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Author: Alfredo Casuso

Acclaimed global exhibition explores the essential role of failure in innovation

media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Success in Failure:
SEE® Global Entertainment’s Museum of Failure® to Open
in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf Mid-March 2025

Acclaimed global exhibition explores the essential role of failure in innovation

6 February 2025 – San Francisco, CA:  “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison’s legendary words take on new meaning this spring as the internationally renowned Museum of Failure® makes its San Francisco debut. Opening mid-March 2025 in Fisherman’s Wharf, this celebrated exhibition showcases over 150 failed innovations in a 10,000-square-foot space, proving that failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s part of the journey.   


“Get ready to experience the unconventional! The Museum of Failure® is a one-of-a-kind experience that is both educational and entertaining,” said Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE® Global Entertainment, which is bringing the attraction to San Francisco. “It’s an engaging way to explore the world of innovation, risk-taking, and the unexpected twists that lead to progress.”

Visitors will encounter a fascinating collection of ill-fated ideas, from Google Glass to the infamous Bic for Her pens, and even Colgate’s attempt at frozen lasagna. The museum, which has toured internationally to critical acclaim, provides a fresh perspective on the importance of embracing failure and learning from mistakes.

“The Museum of Failure® is a perfect addition to the diverse attractions at Fisherman’s Wharf,” said Rodney Fong, President of Fong Real Estate, which owns the venue. “It’s thought-provoking, fun, and uniquely suited to San Francisco—a city that has always thrived on innovation.”

The exhibit will be housed in the same location as another much-anticipated experience: Smurfs: The Adventure®—an interactive, all-ages attraction celebrating the world of the beloved blue characters. Smurfs: The Adventure® is slated to open in May 2025.

For more information on the Museum of Failure®, visit https://themuseumoffailure.net/.

Check out the CBS Evening News segment on the Museum of Failure®: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyEXBydMU_4

About SEE® Global Entertainment:
SEE® Global Entertainment Inc is part of the SEE® family of companies representing the finest in themed entertainment, specializing in global touring exhibitions including Star Trek, King Tut, Titanic, The X-Files, Asterix, Frida Kahlo, Michael Jackson, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Hot Wheels, The Smurfs, and the Museum of Failure. For more information on SEE® Global Touring, visit www.seeglobalentertainment.com.  SEE® is led by President Martin Biallas, a Hollywood veteran of 30 years. For more info visit: www.seeglobalentertainment.com and www.martinbiallas.com.  


About the Museum of Failure®:
The Museum of Failure® is a collection of failed products and services from around the world. The museum aims to stimulate discussion about failure and inspire us to take meaningful risks. By showcasing these failures, the museum provides unique insights into the risky business of innovation.

About Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco:
Fisherman’s Wharf is one of San Francisco’s most iconic and visited neighborhoods, offering a rich blend of history, dining, shopping, and entertainment. Home to world-renowned attractions such as Pier 39, the Maritime National Historical Park, the Musée Mécanique, and Ghirardelli Square, the Wharf is a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists alike. Known for its fresh seafood, breathtaking bay views, and vibrant street performances, Fisherman’s Wharf continues to be a top-tier attraction in the City by the Bay. For more information, visit www.fishermanswharf.org.

About Smurfs: The Adventure®:
Smurfs: The Adventure® is a brand-new interactive experience that transports visitors into the enchanting world of the Smurfs. Featuring a variety of engaging activities, this attraction offers fun for the whole family. The Smurfs are among the most beloved characters in the world, first introduced in comics by Belgian artist Peyo in 1958. Since then, the little blue creatures have starred in multiple animated series, blockbuster films, and international attractions. Smurfs: The Adventure® is a brand-new interactive experience that transports visitors into the enchanting world of the Smurfs. Featuring a variety of engaging activities that combine fun and learning, this attraction offers an immersive experience for the whole family.

