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Tourists having the time of their life in China — What made this possible?

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BEIJING, July 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on traveling in China:

 

Some viral jokes started by foreign tourists in China have popped up on the Chinese social media lately. For example, a video creator redefined “city,” and his part-English-part-Chinese punchline which literally means “city or not” has been imitated by numerous netizens. Another vlogger bluntly said it’s too “dangerous” in China at night, because the gourmet foods at night are such a lure.

At the beginning, many videos about people’s impression of China were posted on non-Chinese video platforms, with the hashtag “China Travel.” They’ve been so popular that some people reposted them back on Chinese social media, with their jokes and punchlines being well received by Chinese netizens.

One important change has made it possible for so many foreign tourists to appear in China — the country again relaxed its visa requirements. Last December, China included altogether 54 countries in its 72/144 visa-free transit list; in less than four months after that, China extended its visa-free policy to 11 European countries including France, Germany and Switzerland. Several days ago, New Zealand, Australia and Poland were added to the visa-free policy list.

Meanwhile, things have become easier for the foreigners who travel in China, both in terms of facilities and services. For example, in the past, many foreign tourists found it difficult to “spend their money” in China, given China’s prevailing norm of cashless payment. Now, for those who choose traditional payment methods, foreign bank cards and cash are more acceptable in more places, as an alternative to mobile payments. For those who prefer to try the new way, the required procedures like ID verification and bank card binding have also been streamlined.

Lower thresholds and a smoother experience have spurred more people to travel in China. Statistics show that in Q1 this year, the number of foreign visitors increased over 3-fold compared to Q1 in 2023, with more than 1.98 million people entering China via the visa-free policy, an increase of 266.1% compared to 2023.

With China’s gate wide open to the world, more international friends have the chance for a first-hand China experience. The “rookie visitors” usually start with metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, while the experienced ones will choose to explore other popular destinations, like Chengdu and Chongqing in southwestern China. There are also “advanced players” who are confident enough to begin their adventures in farther places like Xinjiang and Qinghai…

To no one’s surprise, many of them fell in love with the kaleidoscope of Chinese gourmet foods. Some of them are amazed by China’s infrastructure, like how clean and tidy the bathrooms are in China’s subway stations, or how fast and comfortable are the high speed trains; a vlogger posted a video of him accidentally joining a group of elderly public square dancers at night; and some went to Xinjiang and tasted the delicious local foods and watched the local performances…

More and more first-person perspectives about the Chinese people and the country are being posted on international social media platforms. And there are something in common: A lot of these content creators and numerous comments are saying, China is not what they expected.

Of course, there’s no perfect destination. In a thousand tourists’ eyes, there are a thousand images of China. But, if one pays a visit to China, he or she will for sure find an answer to questions like is China safe at night, or is life in China dim.

Quoting Mark Twain, travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. Now, China is expanding its “circle of friends” and opening its gate wider. So, book your flight and buckle up, friends — you will be sincerely welcomed.

China Mosaic 
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 

Tourists having the time of their life in China — What made this possible?
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2024-07/12/content_117304180.htm 

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SOURCE China.org.cn

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Shutterstock Appoints Matt Furlong as Chief Marketplace Officer

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Former Gamestop executive to join leadership team as head of Marketplace division

NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK) (the “Company”), a leading global creative platform offering high-quality creative content for transformative brands, digital media and marketing companies, today announced that Matt Furlong will be joining Shutterstock to lead the company’s Marketplace division as Chief Marketplace Officer on Monday, January 13.

In this position and as part of the Shutterstock executive leadership team, Matt will have a key role in shaping the overall strategy, operations and growth of the Marketplace division, which houses the company’s individual user products and solutions across various ecommerce platforms.

“Matt’s extensive leadership experience and deep operational expertise will be a valuable asset to Shutterstock,” said Paul Hennessy, Chief Executive Officer of Shutterstock. “We’re confident in his ability to drive the focus and growth needed to better serve our Marketplace customers while helping to achieve our overall business strategy.”

Matt will also be responsible for ensuring alignment with business goals across Shutterstock’s creative content brands, including PremiumBeat, Pond5 and TurboSquid. In addition, he will oversee the company’s Global Customer Success team.

“I’m thrilled to join Shutterstock at such an exciting time in their transformation as a premier visual content company dedicated to empowering creatives,” said Furlong. “I’ve built my career innovating for customers while building leadership brands, and look forward to doing the same for the Shutterstock Marketplace division.”

Previously, Matt served as the CEO of GameStop for two years, where he was focused on strengthening the customer experience while driving business transformation. Prior to Gamestop, he led numerous multi-billion dollar businesses at Amazon, culminating in his role as the Country Manager for Amazon Australia. Matt began his career at P&G, where he worked for 12 years before joining Amazon.

