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In a unique partnership with Disney Institute, Londonlaunch.com is offering a world exclusive opportunity for businesses to learn from Disney – one of the most successful brands on earth – and to see how it runs its business and events operation. This two-day ‘Business Behind the Magic’ event taking place on 4 and 5 March 2010 at Disneyland® Paris is a major coup for LondonLaunch.com the hugely successful events community portal.

Few brands match Disney for customer loyalty, service, ability to entertain customers or to constantly innovate – all crucial challenges for UK businesses. So the two-day experience which has been carefully devised with Disney Institute, is a huge opportunity for business managers, corporate event planners, agency and freelance event planners, or anyone involved in organising business events to learn from the best.

This Disney event begins with a champagne breakfast at the St.Pancras Grand Restaurant and then a special carriage on the Eurostar direct to Disneyland, arriving in time for lunch. This is followed by an intensive afternoon of world class training delivered by Disney experts covering leadership, events operations management, innovation, customer service and PR. Delegates then see the learning in action through an exclusive behind the scenes tour where they can learn more about Disney’s incredible techniques, event operations and set up first hand. This is followed by a ‘meet the experts’ session involving Disney’s ’Imagineers’ – the people who make it happen. Delegates will also be joined by Disney’s most senior authority in customer service and business innovation (name?) who is flying in from the U.S. especially for the event.

Will Broome, Chief Executive at londonlaunch.com comments, “The event is truly a ‘money can’t buy’ experience where businesses will meet the experts and receive exclusive behind the scenes insight and inspirational learning. We’re also having the whole of ‘Frontierland’ to ourselves in the evening to celebrate that new found inside knowledge – it really is an experience not to be missed.

“We have some great people coming with us, such as, the Thistle Group, Radisson Edwardian and Von Essen Hotels amongst many others from all over the UK. So we’re offering great networking opportunities, as well as a world-class training programme. This really is a winning combination for anyone serious about building their business in 2010.”

Attending this exclusive event is guaranteed to inspire and enhance business knowledge and help explore new horizons. To book you place for the event please go to http://www.londonlaunch.com or call 020 7471 2600. Numbers are limited so please register early to avoid disappointment.

ART Marine, an Abraaj Capital portfolio company and the Middle East’s largest importer and distributor of luxury motor-yachts, announces the appointment of a highly experienced CEO from the United States to drive its expansion in the region as demand for pleasure craft begins to recover.

Demonstrating the Gulf’s continued ability to attract some of the world’s most talented professionals, Constantinos Constantinou joins Dubai-based ART Marine from Cobalt Yachts in Tennessee, where he served as President.

Mr. Constantinou began his career in Cyprus with Cobra Marine Services. In 1995, he joined the Sea Ray division of Brunswick Corp., the U.S.’s biggest marine manufacturer. There, he served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Alliances & International Operations. He joined Cobalt Yachts in 2005.

“Constantinos’ broad marine operations expertise, combined with his 20 years experience in various high-level positions in the marine industry, will make a significant contribution to ART Marine and its customers,” said Alessio Tumbiolo, Chairman and co-founder of ART Marine.

ART Marine, the region’s exclusive dealer for Benetti, Azimut, Atlantis and Riviera yachts, has been expanding across the Middle East with operations in five countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt. The firm is the only yacht dealer in the region offering extensive after-sales services. Demand for luxury yachts in the Middle East has exploded over the last 10 years, driven by increased wealth generation and the development of marinas in the Gulf and Red Sea.

“I’m excited to join ART Marine and to be leading such a high-caliber team. The Gulf region is one of the most promising markets globally, and the affinity for pleasure boating and yachting is increasing steadily,” Mr. Constantinou said. “We are introducing new standards by implementing a 360-degree marine hospitality strategy that encompasses a wide array of services such as sales, maintenance, after-sales support, chartering, brokerage, yacht management, and marina management and operations. I look forward to contributing towards the remarkable growth of ART Marine as we expand our range of products and services to all regional markets.”

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A study appearing in the latest issue of the Journal of Business Strategy, published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited, provides significant new insight into the instability caused by M&As on the top management teams of target companies.

A number of US business media, including the Wall Street Journal and CNBC�s financial show, Closing Bell, have interviewed the authors on their study findings. A free copy of the full article and a link to the lead author�s interview are now available from the Emerald Management First home page (first.emeraldinsight.com)

�The Big Exit: Executive Churn in the Wake of M&As� was written by Jeffrey Krug, associate professor of strategic management at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, and Walt Shill, managing director of Accenture. The authors followed more than 1,000 companies over 17 years and showed that firms experienced, on average, a top management turnover rate of 21 percent in each of the 10 years following an acquisition. The results of the study, which highlight the long-term instability of top management levels following M&As, have challenged the current understanding of M&As and generated great interest among practitioners.

�These findings are especially important in light of the correlation between the loss of top executives and a company�s poor performance,� Krug commented in an interview. �Companies involved in these deals need to understand the long-term effect of M&As on their executive ranks, and they need to find ways to keep key executives on board.�

The Journal of Business Strategy is one of the few journals dedicated exclusively to business strategy. It defines strategy in the broadest sense and covers topics as diverse as marketing strategy, innovation, developments in the global economy, merger & acquisition integration and communicating strategy to different stakeholders.. With a penchant for substantive, provocative and well-written articles, the journal breaks the mould and includes articles on topics readers are unlikely to find in other business publications. Further information can be found at www.emeraldinsight.com/jbs.htm or contact Kim Foster at kfoster@emeraldinsight.com