What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 26th November

Welcome to another week!

Newcastle beckons this week as we are off to scout round for venues for the CIPR Northern Conference 2013- even though we haven't finished evaluating the 2012 event yet!

'Power to the people' will be the theme for the 2013 Northern conference which will take place in NewcastleGateshead. In a post-Leveson world where the traditional media is on the back foot and social media is everywhere and all seeing, the opportunities and challenges for professional communicators have never been greater.

June 2013 will see a one-day conference focusing on how organisations and PR practitioners are getting to grips with the new media landscape and coming to terms with the ever-increasing range of skills you need to communicate effectively with your customers and stakeholders now that it is the people who are taking control.

We've already started to contact potential speakers and can promise you an exciting line up.

There are three venues currently under scrutiny including the Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Services Training Centre, which is housed in a self contained site, located just 6 miles from Sunderland, 10 miles from Newcastle and 17 miles from Newcastle International Airport.

The purpose built Training and Development Centre  consists of numerous state of the art facilities including a Breathing Apparatus Centre, Conference and Lecture rooms an ICT training suite and multi-media studio and edit suite.

Other venues also up for consideration include The Discovery Museum. Discover all about life in Newcastle and Tyneside, from the area's renowned maritime history and world-changing science and technology right through to fashion through the eras and military history. The museum is bursting with interactive displays, which makes it the perfect place to learn and have fun.

The displays are regularly updated and complemented by an array of free, fun learning activities. One of their favourite exhibits - Turbinia - dominates the entrance to the Museum. Invented on Tyneside, it is the first ship to be powered by a steam turbine. The 35 metre vessel was once the fastest ship in the world and her history is brought to life in the Turbinia Story display. She sets the standard for a day out that is guaranteed to be filled with breathtaking discoveries.

The Great North Museum is also under consideration. The Great North Museum incorporates collections from the Hancock Museum and Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities, the Shefton Museum and the Hatton Gallery.

Highlights of the £26million museum include a large-scale, interactive model of Hadrian's Wall, major new displays showing the wonder and diversity of the animal kingdom, spectacular objects from the Ancient Greeks and mummies from Ancient Egypt, a planetarium and a life-size T-Rex dinosaur replica skeleton.

The Living Planet display houses hundreds of creatures and by using a mixture of touch screen technology and hands-on investigations, visitors can investigate these animals and find out where they live and how they survive in such extreme places as the arctic and desert.

Live animal tanks and aquaria are integrated into this major display where visitors can see wolf fish, pythons and lizards to name a few. Star objects include a full size model of an elephant, a great white shark, a virtual aquarium, live animal displays, a polar bear, a giraffe and moa skeleton.

So, it should be an interesting day in Newcastle! 


As we run out of November this week and December beckons, the countdown to Christmas will begin and the frantic search for the perfect presents will no doubt add all sorts of stress to otherwise rational people!

Budgets are still tight for many so we have been looking at a few alternative ideas for Christmas 2012 and some of the current trends, and some cheap Christmas gift ideas that are sure to raise a smile.

Baked goods. Who doesn't enjoy a little "nummy in the tummy?"  Anything that is homemade is appreciated by recipients because, not only is it delicious (hopefully), but it shows effort on the giver's part.  Or, for anyone less than savvy in the kitchen, hit up your local deli and grab a cake, or even a nice bottle of wine.    

Picture frame. Here's a gift with a lot of heart for not a lot of cash.  Provide a loved one with a printed photo of a shared memory and pop it in a lovely picture frame.  You can get single photos printed quite cheaply and with a little effort, cheap but fab frames are easy to find.

  

Secondhand Treasures and Vintage items are still all the rage! Charity stores are filled with a plethora of items - some is trash and some is treasure. But hey, it's worth a gander for those valuable items marked down and always check out the jewelry and the artwork.  These are items that tend to still look great, even if they are used.  

Gift Baskets are also a great idea. The fun part about a homemade gift basket is that it can be made up with the recipient in mind at very little cost.  Baskets can be purchased at local craft stores or markets and you can fill it with items you know they will like, favourite candies, spa goods such as face creams, stuffed animals, and more. 

Plants and Flowers are always a great idea and whilst other items may be forgotten, anyone with a green finger can enjoy your gift long after the festive season!

And finally, in a world of computers and technology, books are all but forgotten.  However, the beauty of this gift idea is that there is a book out there for everybody...and chances are it can be acquired on the cheap.  Between online bookstores and local libraries, books can cost very little and be enjoyed for ages, and if you are a Kindle Owner, then a gift certificate to top up a Kindle is a great idea!

However, if you are feeling rather frivolous this festive season then you might want to splurge on Christmas  Crackers and we think we have found just the ones for you - a snip at £599.00....

Celebrate the festive season in true Harrods style with these 6 Romanov luxury Christmas crackers: individually handcrafted and hand decorated with the finest trims, each cracker contains handmade bespoke headgear, humour and trivia booklet and superb individually wrapped gift. Available exclusively at Harrods.

So there you go, and have a great week!