Arts and Entertainment

How to Achieve Trade Show Success

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A successful modern business needs to be able to perform in a wide variety of arenas: for example, they must be able to play the long game, and appeal to customers through digital as well as physical media, however they should also have a strategy to achieve success in trade shows and exhibitions. For many, the latter kind of promotion can be the most challenging, and this could be because of an insufficient planning strategy, or it could be the result of a lack of the right tools, such as promotional products.

Luckily, your potential for trade show success can be assured mostly in the planning stage, and as long as you have an awareness of what you want your display to do on the day, coupled with realistic expectations, a thorough planning strategy can really enhance your trade show potential.

Your first decision, and arguably your most important, is choosing in which exhibition to exhibit your products. This might seem obvious, however there are a large number of trade shows out there, and therefore it is easy to get this wrong. The ideal way to identify the best trade shows is through experience, and over time you will establish what shows work best for your brand and therefore you should be able to streamline your costs accordingly.

There’s no point turning up to an trade show without a knowledge of the locations, or an idea about how your gong to set up your stand. With this in mind, it is important that you have the details in regards to the measurements of your pitch, and that you rehearse the setting up of your stand.

It is also important that you establish the aesthetics of your stand well before entering the show, and  ensure that it is able to perform in that particular context, and that it is generally effective at reaching the customer.

On a related point, you should also plan about what promotional products you intend to distribute on the day. On a clearly practical level, you should ensure that you order enough promotional merchandise to serve your consumer base, whilst remaining within the constraints of your particular budget.

Also, you should ensure that the products that you choose to offer at the trade show are appropriate, and, if the general theme of the exhibition is modernity, then it is a good idea to opt for promotional merchandise that has a clear modern edge, such as usb memory sticks

Finally, and importantly, alongside the practical considerations associated with your trade show stand, you should also ensure that you have the right business strategy. This should be complex, and include targets such as how many customers you wish to reach, how many client leads etc.

Through proper planning it is possible to sidestep many of the issues that can negatively affect your exhibition setting, such as poor location or an ineffectively displayed stand, and thereby increase your trade show potential considerably.

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How to Market Promotional Items

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When it comes to promotion, all areas of an advertising strategy needs to pull their weight in order to ensure that maximum promotional success is achieved. Therefore, on the one hand a company needs to be well versed in novel ways of marketing, such as digital marketing, as well as capable of distributing promotional products effectively.

Whilst the latter activity may, on paper at least, seem to be the most simple, it is often the area of promotion that businesses are less apt with, however, this is more often than not due to the fact that promotional products are not treated as a separate kind of marketing, with its own needs and constraints, coupled with a poor strategy; it doesn’t have to be this way, though, and the correct marketing of promotional items can actually be relatively simple.

Firstly, we should identify exactly why promotional merchandise should be a part of a comprehensive marketing strategy. In fact there are lots of reasons for this:

Most importantly, they allow for the direct communication of a brand to the customer or potential customer. This means that unlike a traditional advertisement (or a digital advertisement for example,) there is a special kind of “intimacy” that can be achieved with promotional products, and this coupled with the usability of promotional products, such as USB memory sticks or stationary, means that distributing  promotional items can still be the closest your advertising strategy will get to your customer base.

Alongside this important advantage, there is also significant benefit in regards to costs, and when compared to television advertising, for example, the cost of promotional merchandise is practically negligible. This makes them ideal for businesses on a budget, smaller businesses or new businesses who are reluctant to commit a large proportion of their budget to marketing.

So with the benefits of promotional items firmly in your mind, all that remains is to market the products effectively. With this in mind, there are lots of factors to consider, but lots of ways to achieve clear success using promotional products:

The first thing to consider is choosing the right kind of products to adequately represent your brand; so, if you want your brand to be associated with ideas of modernity etc, then you should opt for modern promotional items, such as usb memory sticks, which will exude quality, along with a high usability factor.

Next you need to identify the correct kind of environment in which to distribute promotional items of course, this depends on your particular business, and there are plenty of trade shows and exhibitions ran all year round, which should make finding the ideal location a little easier.

