Nashville, TN (PRWEB) May 02, 2012

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), the world’s foremost global songwriting event, is pleased to announce its 2011 winners. ISC’s Grand Prize is awarded to New Zealand native Kimbra for her song “Cameo Lover,” entered in the Pop/Top 40 category. Kimbra also holds the distinction of having won First Place in the Pop/Top 40 category in 2010 for her song “Settle Down.” The Grand Prize winner takes home $ 25,000 in cash (US) and an additional $ 25,000 in merchandise and services.

Called “the songwriting competition to take note of” by the New York Times, ISC was

established in 2002 and awards more than $ 150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and

professional songwriters around the globe. This year was the most competitive of any year

in terms of quantity and quality of entries, and winners were selected from over 16,000 songs

submitted from 112 countries worldwide. Judges included iconic artists Tom Waits, Jeff Beck,

McCoy Tyner, Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monae, Ozzy Osbourne, Lucinda Williams, Tori Amos,

Wynonna, Keane, and many more. In addition to the high-profile artists, the roster of judges

also included five record label presidents as well as other industry leaders, offering songwriters

the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by influential decision-makers. See

below for the complete list of judges.

For a complete list of 2011 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

Winning ISC’s highest honor is New Zealand’s latest export, the quirky and wonderfully eclectic artist Kimbra. Kimbra has recently exploded onto the international music charts as the featured singer on Australian artist Gotye’s current #1 hit song, “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Her recent TV performances with Gotye on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Saturday Night Live were electrifying and introduced her to the US public, fortifying her meteoric rise to fame.

Only 22 years old, Kimbra began writing songs and performing at the age of 10. Spending her early years gigging around her native New Zealand, it was only once Kimbra borrowed a small eight-track recorder from her school’s music department that her songwriting blossomed in earnest. Since then, she has made enormous strides in her career. Her debut album, Vows, was released in 2011 in New Zealand and Australia, and in its first week of release the album charted at #3 in New Zealand and #5 in Australia (peaking at #4 on the ARIA Charts). The album will be released in the US and Canada on May 22.

Accolades include winning the 2011 NZ Critics’ Choice awards and also the Best Female Artist for “Cameo Lover” at the 2011 ARIA awards.

Even at such a young age, Kimbra already possesses great maturity and musical sophistication. Candace Avery, the Founder and Director of ISC, says this of Kimbra:

“We first became aware of Kimbra in 2010 when she entered ISC and won First Place in the Pop/Top 40 category with her song ‘Settle Down.’ At that time we knew she was one of those artists who had “it”. As a songwriter, her eclectic and somewhat quirky songwriting made her stand out. As an artist, she brings her songs to life with her unique vocal styling and compelling stage presence. Kimbra is rapidly establishing herself as a significant talent and a fresh and exciting new voice on the international music scene. We are proud to have her as our 2011 Grand Prize winner.”

To download low-res photos of all winners, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

For high-res photos, please contact Candace Avery at cavery(at)songwritingcompetition(dot)com

In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share the spotlight for winning their respective categories in ISC 2011. These winners represent diverse cultures and range from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. See below for a complete list of ISC 2011 winners.

Applauded for its high caliber of judges, ISC compiled a stellar panel of judges for the 2011 competition, including:

Recording Artists: Tom Waits; Tori Amos; Jeff Beck; Lucinda Williams; My Morning Jacket; Kelly Clarkson; Ozzy Osbourne; Keane; McCoy Tyner; Wynonna; Francesca Battistelli; Janelle Monae; Billy Currington; Tegan and Sara; Massive Attack; Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor (Duran Duran); Michael W. Smith; Alejandro Sanz; Johnny Clegg; Jeremy Camp; Ray Wylie Hubbard; John Mayall; Craig Morgan; Basement Jaxx; James Cotton; Sandra Bernhard; Trombone Shorty; Robert Earl Keen; Black Francis (The Pixies); Mose Allison; Robert Smith (The Cure); Amadou & Mariam; Darryl McDaniels (Run D.M.C.); Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); and Matt Thiessen (Relient K)

Industry Executives: Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); David Massey (President, Mercury Records); Brian Malouf (VP A&R, Walt Disney Records); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America, Sony/BMG); Ric Arboit (President, Nettwerk Music Group); Anastasia Brown (Music Supervisor, FORMAT); Dr. Demento (Radio Host, The Dr. Demento Show); Allison Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music Records and Putumayo Kids); Kim Buie (A&R and Artist Manager, Thirty Tigers); Douglas C. Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, RCA Records); Antony Bland (Co-Owner, CandyShop Management); Steve Smith (VP of A&R, Aware Records); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People); and Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment)

Sponsors included: Presonus, Lowden Guitars, Sennheiser, Posse, Mrs. Fields Cookies, ASCAP, Berklee College Of Music, D’Addario, Thayers, Onlinegigs, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, SongTrust, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq., Sonicbids, Taxi, and music Submit.

ISC is now accepting entries for 2012. Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for more information and an entry form.

The complete list of ISC 2011 winners is as follows:

Grand Prize

Cameo Lover – Kimbra (Auckland, New Zealand)

AAA (Adult Album Alternative)

First Place

Celia – Anna Heiberg Macdonald (Annah Mac) – Auckland, New Zealand

Second Place

For What It’s Worth – Maggie Eckford, Nathan Finochio – Nashville, TN, USA

Third Place

All My Love Is Gone – Dallas Frasca, Jeff Curran, Pete McDonald (Dallas Frasca) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Honorable Mention

Everybody’s Lost Someone – Matt Joe Gow (The Dead Leaves) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

L.A. Can Wait – Michael Tiernan – San Diego, CA, USA

Les Filles Francaises – Gavin Duffy, Lewis Parker (The Jude) – London, England

Moonshine – Todd Michaelsen (My Pet Dragon) – New York, NY, USA

One More Last Chance – Tim Chapman – London, England

RGB – Nuno Goncalves, Sonia Tavares (The Gift) – Alcobaça, Portugal

Start All Over Again – Brendan Cooney, Ryan Cooney, Dave Mozdzanowski, Shea Brennan (The Gallery) – Wilbraham, MA, USA

Steer – Missy Higgins – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

The Taste – Randy Bergida – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Walkaway – Andy Morse (Radiogramme) – Swansea, Wales

Wheels of Thunder – Gustavo Galindo – Mexico City, Mexico

You Can – Mark Lang, Chris Helm (Skipping Girl Vinegar) – Melbourne, VIC, USA

Adult Contemporary (AC)

First Place

Arrow – Adrianne Gonzalez, Gabriel Mann (The Rescues) – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Second Place

Until I Found You – Kurtis John – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Third Place

Stay, Please Stay – Alexander Gow, Thomas Savage (Oh Mercy) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Honorable Mention

