30.2 C
Vientiane
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 283

TUMI CELEBRATES THE NEW 19 DEGREE LITE COLLECTION WITH CAMPAIGN STARRING GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR, LANDO NORRIS

The brand unveils part two of a multichapter campaign to highlight TUMI’s lightest hardside collection to date

NEW YORK, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, international travel and lifestyle brand TUMI debuts 19 Degree Lite with chapter two of the “Uncompromisingly Light” campaign starring Lando Norris, longstanding TUMI Global Brand Ambassador and world-renowned McLaren Formula 1 Team Driver. 

In this dynamic campaign featuring the all-new collection, TUMI expands upon the feeling of lightness 19 Degree Lite inspires. The brand’s meticulous attention to detail—from lighter dual wheels to featherweight zippers—allows Lando to move with ease.

“Working and traveling with TUMI is always incredible, and this campaign made my first trip to Lake Como unforgettable,” said Lando Norris. “Exploring the beautiful landscape was effortless with 19 Degree Lite by my side—it’s an experience I won’t soon forget.”

Directed by Keane Pearce Shaw and photographed by Emma Panchot, the campaign was filmed in Lake Como and brought to life through Lando’s personal experience and perspective. As Lando explores the iconic Villa Erba and maneuvers down cobblestone streets, the film captures the effortless movement of 19 Degree Lite, echoing the freedom and agility of being behind the wheel.

“19 Degree Lite represents our continued dedication to creating products that effortlessly accompany our customers on their journeys,” said Creative Director Victor Sanz. “As a champion driver with an unmatched passion for precision and design, Lando was the perfect fit for the second chapter of our campaign. Watching him interact with our products is captivating—the way he moves with such ease and agility is a testament to the natural flow, dynamic ease and control he consistently displays both on and off the track.” 

The collection includes two packing cases: the Extended Trip 4 Wheeled Packing Case and the Short Trip 4 Wheeled Packing Case, and two carry-ons: the International 4 Wheeled Carry-On and the Continental 4 Wheeled Carry-On. Available in the following core colors: Blush, Titanium Grey and Black Graphite with additional seasonal colors Amber and Cobalt, the all-new collection ranges in price from $795-$995 USD.

Featured in the campaign alongside 19 Degree Lite is TUMI’s coveted TUMI | McLaren collaboration in a fresh new colorway, Super Grey, inspired by McLaren’s bestselling hue, Supernova Silver. Other silhouettes included come from TUMI’s iconic collections Harrison, Alpha Bravo and Turin.

The lightest addition to the world of 19 Degree—19 Degree Lite—is available at TUMI stores worldwide and on TUMI.com. Stay tuned for exclusive behind-the-scenes content from the campaign on @TUMITravel social channels.

About TUMI

Since 1975, TUMI has been creating world-class business, travel, and performance luxury essentials, designed to upgrade, uncomplicate and beautify all aspects of life on the move. Blending flawless functionality with a spirit of ingenuity, we’re committed to empowering journeys as a lifelong partner to movers and makers in pursuit of their passions. For more about TUMI, visit TUMI.com and follow on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

TUMI and TUMI logo are registered trademarks of Tumi, Inc. © 2025 Tumi, Inc.

TUMI Media Contacts
Jerad Hulse – jerad.hulse@tumi.com 

Lando Norris with 19 Degree Lite International 4 Wheeled Carry-On and Extended Trip 4 Wheeled Packing Case in Black Graphite
Lando Norris with 19 Degree Lite International 4 Wheeled Carry-On and Extended Trip 4 Wheeled Packing Case in Black Graphite

Rain and Visa Partner to Accelerate Onchain Credit Cards

Showcasing blockchain’s potential to enable everyday financial transactions 

NEW YORK, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Rain, a global card issuing platform built for stablecoins, is helping usher in a new era of onchain finance through its work with Visa.

Today, Rain announced it has joined Visa’s pilot program for stablecoin settlement. Rain has fully tokenized its credit card receivables and has transitioned all settlement transactions for its Visa cards to USDC, to now be able to settle with Visa 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Rain provides backend infrastructure – APIs, compliance layers and settlement logic – that enables fintechs and wallets to build and launch stablecoin-linked card programs. As demand for real time, global payments grow, Rain is seeing strong momentum from partners looking to issue and use onchain cards and settle in stablecoins.

