What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 28 April 2014

Welcome to another week and after two short weeks, normal service is resumed here at Cloud 9 Towers!

Peter Lowe

Last week was pretty much taken over with second stage judging for the Midlands Media Awards which we run on behalf of the Birmingham Press Club. Willoughby PR kindly hosted the judging for us, which was chaired by Peter Lowe who is the Executive Editor at Sky News.

The nominations for the awards will be announced this coming Friday, 2 May and tickets for the ceremony which is taking place on Thursday 5 June at Aston Villa, are available online now for anyone wanting to snap up a seat near the front! We always allocate seating on a first come first served basis, so you have been warned!

Progress for the 2014 CIPR Northern Conference is also shaping up nicely and this year’s conference will focus on the digital PR landscape and the skills needed to spread news further, faster and more directly than ever before. The day will look at how PR, Social, SEO and Content Marketing all complement each other to engage, influence and manage reputations. 

Industry leaders will discuss the blurring lines between these channels the importance of digital PRs having a varied skill set to create digital PR strategies.There will be a packed schedule this year with a diverse range of keynote speakers and the opportunity to network with exhibitors so delegates will be able to make the most of their time and really benefit from attending.

 

Now in its 13^th year the objectives of this high profile event are to provide outstanding learning and networking opportunities for PR professionals through a mixture of challenging keynote speeches and practical master classes and workshops. The event is open to members and non-members alike.

The event is set for 12 June, so just a week after Midlands Media, so June is shaping up to be a busy month for us here at Cloud 9 Event Management.

To recover, Becky & Rubina are then off to enjoy the hospitality of the studio venues on Friday 13 June, with a promise to get lucky with both the studio and Staybridge Suites…



We have no idea exactly what that means, but  to celebrate the launch of their new 24 hour delegate packages, they are hosting an evening of fun and entertainment at thestudio, followed by overnight stay and breakfast at the recently opened Staybridge Suites, Birmingham. We have clients who are big fans of the studio and we are too, so it will be great to explore their new space.
  
Then, no sooner than the CIPR Northern Conference is over, our attention with turn to Bristol Media and the Brand You Awards as the entry deadline is 20 June.  

With such a busy schedule ahead, client venue finding and planning, we are trying to keep as organised as we can and whilst Paula has finally given up, reluctantly, her Filofax, she still complains that her online diary is far too complicated for daily use!

So in tribute to all of those who still enjoy their Filofaxes (without the ridicule of younger members of staff), a little potted history of this marvellous invention!

The popularity of Filofax over the past decade has naturally led many people to believe it is a relatively new concept. Yet its origins go back as far as the First World War. In 1921, a London based company was formed to market personal organisation systems in the UK by mail order. In 1930 they registered the trademark "Filofax", the name having derived from the description "file of facts".

The business continued to grow and by 1987 had a retail network of 1250 outlets in the UK alone. Prestigious stores around the world stocked Filofax, Harrods and Harvey Nichols in London, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales in the US, Bon Genie in Switzerland, Galleries Lafayette in Paris and Seibu in Japan amongst others.

The Filofax personal organiser had developed from a simple loose-leaf diary and notebook into an indispensable organiser and status symbol for the 80s.In 2001 the Letts Filofax Group was formed after Charles Letts and Company Limited aquired the Filofax Group. In 2012 the company was acquired by HSGP Investments.

Paula maintains she is reviving hers next year, the Cloud 9 team remain unconvinced! Her response however, is that if Grace at 83 could pull off using a Filofax, then she can too! 
We'll see....and in the meantime, have a great week!

PS. Don't forget to ask us about FUSE by Cloud 9....

What's Floating Around? 22 April 2014

Adam & Julian from The Studio Venues

Welcome to another (short) week and we hope that every one had a fabulous Easter. We consider ourselves very lucky to be working in such a great industry and as a result, we get all sorts of fantastic invitations to experience the hospitality of great hotels and venues, both in the UK and Internationally.

So, last Thursday, we help an Open Day at Cloud 9 and invited lots of Hotel and Venue representatives to drop in at our Easter Eggstravaganza, as our way of saying thank you. It was also an opportunity to get an update on some of the venues and introduce our newer team members (as well as showing off our new offices!).

Each team member ran a different activity in a different section of our offices and some certainly entered into the spirit of Easter with lots of enthusiasm - including the great guys from The Studio Venues. We feel that Julian is really working the look! 

