A franchise that helps older Americans cope with the process of aging is expanding to the Las Vegas Valley.
ActiveRx, an emerging franchise brand of Strengtherapy Centers, focuses on improving the quality of life for people over 60 by helping them increase their physical strength, self-confidence and independence through its Strengtherapy system. Its first center in Las Vegas is located at 9310 Sun City Blvd. in the Sun City Summerlin community. ActiveRx plans to open three centers here.
ActiveRx has centers across nine other states — Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Carolina and Texas.
The Sun City center will be owned and operated by Franchesta M. Hammonds, a Santa Clarita, Calif., native. Hammonds worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Las Vegas and was inspired by personal events within her family and the aging population at large.
“Spending so much time in hospitals selling medical products was an eye-opening experience for me, as I too often witnessed older adults being unnecessarily hospitalized for falls and other ailments that could have been prevented through strength training,” said Hammonds. “I respect and believe in the science behind strength regeneration and I’m looking forward to being able to bring this service to the community.”
Hammonds is in a partnership with Dr. Brandon Flippin, who will be the resident physical therapist for the center. Also on hand will be Dr. Steve Evans, who is her business partner. He is a 20-year veteran in the medical industry who has worked as a medical director and medical officer.
“I’ve overseen countless patients who had recently suffered through various medical complications and major surgeries, and their lack of physical activity was causing serious muscle dystrophy,” said Dr. Evans. “This was when I realized that there was a real need for this in the community.”
The center is offering free training evaluations for its grand opening as well as other membership offers.
“Older adults are increasingly pursuing a healthier and more active lifestyle. Our proven Strengtherapy System regenerates years of functional strength with a modest investment of time,” said Paul Reilly, ActiveRx CEO.
TAO expands corporate reach
TAO Group has teamed up with Kapow — an online marketplace that changes how companies book and manage client events — to offer its clients an array of new options in entertainment experiences in New York and Las Vegas.
Companies will be able to host cocktail hours at TAO Group’s restaurants, LAVO and TAO, or give clients a nightclub experience at its night and day clubs, according to a release.
TAO will be gaining exposure to Kapow’s corporate clients through Kapow’s online event marketplace and targeted marketing efforts to its existing clients.
“We love hosting private events and, by working with Kapow, we’re able to reach even more corporate groups entertaining their clients and prospects,” said Cristina Baumann, director of sales at TAO Group. “We’re very excited about this collaboration and are looking forward to helping more corporate groups enjoy Vegas to its fullest extent.”
TISOH adds new technology
The International School of Hospitality has installed a Giant iTab — an oversized interactive touch screen — in the hope of increasing digital engagement along with keeping students on top of the latest trends in the industry and at TISOH.
“When we teach our students about successful meetings, we want to expose them to every facet of planning, production and ultimately the experience of their attendees,” TISOH Executive Director Tim Lam said. “That includes bringing in the most innovative technology possible so they can create meetings that successfully attract, engage and inform their audience. The Giant iTab is precisely one of those cutting-edge technology tools hitting the market, and we want our students to learn to use it here, then be the experts on it when they launch their careers.”
Students are able to use the organization’s two iTabs to post live tweets about courses and externships. The new technology will also be used for visual bulletin boards, which will sometimes display the latest discussions among students in real time on TISOH’s Facebook, SnapChat and Instagram accounts.
Some are eager to implement the technology’s use at the school.
Mark Jones, managing director of the Giant iTab, said event planners are eager for the new ways to elevate their events and increase opportunities for their attendees to participate.
“There is a growing appetite within the events industry for ways to create added engagement and interaction,” Jones said. “Here at Giant iTab, we are delighted to be part of that excitement by offering an award-winning solution which allows conference planners and event professionals to showcase their digital content on a Giant iPhone.”
TISOH opened its doors in Las Vegas in 2005. It offers short-term, practical training and career development programs in hospitality. More information can be found on its website at www.tisoh.edu.
