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[travelwusblog]

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[orbemnews]

Virgin Galactic reaches edge of space as it prepares to take tourists to the skies Two pilots were onboard the VSS Unity which blasted off from Spaceport America, New Mexico, for the first time. The flight saw a carrier plane named VMS Eve take the VSS Unity into the skies before it released the VS Unity. Following its departure from VMS Eve, the VSS Unity reached an altitude of 55 miles – the edge of space – and travelling three times the speed of sound. VSS Unity, piloted by CJ Sturckow and Dave Mackay, then cruised along the border between Earth and space before landing back down at Spaceport America. While it is the third time Virgin Galactic has taken the ship to the edge of space, it is the first time from its Spaceport America base, setting the company in good sted to offer the journey to tourists in 2022. Virgin Galactic boss Sir Richard Branson said: “Fifteen years ago, New Mexico embarked on a journey to create the world’s first commercial spaceport. “Today, we launched the first human spaceflight from that very same place, marking an important milestone for both Virgin Galactic and New Mexico. “I am proud of the team for their hard work and grateful to the people of New Mexico who have been unwavering in their commitment for commercial spaceflight from day one. “Their belief and support have made today’s historic achievement possible.” Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, added: “Today’s flight showcased the inherent elegance and safety of our spaceflight system while marking a major step forward for both Virgin Galactic and human spaceflight in New Mexico. “Space travel is a bold and adventurous endeavour, and I am incredibly proud of our talented team for making the dream of private space travel a reality. “We will immediately begin processing the data gained from this successful test flight, and we look forward to sharing news on our next planned milestone.” Virgin Galactic hopes to take paying customers to the edge of space, where they will be able to experience zero gravity as well as a stunning view of Earth. Up to six passengers will be able to take a ride on the plane, according to Virgin Galactic. However, tickets are not cheap and come at a hefty price. Seats are initially being sold for $250,000 (£196,000) apiece, and customers are able to place a fully refundable deposit of $1,000 (£730) on the company’s website. Sir Richard has said 600 paying customers have already signed up to the venture, including the rich and famous. if(typeof utag_data.ads.fb_pixel!=="undefined"&&utag_data.ads.fb_pixel==!0)!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init','568781449942811');fbq('track','PageView') Source link Orbem News #Edge #Galactic #Prepares #reaches #skies #Space #tourists #Virgin

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[techspeakerstechnologyspeakers]

Selecting the Best Speaker

Speakers can add immeasurably to a gathering by motivating, entertaining, enlightening or teaching a skill. An inappropriate speaker, on the opposite hand, can cause disastrous results. Here's a glance at the way to find the proper speaker for your event and the way to figure with speakers to form sure their presentation - and your event - are a hit . 

The key question is: How does a corporation choose? How are you able to make certain that you're going to get a speaker who is true for your organization? Start by asking yourself these questions: Why is that this meeting being held? What can we want the attendees to understand , think, or feel after this meeting? What issues or challenges are the attendees facing right now? Your answers should assist you narrow your search. And remember, much is at stake

. A speaker can, and sometimes will, set the tone for your meeting. Select poorly, and there is a robust chance your meeting will suffer. Attendees will long recall a speaker who bombed. there is a lot financially at stake, too; speakers don't come cheap, typically charging thousands of dollars for his or her services. 

once more , the key's to understand your organization, know your circumstances, and know your audience. USING A SPEAKERS BUREAU A speakers bureau can assist you narrow your search right down to that one speaker who is ideal for your organization. Here's how: Knowing who's hot. A speakers bureau is on the phone with meeting planners all day long, reviewing speakers, hearing from planners about what speakers they've used, who was good, who wasn't. Bureaus know the speaker's capabilities. Wider Access.

 Speakers bureaus have access to thousands of professional speakers, industry experts, and celebrities. Occasionally, a big-name celebrity will have exclusive management with a specific bureau, but that doesn't mean other bureaus aren't ready to book that celebrity. In such cases, the celebrity's bureau and therefore the bureau representing the meeting planner "co-broker" the deal.

 Negotiating Fees. additionally to selecting appropriate speaker within a group's budget, the speakers bureau will negotiate the speaker's fee on behalf of the client - that's , if the fee is hospitable negotiation. The meeting planner's organization doesn't pay extra for the services of a speakers bureau; the bureau receives a percentage of the speaker's fee, very much like a agent is compensated for selling airline tickets. Finding Replacements. 

