Latest news with #Linke
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
The sky's the limit when it comes to hospitality packages for 2026 World Cup
TORONTO - Tickets to the 2026 World Cup are now available for Canadians, although only for those willing to pay a premium. The first wave of tickets comes in deluxe packages, provided by On Location, FIFA's official tournament hospitality partner. They range from $2,500 for a single-game package to the sky's the limit. Canadians will have two other ways to get match tickets, without the frills. Canada Soccer is expected to unveil its revamped Canada Red program at the end of July, with different membership levels offering access to a lottery for Canadian game tickets. The more expensive the membership, the better the odds of getting a ticket. FIFA says its ticketing program, which has taken the form of a worldwide lottery in the past, will launch in the fall. On Location is willing to make your sporting dream come true, at a price. Leah Linke, senior vice-president of event production for On Location, recalls a Super Bowl package for a well-heeled client who requested brunch with former star quarterback Tom Brady in a two-level private suite with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. 'I can't divulge how much they paid,' she said. Starting Monday in Canada and Mexico, On Location offers a variety of World Cup packages, with the quality of seats and hospitality service improving as the price rises. 'We are not selling tickets. We are selling experiences of a lifetime,' said Linke. 'We all know you go through life, you collect all these materialistic things,' she added. 'But when it's all said and done, what we all end up with are memories. Memories of our families, memories with our friends. And that is what our goal is — to create memories, once-in-a-lifetime memories.' On Location offers single-match and venue series packages for all games. You can also curate your own package or follow your team in the early rounds (although not for co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S.). Different packages offer access to a variety of private lounges, ranging from $2,500 per person for single-match access to the so-called FIFA Pavilion (outside the stadium) to $5,350 for the in-stadium Pitchside Lounge, with several other options in between. Each package offers a ticket and access to the lounge three hours before kickoff, during halftime, and two hours after the final whistle. 'All you can eat, all you can drink,' said Linke. The higher the price, the better the seat, easier access to stadium and lounge, the more premium food, drink and entertainment and the better the gift that comes with the package. Private suites are also available, although On Location did not provide pricing. If money is no concern, On Location offers the 'Platinum Access Program.' Flights or helicopter needed? No problem. Looking to take the pitch after the game to take a penalty against a star goalkeeper? They can make it happen. 'This truly is the creme de la creme … The sky really is the limit,' said Linke. Linke boasts that On Location is partnering with Michelin-star and James Beard Award-winning chefs, plus a consortium of 'guest experience experts' and a 'team of mixologists.' She expects On Location to service more than a million fans across the tournament's 104 games at 16 different venues. The expanded 48-team competition features 13 games each in Canada and Mexico and the remaining 78 in the U.S. The 28th-ranked Canadian men will open June 12 at Toronto's BMO Field before shifting to Vancouver for its remaining group games June 18 and 24 at B.C. Place Stadium. Should Canada win its group, it would stay in Vancouver for the Round-of-32 game and, if it wins that, stay put for the Round-of-16 contest. On Location was originally spawned by the NFL, looking to take advantage of the secondary market. It was eventually purchased and expanded by Endeavor Group Holdings, formerly William Morris Endeavor and WME-IMG, in January 2020 for a reported US$660 million. Linke says On Location provides hospitality to some 36,000 on Super Bowl Sunday. It was also the official hospitality partner for the Paris Olympics. It will repeat the role at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. It also provides hospitality packages from everything from Major League Baseball and NASCAR to the UFC and WWE. On Location has already started selling tournament packages south of the border. 'And I've got to tell you, they are already flying off the shelf,' said Linke. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
The sky's the limit when it comes to hospitality packages for 2026 World Cup
TORONTO – Tickets to the 2026 World Cup are now available for Canadians, although only for those willing to pay a premium. The first wave of tickets comes in deluxe packages, provided by On Location, FIFA's official tournament hospitality partner. They range from $2,500 for a single-game package to the sky's the limit. Canadians will have two other ways to get match tickets, without the frills. Canada Soccer is expected to unveil its revamped Canada Red program at the end of July, with different membership levels offering access to a lottery for Canadian game tickets. The more expensive the membership, the better the odds of getting a ticket. FIFA says its ticketing program, which has taken the form of a worldwide lottery in the past, will launch in the fall. On Location is willing to make your sporting dream come true, at a price. Leah Linke, senior vice-president of event production for On Location, recalls a Super Bowl package for a well-heeled client who requested brunch with former star quarterback Tom Brady in a two-level private suite with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. 'I can't divulge how much they paid,' she said. Starting Monday in Canada and Mexico, On Location offers a variety of World Cup packages, with the quality of seats and hospitality service improving as the price rises. 'We are not selling tickets. We are selling experiences of a lifetime,' said Linke. 