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Cruise Planners, the Nation’s Largest Travel Franchise, Launches Annual 2024 “CP World” Convention

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CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Cruise Planners kicked off their annual convention with over 900 franchise owners and advisors in attendance. The 4-day event in Fort Lauderdale concludes with a 3-night inaugural sailing to the Bahamas onboard Princess Cruises’ new ship, Sun Princess.

This year’s convention is centered around the theme “CP World: You’re a Star,” emphasizing how every Cruise Planners travel advisor is a shining star with limitless potential. CP World embodies Cruise Planners’ five brand pillars of providing best in class Marketing, Technology, Training, Support, and Community. These elements are what set Cruise Planners apart from other host and franchise networks, driving success and innovation.

“At Cruise Planners, we take pride in being a leading, innovative host/franchise, and this year is no exception. Our most exciting announcement is the launch of our ASK MAXX AI tool. This cutting-edge technology has excited our advisors, as it dramatically reduces their research time to just mere seconds, making their work faster and more efficient than ever before,” said founder and CEO of Cruise Planners, Michelle Fee.

Cruise Planners announced over 20 new initiatives designed to help Cruise Planner Advisors be more efficient and provide exceptional industry leading service to their clients.

A few of the big announcements included:

“Ask Maxx” AI Personal Assistant: An industry first, AI-powered assistant, designed to help Cruise Planners advisors quickly access information about destinations, suppliers, itineraries, and all Cruise Planners programs and tools. Ask Maxx delivers fast and accurate responses, making it an essential, time-saving advantage that will serve as their personal assistant to find information quickly. What used to take multiple steps and several minutes to find can now be accessed in just seconds!

Vax Integration: Advisors can now easily retrieve VAX VacationAccess bookings directly into CP Maxx, Cruise Planners proprietary booking and CRM system. This feature eliminates the need for manual data entry, saving time and effort. Once the booking is retrieved, advisors can easily manage and update it within CP Maxx.

Hotel Tool Enhancements: Cruise Planners is introducing a new feature called Hotel Sheets for 2025, complementing its existing Hotel Comparisons tool. Hotel Sheets enables travel advisors to select specific rooms and rates from over 2 million properties worldwide, providing clients with tailored options. This tool utilizes live pricing, as well as markup capabilities, ensuring that clients see the most current rates for their chosen room categories.

Additional CP Maxx Enhancements
More new features include Maxx Snippets, the ability to save blocks of text that are frequently used for easy access. Additionally, Maxx Shortcuts allows advisors to bookmark favorite tools and reports within CP Maxx, personalizing the CP Maxx experience for greater efficiency.

CP Maxx Mobile Enhancements: Maxx Intelligence, an AI tool powered by ChatGPT launched in 2023, is now available in the CP Maxx Mobile app. It allows advisors to access ChatGPT 4.0 from within their mobile device and from anywhere. Advisors can also easily upload videos from iOS or Android devices to the CP Maxx Video Library, streamlining the process and enabling quick sharing in emails or marketing materials.

During this year’s convention, Cruise Planners will host a variety of engaging panels and exciting events throughout the week. Highlights include the highly anticipated Cruise Line Executive Panel featuring senior sales executives from eight major cruise lines, Top Producer panels, a social media presentation with an industry expert, networking opportunities, educational breakout sessions, and much more.

“As we kick off this year’s Cruise Planners convention, it’s truly inspiring to see over 900 of our dedicated franchise owners and travel advisors gathered here. This year’s theme, ‘CP World: You’re a Star,’ is a celebration of the collective success of Cruise Planners and each advisor’s unique role in creating their own blockbuster success story,” said founder and CEO of Cruise Planners, Michelle Fee. “Our north star at Cruise Planners is to provide best-in-class marketing, technology, training, support, and a community that empowers our advisors to reach new heights. Introducing over 20 new and innovative initiatives highlights Cruise Planners as a leader in the travel industry, paving the way for increased efficiency, creativity, and success for our advisors in the years to come.”

More information to follow. Follow #CPCon24 for additional updates.

Company Background: Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nation-wide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and cutting-edge booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as “Best-In-Category” for 2 years.

Cruise Planners received a 99% franchise owner satisfaction report from Franchise Business Review for 2024. Franchise Business Review also ranked Cruise Planners #3 OVERALL on their list of Top 200 Franchises of 2022. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Sun Sentinel.

Visit our website, www.cruiseplanners.com, for more information or to view the complete list of awards and honors. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit https://www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cruise-planners-the-nations-largest-travel-franchise-launches-annual-2024-cp-world-convention-302271496.html

SOURCE Cruise Planners Franchising, LLC

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After Arrest Controversy, “Empire State Building Couple” Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus to Address Recent Incident on Gosh Live

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The couple said on social media that they will soon go live on Gosh Live to talk about life after the Empire State Building incident and the questions they want to answer directly.