The Times They Are A.I. Changing: AI Masterclass Brings Innovation to Small Business Community

Media Contact: David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

The Times They Are A.I. Changing: AI Masterclass Brings Innovation to Small Business Community on Thursday, February 27 at Benicia’s Historic Clock Tower

3 February 2025 Benicia, CA: “The only thing constant in life is change,” the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said. In today’s rapidly shifting business landscape, those words have never been more relevant — especially when it comes to artificial intelligence.

As Bob Dylan famously put it, “the times they are a-changin’”. On Thursday, February 27 (9am – 1pm) at the historic Benicia Clock Tower (1189 Washington Street) small business owners and entrepreneurs will have a unique opportunity to stay ahead of the curve at an AI Masterclass: Authentic Intelligence, presented by Benicia Magazine, David Perry & Associates, Inc., and the Benicia Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $75 and include lunch and access to a recording of the event. Tickets are available at the link below: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-master-class-tickets-1207894528049?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

“In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, understanding AI is crucial,” said Mary Hand, publisher of Benicia Magazine. “This masterclass is designed to be engaging, informative, and hands-on, giving our local entrepreneurs the confidence to embrace AI and use it to their advantage.”

“AI isn’t just for tech giants,” said David Perry, CEO of David Perry & Associates, Inc. a longtime media professional and technology trainer. “It is a tool that every business — large or small — can and should use to optimize workflows, target the right audience, and drive efficiency. Our goal with this masterclass is to take the mystery out of AI and turn it into a practical, accessible tool for local businesses.”

“Supporting our local businesses is at the heart of what we do,” said Debbie Amaro, Chair of the Benicia Chamber and CEO of DSA HR Solutions, Inc, “AI is already transforming industries, and by sponsoring this event, we’re ensuring our community has the resources to keep up with these changes and stay competitive.”

Attendees will gain exclusive access to industry experts, hands-on discussions, and practical applications of AI that can be implemented immediately in their businesses.

Event Schedule:
Benicia Clock Tower
1189 Washington Stret
Thursday, February 27, 2025
9am – 1:30pm

9am: Coffee & Arrivals

9:30am: Welcome by Mary Hand & David Perry

10am: Panel 1 – Into to AI Basics and Trends:
Moderator, David Perry
Panelists:
Andres Acosta (Sparkship)
Brian Burkett (We Are Scallywag AI)
Alfredo Casuso (DP&A)
“Steve” (Our Live ChatGPT Colleague)

11am: Panel 2 – Business Applications for AI

Moderator: David Perry
Panelists:
Forrest McBride (GS Ventures)
Thomas Thurston (AI Technologist)
Julianne Averill (Danforth Advisors)
Silas Valentino (SFGate)

12pm: Lunch & Networking

1pm: Q&A and Closing Remarks

1:30pm: Event Concludes

Benicia Magazine is a leading publication dedicated to showcasing the vibrant community of Benicia, CA, highlighting local events, businesses, and stories that matter.

David Perry & Associates, Inc. is a communications firm specializing in creative strategies and international connections, helping clients tell their unique stories across various platforms.

The Benicia Chamber of Commerce is committed to promoting and enhancing the economic vitality of the Benicia business community through advocacy, networking, and educational opportunities.

SF’s Inn at the Presidio Gets Raves from Great Britain’s “Arcadia” Magazine

SF’s Inn at the Presidio Gets Raves from Great Britain’s “Arcadia” Magazine

The Inn at the Presidio is an intimate stay, a place where you can fully immerse yourself in both the energy of the city and the calm of nature. Your suite with its picturesque and charming front porch access, will invite you to take in the view of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. 

The rhythm of the city awaits. Sip your morning coffee and watch the sun rise over the city’s rolling hills. Take a moment and allow the heartbeat of this incredible place to build from afar. Characterised by red-brick walls on the exterior, the Inn at the Presidio is a Georgian Revival-style building that has been restored as a guest lodge featuring 22 generous suites. Most feature fireplaces and all are adorned with artwork and mementos evocative of the building’s remarkable history. 