'We all know you go through life, you collect all these materialistic things,' she added. 'But when it's all said and done, what we all end up with are memories. Memories of our families, memories with our friends. And that is what our goal is — to create memories, once-in-a-lifetime memories.' On Location offers single-match and venue series packages for all games. You can also curate your own package or follow your team in the early rounds (although not for co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S.). Different packages offer access to a variety of private lounges, ranging from $2,500 per person for single-match access to the so-called FIFA Pavilion (outside the stadium) to $5,350 for the in-stadium Pitchside Lounge, with several other options in between. Each package offers a ticket and access to the lounge three hours before kickoff, during halftime, and two hours after the final whistle. 'All you can eat, all you can drink,' said Linke. The higher the price, the better the seat, easier access to stadium and lounge, the more premium food, drink and entertainment and the better the gift that comes with the package. Private suites are also available, although On Location did not provide pricing. If money is no concern, On Location offers the 'Platinum Access Program.' Flights or helicopter needed? No problem. Looking to take the pitch after the game to take a penalty against a star goalkeeper? They can make it happen. 'This truly is the creme de la creme … The sky really is the limit,' said Linke. Linke boasts that On Location is partnering with Michelin-star and James Beard Award-winning chefs, plus a consortium of 'guest experience experts' and a 'team of mixologists.' She expects On Location to service more than a million fans across the tournament's 104 games at 16 different venues. The expanded 48-team competition features 13 games each in Canada and Mexico and the remaining 78 in the U.S. The 28th-ranked Canadian men will open June 12 at Toronto's BMO Field before shifting to Vancouver for its remaining group games June 18 and 24 at B.C. Place Stadium. Should Canada win its group, it would stay in Vancouver for the Round-of-32 game and, if it wins that, stay put for the Round-of-16 contest. On Location was originally spawned by the NFL, looking to take advantage of the secondary market. It was eventually purchased and expanded by Endeavor Group Holdings, formerly William Morris Endeavor and WME-IMG, in January 2020 for a reported US$660 million. Linke says On Location provides hospitality to some 36,000 on Super Bowl Sunday. It was also the official hospitality partner for the Paris Olympics. It will repeat the role at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. It also provides hospitality packages from everything from Major League Baseball and NASCAR to the UFC and WWE. On Location has already started selling tournament packages south of the border. 'And I've got to tell you, they are already flying off the shelf,' said Linke. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Hundreds of ICF-made coaches running in special trains to be withdrawn
Hundreds of Integral Coach Factory (ICF) designed coaches running in special trains operated across the railway network will be withdrawn and condemned. According to railway sources, a majority of these coaches were earlier used for operating 62 Garib Rath Express trains on various routes. LHB rakes The production of ICF-designed coaches for Garib Rath trains was stopped last year and replaced with Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) air-conditioned economy rakes. The old coaches were used to run special trains. However, several complaints were received from senior officials in different Zonal Railways about multiple maintenance issues, including electrical and mechanical problems, and non-availability of spare parts. With increasing number of complaints from the travelling public and railway officials in the recent months, the Railway Board has directed that erstwhile ICF-designed Garib Rath Express coaches be withdrawn from passenger service with immediate effect, the sources said. Read more:Old coaches turn death traps 'Zonal Railways have reported a number of issues in maintenance of electrical and mechanical sub-assemblies of ICF Garib Rath coaches, which include overdue mid-life rehabilitation and difficulty in procurement of spares. It has been decided to discontinue these coaches from passenger service,' a railway official said. About 900 coaches were expected to be withdrawn. Though a policy decision was taken to replace all ICF-designed coaches, most of which are at least 20-years old, hundreds of trains were being operated with the old rakes. In Southern Railway alone, 154 rakes comprising the ICF-designed coaches were still in passenger service on several routes and officials had planned to replace them with LHB rakes by 2028, the sources said.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Arcane' cocreator reflects on Season 2 and looks ahead to the future of ‘League of Legends'
Prior to 2021, Riot Games' League of Legends was primarily known as a wildly successful battle arena game. But the characters created for that game became even more popular after Netflix debuted the first season of Arcane, a thrilling animated series that rivaled Pixar in terms of visual flare. After a three-year hiatus, Arcane returned for its second and final season in November 2024. The series' swan song is now potentially a contender to win its second Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. Prior to the voting period, Gold Derby caught up with Christian Linke, the cocreator of Arcane and one of the primary driving voices behind it. Linke shared his thoughts on the origin of the show, Season 2's change in direction, and where the franchise may go in the future. More from GoldDerby 'Prizzi's Honor' at 40: How John and Angelica Huston made history together with his penultimate picture 'So indescribable and special': 'Happy's Place' stars Belissa Escobedo and Melissa Peterman on working with Reba McEntire Sam Rockwell on Frank's 'White Lotus' backstory, Woody Harrelson's influence, and going all in on 'this arc of Buddhist to Bad Lieutenant' Linke noted that most of the story and lore behind Arcane didn't exist before the show. All of that was built around asking questions about the characters as they appeared in the game. "What was there to start to work with was the characters, Vi, Jinx, Jayce, Viktor, Caitlyn, Ekko, That was really the heart of what inspired the show, and frankly made us fall in love with wanting to to work on this project because we had been with these characters for at that point, five or six years. We've been playing the game for hundreds or thousands of hours with these characters. And just over time, you start to have questions. 