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The hierarchy of power in the Maximum Universe is about to change, and, naturally, everybody is mad about it. As the tumultuous production of Tecto: Eye Of The Storm continues, its prospects become more dubious. If opportunities to disrupt an already rocky shoot keep popping up like so many unnecessary superhero cameos, then Tecto is primed to become Maximum Studios’ very own version of The Flash.
Of course, considering the well-documented shortsightedness of real-life superhero tentpoles, it’s likely that The Franchise has an episode in the pipeline lampooning the sweaty need for last-minute reshoots and flashy cameos. This week, however, focuses on a different hot-button issue, one responsible for much of the criticisms that have been lobbed at Marvel Studios over the years: the clumsy (re: sexist) handling of female characters. In “Scene 54: The Lilac Ghost,” directed by Liza Johnson and written by Rachel Axler, the production of Tecto comes to yet another screeching halt courtesy of the latest edict from the studios’ top brass, who feel compelled to address its lack of powerful women on the macho set of Tecto. This week, Maximum tackles feminism, and the results are predictably grim.
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Our road to box-office calamity begins with a 4 a.m. pick-up with Quinn (Katherine Waterston), who co-stars in Tecto as the Lilac Ghost, a cosmic being who, as comic lore has it, doesn’t boast any superpowers of note. Quinn’s last day onset is already emotional—not for any positive reasons, but due to an anxious desire to exit Tecto as soon as possible. And who’s there to make her final makeup session even more awkward than Dag (Lolly Adefope), who cheerfully notes that the last time she watched one of Quinn’s films was on her phone. Also, it was an illegal streaming situation. She feels really bad about it (oh, Dag).
While Daniel, Tecto’s visibly exhausted 1st AD (Hamish Patel), preps Quinn for her final day, we spot Anita (Aya Cash) sprinting to a 5 a.m. meet-up with Maximum producer/slab of prime chuck Pat (Darren Goldstein). This is supposed to be a quick chat over a shitty cup of studio coffee, but Anita, ever the arbiter of taste, dumps it, asking how anyone could drink the crap. Not missing a beat, The Franchise has Pat chug the joe down happily, stating quite plainly that he, in fact, literally has no taste (as in, tastebuds). “I know what they say: ‘Pat the Philistine has no taste!’ Yeah, guess what? I don’t! Jokes on you, pal!” As fumbling metaphors about art versus commerce go, The Franchise has done better.
So what brings Anita, Pat, and, to a degree, Bryson (Isaac Powell) together this fine, frantic morning? An old critique has resurfaced online due to last week‘s scrapping of The Sisters Squad: Maximum has a problem with “girl characters.” The studio’s original plan, reactionary and unimaginative in its design and doomed to fail, was appropriately simple: silo all their female characters into one movie, thus silencing social-media debate amongst the fans and simultaneously empowering the women—two birds, one bazooka. No Sisters Squad means online fan blogs (referred to disparagingly as “the culture”) are saying Maximum isn’t feminist, an accusation they’re desperate to counter. (Sidebar: There’s something obnoxiously Boys-ian about Maximum’s title choices, stretching The Franchise’s satire further into full-on lampoon, which is all good fun until you notice how abrasively this Cracked ridiculousness clashes with the series’ flirtations with drama.)
It’s no surprise that The Franchise handles the treatment of women in the superhero industry with brick-fist subtlety. It’s an obvious dig at the bad old days of Ike Perlmutter’s reign at Marvel, where plans to produce female-centric films like Captain Marvel were dismissed out of hand, and Black Widow was given second-fiddle status despite her founding Avenger status. When Pat closes out this odious morning meet by calling Anita “sugar tits”—a joke he feels he can make, considering he “would never actually say that”—you begin to get a clearer picture of how much of a clusterfuck the rest of Day 51 (of 117) will be.
One of The Franchise’s more darkly amusing aspects is how it finds galling new ways to dig a deeper hole for Tecto on a scene-to-scene basis. Following Anita’s demoralizing meeting, the first thing we see is director par excellence Eric (Daniel Brühl) selecting a single extra from a row of brunettes in black leotards to play the “dead wife” of the film’s hero. Of course, none of them will do and are dismissed accordingly. “Rest in peace,” Dag says to the group as they shuffle back to obscurity. Brutal.
I’m struggling to figure out if Dag’s attitude is a put-on or if she actually gives a rip about art. Her mindset concerning this superhero picture suggests she feels it’s beneath her, so why has Dag jumped onto this sinking ship? Will it be good for her career? (Is Tetco going to be good for anybody’s career?) One minute, she’s copping to streaming movies from torrent sites, and the next, she’s calling Quinn “one of the great actors of her generation” and lamenting that Tecto has her dressed up like “a Mormon in space.” I keep going back to that “Blood on our hands” line from last week. Is Dag’s character meant to point out the pathetic vibes coming off this diminishing movie genre, criticize it as lesser art destroying the cinematic medium, or simply contribute to a caustic workplace like everyone else? All three?
At least Dag’s snark is pertinent this week. As Anita soon illustrates to Eric, the Lilac Ghost has no discernible human qualities to remark upon other than the usual boilerplate pap: She’s described as “strong, independent,” and (my favorite) a “female ghost.” She has no powers to make her stand out among this sausage fest, but, as script supervisor Steph (Jessica Hynes) helpfully reminds everyone, she is clumsy. Well, now!
