CaribPR Wire

Country’s Largest Chain to Offer Kobo Wireless eReader to Trinidad and Tobago eReading Community

 TORONTO, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Kobo, a global leader in eReading with more than 3.6 million users in over 100 countries worldwide, today announced that the company’s Wireless eReader has landed in the Caribbean through a new partnership with Nigel R Khan Bookseller.  The innovative bookseller – with nine locations in Trinidad and Tobago – is committed to bringing the latest technology to readers.  The introduction of the Kobo Wireless eReader provides the large chain with an open and enjoyable device to support local readers and the islands’ tourism trade.

 As the southernmost island in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago’s population of 1.3 million boasts a literacy rate of 92.8%, making it the perfect place for Kobo to reach avid readers and encourage them to start eReading with the device of their choice. Nigel R Khan Bookseller has proven their overarching commitment to reading and technology, adopting new approaches that enhance the joy of reading for their customers.

 ”Along with the excitement of bringing our passion for eReading to new shores, we expect to see great success with the launch of the Kobo Wireless eReader in Nigel R Khan Bookseller stores throughout Trinidad and Tobago,” said Todd Humphrey, Executive Vice President of Business Development, Kobo. “Nigel R Khan Bookseller is really leading the way by bringing the latest technology to the Caribbean and introducing eReading to their customers.  We look forward to serving Trinidad and Tobago’s growing eReading community and the country’s technology-focused demographic.”

 The partnership will enable the book chain’s customers to engage in reading on a whole new level with Kobo, as well as attract a new reading crowd with the technological advancements Kobo brings to eReading.

 The Kobo Wireless eReader is perfect for reading on the go! Light, compact and featuring Wi Fi access you can shop today’s hottest new releases, newspapers and magazines plus over 1 million free classics — anywhere. Pre-loaded with 100 ready to go classics, this e-Reader is an obvious buy.

• Browse and shop today’s best sellers plus over 1 million free classics
• 6″ E Ink screen for no glare, paper-like reading
• 100 free classics pre-loaded
• Light and compact – just .4 inches thick and weighs only 8 ounces
• Carry up to 1,000 eBooks or 10,000 with an expandable SD memory card
• Read on and on. The long lasting battery lasts up to 2 weeks
• Modern and minimal – intuitive navigation pad
• Personalize your reading with customizable font sizes and styles
• Choose your library view: list, text or by virtual book
• Supports open standards (ePUB, PDF, Adobe DRM)
• Wi Fi connectivity let’s you shop and update your library wirelessly
• Read on your mobile, tablet or computer with Kobo’s free downloadable apps
• Unique quilted back makes it comfortable to hold
• Available in three stylish colors: Onyx, Silver and Lilac

About Kobo, Inc.

Kobo is a global eReading service with more than 2.3 million eBooks, magazines and newspapers – one of the largest eReading catalogues in the world. Kobo believes consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device and has attracted millions of readers from over 100 countries across the globe. Kobo has top ranked eReading applications for iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows and MacOS, and is the eReading application of choice for leading tablets. Kobo eReaders are also available at leading retailers including Indigo, Walmart, Best Buy, Borders, WHSmith, Angus & Robertson’s, Whitcoull’s and Nigel R Khan Booksellers. Kobo’s innovative Reading Life is an industry-first comprehensive social eReading experience – Kobo users can earn awards simply for time spent reading and encouraging others to read.  Kobo is backed by majority shareholder Indigo Books & Music Inc, Cheung Kong Holdings, and institutional investors. For more information, please visit www.Kobo.com.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll Hosts Business Roundtable

 WASHINGTON, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Black Chamber of Commerce® is holding its 19th annual conference July 21-23 in Miami at the Four Seasons Hotel.  The theme is “Making the World Business Friendly,” a nod to less regulation for a healthier business climate.  Panels will include energy and telecom regulations, international trade, procurement, social media, managing your business and maintaining your wealth.

 Two of this year’s award winners hail from the great state of Florida; Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fl) will be this year’s recipient of the Parren J. Mitchell Award and Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll will receive the Trailblazer of the Year Award.  The Lt. Governor will also host a panel on the merits of opening or expanding a business in the Sunshine State.

 The stellar accomplishments of John Biagas, CEO of Bay Electric will be highlighted when he is presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year award and John Boyd of The Black Farmers Association will be honored with the Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award.

Comcast/NBC Universal will instruct us and give recommendations on how to do business with their corporation.  Ms. Tebelelo Mazile Seretse, Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the United States and Elkanah Odembo, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to the United States, will be on hand to discuss opportunities within their countries.   Patrick Lozes, founder of the French African Diaspora Chamber of Commerce, will discuss francophone companies and Michael Harris, Chairman of NBCC International Trade Committee, will give updates on Gabon and Republic of Congo.

 The National Black Chamber of Commerce is known for its advocacy on issues that affect a business’ bottom line and to that end updates will be presented on electronic payment exchange, digital download tax, fuel sufficiency and the always necessary educated workforce.

This networking event provides an opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs, business leaders and chamber executives and is open to the public.  Registration is available at www.nationalbcc.org.

CaribPR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, June 8, 2011: Minister of Business Development & Tourism of Bermuda, Patrice Kimberly Minors, is among a stellar panel set to address the inaugural Invest Caribbean Power Forum in New York City tomorrow, Thursday, June 9^th.

Minister Minors will join panelists Martin Mohabeer, the Guyana-born Managing Director of Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital; W. Dave Dowrich, Vice President at Goldman Sachs, and David Brillembourg, CEO of the Brilla Group at the investment event being co-presented by digital media company Hard Beat Communications and The Caribbean Tourism Organization.

 The Invest Caribbean event, titled “Investing In Paradise,” will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis hotel in Time Square, New York City.

Minister Minors brings her considerable expertise in goal setting to the government and performed in an outstanding fashion in her role as a government senator.

“We feel this is an outstanding forum for us to share the message with an influential audience that Bermuda is ready, willing and able to provide meaningful and mutually beneficial investment opportunities,” said Minister Minors. “We are already seeing positive signs for development and know that events such as this one can help showcase Bermuda as an extremely attractive partner.”

Also set to address delegates are New York City Comptroller John Liu, who helps manage $646 million in pension funds for New York City; Brian Lilly, CEO of Lilly Broadcasting and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and St. Kitts/Nevis minister of tourism, Ricky Skerritt.

