Latest news with #StephanieHarris
Skift
5 days ago
- Business
- Skift
How AI, Gen Z, and Geopolitics Are Reshaping Incentive Travel
More than 500 incentive travel professionals converged at the new AVA Resort Cancun this week for the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) Invitational, raising just under half a million dollars in the process. IRF President Stephanie Harris addressed artificial intelligence, positioning it as an ally rather than a threat. In recent IRF research, 63% of respondents said they either use AI or that they will to support incentive travel planning. The primary uses include private program materials, planning, and forecasting. 'AI is designed to enhance, never to replace,' Harris said. The core strength of incentive travel remains human interaction, or 'HI,' according to Harris. 'The relationship economy means taking a human-first approach. And as we navigate the increasing mistrust of what's in our email, and what is on our social feeds, actual relationships equal trust. Human interaction equals transparency.' She encouraged prioritizing face-to-face connections, despite slower speeds or inefficiencies, over digital alternatives. Harris also highlighted the generational transition underway, noting how rapidly shifting tech skill sets are affecting the industry. 'Over the next five years, 39% of the tech skill sets that we have in this room today are going to be outdated,' she said. 'Gen Z is coming in hot, with new ideas and approaches, and they are adept with technology in ways that frequently astonish and sometimes embarrass me.' Incentive Travel Steady Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty While geopolitical issues and tariffs were key topics, the overall sentiment was cautious optimism, given the long-term nature of incentive planning. 'So far in '25, there have been a lot of OMG moments, but for the rest of the year, we're really not seeing a lot of big change,' said Janet Traphagen, president of Creative Group, during the closing panel. 'In speaking with our customers, they're definitely hunkering down and looking at long-term strategies like their supply chains,' she added. Traphagen shared how one client, early in the Trump administration, relocated an incentive trip from the U.S. to the Caribbean. 'But overall, we have not seen a lot of movement. I think this has made people take a breath and say, 'Let's just see what really happens.' So the impact has not been big, but it has not been zero either.' Another panelist, Chris Johnson, director, global travel and enterprise events at Land O' Lakes, expects continued uncertainty. '2026 is going to have a lot of unpredictability, and probably '27 as well,' he said. 'We need to have some patience and empathy, instead of pushing our top executives to, let's say, get that contract we need signed by next week. Trust me, they're probably not thinking about that event or that contract signature as much as they are about the changing climate within their business.' New Research from the IRF Johnson and the other panelists referred to how they use IRF research in their decision-making and planning. Newly released studies focus on Building a Culture of Recognition and European Attendees Preferences, and are free on the IRF web site.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Time of India
How Walmart and Target may have worked together to bust a $100,000 AirPods theft ring
Two women from New York, US, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for operating a multistate retail theft ring involving over $100,000 worth of goods, including Apple AirPods , from Walmart and Target stores. Prosecutors in Cherokee County initially considered charges in May 2024 when Walmart Global Investigations met with their Gang and Organized Crime Unit to discuss a "large theft ring involving both Walmart and Target." The two retail giants collaborated to investigate the thefts by sharing information with each other before contacting law enforcement agencies, according to prosecutors. From June 2022 through August 2024, the women stole nearly $141,000 worth of merchandise in 187 incidents across 21 states, including Georgia. The women, Ebony Fallon Washington (aka Stephanie Harris), 43, and Melissa Holland (aka Keisha Wilson), 46, pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said to USA Today. How these women used to steal AirPods from Walmart and Target store Their scheme involved buying Apple AirPods with cash and using tools to remove the genuine products from their packaging. They would then replace the AirPods with cheaper items and reseal the boxes to appear unopened. The fraudulent items were then returned for full cash refunds. In some cases, the refunded cash was used to purchase more AirPods, continuing the cycle. The authentic Apple products were kept and resold for profit, according to prosecutors. The suspects were arrested in September 2024 in Coweta County. During a search of their rental car, officers found hotel receipts for locations near the targeted stores and tools for opening AirPods packaging. Prosecutors noted that five cellphones seized from the defendants contained additional evidence. Each woman received a 10-year prison sentence, followed by 10 years of probation, and was ordered to pay $134,951.86 in restitution—the remaining balance after recovered items were deducted from the total theft value. A Walmart spokesperson told USA Today on May 9 that the company is deferring further comment to law enforcement, and Target had not responded to requests for comment. 'Organised retail crime is a growing problem not only in our community, but nationwide,' DA Susan Treadaway said in a statement (as seen by USA Today). The DA also noted that these two women were 'clearly involved in an organised scheme' that impacted stores 'throughout the country.' Meanwhile, Rachel Murphy, Assistant District Attorney of the Gang and Organized Crime Unit said: 'These defendants operated in a coordinated effort with a specific plan in place. Although only two stores in Cherokee County were directly affected, Georgia's RICO Act enabled us to prosecute this broader criminal enterprise.'
