Visiting the Whitney Viewing Stand at the Saratoga Race Track

Niagara University alumnus James Alton Bechand owns and operates Aris Graphics and Mesh Creative Group, which he founded in the early 2000s. An accomplished salesman and creative design professional, James Alton Bechand has claimed numerous Pop Times Awards for Excellence in Graphic Production. In his free time, he enjoys horse races at the Saratoga Race Track.

Since its inception in 1863, the Saratoga Race Track has hosted flat and harness horse races. The venue, which also houses a casino, dining options, and other attractions, allows fans to experience races from a bird’s eye view from the Whitney Viewing Stand.

The Whitney Viewing Stand is situated on the Oklahoma Training Track, across the street from the Saratoga track. Named after one of horse racing's most philanthropic families, the stand opens at 6:00 AM each morning during the racing season before closing at 10:30 AM. The stand serves as a beautiful local landmark and is designed to mimic Saratoga’s 1892 Judges Stand. Moreover, visitors can enjoy nearby Congress Park that features a historic wooden carousel.

The Importance of Packaging to Improve Brand Image

Print and marketing entrepreneur James Alton Bechand is the founder of Aris Graphics and Mesh Creative Group. The winner of numerous Pop Times Awards for excellence in graphic production, James Alton Bechand works with small businesses to improve their product packaging.

Packaging matters. Good packaging can generate tons of sales for brands. Poor packaging, on the other hand, can kill a brand in so many ways. The first is by not attracting customers. The packaging is the first thing a customer sees and is how he or she judges a product worthy of purchase. Getting it wrong is detrimental to sales and the brand’s reputation.

Another way is product damage. If a product is not ideally packaged to go through the supply chain channels, without succumbing to sub-optimal conditions, customers can be turned off. So, while companies may be tempted to go light on the packaging to save costs, they should be mindful of how such a tactic could hurt their sales or lead to high product returns.

To do packaging right, brands can involve customers in the design process to get their perspective rather than basing their decisions on internal opinions. They should also align their product packaging with their own brand story and consumer expectations while differentiating it from the competition.

A Look at Mesh Creative Group’s Work for Pepperidge Farm

An accomplished entrepreneur and printing industry executive, James Alton Bechand holds a bachelor's degree from Niagara University in New York. James Alton Bechand serves as the founder of two companies, Aris Graphics in New York and Mesh Creative Group in Connecticut.

The former firm maintains an impressive portfolio of completed projects in the areas of digital work, packaging, point of sale, and advertising. In addition, Mesh Creative Group works extensively in the area of branding, and has developed materials for Pepperidge Farm among other high profile clients.

Mesh Creative Group’s work for Pepperidge Farm focused on branding efforts for an annual national sales meeting that provides performance updates and goal setting for the organization. In addition to developing a theme, logo, and welcome materials for the event, Mesh Creative Group provided presentation templates to ensure a common design and thematic focus throughout the meeting.

For additional information and to view Mesh Creative Group’s branding efforts for Pepperidge Farm, visit www.meshcreativegroup.com.

Three of the World's Top Golf Courses

Huntington, New York, resident James Alton Bechand possesses professional expertise in the marketing and print industries, and is the founder of Mesh Creative Group and Aris Graphics. In his spare time, James Alton Bechand maintains a variety of personal interests, including golfing.

The world’s top golf courses are situated in many different countries around the globe. The following three courses are known for offering some of the best golf on the planet.

1. Royal Dornoch Golf Championship Course. Located in Scotland, this course is situated in a relatively secluded area, and is known as one of the world’s most natural golf courses. It is set beside the ocean and open year-round, and players visit from around the world to golf this technically challenging course, which is considered one of the finest golf courses in Scotland.

2. Pebble Beach Golf Links. This Pebble Beach, California-based golf course is set beside the Pacific Ocean and known as one of the most beautiful golf venues on the planet. Many of the holes on the course were specifically situated next to the rocky coastline by the course's architects, one of which was Jack Neville.

3. Royal Melbourne East Golf Course. Located at one of the most distinguished golf clubs in Australia, this course features manicured greens, superb bunkering, and a range of unique shots. The course includes seven home paddock holes, and begins and ends on the main site.