UNR steps up its analysis of data from region
by John Seelmeyer, 5/12/2008
Demographic, sales and real estate data assembled by the Small Business Development Center at the University of Nevada, Reno, long has been part of the decision-making process for companies in the region.
Now UNR is gearing up an effort to combine the analytical horsepower of its faculty — especially from the College of Business — with the fuel of that data to provide better information for policymakers and business owners throughout the region.
The Center for Regional Studies is less than a year old, and its executives have spent much of their time making sales calls on public officials and business executives who might be looking for unbiased analysis.
In recent months, for instance, the center has been involved in a deep analysis of the economic factors that would come into play with efforts to restore Walker Lake in Mineral County.
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Bogus listing claims to put Grand Sierra on market
by John Seelmeyer, 5/12/2008
Tom Schrade is strongly annoyed by a bogus on-line advertisement that claims the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno is for sale.
The listing on a London-based Web site, businessesforsale.com, described a five-star luxury hotel in Reno for sale for $600 million.
Although the property isn’t identified in the ad, the description — the setting on 140 acres, the inclusion of a bowling alley and 80,000 square feet of casino floor— leaves little question it refers to Grand Sierra Resort.
But the ad isn’t for real.
“It’s a bogus listing,” said Schrade, the president and chief executive officer of Grand Sierra Resort. “Nobody has the right to sell it.”
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Cartoon characters talk back
by Pat Patera, 5/12/2008
In the Land of Oz, The Wizard was the man behind the screen.
In Carson City, Gary Jesch is the digital puppeteer behind a cast of more than 100 animated characters that interact in real time with real people at corporate meetings, trade shows and theme parks.
“Some people have never had the experience of talking to a cartoon character,” he says. “And having it talk back.”
A pen and tablet controls each digital cartoon character. But the puppeteer controls the audience.
“As a performer, I see the gamut,” says Jesch. “Kids, suits from New York, housewives.”
Says fellow puppeteer Dana Stamos, “People will say and do things with a character that they never would for a human being. A kid is intrigued to open up to it. An adult may close down because they’re not sure what to do.”
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