Is "heute" really "these days?" Isn't it just "today?" "Heutzutage" is nowadays/these days...
Literally you would be right, but heute is very commonly used to refer to the "general" present, so it can also mean "these days" whenever you talk about something that is not just true today but for a longer duration.
Heute ab?
abhalten=to hold
Why wouldn't "These days, he holds regular seminars" not be accepted?