Eight things you need to know on topics related to Saratoga County's economy.

1. Saratoga Hospitality and Tourism Index November 13 - Take our Pulse Survey

Join us on November 13th, from 11:30am - 1:00pm at Excelsior Springs Event Center at 47 Excelsior Ave, Saratoga Springs , as we explore the economic impact that Hospitality and Tourism has on the Saratoga County economy. The event will feature a presentation of data collected by the Saratoga Partnership team. Hear first-hand from a panel of industry experts  David O’Rourke, CEO & President of The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) ; Darryl Leggieri, President of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau ; and Cindy Hollowood, former general manager of the Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs , about challenges and opportunities in the Saratoga County Hospitality & Tourism sector. Special thanks to our  Presenting Sponsor   Adirondack Trust Company ,  and  Gold Sponsor BBL Inc. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

HOSPITALTY AND TOURISM PULSE SURVEY

Take this brief survey and receive 20% discount to the Hospitality and Tourism Index. Saratoga County based hospitality and tourism stakeholders are invited to take to participate in this brief survey.   All individual answers to this survey will be held in strict confidence. The Saratoga Partnership will share the aggregated results during their Saratoga County  Hospitality  + Tourism Economic Index event.

2. OBOY! Esperanto Launches Commercial Bakery in Ballston Spa

If you have ever looked for a late night snack in the Saratoga Springs region, you more than likely have eaten or heard of Esperanto's OBOY, formerly known as doughboys. These handheld snacks made of chicken, cheese, and secret spices, that are cooked in pizza dough have been a staple at Esperanto's on Caroline Street since 1995. With the growing popularity of "grab and go" food items, Esperanto will be launching and expansion with the opening of Commercial Bakery in Ballston Spa. Saratoga Partnership, which provided a host of business and technical services, including site location for Esperanto's new commercial kitchen, procurement assistance, and workforce development expertise. The latter included connecting Esperanto with the  Workforce Development Institute (WDI) ,   which awarded a $15,000 grant to support employee training and development essential to opening and successfully operating the bakery. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE + MEDIA COVERAGE

3. U.S. Department of Commerce to hold Intellectual Property Protection Roadshow November 5

On November 5 from 8:30am - 2:00pm the U.S. Department of Commerce will be hosing The STOPfakes.gov Roadshow at the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce Office. The event will deliver critically important information about intellectual property to the audience that needs it most - start-ups, entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, independent creators, and inventors. The one day seminar will show how companies can protect and enforce intellectual property to get the most out of exporting abroad. Participants will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with speakers from the U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement, International Trade Administration, National IPR Center, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Copyright Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation and more. For registration and more information, contact Cathy Gibbons at the U.S. Commercial Service arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration by email or by phone at (914) 682-6712.

4. SUNY ADK Social Media Series to feature Death Wish Coffee's Teah Teriele

With digital content and email marketing at their core, a focus on community interaction, and a sprinkle of cynicism, Death Wish Coffee has grown to the best selling coffee online in only five short years. Led by e-commerce superstar Mike Brown, Death Wish Coffee Company produces the World’s Strongest Coffee in the freshest batches possible. On Thursday, November 21, 2019, from 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM EST Teah Teriele, Marketing Manager at Death Wish Coffee will share great ideas and practical knowledge on how you can build your own killer social media strategies for your business. The program is supported by SUNY Adirondack, Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership. Space is limited - Click here to register.

5. Forget Electric Cars, Tesla Thinks Its Energy Business Will Be Just as Big

Speaking during an  earnings call  to discuss third-quarter results in which Tesla surprised Wall Street by posting a profit, founder and Chief Executive, Elon Musk said its energy business which includes solar panels, energy storage and other products and services related to it, could be bigger and will "certainly be of a similar magnitude."  For around 24 months Tesla had ignored its energy and solar efforts as it focused on the Model 3. But now it's all about storage. Later this week Musk said Tesla will roll out solar roof tiles, the third iteration. The solar roof tiles were first unveiled in 2016 with pre-orders opening in 2017. This announcement implies the tiles are now ready to make their consumer debut. Read more about the future of Tesla here .

6. Watch Google, Facebook, and Youtube's Rise to Dominance in This Hypnotic Video

Today, AOL and Yahoo are  near-worthless  divisions of a phone company, as Verizon picks their digital bones to assimilate,  sell off , or  shut down what’s left. But two decades ago, AOL and Yahoo essentially  were  the internet, along with Microsoft Network (MSN). A  new video  shows just how this demise occurred—and how Google and YouTube came to dominate the internet—through an eight-minute bar graph that depicts how worldwide monthly traffic has evolved over nearly 24 years, starting in January 1996.

7. 2019: Halloween Spending to Reach $8.8 Billion

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has been conducting its annual Halloween survey with Prosper Insights & Analytics for over a decade to see how Americans celebrate the fright and delight of this beloved autumn holiday. Shoppers say they will spend an average $86.27, down just slightly from last year’s record $86.79. That works out to $8.8 billion in total spending, down from last year’s $9 billion. This year’s total is expected to be the third-highest in the survey’s 15-year history, after the record $9.1 billion set in 2017. A total of 172 million people plan to celebrate Halloween – 68 percent of those surveyed – down from 175 million last year. Among those celebrating, 69 percent plan to hand out candy, 49 percent plan to decorate their home or yard, 47 percent will dress in costume, 44 percent will carve a pumpkin, 32 percent will throw or attend a party, 29 percent will take their children trick-or-treating, 22 percent will visit a haunted house and 17 percent will dress their pets in costume. Check out NRF's "Halloween Data Center" to learn more about the economics and annual Halloween trends.

8. How 3D Printing, Vertical Farming, and Materials Science Are Overhauling Food

With advances in 3D printing, vertical farming, and materials sciences, we can now make food smarter, more productive, and far more resilient. By the end of the next decade, you should be able to 3D print a fusion cuisine dish from the comfort of your home, using ingredients harvested from vertical farms, with nutritional value optimized by AI and materials science. However, even this picture doesn’t account for all the rapid changes underway in the food industry. Read more about how these different advances are changing the food production landscape.

EVENTS

10.30.19 - JOB FAIR at Saratoga Springs Public Library - click here to register

11.5.19 - STOP FAKES - Intellectual Property Protection Roadshow - click here to register

11.13.19 - SARATOGA COUNTY HOSPITALITY + TOURISM ECONOMIC INDEX - click here to register

11.21.19 - SOCIAL MEDIA SERIES featuring Death Wish Coffee - click here to register