Safety note: Gosh does not encourage or endorse dangerous, illegal or unauthorised activities. The livestream is intended solely as an entertainment and community interaction session.

NEW YORK, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, the creator couple known for rooftopping and high-altitude visual content, first gained attention through their daring shoots on skyscrapers, city landmarks and extreme urban locations around the world. Their content brings together adventure, striking visuals and their relationship story in the same frame. Their journey was later featured in the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, introducing them to an even wider audience.

Recently, Angela and Ivan became the focus of media and social media discussion following the Empire State Building incident in New York. According to public reports, the couple were taken into police custody after climbing the Empire State Building and allegedly completing a proposal, and now face related charges. Since then, fans have been following updates on their situation, the legal aftermath and whether the couple would respond publicly.

Following the controversy, Angela and Ivan have chosen to face fans directly through a livestream, where they are expected to talk about the Empire State Building incident, what they have been going through, and the questions they have wanted to address themselves.

According to the preview shared on their social media accounts, the livestream will take place on Gosh Live. Compared with a formal interview, the stream is expected to be a more relaxed online social and entertainment setting, where fans can watch, chat and hear directly from the couple.

During the livestream, Angela and Ivan are expected to discuss life after the Empire State Building incident. They may also talk about their relationship, future plans and whether they will continue creating rooftopping-related content.

The livestream is scheduled to begin on July 26, 2026, at 9:00 p.m. UTC and will be available on the official Gosh Live page.

For fans who have been following Angela and Ivan, the livestream could be a rare opportunity to hear the couple speak directly about their situation after the controversy.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/after-arrest-controversy-empire-state-building-couple-angela-nikolau-and-ivan-beerkus-to-address-recent-incident-on-gosh-live-302834765.html

SOURCE Gosh Live

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Think Bold, Ride Bold: Insta360 Takes Over the Champs-Élysées with 200-Rider Community Event

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LOS ANGELES, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Insta360 announced “Vibrez en Jaune” Pop-Up, a three-day cycling and creator event held in Paris from July 24 to July 26, 2026. Designed to coincide with the electric atmosphere of the Tour de France finale, the event culminated in a 200-rider takeover of the Parisian streets, bringing the spirit of professional cycling to everyday enthusiasts and urban explorers.

Built around the theme ‘Think Bold, Ride Bold,’ “Vibrez en Jaune” Pop-Up featured immersive pop-up experiences, hands-on creator workshops, and a sprawling group ride traversing the iconic 90km classic route from Versailles to the Champs-Élysées. The festival served as a celebration of cycling not just as a competitive sport, but as a vehicle for exploration, storytelling, and community connection.

A Festival of Content and Culture

The event kicked off on July 24 with a two-day hub of activity in the heart of Paris. Moving away from traditional retail experiences, Insta360 hosted a series of “Cycle & Create” workshops designed to lower the barrier to content creation.

Attendees gained access to on-site trial devices, allowing them to test out Insta360’s unique product ecosystem firsthand. Insta360 product experts were on hand to teach advanced cycling photography and videography techniques, ensuring riders knew exactly how to capture dynamic, hands-free POV footage of their urban commutes and weekend group rides.

The pop-up also served as a central gathering space for the community. Registered riders connected over coffee, collected their limited-edition Insta360 yellow cycling jerseys, and prepared for the weekend’s main event.

The Hero Moment: Taking Over the Streets of Paris

On Sunday, July 26, over 200 riders embarked on the “Vibrez en Jaune” Pop-Up main event. Organized in partnership with the Peloton Cycling Club, the group rode a 90km route inspired by the Tour de France Paris finale.

Beginning in Versailles, the group rode through the Paris city center before arriving at the Champs-Élysées. To ensure safety and an optimal experience, riders were organized into small, supervised packs of 20 to 25 across four distinct difficulty tiers—Spicy, Medium-Plus, Medium, and Mild—making the professional route accessible to a wide range of skill levels.

Select riders were equipped with Insta360 cameras to record immersive, first-person footage of the group as they navigated the historic streets, creating a collaborative, community-driven documentary of the ride.

Celebrating the Finish Line

The ride concluded at the Insta360 pop-up space for a vibrant after-party. As the actual Tour de France final stage was broadcast live on a giant screen, participants were treated to a professional DJ, refreshments, and finger food.