'Who are they when they're not just these game characters? How do they live their lives? What happened to these sisters that became enemies?' These were just all the questions that started to pop up over time. Jinx — as voiced by Fallout's Ella Purnell — turned out to be one of the show's most popular characters just as she is in the game. That didn't come as s surprise to Linke and his collaborators. "Jinx, to a large degree, inspired the entire show," said Linke. "I think there's always been something about Jinx that is magnetic. When she's on the screen, it's just fun. Her scenes are fun. She's always been one of the most successful characters from our game. So I think there's just something about that wild character and expression that is the ultimate power fantasy of doing whatever you want and being interesting and original. We've always known that Jinx is our powerhouse." However, Linke admitted to being shocked by how much viewers liked Jinx's second adoptive father, Silco (Jason Spisak), who was one of the unambiguously villainous characters in Season 1. "We weren't sure what kind of reaction to expect from Silco," admitted Linke. "He is a manipulative, criminal, ruthless, and at times violent man who does a lot of messed up stuff. I think we were pretty surprised to see how after the first season was out, there were a lot of Silco fans. I think that was a bit of a learning experience for us. It was fascinating to see how there were a lot of people who were willing to forgive a lot of pretty messed up stuff that he was doing as the underground kingpin of Zaun. I think that was perhaps the most interesting reaction we had to process." Netflix If the first season of Arcane was built around introducing the game's characters to a wider audience, Season 2 was meant to find new layers for the champions of the rival cities of Zaun and Piltover. "In many ways, Season 1 was all about getting the characters to that state that they're at in the game," said Linke. "When they're champions of League of Legends. Season 2 was about 'What have we not seen from these characters yet? What have we not seen in the game yet?' "We flipped a lot of the characters on their heads," continued Linke. "Caitlyn, for example, goes from a hopeful character who wants to work with the underground and really becomes an opponent and a very fierce aggressor after her traumatic experiences at the end of Season 1. And Jinx becomes this unlikely icon/hero of Zaun, which she really didn't expect. I think that was really fun to explore." Netflix The two seasons of Arcane were not only filled with emotional story arc, it also had some of the most jaw-dropping animation seen on TV or streaming that rivals Pixar itself. Linke gave full credit for Arcane's unique mixture of 3D and 2D animation to Fortiche, the French animation studio behind the show. "[Mixing 3D and 2D] was always their trademark look and I think it's because they had a lot of artists coming from comics and being in love with traditional 2D animation, 2D VFX," related Linke. "They just always wanted to find this approach that blends things together. It really was just leaning into that. They have this identity already as artists and it felt like it made 2D work on the big screen. It was a cool blend and I just always loved it. I tried to enable them to lean into that." Netflix According to Linke, Arcane was always going to run for only two seasons. But the League of Legends universe lives on. Regarding a potential live-action League of Legends, Linke said "there are explorations." He also said that the team has considered making an Arcane movie. "[Making an animated movie] has crossed our minds," admitted Linke. "We'll see. Now, we're exploring follow-up projects, and there are a bunch of features among them. Which ones will actually go? It's still a big TBD. In the last few weeks, when you have these screenings going on awards consideration, Arcane really holds up well on the big screen. That was a wonderful experience for us. Definitely everybody is excited to think about what future projects could look like on the big screen." For the present, Linke noted that Riot wants to keep the team behind Arcane intact as they decide what the next project will be. "What we're starting with is the people," said Linke. "We've worked together now for 10 years on Arcane. We're very inspired by Pixar, where people started working together on Toy Story, and then after that, people became captains of their own ships, because you learn from each other. That's where we're at. Right now, we want to invest in a few key people that worked on Arcane to explore new stories and see what they're drawn to. We still have to prove that we have strong stories and worthy stories to invest in. We're really investing in the talent that made Arcane. Best of GoldDerby Sam Rockwell on Frank's 'White Lotus' backstory, Woody Harrelson's influence, and going all in on 'this arc of Buddhist to Bad Lieutenant' Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh admit they 'never had the audacity to realize' a show like 'Deli Boys' was possible From 'Housewives' overload to the 'shadiest queens' alliance: The dish on 'The Traitors' Season 4 lineup Click here to read the full article.
