Wednesday 8th May saw CASIO celebrate the first anniversary of their first concept store in London’s Covent Garden. Occupying two floors, the 933 sq ft store was designed by London based creative agency HarrimanSteel to create a new premium retail experience for CASIO's brands G-SHOCK PREMIUM, G-SHOCK CLASSIC, EDIFICE, SHEEN AND PRO TREK

Mary Charteris took to the decks for the evening while guests enjoyed sushi from Nori, birthday cake created by Pomp de Franc and drinks from Café de Paris, Zeo and Asahi. Celebrity guests included Thom Evans, Becky Tong, Bo Bruce, Stooshe, Goldierocks, Olivia Grant, Russell Kane, Gemma Cairney, Lilah Parsons, Tolula Adeyami, Angela Scanlon, The White Lies, Jessica Lowndes, Natt Weller, Sarah Jane Crawford, Russell Tovey, Zoe Hardman, Jamal Edwards, Ebony Day, Kay van Nova, Sean Teale, Leah Weller, Preeya Kalidas, Georgie L.A, Lianne Le Havas, Robbie Furze, David Haye and Jack & Finn Harries.

The CASIO Concept Store is located at Unit 5B, The Market, Covent Garden, WC2E 8RA. For further information please contact Sophie Marshall at Village Press

E: sophie@wearevillage.com T: 020 7490 7394

* When both operator and customer displays are retracted.

Two LCD displays designed for easy viewing

・The tiltable operator display can show up to 10 lines of data (maximum of 8 lines when keying in sales)

・The customer display can simultaneously show the product name and price, and can raise up to a maximum of 107 millimeters.

SD memory card slot for data backup and setup

・Sales data can be backed up on an SD memory card, and can also be viewed on a computer.

・A cash register configuration utility for a Windows® PC with an SD card slot is available for download from Casio’s UK website

A user-friendly design

・The drop-in paper loading mechanism allows users to load the paper receipt roll just by opening the cover and dropping it in place, no manual paper feeding is required.

・There are 28 different kinds of preset graphic logos which can be printed on receipts, for example “Special Sale”.

・The keyboard’s antibacterial finish prevents the growth and spread of bacteria The SE-S3000M and five other new models are now available in the UK, all equipped with a large LCD capable of displaying up to 10 lines of data.

The SE-S3000M and five other new models are now available in the UK, all equipped with a large LCD capable of displaying up to 10 lines of data.

About Casio Electronics Co. Limited

Since the launch of the Casio Computer Company in Japan in 1957, the company has been guided by the core principles of ‘Creativity and Contribution’. Casio is a vibrant, energetic and innovative brand that sustains its competitive edge by seeking new and improved approaches to meet customer demands. Well-known around the world for its consumer electronics products such as calculators, watches, digital cameras and electronic pianos, Casio also has a strong business to business heritage. Casio has been manufacturing EPoS solutions for over 30 years. Our objective is to improve people’s lives by developing groundbreaking technology, rugged and energy efficient products and delivering this with a level of customer service which is second to none. It is this constant pursuit of excellence which helps us to meet our customer’s expectations.

For more information on this product launch, please contact:

Guy Boxall Senior
Product Marketing Manager
Casio Electronics Co. Limited
Unit 6 1000 North Circular Road
London
NW2 7JD

Tel: 020 8208 7846

Email: boxallg@casio.co.uk

Web: www.casio.co.uk

・1/100 second stop-watch

・World time in 48 cities

・High-brightness LED back light

・Shock resistant

・Water resistant to 200 metres

 The winning idea was presented by young entrepreneurs Grace Hyer (16) and Victoria Stanworth, students at Hameldon Community College in Burnley. The business revolves around manufacturing original, one-off fashion accessories using unwanted denim – a model ideally suited to an eco-friendly and fashion-conscious market, already having seen profitability selling in their local area.

 The Bright Minds Enterprise judging panel, which featured Apprentice and Young Apprentice stars Nick Holzherr and Zara Brownless alongside Paul Eastham from the business charity, Young Enterprise, heard from the four finalist teams as they presented their unique business ideas on Casio’s stand at the exhibition. Runners up presented equally impressed the judges, showcasing compelling business concepts including a developed learning app, online party business and first person console game.

  “The competition this year was extremely close as all the entries were such high quality, and creative business concepts,” explained Tim Gould, Head of Marketing at Casio and member of this year’s judging panel. “We were looking for great ideas for an invention, business, product or service that would make the students school, community or the world a better place. All the ideas put forward did just this with such professionalism and the debate to pick a winner was intense. De-Cycle presented a great business idea, matched with real business feasibility and were able to showcase how it could impact their school, community and the world in a positive way. This really gave them the winning edge, we are looking forward to working closely with them over the coming months to take their brand further.”

 Alongside an all expenses overnight trip to London, where the students got to pick a watch of their choice at the flagship Casio store in Covent Garden, a Hotel Chocolat experience on the London eye and a showing of the Lion King, all of the four finalist teams walked away with a state of the art Casio projector for their school. The success of this year’s competition at BETT sees Casio and young entrepreneurs across the country already looking forward to next year’s event.

In front of an audience of team members, partners, guests and international media, drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber drew back the sheet to reveal the RB9, the final instalment in a generation of designs that have bought Infiniti Red Bull Racing 34 grand prix victories and six World Championships.

Nine times grand prix winner Mark and triple World Champion Sebastian were joined on stage by team principal Christian Horner, chief technical officer Adrian Newey and corporate vice president global marketing communications representing Infiniti, Simon Sproule.

Despite the largely unchanged nature of the technical regulations for 2013, Adrian Newey explained that the off-season was far from relaxed.“It’s a tribute to all the hard work of the guys over the winter because we had a very tight championship battle last year,” he said. “It was difficult trying to continue development of last year’s car while also doing research into the RB9. Obviously it worked for us, but it gave us a very tight timeframe to design and manufacture this car.

“RB9 is an evolutionary car,” he added. “Probably the most significant change is not the regulations, but the new Pirelli tyres. We had a quick test with those in practice ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix but in truth we didn’t learn a lot because of the conditions. Pirelli have supplied us data about how the new tyres behave but past experience tells us that it’s only when we go testing that we really find out.”

The continuity in Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s driver line-up for 2013 is much more straightforward. Sebastian is beginning his fifth year with the team, while this will be Mark’s seventh straight season with Infiniti Red Bull Racing, the longest-established teamdriver combination on the 2013 grid.

“The fact that this is my seventh season with the team is a massive advantage,” said Mark. “I couldn’t have envisaged it when I joined and it’s hard to believe that you could be with the same Formula One team for seven years, as continuity is not always easy to achieve in this sport.

“I think the way we keep people excited and motivated here is important,” he added. “It’s quite a small operation, but obviously we’re big on ambition and desire and that makes us perform very well. I’ve really enjoyed the years I’ve had here so far and I can’t wait to get going this season.”

After a thrilling climax to the 2012 season which saw Sebastian claim his third title in as many years, the sport’s youngest ever triple world champion has had the opportunity to recharge his batteries over the last two months and professed himself more than ready to begin the task of trying to win a fourth straight title, something done only twice before in the history of the sport.

“We had a very strong finish last season, but it was hard as the season was so long – it was important for me to enjoy being home,” he said. “Pretty soon though I started training again, preparing for the new season and I’m very excited because this is the first time I’ve seen the car in one piece. I’ve seen little bits, but it looks very nice, so now we’ll get to see if it works as expected. I’m excited to get going again, to get back in the car, start testing and then go racing. Then, we’ll finally find out where we are.”

As Infiniti Red Bull Racing begins the defence of its world titles, Christian Horner emphasised the value of stability in the team. “The 2012 season was tough and long, but our success was testimony to all the hard work and dedication in the factory,” he said. “We’re fortunate that we’ve been able to maintain continuity within our group. This is the fifth year that this driver pairing has been together. We’ve got continuity throughout all of the technical teams and all the key areas. I think that’s proof that there is a fierce determination to keep both of those trophies in the cabinet for another year.”

The team departs for southern Spain this evening, with testing of the RB9 due to commence at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit on Tuesday. Mark will give the car its track debut, driving on Tues 5 and Wed 6 February, with Sebastian taking over for the final two days, on Thurs 7 and Fri 8 February.

Alongside the Bright Minds Award's presentation, Casio's own 'classroom of the future' stand (D50) will host Casio's new technologies for 2013: 'Casio Signage' - a new range of digital signage solutions for schools and universities, and an ANDROIDTM tablet designed specifically for the education sector.

Built to survive life in any busy school, college or university, the rugged and stylish Casio V-T500 helps to improve students' creativity and communication skills. As will be demonstated at BETT, it also serves as the ideal tool for teachers, whether in the classroom or out on a field trip. Casio Signage is a new and powerfull tool that will enable educators to provide way finding and electronically updated information distribution anywhere in a school, college or university. Casio Signage captivates passers-by with a realistic customisable character that talks to them from a screen.

Casio's Product Marketing Manager Gemma Platt: "We're bringing two really fresh technologies to BETT this year: Casio Signage is compact and requires no installation work, and of course it can be updated faster than any sign writer can work. The highlight for teachers and students however, might be our new Android V-T500 tablet. Unlike most tablets, it's built to be dropped, knocked and thrown around whilst still being useful as an engaging teaching aid."

You can see all of these and more at stand D50 at BETT from 30th January to 2nd February 2013.

Casio will showcase four EPoS products helping the hospitality sector to deliver the best customer service to their patrons.  The NEW Casio V-R100 which includes PoS software @ typically £2.50 per day rental with fully supported hardware and software will be presented. This all-in-one terminal with integrated thermal receipt printer and pop-up customer display uses the well-known open source Android^TM platform.

Also on show will be Casio’s NEW CBMS (Casio Business Management Solution) cloud reporting solution, an add-on module for business owners and managers to remotely access management accounts and sales reports from the Casio QT-Series hardware. Information can be provided in many formats, numerically, or as a bar or pie chart for example and viewed on a wide range of web enabled devices. The add-on module is easy to learn and use, allowing different levels of access and security for each member of staff.  Historical and comparison sales data can be viewed by product, department, or retail unit. This NEW cloud reporting solution helps owners to manage their business very accurately, to ensure that investments are being made in the best areas for future growth.

Casio’s NEW rugged Android^TM V-T500 tablet will be released at The Hospitality Show. Ideal as an order entry tablet in pubs and restaurants, or for business management, the V-T500 has a stylish and rugged design, drop tested to 1M to concrete and IP54 water and dust protection.

At The Hospitality Show 2013, Casio will have a range of ECR (Electronic Cash Register) and EPoS (Electronic Point of Sale) solutions for all type of hospitality, including coffee shops, restaurants, leisure centres and pubs.   Casio offers a wide range of tailor-made solutions, with easy-to-read touch-screen displays, robust keyboards, low power and small counter-top foot print.  Visit stand 816 to see how Casio and their network of UK partners can help bring your EPoS up-to-date.

About Casio Electronics Co. Limited

Since the launch of the Casio Computer Company in Japan in 1957, the company has been guided by the core principles of ‘Creativity and Contribution’. Casio is a vibrant, energetic and innovative brand that sustains its competitive edge by seeking new and improved approaches to meet customer demands. Well-known around the world for its consumer electronics products such as calculators, watches, digital cameras and electronic pianos, Casio also has a strong business to business heritage. Our objective is to improve people’s lives by developing groundbreaking technology, rugged and energy efficient products and delivering this with a level of customer service which is second to none. It is this constant pursuit of excellence which helps us to meet our customer’s expectations.

For more information on this product launch, please contact:

Guy Boxall
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Casio Electronics Co. Limited
Tel: 020 8208 7846
Email: boxallg@casio.co.uk or bsd@casio.co.uk

The iF design awards are organized by iF International Forum Design GmbH and are internationally recognized as a mark of excellence in industrial product design. Entries are carefully judged not only for their design features, but also for their quality, price, and environmental performance.

Overview of the Award-Winning Casio Products

V-R100 Business Support Terminal

The V-R100 is an Android™ business support terminal equipped with a color main display with full touch-screen operation, a sub-display that is great for showing information to customers, and a thermal printer to generate receipts. The stylish and compact form fits in attractively in retail or office settings, and the drawer and main unit can be separated, offering excellent versatility whether used in retail or in a restaurant or office. 

IT-9000 Handheld Printer Terminal

The IT-9000 is a handheld printer terminal equipped with a thermal printer and near field communication (NFC) reader/writer. The terminal reads data embedded in NFC-compliant tags and cards, and issues tickets and receipts on the spot. The shape of the device makes it very easy to carry, even for long periods of time, and the back side even features an extra-comfortable rounded form. The 79-mm grip makes the IT-9000 a pleasure to hold, and it delivers outstanding operability when used outdoors. 

The powerful combination of these two global organisations allows the smaller merchant to install the EPoS hardware and PIN Entry Devices (PED) all from one source, making installation and training much easier to deliver and monitor. The Casio Android^TM platform V-R100 EPoS terminal provides the customer-facing PoS solution, complete with stock control, appointment booking and business management tools within the core software. Global Payments’ Global POS Link connects their terminal to the till for taking payments at a fixed location, when mobile on a shop floor or within a hospitality setting. 

Clear benefits have been identified for smaller retailers: 

• The small footprint of the Casio VX-100 takes less space on the countertop
• The solution’s low power requirements create a typical saving of 85% against traditional Windows^TM based EPoS solutions
• An all-in-one EPoS solution with built-in easy loading printer, customer display and large 10.4” touch-screen LCD for the operator
• Additional apps for queue busting, electronic vouchers and receipts and SMS / email marketing to the retailers’ customers
• The Global POS Link enables easier reconciliation with only one end of day report produced
• All terminals provided are Global Payments’ accredited and provide all of the card/payment functionality which reduces testing requirements
• All transactional data (card number, expiry date, etc.) is kept away from the till or any back office system and is encrypted
• Allows the acceptance of the widest range of chip & PIN cards
• Option of printing receipts using the payment terminal either at the till or on your card terminal, and using a terminal separately if your POS system is not yet installed or not working

• All terminals and PIN-Pads are Contactless compatible** to allow additional, faster payment methods for your customers in a hurry and to help prevent queues in your outlet 

The combined package has been developed for independent retailers looking to install a completely integrated EPoS solution without having to find the considerable investment needed in the past. 

Chris Davies, Managing Director of Global Payments, explains that, “The high street is a challenging place for small independent retailers today, with the internet and larger stores attracting an increasing share of their traditional business.  Global Payments and Casio will help make customer acquisition and the payment process much more straightforward, which will help the retailer to provide a better customer experience and increase loyalty”. 

The Global POS Link from Global Payments and the V-R100 till from Casio are now available in the UK.

Tonight, Dazed and G-Shock hosted an intimate dinner and awards ceremony to announce the winners, compered by Radio 1 DJ Nihal.

Special guest Wu Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah treated guests to a live one-off performance at the after-party alongside Jeru the Damaja, DJ Do Wop, Sadat X Killah Priest. The event bought together judges that included Louise Gray, Stephen Ayres and Milo Cordell, nominees, plus Dazed and Casio's networks including guests such as Leah Weller, Suki Waterhouse, Lola Lennox, Clara Paget, Sasha Bailey and Mr Brainwash.

The after-party continued, with DJ sets from Queens of Noize's Tabitha Denholm. Hannah Hanra and Palace Skateboard's Stuart Hammond and Lev Tanju.

Dinner guests enjoyed a lavish 3-course meal catered for by Bistrotheque. Drinks including Asahi beer and cocktails from Zeo.

The Casio G-Shock 30th Anniversary Awards aims to find and nurture individuals making culturally defining strides across Fashion Music Sport & Art. The contenders were shortlisted by a panel of industry experts in each field, with each winner receiving £3000.

The winners are:

MUSIC:
Deptford Goth

ART:
Rob Chavasse

FASHION:
Sarah Piantadosi

SPORT:
Andrew Cotton

A special £5000 cash-prize award was also awarded to individual who best
exemplified Casio G-SHOCK's "Spirit of Toughness" by having overcome adversity
to succeed.

SPIRIT OF TOUGHNESS:

Chris Mears

Designed with the modern woman in mind, this new line provides an everyday
elegance, combining functionality with beauty. Claire Dane's sophistication and
classic style is echoed in the watch designs throughout the collection, making it the
perfect pairing. Renowned British photographer Amanda de Cadenet has shot the
campaign.

"We are very excited to move into a new arena with the introduction of SHEEN and
announcement of Claire Dane's as the UK ambassador. Her classic style and beauty really
reflects everything we were aiming for with the everyday elegance collection" says Casio Marketing Manager Sarah Salter.

"I am excited to be the UK ambassador for the launch of Sheen. The concept of everyday elegance really resonates with me and is something I feel I adhere to myself through life. The watch range is classic yet striking" Claire Danes.

The SHEEN line is comprised of 4 different ranges; Bijou, Reflections, Gold and Classic. Bijou showcases delicate and petite styles that radiate femininity, for those who love their accessories to be simple and subtle. The Reflections watches have that extra bit of shimmer, ideal for those who like to stand out from the crowd. Made with Swarovski Elements or Rhinestones, these watches give their wearer everyday elegance.SHEEN Gold offers women the opportunity to show their love of all things golden, from just a touch of colour to full-on gold, these beautiful watches will shine on any wrist. The Classic collection takes timeless designs and gives them an elegant twist. These watches have a wealth of handy functions and beautiful features that look great with any outfit, day or night. For those who like their accessories simple, fashionable and flexible. Hero watches for each collection are; Bijou: SHE-4021D- 1AEF, Reflections: SHE-3023D-7AER, Gold: SHE-3800GD-7AEF, Classic: SHE-551DD-7AEF.

There are 31 styles within the debut collection, each offering the wearer a watch
with timeless appeal that is easy to style up or down depending on the occasion.
RRP £100-£225

For further information, images or samples please contact
E: sheen@village-press.com

T: 0207 490 7394
www.sheen-watches.co.uk

EDITORS NOTES
About Sheen
The new female timepiece collection from Casio. This unique line of metal analogue
watches is designed with a sophisticated female audience in mind. Beautifully crafted
with elegant precision, Sheen classic designs are given a modern twist with
fashionable accents. The range is split into four distinct ranges; Bijou, Reflections,
Gold and Classic, each with their own unique characteristics that will appeal to
everyone. The collection features SWAROVSKI elements and sapphire glass to add a touch of sparkle to the stainless steel casing.

The first five apps (listed below) will help retailers fight off growing competition from online shopping by improving ways to interact with customers, make upselling simpler, help generate new revenue streams, and handle stock control and sales reports more efficiently.

Using the new business portal, users can access and download trial software for each of the AndroidTM business applications from the Casio Business Portal using their computer or directly onto the new Casio V-R100 EPoS terminal, the world's first electronic point of sale terminal to run on Android.  Autumn 2012, retailers will be able to download apps directly onto the new Casio V-T500 Tablet. The apps can be trialed free-of-charge and installed without the need for an engineer to visit. When retailers are ready to buy an app for roll-out to a number of PoS terminals, the apps can be purchased directly through the Casio portal.

Guy Boxall, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Casio Business Solutions explains: "The first apps on our Business Portal will allow our customers to start offering new services in their shops quickly. Sending personalised email receipts to a customer, Twitter and email marketing, offering new ways to pay and adding dedicated buttons to their tills for the most popular transactions, won't mean reconfiguring the system with lots of time spent on implementation."

Casio is now looking for additional business innovations and services to join the launch partners, YReceipts, EPOS Partners, Hospitality Technology, AirPOS and AlfaRichi - in support of this brand new initiative, that will help retailers and businesses in the UK drive an improved level of sales and service.

"The possibilities of using Android-based apps in an EPoS scenario are endless." Boxall added. "As we've seen with mobile phones, the only thing that limits what these apps can do is the imagination of the developer. Retailers are looking for ways to compete with the ultra-personalisation and convenience of online shopping, and our technology is changing things on the high street. This is a real world-first."

Casio's new business portal will be a Cloud-based solution that is hosted by IT services firm Phoenix, via its data centre based in Welwyn Garden City.  John Hall, sales and marketing director at Phoenix commented, "With a longstanding history in the retail sector, where we currently support over 50 per cent of all high street retail PoS in the UK, Phoenix is ideally placed to support Casio's business portal."

Hall explains "From our initial conversation it was clear that flexibility, security and uptime were key requirements, and therefore by hosting this new Cloud based solution at our Welwyn Garden City data centre, we are able to provide Casio with the necessary hardware, managed services and support to grow and scale the business."

About the apps

YReceipts
The YReceipts app enables retailers to offer custom designed email receipts in retail stores. Retailers can run targeted campaigns on each receipt to generate incremental revenues. With every YReceipt, retailers can capture email addresses, receive real-time customer feedback, encourage social media buzz and do more to get the most out of the consumer. Shoppers simply ask for an email receipt at the till. A purse or wallet of paper receipts is no longer required.

Cervello
Cervello-lite is the latest in the modular Cervello suite of products; designed for touchscreen POS terminals, delivering an entry level modern alternative to the traditional cash register. Out of the box, Cervello-lite delivers fast entry keys - ideal for FMCG, bars, cafés and convenience stores, with in built basic sales reporting analytics. Additional features of Cervello-lite include, item enquiry and price override functionality, as well as dynamic 'fast selling lines keys' to quickly complete transactions. Businesses can optionally add e-receipts for a more environmentally friendly retail system that can better connect them with their customers.

AirPOS
AirPOS is portable, affordable cloud EPoS and e-commerce software that provides retailers with a complete solution to easily manage a multichannel sales environment. Unlike EPoS systems of old, AirPOS is an integrated cloud-based platform, providing real time visibility across inventory, financial data and customer information. Costs are also minimised by removing expensive maintenance contracts and installation engineers. By making big retail style technology affordable, AirPOS offers even the smallest merchant the ability to sell on multiple channels and scale their operations.

Hospitality Technology - Hotelier Lite
Hotelier Lite is an easy-to-use but comprehensive reservation management software solution incorporating a Graphical Booking Calendar showing all your reservations, unconfirmed, confirmed, check-ins, and check-outs. It includes Guest Billing, Financial Reporting, and many other tools to help with the day to day tasks within a hotel. Hotelier Lite is ideal for single-site hotels, guest houses and B&B's that need a simple to use system, but with sophisticated features.

AlfaRichi
AlfaRichi was originally designed for bakeries, but is also ideal for cafés, coffee shops, and takeaway food. Once AlfaRichi software is installed and configured it will permanently communicate with the cloud server so that all sales data is instantly available anywhere and any changes to products, prices, screen layouts are immediately updated on the terminal. When there is no internet connection, the software will continue to work and sales can be made normally. When internet is available again, all data is transferred to the server and is available on line. AlfaLine web based back office is an integral part of the software and is used to create product and price data, and to view sales and stock in real time. Business can optionally add e-receipts for a more environmentally friendly retail system that can better connect them with their customers.

Boardmasters has long established itself as Cornwall's premier music festival and the best in skate, surf and BMX competitions. Situated at Fistral beach, the bus became a hub of fun for all the professional surfers, skaters and BMXers who wore G-Shcok watches throughout and could be seen sporting them out on the waves and the ramps. Competitions include the 6 Star Men's Surfing Series, men's and women's Longboard Pro, alongside the Vans BMX and Skate, Summer Sessions.