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Posted on 4 May 2022 by admin

Gary Bettman says for NHL ‘to hold any league events here,’ Calgary Flames need new arena – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman suggested Tuesday that Calgary may not be able to host any big NHL events in the future without a new arena.

Bettman made the comments while speaking to media on Tuesday evening while in Calgary to attend the Flames’ first playoff game of the 2022 post-season. He suggested that he believes there is an urgency to build a new arena for the NHL team.

“If we’re going to hold any league events here, there needs to be a new building,” he said.

“I don’t think that comes as a surprise to anybody.

“I think it’s a priority for the City of Calgary, I think it’s a priority for the Flames, I think it’s a priority for the people that live in Calgary and want concerts and family shows in addition to NHL hockey.”

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Bettman said that while he is not planning on meeting with city officials during his short trip to Calgary, he is meeting with the Flames’ ownership group on Wednesday and is sure he will “get an update.”

“I’m always optimistic,” he said. “Obviously there’s nothing going on right this second to report that would indicate that there’s going to be a solution immediately, but my hope is that everybody can figure this out.”

Since Mayor Jyoti Gondek was elected, Bettman said he has also had conversations with her about a new building, and added he remains “hopeful” that such a project will one day come to fruition.

Bettman also noted that while he believes the Flames’ arena may be due for a replacement, the one thing that isn’t in need of a tune-up is the fans.

“The fan level of enthusiasm and attachment to this team — the Flames — is always something that I marvel at,” he said. “I think the second night of our playoffs is showing that we’re off to a terrific start.”

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1:52
‘Kind of a mental thing’: spotlight on superstitions as NHL playoffs begin

‘Kind of a mental thing’: spotlight on superstitions as NHL playoffs begin

The Calgary Flames kicked off their playoff run on Tuesday evening against the Dallas Stars.

Posted on 29 March 2022 by admin

Exclusive: Gary Neville to ramp up Labour role and do series of events with Starmer

Tuesday 29 March 2022 5:16 pm

Speculation has mounted that Gary Neville is interested in standing for office, after becoming an increasingly vocal opponent of Boris Johnson over the past year.

Gary Neville is set to ramp up his work with the Labour party and make a series of appearances beside Sir Keir Starmer in a move that will fuel further speculation the former Manchester United captain wants to run for parliament.

It is understood that Starmer thinks Neville, who became a Labour member for the first time earlier this year, has the necessary communication abilites to become an MP if he wanted to stand.

The Sky Sports pundit did a fundraising event in Manchester for party members alongside the Labour leader last week, which drew around 700 people.

Sources close to the Labour leader told City A.M. that Neville now wants to extend his involvement further and will be doing more events in the months ahead.

This could also involve appearances with other high-profile Labour figures.

“Keir and Gary did an event together last week and they were very relaxed around each other on stage – they seem to have a really nice relationship,” a source said.

“We’re really pleased he’s a member and that he wants to use his membership … but there have not been any talks with him about standing as an MP.”

Starmer has held several meetings with the ex-footballer and broadcaster, with the Labour leader impressed with Neville’s efforts in rallying against the breakaway Super League proposal last year.

A Starmer ally said “the guy won the treble as United captain – he’ll be a fantastic high-profile spokesperson for the party”.

Speculation has mounted that Neville is interested in standing for office, after becoming an increasingly vocal opponent of Boris Johnson over the past year.

The Sky Sports pundit has launched intermittent broadcast and social media attacks on the Prime Minister, which include labelling him a “liar” and the “worst kind of leader”.

Neville suggested Johnson gave the green light for three England players to be racially abused, after they missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final, in light of Number 10’s initial refusal to condemn the booing of footballers taking the knee pre-game.

“The Prime Minister said that it was okay for the population of this country to boo those players who were trying to promote equality, and defend against racism,” Neville said.

A few days earlier, Neville said: “The standard of leaders in this country the past couple of years has been poor, looking at [England manager Gareth Southgate]. he’s everything a leader should be – respectful, humble, he tells the truth.”

The former United right back was coy when asked on a BBC podcast in January whether he would make a run at Westminster.

He said: “I say to myself sometimes ‘I’m able to communicate. I know what I want. I have got a business mind, I can manage people.’ But I just think I’d get eaten alive.”

Labour shadow culture secretary and Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell organised Neville’s first event with Starmer, after she had spoken to him on numerous occasions over the past year about joining the party.

“It’s a powerful endorsement by Gary that he has chosen to join the Labour Party. He hasn’t done so lightly but out of a strong belief that we need a change of government in the country,” she said.

Neville is not the first high-profile Manchester United figure to have a public role supporting the Labour party.

Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson campaigned for Labour during Tony Blair’s leadership, especially in the lead-up to the 1997 election, and even consulted the former Prime Minister about his difficult relationship with Gordon Brown.

Neville’s representatives were contacted for comment.

Posted on 3 March 2022 by admin

Digital social events worked well for people living with dementia – Dr Gary Kerr

Dr Gary Kerr, Associate Professor in Festival and Event Management at Edinburgh Napier University.

In Scotland, around two-thirds of those diagnosed with dementia are living at home, with the remainder in acute or residential care. A key challenge for all is the sense of isolation that can manifest early on after a diagnosis.

Pre-pandemic, social events were a key factor in boosting a sense of wellbeing for those affected, but lockdown brought with it particular challenges for this community.

Our highly collaborative research project, Unlock & Revive, identified six active ingredients needed to deliver accessible online cultural and heritage events. The research was led by Edinburgh Napier, working with the University of Edinburgh, during a three-month period from April to June 2021 and involved seven Edinburgh-based cultural and heritage organisations running weekly online events that featured gardening, painting, art, cookery, history, literature and music amongst other topics.

We monitored the sessions in person, ran post-event focus groups with attendees, and carried out interviews with event organisers and found online events do boost attendees’ sense of wellbeing; build confidence; and establish a newfound appreciation for leisure activities and hobbies.

1 – Keep any event under sixty-minutes-long. A mid-morning start time is preferred.

2 – Include short interactive presentations, using simple language and supplemental visuals.

3 – Keep the number of attendees low and aim for engagement over education; and presenters should use multi-sensory triggers to create engaging narratives, allocating plenty of time for participant-led discussions.

4 – Ensure all event facilitators have up-to-date Dementia Training from a reputable institution.

5 – Organise regular socials and not one-off events. Using Zoom is the ideal platform: its ‘spotlight’ function is effective when combined with an administrator’s support to let people in, oversee the chatbox and monitor participants’ wellbeing.

6 – Lastly, Unlock & Revive emphasises that a grassroots approach is taken to advertise these events, as social media promotions are less effective in reaching this audience.

As restrictions begin to ease, online events should still be considered, with most of those participating keen to see some form of online delivery maintained.

The format for an in-person event does not easily transfer to a digital delivery model, and particular effort must be made to facilitate maximum engagement and participation from participants when delivering events online for those living with dementia. Although 100% of participants told us they prefer in-person Dementia Socials, we found clear evidence that digital events do provide opportunities for social connection, and stimulation for individuals unable to attend live events – whether that is due to mobility and/or transportation barriers.

Everyone involved in our research expressed their appreciation and enjoyment of online socials and now see them as a useful option for a hybrid event model in the future. Our research has identified the active ingredients needed to deliver accessible online cultural and heritage events, which can only bring positive benefits to people living with dementia, and their caregivers.

Our full report can be downloaded at here.

Dr Gary Kerr, Associate Professor in Festival and Event Management at Edinburgh Napier University.

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