernard Smalls (@PhotosByBeanz)
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Pharrell unveiled two new tracks "Runnin" and "I Surrender" featuring Lalah Hathaway today off the upcoming film Hidden Figures official soundtrack. The Grammy Award winning producer is not only a producer on the film but also a part of a great team responsible for the films score including the legendary Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight) and Benjamin Wallfisch (12 Years A Slave).
The film itself tells the UNTOLD story of historic #BlackGirlMagic revolving around a trio of brilliant African-American women Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P.Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who were instrumental in the NASA mission that launched astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The songs perfectly capture the sound that was synonymous with the 1960's. Listen to them both below:
Hidden Figures is in theaters on Christmas Day!
Taraji P.Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae Star As Barrier Shattering African-American Women In The New Film Hidden Figures
Tags hidden figures, Lalah Hathaway, Music, Pharrell, Pharrell Williams, Runnin, Surrender
Watch: Chrisette Michele Takes Us Behind The Scenes of The Soul Train Awards "Soul Cypher" [Video]
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Just vocally-lacing a new music venture of the hottest award show of the year, Chrisette Michelle gives you a behind-the-scenes look of the "Soul Cypher" at the 2015 Soul Train Music Awards.
FLY NEWS: CHRISETTE MICHELE IS ENGAGED?! GUESS WHO THE LUCKY GUY COULD BE!
The brainchild behind the cypher was none other than the Soul-Vet, Erykah Badu — who hosted the ceremony, and served as the Executive Producer.
SFPL MUSIC: CHRISETTE MICHELE RELEASES NEW TRAP SOUL RECORD "STEADY"
Take a look below:
Chrisette's new Trap Soul single "Steady" available soon on iTunes.
Tags 2015 Soul Train Awards, Chrisette Michele, Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Music, Soul Cypher
Entertainment FLY NEWS Music
Fly News: 9-time GRAMMY-winning icon Kirk Franklin, much anticipated new album Losing My Religion, out today!
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Today, multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning artist, songwriter, producer and music icon, Kirk Franklin, released his eleventh studio album LOSING MY RELIGION via Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Records. Franklin's highly anticipated album, 'Losing My Religion' boasts 13-soul-stirring tracks including the #1 lead single, "Wanna Be Happy?". The single debuted at #1 on Billboard and broke the record previously set by Franklin with "I Smile (2011)" to become the best first-week digital single in gospel sales history.
The central message of 'Losing My Religion', which features guest artists, Kim Burrell, Tasha Cobbs, Zacardi Cortez, Lalah Hathaway, Tamela Mann, Tasha Page-Lockhart and Sarah Reeves, is for one to truly see and understand the most essential aspect of their faith, and that's their relationship with God.
When asked what he hopes that listeners take away from the album, Franklin says:
"The most beautiful picture about the love of God is that my trying doesn't replace my trusting…religion may point out what's wrong, but it doesn't give me the power to make it right. This album is the soundtrack to how love rescued me from the law".
'LMR' offers the classic Kirk Franklin sound that has inspired so many people over the past 20+ years, but may be his most introspective work yet. The album is now available everywhere music is sold, including all major digital retailers.
Special thanks to the incomparable @kirkfranklin for stopping by our #SFPLTV segment! The interview was amazing! We can't wait for you to see what he had to say about his new album #LosingMyReligion (out tomorrow!), his top 3 favorite mainstream artists and more! Stay tuned! #StuffFlyPeopleLike #KirkFranklin #SFPL
A post shared by ᔕTᑌᖴᖴ ᖴᒪY ᑭEOᑭᒪE ᒪIKE (@thesfpl) on Nov 12, 2015 at 8:32am PST
Kirk recently stopped by SFPL TV, in which full footage will be coming soon of our exclusive interview! Stay tuned!