Lilac Ghost’s shortcomings as a character have precedent, as Daniel is quick to stress. In the comics, she lost her powers in a “soul-swap with Immortus” (probably not that one), which, technically, bestows some gravitas on the character and will likely be a plot beat fans will expect to see. Not to be a nerd about it or anything, Daniel says, but that’s her comic-accurate arc. (“I’ll tell you who had an ‘arc,’” Dag chimes in. “Joan.”) Maximum doesn’t have time for such trivialities. They need the Lilac Ghost to be a badass by tomorrow.
So what’s it to be? New powers for a ghost character who, canonically, has none? Surely, the Culture will excuse some creative license if it means female empowerment, right? After all, is comic lore sacrosanct? On that last point, Dag feels that it’s not, but it’s interesting to see Daniel grapple with the issue. Something is lurking under those glassy, underslept eyes. Future episodes will tell.
But we must now pivot to Adam’s (Billy Magnussen) trailer, where unfair body expectations rear their wooly behinds in the form of livestock supplements. Adam is showing the usual side effects of hormone abuse—paranoia and anxiety being his chief characteristics this week—and also a suggestively anthropomorphic one: Amid the swath of severe backne across his sculpted shoulders is a hair that either is or is not wool. Is Adam turning into a sheep? No. (I don’t think The Franchise is that kind of show—at least not yet.) But is Maximum’s blind eye to performance-enhancing drugs allowing the star of Tecto to descend into a frothing mess of self-hatred and insomnia? Clearly!
Let’s return to the Lilac Ghost Dilemma. Eric’s nervous solution to Tetco’s “woman problem” is giving Lilac the powers of a man. Steph suggests she be able to talk to a horse. Taking from the comics (Comic Book Accuracy being a sticking point in this conversation), there’s an issue where Lilac learns a new language by kissing people on the mouth. No good. Dag has a suggestion: arm Quinn with “The Stick Of Maximum Potency,” a weapon of cosmic power that is the property of Professor Poton in the comics. A large stick with a name that may as well be “throbbing member,” put the hands of a woman? Is nothing sacred?
As the producer tasked with mitigating this looming PR disaster, Anita has to field Daniel’s concerns about the Lilac Ghost situation. But look at her eyes during their testy backroom row: She’d already checked out well before she admitted as much to Daniel. “I just need to land this plane, cash my check, and jetpack out of here. Boutique development house. Actual movies. Not this franchise bullshit.” Daniel takes this confession about as well as you’d think; his impassioned bid for comic accuracy suggests there’s still a fan somewhere deep inside his quiet place (probably on life support, but still) who lets him secretly love what he does while hating the mockery it’s become.
Anita’s attempt to imbue the Lilac Ghost with more female empowerment has somewhat deflated the star. Here’s another example of The Franchise’s deploying its impeccable casting to great effect. Waterston’s delivery of the line “I am mortified” after hearing Maximum’s plans to badass-ify the Lilac Ghost is appropriately sad and frustrating to watch. Her expression, a mask of doom and despair, cuts through the day’s comic chaos and pathetic grasps at political correctness to reach a sentiment that sums up The Franchise at its best: Something this rudderless needs to fail. In an earlier scene, we see Quinn leaning back in a chair so her steady stream of tears won’t ruin her superhero makeup. Waterston sells the bit, and for a fleeting moment, The Franchise strikes the nimble funny-and-bleak balance it thinks it’s pulling off 100-percent of the time.
Stray observations
• It is possible to sustain whiplash watching The Franchise work out its approach to sexism in the workplace.
• Aha! Skullsteppers: Skullcap Of Destiny. That was driving me crazy. Two more Maximum posters just out of view: Thunderon: Sound Of Rumble and Crimson Splash: Red Sea Vengeance: A New Cycle. (Note that the Crimson Splash poster is behind Anita as all these menstruation jokes go flying around. Subtle!)
• “The Lilac Ghost” could be a deeply embedded reference to DC’s Black Orchid character. For the sake of my sanity, I choose to believe at least one person working on The Franchise has actually read a comic book.
• “I may have done a sexism once, in a beer commercial, but I’ve always wanted to do a feminism!”
• I want all of Eric’s sweaters. You probably didn’t need to know that, but it’s true. Where does he get those?
• “On behalf of little girls everywhere,” Bryson says to Anita, “thank you.” Is Bryson a secret agent of chaos here to dismantle the Maximum superhero-industrial complex from the inside?
• One unintended result of Adam’s insecurities is an onset miscommunication between the Tecto star and his director. In The Franchise’s most labored joke yet, Adam believes Eric said “herd” instead of “heard,” which triggers thoughts of sheep in Adam’s sleep-deprived brain.
• Before we wrap up, we must touch on “the yawn.” Seven years after Anita’s joke concerning a sleepy Daniel during their mumblecore production of The Nevertheless-ness, Dan still can’t live it down. Anita made a producer laugh, which, Daniel feels, secured her promotion, while Dan fought off jokes about his perceived laziness.
• So what’s on your mind, group? Is comic accuracy important? How do you feel The Franchise is doing in terms of tone? Is Lilac Ghost Dilemma a halfway decent band name, and if so, what genre are we talking about here?