The Hard Beat/CTO forum will be moderated by Professor Temisan Agbeyegbe, professor of Economics at Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York and a research associate with The Caribbean Center for Monetary Studies, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

Attendees include Hon. Hayden Hughes – Minister of Tourism; Anguilla, Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Minister of Tourism, The Bahamas; Hon. Richard Sealey, Minister of Tourism, Barbados; Hon. Ian Douglas, Minister of Tourism, Dominica; Hon. Peter David, Minister of Tourism, Grenada; Hon. Ed Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica; Hon. Clyde Van Putten, Commissioner of Tourism of St. Eustatius; Hon. Dr. Rupert Griffith, Minister of Tourism, Trinidad & Tobago; Hon. Theodore Heyliger, Commissioner St. Maarten Tourist Bureau; and several directors of tourism, officials of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and money managers others from the real estate, business, travel and investment community.

“The power will be packed into one room on Thursday in New York City. No other place will there be so many ministers and commissioners of government from the Caribbean and money managers and investors at one time,” said Felicia Persaud, CEO of Hard Beat Communications.

 “The Caribbean is a perfect destination for investment, given its stable governments, its tax incentives, its close proximity to the U.S. and it’s very high literary workforce and its superb beauty and climate,” added Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO North America.

The Bermuda Department of Tourism and the Pennsylvania-based WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com, both part of Lilly Broadcasting Corporation, are the official sponsors of the ‘Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast.’

Additional sponsors include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, News Americas Now and the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Registration is now closed for this event but for more information on Invest Caribbean, log on investcaribbeannow.com/.

After Bermuda, New Brunswick and Quebec City, it’s now Barbados’ turn to entrust Irosoft with the automation of its legislative drafting, consolidation and publication processes.

 MONTREAL, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Montreal’s Irosoft, world leader in Acts and regulations management solutions, in collaboration with Montreal’s ESI Technologies, signs an agreement with the Government of Barbados for the implementation of its LIMS suite, a complete legislative management system. 

 Irosoft is proud to announce the signing of this contract with the Government of Barbados, a contract that consolidates LIMS’s positioning on the world stage.

 ”The Government of Barbados, through its ‘Justice Improvement Program’ initiative, chose to implement our LIMS solution. This will enable its citizens’ and the international community to easily access its Acts and regulations. We are truly happy to have been selected for this project. It is the result of several months of work by our sales and development teams,” declared with great enthusiasm Alain Lavoie, president and cofounder of Irosoft. “It’s a wonderful demonstration of what two Quebec SMEs can accomplish when they join forces to export their know-how to the international market.”

 ”What makes our platform unique is the fact that is covers every step of legal documentation production in an integrated way,” adds Mr. Lavoie.

 Indeed, Irosoft’s LIMS platform is one of the few complete solutions currently on the market that enable national, provincial and municipal governments to manage their Acts or their regulations, whether unilingual or bilingual, from drafting all the way to publication.

 Furthermore, LIMS enables users to search for and reconstruct Acts and regulations for a specific point in time and to visualize provisions that have been assented to, but that are not yet in force.

 LIMS is currently being used by the Departments of Justice Bermuda, Quebec and New Brunswick as well as by Quebec City. Part of the suite is also being used by the Government of the Bahamas.

 About Irosoft Inc.

Founded in 1995, Irosoft is a world leader in Document/Record Management and Legal Information Management. As a specialist in integrated content management for the past 15 years, Irosoft offers innovative and easy to use solutions so that clients can simply and efficiently develop, organize, exploit and preserve their information capital. To date, more than 100 national and international organizations — government departments and agencies, municipalities, as well as private companies — have come to Irosoft to carry out large-scale content management projects.

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, May 27, 2011: Entrepreneurs looking to meet investors or do business in the Caribbean have just days left to book their spot for the Investing in Paradise power forum.

Invest Caribbean 2011 is set for June 9^th from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City and tickets are going fast for business owners seeking to network with Martin Mohabeer, the Guyana-born Managing Director of Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital; W. Dave Dowrich, Vice President at Goldman Sachs, and David Brillembourg, CEO of the Brilla Group.

Additionally, the event is also slated to feature New York City comptroller John Liu, who helps manage $646 million in pension funds for New York City; Brian Lilly, CEO of Lilly Broadcasting; Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and St. Kitts/Nevis minister of tourism, Ricky Skerritt and several Caribbean tourism ministers of government, commissioners and directors of tourism as well as officials of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, including Secretary General Hugh Riley and others from the business, travel and investment community.

The Investing In Paradise event is presented by digital media company, Hard Beat Communications and the Caribbean Tourism Organization in Caribbean Week.

The Hard Beat/CTO forum will be moderated by Professor Temisan Agbeyegbe, professor of Economics at Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York and a research associate with The Caribbean Center for Monetary Studies, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Pennsylvania-based WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com, both part of Lilly Broadcasting Corporation, and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, are the official sponsors of the ‘Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast.’

Additional sponsors include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, News Americas Now and the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Register at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=7phqhyn6&oeidk=a07e3p448ple41d4ad3. or for more information log on http://investcaribbeannow.com/.

Martin Mohabeer, Managing Director of Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital is among the panelists.

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, May 20, 2011: They are collectively responsible for managing billions in assets daily and on June 9, 2011, a trio of U.S.-based investors and money managers will share their expertise and discuss opportunities they’ll consider for investment, at the inaugural Invest Caribbean 2011 Power Breakfast.

The Investing In Paradise event, presented by digital media company, Hard Beat Communications and the Caribbean Tourism Organization in Caribbean Week, is set for set for June 9^th from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The forum will feature Martin Mohabeer, the Guyana-born Managing Director of Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital, who currently helps manage $1.3 billion in assets under management by the Hong Kong-based, privately-held investment conglomerate; W. Dave Dowrich, Vice President at Goldman Sachs, which has over 900 billion under its management; and David Brillembourg, CEO of the Brilla Group, who has founded two successful companies, executed over 30 M&A transactions and has raised nearly $150 million over the past decade from private and institutional investors.

Additionally, the event is also slated to feature New York City comptroller John Liu, who helps manage $646 million in pension funds for New York City.

Mario Gonzalez, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company; Brian Lilly, CEO of Lilly Broadcasting and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and St. Kitts/Nevis minister of tourism, Ricky Skerritt will also address participants while several Caribbean tourism ministers of government, commissioners and directors of tourism as well as officials of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, including Secretary General Hugh Riley and others from the business, travel and investment community will be in attendance.

The Hard Beat/CTO forum will be moderated by Professor Temisan Agbeyegbe, professor of Economics at Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York and a research associate with The Caribbean Center for Monetary Studies, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

“This is no talk shop but its where real capital meets investment opportunities,” said Felicia Persaud, CEO of Hard Beat Communications.  “Entrepreneurs, lenders, developers, hotel chain/management company executives, investment bankers, vacation ownership executives, financial advisors, real estate and financial intermediaries, builders, consultants, lawyers, architects and designers or anyone seeking to do business in the Caribbean, learn about investment opportunities there, raise capital to grow or expand your business or network with top investors and ministers of government should all make it a date to attend this event.”

“The Caribbean is a perfect destination for investment, given its stable governments, its tax incentives, its close proximity to the U.S. and it’s very high literary workforce and its superb beauty and climate,” added Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO North America.

The Pennsylvania-based WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com, both part of Lilly Broadcasting Corporation, and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, are the official sponsors of the ‘Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast.’

Additional sponsors include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, News Americas Now and the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Tickets are going fast so register today at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=7phqhyn6&oeidk=a07e3p448ple41d4ad3. Or for more information log on http://investcaribbeannow.com/.

CaribPR Wire, New York, NY, Thurs. May 11, 2011: National Best selling authors Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy honored Super Wings NY founder Colette Burnett, and Television Personality and Author Star Jones during the “Dare to Follow Your Dreams,” a Salute to Women of Courage based upon the book Tears To Triumph: Women Learn to Live, Love and Thrive (Souls of My Sisters Books/Kensington Publishing Corp.) at Renaissance Times Square Hotel, in New York City. The event was held in partnership with Terrence Daniels, Ameriprise Financial; She’s Got Papers Custom Stationery, Cheap Chat Pre Paid Calling Cards and ETS Air Shuttle and Transportation.

Recession aside, executive women and entrepreneurs are thriving and it’s because they call on their band of sisters for help. Star Jones, Television Personality and Author of Satan Sisters: A Novel Work of Fiction (Gallery) gave a moving speech sharing with her fellow honorees overcoming open heart surgery and the many adversities and triumphs in her life and stated, “You never know the role that your fellow sister can play in your life and their will come a time that all you can do is turn to one another for support.”   The singing group ACE performed a special arrangement and tribute of Helen Reddys’ I am Woman Hear Me Roar.

Colette who grew up in Chase Village, Trinidad, W.I. before moving to the United States was saluted because of her courage in the face of adversity, and her drive to constantly provide support to fellow entrepreneurs.  After a decade of being a business banker and community leader, Colette Burnett opened Super Wings in Crown Heights just 20 months ago and enjoys New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg; Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz and Food Network Bobby Flay amongst her biggest fans. Her Union Street eatery located in Brooklyn, NY serves 10 kinds of wings, including Pineapple Jerk, Ginger Buff, and Island BBQ. “When I first shared the idea with my colleagues so many people expressed their dismay and felt I was throwing away my career and even said I was wasting my time,” stated Burnett. Colette continues, “I persevered, because an estimated 90 million pounds of chicken wings are sold in the United States during Super Bowl Sunday alone, and I knew if I infused the various flavors I grew up with, the restaurant would be would be a success,”

Co-Author Candace Sandy who was born and raised in Carapichaima, Trinidad W.I. and Dawn Marie Daniels whose family ancestry is from Antigua and Barbados, wrote Tears to Triumph to share a new framework that will help women move beyond just surviving to thriving and, most importantly, it shows women how to use their own adversities as a blueprint for future success.   Souls of My Sisters also recently launched a Tears To Triumph Blogtalk radio show giving women entrepreneurs 24 hour access to advice and support from top women business owners.  “I am delighted to have received the Tears To Triumph Woman of Courage Award, with the help of my mother, fiancée and an even wider support system of friends I was able to move the fear aside and step out of faith,” stated Colette. 

Later this year Colette will open up a new restaurant in Chaguanas, Trinidad, W.I. and release her new e-cookbook entitled Super Wings E-Cook Book:Transforming Your Cooking Experience. Superwings is located at 1218 Union St., Crown Heights, Brooklyn; (718) 467-8737; www.MySuperWings.com.  For more information on Tears To Triumph Woman of Courage Awards log on to facebook.com/soulsofmysisters or listen to the Tears To Triumph Radio Show hosted by Sky LaRose www.blogtalkradio.com/tears-to-triumph.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Left to Right: Candace Sandy Co-author of Tears To Triumph, Colette Burnett (Super Wings NY), and fellow honorees, Star Jones, Iasha Rivers (Macy’s) and Rachel Braun Scherl, President, Semprae Laboratories Inc. (Zestra) (Photo Credit: Rowena Husbands Blink of an Eye Photography)

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, May 13, 2011: Meteorologist Joey Stevens and his parrot have become the most famous weather forecasters in the Caribbean on OneCaribbeanWeather.com and WSEE TV, the CBS affiliate of the Caribbean region.

It is little wonder then why the Caribbean’s most famous weather channel, with some four million viewers daily in over 25 countries – from Antigua to Puerto Rico, has joined forces with the organizers of Invest Caribbean 2011, to present the inaugural investment power forum.

The Pennsylvania-based WSEE TV and OneCaribbeanWeather.com, both part of Lilly Broadcasting Corporation, is an official sponsor of the Hard Beat Communications and Caribbean Tourism Organization’s ‘Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast,’ set for June 9^th from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Lilly Broadcasting operates a number of enterprises worldwide including 24-hour weather broadcasting in the Caribbean.

The event is being billed as a high powered networking event and not a talk shop and will include Vice President at Goldman Sachs, W. Dave Dowrich, David Brillembourg, CEO of the Brilla Group and several Caribbean ministers of government.

“The Caribbean Tourism Organization is proud to team up with Hard Beat and the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce to present this event since in these tough economic times, investment in the Caribbean and Latin America is critical and the CTO believes strongly in continuing to boost the tourism sector of this vibrant region by presenting investment opportunities for its members,” said Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO-USA Inc.

“We’re very proud to team up with a company that’s already investing in the Caribbean and sees the bright future the region holds,” said Hard Beat Communications CEO, Felicia Persaud of the WSEE TV and the One Caribbean Weather partnership. “Anyone serious about doing business in this region or networking with potential investors should book one of a few spots today.”

Additional sponsors include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, and News Americas Now.

For additional sponsorship opportunities log on to: http://investcaribbeannow.com/ or for individual tickets register at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=7phqhyn6&oeidk=a07e3p448ple41d4ad3

  Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez of the Dominican Republic and Margarita Zavala of Mexico Announce Commitment to Online Safety Worldwide

LONDON and WASHINGTON, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), an international nonprofit organization dedicated to online safety, today launched the First Ladies Initiative for Online Safety. The goal of the Initiative is to engage first ladies from around the globe in a cross-cultural dialogue and programs that encourage safe and responsible online use and foster greater digital citizenship. The announcement was made at the FOSI 2011 European Conference, held today in London.

Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez, the first lady of the Dominican Republic, and Margarita Zavala, the first lady of Mexico, have committed their support to the Initiative. The First Ladies Initiative will bring together the wives of leaders from around the world in order to promote education efforts within their countries and engage in transnational dialogues that raise global awareness and spur international cooperation. The Initiative is a means of linking the first ladies in a common cause that not only directly impacts their own countries, but like the Internet, also transcends national borders.

“While the Internet presents unlimited opportunities for our youth to connect with one another and learn about the world around them, there are also risks that must be addressed,” said Ms. Zavala. “I look forward to working alongside FOSI and other first ladies to make the Internet a safer place for children.”

In addition to serving as the first lady of Mexico, Ms. Zavala serves as the president of an advisory board for DIF (el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia or the Integral Development of the Family), a government agency that helps to develop and strengthen families in Mexico. Ms. Zavala hosted a joint FOSI-Telmex conference in Mexico City in June 2007.

“As individuals of all ages, particularly children and young people, increasingly use the Internet for a varied range of purposes and avail themselves of the benefits of social networks to stay connected with friends and family, it is important to also consider the ramifications of sharing information on such a vast arena and apply, in the digital world, the same values we promote offline,” said Dr. Cedeno de Fernandez, first lady of the Dominican Republic. “I commend FOSI’s efforts to promote a safe and responsible use of the Internet, and I am delighted to join this important initiative.”

Dr. Cedeno de Fernandez’s office coordinates the social programs developed by President Fernandez and also operates its own projects, including work to close the digital gap and establishing 71 Community Technology Centers, mostly in rural areas. Dr. Cedeno de Fernandez has numerous awards for her work in training women in network technology and for developing cultural and educational training of children and teenagers. 

“We’re thrilled to announce that Dr.  Cedeno de Fernandez and Ms. Zavala are joining the First Ladies Initiative,” said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. “They have done so much to raise awareness about important issues affecting families around the world and this Initiative will provide them with a platform to share best practices in promoting safer and more responsible Internet use with first ladies from other countries. We are very fortunate to have their commitment to this effort.”

 Details will follow regarding a number of events and programs from the First Ladies Initiative.

About FOSI

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practices, tools and methods that also respect free speech. FOSI’s members include: AOL, AT&T, BT Retail, Comcast, Disney, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, Motion Picture Association of America, NCTA, Ning, Nominum, Optenet, RuleSpace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Time Warner Cable, Telefonica, TELMEX, USTelecom, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon and Yahoo!. FOSI hosts an annual international conference to bring together Internet safety advocates from a variety of sectors, including global corporations, government, non-profits, academia and the media, to discuss the current pulse of online safety and emerging solutions that will enhance it. For more information, visit www.fosi.org.

BOSTON, OAKVILLE, Ontario and HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — First Wind Holdings, LLC (First Wind), (TSX: AQN): Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. (Algonquin) and (TSX: EMA) Emera Inc. (Emera) announced today that they have entered into an agreement to jointly construct, own and operate wind energy projects in the Northeast U.S.

 First Wind has a 370 Megawatt (MW) portfolio of wind energy projects in the Northeast U.S. including five operating projects and two projects near operation. These assets will become part of an operating company of which First Wind will own 51%. Emera and Algonquin are entering into a separate joint venture (Northeast Wind), which will own 49% of the operating company. Emera will initially own 75% of Northeast Wind and Algonquin will own the balance. Northeast Wind will invest a total of $333 million to acquire the 49% ownership of the operating company. This includes a $150 million loan to the operating company. The loan will be repaid within 5 years, or convert to equity in future projects.

 First Wind will work with Algonquin and Emera to grow the operating company. In addition to its ownership interest in the operating company, First Wind will serve as its managing partner and will continue to operate the projects. First Wind will continue to develop Northeast projects and once these projects meet certain eligibility criteria they will transfer to the operating company.

 ”This is an excellent strategic partnership that brings together the region’s leading wind company with some of the region’s leading power and utilities companies. This partnership will help bring further growth of well-sited and well-run wind energy projects in the region in the future,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind. “This agreement will support First Wind’s plans to grow and develop and invest in new projects in the Northeast and across the country.”

 ”This investment is an excellent means for Algonquin to partner with Emera and expand our reach into the New England renewable energy market with a strong portfolio of attractive wind projects,” stated Ian Robertson, CEO, Algonquin. “This transaction augments Algonquin’s growth strategy and affords us the opportunity to lever our expertise alongside the First Wind development team and expand our participation with Emera in the New England ISO electricity market.”

 ”This investment provides Emera and Algonquin with the opportunity to partner with the largest operator of wind assets in New England,” stated Chris Huskilson, President and CEO, Emera Inc. “This partnership brings together Algonquin’s renewable generation experience, Emera’s financial capacity and marketing experience with First Wind’s development expertise and is consistent with our renewables strategy in the region.”

 Emera will finance the transaction through existing credit facilities subject to lender approval.

 Algonquin’s financing plans include an agreement with Emera for Emera to acquire $37 million of subscription receipts in Algonquin at a price of $5.37 per share. This provides Emera with the opportunity to increase its ownership interest in Algonquin up to 25%, subject to Algonquin shareholder approval.

 The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to both Emera and Algonquin.

 The transaction requires certain state and federal regulatory approvals, among others, and is expected to close by the end of the year.

 The First Wind projects being transferred to the operating company are:

Maine projects:

 - Mars Hill Wind, Mars Hill, ME (in commercial operation since 2007) – 42 MW

- Stetson Wind I, Danforth, ME (in commercial operation since 2009) – 57 MW

- Stetson Wind II, Danforth, ME (in commercial operation since 2010) – 26 MW

- Rollins Wind (in construction, expected completion July 2011) – 60 MW

 Vermont Project:

 - Sheffield Wind, Sheffield, VT (in construction, expected completion Oct. 2011) – 40 MW

 New York Projects:

 - Steel Winds I, Lackawanna, NY (in commercial operation since 2007) – 20 MW

- Cohocton Wind, Cohocton, NY (in commercial operation since 2009) – 125 MW

 Analyst Call Information: Emera and Algonquin will hold an analyst call on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 10:00 am Eastern time jointly hosted by Algonquin Chief Executive Officer Ian Robertson and Emera Chief Executive Officer Chris Huskilson.