If you want to stand head and shoulders above your competition however, which of course the whole point of marketing, then you should  ideally look for creative ways in which to market your products, and therefore as well as choosing creative items, you should also look to distribute your products at creative locations.

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New owners of pub to invest in glazing refurbishment

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Business owners have many responsibilities and, in terms of their premises, glazing maintenance and glazing refurbishment are often two of these.

After all, glass forms a major part of many buildings and if it is not up to scratch it can be unsightly and even dangerous.

One pub owner has shown his commitment to investing in such projects, This Is Boston reports.

Himesh Patel recently took over The Still in the Lincolnshire town of Boston, which is on the east coast of England.

He pledged to make a number of alterations to the building and spend £70,000 on sound proofing, repairs to the roof and glazing refurbishment.

The drinking venue has been at the centre of a number of allegations recently, including excessive noise and underage drinking.

Mr Patel had to appear at a licensing sub-committee hearing with Boston Borough Council, which was considering an application from police to revoke the entertainment licence.

Boston’s licensing officer Police Constable Andy Heath told the committee that despite repeated warnings, problems had persisted at the venue.

He remarked: “Action is needed to improve the quality of life of residents. If action is not taken, things will only get worse.”

Mr Patel’s firm Barback took over the establishment from Pub Invest in October.

He noted that he had been unaware of the issues but added that business will continue.

The entrepreneur stated: “Things will not continue as they have. We will sort these problems out. We ask to be given an opportunity to change things.”

Thanks in part to the plans for glazing maintenance, the committee voted not to revoke the pub’s licence.

However, it did impose a number of conditions on the new owner, including the installation of CCTV and sound proofing.

Mr Patel is no stranger to the world of pubs, owning others in Lincoln and Nottingham.

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Instead try utilising the skills of private detectives

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We all may get a twinge of jealousy from time to time when our partner talks about a friend or has had a text or email from someone we have never heard of or met before. But on the whole, these jabs of suspicion and insecurity are nothing more than ill-founded musings. Having said that, infidelity is becoming ever more commonplace, so what signs can you look for to tell whether your partner has been cheating?

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Big Brother Should Be Watching

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The idea of a future dystopia where all of our actions are monitors and all of our decisions are made for us is a frightening one. Having everyone constantly monitored is not only an infringement of our civil rights, but also a way to lose all democracy and quickly find ourselves living in a totalitarianism world.

But that’s just in our private lives. In our working lives, we should expect to be held accountable for our actions, and to ensure that our actions are in line with the company’s ethos and general codes of conduct it may be necessary sometimes to conduct some form of monitoring.

There are many ways that companies can be protected from negative working attitudes and acts, from theft and absenteeism through to misconduct and general neglect of duties. However not all of these methods are as effective as they could be, leading staff members to find easy ways around them and still able to carry on regardless.

Whilst private investigations might seem a little farfetched for acts such as absenteeism and theft, they are actually much more common place that you might imagine. Corporate investigations can help vet staff to understand whether or not a workforce is dishonest. These private investigations can not only help to free up manager’s time from dealing with such issues, but they can also help to prove when a member of staff has been negligent or worse.

One of the principal benefits of corporate investigations is that they are fast and effective, whilst also being unbiased meaning that you can be sure that the staff you employ are doing their jobs and doing them right.

Whilst no one wants a world where we are all being watched all the time, no one wants to be taken for a ride either.

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Non-traditional consumer approach boosts order fulfillment industry

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Recent reports in many British and International trade journals are showing a positive upwards trend for the amount of consumers shopping online and via mail order. In today’s society when many people find themselves time-poor, more and more people are deserting the high street in favour of time-saving mail order services and e-commerce websites. This is welcome news to the order fulfillment and warehousing industries as it means increased demand for their services.