The interior is delightful, with hardwood flooring and sophisticated leather finishes. The suites offer expansive windows framing beautiful views, either of the surrounding area, the Bay or the Golden Gate Bridge. The Inn’s garden is part of the National Park, and in just a few strides you will be meandering along the Ecology Trail, one of the many trails that cover miles of the area. You are gently reminded of being in a treasured urban oasis, with occasional glimpses of the renowned bridge. 

As evening descends and the silken veil of the San Francisco fog drifts gracefully over the water, get comfortable around the inviting fire pit. The staff are wonderful and incredibly welcoming, ensuring you are beautifully cared for. Enjoy
daily wine and cheese receptions – a guest favourite.

@innatthepresidio
presidiolodging.com
42 Moraga Ave
San Francisco, CA 94129
United States

Screenshot

Stay in San Francisco’s Historic Presidio Lodging

Stay in San Francisco’s Historic Presidio Lodging

Media Contacts:   David Perry & Associates, Inc., (415) 676-7007, news@davidperry.com

What’s New in the Presidio of San Francisco This Year

Exciting New Openings, Events, and Experiences Coming in 2025

“We like to say that what ‘pays in the Presidio, stays in the Presidio. Everything about the Presidio is sustainable in every sense of the word.” – Terry Haney, Managing Director, Presidio Lodging

Click here for images

16 January 2025 -SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The Presidio of San Francisco, one of America’s most treasured national park sites within an urban city limit, is gearing up for an exciting 2025, offering visitors new parkland, world-class dining experiences, engaging museum exhibitions, and endless opportunities for outdoor adventures. In addition, the historic and elegant hospitality of Presidio Lodging, The Inn at the Presidio and the Lodge at the Presidio, offer unique opportunities to experience one of the world’s great cities within a rural setting with ocean views.

Stay in the Presidio
Presidio Lodging’s two historic boutique hotels continue to attract savvy, adventurous and eco-conscious travelers who seek a city experience, but with the relaxing atmosphere of being in a national park. The Inn at the Presidio and the Lodge at the Presidio were both featured in Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 10 Hotels in San Francisco, Readers’ Choice Awards in 2024. Ample European-style breakfast buffets and complimentary afternoon wine and cheese receptions by flickering firepits enhance the visitor experience, which is also pet and family-friendly. Presidio Lodging is also appreciated for its sustainable hospitality practices and its charming sustainable construction. With the park’s unique self-sustaining funding model, every hospitality dollar spent in the Presidio is put back into its operations, keeping it free and welcoming for everyone to enjoy.

“The unique quality of the Presidio continues to attract savvy, adventurous and conscious travelers,” said Terry Haney, Managing Director for Presidio Lodging. “Our historic hospitality offerings allow for visitors to San Francisco to have an experience that allows them a city experience, but with the relaxing atmosphere of being in a national park.”

Also, Haney stresses that by virtue of the unique protocols governing the Presidio, all revenues generated by Presidio Lodging and other concessions within the Park, return to fund the maintenance and future development of the site.

“We like to say that what ‘pays in the Presidio, stays in the Presidio,” says Haney. “Everything about the Presidio is sustainable in every sense of the word.”

NEW IN 2025:

Piccino Expands to the Presidio
Beloved by local San Francisco’s in the Dogpatch neighborhood, favorite Piccino is bringing its celebrated Italian-inspired cuisine to the Presidio in 2025. Known for its warm hospitality and locally sourced menu featuring handcrafted pizzas, pastas, and seasonal fare, Piccino’s new location will provide visitors with a welcoming dining experience in one of San Francisco’s most picturesque settings. The Presidio location promises to pair Piccino’s signature dishes with sweeping views, creating an inviting stop for families, locals, and park-goers alike. The restaurant joins a robust roster of food options in the Presidio, including Dalida Mediterranean, Colibri Mexican Bistro, Il Parco Italian Café, Ironwoods bar and grill.