About Shutterstock, Inc.
Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK) is a premier partner for transformative brands, digital media and marketing companies, empowering the world to create with confidence. Fueled by millions of creators around the world and a fearless approach to product innovation, Shutterstock is the leading global platform for licensing from the most extensive and diverse collection of high-quality 3D models, videos, music, photographs, vectors and illustrations. From the world’s largest content marketplace, to breaking news and A-list entertainment editorial access, to all-in-one content editing platform and studio production service—all using the latest in innovative technology—Shutterstock offers the most comprehensive selection of resources to bring storytelling to life. 

Learn more at www.shutterstock.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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SOURCE Shutterstock, Inc.

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InMode to Report Fourth Quarter & Full Year 2024 Financial Results and Hold Conference Call on February 6, 2025, Expects Q4 Revenue Between $97.0M-$97.5M

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Conference call to be held on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time

YOKNEAM, Israel, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — InMode Ltd. (Nasdaq: INMD), a leading global provider of innovative medical technologies, announced today that it expects to release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 before the Nasdaq market opens on Thursday, February 6, 2025.

InMode is currently finalizing its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024. Management believes that preliminary results reflect stronger-than-expected headwinds in the aesthetics industry, further intensified by broader macroeconomic challenges. While complete financial information and operating data are not yet available, set forth below are certain preliminary financial results for said periods, subject to final adjustments and other developments that may arise between now and the time such financial results are published. Based on preliminary results, management expects:

Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024 to be in the range of $97.0 million to $97.5 million and revenue for the full year of 2024 to be in the range of $394.0 million to $394.5 millionNon-GAAP1 gross margin for the full year of 2024 to be in the range of 80% to 81%Full year 2025 revenue to be in the range of $395 million to $405 million

1Please refer to “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure” below for important information about non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP results exclude share-based compensation.

InMode will host a conference call to discuss the fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time with presentations from management including Moshe Mizrahy, Chief Executive Officer, Yair Malca, Chief Financial Officer and Dr. Michael Kreindel, Chief Technology Officer.

The Company encourages participants to pre-register for the conference call using the following link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10195703/fe3de01ec4. Callers will receive a unique dial-in upon registration, which enables immediate access on the day of the call. Participants may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time.

For callers that opt out of pre-registration, please dial one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin by placing your call 10 minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free number, please try the international dial-in number.

U.S. Toll-Free: 1-833-316-0562
Israel Toll-Free: 1-80-921-2373
International: 1-412-317-5736                                                                                      

Webcast: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=4AkhyaPz

At:

8:30 a.m. Eastern Time
5:30 a.m. Pacific Time

The conference call will also be webcast live from a link on InMode’s website at https://inmodemd.com/investors/events-presentations/. A replay of the conference call will be available from February 6, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time to February 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. To access the replay, please dial one of the following numbers:

Replay U.S. TOLL-FREE: 1-877-344-7529
Replay TOLL/INTERNATIONAL: 1-412-317-0088
Replay Pin Number: 4023671

A replay will also be available for 90 days on InMode’s website at: https://inmodemd.com/investors/events-presentations/

About InMode

InMode is a leading global provider of innovative medical technologies. InMode develops, manufactures, and markets devices harnessing novel radiofrequency (“RF”) technology. InMode strives to enable new emerging surgical procedures as well as improve existing treatments. InMode has leveraged its medically accepted minimally invasive RF technologies to offer a comprehensive line of products across several categories for plastic surgery, gynecology, dermatology, otolaryngology, and ophthalmology. For more information about InMode and its wide array of medical technologies, visit www.inmodemd.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements generally relate to future events or InMode’s future financial or operating performance, including, but not limited to, the 2025 revenue projection described above. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions that concern our expectations, strategic plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements included in InMode’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 13, 2024, and our future public filings. InMode undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which pertain only as of the date of this press release.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure

In addition to InMode’s operating results presented in accordance with GAAP, this release includes non-GAAP gross margin. Because this measure is used in InMode’s internal analysis of financial and operating performance, management believes that it provides greater transparency to investors of management’s view of InMode’s economic performance. Management also believes the presentation of this measure, when analyzed in conjunction with InMode’s GAAP operating results, allows investors to evaluate and compare the performance of InMode to that of its peers, although InMode’s presentation of its non-GAAP measure may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies more effectively.

 

Company Contact:

Yair Malca

Chief Financial Officer

Email: Yair.Malca@inmodemd.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Miri Segal

MS-IR LLC

Email: ir@inmodemd.com

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1064477/InMode_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE InMode Ltd.