A Small Boat – Michael Maher (Worldfly) – Darwin, NT, Australia

Alive – Nate Fowler – Boise, ID, USA

All Turn To Love – Nicholas Deegan (Galleon) – Adelaide, SA, Australia

Been A Long Time – Wes Carr, David Walsh – Sydney, NSW, Australia

I Forgot How To Love – Michael Paynter – Langwarrin, VIC, Australia

Old Piano – Jon Matte (The Franklin Electric) – Montreal, QC, Canada

One Day We’ll Make It Home – Ellen Xylander – Oslo, Norway

Only The World – Peter McVeigh – Belfast, Ireland

Warning Signs – Jessica Beach, Jeff Dawson – Vancouver, BC, Canada

We Are Young – Kurtis John – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Americana

First Place

The Broken Things – Shane Nicholson – Copacabana, NSW, Australia

Second Place

Sweet Emmylou – Catherine Britt, Rory Feek – Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Third Place

You Rock, We Roll – Scott Nolan – Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Honorable Mention

Cold Road – Casey Frazier – Nashville, TN, USA

Easy – Darren Gallagher (Gallie) – Dublin, Ireland

Fast Forward – Markus Rill – Munich, Germany

Fire Alarm – Ben Kyle, Carrie Rodriguez – Minneapolis, MN, USA

Flowers & Candy – Tony Garcia – Nashville, TN, USA

Gavel – Arthur Alligood – White House, TN, USA

Jimmie Rodgers Was A Vampire – Shane Nicholson – Copacabana, NSW, Australia

Let The Blue Skies Go To Your Head – Jesse Terry – Mamaroneck, NY, USA

Nothin’ Takes You Off My Mind – Neville Anderson – Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Raise Your Head – Robbie K. Jones, Garrett Wall (Track Dogs) – Madrid, Spain

Roll Baby Roll – Mark Bragg – St. John’s, NL, Canada

Where The Water Goes – Shane Nicholson – Copacabana, NSW, Australia

Blues

First Place

Hard Believer – Tommy Castro, Bonnie Hayes – Belvedere Tiburon, CA, USA

Second Place

Blinded By The Darkness – Matthew Curry – Normal, IL, USA

Third Place

Change Of Heart – Leeann Atherton – Austin, TX, USA

Honorable Mention

Addicted – Gina Sicilia – Philadelphia, PA, USA

Elvis Jesus And The Devil – Tom McEwan (Louis King) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Get Inside This House – Joe McMurrian – Portland, OR, USA

Hard Times – Jay Pinkus (Blue Jay Slim) – Richboro, PA, USA

Heaven Send Me An Angel – Kenneth Spruell (Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne) – Burnaby, BC, Canada

On My Way – Thorbjorn Risager – Copenhagen, Denmark

Preachin’ The Blues – Keith Thompson – Gloucester, Scotland

Save Me For Later – Suzie Vinnick, Kristi Magraw – Toronto, ON, Canada

These Four Walls – Rita Chiarelli – Toronto, ON, Canada

Woman in Blue – Rita Chiarelli – Toronto, ON, Canada

You Ain’t Gonne Make A Woman Out Of Me – Geir Arne Westby (Westby Band) – Halden, Norway

Children’s Music

First Place

Right Now – Jon Samson – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Second Place

Poopie Diaper – Shoshana Sperling, Maury LaFoy (The Monkey Bunch) – Toronto, ON, Canada

Third Place

Roller Coaster – Kira Willey – Bethlehem, PA, USA

Honorable Mention

All The Letters – Helen Austin – Comox, BC, Canada

Bath Time – Paul Runalls, Chris Atkinson – Regina, SK, Canada

Don’t Fill Up On Chips – Randy Kaplan – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Everybody Has A Butt! – Essence Goldman Williams, Jeffrey Pease, Lara-Miya Milrod (Essence) – San Francisco, CA, USA

Happy As A Clam – Joanie Leeds (Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights) – New York, NY, USA

Imaginary Friend – Jamie Saxe (The Mighty Buzzniks) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Mac And Cheese – David Rees – Vista, CA, USA

Morton The Caterpillar – David Schweizer – Maitland, FL, USA

Shake It Down – Nadia Sunde – Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

Stinky Feet – Lanny Sherwin – Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Us And Animals – Jon Samson – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Wide Horse – Marissa Kochanski, Mike Siek (The Skips) – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Workin’ On The Worm Farm – Gerry Paul – Salthill, Ireland

Comedy/Novelty

First Place

Smells Like Karen Carpenter – M. Spaff Sumsion (Moneyshot Cosmonauts) – Bountiful, UT, USA

Second Place

C’est La Vie – Pat Godwin – Fishers, IN, USA

Third Place

That’s What You Do (When You’re Gay) – Mark Silverman – Sherman Oaks, CA, USA

Honorable Mention

Crafty – Joe Kowan – Melrose, MA, USA

Earthquake Nudity – Andy Allen – Pittsburgh, PA, USA

How Can I Love You? – Jonathan Lee Jones, Mick Meradith (Ride the Wombat) – Sydney, NSW, Australia

I Need You Tiny – Jascha Hoffman (Jascha) – San Francisco, CA, USA

Road Rage – John Brennan – Floral Park, NY, USA

Sort Of Dunno Nothin’ – Peter Denahy – Yackandandah, VIC, Australia

The Holiday Song – Ben Sures – Edmonton, AB, Canada

The Night N’Sync and Backstreet Got In A Fight – Douglas Powell – Rock Island, IL, USA

The Pimple Song – Chris D. Miller (Willie B Poppin) – Indianapolis, IN, USA

Worm – Justin Wiebe (Bicycle-Town) – Chilliwack, BC, Canada

You Don’t Have A Clue – Pat Godwin – Fishers, IN, USA

Country

First Place

Where The Heart Is Found – Blake Bollinger, Neal Carpenter – Nashville, TN, USA

Second Place

Somebody Somewhere – Rodney Clawson, Lynn Hutton, Dustin Lynch (Dallas Smith) – Vancouver, BC, Canada

Third Place

Down Goes The Cowboy – Josh Dorr, Bruce Wallace, Kaci Bolls (Joshua Dorr) – Nashville, TN, USA

Honorable Mention

Do What You Gotta Do – Dave Bastien – Londonderry, NH, USA

Lie – Ruben Estevez, Jason Massey, Brad Ramsey – Nashville, TN, USA

Nothing Sweet About Alabama – Bill DiLuigi, Jesse Stern, Dave Tough – Cane Ridge, TN, USA

Quicksand – Lou Penta (The California Cowboy) – Ventura, CA, USA

Stone Cold Crazy – Michael McGee, Scott Miller (McGee) – Locarno, Switzerland

This Feels Good – Lee Johnson, Scott Miller – Washington, DC, USA

When It All Goes South – Jaylene Johnson, Sharlene Loveless, Jolene Keats – Winnipeg, MB, Canada

