Halloween 14

Since we moved into our new office space, we thought it would only be appropriate for us to throw more staff events. We have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming around the corner, but one of Kal’s (Office Associate) favorite holidays is Halloween. So you can see in the photo below he loves to step up the game and go all out.

Welcome to the Team!

Please help us welcome Ian Brown to our Chicago team!

It is always nerve-racking coming into a new company and trying to break the ice. Ensuring that new employees feel comfortable is crucial to building a positive transition within a company. We thought it would be fun to ask Ian a few questions to get to know him a little better.

Let’s get started!

Q: What is your official work title?

A: Systems Support Specialist


Q: Can you tell us more about your professional experience/ history?

A: I use to work for AnyMeeting as their Technical Support Specialist.


Q: What do you like to do outside of work?

A: I play music with friends, practice martial arts, cook, read, and study. I also play chess, albeit terribly.


Q: What are your greatest travel experience?

A: A jazz combo I was in was hired to play a few fancy to-dos around the country. One was in L.A., where we stayed in the famous 'riot house' hotel on Sunset Blvd, played a party inside the Director's guild (with free drinks), and had ample opportunity to enjoy the nightlife and beaches. All expenses paid, of course.

Now on to the more personal questions.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo


Q: Guilty pleasure music artist?

A: Eazy-E


Q: What is something that inspires you?

A: The chaotic energy of the city. It's 2.7 million people, from the lowliest beggars to the highest paid CEOs all living together in the same place. It's the rhythm of the train, packed to the brim as it throws you around inside the car. It's walking in a pack of people on the streets, all focused on their path and each with their own destinations and goals. It all reminds me of the fast-paced and jagged rhythms of bebop. The city itself is alive!


Q: What would you say your professional goal would be now that you are employed at Percipia?

A: ? To become an IP-PBX guru, performing feats of computing wizardry scarcely dreamed of by mere mortals.   


Well there you have it! We are so happy to have Ian join the team and contribute to the success of Percipia.


You can send Ian some fan mail by tweeting @PercipiaNetwork

2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

This Sunday, October 12, 2014, around 45,000 participants will run the streets of Chicago in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Runners from all 50 states and more than 100 countries will set out to accomplish their personal dreams. The Chicago Marathon has been around since 1905. That first race was run on Saturday, September 23, 1905, which began in Evanston and finished in front of a standing-room-only paying crowd at Washington Park race track.

Some runners will finish the race in two hours. In order to do that, they will be running at the speeds of 12.5 mph for a constant two hours. Luckily there will be 200 students from the Chicago Cortiva Institute offing complimentary massage therapy. This will go on between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The massage tent will be located within the 27th Mile Post-Race Party (Southwest corner, adjacent to the Petrillo Band Shell).

This year's event times:
Marathon Wheelchair - 7:20 a.m.
Marathon Handcycle – 7:21 a.m.
Athletes with Disabilities – 7:22 a.m.
Wave 1 – 7:30 a.m.
Wave 2 – 8:00 a.m.

(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

After the race and 27th Mile party, Bank of America is offering runners and guests with free admission to the Art Institute of Chicago. This will continue until October 13, if participants show runners bib, finisher’s medals or registration confirmation.

Many celebrities have participated in the marathon. Some of them do it for publicity, others for the sake of blending in and being apart of the race. Here are some celebrity marathoners, with the races they ran and their times.

Sean Astin, Chicago, 2013: 4:31:05
Pamela Anderson, New York, 2013: 5:41:03
Gordon Ramsay, London, 2012: 4:26:21
Apolo Ohno, New York, 2011: 3:25:12
Mark Messier, New York, 2011: 4:14:27
Jared Fogle, New York, 2010: 5:13:28
Tammy Duckworth, Chicago, 2009: 2:34:52; 2011: 2:09:26
Edward Norton, New York, 2009: 3:48:01
Ryan Reynolds, New York, 2008: 3:50:22

Katie Holmes, New York, 2007: 5:29:58

Sean "Diddy" Combs, New York, 2003: 4:14:52

Will Ferrell, Boston, 2003: 3:56:12

Anthony Edwards, Chicago, 2003: 3:55:40; 2001: 4:04:55; 1999: 4:13:07
Bill Rancic, Chicago, 2001: 4:31:31
Al Gore, Marine Corps, 1997: 4:58:25
Oprah Winfrey, Marine Corps, 1994: 4:29:15
George W. Bush, Houston, 1993: 3:44:52

Since the terrible event that happened at the Boston Marathon, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has put together an emergency alert system to keep everyone safe. This is taken form the website itself.

"A color-coded Event Alert System (EAS) will communicate the status of course conditions to participants leading up to and on race day. The levels range from Low (green) to Moderate (yellow) to High (red) to Extreme (black) based primarily on the weather, as well as other conditions.

• Email and website communication during race week will inform participants of the current Event Alert System status and provide preparation tips based on advance weather forecasts.
• Updates will be made at the Abbott Health & Fitness Expo via handouts at the participant packet pick-up area and public address announcements.
• On race day, the current Event Alert System status will be communicated via public address announcements and color-coded signs/flags at the start and finish areas, and along the course at each of the 20 aid station locations and via large digital traffic message boards.

All participants should familiarize themselves with the Event Alert System prior to the race, remain alert for directions from race officials and announcers and take precautions to prepare properly for varying weather conditions on race day."

Event Alert System table:

This year we hope for a safe and fun event. We wish all the participants good luck. If you are running or just spectating we would love to hear your story and experience.

Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2014

Our CEO, Michael Velasquez, and Global Sales Director, Kevin Yarnell, have ventured their way to the 2014 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is an annually held convention that keeps you at the forefront of the latest trends and insight in the global casino-entertainment industry. 

This year G2E will be held from Monday, September 29th to Thursday, October 2nd, 2014. 

This year will feature the largest show floor in North America; G2E is expecting 450+ exhibitors. Hundreds of new products and show specials will be offered. There is a full line up of networking opportunities available:

• AGA Gaming Hall of Fame
• Tribal Gaming
• Global Gaming Women
• Latin American Gaming
• G2E Meet-Ups

"We have worked hard to create events and atmosphere that will truly allow for the types of introductions, interaction and discussions that at the end of the day will be meaningful for all types of casino executives," said Mike Johnson, industry vice president at Reed Exhibitions. "We are excited to bring these unmatched opportunities to network to the industry."

Here are some pictures from our Michael and Kevin:

Chicago Getaway's

We know life in the city can be exhausting and when you have toured every tourist attraction with every single visiting relative, it can get kind of boring. We took the pleasure of mapping out fun locations around Chicago that can make for a great weekend getaway!

Wisconsin’s Indoor Waterparks

Travel Time: Under 4 Hours

Kalahari Indoor Resort

Grab your suits and hit one of America’s largest indoor waterparks, the 125,000-square-foot park at Kalahari Resorts.

Great Wolf Lodge Wisconsin

Scale back a little at the 76,000-square-foot Great Wolf Lodge, where the “Fort Mackenzie” attraction is a don’t-miss, thanks to 12 levels of treehouse outfitted with suspension bridges and water games.

Wilderness Resort & Waterpark

With indoor-outdoor waterparks, golf, dining, and a spa to unwind in, this resort has it all in one facility—including groceries.

Grand Harbor Resort

The location provides views of the Mississippi, access to downtown Dubuque, and Iowa’s first themed indoor water park.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula 

Travel Time: Under 6 Hours

Norway Mountain

Hit the slopes on one of 17 trails; trek the 1.8-mile mountaintop snowshoe trail or challenge yourself with jumps and a quarter-pipe.

Iron Mountain Iron Mine

Experience iron mining in an underground train tour of 2,600 feet of drifts and tunnels—400 feet below the surface.

Pine Mountain Golf & Ski Resort

The skier-friendly property offers quaint rooms and slope-side fireplace condos.

Exploring Mississippi in Dubuque

Travel Time: Under 4 Hours

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

Touch pools, gators, otters, and nature trails spotlight Mississippi River wildlife.

Celebration River Cruises

Take in America’s second-longest waterway on a deluxe 800-passenger riverboat—short and full-day excursions are narrated, and dinner cruises are available.

I will keep you'll posted on new travel destinations in the future. Please comment below if you have attended these places below, I would love to read your experiences. 

Labor Day Weekend 2014

Many of us will travel this Labor Day weekend; I know I will. So that’s why I am not going to drag this article on with statistical facts and statements about the holiday and the people traveling. I did find a great fact sheet from AAA that I wanted to share, just so you travelers know what you’re getting yourself into. 

Around 34.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more on Labor Day weekend. This is the highest volume for the holiday since 2008 and a 1.3 percent increase over 2013. Nearly 86 percent of travelers (29.7 million) will celebrate the holiday with a final road trip before summer comes to a close.

Statistics and Image from AAA

Have a safe and fun weekend from PERCIPIA!

Top Amenities

I recently traveled to Toledo, OH for a convention and I decided to stay at the same hotel that the convention was taking place at, the Ramada. Although my choices in hotels were limited, I wanted to stay at a place that offered great amenities. When I travel I always look for certain deal breakers for my stay. After a little digging I found I am not the only one that wants a mint on his pillow. Let’s break down the top amenities people are looking for when staying at a hotel.

*This survey was completed by Skift and American Express.

No. 4: Enrollment in Hotel’s Loyalty Programs

10.9% of survey’s say it is important to them to get rewarded. Many customers want to be reward for coming back to the same hotel chain. Whether that leads to a free gift, a free room upgrade, or a discount on their current or next stay.

No.3: Free Breakfast

Although this is one of my top deal breakers, 25.5% of surveys think that free continental breakfast is a must with their stay. I am a breakfast person; I think it is important for me to get a great meal before I start my day with meetings or workshops. It is nice when a breakfast is free when I stay at the hotel.

No.2: Close to Meeting/ Conference

When I traveled to Toledo, the last thing I wanted to do was travel to another hotel. 28.2% found it important for them to be either in the same location or relatively close. It was nice to be able to walk back to my room between workshops to freshen up. It makes for a more relaxing stay.

No.1: Free Wi-Fi

I think this is thee most important amenity that a hotel must have; it is an absolute a deal breaker. 35.2% of survey’s said this is the most important. If you are traveling whether it is for work or play, you will utilize the internet. With technology playing a huge role in our lives, having Wi-Fi is important for many to have a pleasant stay. I know I completed some work when I was out of town and that wouldn't have been possible without the Wi-Fi that was provided to me free from Ramada.

A special thank you goes to Ramada Toledo for making my stay smooth and comfortable.