Latest News

Dropdown Menu

Latest News

Latest News

Latest News

Political

Sports

Travel

Beauty

Latest News

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Combining a sports car design and agility with everyday practicality, the E-PACE joins the PACE family of SUVs by Jaguar.

SML Frontier Automotive, sole agent of Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) in Sri Lanka launched the E-PACE a five-seat compact SUV that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a spacious, practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle. The compact SUV was launched at Access Tower II at an exciting evening with the new RUMPUNCH Spring 18 collection of swimwear with over 300 guests attending the event.

Commenting on the launch, Ian Seggar, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Regional Training Partner stated: “The launch in Sri Lanka demonstrated a great understanding of the target audience for the E-Pace with the strong lifestyle connection. There was an immense focus on the E-Pace being highlighted as one of the most beautiful SUV’s in the market now.”

The new Jaguar E-PACE is a five-seat, compact SUV that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a spacious, practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle. The interiors have calm sanctuary feel, created through elegance, simplicity and a visually reductive approach. The design enabled technology is central to the New E-PACE’s desirability. And of course, it’s a Jaguar with unrivalled capability. The vehicle emotionally charged with the Jaguar DNA and unquestionable design pedigree.

 “We at SMLF were very excited about the launch of the Jaguar E-PACE and will always aim to align Sri Lanka with all key Jaguar vehicle launches globally, ensuring our customers get the latest Jaguar vehicles. With the purchase of any Jaguar or Land Rover vehicle we offer our customers the best experience they could possibly have; from the moment they walk into our showroom to our aftersales service,” said Ravi Perera, CEO, SML Frontier Automotive.

The highly anticipated New E-PACE made its grand entrance down the catwalk after the exciting and exotic fashion show ‘TRIBAL DASH’ by RUMPUNCH. Post the show guests had the chance to be in the driver seat and experience the New Jaguar E-PACE for themselves with an insight into the vehicle with one of SML Frontier's certified instructors.

 “It is our firm belief that we don’t just sell a vehicle, but become part of a lifestyle. To further establish this we partnered with our local Jaguar and Land Rover Owners Club loyalty partner RUMPUNCH for this event. Together we were able to create a unique launch that embodies a fun and vibrant lifestyle you would have with the Jaguar E-Pace,” stated Tasneem Siddeeque, Marketing & CRM Manager for SML Frontier Automotive.


The Jaguar E-PACE is the pure example of when design takes over. Beautiful to look at and fun to get to know, with soul and integrity that can only come from Jaguar. The E-PACE is now available for customers to test drive and view at the Jaguar Land Rover showroom at No. 74, Flower Road, Colombo 07 or customers can call 2552444.

About Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques. We employ almost 42,000 people globally and support around 240,000 more through our dealerships, suppliers and local businesses.
KiMO Ceylon
KiMO Ceylon
KiMO Ceylon, the latest Korean brand with everything cool home decor, stationary, cosmetics, digital accessories and more is taking over Colombo. The modern-minimalist store offers everything from cute soft toys and colourful stationery to digital knick-knacks and handy travel accessories to make you swoon. With more than 200 new products in their new collection, KiMO Ceylon offers quality products at affordable prices covering the hottest-trending items from Korea.

The array of products in ranges from the latest collection of coffee mugs, scarfs, cute pastel-colored handbags and an expansion of their cosmetic range. With a variety of cleansing and moisturizing picks including makeup remover wipes with Olive Oil to facial foam to double-cleanse.  The new range of masks includes sheet masks for your whole face, eye masks, and nose masks. The wide selection of hair and body care products makes for an entire bath routine from all the offerings in store! Makeup lovers, can also be pleased to know that there is a modest yet interesting selection of makeup available including base makeup consisting of three different types of BB creams. The lipsticks are anything but ordinary, featuring dual-ended tubes, two-tone bars, along with a dual-ended eyeshadow stick/eyeliner. They are also several types of eyeliner, mascara, and brow pens with product prices starting at Rs. 275/- upwards. Not forgetting, the men’s collections of leather slippers, boxers to men’s perfumes and socks, KiMO Ceylon offers something for every need.

They new Stationary and Back to School range are a selection of just about everything cool for your kids. The wide selection of items includes school bags, an array of water bottles and quirky notebooks and pens. From cloth storage boxes, to air tight glassware to basic tupperwear boxes, KiMO’s new Creative Home Necessities has everything you home would need. Adding to the popular range of Scents, the new collection also offers car air fresheners, to cupboard scents to home scents that are ideal to keep your surroundings smelling perfect.


The New Collection is the epitome of innovative design that meets the lifestyle needs of customers.  Shop now at the ideal one-stop-shop for this season at No. 28, Galle Road, Wellawatte (Next to Savoy Cinema).

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Range Rover Sport PHEV
Range Rover Sport PHEV

The new Range Rover Sport PHEV showcased its full performance potential by storming around the 99 turns and up the 45-degree 999 steps in the Dragon Challenge, but also demonstrated its breadth of capability despite having a hybrid powertrain.

Dan Hook, who works in the Vehicle Engineering team developing the P400e, was also heavily involved in the preparations for the assault on the 11.3km twisty Tianmen Mountain road and then up Heaven’s Gate steep staircase.

Dan explained that the gradient and the surface meant the P400e would need all of the power at its disposal, and that the electric motor would play an integral role in doing so.
“The Range Rover Sport PHEV is never just a conventional petrol-powered car. It is always using the electric motor to boost overall performance, and to fill in the torque gaps in the powertrain particularly when you change gear,” he adds.


“During the step climb we used low range and the gearbox in sport mode, with the driver manually changing between second and third to control the speed during the ascent.”
During the lead up to the challenge in China, the P400e used in testing at Gaydon was one of Dan’s Attribute Demonstrator Vehicles (ADV). This was the first vehicle to bring all the design, engineering and software for the P400e into one package.

With the car still evolving and developing, preparations for the Dragon Challenge were running concurrently, which Dan and engineering saw as a good opportunity to test the full capabilities of the car and implement changes.

The unique goals set for the Dragon Challenge and by engineering went hand-in-hand, and at the time of testing the plug-in hybrid SUV was being calibrated for on-road and off-road driving, and the testing at Gaydon fitted in as chance to test the car’s capability.


The aim was to complete the challenge in China with a production specification car, and as such there were no differences between the standard the Range Rover Sport PHEVs and those that completed the Dragon Challenge. Even early on in the process, Dan said the opportunity to test the first ADV on the mock steps was daunting yet inspiring, adding:

“Seeing the steep angles was a big eye-opener and it hit home that in China the steps are going to be on the side of a mountain and 50 times longer than they are here. But we gained a bit of confidence early on, as the car could do the short section after some experimentation. Plus we still had time to refine, calibrate and make the cars more robust.”
One potential challenge, the Dragon Challenge team faced was the constantly evolving software and updates required throughout the build-up which was at a key time in the vehicles launch. So quick were the changes during the development phase that when the two PHEV cars were about to be shipped their software was virtually out of date,
 Dan says.
“When you are developing a car as complex as a PHEV, the software tends to be updated frequently while issues are being resolved and it gradually gets to the point where the bugs are fixed the car becomes a stable system. The shipping of the cars didn’t help as it takes many weeks to get them out there and by the time the cars left they were almost out of date. We had to update them as soon as we got there, as the engineering teams had tweaked the production vehicle software before we left” he adds.  

About Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques. We employ almost 42,000 people globally and support around 240,000 more through our dealerships, suppliers and local businesses.
Manufacturing is centred in the UK, with additional plants in China, Brazil, Austria and Slovakia. At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class-leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2017 Jaguar Land Rover sold 621,109 vehicles in 130 countries, with more than 80 per cent of our vehicles being sold abroad.

Our innovation is continuous: we will spend more than £4 billion (LKR in the coming year on new product creation and capital expenditure. From 2020 all new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will be electrified, giving our customers even more choice. We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to offer ultra-clean petrol and diesel engines. SML Frontier Automotive, is the sole agent of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in Sri Lanka. For more information on Jaguar Land Rover in Sri Lanka you can visit the showroom at No. 74, Flower Road, Colombo 07 or call 2552444.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

  • Range Rover Velar has been shortlisted for the World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year trophies at the 2018 World Car Awards
  • Winner to be announced at New York International Auto Show

The Range Rover Velar has been shortlisted for two prizes at the 2018 World Car Awards. Land Rover’s luxury SUV has been named among the top three finalists for the World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year titles.

The news was announced at the Geneva Motor Show and the winners will be revealed at the New York International Auto Show on 28 March. The awards are based on the votes of the 75-strong World Car Awards judging panel.

This is not the first time Jaguar Land Rover has tasted success at the awards – last year the Jaguar F-PACE was named World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year.

Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover, said: “I believe design has the power to enrich people's lives and the most compelling designs are the ones that stir emotions. From the modern and elegant silhouette to the calm sanctuary of its reductive interior, the Range Rover Velar has captured the hearts of customers all over the world”.