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Anti-censorship advocates have joined book publisher Penguin Random House in condemning a Texas county that reclassified an account of European settlers’ colonization of Indigenous Americans as fiction.The furor in Montgomery county – near Houston – follows the decision by a citizens review panel, at the behest of rightwing activists, to place Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs in the fiction section of children’s libraries.The book aims to present young readers with a historic look from the perspective of Native people of the colonization of New England, according to PEN America, the nonprofit advocacy group for free expression in literature.It was published in September 2023 as one of five titles in Penguin Random House’s Race to the Truth series of similarly themed stories intended for middle grades. Other books include Slavery and the African American Story by Patricia Williams Dockery and This Land by Ashley Fairbanks.“To claim this book is fiction dismisses our perspective and history,” said a statement from Debbie Reese, founder of American Indians in Children’s Literature.“Books like Colonization and the Wampanoag Story are important to Native kids because they affirm our existence as Native people in the present day. But they’re also for non-Native kids, because those kids are being shaped by the information in books. This country is better off if we all know history in a more informed way.”The Houston Public Library, Austin Public Library, Fort Worth Public Library and the Library of Congress all recognize it as a work of nonfiction, according to the San Antonio Current newspaper.The decision to reclassify the book was made without the input of any librarian, the Current reported. It sparked outrage when the citizens review panel approved the reclassification after a challenge in September by a resident of the east Texas county.Montgomery officials, following a national trend, bowed to pressure from conservatives to set up a mechanism to ban books certain members of the public found objectionable. According to the Texas Freedom to Read Project, the committee was originally intended to be empowered to assess books considered to be “sexually explicit”, but it has extended its purview.The project, after filing a public information request to learn which books had been challenged, launched a petition that has so far amassed more than 34,000 signatures demanding commissioners reinstate the book “to its rightful home in the juvenile nonfiction collection of the Montgomery county memorial public library”.“As Texas parents, we object to the actions taken by the citizens review committee to reclassify a nonfiction book to fiction,” Anne Russey, the group’s co-founder, said.“If this decision is allowed to stand, what will stop the elected officials, or their politically appointed surrogates, from reclassifying other nonfiction books that contain perspectives, facts, or ideas they don’t like or disagree with?”The Montgomery commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.According to PEN America, Texas is second in the nation in book banning, with 1,567 titles removed between July 2021 and December 2023. Only Florida, with 5,107, has banned more.A member of the Texas Indigenous Council, Antonio Diaz, told the Current that the state had a long history of “whitewashing” Indigenous history.“While it’s upsetting that any government entity would allow individuals to exercise such a bigoted, biased policy, it’s not a surprise in Texas,” he said. “Racism abounds.”
From the outside, the former Navy aircraft maintenance building isn’t much to look at — a drab relic of the 1940s when Brunswick Naval Air Station opened at a former municipal airfield.
More than a decade after the base was decommissioned in 2011, the Cold War vibe lingers inside long gray corridors that evoke military bureaucracy, a business suite furnished with a Navy-leftover brown leather sofa and chairs, and a windowless chamber once dubbed the “spooky room.”
Based on Maine’s southern midcoast, TechPlace is an incubator for early-stage manufacturing and technology startups. A world apart from Northeastern University’s modern Roux Institute in Portland, TechPlace is an equally important hub for entrepreneurs.
Adjacent to the Brunswick Landing business park, TechPlace is a maze of rented and shared offices, manufacturing workspaces, laboratories and storage areas used by dozens of early-stage manufacturers in sectors from aviation and aerospace to advanced materials and composites.
Photo / Jim Neuger
Jaimie Logan, director of TechPlace in Brunswick, in the composites layup facility. The blue vacuum hose is used to remove pollutants.
“You come into a former Navy facility. Then you open a door and there’s crazy innovation going on,” Jaimie Logan says during a three-hour tour of the 95,000-square-foot facility.
As director of TechPlace since 2022, the former maritime attorney and state official with Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development is the self-proclaimed “den mother” of this unassuming innovation hub with an outsized impact.
“It’s not just a feeder for Brunswick,” she says as she dashes in and out of offices. “It’s a statewide asset.”
That asset has a big fan base among startup mentors across Maine.
“I often describe it as a launchpad for companies moving from concept to production,” says Susan Ruhlin, executive director of Dirigo Labs in Waterville.
Along similar lines, Eaton Peabody business consultant and Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman says, “For a startup that’s got a prototype to test out and scale up, TechPlace is like a dream. All the tools, technology and people are right there. You can feel the energy.”
Longtime tenants include Greisen Aerospace LLC, whose President Daniel Greisen rented a desk shortly after TechPlace opened.
“It was pretty dead at the beginning, but it slowly grew and got more and more companies,” says Greisen, whose company now occupies more than 2,500 square feet and does contract work for the U.S. Defense Department.
Photo / Jim Neuger
Daniel Greisen, president of Greisen Aerospace, in the welding booth in TechPlace in Brunswick.
As much as Greisen would love to stay put at TechPlace, he’s braced for the inevitability of moving as his company grows – even if that means giving up a shared paint booth and useful collaborations.
“On the manufacturing side,” he says, “we all help each other out.”
The same goes for VarneyCNC, a composites manufacturer whose projects include building a polyurethane foam swim platform for a powerboat.
“We’re a good example of how much stuff you can pack into 3,000 square feet,” says Nathan Varney, the company’s president. At TechPlace, “we all speak the same language.”
An incubator is born
The idea behind TechPlace was part of the original redevelopment plan for Brunswick Landing, according to Steve Levesque, the first executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority until his retirement in late 2021.
