Food
USA TODAY Wine and Food Experience Returns to Naples With Early Tickets Already in Demand
From Burger King’s free Whoppers to sizzling offers at Wendy’s and Dairy Queen, America celebrates its favorite sandwich with mouthwatering deals
Food lovers, mark your calendars—the USA TODAY Wine & Food Experience is making a flavorful return to Naples, Florida this fall, and early ticket access is already stirring excitement among culinary enthusiasts. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, celebrity chefs, and premium tastings, this nationally acclaimed event promises to serve up another unforgettable gourmet adventure.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Southwest Florida’s coast, the 2025 edition of the Wine & Food Experience is expected to draw thousands of guests eager to indulge in an array of flavors from local favorites and nationally renowned restaurants. From artisan bites and bold wines to curated cooking demos, the event offers a taste of everything—from traditional Southern charm to global fusion.
The event, part of USA TODAY’s national food festival series, goes far beyond your average tasting. It’s a celebration of culinary culture, bringing together the best in wine, spirits, craft brews, and epicurean creativity. Attendees can expect appearances from award-winning chefs, interactive stations, and access to top-shelf pours that elevate the entire experience.
Early bird tickets are now officially on sale—and they’re expected to go fast. VIP packages, which typically include early access, premium wine pairings, and exclusive chef interactions, are already seeing strong demand. General admission tickets also grant access to tastings from dozens of local and national vendors, along with live entertainment and demonstrations.
“We’re thrilled to bring this event back to Naples,” said a USA TODAY spokesperson. “Each year, the Wine & Food Experience grows in energy and excitement, and 2025 is shaping up to be our most flavorful year yet.”
For Naples residents and visitors alike, the event is more than just a day of indulgence. It’s a community gathering that celebrates the city’s growing status as a destination for fine dining and culinary innovation.
Those looking to secure a spot are encouraged to purchase tickets early through the official USA TODAY Wine & Food Experience website to avoid missing out—especially on VIP tiers, which often sell out weeks in advance.
So whether you’re a seasoned sommelier, a die-hard foodie, or just someone who appreciates a good glass of red with your charcuterie, the Wine & Food Experience in Naples this fall is a can’t-miss celebration of flavor, passion, and culinary artistry.
Technology News
Inside the Mind of the Man Who Trusts Dogs to Lead Movies
From AI labs to film sets, BARK innovation chief Mikkel Holm has a radical idea — what if dogs weren’t just stars, but storytellers?
In an era where artificial intelligence is already writing scripts, composing music, and generating entire films, one creative mind is asking a question that feels equal parts absurd and oddly profound: Why shouldn’t dogs be directors?
That mind belongs to Mikkel Holm, the Chief AI & Innovation Officer at BARK, the pet brand best known for turning dog culture into a billion-dollar business. Holm isn’t pitching a gimmick. He’s questioning how creativity itself is defined — and who gets to own it.
From Fetch to Final Cut
Holm’s thinking sits at the crossroads of AI, storytelling, and animal behavior. With generative tools becoming more intuitive, he believes creativity no longer needs to start with a human idea. A dog’s reactions — what excites them, what scares them, what keeps their attention — could become the raw data that shapes narratives.
“Dogs already tell us what they like,” Holm has suggested in industry conversations. “We just haven’t been listening in a cinematic way.”
ALSO READ : Younghoe Koo Explains Botched Field Goal After Slip: “The Ball Was Moving So I Pulled Up”
Using sensors, computer vision, and behavioral AI models, a dog’s gaze, movement, or excitement could guide editing decisions, pacing, or even story arcs. The result wouldn’t be about dogs — it would be cinema filtered through a non-human perspective.
The Birth of the First Park Chan-Woof?
Holm jokingly refers to the possibility of minting the next Park Chan-wook — except this auteur would wag instead of walk the red carpet. The joke lands because it highlights something serious: great directors don’t just tell stories, they feel them. And dogs, arguably, are pure instinct.
Unlike human creators shaped by trends, algorithms, or box-office anxiety, dogs respond honestly. They don’t care about three-act structures or Rotten Tomatoes scores. They react in real time — and Holm believes that authenticity is something modern storytelling desperately needs.