7 Day Stablecoin Settlement

Rain’s proprietary settlement stack brings all authorization logic and settlement onchain. Rain’s technology stack allows for card transactions on the Visa network to be interoperable with stablecoins across multiple blockchains. When a user makes a payment with a Rain-issued Visa card, Visa settles with the merchant acquirer as usual. Rain is programmatically leveraging stablecoins enabling network settlement 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  

Tokenized Credit Card Receivables
Rain’s platform has also fully tokenized its credit card receivables, enabling more efficient capital management and transparency across the system. These capabilities help fintechs go to market faster with new products. While giving consumers access to digital-first globally interoperable payment experiences.

Rain is also proud to announce a world first: closed loop credit card receivable financing utilizing stablecoins. Rain works with a network of capital partners – borrowing stablecoins to facilitate network settlement for credit card receivables. By borrowing from and programmatically repaying lenders Rain has been able to reduce the total cost of capital for consumer and b2b credit programs while providing lenders access to superior collateral and programmatic repayments powered by smart contracts. This powerful construct has the potential to unlock credit access for users in underdeveloped financial markets, all while unlocking significant operational and capital efficiencies for Rain and Rain powered programs.

“By participating in Visa’s USDC settlement program, we are now able to conduct settlement 7 days a week, 365 days a year, operating outside of traditional banking hours. USDC settlement allows us to be more capital efficient – helping to reduce the need for collateral while providing our counterparties the same level of protection. This sets a new standard for issuers and further enhances digital asset utility,” said Farooq Malik, CEO & Co-founder of Rain.   

“Moving money across borders has always been complex, but blockchain technology and stablecoins are helping change that,” said Rubail Birwadker, Head of Growth Products and Partnerships, Visa. “Our work with Rain to help bring payments onchain and enable seven-day settlement is a big step toward helping to simplify global payments.”

This is just the beginning. Rain continues to explore new ways to enhance the utility of stablecoins, such as its asset-agnostic settlement stack and blockchain permissioning, which together enable credit to exist entirely onchain. Rain is paving the way for a more efficient, transparent, and accessible financial ecosystem that reduces working capital, reduces fraud, and drives improvements in operational outcomes.

Visa Principal Membership

A Visa principal member, Rain enables seamless payment solutions at more than 150 million Visa-accepting merchant locations worldwide. By utilizing stablecoins for automated daily settlement with the Visa network, Rain is doubling down on its mission to integrate blockchain technology with traditional financial systems, making digital assets seamlessly interoperable for everyday use cases.

About Rain: Rain is a global card issuing platform powered by stablecoins. The company, which was founded in 2021 by Farooq Malik and Charles Naut, sponsors and operates card programs in multiple markets as a Visa principal member. Rain is backed by Norwest Venture Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Galaxy Ventures, Coinbase Ventures and others. Learn more at https://www.rain.xyz/

CONTACT: Charles Yoo-Naut; charles@rain.xyz

STREAM SYSTEMS APPOINTS MARK WEBSTER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

NEW YORK, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Stream Systems LLC has appointed Mark Webster as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective April 28, 2025. Webster assumes CEO duties previously performed by Founder Michael Cammarata, who remains as Stream’s Executive Chairman of the Board and Head of Trading and Brokerage Services. The appointment is a key part of Stream’s future-looking goal of becoming a leading platform provider for fully-electronic trading of foreign exchange options and swaps.

“I am excited to help drive this innovative company to its next phase of development,” Webster said. “Michael Cammarata founded Stream with the vision of making what is still mostly a voice brokerage business fully electronic, and I believe Stream has the technology, the management, the business partners and the customer relationships needed to make that vision a reality. I am committed to seeing that happen.”

Webster comes to Stream after 17 years as Executive Managing Director and General Manager of BGC Financial, LP, operating in New York, London, and Hong Kong. Prior to that, Webster was CEO, Asia Pacific and Middle East, of ICAP plc.

“Stream has grown to the point that it has become impossible for me to do all the work of a CEO while also focusing on trading to generate the revenues we need to fund our growth,” Cammarata said. “Mark joining our firm, first as an investor and now as our CEO, was exactly what we needed to be able to make the jump to full electronic trading. We are all very excited for the future.”

Stream was founded in 2019 by Cammarata, a leading foreign exchange broker, anticipating that peer-to-peer electronic trading of foreign exchange options and swaps was the wave of the future. FXO is one of the last financial markets still dominated by voice brokerage, and even now less than half of trades are executed without an intermediary broker. Stream has developed and owns a fully electronic trading platform, which streams prices and will permit FXO traders at major banks and other institutions to execute trades without a voice broker. The next phase of Stream’s development is deploy the platform to its customers, who include 7 of the 9 leading liquidity providers in the FXO space.

Mark Webster began as a broker for Tullet and Tokyo Ltd. in 1981, first in London and then managing various trading desks in London and Sydney, Australia. From 1993 to 2004, Webster served as a Director, Managing Director, and regional CEO at ICAP in London and Sydney. From 2005 through 2021, he served as Executive Managing Director and General Manager for BGC Partners in Sydney, New York, London and Hong Kong. Webster has a diploma in economics and business from Buckingham New University, London, and is licensed by regulators in the US, UK and Asia.

Stream Systems is a cutting-edge fintech platform specializing in currency options trading solutions. The Stream platform empowers institutional and buy-side clients to navigate FX volatility through innovative products and seamless execution. Stream Systems is backed by top-tier investors and deploys its platform through its subsidiary, LPSFX LLC, a CFTC-licensed broker and member of the National Futures Association .

For further information, contact:

Courtney McCarthy, 646-530-1793; court@streamsystems.io

MGM China Reports 2025 First Quarter Results

Sequential Growth in Adjusted EBITDA and Market  S hare

HONG KONG, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MGM China Holdings Limited (“MGM China” or the “Company”; SEHK Stock Code: 2282) today announced the selected unaudited financial data of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) for the three months ended March 31, 2025 (the “Period”).

The Group is pleased to see Macau’s average daily visitor arrival in the first quarter up 12% quarter-to-quarter to 109,585, recovered to 95% of same period in 2019.

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) in Macau also saw sequential growth. Headline daily GGR rose 3% quarter-to-quarter to MOP641 million per day in the first quarter, represented 76% of same period 2019. Mass GGR (including slot) was estimated to have recovered to approximately 110% of pre-COVID levels. VIP GGR was estimated to be approximately 26% of the equivalent period. Sector EBITDA was estimated to reach nearly 80% of 2019 levels.

  • MGM China continued to record sequential growth across segments. Property visitation for the Period was 177% of 2019. Daily GGR was 128% of the first quarter 2019. Mass GGR (including slot) and VIP GGR were 183% and 43% respectively of pre-COVID levels.
  • Net revenue of the Group was HK$8.0 billion, up by 1% from previous quarter, reached 139% of first quarter 2019. 
  • Adjusted EBITDA grew 11% quarter-to-quarter to HK$2.4 billion, represented 146% of the same period in 2019.
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin for the Period also improved to 29.6% from 26.8% in previous quarter.
  • MGM China saw overall GGR marketshare grew to 15.7% in the first quarter, up from 15.5% in the previous period. Estimated Mass (including slot) marketshare was 15.8% (24Q4: 15.7%) and VIP marketshare was 15.2% (24Q4: 13.8%).
  • Average occupancy was 93.3% for the Period.
  • MGM China maintained a healthy financial position. As of March 31, 2025, the Group had total liquidity of approximately HK$17.8 billion, comprised of cash and cash equivalents and available undrawn credit facilities.
  • The Company has announced during the Period to update our dividend policy, intends to make semi-annual distributions in an aggregate amount per year that will not exceed 50% of the anticipated consolidated annual profits, increased from 35% previously. The Company may also declare special distributions from time to time in addition to the semi-annual distributions.

During the Period, MGM China has received again seven Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star Awards, a recognition of our dedication to delivering exceptional experiences. MGM MACAU achieved its tenth consecutive Five-Star rating, Tria spas at both MGM MACAU and MGM COTAI earnt the distinction for the sixth consecutive year. The Company has garnered four Five-Star Awards across both properties for the fourth consecutive year: the Emerald Tower, the Skylofts and Sichuanese restaurant Five Foot Road at MGM COTAI, alongside the newly renovated Chinese Lingnan restaurant Imperial Court at MGM MACAU.

These achievements not only reinforce our leading position in Macau’s hospitality sector but also strengthen Macau’s appeal as a premier global destination for international travelers.

Kenneth Feng, President and Executive Director of MGM China said: “Our outstanding performance demonstrates our deep understanding of customers with continued improvements in service levels. It is also a testament to our team’s continuous innovation in crafting compelling experiences for our customers.”