The World Car Awards jury comprises influential motoring journalists from 24 countries.


The compelling design of the Range Rover Velar features perfectly optimized proportions and a stunning silhouette. The luxury SUV’s super-slim Matrix Laser-LED headlights, flush deployable door handles and sleek Touch Pro Duo infotainment are all hallmarks of Range Rover’s reductionist design philosophy.

About Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.
We employ more than 43,000 people globally and support around 240,000 more through our dealerships, suppliers and local businesses. Manufacturing is centred in the UK, with additional plants in China, Brazil, Austria and Slovakia.

At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class-leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2017 Jaguar Land Rover sold 621,109 vehicles in 130 countries, with more than 80 per cent of our vehicles being sold abroad.

At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class-leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2017 Jaguar Land Rover sold 621,109 vehicles in 130 countries, with more than 80 per cent of our vehicles being sold abroad. 



Our innovation is continuous: we will spend more than £4 billion in the coming year on new product creation and capital expenditure.

From 2020 all new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will be electrified, giving our customers even more choice. We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to offer ultra-clean petrol and diesel engines. To find out more or to test drive a Range Rover Velar, contact sole agents for Jaguar Land Rover Sri Lanka – SML Frontier Automotive on 0703887788 or 0703889988.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Dumith Fernando, Chairman Asia Securities (Pvt) Ltd.,
Sanchayan Chakraborty, Partner, Aavishkaar and
Jeevan Gnanam, CEO Orion City, award Hasith Yaggahawita,
Founder IgniterSpace and Jehan Wijesinghe,
CEO & Co-Founder IgniterSpace the Venture Engine
1st runner-up position.
When software engineer Hasith Yaggahavita founded IgniterSpace, together with two colleagues, he was simply making up for the lack of a good creative education- or more specifically, ‘makerspace’- programmes to enrol his own kids in. So, in March 2016 IgniterSpace began its journey in Hasith’s home. A short two years later Hasith and his team are quietly celebrating a rapid expansion and a couple of unexpected, yet well-deserved wins at the e-Swabhimani awards 2017 and Venture Engine 2017.
IgniterSpace is a ‘makerspace’ for kids that guides them to unleash their creativity through technology. Although not a phrase used in common parlance, a makerspace is simply a place where students can gather to create, invent and tinker using tools, material and some guidance. With the firm belief that anything is possible, IgniterSpace inspires students to be creative and innovative. Children are exposed to different aspects of technology such as mechanical, electrical, electronic computer programming and robotics. With this foundation, they are then encouraged to further experiment to gain deeper insights.

The company quickly grew from being a small operation at Hasith’s home to a very popular educational institute coveted by parents who wanted their kids to have the IgniterSpace experience. Mano Sekaram, Hasith’s long-time mentor and eminent IT industry heavyweight, joined in to help IgniterSpace grow. Mano recognized that the company was doing something unusual and creative, and helped the team move into a second makerspace in Narahenpita, and then to other cities such as Moratuwa, Gampaha, Negombo and Kandy.

Today the IgniterSpace team consists of 15 full time professionals and 45 part-time instructors led by CEO Jehan Wijesinghe and COO Buddika Wijesekera. Their educational model is a tried, tested and loved by kids. Students begin with prototyping known machines to develop basic knowledge as well as fine motor skills and then move onto production grade explorative creations. Through these exercises, kids gain design thinking and entrepreneurship skills alongside the ability to create production grade prototypes of their own concepts.

This is where the steps for innovation and entrepreneurship are laid, says CEO Jehan Wijesinghe. “We are committed to guiding the younger generation to become innovators and creators of technology, but we also understand that this is not a vision that is accomplished over a short span of time. We’re ready to walk the talk with our partners over decades to come.”

The team is also celebrating placing winners in the education category at the 2017 national e-Swabhimani awards presented by the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA). IgniterSpace also received the Aaavishkaar Social Impact Award for the highest social impact and was the 1st runner up at Venture Engine 2017. CEO Jehan also represented Sri-Lanka at the Sankalp Global Sustainability & Social Impact Summit held in Mumbai India in December 2017. For Hasith, this is further confirmation that he was onto something when he first began IgniterSpace from his living room. “It’s rewarding to know that what you’re doing is making a real impact. We’re actually making a difference here, by teaching kids skills that they’re not picking up at school, but essential for the future.” he says.


The classes are conducted at five levels: first 3 levels are for age based entry (ages 5-7 years, 8-10 years, 11-15 years) and prerequisite for level 4, which is focused on problem solving. Once level 4 is completed, students can enter the IgniterSpace Start-up School where they learn to become real-world innovators and entrepreneurs. The courses are usually conducted in English, although native languages are accommodated on request.
x
Newly re-opened The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at Bandaranaike International Airport
Newly re-opened The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at
Bandaranaike International Airport
Colombo’s favorite tastemaker in coffee is now back at the Bandaranaike International Airport with a slicker, bolder and more contemporary look. Since it was first opened in 2006, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s airport store has been the first and longest running international franchise at the BIA.

The airport store embodies the CBTL philosophy of a home away from home - comfort and familiarity no matter where you go in the world. The franchise is one of the world’s most well-known brands, easily recognized by customers for its distinctive purple and white design. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf first opened in 1963 in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Ten years later, the Airport ‘Bean’ served its 3 millionth customer. The Coffee Bean remains the quintessential Hollywood brand- every celebrity has been snapped with a familiar CBTL takeaway cup in their hand. The Coffee Bean is known for its legendary Ice Blended range, concocted by a barista during an exceptionally hot summer in 1987 long before the advent of the frappuccino. Today, over three million customers walk into Coffee Bean stores around the world every day.

In Sri Lanka, the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf were one of the very first coffee chains to identify Colombo’s promise as the urban hotspot it would become post-war. The flagship Maitland Crescent branch opened in 2007 and it has remained open through some of the country’s most intensely turbulent times. “We remained committed to Sri Lanka because Sri Lanka was committed to us,” says Roman Scott-Chairman of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, a subsidiary of the Calamander Group. “We were the first international brand to come into Sri Lanka during the last stages of the war and although the times have changed for the better, our customer base remains as loyal as ever-exactly in proportion to the quality of product and service we’ve maintained since then.”

The airport store reopens with a modern contemporary aesthetic. The new Coffee Bean design replaces the old darker wood with a brighter and slicker new California vibe. More grab and go food and beverages are available at the outlet. A more efficient layout has created more seating capacity and a larger kitchen with a full walk-in chiller facility, ready to drum up an exciting and extensive variety of food and beverages.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf BIA’s 3 millionth customer with Roman Scott-Chairman of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf BIA’s 3 millionth customer with
Roman Scott-Chairman of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf


The official opening of the refurbished airport store on 20th February was attended by Chief Guest Hon Nimal Siripala De Silva - Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Guest of Hon. John Amaratunga - Minister of Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs, Saman Ediriweera - Chairman of Aviation Services Sri Lanka, Ranjith De Silva - Vice Chairman of Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka, Jeff Goonewardena - Director of Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka and The Chairman of The Calamander Goup Inc, Roman Scott.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Architectural rendering of John Keells Holding’s proposed development – TRI-ZEN
architectural rendering of John Keells Holding’s
proposed development – TRI-ZEN
Connecting the dots between peace of mind, life in the city and livable space, John Keells Properties announced the launch of ‘TRI-ZEN’, a new residential property on Union Place. These smart living spaces in the heart of Colombo are for women and men on the go in the city; a stone’s throw from its many business hubs, yet designed for comfort and style. The project is expected to be completed by 2023 and is currently open for sales.

John Keells Properties leads the charge on the property development and real estate sector in Sri Lanka, with a significant portfolio of real estate in Colombo and the suburbs. The company’s most recent acquisition is a property on Vauxhall Street valued at Rs 4.2 Billion.

Recently the company led and successfully completed the design and construction of two landmark residential properties in Colombo - OnThree20 on Union Place and 7th Sense on Gregory’s Road. It is also the property developer transforming Colombo’s cityscape with Cinnamon Life, the ongoing Integrated Resort bordering the Beira Lake.

TRI-ZEN is John Keells Properties’ newest project focusing on metropolitan spaces that cater to the needs of Colombo’s growing class of working elite. From Union Place, TRI-ZEN’s residents will have immediate access to the city’s best hospitals, restaurants, schools, hotels, shopping malls and more. Moreover, its central location takes hours spent in traffic out of the equation-which means residents can luxuriate in the extra time freed up every day to spend time with family and friends.

TRI-ZEN’s apartments are based on smart design principles to maximize space and comfort, and this efficient design allows these apartments to be affordably priced. Common open spaces are a key design feature throughout the property; the perfect spaces for conversation, relaxation and contemplation. This project is designed for both solitude and company- stay in on a Sunday and enjoy the city’s drowsy reverie, or go out on a Friday night to one of the many cafes, bistros and restaurants situated only minutes away.

“TRI-ZEN meets and exceeds the expectations on location, style and comfort. When we designed this complex, we dedicated a lot of resources to understanding the market - to analyze customer needs and wants,” noted Suresh Rajendra, President of the John Keells Property Group. He also added, “Colombo is changing, and with it our clients’ lifestyles and tastes are changing. We’re responding to this by really thinking about how we can redefine what it means to live well in Colombo. So this is an exciting project for us, as we strengthen our metropolitan property portfolio by creating eminently livable spaces for our clients.”


For further information on the TRI-ZEN project, please contact the customer relations team on +94-112-000294 or email info@trizen.lk
Mani Kulasooriya – Founder of Sysco LABS addressing the gathering
Mani Kulasooriya – Founder of Sysco LABS addressing the gathering

How technology dominates the customer experience and changes industries

In a meeting with the American Chamber of commerce in Sri Lanka recently, Mani Kulasooriya - founder of Sysco LABS, and Ron May, Vice President of eSolutions at Sysco, addressed the audience with a presentation on the way that “Technology is eating the World” – an examination of the way that all industries are transforming to operate like the tech industry and how companies can react to this emerging trend. The following article summarizes key insights from their joint presentation.

Many of the major industries in the world have experienced upheaval due to tech companies entering their space. Uber’s entry into the taxi industry, and Airbnb’s entry into hospitality are some of the famous examples, along with Amazon’s disruption of how we think about retail. These tech companies have been successful by going beyond simply iterating upon the way industries run or innovation processes; they have used technology to completely disrupt the way that these industries serve their customers. In the case of Uber and Airbnb, by leveraging the sharing economy to overcome the barriers to these respective industries; and Amazon, by overcoming the need for brick and mortar storefronts through leveraging the online marketplace.
These disruptions have fueled both the growth of tech companies and their transformation. The largest companies in America in the previous decades were Oil and Energy companies, but in 2016, the trend shifted towards tech companies occupying the top five slots; Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook respectively. This growth was driven by a transformation within the tech companies themselves. In the late 90s, technology was a support function of organizations and more often than not, one that could be outsourced out of the organization if not out of the country, so many of the largest tech companies were BPOs. However, as technology continued to develop, the leading tech companies became those that specialized in creating technology to be used by consumers: The Apples, Microsofts and Googles of the world. But today, in the Silicon Valley, the leading tech companies are those that provide a more traditional product or service but with a superior customer experience driven by technology - Netflix, Amazon, Uber, etc.

Ron May – Vice President of e-Solutions, Sysco Corporation
Ron May – Vice President of e-Solutions, Sysco Corporation
This latest trend of superior customer experience through technology is growing fast as the latest innovations in technology allow tech to make a greater impact along the value chain. More obvious innovations such as the IoT (Internet of Things), robots, drones, automated cars, virtual assistants and employees, are driving change on the customer facing end of the value chain, while more invisible innovations like blockchain technology - which drives cryptocurrencies and the big data produced through smart sensors and edge computing - transform value chains at their base. Together, what we are witnessing is an ever-growing influence of tech in business that will only allow tech companies to survive the future.
So, if you aren’t a tech company yourself, how do you react to this change? Well, start operating like one. Lead like a founder - which is to say that you need to lead with the will to take large bold decisions the way that the founder of the company would. These decisions are the forces which will allow you to transform. Secondly, organize your company like a tech startup - with agility in mind. Small teams that own projects, move fast and are held accountable. Thirdly, hire techies and integrate them into you teams; this allows you to bring technology to every aspect of your organization and allows your teams to operate with entrepreneurial dexterity and independence.
Finally, to really operate like a tech company, you need to focus on the customer experience. The experience that your customer has with your product and your service, but also the experience your customer has through all their interactions with your business, and the emotion that the brand carries through these numerous touch points.
The experiences that your customer has along this journey creates the new brand. The experience-based brand that works across every touch point, and a positive customer experience transforms your consumers from customers into fans. A fan of a brand is more than a customer; while a customer is fickle and may switch your product out for a competitor’s if they perceive even a slight improvement, a fan will stay with you even when they may have an anomalous negative experience because of the history they have with the brand and the positive experiences you have created. In the market of the future, it will be brands that can create fans using technology that will thrive, as all industries become tech industries.


Ron May, Vice President - e-Solutions, Sysco Corporation is a professional services leader with proven expertise in digital customer experience, direct sales, contract negotiation, P&L management, large scale operations, strategic solution delivery, and cultivation of executive level client relationships.
Mani Kulasooriya is the founder of Sysco LABS (formerly known as CAKE) and led the company from a startup in the Silicon Valley to eventually be acquired by one of the largest companies in the world; Sysco Corporation (NASDAQ: SYY). He has deep connections in the Valley, having worked for companies like Citigroup e-Citi and Yahoo prior to this venture. He is an astute tech investor and has investments in over 25 companies in tech. He has been instrumental in bringing the Silicon Valley thought process and innovation capabilities to Sri Lanka.

