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In HelloNation, Wedding Venue Expert Agathi Georgiou-Graham Explains Smart Ways to Manage Your Wedding Budget

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The article outlines how thoughtful planning and strategic spending can improve the guest experience without unnecessary costs.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — How can couples create a memorable wedding without overspending in every category? A HelloNation article featuring insights from Agathi Georgiou-Graham of Arbor Venues in Rochester, New York, explains how thoughtful planning and smart financial priorities can help couples manage a wedding budget more effectively.

The article explains that many couples feel pressure to spend heavily on every detail during wedding planning. However, not every expense shapes the guest experience in the same way. According to the article, some investments improve the comfort, flow, and overall wedding atmosphere, while others have little lasting impact once the celebration begins.

One of the most important areas discussed in the article is the wedding venue itself. Guests spend most of the event inside that space, making the wedding venue one of the largest contributors to the overall atmosphere. The article notes that venues with natural beauty, practical layouts, and comfortable seating often require fewer decorations and additional rentals. Couples frequently save money when the wedding venue already supports the style and experience they want to create.

Food and service are also highlighted as major priorities during thoughtful planning. The article explains that guests may forget certain decorative details, but they often remember whether the meal felt enjoyable and organized. Quality catering helps guests feel welcomed and comfortable throughout the evening, while professional service keeps the wedding reception moving smoothly. According to the article, a relaxed dining experience often creates a stronger impression than expensive decorative upgrades.

Entertainment is another area where the article encourages couples to invest carefully. Music influences the pace and energy of the celebration from the ceremony through the final dance. A professional DJ or live band can help maintain a comfortable flow throughout the evening and encourage guest participation. Wedding Venue Expert Agathi Georgiou-Graham explains in the article that guests often respond more positively to a lively and organized wedding atmosphere than to costly decorative additions.

Photography is also identified as a meaningful long-term investment. The article notes that wedding photos become lasting memories that couples revisit for years after the celebration. An experienced photographer not only captures emotional moments but also helps maintain timing and organization throughout the day. According to the article, professional photography often provides lasting value because it preserves both the emotions and the atmosphere of the event.

At the same time, the article explains that there are several categories where couples can often reduce spending without affecting the guest experience. Wedding favors are one example. While thoughtful, many favors are left behind at the end of the evening. Couples working within a wedding budget may benefit from choosing simpler options or skipping favors entirely.

Printed materials are another area where thoughtful planning can reduce unnecessary expenses. Invitations, menus, and programs are important for communication, but they do not need elaborate designs or costly printing upgrades. The article explains that clean and simple materials often help maintain an elegant wedding atmosphere while keeping spending under control.

Decorations are also discussed as one of the fastest-growing wedding expenses. Large floral installations and trendy décor pieces may create short-term visual impact, but guests often focus more on comfort, lighting, and atmosphere throughout the event. The article notes that soft lighting, simple centerpieces, and strong organization can often create a more elevated wedding reception than oversized decorative displays.

The article concludes that a balanced wedding budget often comes from prioritizing the parts of the event that guests genuinely experience throughout the celebration. By focusing on the wedding venue, quality catering, entertainment, photography, and organization, couples can create a polished and welcoming event without unnecessary overspending.

Smart Ways to Manage Your Wedding Budget features insights from Agathi Georgiou-Graham, Wedding Venue Expert of Rochester, New York, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is America’s Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused digital publications and innovative “edvertising” approach, HelloNation delivers expert-driven, good-news content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

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Frost & Sullivan: Kaspersky Recognized for Leadership in Asia-Pacific OT Cybersecurity and Converged IT/OT Security

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Kaspersky’s purpose-built OT security and unified IT/OT approach demonstrates strong customer value, product innovation, and operational resilience across critical industrial environments.

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce that Kaspersky has received the 2026 Asia-Pacific OT Security Customer Value Leadership Recognition and the 2026 Asia-Pacific Converged IT and OT Security Product Leadership Recognition for its strong performance in delivering customer value and advancing converged cybersecurity across mission-critical industrial environments.

These recognitions highlight Kaspersky’s ability to align its cybersecurity strategy with the evolving needs of industrial organizations while executing through a unified, OT-native approach. In a market shaped by rapid digitalization, legacy infrastructure, expanding cyber-physical attack surfaces, and the convergence of IT and OT, Kaspersky demonstrates a differentiated ability to strengthen protection without compromising operational continuity.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. Kaspersky excelled across these dimensions through its combination of purpose-built industrial cybersecurity, localized execution, partner-led delivery, and a platform strategy designed to support organizations from foundational OT protection to broader IT/OT convergence.