Why BARK Is the Perfect Place for This Idea
At BARK, data about canine behavior isn’t abstract. It’s central to the business. Millions of interactions — toys chewed, treats rejected, boxes loved — already inform product design. Translating that behavioral intelligence into creative output feels like a natural extension.
Holm’s role isn’t about replacing human creators. Instead, it’s about collaboration — humans setting the framework, AI translating signals, and dogs influencing the final creative choices in ways we’ve never seen before.
Is This Art or Absurdity?
Skeptics, of course, will laugh. Dogs as directors sounds like a headline built for clicks. But then again, so did AI-written novels, virtual influencers, and fully synthetic pop stars — until they weren’t jokes anymore.
Holm’s idea taps into a deeper cultural shift: creativity is no longer exclusively human. As tools evolve, authorship becomes shared — between humans, machines, and perhaps, one day, animals.
And if the result is strange, emotional, or unexpectedly beautiful? That might be the point.
A Future Where Creativity Isn’t Just Human
Cinema has always evolved with technology — from silent films to sound, black-and-white to color, analog to digital. Holm’s vision suggests the next leap might not be technical, but philosophical.
What happens when we stop asking who is allowed to create?
If the first dog-directed short film ever premieres at a festival someday, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t explain itself. Dogs, after all, have never felt the need to justify their instincts. Maybe storytellers shouldn’t either.
Technology News
Inside the Vision of the Man Who Trusts Dogs to Tell Stories on the Big Screen
From AI labs to film sets, BARK innovation chief Mikkel Holm has a radical idea — what if dogs weren’t just stars, but storytellers?
In an era where artificial intelligence is already writing scripts, composing music, and generating entire films, one creative mind is asking a question that feels equal parts absurd and oddly profound: Why shouldn’t dogs be directors?
That mind belongs to Mikkel Holm, the Chief AI & Innovation Officer at BARK, the pet brand best known for turning dog culture into a billion-dollar business. Holm isn’t pitching a gimmick. He’s questioning how creativity itself is defined — and who gets to own it.
From Fetch to Final Cut
Holm’s thinking sits at the crossroads of AI, storytelling, and animal behavior. With generative tools becoming more intuitive, he believes creativity no longer needs to start with a human idea. A dog’s reactions — what excites them, what scares them, what keeps their attention — could become the raw data that shapes narratives.
“Dogs already tell us what they like,” Holm has suggested in industry conversations. “We just haven’t been listening in a cinematic way.”
ALSO READ : Younghoe Koo Explains Botched Field Goal After Slip: “The Ball Was Moving So I Pulled Up”
Using sensors, computer vision, and behavioral AI models, a dog’s gaze, movement, or excitement could guide editing decisions, pacing, or even story arcs. The result wouldn’t be about dogs — it would be cinema filtered through a non-human perspective.
The Birth of the First Park Chan-Woof?
Holm jokingly refers to the possibility of minting the next Park Chan-wook — except this auteur would wag instead of walk the red carpet. The joke lands because it highlights something serious: great directors don’t just tell stories, they feel them. And dogs, arguably, are pure instinct.
Unlike human creators shaped by trends, algorithms, or box-office anxiety, dogs respond honestly. They don’t care about three-act structures or Rotten Tomatoes scores. They react in real time — and Holm believes that authenticity is something modern storytelling desperately needs.

Why BARK Is the Perfect Place for This Idea
At BARK, data about canine behavior isn’t abstract. It’s central to the business. Millions of interactions — toys chewed, treats rejected, boxes loved — already inform product design. Translating that behavioral intelligence into creative output feels like a natural extension.
Holm’s role isn’t about replacing human creators. Instead, it’s about collaboration — humans setting the framework, AI translating signals, and dogs influencing the final creative choices in ways we’ve never seen before.
Is This Art or Absurdity?
Skeptics, of course, will laugh. Dogs as directors sounds like a headline built for clicks. But then again, so did AI-written novels, virtual influencers, and fully synthetic pop stars — until they weren’t jokes anymore.