 Conference call details are as follows:

 Analysts and other interested parties wanting to participate in the call should dial 1-866-225-0198 (in Toronto 416-340-8061) at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. No pass code is required. The teleconference will be recorded. If you are unable to join the teleconference live, you can dial for playback toll-free at 1-800-408-3053 (in Toronto 905-694-9451), access code 8543255No. (available until midnight, Monday May 16, 2011). The teleconference will also be web cast live at www.emera.com and available for playback for one year.

 Cautionary Statement

 This news release contains forward looking information. Actual future results may differ materially. Additional financial and operational information regarding Emera (and APUC) is filed electronically with various securities commissions in Canada through the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR).

 About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

 Through its distinct operating subsidiaries, APUC owns and operates a diversified portfolio of $1.1 billion of clean renewable electric generation and sustainable utility distribution businesses in North America. Liberty Water Co., APUC’s water utility subsidiary, provides regulated water utility services to more than 73,000 customers with a portfolio of 19 water distribution and wastewater treatment utility systems and has entered into agreements to acquire additional utility systems serving 7,400 customers. Through its wholly owned subsidiary Liberty Energy Utilities Co., APUC provides regulated electricity and natural gas distribution services, currently serving more than 47,000 electric customers in the Lake Tahoe, CA area. Pursuant to previously announced agreements, Liberty Energy Utilities Co. is committed to acquiring Granite State Electric Company, a New Hampshire electric distribution company, and EnergyNorth Natural Gas Inc., a regulated natural gas distribution utility, which together serve approximately 130,000 customers. Algonquin Power Co., APUC’s electric generation subsidiary, includes 45 renewable energy facilities and 12 thermal energy facilities representing more than 460 MW of installed capacity. APUC and its operating subsidiaries deliver continuing growth through an expanding pipeline of greenfield and expansion renewable power and clean energy projects, organic growth within its regulated utilities and the pursuit of accretive acquisition opportunities. APUC’s common shares and convertible debentures are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.DB, AQN.DB.A and AQN.DB.B. Visit Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. on the web at www.AlgonquinPowerandUtilities.com and www.sedar.com.

 About Emera Inc.

 Emera Inc. is a growing energy and services company with $6.3 billion in assets and revenues of $1.6 billion. The company invests in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as well as gas transmission and utility energy services. Emera’s strategy is focused on the transformation of the electricity industry to cleaner generation and the delivery of that clean energy to market. Emera operates throughout northeastern North America, in three Caribbean countries and in California. More than 80% of the company’s earnings come from regulated investments. Emera common and preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbols EMA and EMA.PR.A respectively. Additional information can be accessed at www.emera.com or www.sedar.com.

 About First Wind

 First Wind is an independent wind energy company exclusively focused on the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale wind projects in the United States. Based in Boston, First Wind has wind projects in the Northeast, the West and in Hawaii, with the capacity to generate up to 533 megawatts of power and projects under construction and construction-ready with the capacity to generate up to an additional 238 megawatts. For more information on First Wind, please visit www.firstwind.com or follow us on Twitter (at)FirstWind.

 For further information: For further information: Emera Investor Relations Contact, Jill MacDonald, Manager Investor Relations, 902-489-6876; Emera Media Contact, Sasha Irving, Director Corporate Communications, 902-229-5104; First Wind Contact, John Lamontagne, Director Corporate Communications, 617-960-9521, jlamontagne(at)firstwind.com; Algonquin Contact, David Bronicheski, Chief Financial Officer, 905-465-4512

(EMA.)

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, April 29, 2011: The countdown has begun to the inaugural Investing in Paradise power breakfast, set for June 9, 2011 in New York City. The Invest Caribbean forum, presented by Hard Beat Communications and The Caribbean Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry & Commerce, is set for the New York Marriott Marquis from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

The son of Barbadian migrants and vice president at Goldman Sachs, W. Dave Dowrich, will deliver keynote remarks at an event that will be attended by several Caribbean ministers of government, directors of tourism, investors and entrepreneurs.

 “Investing in the Caribbean is really an excellent choice for an emerging market investor given its tax incentives, established tourist market, available land and year round amazing weather and beauty,” commented Hard Beat’s CEO Felicia Persaud. “This event is also perfect for those persons seeking investment information or looking for investors as well as for Self Invested Personal Pension investors who do not feel they are getting enough out of their pension plan, and would prefer to manage their own fund, switching their investments as they see fit,” added Persaud. Seats are going fast. To reserve your space register now at: www.investcaribbeannow.com.

Sponsors to date include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, and News Americas Now.

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, April 22, 2011: An investment banker at full-service global investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs, born to Barbadian parents in Toronto, Canada, is set to deliver the key note address at the 2011 Invest Caribbean Power Breakfast this June in New York City.  

Wendell Dave Dowrich, Vice President of Risk and Capital Markets in the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman Sachs, will address Caribbean ministers of tourism and delegates of the June 9^th event, set for 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis in NYC.

The event, part of Caribbean Week in New York, is being presented by the Caribbean Tourism Organization and digital media solutions firm, Hard Beat Communications, Inc., in collaboration with the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Dowrich, whose responsibilities at Goldman include providing risk management advice to insurance companies, with specific focus on capital markets reinsurance, will speak on the prospects for international investment in the Caribbean region.

Before Goldman, Dowrich worked at Credit Suisse and prior to that appointment, was the Head of Corporate Planning & Analysis for Swiss Re’s life reinsurance business for North America, where he was responsible for performance measurement, performance enhancement, capital management and management reporting for the North American operations.

 He began his career in employee benefits consulting in Toronto, Canada before relocating to Barbados to become a member of the management team of the Barbados reinsurance operations of a Canadian insurance company.

Dowrich attended primary and secondary school in Barbados and holds an Honors Bachelor of Science degree from University of Toronto, Canada, with majors in Actuarial Science and Applied Statistics, as well as an MBA with a major in Finance, from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

David Brillembourg, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of the Brilla Group, a private equity real estate firm focused exclusively on acquiring luxury beachfront hotel and resort assets in South Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Colombia, will also speak at the event that is set to feature top Caribbean Tourism Organization officials, government ministers and directors, New York City elected officials and investors, lenders and entrepreneurs.

“For the very first time in the history of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Caribbean Week in New York, an investment component has been added and we’re very proud to be working with the CTO to make this happen,” said Hard Beat Communications CEO, Felicia Persaud. “This event is a must attend for interested in investing in ‘Paradise’ or for those seeking to learn of the opportunities there.”

Sponsors to date include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, The Bahamas Weekly, and News Americas Now.

For additional sponsorship opportunities or breakfast tickets call 646-820-5694 or log on to: http://investcaribbeannow.com/.