When It Hurts Like That – Matthew Ullman, Kyle Marion – Mt. Juliet, TN, USA

With Love – Josh Finlayson, Willie Mack – Nashville, TN, USA

Dance/Electronica

First Place

We Rise Like Smoke – Kyler England – North Hollywood, CA, USA

Second Place

Real Love (Jazzy Rmx) – Alexandra Tutu, Daniel Macovei (Elpis) – Campodoro, Italy

Third Place

Coco – Helga Potapova (Hellya) – Moscow, Russia

Honorable Mention

Amazing – Maor Shefer (MAOR) – New York, NY, USA

Borrowed Time – Carolyn Tariq, Shehab Tariq (Audego) – Fitzroy North, VIC, Australia

Can’t Stop – Jes Brieden, Richard Robson (JES) – New York, NY, USA

Come Back Baby – Unbelievable Jones, Michael Kaiser – New York, NY, USA

Don’t Clone Me – Tommaso Parisi (Tom Ugly) – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Electrolove – Kuba Oms, Jason Cook – Victoria, BC, Canada

Free – Amy McFarlane, Brent McFarlane (Reckless Mack) – Wellington, New Zealand

High – Tiffany Desrosiers, Anthony Anderson, Steve Smith – Langley, BC, Canada

I Wanna B Like Moby – CC Wong (CC Sound Factory) – Singapore

Party On The Moon – Donny B. Lord – St. Lucia, West Indies

Up – Ivo Krievs (EL’X) – Riga, Latvia

You Turn Me On – Inessa Lee, Mike Burns, Johnny Reyes (Princess X) – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Folk/Singer-Songwriter

First Place

Where I Stood – Missy Higgins – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Second Place

Golden Thread – Mike Rosenberg (Passenger) – London, England

Third Place

1000 Sundowns – Emma Louise – Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Honorable Mention

Ashes – Andy Brown – Fredericton, NB, Canada

Bleeders – Thomas Calder (The Trouble With Templeton) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Come Rain Or Come Shine – David Francey – Toronto, ON, Canada

Despite All That’s Happened – Brentley Gore – Nashville, TN, USA

Dreamin – Ed Romanoff, Josh Ritter – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Half The Boat – Matthew Clarke (Honey And The Money) – Port Moody, BC, Canada

My Love To Be – Daniel Lee Kendall – Wamberal, NSW, Australia

Never [Lay] A Woman That You Don’t Love – Mieka Pauley – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Oh Alaska – Robbie Boyd (The Robbie Boyd Band) – London, England

Rivers – Mike Rosenberg (Passenger) – London, England

The Last Waltz – Tony Villiers – Armagh, Northern Ireland

The Morning Sun – Nolan Angell (The Genes) – Cabarita Beach, NSW, Australia

The Soldier And The Oak – Elliott Park – Clyde, TX, USA

Gospel/Christian

First Place

Storm Comin’ – Ruth Moody (The Wailin’ Jennys) – Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Second Place

Carved In Stone – Elliott Park – Clyde, TX, USA

Third Place

You Are My Friend – Hans Christian Jochimsen – Brønshøj, Denmark

Honorable Mention

Don’t Dream Your Life Away – Zach Svoboda – Des Moines, IA, USA

God On High – Thomas Paul Reeves – Athens, GA, USA

Inspiration – Stanley Gwanzura, Andrew Baird (Pastor G) – Harare, Zimbabwe

Living Room Praise – Jason Sweet – Orlando, FL, USA

Love At First Sight – Jason Sweet – Orlando, FL, USA

Love Immeasurable – Ryan Long – Knoxville, TN, USA

Man Of Sorrows – Thena Beam – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Nothing Without Me – Stephanie Small, Ben Gebert (Sandel) – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Redemption’s Anthem – Lenny Juliano – Enid, OK, USA

Release the Sound – Roma Waterman – Ringwood North, VIC, Australia

Thank You – Bobby van Jaarsveld – Pretoria, South Africa

Worship Now – John K. Brown – Clermont, FL, USA

Instrumental

First Place

6/8 – Artyom Yakushenko, Yuriy Matveyev (White Fort) – Irkutsk, Russia

Second Place

Heddon Tadpolly Spook – Carlos del Junco, Al Duffy – Port Hope, ON, Canada

Third Place

Muzyka Do Filmu – Igor Herzyk (Vladimirska) – Krakow, Poland

Honorable Mention

After Dawn – Xi Bo, Wen-Kai Ying (Viva Girls) – Beiging, China

Darkness Gives Way – Lucas Shogren, Stephanie Shogren, Derek Powers (Clocks & Clouds) – Minneapolis, MN, USA

Digital Apples – Chris West – Nashville, TN, USA

Furious Antennae – Tom Grose – Decatur, GA, USA

Kicking Up Dust – Brad Keller (The Creaking Tree String Quartet) – Toronto, ON, Canada

Left Field – Allen Hinds – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Lough Auna Horse Eels – Dave Mooney (Track Dogs) – Madrid, Spain

Mocha Maya – Tony Lechner – South Hadley, MA, USA

Overture – Ed Dampier – London, England

Palmas – Eddie Paton, Bret Menezes – Toronto, ON, Canada

Sumari’s Waltz – Eden MacAdam-Somer – Boston, MA, USA

Temple Sunrise – Hassan El-Tayyab (American Nomad) – San Francisco, CA, USA

TheSingingBush – Eddie Rayner (RBR) – Auckland, New Zealand

Jazz

First Place

1960 What? – Gregory Porter – Bakersfield, CA, USA

Second Place

Lover – Martina Flaherty – Loughrea, Co Galway, Ireland

Third Place

Deadman’s Hill – Steve Talaga – Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Honorable Mention

A Picture Of Dorian Mode – Michael Longo – New York, NY, USA

Above Ground – Greg Ward (Greg Ward’s Phonic Juggernaut) – New York, NY, USA

Conversation With Nellie – Zoe Rahman – London, England

Grizzly’s – Regina Litvinova – Ludwigshafen, Germany

Hadairo (Beige) – Andy Akiho – Columbia, SC, USA

Memphis Mix-Up – Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen (elizabeth!) – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Pukl-N-Pappo – Michael Janisch – London, England

Save Me – Stephen Coates, Joe Coles (The Real Tuesday Weld) – London, England

Shumshi – Michael Janisch – London, England

The King Is Dead (Long Live The King) – Marzio Scholten – Alphen a/d Rijn, The Netherlands

To Work Marvels – Vincenzo Amazio (Enzo Amazio) – Pozzuoli, Italy

You Are Here – Matt Savage – Francestown, NH, USA

Latin

First Name

La Ciudad – Gustabo Galindo – Mexico City, Mexico

Second Place

Cuentame – Rebeca Perfecto, Josue Parrilla, Ricardo Alvarez (Beca Perfecto) – San Juan, Puerto Rico

Third Place

Marina – Omar Torrez, Paul Duncan, Carlos Del Puerto Jr. (Omar Torrez) – Venice, CA, USA

Honorable Mention

Amanacer – Santiago Mena , Erik Martinez, Luis Lauro Moreno (Luis Lauro) – Mexico City, Mexico