Sysco LABS is the innovation arm of Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY), the world’s largest foodservice company. Sysco is the global leader in marketing, selling and distributing food products as well as equipment and supplies to the hospitality industry. Sysco serves over 500,000 customers through its team of over 65,000 associates and operates 300 distribution facilities across the globe.

Sysco LABS is re-imagining the global foodservice industry: our engineering teams based out of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Redwood City, CA and Austin and Houston TX, will innovate across the entire supply chain – sourcing of food products, merchandising, storage and warehouse operations, order placement and pricing algorithms, delivery of food and supplies to Sysco's global network - culminating in the in-restaurant dining experience for the end-customer. Operating with the agility and efficiency of a tech–startup and backed by the domain expertise of the industry leader, Sysco LABS is poised to revolutionize one of the biggest industries in the world.
x

Friday, February 16, 2018

Steven Mayes - Managing Director, JLL Sri Lanka awarding winners
Nalin Herath – Managing Director, Home Lands Skyline (Pvt) Ltd
 and Harshani Herath at the 2017 PropertyGuru Asia Property
 Awards in Singapore

Global property firm enters into sponsorship agreement with Asia’s premier real estate awards

The PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Sri Lanka), the premier industry awards ceremony that will be held for the first time in Colombo in 2018, welcomes the support and sponsorship of JLL Sri Lanka, the country’s leading professional real estate services firm.
Following the unprecedented success and overwhelming positive reception from Sri Lankan developers that were recognized at the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final event in Singapore last November, the historic domestic gala dinner in Colombo will take place at the Shangri-La Hotel on Thursday, 12 July 2018.
“JLL Sri Lanka is very proud to be confirmed as Gold Sponsor, partnering with PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Sri Lanka), further underlining JLL’s investment in, and commitment to, the rapidly growing real estate sector in one of South Asia’s most dynamic markets,” says JLL Sri Lanka managing director Steven Mayes.
From 13 competition categories in 2017, the new edition of the Awards will present more than 20 residential, commercial, design and developer awards, including outstanding development in Colombo, Southern Sri Lanka (Galle, Matara, Hambantota), Central Sri Lanka (Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale) and North East Sri Lanka (Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya).
“These awards will showcase Sri Lanka’s brightest real estate talent and most outstanding property developments, across all asset classes, to a global audience, highlighting the tremendous growth prospects and potential that the sector offers and confirming Sri Lanka’s evolving status as an established destination for institutional capital and private investment,” adds Mayes.
Based out of Colombo, JLL Sri Lanka has a strong team of more than 120 professionals and service capabilities, combining local market knowledge with its access to global multinational relationships and capital sources, catering to Sri Lankan corporates, government agencies and clients.
Nominations are now open for eligible entries and will be accepted until 11 May, with the official shortlist to be revealed in the first week of June. The entire awards system is independently judged by a panel of experts, and supervised by BDO, the world’s fifth largest auditing firm led by Sri Lanka managing partner Sujeewa Rajapakse.

For more information about the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Sri Lanka), email awards@propertyguru.com or visit the official website: AsiaPropertyAwards.com/sri-lanka-property-awards/
x

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Team
Team - IRONMAN 70.3

Sri Lanka Sports Tourism

Sri Lanka Wonder of Asia IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo Triathlon, will be held at Galle face Green, Colombo on February 25th 2018. Healthy competition is good for the economy, and IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo will have 870 participants from 64 countries and aims to attract over 3000 local and out-of-town visitors to Colombo, with a revenue generation of over $3 million in direct economic impact to the country during the period of the triathlon.

“We want to assert Sri Lanka as a destination for sports and outdoor recreation,” YasasHewage, Director Pro Am Serendib said. “We at Pro Am Serendib want to ensure that the communities in Colombo and around the Island are energized by nature, inspired by physical achievement and rewarded through the opportunities events such as IRONMAN can provide to our local communities and companies. As a country, we are blessed with an unlimited supply of sunshine and unsurpassed beauty. Now with the many and varied visitors coming to our country we hope to show our Sri Lanka hospitality and hope to show more people from across the globe what makes Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia.”

