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Michelin will reveal its 2024 Atlanta dining guide during a ceremony at the Georgia World Congress Center on Monday, Oct. 28. 

This year marks the city’s second dining guide from the French tire company, which awards coveted stars, Bib Gourmands, and other distinctions to restaurants in cities worldwide, including Atlanta. 

Read More At: GPB

Worth it to Insist on High Quality Customers

Great Customers are the Fix for Everything Whether you manage a real estate brokerage, digital marketing agency, software company, e-commerce retailer, or travel agency, your business is your customers. If your customers are no good, your business will suffer.  And when you’re not acquiring the most qualified, enabled, and stable customers, your business challenges begin to…

The holidays deliver a spike of open positions, and based on past year trends, warehouse and retail jobs will likely ramp up rapidly as the shopping season approaches. 80% of hiring managers from US companies surveyed with 100 to 500 plus employees report they wished they had direct access to verified temporary employees, according to research by Indeed Flex, the company transforming temporary work and a product of Indeed, the number one job site in the world.¹

70% of hiring managers report difficulties finding the right temporary workers resulting in low temporary employee fulfillment. 

While 43% of hiring managers report hiring temporary workers to cover seasonal fluctuations in workloads.

Further supporting holiday shopping trends, recent Deloitte data is forecasting a 7% to 9% increase in 2024 holiday e-commerce sales compared with the same period in 2023. The data reflects holiday retail sales are likely to rise between 2.3% and 3.3% from November 2024 to January 2025.²

A leading US third-party logistics company leveraged the Indeed Flex Marketplace platform to offer jobs to a large pool of verified workers. The company reported a 92% increased fulfillment rate, hiring 600 workers per day. For a complex and quickly expanding business, leveraging employees with an average of 4.8-star ratings ensured consistent access to quality workers.³

Forecasted e-commerce growth means businesses must be prepared with adequate staffing to meet the heightened demand during this period.

45% of hiring managers report the top reason they engage is to recruit new staff. Companies also leverage temporary staffing agencies to reduce labor costs, fill in for absentee employees, or find people with specific skills for permanent work.

Novo Constare, CEO and Co-founder of Indeed Flex, said:

“Holidays deliver a spike of open positions to handle the gift rush; tapping into a large pool of top-rated, verified workers will ensure businesses can meet rapid growth.”

“Temporary workers are the most efficient way for companies to solve seasonal hours, as they can staff up or down immediately using a flexible staffing solution.”

“Indeed Flex makes it easy for companies to access quality workers to quickly scale up operations during the holidays and ensure consistent results

To kick off Atlanta’s social and charitable season, Fashion Statement held their annual fashion fundraiser at Phipps Plaza, a Simon property. Combining culture, creativity, cuisine and care, Fashion Statement 2024 was earmarked to benefit breast cancer research at Susan G. Komen.

As nearly 300 stylish attendees gathered donning their favorite designer wear, the goal of the night was to unite Atlanta’s vibrant community of luxury retailers from Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square to showcase the latest trends, and champion a cause that impacts the lives of 1 in every 8 women in Atlanta.

The evening brought the luxury wing of Phipps Plaza to life with private shopping experiences inside haute retailers like Zimmerman and Givenchy. The cocktail reception indulged guests with light bites from Davio’s, Ecco and Citizens Market, while sipping on the themed cocktails of the evening: Carrie Cosmo and Runway Paloma. For the grand finale, models showcased collections from Spring/Summer New York Fashion Week by Akris, St. John, Etro and Balmain.

The night’s theme, “Make A Statement,” challenged guests to not only make a difference in expressing themselves through fashion but in giving back to the community. Together, the fashionistas in attendance raised over $100,000. Guests arrived dressed to impress, and took the opportunity to elevate their closets throughout the evening. The in-store shopping experiences and auction items featuring luxury designer bags from Christian Louboutin, decorative scarves from Alexander McQueen, fine jewelry from Sidney Garber and more, sent attendees home with style and grace.

When the lights dimmed and the runway music began, oo’s and ahh’s from the crowd filled the atmosphere–a tribute to the evening’s dual purpose of fashion and philanthropy. Guests marveled in the zeal of the night which was reflected through social media with constant reposts and content from the night as they expressed their delight in what a great experience they had and the stunning runway presentation that had exceptionally outdone itself from the previous year.

Another onstage highlight included Louise Sams, Fashion Statement’s “Make a Statement” Honoree. As one of the integral co-chairs of Fashion Statement, Louise has been instrumental in Fashion Statement’s patron support and beneficiary relationships, thanks to her experience with Jeffrey Fashion Cares, charity to which Fashion Statement pays much homage. Louise Sams was honored for her unwavering philanthropic support to our community, through her committee and board service with notable organizations such as Princeton University, the High Museum of Art and Meals On Wheels Atlanta. Fashion Statement was proud to salute Louise Sams’ many years of guidance, enthusiasm and generosity to them and all of the organizations she has timelessly supported.

“Fashion Statement’s return for its second year was nothing short of spectacular. The event not only exceeded our expectations but also underscored the power of fashion in driving positive change,” says Phipps Plaza’s General Manager, Eric Howard. “Together, we united style and purpose, raising vital funds that will bring us closer to a world without breast cancer. Atlanta’s unwavering support is a testament to the city’s commitment to making a meaningful difference.”