“We had a lot of very big buildings on the campus, but we didn’t have anything that could accommodate a small business,” he recalls. Upon seeing the former aircraft maintenance building at 74 Orion St., “I said, ‘This would be a great small business incubator,’ because it’s already broken up into a lot of small spaces and small shops.”
With funding from a combination of sources, TechPlace opened in 2015. It’s owned and operated by the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which also owns and operates the public portions of the adjacent Brunswick Landing.
Photo / Jim Neuger
Nathan Varney, president of VarneyCNC, stands at the control panel for a five-axis CNC router in the company’s production facility in TechPlace in Brunswick.
As Brunswick Executive Airport deals with the aftermath of August’s accidental spill of toxic firefighting foam, and the MRRA seeks a successor to Kristine Logan who recently resigned as executive director, it’s business as usual for TechPlace’s 38 members. Together they employ 111 people.
Bubbling bioreactors
Inside the PhytoSmart lab, the sound of liquid bubbling inside sterile bioreactors behind a protective tent evokes a micro-brewery, minus the hoppy aroma.
But this isn’t beer being brewed, it’s micro-algae being processed into phytonutrients by operations director Patrick Cregten for use in superfoods for dogs and cats.
“We can find it [micro-algae] in any ocean in the world that I keep alive in the lab,” says Cregten, a marine biologist and aquaculturist from New Zealand.
Under a patented process, Cregten uses the bioreactors to spin the water out of the algae to turn it into powder. The powder is then dried to create Omega-3 essential fatty acids to keep pets healthy.
“There’s no other source I know of Omega-3 that is not either fish or ultra-processed,” explains Cregten, happy for some visitors on a day he’s working on his own.
“I don’t think we’d be able to exist anywhere else,” he says. “The capital costs in doing what we’re doing are outrageous, so to have a place that has almost all of what you need is fantastic.”
His take on TechPlace after working there for five years: “This is a wild mix of production and laboratory spaces that I don’t think you’d find in many places.”
Equally keen on the co-working setup, Cregten says, “It’s a community for sure — we all gossip around the water cooler.”
Biomedical innovator
Salmonics LLC is another life sciences startup with roots in TechPlace. The company, founded in 2020, turns fish-derived plasma proteins that would otherwise be discarded as waste into biomedical products for research and diagnostic purposes.
The company, whose investors include Norway’s Lerøy Seafood Group, is currently marketing seven products with another in development and working on a product for veterinary surgical use, to stop bleeding, reduce inflammation and provide pain relief.
In the early days of the pandemic, Cem Giray launched Salmonics in a space previously used by the Navy to paint finished airplane parts. Despite investing heavily to adapt the space, Giray says the reasonable rent was a big plus for a new business with limited financial resources.
“It was the perfect setup in terms of support, infrastructure and networking and other support,” he says. “It works really well for a startup.”
Today with a team of six employees and eight contractors, Salmonics rents around 2,400 square feet of laboratory, manufacturing and storage space at TechPlace, frequently collaborating with other members.
Harbor Digital, for example, supplies Salmonics’ information technology system, while Greisen Aerospace has been using its engineering and 3D-printing capabilities to develop a blood-collection apparatus for Salmonics.
“Even companies outside of TechPlace have provided some support as well,” Giray says. “It’s really nice to have that Brunswick Landing network.”
Photo / Jim Neuger
Cem Giray, CEO and president of Salmonics LLC, in the company’s lab in TechPlace in Brunswick.
About about a third of the way toward a $2 million fundraising goal, Salmonics plans to stay put at TechPlace for the foreseeable future.
“We can produce 20, maybe 25, times what we produce currently within the same footprint,” Giray says. “We can certainly add on people and more production.”
Alumni in the neighborhood
STARC Systems, a maker of clean modular barriers used during renovations, was TechPlace’s first industrial tenant, occupying around 4,500 square feet in the machine shop area. Previously, it was based in a 2,500-square-foot space about 75 miles up the coast in Cushing.
“We quickly outgrew that and needed room to build our product,” says Bruce Bickford, the first employee hired by the company’s founder, Tim Hebert, in early 2014.
TechPlace “was our first opportunity to have a large space to ourselves,” he recalls. “There was no commercial real estate of that size that had enough room and an overhead door at a reasonable price. It was a tremendous opportunity to help us get launched.”
After leaving TechPlace in September 2017, the company went to Brunswick Landing, where it has continued to grow. Today on the Landing, its 103 employees spread across three locations.
The company, led by President and CEO Chris Vickers, is majority-owned by North Branch Capital, a private equity firm based in Oak Brook, Ill., via a buyout in September 2023. At the time, there was also significant reinvestment by Hebert, who was recognized as a Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year in 2020.
North Branch bought a stake from Richmond, Va.-based Blue Heron Capital, which invested $3.5 million in STARC Systems in 2017.
STARC Systems will continue its next chapter in a new 85,000-square-foot manufacturing and administrative facility near Hangar 6 at Brunswick Landing. STARC Systems will lease the facility from Priority Real Estate Group, of Topsham.
Currently in final permitting, the project will break ground this fall, according to Bickford, who says the company is keen to keep its employee base in Brunswick.
“Going somewhere else is disruptive,” he says. “We enjoy the amenities of the Landing, and some flexibility in terms of how we can occupy new spaces.”
Similar to STARC, bluShift Aerospace is another TechPlace graduate now based at Brunswick Landing, where the company occupies around 12,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space along with a rocket-launch test site. The 12-employee company plans to keep hiring.
“Brunswick is a great place for us to attract talent, and our plans are to keep that as our R&D and headquarters location,” says Sascha Deri, bluShift’s founder and CEO. Decades ago when he was in high school, he used to drive past the Brunswick Naval Air Base when it was was off limits to the public and glimpse planes flying overhead.
While TechPlace had not yet opened when he founded bluShift in Massachusetts in 2014, the attractive location and funding from Maine Technology Institute “made it very easy to jump to Maine” in 2016, he says.
His first impression of TechPlace: “Awe and excitement, starting aerospace here among tech entrepreneurs in a place of such rich aviation heritage,” he says.
Charting a new course
Today, there isn’t much room for companies that outgrow TechPlace but want to stay in the neighborhood. That’s because Brunswick Landing is about 97% full, according to Jake Levesque, MRRA’s director of innovation and development since August 2023.
With plenty of options elsewhere on the site, the agency aims to create a second startup hub, for companies that are beginning to scale up.
“We’re in the process of discussing options with developers to create a TechPlace 2.0 or TechPlace Grad School,” Levesque explains.
Location options include 11 lots currently for sale of varying sizes. Though pretty scattered, five are grouped together near Hangar 5. Levesque reports that handful of developers are interested in building on the lots, undeterred by the aftermath of this summer’s toxic chemical spill.
“There is a lot of negative talk happening right now, but our development efforts are about five years ahead of schedule,” he says.
Meanwhile at the current TechPlace, Josh Hardy helps out wherever he can, months after his former employer — aquaculture startup Running Tide — closed down and cleared out.
“I’ve been approached by a few business owners to come and work for them, but I’m trying to take it slow and figure out what makes sense for me,” he says. At TechPlace, he’s perfectly placed to do that.
There are local small business success stories, and then there’s Jo Anne’s Place Health Foods, which is in a category all its own in terms of both longevity and the level of caring customer service.
Jo Anne Fallaise founded Jo Anne’s Place Health Foods in 1976, initially operating out her Lindsay home. Come 1998, her daughter Margo and her husband Paul, having learned the business firsthand, had taken the reins, allowing Jo Anne to retire, knowing the business was in very good hands
Today, Jo Anne’s Place Health Foods offers a full line of natural foods, supplements and other health-conscious products at two very busy locations – in Peterborough at 1260 Lansdowne Street West and in Lindsay at 370 Kent Street West.
Sharon Walker is the general manager of the Peterborough location. She says the storied history of the business, and maintaining that tradition of full customer service remains front of mind.
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Walker recalls a time when there was push back from the medical profession when it came to natural products and their health benefits, noting fuller recognition and fostering of a symbiotic relationship is now the reality.
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Noting Jo Anne’s Place staff see their customers as “family,” Walker says a strong desire that they “be well” is at the heart of their day-to-day interactions. As such, educating customers is a big part of what they do.
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For more information on Jo Anne’s Place Health Foods, visit www.joannesplace.ca.
(Written by: Paul Rellinger)
As Bangladesh’s Textile and Garment sector continues to flourish, CEMS-Global USA proudly announces the highly anticipated 23rd edition of the Bangladesh edition of its globally renowned Textile Series of Exhibitions, which is held annually in Bangladesh, Brazil, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Thailand; comprising 3 major international expos that serve as a vital platform for the textile and garment industry. This leading event, which is the oldest of its kind in the region for the past 23 years, promises to be a landmark for the South-Asian textile and garment industry, highlighting the latest in technology, materials, chemicals, and innovations that will define the future of the sector.
These 3 comprehensive exhibitions focused on the Textile and Garment Industry of Bangladesh will be held from November 6 – 9, 2024 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, near Kanchan Bridge, Purbachal, Dhaka from 10 am to 7 pm, daily; bringing together key manufacturers from across the globe to highlight the latest advancements, innovations, and trends in the textile supply chain sector.
The Bangladesh edition of CEMS-Global’s Textile Series of Exhibitions will feature:
23rd Textech Bangladesh 2024 Expo – While remaining one of the premier platforms for the Textile and Garment Industry for Bangladesh and South Asia and showcasing cutting-edge Textile Garment Technology and Machinery, this expo will offer a unique opportunity for manufacturers, suppliers, and industry experts to explore the latest innovations in textile production, garment machinery, and related technologies.
22nd Dhaka International Yarn and Fabric Show 2024 – A dedicated platform to exhibit the most up-to-date collections of Yarn, Fabric, Trims, and Accessories, this show will cater to the rapidly evolving needs of the textile and apparel industry, connecting visitors with top suppliers and manufacturers from around the world.
45th Dye+Chem Bangladesh 2024 International Expo – Focused on Dyestuff, Fine & Specialty Chemicals, this expo will bring to the forefront the latest dyestuff and chemical solutions for the textile industry, with an emphasis on sustainability and innovation in dyes and chemical processes.