To reward the community, Insta360 hosted a drawing featuring premium cycling accessory bundles and high-value grand prizes, including the Insta360 GO Ultra Tadej Pogačar Edition and an exclusive jersey signed by the cycling champion himself.

Redefining Urban Exploration

Beyond the celebration of the sport, “Vibrez en Jaune” Pop-Up highlights the brand’s ongoing commitment to sustainable urban lifestyles. By encouraging people to rediscover their cities by bike, Insta360 aims to promote cycling as an accessible, low-carbon choice that allows individuals to experience urban life in a more mindful, connected way.

About Insta360

With a “Think bold” mindset, Insta360 empowers people to capture and share their lives in extraordinary ways. Recognized as a market leader and innovator, Insta360’s vast lineup includes the world’s best-selling 360 cameras in the X Series, the thumb-sized GO Series for everyday capture, as well as an extensive range of action cameras, gimbals, webcams, and professional photography solutions. With intuitive, AI-powered software, Insta360 simplifies the creative process, allowing users to focus on storytelling without technical barriers. Insta360 is dedicated to helping a new generation of athletes, creatives, travelers and professionals bring their ideas to life.

For more details visit: http://www.insta360.com

About the Think Bold Fund: https://www.insta360.com/ThinkBoldFund
Read our blog: https://www.insta360.com/blog
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Insta360
Follow us on X: https://x.com/insta360
Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/insta360
Follow us on TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@insta360_official
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insta360
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/insta360

Press Contact
Insta360
pr@insta360.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/think-bold-ride-bold-insta360-takes-over-the-champs-elysees-with-200-rider-community-event-302833050.html

SOURCE Insta360

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New ProEssentials v11: Native WinUI Charting Library, 100M Points in 15ms, Following Microsoft’s Vision for True Native Swap-Chain Rendering

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30 years of evolution in native C++ rendering that bypasses the managed XAML layer entirely and renders straight on the GPU via Direct3D compute shaders, in native x64 and ARM64, ready for Microsoft’s Windows on Arm and Copilot+ PCs. A fresh pass of 100M new data points renders to screen in ~65ms. The same engine powers WinUI, WPF, WinForms, MFC, and C++ from one codebase, with .NET 10 — built for real-time scientific, engineering, and financial data.

DALLAS, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gigasoft has released ProEssentials v11, bringing its 30-year native C++ charting engine to WinUI. Every other WinUI chart today renders through managed XAML — ProEssentials renders directly to a Direct3D composition swap chain, the native path Microsoft built WinUI around. The result: 100 million data points re-rendered in roughly 15ms, a fully fresh 100M-point frame on screen in about 65ms.

v11 also ships a native ARM64 engine, ProEssentials runs native on Microsoft’s Windows on Arm and Copilot+ PCs. .NET 10 arrives across the WinUI, WPF, and WinForms interfaces, with Direct3D compute shaders doing the heavy lifting on every architecture. A side-by-side native WinUI chart performance comparison against the major vendors is published on gigasoft.com.

The engine underneath is the same native C++ core Gigasoft has refined since 1993 — deliberately kept native behind a thin .NET wrapper, never rewritten in managed code. One engine drives WinUI, WPF, WinForms, MFC, and C++, so a chart moves between frameworks by changing the control type, not the charting code. Don’t take the numbers on faith — clone the open-source 100M-point WinUI demo and benchmark it on your own hardware.

“ProEssentials is the undisputed heavyweight of Windows desktop charting. Version 11 brings its three-decade native C++ engine to WinUI 3, native ARM64, and .NET 10. We’re proud to ship the world’s first charting component to faithfully deliver on Microsoft’s goal for WinUI as the modern, native, performant interface — presenting directly through a composition swap chain instead of a managed XAML layer,” said Robert Dede, founder of Gigasoft.

ProEssentials is not only for shipping products. It is the tool engineers reach for on their own side projects — R&D experiments, rapid prototypes, proof-of-concept demos, test-and-measurement utilities, internal data analysis, and the one-off tools engineering firms are always building. Any company serious about engineering will find countless uses for it, and with v11’s AI charting code assistance many of those ideas become working applications in a few hours. Licensing is perpetual and royalty-free, generous for multi-developer teams — worth putting in front of your CTO, CIO, and Chief AI Officer. A no-hassle evaluation download is available at gigasoft.com.

Contact:
Robert Dede, BSEE, Founder
Gigasoft, Inc.
***@gigasoft.com

Photo(s):
https://www.prlog.org/13152577

Press release distributed by PRLog

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-proessentials-v11-native-winui-charting-library-100m-points-in-15ms-following-microsofts-vision-for-true-native-swap-chain-rendering-302834721.html

SOURCE Gigasoft, Inc.

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