Holm’s idea taps into a deeper cultural shift: creativity is no longer exclusively human. As tools evolve, authorship becomes shared — between humans, machines, and perhaps, one day, animals.
And if the result is strange, emotional, or unexpectedly beautiful? That might be the point.
A Future Where Creativity Isn’t Just Human
Cinema has always evolved with technology — from silent films to sound, black-and-white to color, analog to digital. Holm’s vision suggests the next leap might not be technical, but philosophical.
What happens when we stop asking who is allowed to create?
If the first dog-directed short film ever premieres at a festival someday, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t explain itself. Dogs, after all, have never felt the need to justify their instincts. Maybe storytellers shouldn’t either.
Technology News
Meet the Man Who Wants Dogs in the Director’s Chair and Thinks Cinema Needs a Bark Side
From AI labs to film sets, BARK innovation chief Mikkel Holm has a radical idea — what if dogs weren’t just stars, but storytellers?
In an era where artificial intelligence is already writing scripts, composing music, and generating entire films, one creative mind is asking a question that feels equal parts absurd and oddly profound: Why shouldn’t dogs be directors?
That mind belongs to Mikkel Holm, the Chief AI & Innovation Officer at BARK, the pet brand best known for turning dog culture into a billion-dollar business. Holm isn’t pitching a gimmick. He’s questioning how creativity itself is defined — and who gets to own it.
From Fetch to Final Cut
Holm’s thinking sits at the crossroads of AI, storytelling, and animal behavior. With generative tools becoming more intuitive, he believes creativity no longer needs to start with a human idea. A dog’s reactions — what excites them, what scares them, what keeps their attention — could become the raw data that shapes narratives.
“Dogs already tell us what they like,” Holm has suggested in industry conversations. “We just haven’t been listening in a cinematic way.”
ALSO READ : Younghoe Koo Explains Botched Field Goal After Slip: “The Ball Was Moving So I Pulled Up”
Using sensors, computer vision, and behavioral AI models, a dog’s gaze, movement, or excitement could guide editing decisions, pacing, or even story arcs. The result wouldn’t be about dogs — it would be cinema filtered through a non-human perspective.
The Birth of the First Park Chan-Woof?
Holm jokingly refers to the possibility of minting the next Park Chan-wook — except this auteur would wag instead of walk the red carpet. The joke lands because it highlights something serious: great directors don’t just tell stories, they feel them. And dogs, arguably, are pure instinct.
Unlike human creators shaped by trends, algorithms, or box-office anxiety, dogs respond honestly. They don’t care about three-act structures or Rotten Tomatoes scores. They react in real time — and Holm believes that authenticity is something modern storytelling desperately needs.

Why BARK Is the Perfect Place for This Idea
At BARK, data about canine behavior isn’t abstract. It’s central to the business. Millions of interactions — toys chewed, treats rejected, boxes loved — already inform product design. Translating that behavioral intelligence into creative output feels like a natural extension.
Holm’s role isn’t about replacing human creators. Instead, it’s about collaboration — humans setting the framework, AI translating signals, and dogs influencing the final creative choices in ways we’ve never seen before.
Is This Art or Absurdity?
Skeptics, of course, will laugh. Dogs as directors sounds like a headline built for clicks. But then again, so did AI-written novels, virtual influencers, and fully synthetic pop stars — until they weren’t jokes anymore.
Holm’s idea taps into a deeper cultural shift: creativity is no longer exclusively human. As tools evolve, authorship becomes shared — between humans, machines, and perhaps, one day, animals.
And if the result is strange, emotional, or unexpectedly beautiful? That might be the point.
A Future Where Creativity Isn’t Just Human
Cinema has always evolved with technology — from silent films to sound, black-and-white to color, analog to digital. Holm’s vision suggests the next leap might not be technical, but philosophical.
What happens when we stop asking who is allowed to create?
If the first dog-directed short film ever premieres at a festival someday, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t explain itself. Dogs, after all, have never felt the need to justify their instincts. Maybe storytellers shouldn’t either.
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