This series of exhibitions is poised to be a key driver for the Bangladeshi textile and apparel industry, providing an unparalleled platform for networking, business development, investments, and cross-border collaborations. Over its 23 years, this Series has solidified its position as a crucial event for manufacturers, technology providers, and industry leaders. With participation from leading international manufacturing companies, the exhibitions will also contribute to Bangladesh’s status as a global hub for textile and garment manufacturing and maintain its position as the world’s 2nd largest garment exporter. These exhibitions are bringing together exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, providing unique platform for business development. One of the key benefits of these exhibitions is that buyers and visitors do not have to go through the hassle of visa processing as the event makes it easier to conduct business under one roof. These exhibitions eliminate the need for buyers and visitors to travel to different countries, saving them time and effort bring everything just at the door-step. Additionally, these exhibitions are helping to bring a lot of foreign currency into Bangladesh. It is expected to be a great B2B meeting platform.
CEMS-Global USA, based in New York, is a Multinational Exhibition & Convention Organizer, having its operations across 4 continents. Established in 1992, CEMS-Global, in this span of over 32 years has been committed to organizing Professional B2B Trade Shows for important Business sectors of the trade and economy. CEMS-Global also assists Trade Associations, Governments, and businesses as an International Trade & Export Development Agency in international markets, including market research, export strategy development, partner identification, and trade promotion.
CEMS-Global’s one of its notable Textile Series of Exhibitions focuses on the Textile and Garment sector. This series of exhibitions serves as a vital platform for Global Manufacturers of the textile and apparel sector to come together, tap highly potential markets, and showcase the latest trends, products, and technologies.
This Series brings together manufacturers and suppliers from around the world to showcase their latest products, network, explore new business partnerships and opportunities, access potential Global markets, and stay updated on the advancements shaping the Global Textile and Apparel landscape.
Through CEMS Global USA’s Bangladesh edition of the Textile Series of Exhibitions, visitors from the industry can see a diverse range of textile products and solutions including Textile Apparel Machinery, Yarn, Fabric, Apparel, Trims, Accessories, Dyestuff & Chemicals. These exhibitions cover the entire textile value chain, from raw materials to finished products, enabling visitors to network with Worldwide Manufacturers under one roof and clinch profitable deals.
Bangladesh has long been recognized as a key player in the global textile and garment industry. As one of the largest apparel exporters in the world, the country’s continued investment in innovation and sustainable practices is essential for maintaining its competitive edge. The 2024 edition of the Textile Series of Exhibitions by CEMS-Global USA is a testament to Bangladesh’s growing prominence as a hub for textile & garment innovation and manufacturing.
By hosting this trio of internationally acclaimed expos, CEMS-Global USA aims to foster collaboration between industry stakeholders, promote knowledge-sharing, and drive the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices within the sector. The exhibitions will also serve as a gateway for foreign companies looking to expand into Bangladesh’s vibrant textile and garment manufacturing market, helping to strengthen the country’s position as a global leader in the textile supply chain.
These Exhibitions will not only be a platform for showcasing products and technologies but also a forum for fostering meaningful connections between industry players. With a special emphasis on innovation and sustainability, the event aims to equip businesses with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the modern textile landscape.
In addition to the wide array of exhibitors, the event will feature panel discussions led by industry thought leaders, offering visitors valuable insights into market trends, technological advancements, and sustainable practices. Networking opportunities will abound, making it an ideal space for Bangladeshi Textile and Garment industry professionals to establish new partnerships, explore business opportunities, and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving market.
As the textile industry continues to innovate, adapt, and grow, these 3 comprehensive exhibitions will once again serve as a vital platform for industry leaders to showcase their latest innovations, exchange ideas, and chart the future course of the Bangladeshi as well as the global textile and garment sector.
The exhibitions will be open to the Business visitors upon registration every day from 10:00 am to 7 pm. For more information, please visit www.textech-bangladesh.com, www.bd.cems-yarnandfabric.com, www.bd.cems-dyechem.com
The DMV region boasts a robust tech ecosystem with significant venture capital investment and robust job availability. Within the broader area, the three regions have different strengths.
In the District of Columbia, there’s a focus on cybersecurity, policy-related technologies, and software development. The US government’s large presence makes for a strong B2B and B2G environment.
Maryland excels in biotech, aerospace and quantum computing, and is supported by major federal research centers and state-level organizations that provide funding and business assistance to startups.
Virginia is a center for defense technology, data infrastructure, and software development, attracting multinational tech giants and becoming a hub for the US data center boom.
TThere’s a strong sense of community across all three, through regular events and conferences that promote networking and collaboration among entrepreneurs and tech professionals.