Paula felt that the ears were not really her thing, and Carol sadly had to miss the day due to a last minute appointment but was there in spirit...and the rest of the team, well its easy to see that they were really up for all aspects of the Easter experience and kicked off with an #Selfie first thing in the morning.

Shannon, Rubina, Becky and Harriet, who is studying Event Management at Leeds Met and is back with us for her third year, all hopped up!

The first port of call for visitors was Carol's Cracking Icing Competition where each of our guests were invited to decorate a Ginger Bread Egg Biscuit and some were more successful than others, its fair to say!

Heather and Jade from the Yew Lodge

in Kegworth took the competition quite seriously!

Katey from Gleneagles with her own Ryder Cup!

Helen with an impressive PUMA Hotels Egg

Luis from Maritim with a Cracking Effort!

Julie from the Raithwaite Estate - Great Branding!

June from Coombe Abbey, if in doubt, sprinkles!

Kevan from Trident - Eggscellent Effort!

Brendan from Millenium Copthorn - Not Giving Up His Day Job!

Great effort from Nikki but Becky's attempt to recreate the Deansgate iconic Hilton, not really going to plan!

Craig's Cracking Effort for the Heart of England

 

Adam trying to curry favour with a Cloud 9 egg!

Julian also trying to cheat!

Fab effort from Alex at Q

 

 After much debate here at Cloud 9 it was a tough call as to who to award the Easter Egg to for this particular challenge and it was really between Luis from Maritim, Alex from Q Hotels and Julie from the Raithwaite Estate. In the end though, we decided that Katey from Gleneagles was the deserving winner for her blatant plug of the Ryder Cup!

After all of that excitement, many of our guests visited Paula in the Pub (well our Pink Office which was kitted out with a little bubbly) and to have a chat without any bunny ears!

As most of our guests were driving, we did have lots of low alcohol stuff on offer and with a drink in hand, it was time to visit Shannon in our meeting room, which we call The Not So Bored Room. Here we had laid out a bit of a spread with Elvis looking on, and a competition, Shannon's Super Sleuth Egg guess.

There were some pretty wild guesses with the lovely Alison from Fairmont St Andrews, guessing 3458 and Becky from the Manchester Deansgate Hilton guessing 2152.

The actual total was 762 and the closest, with a guess of 760 was Adam from the Studio who wins the Egg! His colleague Julian only guessed 246 so what can we say....!

 Harriet's Hot Cross Bun Challenge, was also pretty popular and the clear winner was Craig Cotterill of the Heart of England Confrence Centre, who managed to eat his in just 28.5 seconds. Craig narrowly beat Heather from Best Western who managed 29 seconds, and Kevan Holland from Trident who managed 30.2 seconds. Carla Garman from the Village Hotel was also pretty impressive with a score of 31.1 seconds.

Bringing up the rear however, with 1.22 was Nikki from the Deansgate Manchester Hilton, 1.05 was Adam from The Studio Venues, June from Coombe Abbey with 1.03 seconds and Alex from Q Hotels also with 1.03. Clearly, chaps have bigger mouths and an Easter Egg is on its way to Craig.

Finally once guests had collected their goody bags from Becky, who was guarding the cake tower with her life, it was time to say goodbye with a final stop off at Rubina's Raffle, where each guest was guaranteed to win a prize.

There were smiles all round for those who won bottle shaped prizes - we can't think why ?! - and even those that didn't win a bottle got some rather lovely chocolates.

So all in all another fab day at Cloud 9 Towers - and in addition to placing a rather large booking with a venue, we also got two nice new client RFP's, an update from some fantastic venues, had a giggle and were also lucky enough to receive some lovely gifts from our guests.

A huge thanks to everyone who came, those who had to cancel last minute and those that didn't manage to make it. We love working with you all! Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 14 April 2014

Welcome to another week and its a Happy Easter from all of us here at Cloud 9 Towers!

It's busy as usual here at Cloud 9 Event Management and we are all looking forward to an extended weekend, and just in case you fancied getting away from it all over the Easter Holidays, there are some great hotel offers still up for grabs.

Our friends at Q Hotels have some amazing deals available including happy, occupied kids having fun. Chilled out parents taking a breather. Isn't that what every family needs once in a while? At the The Park Royal, Warrington, Cheshire  over Easter, May half term, Summer or October, you can stay from just £45.65 per person, per night. Don't forget kids aged 4 and under stay & eat for free. Whilst over at Chesford Grange, another great Q Property you can enjoy a memorable two-night family break including breakfast each morning, dinner on your first night & a family ticket to the fantastic nearby Warwick Castle. Plus stay this Easter & enjoy an activities room (table tennis, pool table, board games & arcade games) & a mini cinema offering a range of children's films.