One big advantage of employing a speakers bureau is that if a speaker cancels, even at the eleventh hour , the bureau will line up a replacement that meets the client's needs. SIZING UP POTENTIAL SPEAKERS The best thanks to assure that you are a quality speaker is to ascertain the speaker in action - or a minimum of the speaker's demo video and question meeting planners who have used the speaker. don't rely solely on the demo video, since a five-minute snippet isn't necessarily a sign of how well a speaker will perform. 

Another approach is to out in least three meeting executives conversant in the potential speaker's work, and ask: Did the speaker skillfully customize the presentation? Did the speaker have an honest presentation technique, i.e., use anecdotes, examples, humor? Was the speaker easy to figure with, or did he/she make unreasonable requests? How did attendees rate the speaker? Would you employ the speaker again? Find out if the speaker holds the speaking industry's major designations: CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) or the CPAE (Council of Peers Award for Excellence). 

The National Speakers Association confers both. The CSP signifies achievement through a proven record of speaking experience; the recipients have made a minimum number of paid presentations and earned a minimum number of continuous education credits. The CPAE is awarded to up to 5 NSA members annually for demonstrated platform experience and professionalism. FEES AND EXPENSES Basic Fees. Fees vary widely, starting from $1,000 to $50,000 or more. Luminaries like management guru Michael Porter, billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson and former president Clinton are on the high end. 

Speakers are paid during a sort of ways but generally require a deposit - 50 percent is typical - at the time of booking, with the balance due shortly before the engagement or on site. Variations within the basic fee. confine mind that professional speakers - those that do that for a living - are likely to line their fees consistent with how long they'll be at your event. as an example , the speaker may need a keynote fee that covers one keynote speech of up to 90 minutes. If the speaker plans to try to to the keynote speech , speak at a break-out session, and maybe stay for the luncheon, he might charge a better fee. 

Many professional speakers have half-day and full-day rates additionally to keynote fees. Travel and other costs. For the privilege of getting the speaker address your group, you pay the speaker's fee plus travel and accommodation costs (hotel and meals). A speaker's expenses typically start at $1,000 - or more if he or she is flying first-class. Negotiating fees. Are speakers fees carved in stone? No, fees are often negotiable, even those of a number of the highest tier speakers. In fact, you should not be too quick to simply accept the primary price you're quoted. do not be shy about negotiating. KEEPING COSTS DOWN Here are some ways to stay a lid on the value of hiring speakers: Who's local? search for speakers who are based within the city where you will be holding your event. Some speakers spend their entire lives on the road, and should welcome a gig on the brink of home. A Boston-based speaker could also be amenable to offering a deal on his rate so as to deal with your meeting in Boston. And, of course, you'll avoid travel and accommodation expenses. 

Does he have something to sell? A speaker with a book or a video to sell could also be willing to simply accept a lower fee if allowed to peddle their wares at your event. Can you share costs with another group? ask the hotel or local convention and visitors bureau about other events scheduled an equivalent day. you'll "share" the services of the speaker - and thus share the value . 

What else can a speaker do? attempt to get more bang for your buck by having the speaker agree, lets say, to attend a break-out session additionally to giving a serious talk. The speaker might be willing to try to to the break-out at little to understand additional cost. Offer video. If you propose to record the speaker's presentation, offer to supply extra copies of the video for the speaker's use. The speaker could also be willing to chop you a deal on the fee. 

Call your Congressman. Approach speakers who don't accept fees - current officeholders, as an example . If you will be meeting, say, in and around Washington, D.C., a member of congress could speak on a legislative topic of interest to your group. THE SPEAKER'S CONTRACT Primarily, the contract should clearly lay out your expectations and therefore the speaker's. It should cover the following: Travel and native transportation arrangements.

 Accommodations and meals. Fees and payment terms. Customization of remarks. Additional duties expected of the speaker, like mingling with attendees or signing autographs. Whether and the way the speaker will sell products such and books and DVDs. Agreements to record the speaker's presentation (in most cases, you will need permission to record). 

Audiovisual and technical requirements. Cancellation policies. PREPPING YOUR SPEAKER You should thoroughly brief the speaker about your organization (i.e. goals, accomplishments, challenges), your organization's industry, and therefore the size and demographics of the audience. this is often particularly important if you're expecting the speaker to customize the presentation. Many celebrity speakers aren't amenable to customizing their remarks, but it's almost a given among most professional speakers. 

At the very least, furnish the speaker with the foremost recent annual report, a printed history of your organization, any pertinent news clippings, and therefore the names of key people and specific industry buzzwords that you're going to want the speaker to include . You may also want to possess the speaker interview key members of your organization within the weeks before the event. But don't assume the speaker will do extensive preparation work for nothing. Sometimes, speakers will charge extra for customizing due to the research they need to try to to .