In February, the POLY MGM MUSEUM has reached a milestone of receiving 500,000 visitors in just three months since it opened at MGM MACAU. The Museum showcases the brilliance of Chinese civilization to the global community with top-notch international exhibition standards, highlighting our devotion in developing cultural tourism as well as Macau’s cultural essence as a world centre of tourism and leisure. The inaugural exhibition The Maritime Silk Road — Discover the Mystical Seas and Encounter the Treasures of the Ancient Trade Route has enjoyed widespread popularity and recorded a daily average over 10,000 visitors during the Chinese New Year period.

“We are delighted to see the diversification development of Macau. We are committed to bringing more unique and integrated experiences to our customers, to develop Macau into a global and diversified tourist destination through our concession commitments,” said Kenneth Feng.

About MGM China Holdings Limited

MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in the Greater China region. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai, which opened in early 2018 and more than doubles our presence in Macau. 

MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and Park MGM. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company’s website at www.mgmresorts.com.

OKX Premiers ‘Mild Mild West’ Film on Crypto Evolution in Partnership with Tribeca Festival

Unveiled at the iconic Jumeria Zabeel Saray during an exclusive red-carpet event in parallel with TOKEN2049 in Dubai, featuring film stars Vincent Cassel, Chazz Palminteri and Bonnie Chen

DUBAI, UAE, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — OKX, a leading global blockchain technology company, in partnership with Tribeca Festival, premiered on April 30 its film Mild Mild West, which takes on the next phase of growth of the crypto industry.

Commemorating a major shift in mindset that challenges the oversimplified notion that crypto is the ‘wild west’, the film highlights the transition toward a new frontier, governed by good regulation, safety and security. Mild Mild West was officially shown on the same day that OKX announced its new product, OKX Pay, a first-of-its-kind crypto payment app.

Starring Vincent Cassel, Chazz Palminteri and Bonnie Chen, directed by Marcelo Burgos and produced by Chromista, the film explores how true freedom isn’t built around the absence of structure, but rather about having the necessary tools and expertise to put in place the right framework and processes to allow that freedom to take place the right way.

“The thought process behind Mild Mild West is simple – why advertise when you can instead create deeper stories and moments? This mirrors our approach within OKX, where it is incumbent upon us to continue to lead the innovation and growth of the broader industry,” said Haider Rafique, Chief Marketing Officer, OKX. “By using the western genre, we’re able to draw parallels to the transition from an unsustainable climate of limited oversight, to one governed by good regulation and compliance. The film portrays the characters discovering what true freedom is within the digital age, and that it is only realized through understanding and using the right tools, as well as making the right conscious choices about our role in technology.”

The red-carpet premier, which was attended by the region’s business, industry and technology leaders, took place at the iconic Jumeriah Zabeel Saray.

About OKX

Trusted by more than 60 million customers around the globe, OKX is a technology company building a decentralized future that makes the world more tradable, transparent and connected. We’re known for being one of the fastest and most reliable crypto apps in the world, and have processed trillions of dollars in transactions.

We have key regional offices, including headquarters in San José, California, for the Americas and in Dubai for the Middle East. We also have offices in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Republic of Türkiye, Australia and Europe.

Over the past several years, we’ve built one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory compliant, licensed crypto companies. We hold licenses in the United States, the UAE, EEA, Singapore and Australia, as well as in other markets.

We’re steadfastly committed to transparency and security and publish Proof of Reserves reports on a monthly basis. To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com.

Disclaimer

MEXC Ventures Announces $300 Million Ecosystem Development Fund at Token2049 Event

VICTORIA, Seychelles, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MEXC Ventures, the investment arm of the global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC, has unveiled a $300 million Ecosystem Development Fund aimed at accelerating blockchain innovation and ecosystem growth over the next five years. The initiative was officially announced at Token2049 in Dubai on April 30, aligning with MEXC’s 7th anniversary and reaffirming the company’s evolution from a trading platform to a full-scale Web3 ecosystem builder.

MEXC Ventures Announces $300 Million Ecosystem Development Fund at Token2049 Event
MEXC Ventures Announces $300 Million Ecosystem Development Fund at Token2049 Event

The new fund marks a strategic pivot in MEXC’s positioning — from a user-focused exchange to a foundational force in blockchain infrastructure. With this move, MEXC plans to foster long-term value across the entire crypto landscape by supporting early-stage technologies, public chains, wallets, and other decentralized tools that drive the future of Web3.