“Kaspersky demonstrates customer ownership excellence through a platform strategy built around completeness rather than isolated point capabilities. A unified approach is central to this value proposition, integrating endpoint protection, anomaly detection, secure remote access, asset visibility, and centralized management. This coherent operational model is especially valuable in industrial environments where low asset awareness and disconnected tools can slow response times, reduce efficiency, and leave security teams with an incomplete view of risks,” said Tetsuya Niihara, Director at Frost & Sullivan.

Kaspersky’s strategy focuses on the realities of industrial and critical infrastructure environments, where security solutions must accommodate legacy systems, heterogeneous architecture, and stringent uptime requirements. Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity (KICS) combines endpoint protection, OT network monitoring, anomaly detection, and asset visibility, while its broader IT security portfolio extends this approach across enterprise environments. The Open Single Management Platform enables centralized oversight and cross-domain threat correlation.

Innovation also remains central to Kaspersky’s product strategy. Its solutions are designed with a limited system footprint and support for legacy operating systems, proprietary industrial protocols, air-gapped environments, and passive monitoring. AI-driven capabilities, behavioral analytics, automated alert summarization, and the Kaspersky Investigation and Response Assistant enhance security operations by helping analysts accelerate investigation and decision-making.

“APAC is where the world’s industrial future is being built, and it is also where the diversity of cybersecurity maturity is greatest: Advanced manufacturers and first-time OT security adopters often operate in the same supply chain. Kaspersky’s role in this region has been to make enterprise-grade industrial protection genuinely accessible across that entire spectrum through local teams, a certified partner ecosystem, and an adoption model that lets organizations start with visibility and scale to full protection at their own pace. Frost & Sullivan’s recognition reflects the trust we have earned plant by plant, market by market, across APAC,” said Adrian Hia, Managing Director, APAC at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky’s customer value proposition is strengthened by its focus on non-disruptive protection and operational continuity. Capabilities such as zero-reboot updates, precision alerting, portable scanning, and OT-aware support help organizations strengthen their security posture while minimizing disruption to production environments. Its localized engagement model and partner ecosystem across key Asia-Pacific markets support practical deployment and long-term customer value.

“Kaspersky’s approach stands out for bringing together comprehensive OT protection, visibility, and management while maintaining the operational discipline required in industrial environments. By connecting KICS with its broader IT security capabilities, the company provides customers with a more unified view of risk across traditionally siloed environments, helping strengthen both security effectiveness and operational efficiency,” said Rajarshi Dhar, Associate Director, Security Advisory Practice at Frost & Sullivan.

Frost & Sullivan commends Kaspersky for establishing a strong position at the intersection of OT cybersecurity, IT/OT convergence, cyber-physical systems security, and cyber resilience. Its ability to combine OT-native protection with unified IT/OT visibility and management allows organizations to secure interconnected industrial ecosystems while maintaining operational performance.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents Best Practices Recognitions to companies that demonstrate outstanding strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in customer value, competitive positioning, innovation, and market performance. Kaspersky’s two recognitions reflect its differentiated approach to addressing the evolving requirements of industrial cybersecurity across Asia-Pacific.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognition
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Recognitions honor companies across regional and global markets that exhibit exceptional achievement and consistent excellence in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer experience, and strategic product development. Each recognition is the result of a rigorous analytical process in which Frost & Sullivan industry experts benchmark performance through comprehensive interviews, deep-dive analysis, and extensive secondary research. The goal is to identify true best-in-class organizations that are driving transformative growth and setting new industry standards.
Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:
Tarini Singh
E: Tarini.Singh@frost.com

Kaspersky
E: prhq@kaspersky.com

About Kaspersky

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Innovating the industry with a Cyber Immunity approach, Kaspersky safeguards consumers, businesses, critical infrastructure, and governments from cyberthreats, with over a billion devices protected to date.

Kaspersky ensures Cybersecurity True to Business, focusing on providing clear outcomes, protecting revenue, easing workloads and preventing downtime. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services for organizations of every size, from small businesses to large enterprises, combining proven AI-driven protection technologies with simple management and expert support.