The DMV region is a bustling hub of innovation and technology. Home to more than 6 million people, it extends across three jurisdictions: the District of Columbia, the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Each brings unique anchors that define a robust tech ecosystem. How robust? Tech job postings in the Washington DC area outpaced even New York City in early 2024, according to industry trackers. Across many small firms and a sizable number of global companies, the region counted more than 270,000 tech industry jobs in 2023. That’s more than triple the similarly sized Philadelphia metro area, and nearly double the Atlanta region’s count. On the funding side, venture capital investment saw a much less dramatic post-pandemic drop in the DMV than the national average, per PitchBook data, with close to $5 billion invested in 2023. Several factors contribute to this innovation economy strength, but the most obvious is proximity to the center of the United States government and the action on Capitol Hill. Dozens of big-budget federal agencies, from the Pentagon to the Department of Energy, regularly contract with tech firms in the private sector. In part because of this dynamic, the majority of the region’s successful startups are B2B (business to business) or B2G (business to government), though there are plenty of founders with consumer-facing ideas, too.The catalyzing power of government funding in the region is amplified by its wealth of major academic institutions. Public and private universities across the geographies conduct key research, spin out companies and generally prime people for the innovation workforce. Community is another strength. Recurring events like DC Tech Meetup and Unstuck Tuesdays foster connection and collaboration, as does the annual DC Startup Week. This multi-day convening not only connects DMV entrepreneurs, it also draws attendees from around the country for tech and business-related workshops and discussions.With an economy that lets both startups and tech giants thrive, the DMV has been called the “Silicon Valley of the East.” And each geographic zone shines in its own way. Pre-order Innovate Washington DMV Edition by Oct. 25District of Columbia: The nation’s center for power and policyIf someone from outside the region asks a founder or funder where they’re based, they’ll almost always answer “DC” even if they’re really in Maryland or Virginia. But a lot of tech and entrepreneurship activity does happen within the city limits of the US capital. Startups in DC include firms focusing on cybersecurity, SaaS, policy-related products and more. Software development jobs in the district have grown in the past decade, increasing by 53% between 2014 and 2023, according to Lightcast data. Those workers are paid more than double the global average, per Startup Genome’s 2024 report. That study ranked DC the 12th best startup ecosystem globally, surpassing all of the US besides Silicon Valley, New York City and Boston. District government has its own council dedicated to technology and innovation under the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The council has published work like the 2023 Pathways to Inclusion report, which broke down the city’s tech assets, accomplishments and quantitative benchmarks to make recommendations on moving toward a more equitable and robust sector. This is the place where national tech policy gets developed.Plus, this is the place where national tech policy gets developed — setting standards or implementing programs that determine how employers and employees and creators and consumers interact with emerging technologies. For example, the Biden administration in 2023 put out an executive order calling for AI safety standards to be established throughout public and private sectors, and that same year the Economic Development Administration launched its Regional Tech Hubs program to pump millions of dollars into developing ecosystems throughout the country.That policymaking power brings lobbying activity. Tech companies spent more than $300 million on those efforts in 2023, with $74 million of it coming from giants Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Apple and Microsoft. These big tech companies aren’t just sending envoys to persuade lawmakers — they’re establishing roots, taking up a combined 791,000 square feet of city office space in 2023. Lobbyists are also moving into the venture capital world, which has been growing in DC. Silicon Valley powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz in 2024 announced plans to set up an office in the district, and lobbying firm J.A. Green & Co. announced a partnership with local investment firm Anzu Partners to create a new $100 million fund for defense technology. Local universities also bolster the DC innovation scene. Georgetown has an Entrepreneurs In Residence program where students can get one-on-one mentorship from business leaders. American University offers a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship, as well as an incubator and other programming via its Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship and Kogol School of Business. Howard University collaborated with PNC to launch the PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. There are also several accelerators housed in the district, including the social impact-oriented Halcyon Incubator, the disabled founder-focused 2Gether-International and a local edition of Techstars, the nationally active early-seed funding firm. NIST’s Gaithersburg, Maryland campus (Courtesy NIST/J. Stoughton)Maryland: A major player in biotech and aerospaceWhat section of Maryland is considered the DMV? Most typically, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, which directly border the district. Some definitions also incorporate the counties of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s that stretch along the waterway south of the capital. Sectors that flourish here include aerospace, biotechnology and quantum computing. The area is home to both NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — considered the nation’s largest organization of space-focused technologists — and the headquarters of Lockheed Martin, a global aeronautics company that does most of its business with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. The section of Interstate 270 that runs from Bethesda to Gaithersburg has long been called “DNA Alley,” ever since the Human Genome Project launched there inside the headquarters for the National Institutes of Health. The Food and Drug Administration is also located nearby, as are the offices of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. State-level organizations play a big role in boosting the Southern Maryland innovation ecosystem.State-level organizations also play a big role in boosting the Southern Maryland innovation ecosystem. The Maryland Tech Council, a major trade association, hosts an industry awards ceremony, an annual conference and other events throughout the year. TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, regularly provides early-stage funding and business assistance to startups in the region.Private sector giants like Adobe, Raytheon and Capital One all have a presence at the University of Maryland Discovery District, which also houses university startup spinouts like the quantum computing firm IonQ and federal offices including the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction. Software development jobs in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties grew over the past decade, increasing in number between 2014 and 2023 by more than 25%, according to Lightcast workforce data.
Virginia: A locus for defense tech, data and developersA collection of jurisdictions make up the “V” in the DMV. It’s typically considered to include Arlington County, Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church, the City of Alexandria, Prince William County, the City of Manassas Park and Loudoun County Defense, aerospace and cybersecurity make up a great deal of the area’s tech and startup activity.The Pentagon, perhaps Northern Virginia’s most visible federal agency, announces millions of dollars in contracts on a daily basis. Northrop Grumman is headquartered there, designing and developing missile defense and intelligence tech.Arlington skyline as viewed from Georgetown, DC (Ajay Suresh/Wikimedia Commons)In the private sector, multinational tech giants have established a presence in Virginia. In 2018, Capital One relocated its headquarters to McLean and remains a top employer in the region. Amazon, another major employer, opened its second headquarters in Arlington in 2023. That same year, Arlington was dubbed the nation’s smartest city by Forbes (DC came in third), with 76% of adults over 25 holding a bachelor’s degree. The same report, however, noted a major racial attainment gap; less than 1 in 7 of degree-holders were people of color.The Northern Virginia Tech Council, similar to the Maryland Tech Council, is a trade association connecting startup founders, Fortune 100 executives, students, nonprofit heads and many others in between. Software development jobs in Northern Virginia have skyrocketed.Software development jobs in the region skyrocketed between 2014 and 2023, with Arlington and Loudoun counties’ numbers increasing more than 90%. And while Fairfax County didn’t grow quite as fast, it was already big — its 30,000 developers in 2023 outpace other areas in the DMV by far.Fairfax is home to George Mason University, which operates a Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and is known for both business and technology education. Though delayed by supply chain issues, the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is slated to open in Alexandria, in the same complex as a branch of Amazon’s HQ2.Northern Virginia has also become a hub of the US data center boom. More than 300 such facilities were active in the region 2024, handling around 70% of the world’s internet traffic. Amazon Web Services operates more than 50 of them, and with generative AI processing increasing demands, Google announced it was investing $1 billion in building more.