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Setting New Year’s Resolutions? 91% of Canadians believe we should choose progress over perfection

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The no. 1 global nutrition and food tracking app, MyFitnessPal, helps users embrace sustainable eating habits in the New Year, without the pressure and intensity of an ‘all or nothing’ mindset

TORONTO, Jan. 8, 2025 /CNW/ – The new year is here and with it, the push to set and maintain health-focused resolutions. Whether it’s the latest diet trend on social media, the guilt that creeps in after holiday festivities, or the long-held belief that this is the one time a year to become a “new you,” this kind of pressure is not a sustainable approach to wellness. A recent survey shows that of the 19% of Canadians that tried a fad diet, 43% were not successful in reaching their health goals. The New Year can be a fresh start, which is why MyFitnessPal, the no. 1 global nutrition and food tracking app, is encouraging its members to embrace the philosophy of progress over perfection.

Survey Says:

Of those who tried a fad diet and were not successful, 70% say it was because the diet was too restrictive.24% of Gen Z and Millennials have tried a fad diet.91% of Canadians surveyed agree that focusing on progress over perfection is the best approach to successfully achieving a health goal.

Rather than restricting or depriving yourself, it’s about making intentional choices. By planning your week and tracking your food, you will build realistic, achievable habits that account for the moments when real life happens––setting a foundation not only for today, but for life.

“MyFitnessPal acknowledges the mad fads that have been encouraged over the years in a bid for achieving what society deems ‘perfect’,” says Head of Nutrition, Melissa Jaeger, RD. “At MyFitnessPal, we encourage striving for progress, not the concept of ‘perfection’. Restrictive diets lack sustainability and overall nutrient balance – a few factors that contribute to why ‘quick fixes’, fad, or restrictive diets aren’t the solution to achieving long term health goals. Instead of trying the latest fad or revisiting an old trend – try tracking your foods, building awareness of your nutrition habits, and knowing where you stand with your health. Most importantly, don’t let it get in the way of real life. Have a piece of cake on your child’s birthday and enjoy some poutine occasionally––because that’s real life.”

To ensure you always know where you stand when life gets real, Melissa created three tips for a healthy and joyful January.

Add, Don’t Subtract 
Instead of focusing on what you would cut out from your diet this January, set a goal for what you could add to your diet to help support overall motivation and progress towards health and nutrition goals.

Consider setting a SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound – goal to increase daily fruit, vegetable, or water intake. Not only can small steps support overall health goals, they can also reframe how we view our diet when it comes to goal setting. An app like MyFitnessPal makes tracking fruit and vegetable intake simple through the My Weekly Report feature, highlighting dietary patterns based on food groups. You can also track daily water intake via the water tracking widget in the app’s home screen.

Stay Social While Staying on Track
Life doesn’t stop when you set a health goal and it shouldn’t have to. Instead of saying no to dinners at restaurants with family or happy hours with friends, account for these moments by logging your meals so you always know where you stand on the journey to meeting your health goals.

“Tracking what you eat can help you understand the impact of your dietary choices, encouraging a healthier and more mindful approach to eating. When you allow room for flexibility, like enjoying a side of fries, you’re more likely to stay motivated to keep progressing towards your health goals,” says Jaeger.

Don’t Put too Much on January or Yourself
Remember that January is just one month out of the year. Just as one meal, snack or beverage isn’t going to make or break your progress towards your health goals, the first month of the year isn’t the only month to focus on your health goals. Prioritize your health and wellbeing year-round, using tracking tools like MyFitnessPal to gain insight into your dietary habits and learn where you have room for modifications to support your goals.

For more information on MyFitnessPal, visit www.myfitnesspal.com or download the app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Methodology
This Maru Public Opinion survey conducted on behalf of MyFitnessPal was undertaken by the sample and data collection experts at Maru/Blue. 1,531 randomly selected Canadians adults who are Maru Voice Canada online panelists were surveyed from December 18 to December 19, 2024. The results of this study have been weighted by education, age, gender, and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding. 

About MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is the #1 global nutrition and food tracking app for achieving health goals, especially weight management. Since 2005, MyFitnessPal has empowered over 200 million users in over 120 countries to improve their health by tracking their food, recording exercise activity, and logging their weight. As one of the world’s most trusted resources on nutrition, MyFitnessPal’s mission is to help people around the world reach their health goals through better food choices by providing knowledge, motivation and a sense of progress. With one of the largest food databases in the world comprising over 19 million foods, access to over 500 recipes, more than 50 workout routines and exercise demos, and over 40 connected fitness partners, MyFitnessPal provides users with tools for positive healthy change. The MyFitnessPal app is available on the App Store and Google Play store. To learn more, visit www.myfitnesspal.com or follow MyFitnessPal on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter.

SOURCE MyFitnessPal

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