The average age of Ironman participants is 39 years old with the oldest participant being 81 years and the youngest 19. The percentage of male participants in IRONMAN is 77 percent are male and the female participation is 23percent. Pro Am Serendib marketing portfolio reached more than 30,000 IRONMAN registrants, many of which often travel to multiple events each year. The competition was marketed as a tourist attraction for Sri Lanka. On average 81 percent of participants will book hotels. Of those who participate, much travels to the race and bring three to four additional people with them for support.

“With Sri Lanka diversifying its offering with sporting events of this nature, we aim to provide an energy that helps bring our communities together,” said Deshabandu Julian Bolling, Director Pro Am Serendib. “We have many triathletes with unique profiles, each person has their own story as to why they are challenging themselves. In the Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo Triathlon we have some unity teams created with athletes from the North, South and East, there are multiple visually impaired athletes, a Vedda (an indigenous person from Sri Lanka) by the name of Punchi Banda; all these people are true spirits that show us anything is possible. I’m certain the emotions of the event and the inspiration of the setting will create an experience that participants will want to have again and again.”


“The safety of international and local participants in Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo Triathlonis paramount with pro-active safety measures established,” added RajanThananayagam, Event Director and Director Pro Am Serendib.“With over 500 volunteers and over 300 Police deployed for the event we aim to make sure that the only drama before and on race days will be the excitement on the course and that the safety of participants, their family, friends and spectators is not compromised. On race day, the hard work of the athletes will come together on a flat, fast course in a sunny tropical climate, setting you up to earn a potential personal record and take home one of the first ever Sri Lanka Wonder of Asia IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo, medals that is authentic and made in Sri Lanka. The top 30 participants will have the opportunity to qualify for a slot to the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, in South Africa.”

IRONMAN 70.3 is one of the most recognized brands in the world, attracting high spending foreign tourists from across the globe, during the IRONMAN event Sri Lanka will see over 3000 athletes and their families visiting the country. The top six participating countries for IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo are India with 133 triathletes; the United Kingdom has 76; France has 47 triathletes, there are 34 from Australia, 30 from the USA, and 26triathletes from Singapore. The race begins with a single-loop, 1.9km swim starting at the beach adjoining Galle Face, followed by a flat and fast three loop 90km bike course and a 21.1 km run course.

IRONMAN 70.3 is organized by Pro Am Serendib, and made possible by the title sponsor Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau. The host hotel for IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo is Shangri-La Colombo; the official apparel partner is MAS, the official electronic media partner is MTV/MBC Group, the official logistics partner is HayleysAdvantis, the official insurer of the event is Ceyllinco VIP, the official tea partner is Dilmah, the official wellness partner is Siddhalepa, the official medical partner is Asiri Health, the official car partner is Land Rover, the official travel partner is Hayleys Tours, the official print media partner is the Wijeya Group, the official nutrition partner is SIS, the official outdoor media partner is Emerging Media. The official bike mechanic is Spinner and the official swimming training partner is Rainbow Swimming.





Saturday, February 10, 2018

Local Government elections start - Sri Lanka
Local Government elections start - Sri Lanka 

Local government elections 2018

Polling for much awaited Sri Lanka`s local government elections started at 7.00am today (10/02/2018), at 13,374 polling centres across the island.

According to the Election Commission, 15,760,867 people are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect 8,356 members out of the 57,219 candidates vying for 340 local government bodies under the newly implemented election system. The Election Commission has urged all voters to mark their respective ballot box with an X against the selected party symbol.
The Body Shop’s addictively silky-soft Japanese Cherry Blossom Strawberry Kiss Body Cream
The Body Shop’s addictively silky-soft Japanese Cherry Blossom
 Strawberry Kiss Body Cream
Infusing the celebration of Valentine’s Day with the ephemeral scents of cherry blossom and strawberries, The Body Shop announced the launch of three sensuous new beauty products that will make the perfect gift to treat the special people in your life.
Created using the irresistibly sweet scents of Japanese Cherry Blossom at its base, the new line of products includes Body Shop’s Japanese Cherry Blossom Strawberry Kiss Body Cream, Shower Gel and a special Eau De Toilette.
The new range is comprised of Body Shop’s Japanese Cherry Blossom Strawberry Kiss Body Cream, an addictively silky-soft body cream infused with the extract of hand-harvested, cold-pressed Japanese cherry blossoms and juicy notes of strawberries, pink peony and amber that leaves the skin richly moisturized, hydrated and fruity fresh.
Refine and replenish skin with the latest Shower Gel formulated using a delicate blend of fragrances of sweet magnolia, cherry blossom and hinoki wood
Refine and replenish skin with the latest Shower Gel formulated
using a delicate blend of fragrances of sweet magnolia,
cherry blossom and hinoki wood
The Cherry Blossoms, from the Body Shop’s newly launched range, are considered a timeless symbol of natural beauty that is associated with the Japanese concept of mono no aware­ ­– celebrating the exquisite beauty and timeless grace of nature itself.
The newly launched Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel is perfect for gentle cleansing, leaving in its wake a delicately blended fragrance of sweet magnolia, feminine cherry blossom and hinoki wood accords to refine and replenish tired skin. Meanwhile, The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom EDT Gift Set – combing a rich duo of eau de toilette and the matching body cream for head-to-toe sweetness - is a perfect surprise your loved one this Valentine’s Day.
Manufactured to the highest ethical trade standards and free from all animal testing forever, The Body Shop brand is synonymous with high-quality natural ingredients and ethical sourcing and environmentally friendly manufacturing practices. 