 For More Info:- 

speakers on technology 

 find a speaker for an event

[bigyack-com]

SpaceX announces partnership to send four tourists into deep orbit - world news

SpaceX announced a new partnership Monday to send four tourists deeper into orbit than any private citizen before them, in a mission that could take place by 2022 and easily cost more than $100 million.The company signed the deal with Space Adventures, which is based in Washington and served as an intermediary to send eight space tourists to the International Space Station (ISS) via Russian Soyuz rockets.The first of these was Dennis Tito, who paid $20 million for an eight hour stay on the ISS back in 2001. The last to go was Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, in 2009.The new tourists would be carried on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which was developed to transport NASA astronauts and is due to make its first crewed flight in the coming months.“Our goal is to try to get to about two to three times the height of the space station,” Space Adventure’s president Tom Shelley told AFP.The ISS orbits at 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth’s surface, but the exact altitude of the Space Adventures mission would be determined by SpaceX, added Shelley.At its earliest, it could take place by late 2021, though “probably more likely is sometime in 2022,” he said.The capsule was designed to take astronauts from the surface to the ISS. Just nine square meters in volume, there are no private areas to sleep wash or use the bathroom.Mission duration will depend on what the customers want, said Shelley.- Weeks of training -Asked about the cost, Shelley replied: “It’s not cheap.”The cost of launching a Falcon 9 rocket is $62 million, according to publicly available figures, then there will be the cost of building a fresh Dragon capsule. Could it exceed $100 million?“Your assessment is correct, I can’t comment specifically on the numbers, but yeah those are the cost components,” he said.“We have a pretty good network of high net worth individuals around the world, many of whom we know are interested in spaceflight,” he added. Unlike space tourism to the ISS, which required six months of training in Moscow, the next mission will need four weeks of participation in the US.After a gap of 12 years, Space Adventures also wants to send two more tourists to the ISS on board a Russian rocket in 2021.Back in 2005, the company announced, amid great fanfare, that it planned to send two tourists around the Moon -- but that mission has now been abandoned, confirmed Shelley.Other companies involved in space tourism are Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.The two are developing vessels to send tourists just beyond the border of space (80 kilometers or 100 kilometers, depending on the definitions chosen by both). Tickets for Virgin started at $250,000 when they first went on sale in the mid 2000s.SpaceX’s offering is far more ambitious and powered by the same reusable Falcon 9 rocket that puts satellites into space and send astronauts to the ISS.At the same time, Boeing is also developing a crew capsule called Starliner, also with the intention of transporting US astronauts to the ISS. Like SpaceX, Boeing also envisages sending tourists into space, but the program’s development is hampered by major glitches that resulted in the early termination of an uncrewed test flight in December. Read the full article

[floridaindependent-blog]

Travel on a Budget: 10 Cheap Family Vacations in the US

New Post has been published on https://floridaindependent.com/travel-on-a-budget-10-cheap-family-vacations-in-the-us/

Travel on a Budget: 10 Cheap Family Vacations in the US

For American parents of children under 18, 81% charge over $1,000 on their credit cards in order to give them a summer vacation. But family trips should be about having fun, not about worrying about the credit card debt you have to take out to fund such a vacation.

Everyone deserves to have amazing breaks, even if they don’t have much money to work with. If you need to travel on a budget, then here are 10 cheap family vacations you can take in the US.

1. Yellowstone, WY

Does your family enjoy camping? Or have you never been, and are interested in trying it out? Then Yellowstone is where you need to go to.

This national park spans over 3,471 square miles, which gives you breathtaking views no matter where you go. This family trip can be amazingly cheap if you plan ahead of time and reserve a space at the campgrounds on site. The prices range from $15 to a little over $47 per night.

You can cut down on costs even further if you go to the grocery store beforehand and stock up on food and drinks to have at the campsite. 

2. Washington, D.C.

If you live anywhere near Washington, D.C., it’s a fantastic area to bring your family to. Your kids can get great history lessons at the tons of free museums around, plus get an up-close and personal look at some of the most iconic monuments.

While you’re taking a break from all the museums and monuments, you can get an affordable meal from one of the many food trucks around. Get cheap and easy transportation through the metro or by renting bikes or electric scooters.

3.The Catskills, NY

Get away from the hustle and bustle of New York and go up to the Catskills instead. You’ll find plenty of outdoor activities, such as fishing, bumper boating, and rock climbing, as well as skiing and sledding in the winter.

While prices at nearby resorts are affordable, you can save even more if you reserve a spot at one of their campgrounds.

4. Myrtle Beach, SC

It’s always a treat to lounge around on the beach when the weather’s hot. When you get too sweaty, just get up and hop into the beautiful blue ocean!