ABOUT THE CTO

The Caribbean Tourism Organization exists to increase significantly the inclusion of the Caribbean region in the set of destinations being considered by travelers. The CTO, with headquarters in Barbados, comprises 32 member countries, including English, French, Spanish and Dutch countries and territories, as well as private sector allied members. Every year, the CTO presents “Caribbean Week In New York,” which Caribbean Week in New York is a celebration of the sights, sounds, colors, culture and unique vacation attributes of the Caribbean.

ABOUT HARD BEAT COMMUNICATIONS

Hard Beat Communications brands itself as a Digital Media Solutions Company. The company does this through its PR Wire and Digital Content Creation and Dissemination and syndicated digital newswire – New Americas Now, formerly CaribWorldNews, its Media Buying and Event Promotions arm and its New Media Solutions department.
 

ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI), founded in August 1985, is a statewide membership organization, which has developed expertise in providing business assistance to small and start-up business owners, in areas of business planning, financing, procurement, certification, expansion, and export/import opportunities.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (”Arcos Dorados”) (NYSE: ARCO) announced yesterday the closing of its underwritten initial public offering of 84,506,788 class A shares at a price to the public of $17.00 per share. The underwriters exercised their over-allotment option in full, thereby increasing the number of shares sold by 11,022,624 class A shares. The shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ARCO.”

 Arcos Dorados sold 9,529,412 class A shares and certain selling shareholders sold 74,977,376 class A shares, including 11,022,624 class A shares sold to the underwriters pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

Arcos Dorados received approximately $152.3 million in net proceeds from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. Arcos Dorados intends to use the net proceeds for capital expenditures such as opening and reimaging restaurants.

 ”We are very appreciative of the positive response to our IPO,” said Woods Staton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our management team, board of directors and the entire Arcos Dorados crew deeply respects the trust our shareholders have placed in our company and our strategy, and we take very seriously our responsibility to consistently deliver value to all our stakeholders.”

 BofA Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Itau BBA and Citi acted as joint bookrunners for the offering.

 A registration statement relating to this offering was declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8, 2011.

 This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

 About Arcos Dorados

Arcos Dorados is the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee, in terms of systemwide sales and number of restaurants, and the largest quick service restaurant chain in Latin America and the Caribbean, with restaurants in 19 countries and territories.

CaribPR, Milan, Italy, Tues. April 19, 2011: Debut author, Trinidad national Terry Bhola, has delivered a fascinating expatiatory memoir in which he reveals the joys and pains surrounding his acclimatization into the Italian society as a man of color

Picking up everything and moving to a new place is never an easy task. However, Bhola and his wife (along with their beloved cat) took the challenge to a whole new level. After years of dealing with the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, New York, Bhola needed a change of scenery and an intra-continental move would not suffice.

With a longstanding inclination towards the picturesque countryside of Italy, there was no question as to where their new residence would be. However, upon arriving in the scenic countryside of Umbria, Terry and his wife soon realized that their transatlantic transition would be accompanied by some unexpected turbulence. Within the pages of “Searching for Wild Asparagus in Umbria,” Bhola vividly and humorously describes the couples’ encounters with the local population, territorial creatures, wild snowstorms, recurring plumbing problems, and other unexpected issues while trying to make their modestly built villetta into a real home – and earn a decent living.

“Searching for Wild Asparagus in Umbria,” is an intriguing and deliciously candid memoir, unique in its authorial perspective. Terry H. Bhola not only conveys the surprising and often comical experiences that he and his wife encountered while settling into a new country, but also reveals the mood of modern Italy as a nation not known for embracing diversity, contending with immigration. Seasoned with countless comical scenes, “Searching for Wild Asparagus in Umbria,” is an innovative dolce vita tale that will delight readers from cover to cover.

About the Author: Although a native of Trinidad and Tobago, Terry H. Bhola has never been able to settle in one place for too long. This has made him a resident of both Washington D.C. and New York City, where his thriving career in the publishing industry took place. Terry H. Bhola currently lives in Italy with his wife.

For more information go to http://www.terrybhola.com.  You can also find him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Tbhola.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — (TSX: EMA): Chris Huskilson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Emera Inc., is pleased to announce that Judy Steele, FCA, has been appointed interim Chief Financial Officer of Emera, effective May 16, 2011. Ms. Steele is replacing Nancy Tower, FCA, who was recently appointed CEO for Emera Newfoundland and Labrador, and Executive Vice President of Business Development for Emera.

Ms. Steele is presently the Vice President of Finance for Emera Energy Inc., and a member of its Executive Team. Prior to joining Emera Energy, Ms. Steele worked in a variety of capacities across Emera’s business including Investor and External Relations, Strategy Development, and Regulatory Affairs. She is a Chartered Accountant and before joining Emera, worked in the financial services industry for Ernst & Young, in both the accounting and auditing, and consulting practices. In 2005 she was awarded her profession’s highest honour, the designation Fellow Chartered Accountant.

 ”Judy knows Emera’s business thoroughly, and her experience and financial expertise is welcomed during this time,” said Chris Huskilson. “Our search for a permanent CFO is in process, and we expect the transition to be seamless throughout this period.”

 Ms. Steele is a Director of Film Nova Scotia, a Crown Corporation of the Province of Nova Scotia; and a former Director of The Halifax Port Authority, and Chair of its Audit Committee. She is well known for her community leadership, which has included serving as Treasurer of the 2011 Canada Winter Games, and as National Chair of The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (the “Run for the Cure”). In 2003 she received the “CA of the Year Award” in recognition of her outstanding community leadership.

 Forward Looking Information

 This news release contains forward looking information. Actual future results may differ materially. Additional financial and operational information is filed electronically with various securities commissions in Canada through the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR).

 About Emera

 Emera Inc. is a growing energy and services company with $6.3 billion in assets and revenues of $1.6 billion. The company invests in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as well as gas transmission and utility energy services. Emera’s strategy is focused on the transformation of the electricity industry to cleaner generation and the delivery of that clean energy to market. Emera operates throughout northeastern North America, in three Caribbean countries and in California. More than 80% of the company’s earnings come from regulated investments. Emera common and preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbols EMA and EMA.PR.A respectively. Additional information can be accessed at www.emera.com or www.sedar.com.

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, April 15, 2011: Investing in the Caribbean region’s tourism sector will be the focus of a power breakfast this June, presented by the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Hard Beat Communications, Inc., in collaboration with the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Hard Beat Communications, a digital media solutions company specializing in the Caribbean and Latin American market, is teaming up with the Caribbean’s regional tourism agency and CAACI to present the Invest Caribbean 2011 Power Breakfast on June 9, 2011 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in New York City.

