Just months after it executed a five-venue town hall meeting for 19 000 attendees across India IBM replicated the feat for a flight of events in China. The centerpiece event was a meeting for 3 100 employees media and guests in Beijing that was viewed live by 4 400 other staffers from seven remote locations in China. Big Blue also invited the rest of its global workforce to watch a webcast on the company intranet following the event which took place in November.
 

A New York federal district court ruling this month gave MasterCard International the right to continue as a sponsor of the next two soccer World Cups blocking FIFA’s agreement with rival Visa.
 

BB&T will use its new NASCAR sponsorship to connect with b-to-b customers particularly those in the automotive aftermarket industry. The bank just signed its first-ever NASCAR sponsorship a two-year agreement with Clint Bowyer’s Busch Series ride.
 

Prohibition you surely remember was repealed on Dec. 5 1933. Dewar’s recently began a push to turn that date into an unofficial national holiday—and of course to own it for the brand. “We’re hoping it becomes the next St. Patrick’s Day ” Ned Duggan assistant marketing manager for Dewar’s told Buzz.
 

To introduce its new Mega Pizza Rolls to active teens General Mills’ Totino’s brand is entering the action sports arena with a sponsorship of the 2007 Winter X Games in Aspen CO in January. (Agency: Fuse Burlington VT.) At the event the brand’s main goal is to “get hot pizza rolls into cold hands ” associate marketing manager Casella Okulaja told Buzz. But the company has a three-pronged approach to integrate the brand into the property: