BallantinesPR

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Rolling
Scenic Railroad Better Than Ever for 2007

The locomotives are polished, the whistles clean and shiny, and the conductors are practicing their “all aboard” – as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad continues its 2007 season. Opening ceremonies on May 26, 2007 were held at both the Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado stations.

“We expect this to be a very exciting year,” said General Manager Tim Tennant. “For the first time in seven years, trains will be departing from both Antonito and Chama every day of the week. This means that more people can experience the excitement of an old-fashioned steam train ride.”

Also new this year: Four steam locomotives (built and delivered in the 1920s) are fully operational, and a track improvement project begun last year has been completed, making for a smoother and faster ride.

“This unique treasure gives New Mexicans and their visitors the opportunity to explore one of the state’s most scenic areas, and at the same time, share in a family experience sure to be remembered for years to come,” said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department, who will attend the opening day festivities in Chama. “The folks at the Cumbres & Toltec are to be commended for their efforts.”

The Cumbres & Toltec is owned by the people of Colorado and New Mexico. Its locomotives, cars, buildings, and even its 64-mile narrow-gauge route were all part of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway, making it the most authentic train in all of North America.

A ride on the train is an adventure in time. It chugs up the 10,015-foot-high Cumbres Pass, winds through tunnels and over trestles, and snakes along the 800-foot-deep Toltec Gorge, past waterfalls, mountain forests, and alpine meadows.

There are more special train rides than ever in 2007. Nine of the popular Cinder Bear Express rides for families begin June 21. The Osprey Express coincides with the osprey festival in northern New Mexico July 15 and there are Moonlight Trains July 28 and August 25. Christmas trains will be December 1 and 8.

Tickets begin at $62 for adults and $31 for children and include a hot lunch at the mining town of Osier, Colorado. Upgrades to the parlor car are a way to experience train travel the way cattle barons did. For ticket information and reservations, visit cumbrestoltec.com or call 1-888-CUMBRES.

For more information on opening-day ceremonies, contact:
Gayle Martinez
Director of Sales & Marketing
505-209-0218
gmartinez@cumbrestoltec.com

Mike Stauffer
Communications Director
New Mexico Tourism Department
505-827-7379
mike.stauffer@state.nm.us

Contact:
Jennifer Hoffman
jennifer@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 505 216 7669
Cell: 505 603 8643
http://www.ballantinespr.com

Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta:
A World Class Culinary Destination in the Southwest

There are two things that happen in New Mexico without fail every fall. The first is the crack and sizzle of famed Hatch chiles being tossed in roasters in every grocery store parking lot, sending a rich and lovely burned perfume into the air. The second is the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta—a gathering of 60 of Santa Fe’s finest restaurants and 90 wineries against the spectacular silhouette of the City Different’s Opera.

The Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta, known as The Wine Event with All Those Great Restaurants, will celebrate its 17^th year September 26 – 30, 2007. The packed four day event begins with Guest Chef Luncheons where local chefs mingle with those looking for wine and cheese pairings hailing from Spain or Slow Food preparations promoting regional culinary heritage as well as wine seminars, blind tastings, and discussions on biodynamic, organic and sustainable wineries.

Other highlights include:

• Mark Kiffin, The Compound Restaurant owner/chef and winner of the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef in the Southwest 2005” hosting chef luncheon.
• Silent Auction of week’s best wines from all 90 wineries, including 45 rare wine lots to benefit the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta’s education programs.
• Grand Food & Wine Tasting at the Santa Fe Opera on Saturday, September 29 from 1 pm to 4 pm.
• 14^th Annual Gruet Golf Classic scramble featuring six sparkling Gruet wine and dishes from six different Santa Fe restaurants every third hole.

Tickets go on sale July 5, 2007.

Press trips will be available for this event. For more information, a full brochure, interviews with chefs and sommeliers, and accommodations information, please contact:

Jennifer Hoffman
jennifer@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 505 216 0889
Cell: 505 603 8643
http://www.ballantinespr.com

GET Interactive
Creates Exciting New Advertising Paradigm

WINSTON-SALEM N.C. June 22, 2007 – GET Interactive today announced a new process that promises to revolutionize advertising, allowing viewers of music videos, films and other video content to buy and interact with brand and products they see on screen by simply pointing and clicking.

The company’s patent-pending system converts any video content on the Internet, mobile device or IPTV into a shopping or promotional opportunity without disrupting the viewing experience. GET Interactive’s opt-in marketing model arrives at a time when traditional advertising is losing its effectiveness, said Rick Harrison, the company’s founder and chief executive officer.

“GET Interactive re-defines the rules of engagement with the consumer,” Harrison said. “This is an opportunity for the presenter of a brand to drill down and create a relationship with a consumer.”

GET Interactive works with advertisers and content producers to identify products that appear in the video content. Without disrupting their viewing experience, consumers can click the “GET Shop Spot” and browse through still images of the content in a new browser window. Consumers simply point and click on selected items to launch an ad panel with a link to a point of purchase or promotion.

The mobile shopping service will allow consumers to bill purchases directly to their handheld account or download a GPS location-based coupon for the nearest store carrying the desired product.

The GET Interactive system is currently operating on the website of Paramount Pictures’ Freedom Writers, a film starring Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (http://www.freedomwriters.com/). Meanwhile, Overture Pictures will use GET Interactive’s branding platform in the upcoming feature film, Mad Money.

GET Interactive, headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C. (with offices in Los Angeles and New York), is also in discussions with Interscope, Geffen and A&M Records, which are part of Universal Music Group. Music videos are already widely viewed on mobile phones and other handheld devices.

GET Interactive’s management team has decades of experience in publishing, advertising, technology, entertainment and brand marketing. Harrison started the company in 2005 to answer the growing demand for a new advertising model.

As DVRs reduce the effectiveness of the traditional 30-second advertising spot and Internet video viewing becomes more popular, entertainment companies are looking for new ways to help advertisers reach consumers. Advertisers want to cut through the noise and clutter of the information landscape, while consumers are fed-up with intrusive marketing.

“We believe very strongly that the future of advertising is opt-in,” Harrison said. In GET Interactive’s model, consumers retain total control over the advertising they see. “Our basic goal is to make video viewed anywhere shoppable without disrupting the experience,” he said. “We want to be the pathfinder to opt-in marketing around the world.”

GET Interactive is already optimized for Internet and handheld content. As of Aug. 1, it will also be configured for IPTV, Harrison said.

GET Interactive’s opt-in marketing paradigm benefits web publishers and digital service providers by generating additional revenue at little or no cost, Harrison said. Brands benefit because they gain access to motivated shoppers, while consumers now get to decide when or whether they will look at advertising.

“No one loses in this scenario,” Harrison said. “It’s a total media and branding and shopping solution for video content.”

http://www.getinteractive.tv

Contact:
Maya Benyehuda
Ballantines PR
maya@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310 699 9431
http://www.ballantinespr.com