Myrtle Beach has plenty of family-friendly attractions, such as bowling, mini-golf, and an aquarium. If you go in the summer, you can also attend free concerts at the shopping center nearby.

5. San Diego, CA

Are you located on the west coast and would like to go to an affordable beach too? Then try San Diego. This large county has the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park (which is full of museums), and the USS Midway Museum.

During the daytime, you can bring the entire family to one of the many beaches along the coastline. At night, the adults can have a few drinks in Downtown San Diego in the Gaslamp Quarter.

6. Grand Canyon, AZ

This one’s another family vacation to put on your list if you like the great outdoors. At this Natural Wonder of the World, you and your loved ones can spend hours hiking in the beautiful trails.

For lodging, up to 6 people can stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge for under $200 a night, which is a steal. You can also go on mule rides; they only cost $90 for half a day and can provide a unique experience that your children are sure to remember for a lifetime.

7. Williamsburg, VA

Give your family a fun and interesting history lesson by vacationing in Williamsburg. This town used to be a colony, and there are many people here who reenact the olden days. You can take your loved ones on fun tours to learn about the area.

Nearby attractions include Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA. While admission can be expensive for a whole family, you can get combination tickets to save if you want to visit multiple attractions.

8. Branson, MO

Your kids will have plenty to do in Branson! This town has a water park, a humongous replica of the Titanic, and an old school amusement park. Free activities include tours at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery and swimming at the Table Rock Lake.

Nearby is Independence, where there’s also plenty to see and do. Knowing where to stay can make all the difference in how much you spend on your vacation, so consider economy hotels, RV parks, and campgrounds in addition to hotels.

9. Ka’anapali Beach, HI

Hawaii doesn’t have to be an expensive trip. If you go in the off-season (January and February), you can save a significant amount on airfare.

Consider staying at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel. All children under 17 get to stay for free in their parents’ room and they also have a complimentary kids’ program for those under 12. Plus, this hotel is located right on the gorgeous beaches of Maui.

10. Gatlinburg, TN

Vacationing in Gatlinburg on the off-season (March, April, and September) will save you a whole bundle of money. All throughout the year, they consistently have free festivals, so chances are, whichever dates you pick to visit, you’ll have something free to attend.

Nearby is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is free to enter. Here, you can go hiking and biking, as well as view their historical exhibits.

Take Cheap Family Vacations in the Future

As you can see, taking a trip doesn’t have to be expensive if you go about it smartly. While it may take a little more work and imagination, cheap family vacations are definitely feasible. So take our above tips and save big on your future family breaks!

Take a look at our blog section for some interesting articles.

[screechingrebelgoatee]

October 14, 2017 at 04:26AM Liked on YouTube: Why your Macbook Pro 2011 FAILED right after warranty repair: 18:56

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Article from BusinessInsider: A $70 billion investment manager turned the Milwaukee Bucks into a basketball powerhouse. Now he's set on improving America's dismal passenger trains

When Wes Edens bought the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014, the team was 15-67. This year, they're a top seed in the playoffs. Photo: BrightLine

The United States' passenger rail system is in dire need of improvement.

Wes Edens, founder of Fortress Investment Group and the owner of several professional sports franchises, thinks he's found the cure.

Edens spoke with Business Insider about his leadership on Virgin Trains USA, which will eventually connect Miami and Orlando, Florida.

There are nearly a dozen other possible locations for private passenger rail in the country, Edens says, and the West Coast is next on his list.

Hugging Florida's Atlantic coast is a narrow strip of land with some of the country's most recognizable attractions.

From the white sand of Miami's South Beach and its nearby cruise ship ports, through the palm-laden groves of Broward County, all the way up through Orlando and Disney is one of the country's most densely built metropolitan areas.

With an ever-rising ocean on one side, and the Everglades on the other, the region is quickly running out of room to expand traffic lanes and keep up with an increasing population.

Wes Edens, founder of Fortress Investment Group, a private equity and investment management firm with about $70 billion in assets under management, says that combination of space constraints and a dense urban landscape is the "perfect storm" for building passenger rail in the United States that people actually want to ride.

The 57-year-old is the largest investor in BrightLine, now branded as Virgin Trains, with help from media mogul turned travel investor Sir Richard Branson. His other bets include a 2014 purchase of the Milwaukee Bucks, currently a top-seeded Finals team, British soccer club Aston Villa, which is also on a 10-win hot streak in its race to make it back to the upper Premier League, and even a professional "League of Legends" franchise.