“We see this commitment as an opportunity to position MEXC well above its perceived place in the industry as an exchange service. We can and intend to offer much more through this investment, driving businesses and users to our ecosystem with a value offering built on best practices. Our ultimate vision is to transition from a trading venue to an ecosystem platform that will cater to all the needs of crypto industry participants in unique, innovative, and attractive ways,” as Tracy Jin, COO of MEXC exchange, commented on the upcoming announcement.

The Ecosystem Development Fund foresees the establishment of an investment and cooperation linkage model that will connect the different businesses with the broader MEXC ecosystem to drive value. The trusted basis of MEXC as a leader in innovation will be used to expand and enhance the overall trading experience for users by offering support beyond capital. Cooperation between exchange business and investments will focus on the development of public chains, stablecoins, wallets, and media platforms as part of the MEXC ecosystem. Comprehensive selection criteria will be announced for projects interested in joining the new initiative.

The new development will allow projects to attract investments and attain visibility, thus advancing their integration across industry services. This will, in turn, give users access to new services, upping their overall experience and building trust. Greater integration and cooperation between businesses, projects and users will ultimately positively impact the industry as a whole, advancing innovation and promoting adoption across different markets and regions.

Existing initiatives within the MEXC ecosystem include Ethena, a leading innovator in the stablecoin space. MEXC has made a strategic investment of $16 million in Ethena and has also purchased $20 million worth of USDe, Ethena’s synthetic dollar. In collaboration with Ethena, MEXC launched several joint campaigns that have gained significant traction in recent weeks, driving strong user engagement. ENA, Ethena’s native token, has showcased up to $15 million in trading volume over the past 24-hour timeframe. Such results indicate strong support for the products on the part of users, as well as demand from a liquidity standpoint. MEXC had recently invested in Ethena and launched a number of joint campaigns focused on expanding the use of public chains, wallets, and media platforms.

MEXC is determined to elevate the positioning of the platform beyond its perceived status as a trading venue to its full potential as an industry ecosystem element. Such a transition is aimed at building greater value for users and making the crypto environment more attractive to both businesses and investments. MEXC invites all projects in the crypto space to join its latest initiative.

About MEXC Ventures

MEXC Ventures is a comprehensive fund MEXC dedicated to driving innovation in the cryptocurrency sector through investments in L1/L2 ecosystems, strategic investments, M&A, and incubation. Upholding the principle of “Empowering Growth Through Synergy,” MEXC Ventures is committed to supporting innovative ideas and active builders.

MEXC Ventures is an investor and supporter of TON and Aptos, and looks forward to staying at the forefront of TON and Aptos innovations while actively engaging with builders to drive ecosystem growth.

For more information, visit: MEXC Ventures Website

Elation Shines Bright at Grand Opening of National Medal of Honor Museum

ARLINGTON, Texas, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The highly anticipated Grand Opening Celebration of the National Medal of Honor Museum took place on March 22, 2025, with a breathtaking nighttime spectacular that showcased Elation lighting with the company’s new ultra-long-throw PROTEUS ATLAS beam FX fixture taking center stage. Located in the heart of Arlington, Texas, and the newest national museum in the United States, the National Medal of Honor Museum honors the courage, sacrifice, and service of U.S. Armed Forces personnel who took extraordinary action in the service of others.

National Medal of Honor Museum Grand Opening Lit by Elation
National Medal of Honor Museum Grand Opening Lit by Elation

Designed by renowned Rafael Viñoly Architects, the National Medal of Honor Museum is a tribute to over 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients and the millions of Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The opening night celebration was a grand affair, with dignitaries, donors, and Medal of Honor recipients in attendance, along with local citizens of Arlington.

“Mission to Inspire Spectacular”
The nighttime spectacle—”Mission to Inspire Spectacular”—featured a stunning 360-degree display of fireworks, drones, storytelling, and live performances, all supported by an immersive lighting design by Ryan Stumpp, Principal at Cue 13 Design. The nighttime spectacular, produced by Dallas-based corporate and event production company Corporate Magic, was crafted to reflect the core mission of the museum to inspire America through storytelling while celebrating the Medal of Honor recipients, the nation’s highest military honor.

Stumpp, who worked closely with Corporate Magic as the lead lighting designer and programmer, brought his extensive experience in nighttime spectaculars—gained from nearly two decades at Walt Disney World and Disney Live Entertainment.

“The way I approach nighttime spectaculars is to carefully support the thematic emotions of the music and story through a visual journey, much like theater – but on a much larger stage canvas with a variety of viewing angles and lighting positions,” the designer stated. “In this case, it was to set moods that reinforced the narratives of commitment and valor with big and grand looks, bravery and sacrifice with solemn beams to the heavens, and a huge grand finale celebrating honor and legacy – complimenting a beautiful drone and pyrotechnics design.”

