In my last post we looked at what questions you should ask yourself and your client before deciding if you should write a press release. Now let’s look at formatting and writing the release.

Back at the dawn of social media circa 2008, we were writing one release for traditional media and one for social media. Now we write a single release providing everything that traditional and online journalists and bloggers need.

Here are the elements of writing the press release and some tips to entice the media to read it.

Your release should always be straightforward and make the work of journalists and bloggers easier by providing content for podcasts, blogs, vlogs, RSS, tags and forums.

It’s a good idea to build a link and RSS feed specifically for this release to a delicious page. Make sure you include hyperlinks to relevant information, providing content and ongoing updates on this page.

Now the format of the release:

• Date and time (align left)
• Headline (centred and bold) and subhead (centred and bold/italic)

The body of your release should contain header (bold and/or underline):

• News – give a brief description of the announcement or initiative. Bullets are acceptable
• Quotes – pre-approved quotes from the CEO, President or other senior executives
• Third Party Quotes – pre-approved quotes from partners and stakeholders
• Quick Facts – bulleted facts about your organization
• Learn More – links to more information about this or similar announcements on your website
• Tagged Content – tagging is a way to categorize your posts, photos (CEO, third party), podcast (sound bites), graphics (statistics, logos, etc.), video (YouTube), links to reference sources and other coverage
• RSS feed to your news releases
• Add to delicious as a portal to this news
• Include technorati, alltop, digg, twitter tags
• Contact(s) – client, spokesperson and communications contact names, phone, email, website, blog, etc.

Tip: Don’t use more than two quotes per person in the release and have additional quotes ready for journalists or bloggers who ask for more.

Next we’ll look at how to pitch your story to targeted media.

Ramada Hotel & Convention Centre, New Delhi – The Latest Addition to Aitken Spence Hotels

Aitken Spence Hotels’ latest foray into the Indian market, takes the company to New Delhi, where a brand new property is due to open February / March 2010.

Mr. Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Hotels with Mr. Indrajit Singh Executive Director of Sartaj Hotel Apartments & Villas after signing the management agreement.

The 130-roomed, Ramada Hotel & Convention Centre will be laid out on a spectacular property spanning twelve acres, just ten minutes from the international airport on the Gurgaon airport expressway, in the famous Celebration Gardens, one of the foremost outdoor wedding locations in New Delhi.

All rooms will be well-equipped with the latest amenities, like high-speed wireless internet access, multimedia hubs and laptop safes, as well as additional features such as flat screen televisions with satellite channels and bathrooms with bathtubs. Room types will include six suites and villas, all elegantly designed in a combination of timber and Italian marble.

The hotel’s diversity of dining options will include a speciality restaurant, a coffee shop and a trendy bar. The entrance to the speciality restaurant will be via a bridge, suspended over an abundance of lush foliage, creating a luxurious ambience. For a more down-to-earth, yet splendid spread, the multi-cuisine coffee shop is open for all-day dining.

Additionally, the hotel will incorporate a fully-fledged business centre and a range of conference and banquet facilities. Situated next to the hotel, accessible by a hanging walkway, the ballroom will be able to accommodate up to two thousand guests. The hotel will also have at its disposal, two breathtaking garden locations ideal for functions with a guest-count up to another thousand.

Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director, Aitken Spence Hotels, was quoted as saying, “Aitken Spence has become renowned for our operational and strategic management strengths and it is for this reason that we were approached by the owners of the property. We are both excited and delighted to enter into this partnership to manage the Ramada Hotel & Convention Center, as we are aware that Northern India has immense potential and this will unquestionably gain us a stronger presence in the sub-continent.”

The hotel will join a network of twenty seven hotels located in Sri Lanka, India, Oman and the Maldives. Located in some of the key tourist locations the Aitken Spence chain boasts of exotic properties such as Barefoot at Havelock located on the “The Best Beach in Asia” as rated by the Time Magazine, award winning eco-friendly properties, such as Heritance Kandalama, situated in close proximity to five UNESCO world heritage sites and Desert Nights Camp, Al Wasil, Oman, rated as one of the top ten desert retreats in the world. The chain’s Heritance Tea Factory has been voted by the Independent, UK as one of the ‘Top Five Factory Hotels’ in the world and one of the best 100 places to stay in the world by the Sunday Times, UK.