Outpost Meadow – Expanding the Presidio Tunnel Tops
The Presidio Trust will extend the popular Presidio Tunnel Tops with the addition of Outpost Meadow, a brand-new parkland and gathering space set to open in July 2025. Located just west of the popular Outpost Nature Playground, Outpost Meadow will expand on the amenities most requested families and visitors. Features include picnic areas, shade, gardens, bike parking, food trucks, and new seating options. Beyond enhancing the visitor experience, Outpost Meadow will deliver significant environmental benefits to support climate resilience. A new public transit stop opened in September, ensures easy access to the site. Since its launch in July 2022, Presidio Tunnel Tops has already attracted four million visitors, cementing its role as a must-visit urban park.

The Mess Hall at The Presidio
Set to open in early 2026, The Mess Hall at The Presidio will introduce an exciting new food and beverage concept to the iconic Presidio Tunnel Tops. Designed as an all-day culinary hub, the Mess Hall will feature an inviting café, bar, food hall, and retail market at 201 Halleck St., perched atop the Tunnel Tops with breathtaking views of the Bay. Led by James Beard Award-winning Chef and Author Peter Serpico (known for STARR and MOMOFUKU), the Mess Hall promises unique, standout culinary offerings that highlight the best of local and seasonal ingredients. The bar program will be curated by Zach Negin, celebrated for his community-focused work with Tabula Rasa Bar and other acclaimed establishments in San Francisco and Los Angeles. For updates on The Mess Hall’s opening, including design sneak peeks and menus, visit www.messhallpresidio.com and follow @messhallpresidio on Instagram.

The Walt Disney Family Museum Exhibitions in 2025:
2025 will be a landmark year for The Walt Disney Family Museum, featuring captivating exhibitions for Disney enthusiasts of all ages. Current highlights include:

  • Directing at Disney – On view through March 2025, this special exhibition is guest-curated by Pete Docter, Academy Award®-winning director and Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, alongside historian Don Peri.
  • Mary Blair Artworks Showcase – A reimagining of the 2014 fan-favorite exhibition, this upcoming showcase will explore the artistic brilliance and process of Mary Blair, one of Disney’s most original and beloved designers and art directors.

In addition to these exhibitions, the museum will host a robust public program calendar throughout 2025. Events will feature notable directors, authors, and Disney Imagineers, celebrating Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. For more details, visit www.waltdisney.org.

Ongoing Outdoor Adventures and Playtime:
The Presidio remains a hub for free family-friendly playtime and outdoor adventures:

  • Explore miles of trails, gardens, beaches, and scenic overlooks to the Golden Gate Bridge throughout the park.
  • Enjoy picnics, family gatherings, and playtime at Crissy Field, Battery Bluff, Presidio Tunnel Tops and the upcoming Outpost Meadow.
  • Get active with recreational options in the park like bowling, spa, theatre, restaurants, and more. Book a tee time at the public 18-hole Presidio Golf Course—one of the most historic on the west coast.
  • Chill out at the annual summer gatherings, festivals, a DJ music series and the Presidio Pop Up food trucks all year ‘round. Watch for the lineup of free events from June – September, to be announced shortly.

About Presidio Lodging:

Experience San Francisco in a whole new light. Stay in the Presidio, the famed national park site at the Golden Gate. The San Francisco Presidio’s two boutique hotels combine historic charm with modern comforts and amenities, spectacular views, and a surprising variety of park experiences right outside your door. All with easy access to the city’s vibrant neighborhoods, restaurants, Union Square shopping, the Ferry Building, or a day trip to Napa-Sonoma wine country. It’s the ideal setting for an intimate getaway, family vacation or group gathering. @presidiolodging