Edmonton Journal
20-05-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton AI conference sells out of tickets in its fourth year running
Cam Linke is a leader in Canada's technology and startup community and CEO of Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. His research is focused on AI adapting behaviours to improve their own self-learning. Linke was at Upper Bound, the AI conference at the Edmonton Convention Centre on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Photo by Shaughn Butts / Postmedia For the first time since its inception, Upper Bound AI Conference was sold out with more than 6,000 attendees flocking to the Edmonton Convention Centre for opening on Tuesday to learn more about the colossal industry that keeps growing, including a new grant from Google Canada. 'It's definitely bigger than we thought it was going to be four years ago,' said Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (AMII) CEO Cam Linke. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors When AMII first started its annual AI conference, it was initially just simply called 'AI Week,' recalled Linke, and the whole conference was held at the AMII office, which was able to host the smaller crowd from the early days. Several years later, and now known across Canada as Upper Bound, the conference is well-respected by researchers, investors and businesses alike, with an expanding crowd reflective of the growth in the industry. Part of the surge in the industry was an announcement by Google Canada that a $5 million grant will be given to AMII to help foster greater integration of AI education into post-secondary curricula across the country. The key to the announcement for Linke was to ensure AI literacy across different disciplines. 'Regardless of the degree or diploma, you're coming out with a solid understanding and literacy in AI, so you can start to leverage that in your job going forward,' said Linke. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We need as many informed voices in the discussion as possible as we're deciding as a country on what the impact of AI is going to be, and how we're going to lead in that. And so for us to be able to help, increasing literacy across the country is something we're really proud to be a part of.' Last year, when Postmedia attended Upper Bound, a common theme was discussions about safety in AI. This year the Google grant announcement falls in line with what Linke said is the prominent theme of this year's convention — adoption in the workforce. Previously, discussions surrounding AI in the workplace centred around trying to convince the decision-makers that using AI is valuable, but now Linke says the conversation has already changed. Now, boards and bosses already expect AI to be part of the plan forward. Upper Bound, an AI conference at the Edmonton Convention Centre hosted by AMII, lands for the third year in a row with more than 6,000 attendees on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The main hall can accommodate up to six speakers at the same time because attendees pick a presenter to watch and tune their headphone by colour to match the stage. Shaughn Butts/Postmedia Photo by Shaughn Butts / 10108058A Of course, another big topic of this year's conference is getting the chance to hear Richard Sutton, a University of Alberta professor and chief scientific adviser with AMII, speak after being awarded as the co-recipient of the 2024 Association for Computing Machinery A.M. Turing Award, which is often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize in computing.' The award is the highest distinction in the world of computer science, which is sure to spur a crowd on Thursday, when Sutton is set to speak. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While Upper Bound provides opportunities for attendees to learn, create, and experience various elements of AI, Linke is most heartened by the conference's growing role as a space for vital collisions between members of different sectors that might typically be siloed. Across the country, Linke called for better adoption of AI, which he said Canada has been slow to do compared to other countries. 'The impact that AI can have on companies' operations, on their bottom line, is really big on productivity. We know there's a productivity challenge in Canada,' Linke said. Overall, he said that in order to get the most out of AI as a tool, more adoption is needed while also investing in research to keep driving the industry forward in new ways. He hopes AMII and Upper Bound will continue to assist. 'We'll be here again next year, hopefully creating more collisions between those researchers, between that talent, between the companies trying to adopt (AI) or learning more about it. And we just think, the more that we can create that gravity here, we're going to build something really special,' Linke said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. zdelaney@ Read More Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun. Cult of Hockey Sports Politics Columnists Cult of Hockey