The company’s unique resorts are operated under the brand Heritance and plans are afoot to launch India’s second Heritance property in 2011 with the opening of Heritance Cochin, a luxury resort with floating villas. The latest addition will join the Heritance Hotels & Resorts portfolio which already includes Heritance Kandalama, Heritance Ahungalla, Heritance Tea Factory and Heritance Madurai.

Aitken Spence Hotels is part of Aitken Spence PLC, a diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate which was recognized by Forbes as one of the most successful publicly traded companies, outside of the US, for 3 consecutive years.

Media Release – 21 December 2009

The environment in which we live and on which we depend is changing fast as a result of changes in the global climate, and also because of land-transforming human activities. Our ability to weather these changes depends on our capacity to detect them as soon as possible.

From cranes and korhaans to queleas, a new booklet describes how monitoring and research on birds can provide us with the early warning signs that we need to protect our native bird species, and there are many such signs in the Western Cape: plummeting numbers of African Penguins, invasions into new areas by Red-billed Queleas, and Southern Black Korhaans no longer seen in places where they were plentiful twenty years ago!

Many of the findings in the booklet are based on data collected for scientific programmes by trained members of the public. By counting birds or recording their presence at particular places and specific times of the year, these “citizen scientists” are helping scientists to build a jigsaw puzzle of our biodiversity. The 16-page illustrated booklet was produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the University of Cape Town’s Animal Demography Unit, with kind support from the Royal Danish Embassy in Pretoria. It will be available to politicians, farmers, conservationists, teachers and anyone else who is interested.

The booklet will be widely distributed in South Africa and also handed out to delegates at the United Nations climate change conference (COP15) in Copenhagen this December.

The booklet can be downloaded here

Please contact Phoebe Barnard or Les Underhill if you would like more info on the booklet.

Innovative public/private partnership has online videographer following the Flame on icoke.ca and cokenews.ca

Vancouver, BC, Dec. 14, 2009 – As the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay makes its way through Canada, travel enthusiasts from around the world can get up close and personal with some of the extra-ordinary Canadian sites along the way.

Online videographer Chris Wheeler is following the Olympic Flame and producing authentic, lively travelogues about the great Canadian communities participating in the relay, while promoting the local flavours of Canada along the way.

It’s all part of an innovative partnership between the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), Coca-Cola and Tourism British Columbia who initiated the program as a way to share the excitement of the Games. Coca-Cola websites, icoke.ca and cokenews.ca, are showcasing the 43 videos and they’re carried as well on HelloBC.com/2010torchrelay, YouTube.com/2010torch and YouTube.com/canadiantourism. A social-media outreach program will ensure that the stories are made known around the world.

“This relay marks the seventh time Coca-Cola has sponsored the Olympic Torch Relay, and we are very excited to share this journey with the Canadian Tourism Commission and Tourism British Columbia. The videos capture the excitement and the moments of happiness that torchbearers are experiencing around the country, while highlighting the beauty and uniqueness of Canada,” said Mickael Vinet, Manager, Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola Canada.

“The CTC seeks out dynamic, ground-breaking partnerships to expand the reach, impact and return of our marketing programs,” says Michele McKenzie, president and CEO of the CTC. “Online videos are a fresh, fun way to share some of Canada’s hottest travel spots and we’re thrilled to work with our partners at Tourism British Columbia and Coca-Cola to use this amazing opportunity of the Olympic Torch Relay to show off our country.”

Among the many excited, everyday Canadian torchbearers, Wheeler will capture in their moments of glory are international torchbearers from CTC’s global markets who are part of an international media program. These sports and media celebrities were chosen by VANOC, in collaboration with the CTC, to maximize international media coverage of the relay and spread the excitement and Olympic spirit around the world.

Watch for Wheeler’s reports still to come from: Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary, followed by daily video reports in British Columbia where the Flame returns for its final 22 days prior to the Opening Ceremony of the Games in Vancouver on February 12, 2010.

About the CTC
The CTC is Canada’s national tourism marketing organization. Our vision is inspiring the world to explore Canada. With our partners in the tourism industry and the governments of Canada, the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market Canada in 12 countries around the world, conduct industry research and studies, and promote product and industry development. For daily updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail.

Links
icoke.ca
cokenews.ca
HelloBC.com/2010torchrelay
YouTube.com/2010torch
YouTube.com/canadiantourism

For further information, please contact:

By Anusha Ondaatjie

Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) — Sri Lanka’s economy expanded at the fastest pace this year as the end of a civil war and five-year low interest rates spurred consumer and company spending. Stocks rose to a record.