Losing My Religion – Track Listing:
1. Losing My Religion
2. Miracles
3. 123 Victory
4. Road Trip
5. Pray For Me
6. Wanna Be Happy?
7. It's Time (featuring Tasha Page-Lockhart and Zacardi Cortez)
8. True Story
10. When (featuring Kim Burrell and Lalah Hathaway)
11. My World Needs You (featuring Sarah Reeves, Tasha Cobbs and Tamela Mann)
12. Intercession
13. No Sleep Tonight
LOSING MY RELIGION – Retail Links:
Amazon: HERE
Google Play: HERE
iTunes: HERE
Apple Music: HERE
Spotify: HERE
Tags Kim Burrell, Kirk Franklin, Lalah Hathaway, Losing My Religion, New Album, New Music, Sarah Reeves, Tamela Mann, Tasha Cobbs, Tasha Page-Lockhart, zacardi cortez
Fly Stream: 'Nina Revisited…A Tribute To Nina Simone' featuring Usher, Lauryn Hill & Jazmine Sullivan
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The collaboration of musical essence has appeared right in front of our eyes. In celebration of the upcoming Netflix original documentary about the life and times of Nina Simone, music covers have just landed from the official soundtrack sung by Lauryn Hill, Usher and Jazmine Sullivan.
The compilation album is slated to drop on July 10th, which features 16-tracks recorded by artists like Common, Mary J. Blige, Lalah Hathaway, Gregory Porter, Lisa Simone [the late singer's daughter] and more. Robert Glasper and Lauryn Hill both serve as producers on the project.
Take a listen to Usher, Jazmine and Lauryn on the next few pages…
Tags Common, Gregory Porter, Jazmine Sullivan, Lalah Hathaway, Lauryn Hill, Lisa Simone, Mary J. Blige, Nina Revisited, nina simone, Usher
Entertainment FLY Performances You Betta Sang!
[Video] Rahsaan Patterson Performs 6AM Live featuring Lalah Hathaway
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Rahsaan Patterson holds the crowd in the palm of his hand during his live performance of "6AM" featuring Lalah Hathaway. Check it out!!
Continue reading "[Video] Rahsaan Patterson Performs 6AM Live featuring Lalah Hathaway"
Tags Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson
Music SFPL's Artist Spotlight SFPL's New Music
[New Music Exclusive] Rahsaan Patterson "6 AM" featuring Lalah Hathaway
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R&B singer-songwriter Rahsaan Patterson is releasing a new album bleuphoria on Tuesday, 7/19. The album features collabos with Faith Evans, Jody Watley and more. Rahsaan is an avid reader of SFPL and we are very happy to feature his new single "6 AM" featuring Lalah Hathaway. Check it out after the jump!
Continue reading "[New Music Exclusive] Rahsaan Patterson "6 AM" featuring Lalah Hathaway"
Tags Faith Evans, Jody Watley, Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson
Entertainment FLY Performances Live Performances You Betta Sang!
2011 B.E.T. Honors Performances…
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In case you missed it…here are the performances from the 2011 B.E.T. Honors event…
Continue reading "2011 B.E.T. Honors Performances…"
Tags 2011 B.E.T. Honors, Angélique Kidjo, Chick Corea Quartet, Guy, Keyshia Cole, Lalah Hathaway, Marsha Ambrosius, Natually 7, Ne-Yo, Tank, Trey Songz, Yolanda Adams
Seen on The Scene... Stuff Fly People Like
CRUNK IS DA NEW FUNK?
1 Comment on CRUNK IS DA NEW FUNK?
Lalah Hathaway recently had a discussion with Musiq about his new divine meaning of his music. He seemed a bit confused on how to actually describe it. At first, I was SMH like, what? Huh? But we get it.
I am still a lover of neo-soul, however, I do like the direction that Musiq went into. Very FLY album.
Did I mention that I also *heart* Lalah Hathaway?! Oh my.
*Thanks Lalah!*
-Stay Fly!
Tags Lalah Hathaway, Musiq


Apply computer, networking or database skills to challenges facing the Internet, mobile technologies, cloud computing, cyberforensics and more.
ABET Computing Accreditation Commission: The Computer and Information Technology Program at Purdue University is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
The Department of Computer and Information Technology educates professional practitioners and managers of information technology, accelerates information technology transfer to business and industry, and develops innovations in the application of emerging information technology through learning, engagement, and discovery by its faculty and students.