Kim Tae Ri’s Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, Kim So Yeon and Yeon Woo Jin’s A Virtuous Business, and Kim Jung Hyun and Geum Sae Rok’s Iron Family witnessed an increase in viewership ratings over the weekend. Here is a look at the viewership details for this Sunday, which is October 20.
Amid spooky festivities such as Universal Studio’s annual Halloween Horror Night, the House of Horrors Film Festival is set to make its first haunt this Halloween.
When it comes to horror movies, one cannot leave Asian horror out of the conversation. From franchises such as Japan’s Ju-On and classics like Thailand’s Pee Mak, this film festival aims to place the creativity of the Asian horror genre front and centre for horror enthusiasts and film buffs alike.
The festival will run from October 25, 2024, to November 3, 2024—here’s what we know so far.
Six horror films, one haunted house
Six horror movie titles will be screened during the festival at The Projector X cinema at Cineleisure, ranging from cult classics to found footage thrillers across the region:
Image Credit: House of Horrors Film Festival Image Credit: House of Horrors Film Festival
You can also expect to experience the horror firsthand at The Realm—the festival’s haunted house that brings the on-screen terror to life on the first floor of Orchard Cineleisure.
The experience has five immersive “worlds” replicating movie scenes from Asian horror films, where you will have to find clues to solve simple tasks to move through the haunted house.
Ticket Prices
Tickets are now on sale via The Projector’s website and Eventbrite.
We might not be the biggest horror junkies, but we can never say no to having a good scare, especially in the Halloween season. On top of that, we doubt that any event in Singapore has both movie screenings and a haunted house in one, so why not give it a shot?
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Learn more about the House of Horror Film Festival here.
Feature Image Credit: House of Horror Film Festival
It’s no secret that the competition in the airline industry is a tiresome battle. From Qatar Airways – best known for its QSuites that come with a sliding door – to Finnair’s innovative, sustainably-focused seats that don’t recline, airlines are constantly on the lookout for new ways to entice. Throw in top-shelf champagne, caviar, and chef-created food menus, alongside high thread count sheets and ergonomic mattresses, and the question is: how do you stand out from the crowd?Cathay Pacific introduces swanky new business class suitesAria Suites top view(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)The latest to elevate its offering is Cathay Pacific, with the Hong Kong airline investing over HK$100 billion (around £10 million) to improve the customer experience and strengthen the city as an international hub. The first reveal amongst its ambitions plans is a top-to-toe makeover of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which includes a refreshed Economy class cabin, a new Premium Economy, and – the jewel in the crown – the much-anticipated Aria Business Class Suites.Unfolding over 45 seats in the current Cathay Pacific 1-2-1 herringbone layout, the new offering, at first glance, might not be the most revolutionary, but once ensconced, the new look and thoughtful details are a vast improvement that clearly puts the customer first and feels like an extension of what Cathay is all about. ‘The key design philosophy around Aria Suite, as well as across the aircraft, is “Human Centric Design”,’ says Vivan Lo, the GM of Customer Experience & Design. ‘We have listened to our customers and kept them top of mind during every phase of the design process. Catering for their needs has been the key touchstone for every decision.’Aria Suites top view(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)Aria Suites side view(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)Revealed through soft ambient lighting, suede walls, natural wool fabrics in muted tones of Cathay’s signature green colour, and gold accents – alongside a sliding door for added privacy – the cocoon-like result is thoughtful and refined. ‘We wanted to reimagine Business Class in a way that feels more personal, almost like stepping into a carefully crafted space that’s been designed as an art form, where every detail speaks to comfort and thoughtfulness,’ says Lo.Alongside amenities by skincare brand Bamford, and ample stowage, such as a sliding drawer on the console for valuables, other smart additions include wireless charging, and a 24-inch ultra-high definition TV screen, which can be paired with personal headphones via Bluetooth. All of this is enhanced by newly-designed lavatories – the status of which you can see from your screen – complimentary WI-Fi, and a gallery of pieces by artists such as Koon Wai Bong, Elaine Chiu, and Gordon Cheung, who all have a connection to Hong Kong.Aria Suites ottoman(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)Aria Suites display(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)With the plan to retrofit 30 Boeing 777-300ER aircrafts at a rate of about one per month, long-haul flights will start in January 2025, firmly cementing Cathay Pacific’s spot in the international aviation space.flights.cathaypacific.comReceive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.Aria Suites door(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)Aria Suites halo lighting(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)Aria Suites tray table(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)Aria Suites seat control(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)Aria Suites lighting(Image credit: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific)