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FROM BOGOTÁ TO MONACO, COLOMBIAN MURALIST MAKES HIS MARK ON ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXCLUSIVE CANVASES WITH VUSE

VUSE AND THE McLAREN F1 TEAM’S DRIVEN BY CHANGE INITIATIVE SECURES NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDERREPRESENTED ARTIST DURING FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX™ DE MONACO 2022

MONACO, May 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — An emerging Colombian muralist has been given one of the world’s most exclusive canvases to bring to life his work in real-time in Monaco, over the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX™ DE MONACO 2022 weekend.

Vuse, the number one global vape brand**, and partner McLaren F1 Team, have today unveiled a mural, created by an artist from Bogotá, Columbia, at one of the most exclusive races in the world, on the Monaco beachfront at the Grimaldi Forum. The mural marks the latest activity as part of the Driven by Change programme, which offers underrepresented creative talent around the globe the opportunity to showcase their passion and work on one of the world’s biggest and most high-profile stages – elite motorsport.

The artist, DAST, is a 38-year-old Colombian muralist who was chosen to create the artwork in Monaco because of his passion for art which has driven his creative pursuits for the past ten years. As a Bogota native, DAST is surrounded by a wealth of inspiration including the diverse geographies and rich heritage of Colombia – something completely opposite to the usual glitz and glamour seen along the Monaco beachfront. These elements inspire DAST to step out of his comfort zone and create murals that explore the relationships between people, places, and spaces.

DAST’s gritty artwork and bold persona have been expertly captured in this live mural, which beautifully juxtaposes with the classical, shiny Monaco cityscape. Chosen for his unique style, embracing geometric shapes, colours, and the relationships that occur in public spaces between buildings, streets and pedestrians to inspire and inform the abstract mural. Featuring DAST’s signature geometric composition, the mural, which DAST painted in real-time, has been inspired by themes of speed, combined with the aerodynamic design of McLaren F1 Team’s car and the vibrant papaya and blue colourway. 

DAST, Freelance Artist, comments: “I have been pursuing a career in art and design for over 10 years and opportunities like this are few and far between. When I first started creating my designs, in my home in Bogotá, I never would have thought that one day I would have the opportunity to live my dream of becoming a full-time artist. Having my work showcased at one of the most exclusive Grand Prix™  races and painting the mural in real-time on a beautiful canvas such as Monaco’s beachfront makes the opportunity even more special!”

“These last six months have been truly life-changing. It is an honour to be one of the creatives involved in Vuse’s Driven by Change initiative and I hope to see more creatives like me, take part in this incredible opportunity showcasing their work, passions and values on the global platform of motorsports.”

Driven by Change premiered in December 2021 at the FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX™ 2021, where McLaren unveiled a one-off livery designed by Arabic artist, Rabab Tantawy, celebrating the first time a female artist from the Middle East had been given this kind of opportunity. This year, Driven by Change officially started at the Miami Grand Prix™ where US photographer, Jonathan Walker, captured content around the streets of Miami and at the circuit. Jonathan worked alongside McLaren’s digital content team, gaining valuable experiences, industry contacts and skills.

John Beasley, Group Head of Brand Building, BAT, comments: “We are really proud of the opportunities the Driven by Change initiative has already provided to emerging creatives such as Rabab Tantawy Jonathan Walker, and now DAST! It is great to see DAST’s raw passion, grit, geometric style and unique vision come to life on a completely juxtaposing canvas such as the Monaco beachfront. Our activity with Driven by Change showcases how Vuse is committed to making the dreams of emerging artists a reality.”

The initiative forms part of Vuse’s ongoing ambition to accelerate creative pursuits of underrepresented creative talent across the globe, working with McLaren to identify opportunities to bring their work to life, helping introduce creatives from diverse backgrounds to the masses. DAST’s artwork will be showcased for one night only, on Saturday 28th at the Grimaldi Forum, ahead of the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX™ DE MONACO 2022 on Sunday 29th of May.

Rabab Tantawy comments: “I could never have imagined the opportunity that Driven by Change offered me. To become the first artist to have an original piece of art racing on-track was one of the most incredible things to happen in my career. The opportunity truly changed my life. I am excited to be involved in Driven by Change this year, working alongside Vuse and McLaren to continue to change the lives of underrepresented artists, like myself.”

Launching in August, creatives worldwide will have the opportunity to apply to be selected for future Driven by Change opportunities, including showcasing work at an upcoming Grand Prix™, to once-in-a-lifetime exclusive collaborations with The McLaren F1 Team. Specific opportunities, dates and timings for submission will be announced soon.

To discover more about DAST’s story, visit Vuse and DAST’s social channels. Further information on the Driven by Change initiative and how creatives can get involved in these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities will be shared later in the year.

Notes to Editors:

About BAT

BAT is a leading, multi-category consumer goods business with a purpose to build A Better Tomorrow by reducing the health impact of its business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for adult consumers. The company continues to be clear that combustible cigarettes pose serious health risks, and the only way to avoid these risks is not to start or to quit. BAT encourages those who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch completely to scientifically-substantiated, reduced-risk alternatives*. In order to deliver this, BAT is transforming into a truly consumer-centric multi-category consumer products business. BAT employs over 53,000 people and operates in over 180 countries, with 11 million points of sale and 45 factories in 43 markets. The company’s Strategic Portfolio is made up of its global cigarette brands and a growing range of reduced-risk* New Category tobacco and nicotine products and traditional non-combustible tobacco products. These include vapour, tobacco heating products, modern oral products including tobacco-free nicotine pouches, as well as traditional oral products such as snus and moist snuff. In 2020, we had 13.5 million consumers of our non-combustible products, a rise of 3 million on the year before. The BAT Group generated revenue of £25.8 billion in 2020 and profit from operations of £9.9 billion.

*Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk free and are addictive.

** Based on Vype/Vuse estimated value share from RRP in measured retail for vapour (i.e. total vapour category value in retail sales) in the USA, Canada, France, UK, Germany. These 5 markets cover an estimated 77% of global vapour closed system NTO, calculated in June –July 2021.

About McLaren Racing

McLaren Racing was founded by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966, since then McLaren has won 20 Formula 1 world championships, more than 180 Formula 1 grands prix, the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt and the Indianapolis 500 three times. McLaren Racing currently competes in Formula 1 globally and INDYCAR in the US. 

The team is contesting the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and in the 2021 INDYCAR Series with Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. McLaren was the first F1 team to be certified carbon neutral ten years ago and has successfully retained the Carbon Trust Standard Award, most recently in February 2021. They were also the first team to be awarded the FIA Institute’s Environmental Award in 2013, which they have consistently maintained at three-star level.

In 2022, McLaren Racing will enter a new category of motorsport when it enters a team into Extreme E, the innovative all-electric off-road racing series that highlights the impact of climate change.

About Rabab Tantawy

Born in 1971 in Cairo Rabab Tantawy grew up watching her mother draw and create. Although she did not pursue an artistic career from the get-go, Rabab always kept an interest in the arts and taught herself different techniques, ranging from very traditional mediums like oil painting to modern ones like spray-paints.

When Tantawy decided to dedicate herself to the arts she got involved in several exhibitions while also actively pursuing street art.

Working with a multitude of mediums the artist created a playful approach to the otherwise serious concepts that ground her work. Her biggest focus is on union, community, and heritage.

While often we can see artists approach these subjects from a political point of view, Rabab tries to bridge the gap and render these subjects through the lens of universality.

Rabab is an intuitive artist. She doesn’t work with preliminary sketches; she uses the canvas as a support for direct download. There’s no expectation for a final product. In a way the product is the process of creation itself.

Line and colour are the pillars of Tantawy’s work. Be it abstract or figurative the artist’s work starts from line. The lines function as a skeleton, informing the whole process of the artwork in the making. Be it soft flowing lines or strong angular ones, this step sets the rhythm of the work. While a lot of artists are choosing to work with limited colour palettes, Tantawy switches from classical earthy colours to strong neon colours in the same series with the same ease she switches between mediums.

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HOP Events, helmed by Kalpesh Kinariwala, bridges Indian talent and global prestige at the Shows of India 2026 Conclave

  • The anchor sponsorship of the Shows of India 2026 Conclave marks HOP Events’ official pathway into the Indian subcontinent; the UAE-based premium live entertainment company aims to source and showcase extraordinary Indian talent in the markets it operates in.
  • This move will bridge the gap between iconic Indian artists — rooted in Indian and South Asian culture — and world-class international venues and global audiences.
  • In addition to headlining the conclave as its anchor sponsor, HOP Events also made its presence felt in crucial conversations and networking hubs, with Founder and Chairman Kalpesh Kinariwala gracing the conclave as a speaker.

NEW DELHI, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HOP Events, a UAE-based premium live entertainment company, made landfall on Indian shores through the eagerly awaited Shows of India 2026 Conclave. The sixth edition of the event, which drew to a close on May 2, brought together high-profile industry veterans, change-makers, and disruptors who are shaping the future of India’s live entertainment economy.

Led by industry trailblazer Kalpesh Kinariwala, HOP Events not only participated as the anchor sponsor for the conclave but also broke new ground by offering Indian talent and agencies unprecedented inroads into global markets and prestigious productions.

Held at Delhi’s upscale The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, the two-day Shows of India 2026 Conclave is India’s most anticipated flagship gathering focused on the live entertainment, events, and experiential segments. It brings together key players from across the industry’s value chain, including event professionals, artist managers, promoters, brands, and creators, and facilitates industry-shaping conversations and collaborations.

HOP Events’ rationale for backing the Shows of India 2026 Conclave was simple but powerful – as a hub for some of the greatest artistic talent in the world, India stands to benefit immensely from HOP Events’ proven expertise in the premium live entertainment industry. With the conclave sitting at the intersection of India’s creative excellence and its commercial ambition, it is the perfect avenue for HOP Events to seek the artists, managers, collaborators, and cultural voices they want to elevate and present to the world. This anchor sponsorship is thus a declaration of HOP Events’ intent to champion Indian talent and carry it far beyond India’s borders.

Elaborating further on the sponsorship, Kalpesh Kinariwala, Founder and Chairman of HOP Events, who also spoke at the conclave, shared:

“India is producing some of the most streamed, most loved, and most culturally significant artists on the planet. Arijit Singh ranks ninth among Spotify’s top artists globally. A.R. Rahman has 75 million followers and ranks ahead of global superstars. Rishab Sharma is the number one followed sitar player in the world. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Aditya Gadhvi, Anuv Jain — these are artists with massive, passionate global fanbases.

Yet their presence on international stages, particularly in the Gulf and beyond, remains far below what their stature deserves. That is the opportunity HOP Events is seizing. The UAE is home to a millions-strong South Asian diaspora — professionals, families, and communities who are hungry for these artists and have both the means and the desire to attend premium live experiences. The Shows of India 2026 Conclave gives us the needed platform to engage with this talent ecosystem at exactly the moment when appetite for Indian talent on the global stage has never been higher.”

The conclave’s growing eminence as a premium, high-production-value platform was further underscored by its association with HOP Events, an industry leader in creating large-scale experiential events. Through the years, the Shows of India Conclave has differentiated itself through its trailblazing properties and a star-studded artist line-up. By essaying the role of anchor sponsor for India’s premier business and entertainment conclave, HOP Events is throwing the doors open for partnerships with Indian artist managers, talent agencies, record labels, and creative professionals.

As the force behind the sold-out Etihad Arena concert with Arijit Singh, A.R. Rahman, and Rishab Sharma, HOP Events knows what it takes to market Indian artists to global audiences, fill premium venues, and create experiences that do justice to the cultural magnitude these artists carry.

In the mid-to-long term, HOP Events aims to become the defining bridge between Indian artistic talent and the global stage. The company is actively scaling across the GCC and extending further into South Asian diaspora hubs globally, with the goal of bringing world-class talent backed by high-end productions and marketing sophistication to deep, passionate, and underserved audiences for Indian and South Asian cultural experiences.

About HOP Events

Founded by industry veteran Kalpesh Kinariwala, HOP Events is one of the UAE’s most prestigious names in premium live entertainment. It is hailed for curating global live experiences across the UAE and beyond. The company brings together eminent international artists, creativity, and immaculate organization on one stage, delivering world-class live concerts and entertainment experiences that make a lasting impression on the cultural fabric of the region. HOP Events’ expertise spans from close-up intimate performances to sold-out iconic arenas and includes notable names such as Arijit Singh, A.R. Rahman, and Rishab Sharma. The company differentiates itself through the three pillars of innovation, excellence, and a strong community focus. In doing so, it creates experiences that anchor communities, build connection, and foster a stronger sense of belonging, while delighting audiences with seamless execution, elevated experiences, and disruptive thinking.

https://hopevents.ae/

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MSEED and SCOPE Global Skills University Sign Strategic Partnership to Shape the Future of Experiential Marketing Education

MUMBAI, India and BHOPAL, India, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Premium education institute MSEED (The Management School of Events and Experience Design) today partnered with SCOPE Global Skills University, Bhopal, to introduce a two-year MBA in Event Management and Experiential Marketing.

Besides boosting students academically, this association intends to equip them with the evolving demands of events and the experiential marketing ecosystem. Furthermore, the collaboration will be fueled by industry expertise and academic structure, helping students build a career in the fast-growing fields of events, entertainment, and experiential marketing.

At a time when experiential marketing is ‘evolving from a tactical activation to a strategic growth engine for brands’, this collaboration serves right.

Speaking on this exclusive partnership between MSEED and SCOPE, Joshua Newman, Vice-President – Marketing & Partnerships, MSEED, said, “Our focus has always been on outcomes, not just education. This partnership allows us to extend that vision by working with SCOPE Global Skills University to create a program that prepares students for real careers. From curriculum to classroom delivery and industry exposure, every aspect is designed to ensure that students graduate with confidence, clarity, and practical experience.”

The MBA program is designed to:

  • Provide a recognized postgraduate qualification with a specialized focus
  • Build practical skills through real-world projects and case studies
  • Offering industry interaction, mentorship, and exposure
  • Support students with internship and placement opportunities

Dr. Vijay Singh, Vice Chancellor of SGSU, hailed the launch as a landmark moment for the city. “This is a remarkable event not just for our university, but for the city of Bhopal. We are witnessing a paradigm shift in how specialized education is delivered in Madhya Pradesh. By launching this MBA in Event Management, we are providing our youth with a platform to master the art of execution, creativity, and management right here in their home state,” he said.

The partnership was formally cemented through the signing of an agreement between the two institutions in the esteemed presence of Mangubhai C. Patel, the current and 19th Governor of Madhya Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of industry-integrated education in India.

For more information on events and experiential marketing, please visit our website.

Media Contacts:

For media inquiries, please contact

Tasneem Limbdiwala

tasneem@mseededucation.com 

About MSEED

MSEED, a part of EVA Group, India’s one of the largest live event companies, and backed by 200 odd industry veterans, the institute brings with it deep-rooted industry expertise and real-world insights. It is a creative business institute designed for the next generation of storytellers, strategists, producers, and brand builders. The mission is not just to prepare students for jobs, but to lead industries. 

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Firstsource Partners with Typeface to Launch Agentic Marketing Services

New full-stack offering turns content operations into an agentic growth engine

NEW YORK and MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Firstsource Solutions Limited (NSE: FSL) (BSE: 532809), an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company, today announced the launch of a new offering — Agentic Marketing Services — in partnership with Typeface, the marketing orchestration engine for the world’s leading enterprises. The offering is designed to help enterprises move from marketing ambition to scale by transforming, implementing, and operating AI-native marketing systems. It transforms marketing operations into a scalable growth engine and delivers measurable top-line revenue growth beyond operational efficiency alone.

 

Firstsource Logo

 

Agentic AI is redefining how enterprises think about the customer lifecycle, and marketing content sits at the center of that transformation. Enterprises deploying AI-driven personalization are seeing up to 40% higher revenue compared to their peers. Content operations is both a growth lever and an efficiency play for CMOs: roughly 30% of CMO budgets go to content; approximately 55% of content work is manual — resizing, localization, brand compliance — while 90% of those manual workflows can be AI-enabled.

“At Firstsource, our approach has been about moving beyond traditional boundaries to build adaptive, intelligence-led ecosystems that deliver measurable outcomes. Content operations is now the most disrupted layer of the modern marketing stack, with Large Language Models reshaping the entire value chain — from ideation and production to governance and distribution — making it both the biggest near-term efficiency opportunity and the most exposed surface area in enterprise marketing,” said Ritesh Idnani, MD and Chief Executive Officer of Firstsource.

“CEOs and CMOs are not looking for a consultancy that hands off a roadmap or an agency that operates in silos — they want a partner who can transform, implement, and operate marketing systems end-to-end. By combining micro-segmentation, personalization, and deep industry context, we help clients build acquisition, engagement, and retention engines that are intelligent, compliant, and scalable. Typeface brings the AI technology to generate personalized, on-brand, compliant content at scale, and Firstsource brings deep experience in customer operations, especially in regulated industries like banking, financial services, healthcare, and retail. Together, we enable enterprises to plan, build, and run modern marketing — turning content operations into a compounding growth engine and delivering outcomes, not just effort.”

The partnership extends the capabilities announced with Typeface’s recent Marketing Orchestration Engine launch — bringing governed AI systems into full-stack marketing operations for regulated enterprises.

“AI only transforms marketing when it’s embedded into the workflows that drive real customer outcomes,” said Abhay Parasnis, Founder & CEO of Typeface. “Firstsource brings deep industry expertise and operational rigor in highly regulated environments. Together, we’re helping enterprises turn AI ambition into operational reality, embedding governed intelligence into the systems that power durable growth.” 

While Typeface provides the orchestration layer that unifies brand intelligence, AI agents, and enterprise systems, Firstsource brings the operational expertise and insights to enable effective decision making and implement and run these systems in complex, regulated environments. Together, they redesign how growth is driven — focusing on the moments, segments, and mechanisms that truly move the needle — enabling enterprises to shift from fragmented activity to scalable, revenue-led execution.

Industry view

“In retail, seasonality and micro-segmentation are where revenue is won or lost. Every peak moment demands thousands of personalized variants across marketing, service, and customer operations — and the retailers who get this right see real movement on acquisition, conversion, and retention, not just efficiency. What makes the Firstsource–Typeface offering different is that it is not another tool — it is an operating capability. Pairing agentic AI with embedded marketing operations is exactly what retailers need to move from broad campaigns to true lifecycle-driven engagement. For the industry, this is a meaningful step-change in how growth gets engineered.”

– Dave Kimbell, Ex-CEO Ulta Beauty; Firstsource Advisory Board Member

“Healthcare payers sit on a real paradox: a huge share of member communication is locked inside PHI and claims workflows where the rules are clear and rightly strict — but the biggest lever on affordability lives outside that envelope, in how payers engage members on wellness, prevention, plan literacy, and proactive disease management. That is a white-space opportunity the industry has barely touched. This is where marketing AI services can genuinely move the needle. With micro-segmentation and agentic content, payers can reach the right member with the right nudge at the right moment — entirely within compliant, non-PHI pathways — and shift the engagement model from acquisition and retention to lifelong wellness. That is how you make healthcare more affordable, improve member experience, and strengthen the economics of the plan at the same time. The Firstsource–Typeface offering is one of the few capabilities purpose-built to operate at that intersection of compliance, personalization, and outcomes.”

– Paul Sanford, Ex-EVP Operations, Cigna Group; Firstsource Advisory Board Member

About Firstsource

Firstsource Solutions Limited, an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company (NSE: FSL) (BSE: 532809), is a global intelligence partner to enterprises across healthcare, banking and financial services, communications, media, technology, retail, and utilities. Its inch-wide, mile-deep practitioners work collaboratively to reimagine business process management.

With operations across the US, UK, India, Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, and Australia, Firstsource combines over twenty-five years of domain expertise with an agent-first delivery model to design, build, and operate intelligent enterprise operations. Through its Intelligence That Operates promise—powered by Kairos, the operating system that makes it real—the company unifies consulting, implementation, and operations into a single full-stack engagement and underwrites outcomes, not effort, turning deep domain intelligence into a compounding operational advantage for firms in the world’s most regulated industries. (www.firstsource.com)

About Typeface

Typeface is a marketing orchestration engine for the world’s leading enterprises, coordinating brand intelligence, AI agents, and enterprise systems across cross-channel marketing operations. Built for large organizations, Typeface combines shared brand intelligence, governed agent workflows, and deep enterprise integration at scale — connecting seamlessly with platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google — to help teams scale what works without sacrificing quality or control. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies, Typeface enables organizations to operationalize AI inside real marketing workflows, turning brand standards, approvals, and performance signals into coordinated systems that improve over time. Typeface is backed by Lightspeed, GV, Salesforce Ventures, Madrona, Menlo, and M12, and has been recognized by Fast Company, Gartner, TIME, LinkedIn, and Adweek as a leader in AI for marketing. Learn more at www.typeface.ai.

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