"I really wanted to focus on things that I have great passion for, and those things fall into the general classification of infrastructure," Edens told Business Insider in an interview. "Infrastructure really catalyzes economic development in a very material way. Sports, in and of itself, is almost like a social infrastructure."

Sports, in and of itself, is almost like a social infrastructure. It really provides unity, brings people together, and can rebuild downtown areas."

That's exactly what he's done with the areas surrounding Milwaukee's downtown Fiserv Forum arena, and hopes to recreate with its Downtown Miami Central station. The 3 million square-foot complex also happens to be on the site where one of Edens' heroes — Henry Flagler of the iconic 19th century Florida East Coast railroad — built the city's first terminal in 1896.

The original Florida East Coast Railway linked the many of Henry Flagler's opulent Florida hotels with major American cities on the East Coast.

Wikimedia Commons

"I want to build a train station people want to get married in," Edens said, drawing inspiration from London's St. Pancras Eurostar terminal, housed in a grand Victorian building that's part luxury hotel.

Eventually, trains will run from Miami through their current stops in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach as far north as Orlando, with a three-hour journey separating theme parks from cruise ports.

Edens points to Denver as an example of transit-oriented development spurring economic activity, noting that examples like Colorado's capital are "why we wanted to be right in the middle of Miami."

"It's a part of Miami that has been under invested versus the Brickell areas and some of the downtown stuff," Edens said. "It's thick with development activity now and I think the train's been a big part of that."

Too short to fly, too long to drive

American cities like Denver are only part of the story. America, after all, has long struggled to make passenger rail a viable alternative to car-clogged highways — even in dense corridors like the Northeast from Washington D.C. to Boston, via New York City. Edens and other Virgin Trains stakeholders visited dozens of city pairs comparable to Virgin Trains' market across Europe as part of their research.

"These city pairs that are too short to fly but too long to drive are all over the world," he said. "In Europe, the most successful by far obviously is the London to Paris Eurostar route, but there's also Paris to Lyon, Madrid to Seville, Rome to Milan, and others."

The key similarities — despite language or cultural barriers — between these pairs are all roughly the same: the cities are roughly 250 to 200 miles apart, with large populations at either end and in between that need to travel along the corridor.

"That gave us a lot of confidence in the route we are planning initially from Miami to Orlando, which has identical characteristics and is even more constrained in terms of the competition or what you could do by car," Edens said.

In the most successful cases, train services between two major cities in other parts of the world are able to carry more than a quarter of total travel between the two. Virgin Trains has first set its sights on a much smaller "capture rate" of five percent, something Edens says "does not sound like a terribly aspirational goal."

For now, at least, Virgin Trains seems well on its way to that goal. Its hourly departures are reasonably priced, and can make the journey from downtown Miami to West Palm Beach in about 75 minutes. The modern Siemens locomotives and sleek railcar interior evoke a much more European feel than Amtrak's comparable rolling stock, with on-board WiFi and concessions to boot.

Fares run as cheap as $20, too, making Amtrak tickets look more like air travel reservations.

Passengers enjoy the Brightline passenger train's inaugural trip from Miami to West Palm Beach on May 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida. Brightline welcomed the media, politicians and other dignitaries to ride on the inaugural trip for the privately funded passenger train which is running from Miami to West Palm Beach with one stop in Fort Lauderdale. The $3.1 billion project, will eventually extend its rail system to Orlando International Airport and is scheduled to be completed by January 2021. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In April, the company announced it had closed a $1.75 billion private bond package sold to 67 different investors that will help fund Virgin Trains' expansion to Orlando, with assistance from Morgan Stanley.

Edens hopes the success can be replicated, too. The company has plans for a similar project between Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the future, with eyes on roughly a dozen city pairs throughout the US that could also benefit from train travel.

"Atlanta to Charlotte would be another one," Edens said. "Chicago to St. Louis would be maybe the most attractive of them all, and if you look at the business travel market, Houston to Dallas would be a good one too."

Of course, it won't be easy. California drastically slashed the scope of its planned high-speed rail project earlier this year, initially relegating the route to the Central Valley instead of the originally proposed San Francisco to Los Angeles link. Rail proponents in Texas, meanwhile, have struggled to gain possession of crucial land needed to build in the busy I-35 corridor.

Edens is optimistic, but Virgin Trains won't be able to turn the tide on its own.

"Our investment in South Florida will be about $3 billion," he said. "But to build it as true high-speed rail would probably be $10 billion more than that. The government has not actually made it a priority to build it themselves."

"The model we're using could be easily copied in different markets," he continued."These shorter city pairs where you can build that grade and get there in three hours could easily displace lots of automobiles and passenger flights."