This shift in consumer behaviour has been on the horizon since the advent of the internet and the dot com boom of the early 21st century and is beginning to come to maturity as online and mail order shopping becomes safer, more accessible and more widely accepted as a legitimate alternative to shopping on the high street or in stores. The order fulfillment industry has seen a surge in recruitment as more and more companies move their operations online. From online supermarkets to electrical equipment to fast moving consumer goods, more and more firms are moving their main trading channels away from the high street and into warehousing operations. Accurate, timely and cost-effective order fulfillment solutions are also in high demand; as it is the fulfillment part of the customer journey which is often considered the most important. Accurate order fulfillment allows companies to build trust and strong relationships with customers, generating repeat business, strengthening the company’s brand credibility and increasing profit.

As companies turn to non-traditional retail channels, the demand on warehousing facilities and order fulfillment services is set to grow and grown. In today’s economic climate, this is an extremely fortunate position to be in. Here at ILG, we work with our business partners to provide warehousing services and order fulfillment facilities that provide the infrastructure that is needed in order to help businesses to grow.

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Sustainability and direct mail fulfillment

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In today’s environmentally-conscious business world; it is becoming increasingly important for companies to consider how sustainable their communications strategies are. One of the main communication channels to come under scrutiny from both government watchdogs and internal company policies is direct mail. This scrutiny directly affects fulfilment services and can often have an impact on the success of a business.

Whilst many companies recognise the need to reduce paper and energy consumption, it is a fact of business that direct mail often garners positive results and is a tried and tested channel of marketing. Many firms have struggled to get the balance right; with some of them drastically culling the amount of direct mail sent out and others being unable to get the balance between direct mail and other channels right. More and more businesses are turning to third party companies to help them manage this in the understanding that if direct mail fulfillment is handled efficiently and correctly, mistakes are reduced which means that not only less resources are used, but there can also be a cost saving for the business. This balance of cost saving, sustainability and accurate direct mail fulfillment can often be the key to hitting both cost saving and environmental business targets.

The increase in popularity of using third party logistics companies to support a company’s fulfilment services team has heralded the dawn of a new era in direct mail fulfillment that can help firms to improve cost efficiency and meet green targets. Here at ILG, we have a proven track record in providing effective direct mail fulfillment solutions to our business partners. We can help our clients to capitalise on any opportunity to retain their existing customers or to build their customer base whilst ensuring their direct mail campaigns are commercially viable, measurably successful and environmentally sustainable.

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The logistics of multi channel retailing

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Multi-channel communication and multi-channel retailing are becoming increasingly important to successful business strategy. This shift in the way that consumers engage with companies and the increase in the number of channels from which customers can make purchases are reflected in the changes in the logistics and distribution industries. More and more firms are turning to third party logistics companies to help them manage their warehousing needs and to help them fine-tune their order fulfillment strategies.

Every day, new research is being conducted and new strategies for multi channel retailing. Different strands of multi platform marketing are constantly emerging from this research. One strand of marketing and communications that is becoming ever more prevalent is mobile communication. With the advent of smart phones, consumers and prospective customers have more access to the internet than ever before. This means that customers are accessing mobile commerce sites and using mobile applications not only to view products and services on the go, but also to purchase them. This is in addition to an increased amount of customers who are shopping online via websites and is also in addition to more traditional channels of mail order, such as shopping from catalogues or using telephone ordering. With this in mind, several companies are adjusting their order fulfillment processes to accommodate increased and varied patterns of demand upon their supplies, as well as continuing to serve customers and consumers who engage with them through more traditional channels.

It is becoming increasingly evident that businesses need to adapt in order to succeed in this changing market. Mobile commerce and other elements of multi channel retailing are altering the landscape of the order fulfillment industry. Here at ILG, we work alongside our clients to ensure their order fulfillment needs are met and that they receive a solution that is tailored to the individual company.

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Warehousing and order fulfillment for new businesses

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The advent of the internet and the increasing popularity of auction sites have seen an increase in the number of new businesses starting up. The majority of these new businesses focus on trading and selling goods online. Whilst new businesses can often bring a positive boost to the UK economy, it is important that these new firms realise the importance of logistics strategy and accurate order fulfillment to ensure their continued success.