Gross domestic product rose 4.2 percent in the three months ended Sept. 30 from a year earlier after gaining 2.1 percent in the previous quarter, the statistics department said in a statement in Colombo today.

The defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels in May this year after 26 years of war has encouraged some of the island’s biggest companies including John Keells Holdings Plc and Aitken Spence Plc to expand their business. The central bank has room to maintain rates at current levels because of low inflation, Governor Nivard Cabraal said last month.

more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=adZkkcK7kJFw

Media Release – 18 December 09

‘Tis the season and I’m feeling festive. In the spirit of giving, I wanted to come up with a promotion by giving away something that will be of value to my Ottawa based followers through my latest obsession, twitter.  How does a free storylinePR  traditional writing and distribution media package worth approximately $950 sound?

Ottawa tweeps who tweet…
“#tweetmas @storylinepr / connecting business to media http://tinyurl.com/yakzucn”
will automatically be entered for their chance to win.  The package includes consultation, (we’ll determine precisely how to pitch your story to reporters and editors so it will be noticed and work with you to plan, prepare and deliver an effective media pitch); a professionally written, high-standard traditional media release; distribution to a customized and targeted list of local reporters in print and broadcast media; complemented with follow-up and a media monitoring report (we’ll provide a detailed analysis of coverage). 
 
If you are not tweeting, I encourage you to visit twitter and join the conversation.  If you are already a user and currently not following @storylinepr, why not connect and share your own 140 character short story!

Annoying mouse type: To be eligible, you must be an Ottawa-based business and tweet the above tweet within quotations.  Only one original tweet per user, however, each re-tweet mentioning your twitter user name will count as an additional entry. Chances of winning depend on the number of entries.  Winner will be notified via direct message January 30th, 2010, so be sure you follow @storylinepr.  Winner will be announced on twitter after January 31st,  2010 as well as on “the story byline” blog.

Good luck and merry #tweetmas from storylinepr.ca!

On April 15 this year, the Tourism Minister launched a round of Tqual tourism grants in Canberra – even using Canberra tourism projects as case studies in his pitch.

But yesterday, the same Tourism Minister announced $8.2 million in funding – with not one cent coming to the ACT.

“What a joke,” remarked local Liberal Senator Gary Humphries.

“Amazingly, not one ACT tourism project qualified!

“No doubt, the government will claim, as it has when the ACT has missed out on other Rudd Government funding, that no ACT project was worthy of the funding.

“Given that the Minister used the ACT as the benchmark of what can be achieved through federal funding, such words will ring hollow.

“If Federal Labor were committed to real local solutions, they would ensure that the ACT does not miss out.

“There is a pattern of behaviour here. The ACT missed out on funding under the Jobs Fund and the School Science and Language Learning Centres grant rounds.

“Is the ACT really missing out because no projects here are good enough, or is it because there are no marginal House seats here for Labor to pork barrel?

“And once again, our local Labor members seem to be missing in action in delivering for the ACT,” Senator Humphries concluded.

16 December 2009

Writing Lessons : How to Write a Proper Press Release – Media Release – John Graden – Ken Appleby

eHow youtube channel posted this interesting video on how to write a media release – press release.

When writing a press release or media release, be sure to include the pertinent information, such as who, what, when, where and why. Write a proper press release with tips from an author in this free video on writing techniques.

Expert:
John Graden
Contact: www.Johngraden.com
Bio: John Graden is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author and pioneering entrepreneur.
Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz

johngraden (1) the idea girl says

john graden the imposter syndrome the idea girl says

KenAppleby youtube channel posted this video on How to publish a press release with free-press-release.com.

ken appleby - free press release for authors the idea girl says

ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries said today that he was proud and honoured to serve on Tony Abbott’s frontbench as the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families, Housing and Human Services and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship.

“I look forward to bringing experience in development of social policy on Senate committees as well as experience in the government of the ACT to my new roles,” Senator Humphries said today.

“As the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families, Housing & Human Services I will work to ensure that Australians who have been disadvantaged by Rudd Labor in these areas are well represented in the Parliament.

“And as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship I look forward to developing a greater sense of value for the unique privilege of Australian citizenship.

“I also feel very honoured to be the first Federal MP from the ACT ever to serve on the Coalition front bench. 

“I’m looking forward to holding the Government to account as a part of Tony’s team and to working with Kevin Andrews, Scott Morrison, Bronwyn Bishop and Mitch Fifield,” Senator Humphries concluded.

8 December 2009

The following is a Media Release Statement from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and ABC on ABC and Adam Lambert:

Update on Statement from GLAAD on ABC’s Decision to
Cancel Performances by Adam Lambert

Since his American Music Awards performance occurred GLAAD has consistently advocated that Adam Lambert and openly gay artists not be held to a double standard. As we have expressed publicly, it is disappointing that ABC will not give Lambert a chance to perform at this time. GLAAD’s discussions with ABC focused on confirming that his sexual orientation was not a factor in their decisions. ABC confirmed this is not about a same-sex kiss or his sexual orientation but about being “caught off guard.” GLAAD asked ABC and calls on them for clarification on “caught off guard” so that the community knows why Lambert is being denied the opportunity to perform on the network.

Statement from GLAAD and ABC on ABC’s Decision to
Cancel Performances by Adam Lambert

New York, NY, December 3, 2009 – After it was announced that ABC decided to cancel appearances by openly gay singer Adam Lambert on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Dick Clark’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,’ the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) spoke with ABC today regarding concerns that Adam Lambert was being held to a double standard.

After these discussions ABC issued the following statement to GLAAD:

“Given the live nature of the American Music Awards, Adam Lambert’s performance, which differed greatly from his rehearsal, caught many, including the network, off guard. This is not a question of Lambert’s sexual orientation. As is evidenced by GLAAD’s media report card, ABC is at the forefront of positive gay and lesbian portrayal on television. We welcome openly gay performers and look forward to continuing our great work within the LGBT community.”

“It would appear that the kiss between Adam Lambert and his keyboardist did not factor into ABC’s decision,” said Jarrett Barrios, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). “ABC has a history of positive gay and transgender inclusion that includes featuring kisses between gay and lesbian couples on-air.”

“We applaud the visibility of openly gay performers and congratulate Adam Lambert for sharing his story on the Ellen DeGeneres Show this week as well as his upcoming appearance on The Jay Leno Show,” Barrios said.

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.

Contact:

Richard Ferraro
Director of Public Relations
(646) 871-8011
ferraro@glaad.org

Sri Lanka’s popular hill country hotel, The Tea Factory, is being re-branded as a Heritance Hotel on 15 December. This is the natural outcome of the successful development of an abandoned tea factory building into an eco-friendly, world class hotel.

Recognizing that a hotel does not stand in isolation but is part of its social and ecological environment, the group wanted a name that conveyed its commitment to the local community as well as to the expectations of discerning guests. Thus: Heritance – a merging of heritage and inheritance. The embracing of inheritance in the name acknowledges an appreciation for the inherited locality and environment of every Heritance property. It signifies a responsibility to safeguard and enhance for the future all that is inherited. The essence of Heritance is expressed in the service excellence and the local flavour, warmth and involvement that are hallmarks of a Heritance Hotel. It conveys a sense of duty for sustaining the natural resources of the locality of each property.

The idea of turning the tea factory on a hilltop towering over Hethersett village into a hotel was that of Aitken Spence director G C Wickremsinghe. Since it opened in 1996 it has become one of the world’s most unusual places for a holiday where one can truly experience life as it were on a tea estate during the colonial era. This depicts the true essence of a Heritance property where guests are able to experience the locality and community that surrounds the hotel.

With its branding as a Heritance resort, The Tea Factory joins Heritance Kandalama, Heritance Ahungalla and Heritance Madurai as a hotel of choice for the contemporary, eco-savvy tourist. Already popular with visitors as Sri Lanka’s first theme hotel with its heritage of tea, the hotel’s refurbishment has added comfort while its new focus has resulted in rare refinement.

This shows even before guests reach the hotel and they are saluted by a stately uniformed barrier guard. Doormen in regal livery stand ready to help guests alight from their vehicles while uniformed stewards offer a welcome cup of hot spiced Hethersett tea. The lobby, with its reception desk created from cogwheels and its soaring atrium supported by solid green and red painted girders from the original factory, inspires awe.

Plump sofas and armchairs have replaced wicker furniture and there is ample room to lounge and gaze out through the original wooden casement windows to the tea gardens and hills beyond. Milestones around the lawn indicate the distance from various towns: 258km from Bentota, 230km from Anuradhapura, 180kms from the airport. At 2,072ms above sea level the mingling of mist and sun is as dramatic as the cool air is refreshing.

At the other side of the lobby, the Kenmare Restaurant features new menus, new accessories, and the sparkling, positive Heritance attitude by staff keen to oblige. Tea themed cuisine like “Smoked chicken salad with tea vinaigrette,” “Tea and coconut crusted mullet” and “Hethersett tea mousse in tulip with seasonal berries” are also on offer. The Hethersett bar has every kind of wine and spirits as well as especially created tea cocktails. Try “Planter’s Best” a wine glass of brandy and strong, spiced hot tea to warm up. Adjoining it the TCK CK6685 railway carriage fine dining saloon features a new seven course, fixed price menu with enough choices to satisfy the most demanding gourmand. A memorable High Tea is served in the tea lounge every afternoon with sandwiches and cakes and tea prepared individually for every guest from their own choice of leaf.

Every bedroom on the four floors of the former tea drying lofts has been refurbished to a warm and reassuring cosiness. The board floors have deep pile carpets; the furniture is wooden and practical; and the compact bathrooms have an added sliding glass door for the shower/bathtub. Each room has its own tea/coffee set up, together with boxes of leaf tea (no tea bags!) for a taste of the hotel’s own brand of tea. Even the bottled water comes from the hotel’s own spring where a certified water plant, disguised as a plantation bungalow, produces 4,600 bottles a day for all the Aitken Spence hotels.

While some hotels in Sri Lanka have upgraded to boutique properties offering guests every conceivable luxury, Heritance Hotels have gone further. At the Tea Factory addressing guests’ concern for conserving the environment was paramount in its renewal as a Heritance property.  For instance, hot water and central heating are provided by biomass from locally farmed gliricidia wood instead of from atmosphere-polluting, imported diesel. Waste and water management is based on sustainable recycling processes; vegetables are organically grown or sourced locally, generating income for the area. Through its Welfare Society, the hotel sponsors community development projects.

Guests can stroll on their own eco walks to explore the locality or join in organized trekking three times a day through the nearby Kudawatte jungle watching for birds and wild animals. The Heritance Tea Factory experience invites guests to take part in tea plucking and see the tea they have plucked being processed in the hotel’s Micro Tea Factory and have it presented to them in a packet the next morning.  Other activities include mountain biking; mini golf; cultural events with the village community; and being rejuvenated in the Six Senses Spa.

As The Heritance Tea Factory, the hotel is set to become more than an unusual place to stay, adding a satisfying experience of Sri Lanka’s heritage to the perfect holiday.

Media Release -  03 December 2009

Residents and visitors to Canberra who have noticed long grass, poorly maintained infrastructure and peeling paint are not imagining things – a cut to the National Capital Authority’s budget of $9.5 million is to blame.

ACT Senator Gary Humphries examined the NCA at a public hearing in Canberra today to discover that the Authority with responsibility for maintenance of the Parliamentary Triangle and other areas of national land has had its general maintenance budget halved through decisions of the Federal Labor Government.

The NCA’s original budget for maintaining the quality of national spaces has been cut from $12 million to $6 million per year, and a budget for maintenance of road curtilages recently transferred to NCA responsibility has been cut by $3.5 million.

“The NCA has admitted that this is making the upkeep of the iconic areas around the Parliamentary Triangle much more difficult,” Senator Humphries said.

“Describing the cut as a ‘marked decrease’ in the NCA’s budget, NCA Chief Executive Gary Rake told the committee how grass cutting had now been reduced to save money.

“In non-irrigated areas, this can mean cutting the grass as infrequently as once every six weeks.

“Given the rain Canberra experienced recently, this is a recipe for unkempt public areas.

“The public – and particularly our visitors – would expect the national capital to be better maintained than this.

“I have had many complaints about how run down parts of Canberra now look, and it’s no wonder.

“I will be pushing for real local solutions to problems like this by asking the Federal and ACT Labor Governments to make the quality of our urban environment a higher priority and put money back into maintenance of these spaces,” Senator Humphries concluded.

3 December 2009

My very deep feeling that we need urgent action on climate change is on the public record. In particular I have previously indicated my support for the Government’s CPRS legislation (as amended) as a means of addressing Australia’s responsibilities to act on climate change.

In light of this, I note with regret today’s decision of the Coalition Joint Party Room to now oppose the CPRS legislation.

I was pleased today however to hear the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, say the Coalition will support the adoption of a clear policy on climate change action and that that policy should reflect the target of a 5% reduction in Australia’s emissions by 2020.

I have written to our new leader asking him to support these statements with a number of specific commitments with respect to the development of a new Coalition policy on climate change action. After meeting with him this evening I am pleased to indicate that he has agreed to use his best endeavours to honour these specific commitments.

In light of this agreement, I have indicated to Mr Abbott that I will support the new Coalition policy and vote against the CPRS bills when they are put to the Senate.

I put on record my appreciation for the willingness of the new Leader of the Opposition to accommodate the concerns of his Senate colleagues.

1 December 2009

Statement from Mr. J M S Brito, Deputy Chairman/Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC in support of the UN Seal the Deal! campaign calling for a fair, balanced and effective post-Kyoto climate agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 15) to be held from 7-18 December 2009 in Copenhagen.

“It is clear that effective action on Climate Change is a global priority to which all responsible entities should be committed to. We have commenced a corporate sustainability strategy which takes a 360° approach on sustainability across various industries in which we operate. As an integral component of this strategy all strategic business units under Aitken Spence have established environmental management systems to manage the environmental impacts of our operations. We encourage action on the Millennium Development Goals and uphold the principles of the United Nations Global Compact. A viable and equitable agreement at Copenhagen is not only a necessity it is also an obligation to the future generations.”

J.M.S. Brito
Deputy Chairman/ Managing Director
Aitken Spence PLC

Here’s a quiz I use with clients to help them decide if a press release will get the media coverage they want.

If the answer to four or more of the questions below is yes,  write a press release because the media will probably be interested in your story.

1. Is it newsworthy?
2. Will people care about this?
3. Is it useful?
4. Is it informative?
5. Is it interesting?
6. Is it timely?
7. Is it unique?
8. Is it unusual?
9. Does it set you apart from everyone else?

Is there anything else you think should be added to this list?

MALE – Adaaran Prestige Resorts celebrated winning the international travel industry’s Oscar as the “Indian Ocean’s Leading Water Villa Group” at a special ceremony held at the Adaaran Prestige Vadoo resort on 21 November 2009.

The event was attended by the Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad and by representatives of the Maldives tourist industry, as well as by local and international tour operators and travel agents.

CEO of Adaaran Resorts, Mr Chethiya Perera handing over the award for Indian Ocean’s Leading Water Villa Group to Chairman of Aitken Spence PLC Mr D H S Jayawardena.

The award was presented to Adaaran Prestige Resorts at the World Travel Awards ceremony held in London on 7 November, 2009 during the 2009 World Travel Market. As well as being acclaimed as “The Indian Ocean’s Leading Water Villa Group” the Adaaran Prestige Water Villas at Meedhupparu won an award (for the second consecutive year) as “The Maldives Leading Water Villas.” Congratulating Adaaran on winning the awards, Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad commented on the benefits to the Maldives of the investment by Aitken Spence in tourism in the country. “The Maldivian brand is unique,” he said. “I extend my heartiest congratulations to Adaaran for helping to equip Maldivians with the skills to make it a world class product.”

The Chairman of Aitken Spence PLC, the Sri Lankan business group behind Adaaran Resorts, Mr. D H S Jayawardena, calling the occasion ‘a glorious event’ said: “Maldivians are very enthusiastic and proud and with hard work and discipline we can go from strength to strength to make Maldives among the best tourist destinations in the world.” Chethiya Perera, the CEO of Adaaran Resorts, stated that he believed the winning of the two awards was because of the encouragement given by the management of the company and the commitment and dedication of the staff.

“We at Adaaran are thankful to the Government of Maldives for its untiring efforts in marketing Maldives as a prime destination, and for the encouragement and support given to us by our partner tour operators and travel agents. We are proud of this regional accolade won by a Sri Lankan owned company with a Maldivian brand. Our new aim is to win an award in the global arena – as we now qualify to compete for it.”

Adaaran Resorts operates over 600 rooms in the Maldives in four islands including three properties with water villas: Adaaran Prestige Water Villas, Meedhupparu; Adaaran Prestige Ocean Villas, Hudhuranfushi; and Adaaran Prestige Vadoo. Other Adaaran properties are Adaaran Ayurveda Village; Adaaran Select Meedhupparu; Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi and Adaaran Club Rannalhi.

Media Release – 24 November 2009

Dr. Mobius (far right) poses for a photo as they enter Heritance Ahungalla

Investment Guru Mark Mobius Spends Weekend at Heritance Ahungalla

Dr. Mark Mobius, Managing Director and Mr. Dennis Lim, Senior Executive Vice President Templeton Asset Management Ltd. being welcomed at the Heritance Ahungalla.  The welcome dance “The Salu Paliya” belongs to the low country form of dance famous throughout the south coast of Sri Lanka. Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading fund managers, Dr. Mobius and his team from Templeton Investments spent last the last two days of their stay in Sri Lanka at Heritance Ahungalla.

Media Release – 23 November 2009

Today’s apology to the forgotten Australians will provide a chance for as many as 500,000 Australians to feel included in a society many believed had rejected them, according to Liberal Senator Gary Humphries.

Senator Humphries is a vocal proponent of the apology, has sat on several Senate Community Affairs Committee inquiries into the issue and has served on the advisory group to the Government on the apology.

“Today is a very big day in our nation’s history.  Today we recognise that many Australians experienced institutional or out-of-home care last century, and many of these experienced neglect, abuse and mistreatment.

“These young Australians suffered fundamental injustices that deserve to be acknowledged, and today’s apology will assist many people to move on with their lives.

“Putting a child in an institution is – to a child’s mind – like putting them in prison.  Understandably many children in such places thought they were being punished.

“An apology is important to repudiate this concept.  However, it is important that this is a first step – there is a lot of work still to be done, particularly at a state level with respect to compensation.

“As a member of the Senate Community Affairs Committee which explored the plight of the Forgotten Australians, I heard heart-wrenching stories of so many who suffered, some people who had not shared their stories prior to these inquiries.

“I am very pleased with the Australian Government’s apology today, and I will continue, in conjunction with those affected, to work with all sides of politics towards recognition and restitution for those affected by this very dark chapter in Australia’s past,” Senator Humphries concluded.

16 November 2009

Liberal Senator Gary Humphries has called for the end of cuts to mental health budgets, saying that such cuts exploit the discomfort many feel in talking about mental illness in our community.

Senator Humphries, who was Deputy Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Mental Health which reported in 2006, was addressing the AGM of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia in Canberra last night.

“It is scandalous that mental health funding in Australia has been cut by nearly $350 million over the last 2 years – with barely a whimper,” said Senator Humphries.

“The ‘discomfort factor’ with mental illness means it is harder for politicians or advocates to attract favourable attention to this issue.

“The result is that mental health funding becomes the poor cousin of public policy, with not enough friends in high places to win the support – and the funding – that it needs.

“The cuts of the last two years are deeply concerning. Their repercussions will be felt for a long time as those with mental illnesses fail to have early signs of their problems properly dealt with.

“Reports that Defence proposes to cut 74 positions out of the agency dedicated to offering counselling and support to our troops is an indication of how short sighted such cuts can be.

“Mental health needs grunt!

“The grunt to make politicians and public servants go weak-kneed when they hear talk about cuts to services.

“That grunt will only come from a strong partnership between advocates and politicians to the effect that, though not sexy, mental health is needy and should never face funding cuts.

“Some of the Rudd Government’s cuts have been justified as necessary because of workforce shortages. If that is the case, the funds should be diverted to another area of mental health where the need is just as great but the same excuse isn’t available,” Senator Humphries concluded.

13 November 2009

The release of the jobs force figures today brings more bad news for the youth of Canberra.

ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries has slammed the 2 Labor governments involved, saying the issue had “slipped below their radars”.

The youth unemployment rate for the ACT has risen another 1.9% over the last month to 16.4%, meaning a 10.7% increase in youth unemployment since the election of Federal Labor in 2007.

“I am focused on real, local solutions and the Government needs to do the same.

“We have gone backwards when it comes to youth jobs and that is totally unacceptable.

“The fact that the ACT missed out entirely on grants under the last Jobs Fund round demonstrates that Labor have lost sight of the plight of young jobless in Canberra.

“The Government is sitting back and watching an entire generation become disengaged from the workforce, and the wider community, because their policies are not geared towards jobs for tomorrow’s leaders.

“Labor have fallen asleep at the wheel.  It’s time to wake up and start delivering for every single Canberran.

“Labor have once again failed to deliver real local solutions,” Senator Humphries concluded.

12 November 2009