To industry, the department produces practitioner-oriented information technology professionals and future leaders who can immediately contribute to problem solving and business results through application of information technology. Computer and Information Technology actively partners with industry through engagement that both contribute to life-long learning as well as the discovery of application of information technology solutions to business needs.
To other educators, the department is a partner through professional service and discovery of learning that extends the frontiers of information technology education and outreach.
To society, the department is a citizen and partner that advance the economic and social development of the State of Indiana , the nation, and the world through technology transfer .
j. An ability to use and apply current technical concepts and practices in the core information technologies of human computer interaction, information management, programming, networking, and web systems and technologies.
k. An ability to identify and analyze user needs and take them into account in the selection, creation, evaluation and administration of computer-based systems.
l. An understanding of best practices and standards and their application.
m. An ability to assist in the creation of an effective project plan.
n. An ability to effectively integrate IT-based solutions into the user environment.
Enrollment Trends and Number of Graduates data is sourced from Purdue's Office of Enrollment Management's Data Digest.
Data collected by the Center for Career Opportunities for May 2017 West Lafayette graduates only; August and December graduate successes are not included in the reported data.


Nanotechnology is made possible because of the instruments used to see things on the nanoscale. The invention of these happened years before the term nanotechnology was coined, but their invention is of course still worth mentioning. They form the basis of nanotechnology today. Here we will see some of the key microscopes scientists and engineers use to work at the nanoscale. They allow us to be able to see at the nanoscale, to characterise with nanoscale materials and surfaces and to move things around on surfaces in order to create devices.
An electron microscope depends on electrons rather than light to view an object. . The electrons interact with the atoms that make up the sample producing signals that contain information about the sample's surface topography, composition, and other properties such as electrical conductivity. Electrons are speeded up in a vacuum until their wavelength is extremely short, only one hundred-thousandth that of white light. Electron microscopes make it possible to view objects as small as the diameter of an atomErnst Ruska co-invented the electron microscope for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986.
The STM works by scanning a very sharp metal wire tip over a surface. By bringing the tip very close to the surface, and by applying an electrical voltage to the tip or sample, we can image the surface at an extremely small scale – down to resolving individual atoms. The STM is based on several principles. One is the quantum mechanical effect of tunneling. It is this effect that allows us to "see" the surface. Another principle is the piezoelectric effect. It is this effect that allows us to precisely scan the tip with angstrom-level control. Lastly, a feedback loop is required, which monitors the tunneling current and coordinates the current and the positioning of the tip.
The images taken with these microscopes look like tumulose alien landscapes—and researchers learned how to rearrange those landscapes, once they discovered that the scanning tunneling microscope could also be used to pick up, move, and precisely place atoms, one at a time. The first dramatic demonstration of this power came in 1990 when a team of IBM physicists revealed that they had, the year before, spelled out the letters "IBM" using 35 individual atoms of xenon.
Image 1: In November 1989, Don Eigler of IBM and his team used a custom-built microscope to spell out the letters IBM with 35 xenon atoms. This unprecedented ability to manipulate individual atoms signaled a quantum leap forward in nanoscience experimentation and heralded in the age of nanotechnology. Image 2 is an artificial corral structure created from 48 iron atoms on copper electron waves. Eigler and colleagues created this structure in 1993 by using the tip of a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope to position iron atoms on a copper surface, creating an electron-trapping barrier. This was the first successful attempt at manipulating individual atoms and led to the development of new techniques for nanoscale construction. Image 3 shows four different stages of the atom movement for the creation of the corral in image one.
1986 - Gerd Binnig, Quate, and Gerber invent the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).
It Can measure surfaces in a very accurate way using a probe tip mounted on a cantilever beam like a diving board. The position of the tip is monitored with a laser beam which is refelected off the cantilever on to a detector. As the tips scan back and fourth it moves up and down with the hills and valleys of the surface, which deflects the laser beam up and down. The information is recorded on a computer. From the information collected we can understand information about the surface. It's possible to scan any surface with an AFM and at such high resolution amazing things can be seen . The AFM probe can also examine the friction of a surface. Different regions of a surface have different frictional properties as the tip scans along. The instrument can feel forces from a physical object but it can also feel forces of electric charge. The image on the left shows four silicon pads on a surface. The yellow pad looks higher than the rest but it's not. It's a representation of the distribution of electrical charge on a surface. The more elevated pads have the most charge.
