Energy Transition Expo

• From 5^th to 7^th March, at Italian Exhibition Group’s Rimini Expo Centre, about 35% international exhibitor brands and over 250 top buyers and delegations from 48 countries expected
• The event consolidates its role as a key international player thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency, collaboration with over 40 foreign associations and a worldwide network of agents

RIMINI, Italy /PRNewswire/ — Over 1,000 exhibitors in over 90,000 square metres of exhibition area and 20 halls for KEY-The Energy Transition Expo, Italian Exhibition Group’s energy transition and efficiency event, a reference point in Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean basin, from 5^th to 7^th March at Rimini Expo Centre in Italy. KEY is set to be the largest and most international edition ever.

Peraboni, Astolfi and Previati comment:

“With over 250 top buyers and delegations from 48 countries,” says Corrado Peraboni, CEO IEG, “and North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and Eastern Europe among the most represented geographical areas, the upcoming edition is growing strongly on the international front. Moreover, the number of exhibitors, up 20% compared to 2024, will see 35% arriving from abroad.“

Alessandra Astolfi, Global Exhibition Manager at IEG, adds, “The event therefore consolidates its role as a reference network for the global energy transition and efficiency community thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the Italian Trade Agency, and collaboration with over 40 of the sector’s leading foreign associations and the network of agents throughout the world.”  

“The extraordinary ability of KEY to unite the sector’s major players during the three days of the Rimini event,” says IEG Exhibition Manager Christian Previati, “favours the encounter, confrontation and dialogue with the institutions and aims to create a system and contribute to speeding up the decarbonisation process.”

The programme of events, organised by the Technical-Scientific Committee, chaired by Professor Gianni Silvestrini, is also international in scope and will include, among the others, the German-Italian Energy Talk on the importance of green hydrogen, organised by ITKAM-Italian Chamber of Commerce for Germany and Deutsche Messe AG; Accelerating sustainable electrification: the key to economic and social development on the African continent by the RES4Africa Foundation, and Decarbonising Italy’s Electricity by Ibesa.

The full programme on the link

Minnita Daniel-Cox, University of Dayton

Paul Laurence Dunbar was only 33 years old when he died in 1906.

In his short yet prolific life, Dunbar used folk dialect to give voice and dignity to the experience of Black Americans at the turn of the 20th century. He was the first Black American to make a living as a writer and was seminal in the start of the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance.

Dunbar also penned one of the most iconic phrases in Black literature – “I know why the caged bird sings” – his poem “Sympathy.”

“… When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, When he beats his bars and he would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings – I know why the caged bird sings!”

Published in 1899, “Sympathy” inspired acclaimed Black writer and activist Maya Angelou to use Dunbar’s line as the title of her seminal autobiography.

But Dunbar’s artistic legacy is often overlooked. This, despite the fact that his work influenced a number of other great African American literary giants, including Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, James Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston and Margaret Walker.

In a very real sense, Dunbar is your favorite poet’s favorite poet.

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A blooming life of writing

Born on June 27, 1872, to two formerly enslaved people from Kentucky, Dunbar was raised by his mother, and they eventually settled in Dayton, Ohio.

While there, Dunbar attended the integrated Dayton Central High School. An exceptional writer, Dunbar was the only Black student in his class and became editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper as well as a member of the literary and drama clubs and debating society.

He also became friends with a white classmate who, with his brother, would later invent the airplane – Orville Wright.

The two knew each other well.

Their friendship led to business as the Wright brothers, who owned a printing press, were the first to print Dunbar’s writings, including the newspaper Dunbar started and edited, the Dayton Tattler, the first Black newspaper in that city.

After high school, the lives of Dunbar and Wright took different turns.

Unable to find consistent pay for his writing, Dunbar worked a variety of jobs, including as a janitor in one downtown Dayton office building and as an elevator operator in another. Not one to miss a business opportunity, the 20-year-old Dunbar sold his first book of poetry, “Oak and Ivy,” to passengers he met on the elevator.

He found another such job after he moved to Washington, D.C., and worked stacking shelves at the Library of Congress. According to his wife, Alice Dunbar, an accomplished writer in her own right, it was there that her husband began to think about a caged bird.

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“… The torrid sun poured its rays down into the courtyard of the library and heated the iron grilling of the book stacks until they were like prison bars in more senses than one,” Dunbar wrote. “The dry dust of the dry books … rasped sharply in his hot throat, and he understood how the bird felt when it beats its wings against its cage.”

Dunbar’s first break came when he was invited to recite his poems at the 1893 Worlds Fair, where he met Frederick Douglass, the famous abolitionist. Impressed, Douglass gave Dunbar a job and called him the “the most promising young colored man in America.”

Dunbar’s second break came three years later. On his 24th birthday, he received a glowing Harper’s Weekly review of his second book of poetry, “Majors and Minors,” from the prominent Ohio-raised literary critic William Dean Howells.

That review came with a mixed blessing. Howells’ praise of Dunbar’s use of dialect limited Dunbar’s ability to sell his other styles of writing.

But that same review helped catapult Dunbar to international acclaim.

His stardom didn’t last long, though.

Diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1900, Dunbar died from complications of the disease on Feb. 9, 1906.

But his work survives.

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Dunbar’s musical legacy

In all, Dunbar wrote 600 poems, 12 books of poetry, five novels, four volumes of short stories, essays, hundreds of newspaper articles and lyrics for musicals.

His poetry has been continuously set by composers, from his contemporaries to living composers still living today, including Carrie Jacobs Bond, John Carpenter, Harry Thacker Burleigh, William Bolcom and Zenobia Powell Perry.

Florence Price’s numerous settings of his texts include popular and advertisement music, while William Grant Still’s “Afro-American” symphony features spoken epigraphs of Dunbar poems before each movement.

Dunbar’s legacy in apparent not only in the concert hall, but on the theatrical stage as well.

Dunbar was librettist for an operetta by Samuel Coleridge Taylor, “Dream Lovers,” written specifically for Black singers.

Dunbar’s own extraordinary life became the subject for operas as composers Adolphus Hailstork, Richard Thompson, Steven Allen and Jeff Arwady composed works depicting Dunbar’s legacy.

The collaborations of Dunbar and Will Marion Cook produced the first examples of contemporary musical theater.

Without Paul’s contributions with “In Dahomey” and “Jes Lak White Fo’ks,” in my view there would be no “Hamilton,” the modern Broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2015.

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‘We wear the mask’

Dunbar’s works celebrated all of humanity.

He turned the plantation tradition on its head by using dialect to not only offer critical social commentary, as in his poem “When Malindy Sings,” but also to portray oft-ignored humanity, as in “When Dey ‘Listed Colored Soldiers.”

Dunbar’s works provide historical snapshots into the everyday lives of working-class Black Americans.

None were as poignant as his poem “We Wear the Mask.”

“We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.”

Minnita Daniel-Cox, Associate Professor of Music, University of Dayton

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The world of motorsports just took a giant leap into the future! Excitement is in the air as T-Mobile, MeetMo, and NantStudios have clinched the illustrious 2025 Lumiere Award for Best Interactive Experience from the Advanced Imaging Society. This accolade is in recognition of their pioneering immersive video experience for fans at the celebrated Las Vegas Grand Prix!

A Game-Changing Experience

Imagine being able to step into a race track from the comfort of your own home, enveloped in a 360-degree augmented reality tour of the circuit, all captured in breathtaking 12K footage. Thanks to this remarkable collaboration, fans can now enjoy a race experience like never before, made possible by a spectacular fusion of 5G technology, virtual production, and artificial intelligence.

“By combining T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced Network Solutions with our real-time collaboration technology, we’ve created an immersive experience that brings fans closer to the action than ever before,” expressed Michael Mansouri, CEO of Radiant Images and MeetMo. His enthusiasm is shared by many, as this innovative project is seen as a quantum leap forward in the way motorsports are experienced.

The Technical Marvel Behind the Magic

Highlighting their technological finesse, the project transformed over 1.5TB of data into a stunningly interactive experience in mere hours—a feat that previously would have taken months. The journey began at the NantStudios headquarters in Los Angeles, where more than 10 minutes of ultra-high definition, immersive sequences were blended with telemetry and driver animation data captured tirelessly by Radiant Images’ crews in Las Vegas.

The astounding speed and efficiency were primarily powered by T-Mobile’s robust 5G infrastructure, allowing for rapid data transfers back and forth, ensuring seamless integration into the interactive app that fans could access. Chris Melus, VP of Product Management for T-Mobile’s Business Group, proudly remarked, “This collaboration broke new ground for immersive fan engagement.”

The Power of 5G

The integration of T-Mobile’s advanced network solutions turned the Las Vegas Grand Prix into a case study of innovation. With real-time capture and transmission capabilities utilizing Radiant Images’ cutting-edge 360° 12K camera car, production crews were able to capture immersive video feeds and transmit them instantaneously over the 5G network. This meant remote camera control and instant footage reviews, drastically cutting production time and resources.

Moreover, the seamless AR integration—thanks to the creative minds at NantStudios and their work with Unreal Engine—allowed the blending of virtual and real-world elements. Fans were treated to augmented reality overlays displaying real-time data, such as dashboard metrics and telemetry, all transmitted through the reliable 5G network.

Future of Fan Engagement

As Jim Chabin, President of the Advanced Imaging Society, eloquently noted, the remarkable work at the Las Vegas Grand Prix has set new standards for interactive sports entertainment. The recognition given to this innovative team underscores their commitment to pushing the envelope in immersive experiences.

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Gary Marshall, Vice President of Virtual Production at NantStudios, also highlighted the project’s importance: “This recognition underscores NantStudios’ legacy of pioneering real-time VFX and virtual production achievements, reaffirming our position as a leader in modern virtual production.”

The 2025 Lumiere Award is not just a trophy; it symbolizes the melding of creativity and technology in a way that elevates the fan experience to new heights. The collaboration between T-Mobile, MeetMo, and NantStudios exemplifies a thrilling future where motorsports become more accessible, engaging, and immersive. It’s a thrilling time to be a fan, and the development teams behind this innovation have truly set a new standard for content creators everywhere.

With such defining moments in sports entertainment, we can’t help but wonder what spectacular innovations lie ahead. Buckle up; it’s going to be a wild ride!

About the Companies

MeetMo
MeetMo.io is revolutionizing how creative professionals collaborate by combining video conferencing, live streaming, and AI automation into a single, intuitive platform. With persistent virtual meeting rooms that adapt to users over time, our platform evolves into a true collaborative partner, enhancing creativity and productivity. For more information please visit: https://www.meetmo.io

Radiant Images
Radiant Images is a globally acclaimed, award-winning technology provider specializing in innovative tools and solutions for the media and entertainment industries. The company focuses on advancing cinema, immersive media, and live production. https://www.radiantimages.com

T-Mobile
T-Mobile US, Inc.(NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and indisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com

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NantStudios
NantStudios is the first real time-native, full-service production house; re-imagined from the ground up to deliver exceptional creative results through next generation technologies like Virtual Production. For more information please visit: https://nantstudios.com

SOURCE MeetMo

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