Fashion Statement will continue to make strides in giving back to the community as every two years they designate new beneficiaries to support. The beneficiary for 2025 will be announced later this year.

THE TEAM

• April Milliken, Creator/Executive Producer and President of eventologie

• Marsha Archer, Co-Chair and President of M-Squared Public Relations

• E. Vincent Martinez, Co-Chair and Creator of Fashionado

• Maken Payne, Co-Chair and Executive Director of Partnerships at Savannah College of Art and

• Design

• Louise Sams, Co-Chair and Community leader and Philanthropist

Access to imagery for your use can be found here.

Photo credit: Kim Evans Photos

Holiday retail sales are likely to increase between 2.3% and 3.3% in 2024, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast.

Overall, Deloitte’s retail and consumer products practice projects holiday sales will total $1.58 trillion to $1.59 trillion during the November to January timeframe. In 2023, holiday sales grew by 4.3% in the same period.

A key driver of overall retail sales growth in the upcoming season is expected to be e-commerce. Deloitte forecasts e-commerce will likely grow between 7% and 9%, year-over-year, during the 2024-2025 holiday season to between $289 billion and $294 billion this season.

“Although the pace of increase in holiday sales will be slower than last year, we expect that healthy growth in disposable personal income (DPI), combined with a steady labor market, will support a solid holiday sales season,” said Akrur Barua, economist, Deloitte Insights. “Meanwhile, inflation is both a headwind and tailwind to holiday sales. While declining inflation aids consumers’ purchasing power, it also is expected to negatively impact the nominal rise in the dollar value of sales. In addition, rising credit card debt and the possibility that many consumers have exhausted their pandemic-era savings will likely weigh on sales growth this season compared to the previous one.”

“Following a sharp rise in spending post-pandemic, this season’s retail sales are expected to moderately increase in line with trends over the past decade,” said Michael Jeschke, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Retail & Consumer Products leader. “Our forecast indicates that e-commerce sales will remain strong as consumers continue to take advantage of online deals to maximize their spending. While this holiday season reflects a return to trend levels of growth, retailers who focus on building loyalty and trust with consumers could be well positioned for success.”

Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation announces they will provide comprehensive eye health care to address the growing need for vision care services for children in some of the most populated counties in Georgia, made possible through the Sight For Kids program, co-founded by Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and Johnson & Johnson.

In coordination with the current Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation's school-based screening programming, the Sight For Kids program will expand into Fulton, Chatham, Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties aiming to provide vision screenings to 10,000 students in more than 50 schools over two years. “We are committed to closing the gap of vision care in our state, so every child is empowered to live their best life. We look forward to increasing access to comprehensive eye care and seeing the local impact of Sight For Kids as we work to reach even more students across Georgia,” said Beth Ehrhardt, Executive Director, Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation.

Sight For Kids in Georgia

•  Eye Screenings: Program aims to conduct eye screening for 10,000 children to identify students with a potential
  vision problem, conducted by Georgia Lions Club members trained by Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation.
• Follow-up care: An anticipated average of 40% (or 4,000) of the children screened will be referred to local
  ophthalmologists and optometrists for comprehensive exams and appropriate treatment, as needed (such as free
  eyeglasses or otherwise, such as eye drops or referrals for surgery). Training: Teachers and staff trained about the importance of eye health.

Eye Health in Georgia

There will be a 220% increase in vision impairment in Georgia by 2050, and a 52% increase in conditions such as diabetic retinopathy. Yet, research by Emory Eye Center* identified 52 counties in Georgia where there are few, if any, vision care providers. This equates to 33% of Georgia counties, essentially vision deserts, which lack eye care services.

Early onset of vision impairment in children can cause developmental delays in motor skills, language acquisition, emotional development, and social interactions, among others. 3  Additionally, school-age children facing vision impairment may struggle to attain academic success, resulting in lower educational outcomes, 3  and impacting their future earnings. 4  

“Lions Clubs International Foundation is immensely proud of our collaboration with Johnson & Johnson through Sight For Kids that is helping bring comprehensive eye health care to millions of children across the globe,” said Dr. Patti Hill, LCIF chairperson. “Thank you to the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, Atlanta Public Schools and the Atlanta Lions for implementing Sight For Kids programming in your communities. You are all an integral part of empowering these children to reach their fullest potential.”

Gray Media (NYSE: GTN) today announced that Local News Live, its 24/7 streaming news network, launched standalone apps for connected TVs and smartphones.   These new apps are now available to download for free by searching “LNL” on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, iOS, and Android streaming devices.

“Local News Live delivers a local perspective on national stories by tapping into the expertise of Gray journalists in 113 markets,” Gray’s Chief Operating Officer Sandy Breland said.   “With this new streaming presence, our reach will expand to deliver that unmatched breaking news coverage and impactful information to a national audience.”

Local News Live launched in February 2021 as a national news network to provide live streaming coverage on more than 500 Gray station websites, connected TV apps, and mobile apps.   Local News Live will remain available on Gray’s local apps and continue to provide audiences non-stop access to local and national news feeds.

“We are excited to grow our footprint to the rest of the US to serve even more viewers with our unique blend of national coverage through a local lens,” said General Manager of Gray’s Washington Operations Lisa Allen.

Local News Live is based out of Gray’s Washington DC News Bureau.