USA Today
09-05-2025
- USA Today
Walmart, Target work together to thwart AirPod theft scheme stretching 21 states, DA says
Walmart, Target work together to thwart AirPod theft scheme stretching 21 states, DA says Two New York women were sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing over $100,000 in items from Walmart and Target stores across the country. Show Caption Hide Caption Walmart begins using bodycams on employees The retailer Walmart is starting its body cam pilot program at select U.S. locations, fitting store level associates with body cameras. Cheddar Two New York women were sentenced to a decade in prison for operating a multistate retail theft ring that involved stealing over $100,000 worth of goods from Walmart and Target stores. Ebony Fallon Washington (a.k.a. Stephanie Harris), 43, and Melissa Holland (a.k.a. Keisha Wilson), 46, both pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said. According to prosecutors, from June 2022 through August 2024, the women stole nearly $141,000 worth of merchandise in 187 different incidents across 21 states, including Georgia. 'Organized retail crime is a growing problem not only in our community, but nationwide,' DA Susan Treadaway said in a statement. The DA added that the two women were "clearly involved in an organized scheme" that impacted stores "throughout the country." Women's scheme involved returning fraudulent AirPods: DA The women's scheme consisted of them buying Apple AirPods with cash, using tools to remove genuine products from their packaging, replacing them with cheaper items, resealing the boxes to appear unopened and returning the fraudulent items for full cash refunds, the DA's office said. In some cases, they used the refunded cash to buy more AirPods, thus continuing the cycle. They would also keep the authentic Apple products to resell for profit, according to prosecutors. 'These defendants operated in a coordinated effort with a specific plan in place. Although only two stores in Cherokee County were directly affected, Georgia's RICO Act enabled us to prosecute this broader criminal enterprise,' Assistant District Attorney Rachel Murphy, of the Gang and Organized Crime Unit, said in a statement. Walmart and Target joined together in effort to curb theft scheme Prosecutors in Cherokee County first considered bringing charges against the women in May 2024, when Walmart Global Investigations met with their Gang and Organized Crime Unit to discuss a "large theft ring involving both Walmart and Target," the DA's office said. The two retail giants worked together to investigate the thefts and opted to share information with each other before going to law enforcement agencies, according to prosecutors. The women were eventually arrested on Sept. 13, 2024, in Coweta County, southwest of Atlanta. While executing a search warrant, authorities found receipts for hotels near retail stores targeted in the scheme and tools used to open AirPods packaging in the women's rental car, according to the DA's office. Authorities found more incriminating evidence on five cellphones that were being used by the women, prosecutors said. In addition to the 10-year prison sentences, the women will also have to serve 10 years of probation and pay a total of $134,951.86 in restitution, which reflects the remaining balance after the value of recovered items was deducted from the total theft amount, the DA's office said. USA TODAY contacted Walmart and Target on May 9 but has not received a response. Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hickory woman sentenced for drunk driving crash that killed teen
A woman from Hickory was sentenced to prison for driving drunk and killing a 19-year-old last April. Channel 9 learned Thursday that Stephanie Harris will spend the next six to eight years behind bars for the crash. PREVIOUS STORY: 19-year-old killed by impaired driver in Hickory, police say Court documents say Harris had twice the legal limit of alcohol in her system when she turned her Ford Escape in front of a motorcycle at Highway 70 and 19th Street Drive SE. Harris was also driving on a revoked license for a previous DWI conviction in Burke County. The crash killed Coble Hartman of Taylorsville. (VIDEO: New charge filed against driver accused of killing father of 3 in south Charlotte DWI crash)
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 sentenced for stealing nearly $141K in AirPods, removing them from boxes, then returning for cash
Two women have learned their fate after they pleaded guilty to an organized retail crime scheme that involved the Peach State. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Wednesday, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office announced that Ebony Fallon Washington (aka Stephanie Harris), 43, and Melissa Holland (aka Keisha Wilson), 46, both of New York, pleaded guilty to three counts of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The pair was sentenced to 20 years each, with the first 10 years to be served in prison. The sentencing stems from an investigation that began in June 2022. According to court documents, from June 2022 through August 2024, the pair stole nearly $141,000 in merchandise in 187 incidents in 21 states, including Georgia. The pair went to stores all around the metro Atlanta area including Acworth, Adel, Austell, Buford, Calhoun, Columbus, Conyers, Covington, Cumming, Dallas, Fayetteville, Flowery Branch, Fort Oglethorpe, Grovetown, Hampton, Hiram, Holly Springs, Kennesaw, LaFayette, Macon, Marietta, McDonough, Milton, Norcross, Rockmart, Roswell, Smyrna, Stockbridge, Tifton, Trion, and Woodstock. TRENDING STORIES: The DA said the women would purchase AirPods with cash, remove the real products from their boxes, replace them with less valuable items, reseal the packaging to appear unopened, and return the fake products for full cash refunds. Officials said the pair kept the real Apple products to resell for profit. Prosecutors say they began investigating in May 2024, when Walmart Global Investigations met with the Gang and Organized Crime Unit of the DA's office to discuss a large theft ring involving both Walmart and Target. In September 2024, law enforcement agencies caught and arrested the pair in Coweta County. Officers said they found key evidence from the women's rental car, including receipts for hotels near the stores targeted in the scheme and tools to open the AirPods boxes. Authorities said they also discovered five cell phones used by the pair. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Both women are also ordered to pay a $134,951.86 in restitution, which is the remaining balance after the value of recovered merchandise was deducted from the total theft amount. As part of their probation, they are to have no contact with each other; they are banned from all Walmart and Target locations, cannot enter Cherokee County, and are required to complete 320 hours of community service. 'Organized retail crime is a growing problem not only in our community, but nationwide. In Cherokee County, we judiciously use RICO indictments for individuals like these defendants who were clearly involved in an organized scheme which impacted stores locally as well as throughout the country,' said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. RELATED VIDEO:
