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North America accounted for 38% of global Blu-ray player shipments in 2010, according to new data from In-Stat.

Shipment of Blu-ray Disc players is set to replace DVD players during the next five years, reaching 105 million units shipped by 2015, according to new research by In-Stat.

The Sony lineup will have 37 models to choose from, including 32 web-enabled TVs and 23 with 3D features.

In an economy that continues to struggle, it is critical to hold onto clients and keep them happy because new ones can be difficult to nail down.  Contract renegotiation time can often be dicey but following a few key steps can result in a positive outcome for both parties involved.

Monday, March 11, launched March Madness, which is often associated with the beginning of a month with lost productivity.  As employees begin filling out their brackets and comparing stats, the unproductive work hours may begin.  However, Don Forsyth, a professor of ethical leadership at the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies, said, “"It can draw people together, which is a positive thing. You're able to use those moments for interpersonal relationships".  An engaged employee can increase earnings per share by 28% and an overall higher engaged company can expect a 13% lower turnover rate than a less engaged company.  Actively engaging employees in activities outside of the normal work flow can be a positive for everyone within the company.  So this March, embrace the madness and start an office pool and engage your employees.

The importance of employee engagement as it relates to safety is addressed in a brief article titled “Turn Apathy into Engagement” in the February 2011 issue of Industrial Safety & Hygiene News.  The article succinctly calls out several of the connection points.  I have pasted the best paragraph in the article below with the link to the full article below that.

Logo decorated products are not only a great way to increase brand recognition, which aid in building customer awareness, but also develop better public relations among consumers, businesses, volunteers, benefactors, employees, communities, and the like.  Corporate branded items are used for developing business contacts or thanking existing customers for their patronage. The idea behind giving people an imprinted gift could be to strengthen brand loyalty or motivate the employees to help the company achieve its goals.

Apparel remains the single largest category in the promotional products industry - over 25% of total merchandise purchased.  Four of the top ten items listed in the State of the Industry report this year are wearables. 

I just returned back from the National Safety Congress (NSC) event which took place in Orlando, FL. Once again we met with safety, health and environmental professionals anxiously searching for new ways to engage their workforces in order to create a safety culture. During the show, All Star was honored by Occupational Health & Safety Magazine as a winner of their 2009 New Product of the Year (NPOY) Award. The NPOY Award recognizes the outstanding product development achievements of health and safety manufacturers who assist in the improvement of workplace safety. Amongst 40 entries All Star’s PROPEL for Safety™, proprietary web-based safety incentive solution, was chosen as the most noteworthy contribution in the incentive category. There was a common theme throughout our discussions with attendees who sought to draw more attention to their safety programs. Traditional safety program elements tend to be very bland and flat. It is imperative that safety professionals draw attention to their safety programs and initiatives so that the message resonates. Branding an safety program with ongoing communications and recognizing the proactive safe behaviors of its workforce will make the safety program a greater success.

Just coming back from the 2009 Special Market Dialogue Conference. One main concern discussed for 4th quarter and into 2010 for both the promotional and premium suppliers is the fact that the majority of manufacturers are going to be moving to even more of a real-time inventory stance. Forecasting is going to be key for 2010. Nearly gone are the days of calling a manufacturing and finding 200+ units plus on the shelf.

Here we go again, time to debate the pros and cons of expanded gaming in Massachusetts. Proponents and opponents will meet in the Beacon Hill Gardiner Auditorium in Boston this afternoon, just as they did on March 18th, 2008, to debate this issue. I was in the packed audience for the 2008 debate. There were many good and thoughtful arguments made on both sides of the debate, but it was all for not as the fix was in; Speaker Sal Dimassi had wrangled the votes to see that the proposed article died in committee, having never seen the light of day for a vote. Fast forward 18 months, 540+ days of brutal economic news and local cuts, and now the polls are falling all over themselves to get something passed. In all likelihood, we'll see a bill that will allow slot machines at our existing racing venues, or full blown casinos on a federally recognized Mashpee Wampanoag tract of land, or perhaps even another location, such as Palmer or Milford, that would welcome the Mohegan Suns and Penn Gamings of the casino world with open arms. The only problem is that the can't miss gaming ship may have already sailed. Just building a resort casino is no guarantee of it's success nowadays. Virtually every gaming entity in the Northeast, sans Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, is significantly down year over year since 2007. And while a casino license could have been expected to fetch as much as 500 million dollars up front a few years back, now municipalities will settle for local infrastructure improvements, and hopefully a nice piece of the taxes that will be imposed on the entity.