August
29, 2000
In this week's report. . .
Alumni
and Business Clubs Offer Valuable Reciprocal Travel Opportunities
Reciprocal
memberships among many of America's top colleges and universities
is a well-kept secret. But it's an inexpensive and unique way to see
the world--as the clubs have a sense of the ambiance and history of
a city that international hotel chains can't match.
Many
of these top colleges maintain private, members-only clubs for their
graduates in or near the locations of those schools...offering rooms,
dining, networking, golf, and other amenities.
These
clubs often have reciprocal-membership agreements with other private
clubs around the world. For instance, the Tokyo-American club of Tokyo
offers reciprocal privileges with 140 clubs around the world.
Note:
Membership in university clubs is not always restricted to graduates
and others affiliated with the sponsoring university. Frequently business
associates of current members are welcome to join. And members who
live beyond a radius of 50 or 100 miles often pay half the dues of
members who live in the city where the club is located.
Coming
Events: IRTA & NATE
The
International Reciprocal Trade Association's (IRTA) 21st International
Barter Congress, "Mining for Gold," will be held in another month
September 14-17 in Phoenix, Arizona. For more details e-mail: sheila@irta.com,
or call (312) 461-0236.
And
scheduled a week later, down in Atlanta is the National Association
of Trade Exchanges (NATE) regional conference, September 22-23. For
details on this training session contact The Barter Company in Atlanta,
by e-mailing tammy@barterco.com, or faxing (770) 591-3602.
Here
And There. . .
- Yahoo's use
of Google, replacing Inktomi as the search engine to complement Yahoo's
directories, has a very important barter component attached to it.
As part of the deal, Yahoo was issued warrants to purchase Google's
stock. Yahoo's warrants will likely position it to make millions when
Google goes public.
- A new currency
for future politicians? Pac.com, a new group of Democratic-leaning
young internet executives, is touting the idea of giving politicians
stock options as donations in lieu of cash.
- Pop singer Alanis
Morissette has filed to sell 129,328 common shares of MP3.com...she
acquired the stock two years ago when she agreed to name her concert
tour after the company in exchange for the shares.
- CMGI is doing
a "cash blend" purchase for the naming rights to the New England Patriots'
new stadium. In addition to a payment of $105 million in cash ($7.6
million annually for 15 years) CMGI is bartering internet services
such as web hosting and streaming media broadcasting for the football
team.
- Dennis Haas,
a 29-year-old resident of Hamburg, Germany, is the founder of World
of Internet, a stock-promotion firm that touts microcap U.S. stocks
on the tiny Hamburg Stock Exchange. The company offers publicity and
analysts' reports about the small U.S. firms in return for stock options.
(U.S. securities laws allow companies such as World of Internet to
provide paid analysts' reports so long as they disclose the payments,
which Haas does...behind a link on its web site.)
- Corporate barter
site iSolve has hired Grant Automotive Group to obtain broader exposure
in Canadian markets. Duncan McLean, global accounts manager at iSolve
explains, "This alliance gives us a valued foothold in the Canadian
market and heightens exposure for our surplus disposition capabilities
and alternative settlement solutions, including corporate barter and
web-based currencies.
- Selfcare.com,
a healthy living marketplace for women and their families, is launching
a barter system to enable e-tailers to reach each other's customers
in a direct, reciprocal way. After customers purchase on participating
sites, they will receive special offers from merchants' sites on their
order confirmations.
- Oracle is using
a hard to resist "barter offer" in its heads-on battle for software
sales with rival Siebel Systems. In short, Oracle is providing its
sales-force-automation service in exchange for the new company to
just look at Oracle's other programs.
- Do you have
a unique talent, the ability to work hard and a sterling reputation
within your industry? If so, consider this recent joint venture between
BMG Entertainment and legendary music executive Clive Davis. BMG is
investing $150 million for 50% ownership of the new venture called
J Records. Davis, on the other hand, is bartering "all of his talent
and hard work" for the remaining 50%!
- A loyalty program
that's sure to have more appeal than frequent flier miles is being
offered to consumers. It enables them to earn up to 20% "cash back"
when they make purchases at any of Stockback's eighty-five merchant
partners including Buy.com, Dell Computer, Land's End, and others.
The "cash back" will then be invested in the Stockback Fund, which
will be managed by Merrill Lynch. And, no doubt, stock of the merchant
partners will be a significant part of the Stockback portfolio. Interesting
concept...
- Jupiter Communications
expects traditional retail firms to start using their off-line assets
as a "barter payment," rather than cash, in upcoming joint marketing
and promotion deals with internet media and service firms.
- Rebound, a San
Francisco and Hong Kong-based global liquidation company, is bringing
buyers and sellers together over the Internet and collecting a 6%
commission from whichever party originates the deal.
Rebound employs 82 people in 14 offices across Asia and North America.
Two competitors are Tradeout.com, which deals in consumer and industrial
excess inventory, and Retailexchange.com, which traffics only in consumer
goods mostly in the United States.
- Arbinet-the exchange
Inc., is a bandwidth exchange firm in the business of minute-swapping.
On any given day, blocks of minutes for sale on Arbinet's exchange
cover thousands of long-distance routes worldwide. Curt Hockemeier,
CEO of Arbinet says that some long-distance calling routes may have
as much as 80% unused capacity. (He was a senior executive at AT&T
in charge of the company's phone-over-cable TV effort prior to joining
Arbinet in April.)
- Heidi Klum,
the former Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover girl and a barterer
for equity in UltimateBid.com, promises to bring a lot more eyeballs
to the site's travel section...due to launch this fall. She will be
providing video footage of her adventures in the exotic locales she
visits as a model.
And actor Robin Williams bartered for shares with Audible.com, an
internet aggregator of audio broadcasts. Williams is experimenting
with different material on the site, i.e. weekly half hour conversations
between Williams and persons as disparate as Mario Cuomo, Susan Sarandon,
and John Irving.
- The commercial
barter industry has often been concerned about the banking industry
coming into the business. Maybe they should be a little more concerned
abut the asset-rich insurance industry... especially in light of what's
now happening. MetLife, an insurance and financial-services concern,
has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Grand Bank, a closely-held
commercial bank. According to the insurance giant it's part of a plan
to expand into other areas of financial services.
- American
Lawyer Media is bartering $1 million in advertising and promotional
opportunities in exchange for a 4.5% equity stake (184,422 shares)
in ClickNsettle.com.
- Reinforcing
the notion that "in the 21st Century, economics will drive politics"
was the recent barter agreement among two foes, India and China. Long
at loggerheads politically, the two countries are rapidly building
ties, and bartering in the high-technology trade.
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