Deja Lo Malo Afuera – Javier Coy, Carolina Cardenas, Angie Martinez (Sauti) – Bogota, Colombia

Heroes – Jhovan Tomasevich (Jhovan) – Lima, Peru

Histeria – Pablo Donelli, Santiago Inglese, Maria Belen Galiotti Banchero (Lady Bonsai) – Buenos Aires, Argentina

How Much I Love You Mi Cielo – Eduard Osorio (Edu Osorio) – Miami, FL, USA

Otra Vez – Jose Hernandez, Steve Baltazar, Delwin G. Neva (Sonsoles) – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Perdido – Jose Ignacio Gras Lopez, Jimmy Pinaitis (Radioz) – Alicante, Spain

Prende El Radio – Rei Ortiz – San Juan, Puerto Rico

Un Poco De Ti – Maddy Rodriguez, Ryan Stewart – Toronto, ON, Canada

Vacio – Rafael Rioz – Santiago, Chile

Lyrics Only

First Place

St Vincents – Ed Romanoff, Josh Ritter, Crit Harmon – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Second Place

Gavel – Arthur Alligood – White House, TN, USA

Third Place

I Don’t Know What I’ll Do – Bryan Tess – Tralee, Ireland

Honorable Mention

6 Feet Under – Rosie Grayson – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Because She Looked Like You – Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis – New York, NY, USA

Conspiracy Of Love – Jenrose Fitzgerald (Jenrose) – Stamping Ground, KY, USA

Gastown Serenade – Steve Seaton (Seaton) – Brendale, QLD, Australia

Gospel Of A Fool – Glenn Hammerstad – Oslo, Norway

I Must Have Done Something Right – Ed Romanoff, Crit Harmon – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Let It Spin – Sherri Gough – Nashville, TN, USA

Tell Tale – Jordan Fricker – Waterloo, ON, Canada

Two Yellow Roses – Ed Romanoff, Crit Harmon – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Music Video

First Place

Life Is Good – Jatin Puri – Gurgaon, India

Second Place

Loveless – Johnny Mackay, Heath Crawley (Children Collide) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Third Place

Opera 2 – Sergey Pudovken (Vitas) – Moscow, Russia

Honorable Mention

Bricks – Jon Markson, Will Brown, Will Kowall, Danny Joseph (Time Crisis) – Boston, MA, USA

I Talked To Italiano – Tamara Rodriguez – Boston, MA, USA

Like No Other – Anna Neradilkova (Anikiko) – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Lovesick – John Mark Seltzer, Jon Maddux (Jackson Wells) – Franklin, TN, USA

Man Walks Into A Bar – Brett Every – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Mind Games – Alex Post, Katie O’Doherty (Pony Cop) – Boise, ID, USA

Off The Beaten Path – Aram Rian – Yerevan, Armenia

River Too Wide – Matt Ellis – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Robot Girl Robot Boy – Helen Greenham (Helen & The Sirens) – London, England

Performance

First Place

Making Love Easy – Craig Schoenbaum (OTiS) – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Second Place

Lost – Wes Carr, Don Walker – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Third Place

Stumble – Suzanna Choffel – Austin, TX, USA

Honorable Mention

Beneath The Fire – Richard Perry, Steve Pedersen, Dominic DiCiano, Christian Lewis, Greg Petersen, Daniel Petersen (Evaline) – Turlock, CA, USA

Calling All Angels – Jane Siberry – Toronto, ON, Canada

Control – Aimee Francis – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Dream Street – Ariana Gillis, David Gillis – Toronto, ON, Canada

From The Outside – Victoria Celestine – San Antonio, TX, USA

Heatwave – Chris Cheney (The Living End) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Lady Flower – Jenie Thai – Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada

Reload – Sara Smith – London, ON, Canada

The Dream – Martina Flaherty – Loughrea, Co Galway, Ireland

These Four Walls – Rita Chiarelli – Toronto, ON, Canada

Pop/Top 40

First Place

Flaws – Dan Smith (Bastille) – London, England

Second Place

Jungle – Emma Louise – Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Third Place

Hazy – Ruby Frost – Auckland, New Zealand

Honorable Mention

Can’t Afford This Way Of Life – Nicholas Owen, Alex Vaughan (The Brow Horn Orchestra) – Perth, WA, Australia

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – Timothy Skedden, Jason Kerrison, Jamie Greenslade, Selwyn Leaf (The Babysitters Circus)

It’s Too Late – Jes Brieden, Richard Robson (JES) – New York, NY, USA

Kitchen On Fire – Caterina Torres, Jarrod Rogers, Si Connelly – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Love Is All – Jacob Washington (Je’kob) – San Diego, CA, USA

Save Me No More – Anna Krantz, Michael Kintish (IAmAnnA) – London, England

Summer Days – Meredith Coloma – Vancouver, BC, Canada

Thousand Suns – MoRo – London, England

Top Down – Shane Gelinas (Shane Divine) – Los Angeles, CA, USA

R&B/Hip-Hop

First Place

Up In Flames – Aaron Harris, Matt Smokovich, Travis Taylor (Eastern Sunz) – Portland, OR, USA

Second Place

Lighter Up – Kyle Jordan, Dustin Wolf – Regina, SK, Canada

Third Place

Off The Hook – Rachel White – Lichfield, England

Honorable Mention

A Thousand Lives – Kenny Sabir, Tim Levinson, Shannon Kennedy, Dale Harrison (The Herd) – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Ain’t Easy – Ayat Maqwam (Billy BanGer) – Accra, Ghana

Black Girl, White Boy – Stefan Ludik (Ludik) – Johannesburg, South Africa

Eleven – Fantine Pritoula, Marcello Maio (Fantine) – Sydney, VIC, Australia

Fly Away (feat. Honey Larochelle & Blitz the Ambassador) – Queen Rose, Blitz the Ambassador – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Girl If You Were Mine – Jonathan Gutierrez, Rolando Cuellar, Hector Chavera III, David Enriquez (Baby Jay) – Houston, TX, USA

Gone – Kamali Kaumu – College Park, GA, USA

Goodbye Yesterday – Christopher Gonzales (Kepstar) – Maspeth, NY, USA

Harder – Matt Dubois, John Michael – Ottawa, ON, Canada

I Was Somebody Else (Feat. Pez) – Tommaso Parisi (Tom Ugly) – Sydney, NSW, Australia

Shoot’em Bang Bang – TK Wonder, Ben Perowsky, Danny Blume, Glenn Patscha (TK Wonder) – Brooklyn, NY, USA

The Storm – Michelle Chadsey, Mike Asselin, Will Harris, Jesse Mackle, Kelly Schmale (The Proper Villains) – Surrey, BC, Canada

Thinking About U – Patrick Mwamba Mwilambwe, Nkulu Eric Mwilambwe (K9SLANG) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Wake Up – Tyrone Paul, Lloyd Perrin, Jordan Crisp (Chrome) – London, England

Rock

First Place

She’s Like A Comet – Kevin Mitchell, Vanessa Thornton, Brett Mitchell, Chris Daymond (Jebediah) – Perth, WA, Australia

Second Place

Love Is A Drug – Kav Temperley, Stuart MacLeod, Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe) – Perth, WA, Australia

Third Place

Song For The Lonely – Chris Cheney (The Living End) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Honorable Mention

A Thousand Blind Windows – Gary McFarlane (Autumn Owls) – Dublin, Ireland

Batteries – Paul Stephen Donnelly (Strawhouses) – Liverpool, England

City Lights – Bekki Friesen (Domenica) – Los Angeles, CA, USA

Hope & Ruin – John-Angus MacDonald, Colin MacDonald, Jack Syperek, Sean Dalton, Gord Sinclair (The Trews) – Antigonish, NS, Canada

Little Suzie – Benoit Portolano, Mark Rutledge (Blackfeet Revolution) – Paris, France

Loveless – Johnny Mackay, Heath Crawley (Children Collide) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

One Step – Kimberley Benzie, Rob Maric, Stewart Hill, Luke Williams, Forrester Savell (Dead Letter Circus) – Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Sergeant Dylan Sand – Elias Bertini (Zero In On) – Locarno, Switzerland

Someday You Will Know – Christopher Farfán, Dennis Garcia, Nicolas Espinosa (StereonoiZ) – Lima, Peru

Stay Up (All Night) – Tatiana DeMaria (TAT) – London, England

Taken For Granted – The Mercy Now – Toronto, ON, Canada

Turn Off The Light – Evgeni Gor (UNITE IT) – Moscow, Russia

Universe – Chris Cheney (The Living End) – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Teen

First Place

The Worst Part (Leave You Again) – Natasha Duarte – Glenmore Park, NSW, Australia

Second Place

In The World – Victoria Celestine – San Antonio, TX, USA

Third Place

I Bought A Tie – Sam Griffin-Ortiz (Population 5) – Salinas, CA, USA

Honorable Mention

All For The Best – Michelle Zarate (Nova Delai) – Malmo, Sweden

All This Time – Landon Wilkinson (The Village Musicians, AKA: Village) – Yakima, WA, USA

Believing – Rhianna Flaherty – Loughrea, Co Galway, Ireland

By My Side – Matt Dubois – Ottawa, ON, Canada

Forget About Me – Massad Barakat-Devine (Massad) – Epsom, New Zealand

From The Outside – Victoria Celestine – San Antonio, TX, USA

Heart On Fire – D’Arcy Spiller – Smeaton, VIC, Australia

If I Don’t Got You – Matthew Curry – Normal, IL, USA

Ready, Set, Stun – Jared Goldstein (Jared Dylan) – Montville, NJ, USA

The Best Part (Of Falling In Love) – Abram Dean – Addison, TX, USA

Tuesday’s Just As Bad – Charlie Dane – Oyster Bay, NY, USA

Whole Lot Better – Kathryn Hallberg – Spring, TX, USA

Unsigned Only

First Place

Are You Alive – Michael Paynter, Gary Clark, David Mead – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Second Place

All This Time – Landon Wilkinson (The Village Musicians, AKA: Village) – Yakima, WA, USA

Third Place

Alive – Nate Fowler – Boise, ID, USA

Honorable Mention

Blew It All Away – Flávio Cristóvam (Jamandizen) – Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal

Grace – Jack Stone – Cape Town, South Africa

In Colour – Michael Belsar (Hunting Grounds) – Ballarat, VIC, Australia

In The World – Victoria Celestine – San Antonio, TX, USA

Kitchen On Fire – Caterina Torres, Jarrod Rogers, Si Connelly – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Lovelorn – Alison MacLea, Chris Ioannou, Chris Sytnyk (Little Creatures) – Toronto, ON, Canada

Never Walked On The Moon – Dylan Edward Roberts (King Dylan) – Calgary, AB, Canada

Real Love (Jazzy Rmx) – Alexandra Tutu, Daniel Macovei (Elpis) – Campodoro, Italy

Someday You Will Know – Christopher Farfán, Dennis Garcia, Nicolas Espinosa (StereonoiZ) – Lima, Peru

The Duet – Andrew Redford – Maroochydore, QLD, Australia

Wanna Run – Kate Vigo – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

World

First Place

Tere Bin Dil – Dilpreet Bhatia – Mumbai, India

Second Place

Lovely World – Opetaia Foai (Te Vaka) – Auckland, New Zealand

Third Place

AKEIO – Sharzy (Mako Mai) – Sharzy (Supa Trio of De Isles) – Honiara, Solomon Islands

Honorable Mention

Aibbas Jaska (All Still) – Elin Kåven, Ole Jørn Myklebust – Karasjok, Norway

Deja Lo Malo Afuera – Javier Coy, Carolina Cardenas, Angie Martinez (Sauti) – Bogota, Colombia

Ena Na Lena – Richard Gannaway, Miriam Stockley, Jay Oliver (AOMUSIC) – Asheville, NC, USA

Fire – Bulat Gafarov (Toke-Cha) – Moscow, Russia

I Believe – Marlon Edwards – Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago

Mambo Bado – Alex Kajumulo the Bushman – Muleba, Tanzania

Ombomo – Sally Nyolo – Paris, France

Rabba Ru – Kiran Ahluwalia – Toronto, ON, Canada

Spirit Dancer – Titus Fotso – Eugene, OR, USA

The Journey – Tim Foley (Skelpin) – San Diego, CA, USA

People’s Voice Award

Someday You Will Know – Christopher Farfán, Dennis Garcia, Nicolas Espinosa (StereonoiZ) – Lima, Peru

Information on ISC and Winners: http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

For more information and photos of winners, please contact Candace Avery at cavery(at)songwritingcompetition(dot)com.

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Dean and Draper Insurance Agency

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) May 15, 2012

Dean & Draper Insurance Agency, one of the largest full-service insurance agencies in Texas, has been recognized by the Network of Vertafore Users (NetVU) for employing technology best practices that enhance productivity, simplify processes and improve customer service outreach.

The 2012 Automation Excellence Award was bestowed upon the Houston-based agency during the April 26-28 NetVU Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The annual honor is presented to member agencies that leverage pioneering Vertafore products to boost productivity and profitability. This suite of solutions is designed specifically for use by the multi-billion dollar insurance industry.

Dean & Draper recently invested more than $ 400,000 to revamp its corporate technology strategy. Utilizing Vertafore’s ingenious products, Dean & Draper’s five Texas offices are now integrated under one efficient enterprise-level management system. The Sagitta structure automates policy history, maintains data integrity and provides real-time policy quotes, while the WorkSmart electronic file system consolidates the processes and paperwork involved in managing and underwriting policies in a paperless environment. The company is also capitalizing on the efficiency provided by Vertafore’s Pipeline Manager and PL Rating connectivity and rating solutions, which capitalize on the detailed data provided by the comprehensive management system. Dean & Draper’s employee benefits arm, Benefit Solutions, is also now utilizing BenefitPoint to streamline the management of clients and policy plans.