Recognized in independent tests and trusted by millions of individuals worldwide and nearly 200,000 organizations, Kaspersky helps detect threats earlier, respond faster and operate with greater confidence and freedom, protecting what matters most to our clients. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/frost–sullivan-kaspersky-recognized-for-leadership-in-asia-pacific-ot-cybersecurity-and-converged-itot-security-302855401.html

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CES Asia Unveiled Expands to Hong Kong on the Road to CES 2027

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As part of the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, the event serves as a bridge between Hong Kong’s innovation ecosystem and CES’s global network

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, owner and producer of CES®, announces an event at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair Autumn Edition – CES Asia™ Unveiled Hong Kong. CES Asia Unveiled Hong Kong will take place on Oct. 14 in the Future Industries Zone in the Grand Hall at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event will showcase some of the innovative startups in Hong Kong and host a stage for programming, all in preparation for CES 2027. CES Asia Unveiled Hong Kong will engage startups in Hong Kong and was developed in partnership with the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council (HKTDC) and The Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association (HKEIA) with the support of Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) – all long-standing CES participants that help connect Hong Kong innovators to the global stage at CES each year.

“Hong Kong is a global hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and commerce,” said Gary Shapiro, Executive Chair, CTA. “In collaboration with the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, CES Asia Unveiled Hong Kong will highlight the region’s technology leadership and connect innovators with customers, media and industry leaders ahead of CES 2027.”

The event will feature CES startups from Hong Kong across product categories, keynotes and panels on emerging technologies, networking opportunities and a startup pitch competition. The winning company will receive complimentary exhibit space at Eureka Park, the premier destination for startups at CES 2027. During the programming, CTA executives will preview what’s new for CES 2027, taking place Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas, and share insights on the technology trends shaping the year ahead.

“The Hong Kong Electronics Fair, taking place from October 13 to 16, gathers innovators, manufacturers and buyers from around the world,” said Basil Wai, CEO, HKEIA. “Through our long relationship with CES, we have helped Hong Kong companies expand internationally and reach new markets. Hosting CES Asia Unveiled Hong Kong alongside the fair is a natural next step, promoting the region’s innovation ecosystem and creating new connections to the global CES platform.”

At CES 2026, the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion in Eureka Park, jointly organized by HKTDC and HKSTP, showcased more than 60 Hong Kong companies with technologies spanning artificial intelligence, digital health, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

CTA is working with the organizer of the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) to offer special packages for qualified startups interested in exhibiting at the fair and CES 2027. Interested companies should contact CESUnveiledHK@hkeia.org for more information. Register or apply for booth space at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) 2026.

CES Asia Unveiled Hong Kong underscores CTA’s commitment to deepening engagement across Asia and expanding opportunities for innovators and technology leaders in the region to connect with the global CES community. CTA leaders will also participate in CES Asia Unveiled Seoul.

About CES®:  
CES is the most powerful tech event in the world – the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where the world’s biggest brands do business and meet new partners, and the sharpest innovators hit the stage. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, CES features every aspect of the tech sector. CES 2027 takes place Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas. Learn more at CES.tech and follow CES on social.

About Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®:  
As North America’s largest technology trade association, CTA is the tech sector. Our members are the world’s leading innovators – from startups to global brands – helping support more than 17 million American jobs. CTA owns and produces CES® – the most powerful tech event in the world. Find us at CTA.tech. Follow us @CTAtech.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ces-asia-unveiled-expands-to-hong-kong-on-the-road-to-ces-2027-302855752.html

SOURCE Consumer Technology Association

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Sanas Deepens Philippine Investment, Taps IBPAP Chief Jack Madrid to Lead Market Expansion

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Jack Madrid joins as Sanas Ambassador, Philippines and Christopher Venturina as Director of Business Development to strengthen relationships with enterprises, BPO providers, and technology partners across the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Philippines has built a global reputation for delivering customer experiences at scale. Now, as artificial intelligence reshapes the way businesses connect with customers, Speech AI company Sanas is strengthening its presence in the country to help shape the future of customer experience.

Effective October 11, 2026, Sanas will appoint Jack Madrid, current President and CEO of the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), as Sanas Ambassador, Philippines, and Christopher Venturina as Director of Business Development, Philippines. The appointments come as Sanas strengthens its local operations, expands customer investments, and builds deeper relationships with enterprises, BPO providers, and technology partners in the country.