Erwin Wilhelm Müller invented the field emission microscope. This is a device in which electrons liberated by field emission are accelerated toward a fluorescent screen to form a magnified image of the emitting surface. FEM was one of the first surface analysis instruments that approached near-atomic resolution.
Erwin Wilhelm Müller invents the field ion microscope and is the first to see atoms. FIM is an analytical technique used in materials science. The field ion microscope is a type of microscope that can be used to image the arrangement of atoms at the surface of a sharp metal tip. It was the first technique by which individual atoms could be spatially resolved. On October 11, 1955, Muller & Bahadur (Pennsylvania State University) observed individual tungsten (W) atoms on the surface of a sharply pointed W tip by cooling it to 78 K and employing helium as the imaging gas. Muller & Bahadur were the first persons to observe individual atoms directly; to do so, they used an FIM, which Muller had invented in 1951.


When you upgrade to Client Appointment Manager version 7.0, you'll receive all the features introduced in previous versions of Client Appointment Manager, too! See the list of new features from each previous version.
We've added five more custom fields to both the appointment and client forms. Track even more appointment and client information with these additional fields.
Give your clients a monthly calendar showing their upcoming appointments. Help reduce no-shows by handing your clients an easy-to-read calendar so they don't miss another appointment.
Do you have a front office person who only needs to schedule appointments? The new "Limited" user type allows you to create users who can only schedule or edit appointments and clients. Limited users can also access all reports.
If you schedule appointments in 5- or 20-minute increments, we've added two new appointment time intervals so you can schedule your clients even faster and easier.
Just click the Refresh button and instantly synch client records that have been added or changed in Client Appointment Manager or QuickBooks.
You can now attach documents or images to client records. With a click of your mouse, you can access reports, contracts, agreements, blueprints, surveys or any other client-related file or image. File types supported are .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtf, .bmp, .jpg and .gif.
Be sure to keep your appointment software up and running. New version 5.0 is the ONLY version of Client Appointment Manager and Client Appointment Manager Pro guaranteed to work with Windows 7.
You can now select more than one employee with the find open time tool, instead of only one or all employees. By limiting the employees you wish to search, you can find open appointment times more quickly and service your client faster.
We've added the day of the week to appointment reports so it's easier to see when a client has had an appointment or when a client has an appointment scheduled.
Now you can mark your appointments as "Checked-In" or "Completed." These new statuses are available in all appointment reports and are used by the new Check-In Assistant in Client Appointment Manager Pro (see below for more information).
Who's in your waiting room? When did they check in? How long have they been waiting and who are they here to see? Who's late for their appointment? The new Check-In Assistant found only in Client Appointment Manager Pro instantly shows you and automatically updates in real time. Use this tool to check-in client for their appointments and mark client as completed when they're no longer in your waiting room.
Instead of importing all of your clients from QuickBooks, you can choose to skip inactive clients.
Whether you have hundreds, or even thousands of clients, client lists load faster making it easier to find clients and schedule appointments.
Insert custom fields into your letters to create tailored marketing messages and improve client communications.
Easily track changes made to appointments by individual users. See who scheduled or deleted an appointment, made changes to appointment times, descriptions, services, and more. Only users granted administrator rights within Client Appointment Manager Pro can view this information.
See how many new clients each of your employees, or all employees, have acquired for any time frame. Ideal for sales contests and measuring marketing efforts.
Client photos are just a click away! Now you can quickly and easily verify clients upon check-in. Reduce your liability and make sure you're providing the right service for the right client.
Build a custom online appointment form for your business. The appointment form can include your company logo, banner, color scheme, and appointment days and times. Use your appointment form's web address on business cards, advertisements and brochures, or link to the form from your web site. All online appointment requests appear instantly in Client Appointment Manager Pro. You can also access appointment requests from any Internet browser and send appointment requests to your e-mail address.
Improve communication and efficiency when you e-mail appointment information to employees for access via any web browser or PDA. With just a few clicks, your employees can receive up-to-date appointment information when visiting a client site, at home or anywhere.
Seamlessly share client information between Client Appointment Manager and QuickBooks. When you add client information in Client Appointment Manager, it gets added to QuickBooks (and vice versa). Launch a QuickBooks invoice right from Client Appointment Manager to save time.
You won't forget to squeeze a client in an available opening with the improved waiting list. With just one click, Client Appointment Manager 3.0 does all the work for you. Each time you launch the waiting list you'll instantly see what appointment requests can be scheduled. All the information needed to confirm the appointment with the client is at your fingertips. With new date and time ranges, you can accommodate more requests and book more business. The on-screen waiting list reminds you to take action on expired appointment requests or appointment requests due today or due tomorrow.
Ensure you book enough time for your clients with service templates. Assign a duration and color scheme to each of your services and Client Appointment Manger 3.0 will automatically adjust the appointment length and color scheme to match the template. If you book more than one service for an appointment, version 3.0 will combine the durations for you.
Schedule repeating appointments with ultimate flexibility. Use Client Appointment Manager's custom date selection calendar or apply scheduling patterns such as daily, weekly, or the first Monday of every month. Also, version 3.0 will display details of appointments conflicting with the repeat appointment you are scheduling so you can take the appropriate action.
Double bookings can waste time and frustrate clients. Turn on the warning for double bookings and Client Appointment Manager 3.0 will tell you when there is a conflict when you schedule or move an appointment. If your business double books appointments, simply turn the warning feature off.
Keep your client information safe with unique logins. Users can create their own username and password and administrators can grant read-only or read-write access for each user. Each unique user's preferences, such as background color and view options, will be saved to his/her profile.
You can customize your view options in many ways. In version 3.0 you can add custom fields or display the time intervals on the scheduling worksheet, sort the client window by any field in the client form, view 1 or 2 months of the on-screen calendar and more!
Four appointment status types have been added to Client Appointment Manager 3.0. New appointments default to the "scheduled" status but can be marked confirmed, canceled or no-show. Unique icons in the upper right hand corner of the appointment let you know at-a-glance the appointment status. Canceled appointments will change the text and background color so you can keep client information but quickly see you have an opening.


text:
'Zoomer' Voters Wield Clout
Seniors' turnout is so high, some say, each carries weight of two younger eligible voters.
By Crawford Kilian 7 Oct 2008 | TheTyee.ca
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
Retired and feeling neglected by parties.
In at least some key B.C. ridings, seniors may well decide the outcome of this election. Their electoral firepower, where it's concentrated, deserves respect.
In Victoria, for example, residents 65 and older numbered over 62,000 in 2007. That's roughly one-third of the Capital District's total voting-age population.
In Greater Vancouver, last year's population over 65 years old was about 392,000 -- again, roughly one-third of the 1.2 million voters in the region.
Not only are they a high proportion of the electorate, seniors' impact is enhanced by their high turnout on election day. According to Elections Canada, the number of voters aged 18 to 24 spiked by almost 7 per cent in the 2006 federal election. But turnout in that group was still 19 percentage points below the national average.
That average turnout has been declining for generations. In the late 1950s and 1960s, turnout ranged from 79 to 75 per cent. Since the 1980s, when turnout was 75 per cent, it's sagged to a low of 61 per cent in 2004 with a slight uptick to 64 per cent in 2006.
But when you look at the 2006 election by age group, you find that today's seniors are voting at a rate that all Canadians did when Dief was running half a century ago. In 2006, voters aged 55-64 had a 75.4 per cent turnout. It was 77.5 per cent for those 65 to 74, and three out of five of those over 75 voted as well.
By comparison, only about 44 per cent of the 18 to 24 cohort bothered to vote. Even those 25 to 34 couldn't quite manage a 50 per cent turnout.
Seniors want respect
You might think politicians would write off young voters as a waste of time, while cultivating seniors with boxes of chocolates and daily phone calls. That's not the case.
The Council of Senior Citizens Organizations of BC (COSCO) isn't very happy about the neglect it's getting. Neither is the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP).
The current president of COSCO is Art Kube. During the Socred government years of 1983-84, he was head of the BC Federation of Labour, fighting Bill Bennett's "restraint" budget while B.C. teetered on the edge of a general strike.
Age hasn't mellowed him. "A majority Tory government would be a disaster," he told The Tyee. COSCO is promoting strategic voting: Supporting whatever candidate in a riding who can keep a Conservative from winning.
COSCO's latest newsletter is not Conservative-friendly. Its editorial says:
"The possibility of a conservative majority in Ottawa does not bode well for the good and welfare of seniors. With a somewhat hamstrung and less-than-competent opposition the Harper government was able to push through legislation which brought some shifts of income in favor of higher income brackets.
"In addition this government reduced taxes on corporations by fifty billion dollars, which in the short and long term will deprive future governments' ability to improve programs and balance budgets.
"The Harper government refused to increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), which would protect seniors from steep increases in housing, food and energy costs. The Harper government also refused to enforce the Canada Health Act when it came to private clinics charging for services covered by the Act.
"Our National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation told us that every time they had their lobby in Ottawa, Conservative Cabinet Ministers and Tory Members of Parliament refused to meet with them, whereas in previous governments at least the Minister in charge of seniors would meet with the seniors' delegation.
"The Harper Government has not been seniors friendly, far from it."
Znaimer's Zoomers
Meanwhile, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons is damning and blasting all the parties while re-branding itself. As the first baby boomers hit 65, CARP is aggressively recruiting the 45+ kids born in the mid-1960s, and naming them the "Zoomers."
Konstantin Bernaschek, CARP's Vancouver representative, says the organization has sought out younger members -- Zoomers -- since media mogul Moses Znaimer was elected executive director a year ago.
An article on CARP's website argues that politicians ignore the Zoomers at their peril: "Zoomers are the most politically engaged Canadians," said Susan Eng, CARP's vice president of Advocacy at a news conference. "A full 70 per cent of eligible voters in this age group cast their ballots in the 2004 election... Zoomers own the ballot box."
After dismissing the "paternalistic, condescending" attitude of the political parties, the article sets out CARP's five priorities:
Improved health care: shorter wait times, national standards, and a national pharmacare program.
Facilitate aging at home: Support family caregivers financially; ensure they can go back to their regular jobs.
Eliminate mandatory retirement: "In uncertain economic times, Canada needs the skills and experience of every worker who can contribute to our social and economic well-being," says Susan Eng.
Better planning for retirement security: A universal pension plan for Canadians who have no retirement savings or access to private pensions, plus bigger adjustments to OAS, CPP, and GIS for those on low incomes.
Support older workers: Provide training, fight ageism in the workplace, and encourage phased retirement.
Two for one?
But will seniors and their kid brothers and sisters actually make a difference?
Art Kube argues that the turnout makes old people truly senior citizens: A senior vote is effectively worth two votes from young and middle-aged voters.
But statistics show seniors tend to vote in old age as they did in their youth. The kids who voted for Diefenbaker are now voting for Harper. The young women who fell for Pierre Trudeau are now grandmas, voting for Dion. Young Dippers who idolized Tommy Douglas and Dave Barrett hope that Jack Layton will deliver on their ideals.
Still, seniors are experiencing issues that will become more prominent as the boomers age. If not in this election, then in the next, Canadians and their representatives will have to confront the urgent needs of their parents and grandparents -- needs that have nothing to do with Afghanistan and little to do with cheap gasoline.
'Our Parents Aren't Widgets'
Anger and anxiety as layoff trend hits senior care.
Seniors Suffer from Contracting Out
Inspection reports reveal grim conditions at seniors' homes. One operator blames new contract employees.
School Bus Drivers Parked at 65?
Force retirement, say some districts, despite new law.
Read more: Politics


Baby boys' clothes set comprising of a top and Bermuda shorts. The top has short sleeves and a neckline with buttons on the side for easy wear. It features bright colored prints on the front. The Bermuda shorts in this set have a comfortable fit so as to be easy to wear as a casual outfit and to facilitate movement. They have an elastic waistband for a more secure fit. They feature a print on the left leg in the same colors as the top. Available in one color combination: beach top with grey melange Bermuda shorts. Composition: 100% cotton. Sizes: 1 to 5 years of age.