Many new businesses are becoming victims of their own success; finding that demand simply outstrips their ability to meet order fulfillment requirements, especially if they had envisaged their operation to run at a slower pace in its infancy. Such is the nature of the internet that customer advocacy and word of mouth recommendation generates so much business in today’s market. If a company is providing a great service with quality products, their demand invariably increases because the amount of positive recommendation they receive rises. At this point, many new businesses have struggled with the logistics of meeting customer orders in a timely and accurate fashion. However, those companies that have succeeded have often looked to outsource their order fulfillment and warehousing operations to third party logistics companies. This outsourcing takes pressure off the business itself and they are able to concentrate on generating new business or developing products due to the peace of mind provided by the knowledge that an experienced logistics management company can provide.

Here at the ILG, we work with a variety of business partners, from established large companies to start-up ventures. We ensure that we take time to understand their logistic and warehousing needs in order to provide them with a tailored solution. More and more small new businesses are taking advantage of this and are finding the running of their operation significantly improved because of it.

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A Wider Choice of Movies

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DVD rental shops often have the same titles repeated over and over again, with very little choice of more specialised movies, or movies that aren’t already in the mainstream conscience. To find these movies, you can spend ages trawling internet sites and ultimately finding you simply have to buy them at inflated prices. Finding classic and obscure films to rent is nearly impossible, and even when you do find them, they’re usually on rental websites, and then you have to wait what seems like forever for the DVD to arrive.

However, there are now more and more legal streaming sites popping up over the internet, which not only offer you the ability to watch movies online as and when you want to, but many of them are also completely free. For those who are tired of watching the same movies that the rental shops often have, having a wider variety of films to choose from is a God send. These sites offer a chance to not only see films that you wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to see or in some cases even hear about, but also do it at no charge and with the great convenience of being able to it anywhere, anytime.

With easy navigation systems of genre or by name, you can easily hunt down those films that you thought you would never get the chance to see again, or simply browse through your favourite style of flicks and enjoy forgotten classics or brand new films that may have slipped under the radar.

For those who want to watch movies online and not waste time going to the post office or pay over the odds for a film they can’t be sure they’ll even like, then there is no better way to get the cinema experience in your own home, without you even having to move a muscle.

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Getting the Right Home Lighting

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Light plays a major function in many different aspects of our lives. For instance people with Seasonal Affective Disorder can see major benefits from spending more time under certain types of light. Therefore, the amount of light in your home can affect not just the look of the house but your emotions as well.

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Home Design – The Best First Impressions

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We all know that first impressions last. That they are the stuff that lasting opinions are made from, and can take a lot of hard work and effort to change. So why, when it comes to home design, do so many people forget.
A lot of effort often goes into the interior decoration of the first few rooms – the hallway, the lounge, the kitchen; the areas that people assume will be the first to be seen.

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Bathroom Lighting

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Is there one way above all others that is the ‘right’ way to light your bathroom? Or is it, like most things in life, a maze of confusing contradictory advice and uncertainty? Well, the truth is, it’s all down to the individual. Not only will different people prefer different sorts of lighting, but the different activities the bathroom is used for will also have a major effect on the type of lighting used.
For example, smaller rooms with just a shower and no bath aren’t going to need to be as well lit as a sprawling bathroom with all manner of different areas. Likewise, those who want to spend hours relaxing in a bath are going to need more specific lighting around the tub itself, while those whose primary concern is getting that make up just right will most likely be wanting some specific vanity lighting, perhaps recessed into a mirror.
Either way, the first rule is that you will need general lighting. Ceiling lighting is the most common kind. The trick here is not to have it too bright, but also not to have it too dark. Either will make the room feel unwelcoming, and having it too murky will also most likely lead to accidents in such an environment. For those who want to have a more subtle feel to their bathroom lighting, having the ceiling lighting recessed into the ceiling will make for a much more comfortable feel to the lights there.
Home lighting needs to be carefully thought through though, and adding both task and accent lighting to the general lighting will ensure you have the mood you want in your bathroom. Having shadows on your face when trying to get ready or having to strain your eyes to see will not be great for anyone.