Confirmed speakers to date include W. Dave Dowrich, Vice President – Investment Banking at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and David Brillembourg, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of the Brilla Group, a private equity real estate firm focused exclusively on acquiring luxury beachfront hotel and resort assets in South Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Colombia.

Ministers, commissioners and directors of tourism from several nations are set to attend the event and present investment opportunities from their nations.

“This event will allow for executives of corporations to showcase their product and services to a very exclusive niche group of high powered business executives and for entrepreneurs seeking investment to be able to pitch their ideas for seed or expansion capital to key investors,” said Hard Beat Communications CEO, Felicia Persaud.

“The Caribbean Tourism Organization is proud to team up with Hard Beat and CAACI to present this event since in these tough economic times, investment in the Caribbean is critical and the CTO believes strongly in continuing to boost the tourism sector of this vibrant region by presenting investment opportunities for its members,” said Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO-USA Inc.

Media sponsors include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire and News Americas Now.

For sponsorship opportunities  call 1-800-789-3062 or 646-820-5694 or log on to: http://investcaribbeannow.com/. For tickets register at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=7phqhyn6&oeidk=a07e3p448ple41d4ad3

ABOUT THE CTO

The Caribbean Tourism Organization exists to increase significantly the inclusion of the Caribbean region in the set of destinations being considered by travelers. The CTO, with headquarters in Barbados, comprises 32 member countries, including English, French, Spanish and Dutch countries and territories, as well as private sector allied members. Every year, the CTO presents “Caribbean Week In New York,” which Caribbean Week in New York is a celebration of the sights, sounds, colors, culture and unique vacation attributes of the Caribbean.

ABOUT HARD BEAT COMMUNICATIONS

Hard Beat Communications brands itself as a Digital Media Solutions Company. The company does this through its PR Wire and Digital Content Creation and Dissemination and syndicated digital newswire – New Americas Now, formerly CaribWorldNews, its Media Buying and Event Promotions arm and its New Media Solutions department.
 

ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI), founded in August 1985, is a statewide membership organization, which has developed expertise in providing business assistance to small and start-up business owners, in areas of business planning, financing, procurement, certification, expansion, and export/import opportunities.

The University of the West Indies’ second annual benefit gala in Toronto a huge success

 TORONTO, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The University of the West Indies (UWI) raised approximately $300,000 at its second annual benefit gala in Toronto on March 26th. The gala honoured notable individuals who have made significant contributions to UWI and the Caribbean and Canadian communities.  Outstanding individuals who were honoured include: Donovan Bailey; Michael Lee-Chin; The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean; The Honourable Justice Dr. Irving Andre;  Former Deputy Chief of Toronto police Keith L. Forde; Kamala-Jean Gopie; Dr. Karl Massiah and Dr. John Stewart.  Two organizations were also honoured including Ryerson University for its contribution to the advancement of Caribbean people through its joint programs with UWI, and GAP Adventures for its role in pushing the boundaries of sustainable travel.

The benefit was under the patronage of Dr. G. Raymond Chang, immediate past Chair of CI Financial, Chancellor of Ryerson University and himself, an honorary graduate of UWI.  Proceeds from the Toronto gala will benefit students through the UWI Scholarship Fund and the UWI Haitian Initiative.

“The University is once again touched by the outpouring of support it received from the Canadian private and public sectors and the Caribbean Canadian community,” said Elizabeth Buchanan-Hind, Executive Director, Institutional Advancement Division, The University of the West Indies.  “We are thankful for the scholarships that the University will now be able to award to students from the proceeds of the event.”

 Masters of Ceremonies Hamlin Grange and Valerie Pringle welcomed over 500 guests to a sold out event at the Four Seasons Hotel for an evening of celebrating excellence; connecting and reconnecting; music and live and silent auctions.  The gala was filled with contagious spirit and overwhelming generosity.

 ”Through this gala we are all now united as one UWI family,” stated Gala Patron, Dr. G. Raymond Chang.

 Find additional gala details at www.uwitorontogala.com.

 UWI would like to thank its sponsors, donors, volunteers and guests for making the UWI Benefit Gala Toronto 2011 a huge success. 

 About The University of the West Indies Benefit Gala, Toronto

 Building off the success of its inaugural benefit gala last year, and with such a strong Caribbean community in Canada, UWI is striving to develop a successful event that will continue to strengthen the relationship between Canada and the Caribbean for years to come.

 The 2010 benefit gala was sold out with 460 attendees.  Approximately $230,000 was raised, resulting in 17 scholarships being awarded to students in need, and helping to support Haitian students whose university was devastated after the earthquake.  

 Those honoured at the inaugural event included: Dr. the Honourable Harry Belafonte, The Honourable Mayann E. Francis, The Honourable Jean Augustine, Professor Dionne Brand, Mr. Austin Clarke, Ms. Maud Fuller, Dr. Herbert Ho Ping Kong, Dr. Robert Moore, Mr. David Rudder, Project Advancement Childhood Education (P.A.C.E), Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank.

 About The University of the West Indies Scholarship Fund and Haitian Initiative

 The UWI Regional Endowment Fund (UWIREF) scholarships and bursaries are offered to outstanding students in the Caribbean region who have difficulty financing their university education. The scholarships and bursaries are based on academic excellence and financial need. The University of the West Indies has accepted numerous Haitian students to complete their degrees at the Mona Campus in Jamaica and St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago. 

About The University of the West Indies

 The University of the West Indies (UWI) was established in 1948 as a college of the University of London.  It achieved full university status in 1962 and today, is the only pan-Caribbean tertiary level institution offering a wide array of diverse and accredited programs to 40,000 students throughout the region, with campuses in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (”Arcos Dorados”) announced today the launch of an underwritten initial public offering of its class A shares at a price range between $13.00 to $15.00 per class A share.  Arcos Dorados will offer 12,461,539 class A shares, while certain selling shareholders will offer 50,000,000 class A shares. The class A shares will be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and will trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

 Arcos Dorados will use $150.0 million of the proceeds from the sale of its class A Shares for capital expenditures such as opening and reimaging restaurants.

 BofA Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Itau BBA and Citi are acting as joint bookrunners for the offering. The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. A prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, when available, may be obtained from BofA Merrill Lynch, 4 World Financial Center, New York, NY 10080, attention: Prospectus Department, or e-mail [email protected]; from Morgan Stanley, 180 Varick Street 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, attention: Prospectus Department, telephone: 866-718-1646; or Itau IBBA USA Securities, Inc., 767 Fifth Avenue 50th Floor, New York, NY 10153, USA, attention: Equity Sales Desk, telephone: +1 212-710-6756; or from Citi, Brooklyn Army Terminal, 140 58th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220, telephone: 877-858-5407.

 A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective.  These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.

 This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.

 About Arcos Dorados

Arcos Dorados is the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee, in terms of systemwide sales and number of restaurants, and the largest quick service restaurant chain in Latin America and the Caribbean, with restaurants in 19 countries and territories.

 For information please contact:

——————————-

Investors:                          Press:

Sofia Chellew                       Flavia Vigio

Arcos Dorados -Director, Investor

 Relations                          Arcos Dorados – VP, Communications

[email protected]            [email protected]

(+5411) 4711-2515

                                    Latin America press:

                                    ——————–

                                    Alessandra Ritondaro

                                    S2Publicom

                                    [email protected]

                                                        (+55 11) 5505-1628

                                    U.S. and Europe press:

                                    ———————-

                                    Courtney Harper

                                    Reputation Partners

                                    [email protected]

                                                         (+1 312) 819-5722

Akerman Senterfitt Advises First Citizens Bank Limited on Successful Placement

 MIAMI, March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — First Citizens (St. Lucia) Limited, a special purpose subsidiary of First Citizens Bank Limited, recently closed on a $175 million Rule 144A/Resolution S placement of notes.  First Citizens Bank Limited, based in Trinidad & Tobago, guaranteed the notes.  Akerman Senterfitt advised First Citizens Bank Limited throughout this placement.  The notes will not trade on any exchange in the U.S.  The sole book running manager for the financing was J.P. Morgan.

 ”First Citizens is a leading financial institution in the Caribbean and found a strong and receptive market for this placement,” said Carlos Mendez-Penate, Co-Chair of Akerman’s Latin America & Caribbean practice.  “We were very pleased to work with our valued long standing client First Citizens on this important transaction.  We have seen a growing interest in capital financings in the Caribbean and Latin America with the rebound of the world economy.”

 First Citizens’ notes carry investment grade ratings from both Moody’s (A2) and Standard & Poor’s (BBB+), notable among Latin American financial institutions and a testament to First Citizens’ leadership position in the region.  The bank, which has $4.7 billion in total assets, has been named “Bank of the Year” by World Finance magazine, The Banker and Latin Finance and is the highest rated indigenous bank in the English-speaking Caribbean region.

 The Akerman team on this transaction included Carlos Mendez-Penate, Kenneth G. Alberstadt, and John J. Lee.  All are in Akerman’s New York office.

 Akerman is recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers as a national tier one law firm for Private Equity, and for Corporate, M&A, and Securities/Capital Markets law in the U.S.  In addition, Akerman’s Corporate practice is recognized by The Legal 500 within the National Firms – Middle Market category and is ranked #1 by Chambers & Partners for Corporate/M&A in Florida.  Akerman represents multinational clients on a wide range of cross-border mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, securities offerings, syndicated and secured lending transactions, project financings, and international disputes throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

 About Akerman Senterfitt

Akerman is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the U.S. by The National Law Journal NLJ 250 (2010) in number of lawyers and is the largest firm in Florida.  With 500 lawyers and government affairs professionals, Akerman serves clients throughout the U.S. and overseas from Florida, New York, Washington, D.C., California, Virginia, Colorado, Texas, and Nevada.  More information can be found at www.akerman.com or www.twitter.com/akerman_llp.

CaribPR Wire, Barbados, March 2, 2011: Artisans from the Caribbean region are invited to exhibit their products at the region’s foremost trade show, Design Caribbean, which offers unique access to important regional, international and diaspora buyers.

From September 1-4, 2011 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Design Caribbean will unite a passion for design with the soul of the Caribbean. All products are vetted for excellence so only the best of the region will be on show. Alongside the main trade fair, there will be many related events including a major musical event, a film programme, spa and wellness and a fashion show. Participating artisans will also attend a number of product and market development workshops on hot topics such as copyright, growing a business and accessing foreign markets.

Design Caribbean will attract buyers from North America, Europe and the Caribbean region. This year promises to be a notable event that no artisan should miss. If you want your products to reach a global marketplace, please register your interest immediately as places are limited.

Artisan Sign-up Details

All artisans engaged in design in the Caribbean region are eligible to participate in the Design Caribbean trade show. We are seeking products from diverse creative specialties including but not limited to ceramics, jewellery, fashion accessories, home furnishings, spa and wellness items and leather goods. In addition, there will a number of cash awards and incentives for winning various design categories.  For participation criteria and sign up details, please email  [email protected].

Sharing the Caribbean Experience

“Design Caribbean is an opportunity for exhibitors and visitors to experience the Caribbean, where all cultures collide to create something beautiful,” says Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), organisers of the event. Participants will leave the show inspired and invigorated by the creative splendor of the Caribbean and new business insight.

Ms. Coke Hamilton believes that Caribbean Design operates within a unique environment where “every race, culture and creed has been able to create a truly genuine melting pot of racial, religious and ethnic blending, which has now become the foundation of the Caribbean identity and culture. This region is the only one where anyone can land and immediately fit in without fear of exclusion or isolation. We merge all the varying aspects of our differing ethnic backgrounds to create a spirit, which is uniquely and quintessentially Caribbean. This spirit is captured and reflected in the originality, boldness and inherent creativity that mirror the experience of those who landed on our shores from disparate parts of the globe. The Caribbean soul is, without apology, dynamic, vibrant and intrinsically beautiful. This is Design Caribbean.”

About Design Caribbean
Inspired by the passion and talent of both distinguished and aspiring artists, Design Caribbean brings the region’s finest handmade designs and innovative products onto the world stage.

Encapsulating the spirit of design to celebrate the ‘beautiful,’ our event takes place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from Sept. 1-4, 2011. Showcasing a broad product range of handmade quality products, it will connect artists to buyers, and design enthusiasts from the Caribbean region, North America and Europe.  Design Caribbean visitors will come away with a true sense of the diversity and splendor that breathes vibrancy into the Caribbean region.

Design Caribbean is organized by Caribbean Export, a trade and promotion organization with 15 member regions, whose mandate is to “take Caribbean excellence to the world.”

For media inquiries or to contact a spokesperson for an interview, please contact:                                     

Quentin T. Baldwin
Email: [email protected]       
Phone:   1 246 436 0578  (Barbados)

Caribbean Export Head Office
Mutual Building, Hastings Main Road
Christ Church, BB15154
BARBADOS