“These resourceful systems enable us to track our workflow and transfer projects between desks and satellite offices,” says Kyle Dean, vice president of the nationally recognized agency. “This streamlining creates checks, balances and continuity to ensure our widespread workforce is always on the same page and our clients are receiving the highest-quality care in the industry.”

Additionally, the new CSR24 product provides customers with 24-hour access through the insurance agency’s website as well as the new Dean & Draper mobile app designed for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. This interactive Internet customer service solution permits clients to access policy information as well as obtain quotes, compare services and contact agents directly via email.

The Vertafore platform allows Dean & Draper to efficiently cater to the unique needs of more than 16,000 global clients who seek personal and commercial insurance plans.

Founder, President & CEO, Bob Dean says, “By aggressively leveraging the power of the Vertafore products, we are now able to provide a customer service platform that outshines the technical sophistication provided by most insurance agencies,” Dean also says. “Embracing these creative technologies has enabled our organization to exponentially expand our outreach to vendors and consumers. It helps us in achieving our goal of building relationships with our customers by being responsive in the current digital world required by the market.”

About Dean & Draper Insurance Agency

Founded in 1980, Dean & Draper caters to an international roster of clients from five offices, including its headquarters in Houston, Texas. Through a network of more than 200 diverse insurers, the independent company offers the most competitive, comprehensive policies for personal and commercial insurance needs. This National Top 100 agency in Property & Casualty and Top 50 agency in personal policies underwrites in excess of $ 125 million in annual auto, home, health and corporate premiums.

About Network of Vertafore Users (NetVU)

Based in Irving, Texas, the Network of Vertafore Users (NetVU) is an independent organization dedicated to providing 15,000 members with smart technology solutions, cutting-edge education opportunities and powerful networking events since 1978.

For more information, visit Dean & Draper at http://www.DeanDraper.com or call (713) 527-0444.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Maria Allen, senior vice president and president of the Americas for BancTec, describes BancTec’s educational sessions at Fusion 2012.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) May 11, 2012

BancTec, a global leader in business process outsourcing (BPO) for financial transaction automation and document management, will present three educational sessions during The Institute of Financial Operations’ Fusion 2012 conference, May 14-17 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

“BancTec’s sessions at Fusion 2012 will explore common challenges businesses face when managing P2P automation, accounts receivables and inbound mail services,” said Maria Allen, senior vice president and president of the Americas at BancTec. “We will also be there to showcase our BPO services, which are specifically designed to ease these burdens.”

BancTec will be at Booth #927 to discuss how its Intelligent BPO (iBPO) services can enhance a variety of financial transaction and document processing operations, including invoice processing, AP automation, remittance processing, inbound mail services and image archive.

BancTec’s Lori Messana along with Tami Kight of BMW will present “Lies My P2P Automation Vendor Told Me” on Tuesday, May 15, from 3 to 4 p.m.

Michael Alfonsi of BancTec will present “A 360 Degree Perspective of AR” on Tuesday, May 15, from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m.

On the final day, BancTec’s Pamela Wu will discuss “The Challenges of Inbound Mail Processing, Are You Ready?” on Thursday, May 17, from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.

BancTec also will be featured in the IFO-sponsored vendor tours “Outsourcing Solutions & Strategies” and “How to Create an Efficient AP Automation Operation.”

Fusion 2012 is the annual conference presented by The Institute of Financial Operations with more than 1,700 attendees and breakout sessions, keynotes and networking opportunities covering the full spectrum of financial operations.

To learn more about Fusion 2012, visit http://www.financialops.org/web/conferences/fusion-2012.

About BancTec

BancTec is a global leader in business process outsourcing (BPO), providing financial transaction automation and document management services for organizations seeking to drive efficiency in their financial and back-office processes. Headquartered in Dallas with clients in 50 countries, BancTec leverages its proprietary IP and deep expertise to provide flexible, focused solutions across the financial services, insurance, healthcare, utility, transportation and government sectors. The company operates 19 BPO centers in the United States and worldwide, utilizing a common technology platform to deliver reliability, security, and consistently high levels of performance. To learn more, visit http://www.banctec.com or call 1-800-BANCTEC.

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Modern Group Edison, NJ

Bristol, PA (PRWEB) May 08, 2012

Modern Group, Ltd., a leading distributor of power generation products, construction equipment, and material handling products, announced that Generac Power Systems recently awarded them with additional market area responsibilities in Northern New Jersey. Generac is a leading designer and manufacturer of power generation systems. The award reflects a track record of success as a Generac Industrial Power dealer and Modern Group’s commitment to providing outstanding sales and service of Generac products to all of New Jersey.

“Assigning this new market responsibility to Modern Group was a logical choice,” said Jeff Slayton, northeast regional development manager, Generac. “Not only do they have the overall capacity, facilities, and presence across New Jersey, but they have demonstrated a real commitment to growing their business. Modern Group is a key distribution partner of Generac Power Systems, and this extension of their territory is exciting for us both.”

Modern Group provides Generac backup power solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications—from as small as 3 kilowatts all the way up to 9 megawatts. They also have electronically dispatched technicians who are certified by both Generac and the Electrical Generating Systems Association (EGSA), as well as a fully stocked parts department.

“Modern Group is thrilled to expand our relationship with Generac,” said John McClure, general manager, Modern Group Power Systems. “We see tremendous opportunities for the growth of backup power across NewJersey. We look forward to working with Generac in this new capacity.”

Modern Group has locations in Edison and Hasbrouck Heights to serve Northern New Jersey. Headquartered in Bristol, Pa., they have ten locations serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania – east of State College, and New Castle County, Delaware.

About Modern Group

With more than $ 100 million of collective annual sales, Modern Group provides sales, leasing, short-term rental, service, parts, training and financing solutions through its forklifts, power systems, construction, and warehouse products businesses. Modern is a 100% employee-ownedESOP with more than 350 owners at ten locations serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. For more information visit http://www.moderngroup.com

About Generac

Since 1959, Generac has been a leading manufacturer of backup power generation products serving industrial, light commercial, and residential markets. Generac power systems range in output from 800 watts to 9 megawatts, include a complete line of automatic transfer switches, and are available through a broad network of independent and industrial dealers, retailers and wholesalers. For more information on Generac and its product line, please visit http://www.Generac.com.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

NexTraq

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 02, 2012

NexTraq, the value leader of GPS fleet tracking and vehicle management solutions, announces today that the NexTraq™ Fleet Tracking platform and its Start/Stop Report has proven to help its food and beverage customers automate their payroll processes, ensuring accurate labor costs.

NexTraq’s GPS Fleet Tracking platform allows businesses to use the Start/Stop Report as a virtual timecard to verify hours worked. The report provides business managers with data that indicates start and stop times, time spent in transit, time spent at each stop and the number and locations of stops each day.