Buying beauty products online

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There are several options for anyone who wants to buy beauty care accessories and professional beauty products online. Many websites offer these types of products but be sure to check that the site which you choose to order from has a secure online payment system and a reliable delivery service which does not include any hidden costs. Look for a sit which has a link to a ‘fan page’ on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and check out what  customer s are saying about the firm on these sites: after all ,they have not been paid to provide positive reviews but have been attracted by good deals, a good service and special offers. Beauty care accessories from famous firms such as Babyliss, eyelure, OPI nails, TIGI, St Tropez and GHD are expensive to purchase on the high street and some professional beauty products are only usually available to those i n the beauty or hair trade, who have access to wholesale providers. However, many online sites offer these products to the general public at extremely reasonable prices.  Check that the site which you choose is verified as safe by an independent certification such as ‘Internet Shopping is Safe’ and browse the site, reading all customer care information, delivery rates, and returns policies before you order. After you have compared sites and found the best bargains on beauty care accessories, your desired products are merely a click away. Whether you need a paraffin wax heater, professional curling tongs, eyelash curlers, hairdryers, luxury manicure kits, false eyelashes or pedicure kits, there are some outstanding deals available online. Be cautious, however, about branded products being offered at prices which are comparatively, suspiciously low in relation to what is on offer from similar products on similar sites. If a price is too good to be true, it is worth ensuring that everything is ‘kosher’ before you proceed.  Shop carefully and wisely and you can undoubtedly pick up amazing bargains on professional beauty products.

Commercial window cleaners

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If you are looking for commercial window cleaners in Milton Keynes, there are a few options, but be sure to choose a company which is reputable, has a record of providing services to prestigious customers, is environmentally friendly and offers a range of services such as cladding cleaners services. It is recommended that you also choose a firm with a long record in the industry which is fully compliant with stringent health and safety laws and uses highly trained staff in all of its operational business practices.  As well as operating as cladding cleaners, many such firms offer specialist sky cleaner services whereby tall buildings and extensive glass structures can be thoroughly cleaned and maintained through the use of highly trained staff and state-of-the art equipment.  Companies offering such excellent services may operate as commercial window cleaners in Milton Keynes but will often have several operational bases in a wide area, allowing for the provision of services over a wide geographical area. Any reputable and responsible company will carry out a full assessment of your requirements, all relevant health and safety precautions and advise you on the most appropriate services before providing you with a comprehensive quote. It is crucially important that companies operating in this sector build up a reputation for reliability and safety-consciousness because without these central values, they will not only go out of business but could also be prosecuted and face heavy fines or even jail terms. Therefore, bear in mind that it is worth paying a fair price for a firm which never compromises on safety and quality of service in order to attract customers through extremely low prices. That said, if you regularly use the services of established firms, they will sometimes offer you discounted services in order to reward your loyalty as a valued customer.

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Money raised for fleet management

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It is not just businesses that benefit from the impact of fleet management and vehicle tracking systems. Government-run organisations and charities can also make use of such systems.
One non-profit entity that intends to do just this is the Arohanui Hospice in New Zealand.
According to a report in the Manawatu Standard, the medical centre is becoming increasingly reliant on its wheels and has therefore devised a new plan that will see money generated each year for both new vehicles and for fleet management.
The medical centre provides palliative care to patients suffering of all ages suffering from life-limiting illnesses. The services include supporting people in their communities, inpatient care, respite care and a 24-hour advice service. Also, social work provisions, family support and bereavement support are also given by the hospice.
During a recent ceremony, the Hospice took over ownership of a new car and palliative care co-ordinator Pare Corkran got to sit behind the wheel of the Mazda that she will be able use while visiting patients.
The vehicle was handed over at Palmfeild Motors, which is the firm that will look after the management of the fleet. In this capacity, the organisation will be responsible for various things, including servicing and replacing the motors.
One of the groups that has raised money for the project is Feilding Friends. Chairman of the organisation Don Taylor said that plans to provide and maintain one car had been discussed but then it was decided that it would make more sense to contribute to the overall fleet management plan.
He added: “It gives us some direction – a very tangible contribution.”
If the hospice has enough money in future, it may decide that vehicle tracking systems should also be put in place to help it keep tabs on its fleet and ensure it runs efficiently.