Elation Lighting
The event marked the U.S. debut of Elation’s PROTEUS ATLAS, an ultra-long-throw IP66 moving head fixture, and the foundation of a powerful team of Elation luminaires that also included PROTEUS BRUTUS, PROTEUS HYBRID MAX, PARAGON M, FUZE WASH 500, and KL PANEL fixtures. Stumpp noted that the design relied on Elation for 75% of the lighting, some 110 fixtures for the nighttime show alone. “With the backdrop of a nighttime spectacular and such a variety of important people present, we needed large and impactful lighting looks with the finesse of perfect key lighting to put our best foot forward, and Elation lighting helped us achieve that,” he stated.

Four Separate Events
The opening celebration included four events—a cocktail party, a Gala dinner, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and the “Mission to Inspire Spectacular”—all lit by Stumpp and all featuring Elation lighting. PARAGON M and FUZE WASH 500 lights were used for the cocktail party, while PARAGON M, FUZE WASH 500, and KL PANEL fixtures lit the Gala dinner, which took place in a tent with the museum as a backdrop. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring former President George W. Bush, one of the honorary directors of the museum, was held in the museum’s open-air rotunda. Here PARAGON M was used for key light, with KL Panels utilized for high-quality softlight. The evening culminated by the museum’s lagoon with the “Mission to Inspire Spectacular” with an awe-inspiring combination of 32 PROTEUS ATLAS, 52 PROTEUS HYBRID MAX, 20 PROTEUS BRUTUS, and 8 PARAGON M.

Theatrical Environment
The show took the audience on a journey, starting with a powerful opening, weaving through educational and informational moments that honored the history of the Medal of Honor and culminating in a dynamic finale of light, color, and impact. Stumpp sought to create a theatrical environment in which guests could be immersed.

“It was important that the show be creative yet very emotional,” he said, “but it also needed to be backed with big beams; therefore, I relied on the PROTEUS ATLAS as the flagship lighting fixture.” Stumpp was already familiar with the fixture and its laser-based LILI light engine from his work at Elation, where he saw a shootout against competitor lights in which, he says, it more than held its own. “It has a massive front lens and throws a concentrated 0.6˚ beam of light impressively long distances,” he said.

PROTEUS
The PROTEUS ATLAS lights were strategically positioned around the site—including Choctaw Stadium rooftops, parking lots, and atop the Arlington Museum of Art. The fixtures created a stunning 180-degree backdrop of powerful beams, adding an impressive, layered dimension to the event’s overall look. “I needed a hero fixture that gave me strong, bold, regal moments in the show, and the ATLAS provided that,” said Stumpp, who, with his fellow designers, curated a nighttime spectacular that was worthy of some of the best theme park presentations in the world.

Despite the unseasonably cold, clear evening with minimal particulate in the air, the ATLAS’s beams remained punchy and impactful. “The ATLAS set the tone, and framed the picture,” the designer remarked. “Even when the fireworks smoke blew away, the ATLAS remained strong and punchy, wrapping the audience in an immersive lighting experience and creating a great backdrop.”

The PROTEUS BRUTUS and PROTEUS HYBRID MAX, placed around the lagoon to add dynamic mid-air effects and majestic washes over the water, also provided moments of veneration. “When we shot the BRUTUS, HYBRID MAX, and ATLAS beams straight up in the air, it really gave a sense of awe and wonder as they disappeared into the heavens,” Stumpp said.

Live Events Productions / Gemini / Pyrotecnico
Event production company Live Events Productions worked with Gemini, their local shop in Dallas, to supply the lighting, audio and some of the video elements for the event. Pyrotecnico, a sister company of Live Events Productions, provided the stunning fireworks and drone show. “I’m proud and honored that we were part of this event,” said Ben Coker, VP of Technology and Assets at Live Events Productions. “For our companies, working on a project of this scale, with such a rich heritage, and integrating fireworks, drones, lighting, and audio into one show created a full 360° experience, which was truly special.”