The Philippines is a key market for Sanas as it brings AI into an industry where Filipino talent already plays a leading role in serving customers around the world.

Sanas currently works with more than 200 enterprises globally and processes millions of live voice interactions every day. The company was also recently ranked No. 8 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, while ranking No. 1 in both AI & Data and California.

“The Philippines has spent decades building one of the world’s strongest customer experience industries. What AI changes is not the value of that talent, but what people can accomplish with the right technology,” said Sharath Keshava Narayana, Co-Founder and CEO of Sanas. “We are investing in the Philippines because we believe the country can play a leading role in defining how people and AI work together to create better customer experiences.”

A familiar industry leader for a new era
Madrid joins the company as Sanas Ambassador, Philippines at a pivotal moment for the Philippine IT-BPM industry, bringing more than two decades of experience across banking, technology, digital commerce, media, and industry leadership.

As President and CEO of IBPAP, Madrid helped lead the country’s IT-BPM sector through significant transformation and growth. Under his leadership, the industry surpassed US$40 billion in annual revenues and supported approximately 1.9 million Digital Filipino Workers, reinforcing the Philippines’ position as a global leader in technology-enabled services.

His move to Sanas brings together two sides of a conversation increasingly important to the Philippine economy: the country’s strength in human-led customer service and the growing role of AI in the workplace.

“The conversation around AI and the Philippines should not simply be about what technology can replace. It should be about what technology can help Filipino talent do better,” said Jack Madrid, Sanas Ambassador, Philippines. “The Philippines has an opportunity to lead the next chapter of global customer experience by combining the strengths of its people with technology that helps them communicate, perform, and connect more effectively. That is what makes this opportunity with Sanas particularly exciting to me.”

Throughout his career, Madrid has held senior leadership positions at organizations including Citibank, Dell Technologies, Yahoo! Philippines, MTV Philippines, Ayala Corporation, and Multiply.com. He has also been a prominent voice on AI adoption, workforce readiness, digital infrastructure, and the future of work.

Turning AI interest into business impact
Sanas is also strengthening its commercial presence in the Philippines with the appointment of Venturina, who brings extensive experience across the country’s outsourcing and customer experience ecosystem.

In his new role, Venturina will focus on expanding Sanas’ relationships with enterprise customers, BPO providers, and technology partners in the Philippines and across the region.

“The conversation has moved from whether AI will affect customer experience to how companies can use it effectively and responsibly,” said Christopher Venturina, Director of Business Development, Philippines, Sanas. “Our role is to help organizations turn that interest into practical applications that support employees, make conversations more effective, and deliver better customer experiences.”

That shift is increasingly relevant as Philippine enterprises and BPOs navigate a global market where customers expect faster, more personalized, and more seamless interactions, while businesses face growing pressure to improve productivity and performance.

For Sanas, the opportunity is not simply to automate customer interactions, but to help organizations combine technology with human expertise to create better experiences.

“Technology should ultimately make it easier for people to understand and connect with one another,” said Shawn Zhang, CTO and Co-Founder of Sanas. “The Philippines has shown the world what exceptional customer experience looks like. We believe AI can help Filipino professionals and the organizations they work with take that capability even further.”

With Madrid and Venturina joining its Philippine leadership team, Sanas is strengthening its presence in a market it sees as central to the future of customer experience.

The future of customer experience will be defined by the combination of AI and human expertise. The Philippines is uniquely positioned to lead that future, pairing world-class talent with technologies that help people communicate more effectively, perform at a higher level, and deliver better outcomes for customers.

About Sanas
Sanas is a real-time Speech AI platform built to power global enterprise and communications platforms. Founded in 2021 in Palo Alto, California, Sanas enables speech to be understood clearly and naturally across languages, accents, and environments. The platform provides real-time speech enhancement, accent transformation, and language understanding that can be embedded directly into applications, platforms, and carrier networks. In 2026, Sanas was named the No. 1 AI & Data company in America on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies and also earned the No. 1 ranking in California and No. 8 overall. Learn more at Sanas.ai.

Media Contact:
Havas Red for Sanas
Sanas@havas.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sanas-deepens-philippine-investment-taps-ibpap-chief-jack-madrid-to-lead-market-expansion-302855579.html

SOURCE Sanas

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