Galataport

FINN Partners lands Galataport Istanbul, a new social, cultural and leisure neighborhood anchoring the waterfront in Istanbul’s Karaköy district. Led by FINN Partners’ Virginia Sheridan, managing partner for Travel + Lifestyle, North America and travel division senior partner Haldun Dinccetin, the agency will deliver a comprehensive communications strategy for consumer and trade audiences, including media relations, trade show representation, strategic partnerships and thought leadership. According to Galataport Istanbul, FINN Partners was selected based on its experience in the cruise industry, art and culture and lifestyle public relations, as well as its established knowledge of Turkey and Istanbul.

Tailwind

Forward Media is working Tailwind Air’s new nonstop seaplane service from New York to Boston. Tailwind says that its service will cut travel times between the two cities from 40 to 60 percent. The flights, which are to start operations on Aug. 3, will take off from Manhattan’s New York Skyport on East 23 Street, landing in Boston Harbor approximately 75 minutes later. Since each plane will carry only eight passengers, travelers can arrive at check-in as little as 10 minutes before departure. One-way fares start at $395. Tailwind says that in addition to reducing aggravation for travelers, the new service will “open up half-day business trips.”

Drive

AutoCom Associates earns US PR duties for Drive TLV, a connector of investors and Israeli high-tech companies. Based in Tel Aviv, Drive works with startups, assists them with strategic business-plan guidance and helps them form partnerships with investors and industry-leading mobility companies, including automakers and insurance firms. It plans to make its programs available to startups in the US and Europe in the near future. "The smart-mobility technologies that Drive is helping to develop will be of particular interest to the growing number of media outlets covering electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, autonomous driving technology and the smart-mobility sector in general," said AutoCom president Larry Weis.