The Inn at the Presidio offers an authentic historic experience and exceptional recreational opportunities in a setting of immense natural beauty. Inn at the Presidio’s main building is located at historic Pershing Hall, an elegant home for bachelor officers when the Presidio was a U.S. Army post. The Georgian Revival-style building has been restored as a guest lodge featuring 22 spacious accommodations, including 17 suites with fireplaces. Inn at the Presidio, San Francisco CA, also includes the historic Funston House; a renovated historic officer’s home just 30 yards from The Inn at the Presidio. The Funston House has 4 rooms with original art and the cozy feel of being hidden amongst a forest. Space for celebrations and meetings is available inside the Inn’s main building and at several venues within easy walking distance of the Main Post, making us a wonderful event destination among hotels near Golden Gate Park. 

The Lodge at the Presidio is a historic boutique hotel on the Main Post of the Presidio, in San Francisco CA, that’s been renovated into a comfortable and contemporary ‘basecamp’ for adventures in a unique national park setting. As San Francisco’s closest hotel to the Golden Gate Bridge, the modern rooms sport views of the forest, the bay, the City, the bridge, or a combination thereof. Guests escape the bustle of downtown and enjoy nature and recreation in the park while being steps away from excellent dining. The 42-room lodge will be your starting point for national park adventures. Whichever room you choose, your window will take in views of the Presidio forest, the bay, the City or the iconic San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust

The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is the ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. Spanning 1,500 acres next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. It became a military post under three flags, and subsequently a national park site in 1994. Today, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and offering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov and @presidiosf. 

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David Church Announces the April Release of The Magi Solution

David Church Announces the April Release of The Magi Solution,
the Thrilling Final Chapter in the author’s acclaimed Edison Trilogy

media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc / (415) 676-7007 /news@davidperry.com

8 January 2025 – Palm Springs, CA:  “It’s lovely over there,” were the last words of Thomas Alva Edison –  arguably the most famous inventor of all time. As he lay dying, he seemed to glimpse into another world, a world that he believed with which he could communicate via a device he called “the spirit phone.” Now, award-winning Palm Springs author David Church has “resurrected” and reconstructed “The Wizard of Menlo Park” through his acclaimed “Edison Trilogy” (www.edisontrilogy.com) of alternative fiction, set for completion with the April publication of the ultimate volume, Thomas Edison and The Magi Solution. In a rollicking hold-onto-the-seat-of-your-pants literary rollercoaster, the seminal inventor’s quest for life beyond the grave has him partnering with other historical figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Noel Coward as he saves the world from Adolf Hitler, the Nazis and Satan himself.

“Edison’s genius wasn’t just about invention—it was about seeing possibilities where others saw limits,” says Church, 69. “I’ve always been captivated by how his work continues to ripple through history. With The Magi Solution, I wanted to explore the profound ways his legacy intersected with the challenges of war and the enduring human spirit. Concluding this trilogy has been deeply rewarding, and I hope readers find it as thrilling and thought-provoking as I did writing it. Literally, Edison ‘lit the way’ for everything that came after.”

A former advertising executive, Church has written for publications as wildly diverse as Soap Opera Digest and Interview, authored an environmental children’s book, Larue and the Brown Sky (illustrations by Toby Bluth), co-authored the cult-musical, Judy’s Scary Little Christmas (with Jim Webber and Joe Patrick Ward) and developed a variety of films for United Artists, CBS and NBC, including Psychic Housewife, and Saving Grace. David is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writers Guild of America West. 

“You’ve never read a World War II story like this one,” says John Hanc, award-winning journalist and author of The Coolest Race on Earth. “Church’s ability to bring historical characters to life as disparate as Noel Coward and Adolf Hitler continues to amaze. This final book in the Edison Trilogy is exhilarating.”

“The epic conclusion of the Edison Trilogy delivers the voltage,” agrees Larry Dean Harris, Artistic Director, Strong Words.” It’s been a perilously entertaining adventure for our heroes, both fictional and factual, but David Church has saved the zest for last to deliver a deliciously satisfying finale behind enemy lines and beyond our expectations.” 