The Body Shop’s sultry Japanese Cherry Blossom Strawberry Kiss Eau De Toilettes
The Body Shop’s sultry Japanese Cherry Blossom Strawberry
 Kiss Eau De Toilettes 
The new Japanese Cherry Blossom range is the very latest among an extensive and diverse range of bath and body products, fragrances, hair care, skin care, make-up and other accessories. It’s popular Spa of the World, Tea Tree, and Fuji Green Tea ranges are also available at The Body Shop at The Body Shop flagship store on Bagatale Road and Odel on Alexandra Place.



About The Body Shop:
The Body Shop is an iconic British retailer of ethical cosmetics and toiletries. It was founded by Anita Roddick in 1976 with the belief that businesses should ‘enrich, not exploit’. A philosophy of creating the best quality cosmetics and toiletries without exploiting the planet’s resources or people has driven the brand, which pursued sustainability and ethical business long before it became fashionable.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Empowered guests at the She’s Mercedes launch event
Empowered guests at the She’s Mercedes launch event
The brilliant canvas behind the idea that the power of inspired minds can effect excellence, She’s Mercedes, is a platform dedicated to inspiring, connecting, and empowering women globally to unleash their full potential. To introduce this unique platform to the empowered ladies of Sri Lanka, the first ever Sri Lankan She’s Mercedes event, organized by DIMO, was held on 20 January at DIMO 800 – Mercedes-Benz Centre of Excellence.
An intimate evening of stimulating conversation, indulgence, and cocktails was held exclusively for the ladies. Concluding with an enjoyable dinner, the networking event provided an ideal opportunity for guests to reflect upon the hard-hitting and impactful nature of the She’s Mercedes movement.
Shattering gender stereotypes across the world, She’s Mercedes is an inspiration circle and a hub where empowered women of varying interests meet to exchange ideas, share experiences, and spark conversation.
Indeed, the history of Mercedes-Benz demonstrates that it is no stranger to the powerful influence of inspiring women. In 1888, Bertha Benz, a German automotive pioneer, business partner and wife of automobile inventor Karl Benz, undertook the first long-distance journey in the early days of the car. Channeling her spirit, She’s Mercedes is devoted to inspiring and emphasizing the modern idea that the female clientele of Mercedes-Benz has unlimited choices, free of the constraints of gender-stereotyping.
“Nothing about a car categorizes it as a man’s or a woman’s. It is an individual choice. I think Mercedes understands this better than any other, considering the inspiration that the company has drawn from women over the years. This event is not intended to launch an exclusive car for ladies, but to celebrate women and invite them to view our entire range of cars,” Dilrukshi Kurukulasuriya, Chief Human Resources Officer at DIMO PLC, noted in an impactful statement.
She’s Mercedes tackles gender-stereotypes in a brilliantly unique and exceptional manner, employing a mix of several formats, such as intimate portraits, home stories, and interviews. Strong and successful women from various fields and industries provide personal insights by delving into topics related to both business and private life, and impart fresh new perspectives on life. To date, the series has featured remarkable personalities and dynamic individuals such as the model, actress, and activist, Amber Valletta, the founder of Blogilates, Cassey Ho, and inspiring mathematician, Anne-Marie Imafidon. These pioneers are dedicated to pushing the boundaries.

The elegant evening hosted exclusively to inspire, connect and empower women and successfully introduce the She’s Mercedes platform will undoubtedly aid in shattering the cycle of gender-typecasting in Sri Lanka. This enriching experience was merely a stepping stone for more engaging activities to follow. Indeed, the idea of a successful woman in a Mercedes car will certainly remain familiar.

Sports

Ads Place 970 X 90

Asia

Cricket