“A reoccurring issue among many businesses still utilizing paper timecards is inaccurate labor costs and timecard abuse,” said Mike Scarbrough, CEO of NexTraq. “With NexTraq and the Start/Stop Report, businesses can automate this process, removing any indecision about an employee’s hours while increasing service revenue.”

NexTraq customers have already seen a reduction in overtime costs and time card abuse.

Joe Russo, Director for Accardi Foods, said, “Overtime hours were reduced by 50%, saving Accardi Foods more than $ 80,000 a year in overhead costs.”

Aside from using the fleet management solution to automate payroll, businesses can also use the solution to monitor driver behavior. Because drivers know that their driving and behavior is being monitored, businesses have seen a reduction in operational costs and an increase in productivity as well as fleet safety.

In fact, in NexTraq’s customer satisfaction survey, the results revealed that 60 percent of NexTraq customers cited increased fleet productivity as the most important impact of their fleet operations while 68 percent cited driver behavior modification as the number one benefit of the NexTraq platform.

For more information on the NexTraq Fleet Tracking platform and its benefits for the food and beverage industry, please visit http://www.nextraq.com/food-and-beverage or call 800.358.6178.

About NexTraq

Established in 2000, NexTraq provides the highest value GPS fleet tracking solution in the telematics industry. The NexTraq™ platform is a cloud-based application that enables service and distribution businesses to optimize fleet operations while reducing operational costs and maximizing revenue. Based in Atlanta, NexTraq customers achieve ROI in as little as one month. For more information, please visit http://www.nextraq.com.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Princeton, NJ (PRWEB) April 30, 2012

Wharfedale Technologies Inc. (WFT Cloud), a leading SAP Infrastructure and SAP to Cloud consulting firm, provides customers insight into its unique SAP to Cloud deployment model at the SAP Labs Virtualization and Cloud Week 2012 event in Palo Alto, CA.

Ganesh Radhakrishnan, CEO of WFT Cloud, quoted Gartner during his presentation at SAP Virtualization and Cloud Week, “20% of all businesses will own absolutely no IT assets come 2013.” Based on this industry evaluation, WFT Cloud is well positioned to assist customers to meet or exceed their goals to reduce operation costs and improve efficiencies.

As a leader in SAP to Cloud Aggregation, WFT Cloud possesses strategic partnerships with multiple, well established Cloud providers. With these relationships firmly in place, customers can take advantage of reducing the cost of running SAP Landscapes, seamless migrations between cloud providers, and SLA driven services.

WFT Cloud unveiled its proprietary SAP Cloud Image Factory (SCIF) at SAP Virtualization and Cloud week. The SCIF is based on the permutation combination methodology which contains nearly 800+ SAP images. WFT Cloud’s SCIF enables customers to deploy SAP Pre-Fabricated Landscape in the Cloud within minutes. The SCIF approach also frees up existing resources and additional CapEx which can then be applied to other business critical initiatives. WFT Cloud’s proven SCIF methodology reduces a customer’s deployment to cloud from months to weeks, weeks to days, and even days to minutes.

WFT Cloud not only provides a most innovative SAP to Cloud solution for its customers, it also enables customers to enjoy the peace of mind derived from our all inclusive hourly pricing model includes BASIS Support, infrastructure stack support, hardware cost(s), OS/DB Backup/Restore, and SAP system refresh and Patching. The end result of building a trusted partnership with WFT Cloud is … no surprises!

Mahesh Reddy, CTO covered WFT Cloud’s expertise in SAP Data Protection on Cloud. WFT Cloud provides multiple SAP Data Protection options to meet customers’ business needs:

    SAP Backup in Cloud for Private Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, and traditional SAP database backup
    SAP High Availability in Cloud for Private and Hybrid Cloud
    SAP Disaster Recovery in Cloud (On-Premise to Hybrid or VPC Cloud)

WFT Cloud Solutions provide an on-demand, virtualized infrastructure which delivers reliable availability and built-in resiliency for all SAP landscapes (non-production or production). “WFT Cloud customers cite the ease and greatly reduced time to deploy – along with lowered TCO – as a specific examples for migrating their SAP Landscape(s) to WFT Cloud,“ says CTO Mahesh Reddy.

About Wharfedale Technologies Inc.

Wharfedale Technologies Inc. (WFT Cloud) is a leading technology consulting firm specializing in SAP infrastructure integrations and services, as well as private/public hybrid Cloud solutions. As an SAP certified provider of cloud services, Wharfedale also offers SAP solutions around – high availability, disaster recovery, advanced sizing for virtualization, back up/recovery Integration, systems refresh automation and landscape optimization.

For more information on Wharfedale and WFT Cloud services, please visit http://www.wftcloud.com or http://www.wftus.com or call us at (888) 533-3113.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) April 27, 2012

“Capturing Foreign Capital to Fund Projects through EB-5 Program Seminar” hosted by Brian Su, a leading expert on EB-5 marketing in China and Korea, is attracting commercial real estate developers, immigration attorneys, investment bankers, EB-5 executives, and venture capitalists, among others, to be educated on the latest happenings and trends in the Chinese and Korean immigrant investors market.

The June 8, 2012 event hosted at Embassy Suites Austin Central, will be centered on how to secure EB-5 funding from wealthy Chinese and Korean immigrant investors. The EB-5 regional center program has been a growing success, with much foreign investment pouring in from China and Korea. Rapid growth specifically in the Chinese economy has made the EB-5 program more relevant than ever before. The number of wealthy Chinese is growing at 9.7% annually, according to the GroupM Knowledge – Hurun Wealth Report 2011. Additionally, Merrill Lynch and Capgemini’s Asia-Pacific Wealth Report 2008 shows that in 2007, high net-worth individuals in China placed 21% of their assets in real estate versus a worldwide average of 14%. The preference the wealthy Chinese show in real estate, along with the current drop in housing prices and a steady RMB, have made real estate investment in the U.S., along with the EB-5 program, more appealing than ever before. In the past five years, more than $ 3 billion of foreign capital have been invested into the U.S. through EB-5, creating thousands of jobs in a variety of industries. Nearly 70% EB-5 Visas are issued to Chinese investors this year. The Seminar aims to help U.S. companies and individuals tap into more of this foreign capital.

The day-long event will be headed by Mr. Brian Su, who is well equipped to help U.S. capital seekers utilize the EB-5 Program. Mr. Su acts as President and CEO of Artisan Business Group, Inc., a national consulting firm specializing in the development of market offerings for business projects seeking foreign capital. Additionally, Mr. Su acts as President of the China EB-5 Market Council. He is also a member of the Association to the Investment in the USA. Guest speakers include Mr. Kevin Wright, President of Wright Johnson LLC, Mr. Clem Turner, Attorney of Clem Turner, Esq. Homeier & Law, P.C. and Dandan Zhou, CEO of Texas Investment Regional Center.

This year’s event will provide both EB-5 professionals and those inexperienced with the program a great opportunity to learn more about Chinese and Korean market trends. Attendees of the event will obtain knowledge and experience that will be invaluable in their efforts to obtain EB-5 foreign capital. Those attending the event also have the opportunity to meet the prior day with Artisan Business Group’s CEO, Mr. Brian Su, for a 1-hour private consultation.

For more information regarding the event, registration, or a private consultation with Mr. Su, please visit: http://www.TexasEB5Seminar.com.

Press Contact:

Artisan Business Group, Inc.

http://www.EB5NewsBlog.org

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Buenos Aires, Argentina (PRWEB) April 23, 2012

Zauber, an Argentina-based software boutique and lab, specialized in Consumer Web, Social Analytics and Big Data projects, has just secured US $ 1 million dollars from AxVentures-Pymar Fund in its first venture capital financing round.

With this investment, the company will power its lab of new products and grow its business in Silicon Valley, setting up a local office and reinforcing their position as technology partners of new and already established start-ups.

Founded 5 years ago by six Argentinian software engineers, Zauber has grown organically until now, being able to set up a creative team of 45 people which combines a unique blend of engineering and UX skills, together with mathematicians and machine learning engineers. The company has Al Jazeera, JWT, Coca-Cola and MuleSoft, among its US-based most relevant clients of its boutique services and has been involved in the creation of several startups in Latin America already.

Zauber lab uses Agile and Lean Startup practices to incubate and explore new product and business ideas, transforming them into independent companies through spin-offs. Most recent success case is Cupoint, a daily deals aggregator and recommendation engine which was started one year ago as an experiment at Zauber Lab, and has already received US $ 700 K dollars in VC funding from AxVentures-Pymar Fund.

“Five years ago we started Zauber as a garage company with the idea of creating a software technology company with a strong focus on R+D and innovation applied to product development. This is a huge achievement for us, which will let us grow our business and power our lab investments.”, said Gabriel Baños, CEO and Co-Founder of Zauber.

About Zauber

Zauber is an Argentina/US-based Software Boutique and Lab that provides high-end software development services for industry leaders and Internet startups from Latin America and Silicon Valley.

The company combines its boutique high-end services with an R+D Lab and incubator, that develops new ventures and products.

For more information: http://zauberlabs.com

About Ax Ventures and Pymar Fund

Ax Ventures SRL is the Local Manager of Pymar Fund LP, in Argentina. Lisandro Bril is Founder and Managing Partner, Eduardo Orteu and Mario Vázquez are Managing Partners of Ax Ventures. PYMAR is a venture capital fund, sponsored by Fundación Empresa y Crecimiento (FEC), and other Limited Partners are the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), COFIDES, CAF and Argentine Private Investors. The aim of PYMAR is to invest in Argentine innovative and technology companies that target regional and global markets. PYMAR’s General Partner is Gestora de Empresa y Crecimiento SL(GEC) , property of Fundacion Empresa y Crecimiento from Spain.

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Find Homes & More at Homes.org

(PRWEB) April 19, 2012

The latest Homes.org monthly home sales report analyzes data found in the NAR March Existing-Home Sales report. The Homes.org report details key findings for existing home sales and forecasts what sellers and buyers are likely to experience in the coming months based up on the market activity in March.

The March Existing Home Sales Report shows the real estate market is continuing to experience slow, small gains in 2012. Although, some indicators from month to month may not appear to be positive on the surface, real estate agents and industry experts are optimistic given the year over year improvements. “The recovery is happening though not at a breakout pace, but we have seen nine consecutive months of year-over-year sales increases,” said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun in the report released today.

Key Findings in the March 2012 Existing Home Sales Report Include:

    4.48 million existing home sales in March
    120,000 less home sales compared to last month after totals were revised upward
    5.2% higher than total home sales in March 2011
    Inventory was down 1.3% ending the month at 2.37 million
    Median existing home price increased to $ 163,800 for all types of homes
    Foreclosures and short sales accounted for 29% of the sales, down from 40% in March 2011
    33% of home buyers were first-time buyers
    21% of home buyers were investors
    32% were all cash sales

In March homes sales fell or remained unchanged compared to last month across all regions, but three out of four posted higher sales than the same time last year. The Midwest region sales were unchanged at 1.2 million. The West saw the largest decrease in sales at -7.4%, followed by the Northeast at -1.7% and the South at -1.1%. The median priced rose in the Midwest, South and West.

Top Factors Effecting Home Sales

    Declining inventory levels
    Home prices stabilizing but remaining affordable
    Sustained job growth
    Low mortgage interest rates

Though home sales were down, it was a direct correlation to the decrease in available inventory. March statistics suggest that the real estate market is stabilizing both in supply and demand as well as price. As the economy improves, more buyers are beginning to enter the market, especially given that prices seemed to have bottomed out in most areas. All this points to a more balanced market which lays the groundwork for improved conditions in the real estate industry overall in the coming months.

To learn more or search for new homes for sale in your area, please visit: Homes.org

About Homes.org

Homes.org is a fast growing real estate search portal that offers users much more than MLS listings. Homes.org gives users access to a rich collection of resources, including but not limited to, real estate listings, home owner finance tools, home service tools. Homes.org brings buyers, sellers and renters important information about the current markets and intelligent tools by partnering with real estate professionals from around the country. Homes.org is a subsidiary of Star Nine Ventures, Inc. headquartered in Austin, TX.

About Star Nine Ventures®

Star Nine Ventures® is an Austin-based, marketing-driven venture creation company targeting a wide range of national business-to-consumer online marketplaces. Star Nine’s core mission is to build businesses that provide exemplary consumer experiences and unparalleled customer service.

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

(PRWEB) April 16, 2012

Leading merchant account provider, MerchantPlus, has created and released a free app available through iTunes. It means mobile payments are easier, safe, and convenient.

MerchantPlus is the industry leader in wireless processing. In addition to traditional wireless terminals, customers can accept credit cards from their mobile devices on iPhone & Android-powered phones and iPads. There are no setup charges and no monthly minimums.

In three steps, accept credit cards online:-

1.    Download MerchantPlus App

2.    Sign up for a merchant account

3.    Begin accepting credit cards online.

“We are excited to release this app,” begins James Burkhardt, Partner Account Manager, MerchantPlus. “It delivers security and convenience. It’s particularly helpful for users who are on the move. There’s no need to wait to process payments.”

MerchantPlus delivers the most flexible and powerful merchant account solutions at low prices and with exceptional customer service.

Learn more about MerchantPlus and get started today.

About MerchantPlus

In business since 2003, MerchantPlus is an accredited, experienced merchant account provider based in New York City. It has established more than 20,000 merchant accounts in a range of businesses, offering the best all-in-one online credit card processing solutions. With superior customer service and support, transparency, reliability and low cost, MerchantPlus is the first choice in merchant accounts. Visit http://www.merchantplus.com.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.