Thomas Edison and the Magi Solution opens in the Spring of 1945. As World War II comes to an end, John Dawkins, Edison’s intrepid former assistant, is summoned by an ailing President Roosevelt to investigate a terrifying secret report that Adolf Hitler, faced with certain loss, has made an unholy deal with the Devil to annihilate the world.  Along with his wife, Sophie, an ace newspaper reporter, and their ten-year-old son, Joshua, John journeys to war-ravaged London to join forces with theatrical playboy (and undercover agent) Noel Coward. Along the way, they are reunited with the reincarnated spirit of Thomas Edison. Together, they embark on a final, death-defying adventure that propels them from the ruins of Dresden to the bizarre mysteries of the Fuhrer’s bunker, to the bowels of Hell itself.  All in all, it is a journey to find ‘the Magi’ – the only three souls left on earth who can stop Hitler’s satanic endgame.

Magi builds on the chronicle of Church’s previous two critically-acclaimed novels.

Thomas Edison and the Purgatory Equation is “the popcorn movie of novels, unadulterated fun”(Literary Titan). The book hypothesizes the untold saga of Edison’s greatest invention: a machine designed to penetrate the barrier between life and death. The inventor is joined on his metaphysical expedition by John Dawkins, his heroic, young assistant with a tragic past, Emily Auburn, a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl and her wise-cracking rehearsal pianist, the teenage George Gershwin. Destiny propels them from the mind-boggling marvels of Edison’s secret library to the Captiva Island compound of the Seminole Indians, to the frontlines of the Great War where they journey into the dark heart of the dead zone and wage a decisive battle for the soul of mankind.

Volume II, Thomas Edison and the Lazarus Vessel is “a free-wheeling, enjoyable blend of real history, derring-do adventure and early cinematic comedy” (Kirkus Reviews). Edison, John, Emily, and Gershwin reunite to realize Edison’s final invention, the simu-dermis, a manufactured vessel of skin capable of housing a soul and allowing the dead to rise again. Accompanied by their new companions, Groucho Marx and Eleanor Roosevelt, their pursuit propels them from the Hollywood dream factory, to the metaphysical vortex of Sedona, Arizona, to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. Their odyssey culminates on Andros Island in the Bermuda Triangle, where they battle a cabal of terrorists and come face to face with one of the greatest villains in human history.

Despite being known for his scientific achievements, Edison displayed a significant interest in esoteric spirituality, particularly the idea of communicating with the dead, and publicly stated his desire to create a device he called a “spirit phone” that could capture the voices of deceased individuals, which he believed was possible through scientific means. This fascination stemmed from his unique belief system that life consisted of “life units” that could persist after death and potentially be detected through technology. 

“What has always interested me about Edison is that, although he was fascinated by the concept of communicating with the dead, in addition to being a fantasist, he was a pragmatist,” explains Church. “He believed that such communication could be achieved through technological innovation, such as the manipulation of sound wave frequencies, rather than traditional spiritual practices.”As for Church’s own equation for a potent mixture of fantasy and reality?

“My love of history, adventure and a sense of ‘what if’ propels my creativity,” he happily admits. “Many of my readers write me to say that my books ‘read like a movie’ – and I’d certainly love to see them translated onto the screen. For me, the pace and energy of a genre mash-up is cinematic. I’m simply painting an adventure film in words.”

And next?

“Everyone loves a trilogy,” laughs Church, noting that the triangle and pyramid are classically strong geometric forms. “After this, I’m not sure which historical character I might re-discover and thrust into an adventure. But since my Edison books have opened the door to the afterlife, the field is wide open.”For more information about the Edison Trilogy, visit www.edisontrilogy.com and to preorder The Magi Solution, go to https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Edison-Solution-David-Church-ebook/dp/B0DPRDZL4G