Fleet management to form part of plan in Big Apple

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Fleet management services are used by a variety of companies and other organisations around the UK.
Sometimes combined with vehicle tracking, it can be a good way for them to minimise the risks associated with investing in cars, vans, lorries or buses and it also helps to improve efficiency and productivity.
This means that the overall costs of transportation and staff can be reduced. Not only this, but it can also help ensure complete compliance with government legislation.
However, it is not only those in the UK who are making good use of this type of service.
Those across the Atlantic in the Big Apple have proved this point. Under the terms of a new programme, New York is planning to reduce the costs of its fleet for employees of the city.
As well as establishing new metrics for fleet management, the proposals will reduce the overall number of vehicles owned by the city.
A car sharing initiative is being implemented and the idea was announced by mayor of the capital Michael Bloomberg, deputy mayor for operations Stephen Goldsmith and transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.
Currently in its pilot stage, the programme will enable workers at the Department of Transportation to share the use of dedicated Zipcar vehicles for official business.
Mr Bloomberg stated: “Earlier this year, we announced a large-scale effort to make city government smaller, smarter and more sustainable – both environmentally and fiscally.”
He added: “An important component of that effort is looking at city-owned cars. A car share programme could help reduce the number of cars we use, cut our costs, free up parking on our streets and reduce the congestion on our streets, and the pollution in our air.”
Many organisations are currently seeking ways to reduce their running costs due to the economic conditions and investing in the management of fleets and on vehicle tracking are two possible factors that can help.

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Vehicle tracking system for buses to be improved

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Vehicle tracking systems have a wide range of uses and can be used by companies and individuals alike. One of the markets for such products that is gaining strength at present is public transport.
Businesses and local authorities responsible for providing such services are coming under increasing pressure to give accurate information to passengers.
Also, having a GPS vehicle tracking system in place can make managing a fleet of buses, for example, much easier.
One organisation that is determined to use such technology effectively is Leicester City Council.
It already has a Star Trak provision in place but it is looking to improve this and, according to reports in the Leicester Mercury, it has invited bids from firms around the world that believe they are capable of achieving this.
Later this year, a seminar will be held at which interested parties will provide greater detail on how they would enhance the vehicle tracking systems.
At present, users of the service complain that it can be unreliable and this is something the local authority is eager to correct.
The city council’s traffic operations team leader, Ed Kocik, commented: “We’re pleased with the level of interest from companies hoping to work with us on the new Star Trak system. We want an accurate and cost-effective system and we’re looking forward to hearing what expertise these firms have.”
Among the countries that have businesses vying for the project are Spain, France, Germany and Canada. There are also three British companies that are keen to get involved.
GPS vehicle tracking systems are seen as particularly useful for public transport providers that operate in busy, congested towns and cities as it can be hard for them to stick to a given timetable. Despite this, dense urban areas are not the only locations in which such technology is utilised.

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The trouble with a lost heir or next of kin

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Complications can often arise over a lost heir as evidenced in the Ancient Greek myth of the tragedy of Oedipus.
Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, but was left on a hillside to die, with his feet pinned together, because of a prediction that he would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. However, he was rescued by shepherds and brought up in the Royal Palace of Corinth as the son of King Polybus and Queen Merope.
As a young man Oedipus consulted the Delphic oracle about his future and was told that he would indeed kill his father and marry his mother. Devastated by this news, he left Corinth determined not to be the cause of his father’s death. He eventually travelled to Thebes but on the way he was forced to kill an older man who challenged him on the road (his father, unbeknown to him). Arriving in Thebes he learned of the fearsome Sphinx who was terrorising the city because no one could answer her riddle
“What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?”
He answered it successfully (man throughout his life) and won the hand of the recently widowed queen. Eventually the true story came out and Jocasta hanged herself in despair whilst Oedipus blinded himself and, guided by his two daughters, wandered aimlessly round Greece until he died.
At Kin, we are experts in the field of heir hunters and next of kin, and perhaps if we had been around at the time of Oedipus, such tragedy need not have occurred. Family relations and inheritances can be complicated and it is always wise to use a expert in the field to untangle even the most intricate of connections.

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