Christopher Laue from Corporate Magic, the event’s executive producer, shared, “The partnership with Elation and the deployment of their ATLAS fixtures allowed us to create the visual continuity between story and screen content to pyrotechnics and drones. All working in harmony with an epic musical score. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

Dan Lamphier, VP of Production at Live Events Productions who headed up the project for the Live Events team, adds, “It was a true team effort. We worked with Corporate Magic for 10 months, refining the design to create something special. Bringing everything together on-site, through a week of installation, programming, and rehearsals, it resulted in a spectacular event, and I think everybody walked away with a sense of pride. The lighting, fireworks, drones, and storyline combined to honor the history of the Medal of Honor—it was more than just a building opening; the event brought home the profound significance behind the Medal of Honor.”

PARAGON
The design team also had to consider the broadcast and online audiences as the event was live-streamed, covered by media outlets, and documented by an in-house team. In particular, Elation’s new PARAGON M LED profile moving head was selected for its high color fidelity and versatility, ensuring that the live audience and camera crews captured the event’s magic in the best possible light.

Stumpp comments that the PARAGON M’s TruTone variable CRI system was essential for delivering consistent, high-quality lighting across the entire event. “I got to unlock some of the great creative abilities of the fixture through TruTone,” he said, noting that he used the variable CRI engine to get the proper skin tones for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and live performances but also used it at higher output, narrow zoom and lower CRI for extra punch during the nighttime spectacular. “It looked absolutely perfect and was well balanced on camera for both IMAG and streaming. They were a real workhorse that did what we needed them to.”

Live Events Productions recently added the PARAGON M and PROTEUS HYBRID MAX to their stock of Elation lighting gear and debuted the fixtures at the event. “The PARAGON’s TruTone variable CRI engine gives us a lot of flexibility,” stated Ben Coker at Live Events Productions. “It answers the need for a natively high CRI fixture but with LED and without having to use a filter to achieve that. It also gives the ability in the same fixture to have a higher output and lower CRI and not have to carry two fixtures. Plus, the IP54 rating means we can use it temporarily outside on shows like the Medal of Honor and don’t have to worry about it.”

Regarding the PARAGON’s ability to enhance mixed color tones and expand the color range, Coker added, “It really is incredible how different colors look at the different CRI values from 73 to 93. When you put different colors in and change the CRI, you get some really fantastic, dynamic looks.” Dan Lamphier added, “The scenic in the show lent itself to ambers, and with the variable CRI engine it was easy to get a variation of shades. It’s a tough color to reproduce in LED, especially with a subtractive color mixing system, but PARAGON did it quite well.”

Given the immense size and scope of the event, Stumpp required lighting assistance and brought Kevin Harvey onboard as Lighting Director to handle the lighting of the Gala dinner held inside a large tent. He comments, “With our low trim heights, we needed a compact framing profile fixture and the PARAGON was the perfect fixture for the job. Combined with its compact size and TruTone high CRI, I was able to use it for key lighting the performers and had zero issues with the fixture.”

The lighting system relied on Obsidian Control System NETRON devices—EN6 and EN12—for precise signal distribution, ensuring that every fixture performed flawlessly across the vast venue.

Lighting Collaboration
Stumpp expressed his privilege in lighting such a noble event and reflected on his first time working with Gemini, which he gives an A++. “It was a real honor to work on such a prestigious event, and collaborating with the Live Events Productions team, Gemini, and Pyrotecnico was an amazing experience. They were fantastic partners with a dedicated staff that pays close attention to detail. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

The National Medal of Honor Museum opened its doors to the public on March 25, 2025, as a source of pride for Arlington and the entire nation.

Christopher Laue: Executive Producer, Corporate Magic
Ben Coker: VP of Technology and Assets, Live Events Productions
Stephen Dahlem: Creative Director
Ryan Stumpp: Lighting Designer and Programmer, Cue 13 Design
Steve Dumbacher: Technical Director
Kevin Harvey: Lighting Director
Shawn Jobin: Lighting Programmer (tents)
Nick Deel: Master Electrician

About Elation
At Elation, we represent the elite in the lighting industry. We design and manufacture a comprehensive range of best-in-class entertainment lighting products valued by production/rental houses and lighting designers worldwide. Our dedication to extraordinary quality and creative solutions has established us as the go-to choice for professionals. With a storied legacy of brilliance, our influence extends from iconic stages to cutting-edge studios across the globe. We also offer an advanced line of lighting control products through Obsidian Control Systems, and a full range of dependable specialty effects called Magmatic. We invite you to take a closer look at www.elationlighting.com and elation.global 

 

SapiensAI Launches Agnes – Singapore’s Homegrown Answer to DeepSeek

  • Led by a Singaporean AI savant, Agnes marks a milestone in Southeast Asia’s journey towards AI leadership
  • Combining real-time web search and personal knowledge memory, Agnes represents a new AI platform built for today’s productivity needs
  • Agnes is Southeast Asian market oriented, chart interactive, report efficient, and seamless file-to-insight convertible

SINGAPORE, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a landmark moment for Southeast Asia’s AI landscape, the technological geniuses of SapiensAI unveiled Agnes AI, a next-generation artificial intelligence agent developed and trained entirely in Singapore on April 14, 2025. The launch event, NUS GRIP, held earlier this month at Innovation 4.0, National University of Singapore (NUS), was attended by academics, tech leaders, and investors eager to witness the region’s bold step toward global AI innovation.

Described as “Singapore’s DeepSeek,” Agnes AI is the brainchild of Bruce Yang, a prominent AI engineer, Co-Founder of SapiensAI and a PhD candidate at the School of Computing at NUS. Built with deep contextual intelligence, locally trained datasets, and advanced large language model capabilities, Agnes AI is designed to execute complex tasks with high-speed precision.

Inspired by tools like Perplexity, OpenAI’s GPT, and DeepSeek, Agnes AI stands apart by offering a fully integrated platform that merges real-time search capabilities with a personal memory engine. This hybrid foundation enables Agnes to produce in-depth insights, adaptively recall user-specific content, and dynamically update responses as context evolves.

Agnes AI has demonstrated remarkable improvements in inference stage optimisation, especially when compared to other platforms. In particular, Agnes shows superior efficiency in token usage and faster response generation when producing detailed reports or visual-based analyses. In addition, the user experience during chart-based interactions is notably smoother, thanks to proprietary enhancements to the algorithmic structure that underpins the platform’s interactive modules.

Agnes was officially launched by Bruce (Co-founder of SapiensAI) at the NUS GRIP event on April 14, 2025.
Agnes was officially launched by Bruce (Co-founder of SapiensAI) at the NUS GRIP event on April 14, 2025.

(Above: The video introduction by Bruce Yang on the Agnes AI website and platform)

Let us make it clear, Agnes isn’t just an AI assistant. It’s a vision of what Southeast Asian technology can achieve when we combine global ambition with local intelligence,” said Bruce Yang, Co-Founder of SapiensAI. “We’re not here to replicate – we’re here to make a change and lead the next generation of AI.”

To support seamless integration into modern work environments, Agnes AI allows users to upload local files or submit URLs directly into the interface. Agnes can then synthesize and deliver intelligent feedback, which can be downloaded in PDF or markdown formats, or exported as a shareable HTML webpage — offering maximum flexibility for teams and individuals working across multiple platforms and file ecosystems.

SapiensAI also plans to open-source these innovations together with select research papers in May to promote industry collaboration and progress. This will ultimately contribute to the broader AI agent ecosystem and encourage a new generation of context-aware intelligent systems.

Meanwhile, SapiensAI is preparing to launch a new product in the US and European market in the coming months. This upcoming platform will expand significantly in scale and scope, positioning itself as a next-generation AI productivity and collaboration suite for future-ready organizations around the world.

We’ve got top universities like NUS and NTU with brilliant students and research that is recognised across the world. Singapore is already a global hub for business and innovation so why shouldn’t we have our own AI startups, just like DeepSeek or OpenAI? It’s time we showed the world what we’re capable of.” Bruce added.

For more information, please visit the official website at https://agnes-ai.com/

Members of the media are warmly invited to speak with the SapiensAI team for exclusive insights into the development of Agnes AI and what it means for the future of AI in Southeast Asia. Interview opportunities are available by appointment for virtual sessions. 

About SapiensAI

SapiensAI is a Singapore-based AI company focused on developing intelligent systems that are both locally grounded and globally scalable. Its mission is to build next-generation AI productivity and collaboration tools that understand cultural context, regional languages, and real-world business needs. Led by Bruce Yang, the team is committed to advancing AI innovation and empowering Southeast Asian talent on the global stage.

About Bruce Yang

Bruce Yang is the founder of Sobrr Inc, RetailX, and SapiensAI, and has consistently led innovation in the tech space. A Raffles Institution alumnus, he holds degrees from UC Berkeley and HEC Paris, and is currently pursuing a PhD at NUS. He has worked at Microsoft and LinkedIn, and collaborated with global brands like Walmart, Coca Cola, and Budweiser. Bruce is passionate about leveraging AI to deliver impactful digital solutions worldwide.