If you fancy a pamper session rather than an Easter Egg hunt then Q are also offering some great deals. Let the pamper you with their famously award-winning friendly service, expert beauty therapists and revitalising spa facilities. Indulge in luxurious pampering at one of 18 award-winning hotels & receive a free bottle of pink fizz & 60 minutes of spa treatments. Sounds good to us!

The rather fabulous Carden Park is also offering up some great deals over Easter with

Spring holidays from £79.00 per night. Spring into Carden Park for a holiday over Easter and your stay will include a full English breakfast each morning plus use of the leisure facilities with swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and gym.Four night holidays from £79.00 per room per night,Three night holidays from £85.00 per room per night,Two night holidays from £89.00 per per room per night and just a night is £99.00.

It’s not all mini-eggs and daffodils though as Principal Hayley Hotels are inviting you to put some style into your Easter and have three tempting city breaks: exceptional 5 star luxury in Cardiff, an elegant oasis slap bang in the bustling heart of Edinburgh and iconic style in vibrant Glasgow.

A stay at Cardiff’s leading 5 star hotel – the St David’s Hotel & Spa,  includes Afternoon Tea, Chocolate & Fizz on arrival. Located in an unrivalled position on Cardiff Bay, this luxury hotel offers 5 star bedroom accommodation as standard along with a world-class Marine Spa and Tempus at Tides Bar & Restaurant. The George in Edinburgh, perfectly placed for all things Edinburgh, is a luxury hotel offering stylish accommodation as standard along with a stunning Tempus Restaurant and their Easter Break includes dinner  along with an Eater Surprise. Finally, the iconic Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow might be more to your taste and an Easter Break there includes, in addition to dinner, a voucher for a glass of the fizzy stuff in Champagne Central. How fabulous!

There are of course lots of other great offers around and far too many to list but hopefully this might have inspired you to take a break over Easter.

We are a pretty lucky bunch here at Cloud 9 and we get all sorts of invitations to some pretty fantastic venues both in this country and further afield, so before the Easter holidays, we are having an open day for a few of those we've worked with closely over the

last few years just to say thank you.

We are slightly concerned though as we know some of the guests we have coming are rather on the tall side and our meeting room, whilst lovely, was never really designed for those who slept in grow bags as children!

Also, we have somewhat over invited so we are hoping that everyone is feeling cosy and friendly on the day as it might be rather busy....but irrespective its bound to be a lot of fun.

Whoever you are out there, the entire team here at Cloud 9 would like to wish you a very Happy Easter and we'll be back with all systems raring to go next Tuesday morning.

Enjoy.

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 7 April 2014

Welcome to another week and boy oh boy, its a busy one! What with sorting entries now that the deadline has passed for the Midlands Media Awards, boosting the Bristol Media Brand You entries, tying up the speaker schedule for the CIPR Northern Conference and making sure the launch of Fresh 2014 all goes to plan, the team here at Cloud 9 Event Management could all do with squeezing every little drop of time possible into the week ahead.

Additionally, Paula, Shannon & Rubina are off to enjoy the delights of the Conference & Hospitality Show North in Leeds on Tuesday which is being held at Elland Road, the home of Leeds United Football Club. 

The Conference & Hospitality Show is a free to attend event which connects meeting and event organisers with a fantastic range of venues and an exciting variety of suppliers.  CHS14 offers inspiration with innovative and creative event ideas along with an informative and motivational educational programme. 

We are big on education here at Cloud 9 and we believe that you never stop learning, no matter your sector, so we are looking forward to enjoying some of the sessions and especially Dr Alexandra Kenyon who has a national and international reputation in the field of experiential marketing, emotions and social media and was one of the Leeds Metropolitan University teams conducting research into future trends within the events industry.  Alexandra has engaged in an ERASMUS funded project, COBERN (Consumer Behaviour Erasmus Network) with 30 European Universities to investigate ‘Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Consumption Patterns across Europe’ using new methodologies such as picture-based questioning.  She has worked with Adragh Group; known for packaging the World’s biggest brands to investigate the consumer’s sensory journey.

Also speaking is Gill Quirke from the MOD and Catherine Butler of Westminster Abbey talk about their careers and how they came together to play a part in the Royal Wedding, one of the world's most iconic events.

Neil MacLaurin, Managing Director of Keith Prowse will give us an insight into the customer journey and how we can learn from one of the Industries leading Corporate Hospitality providers famous for their sporting and cultural events and there are a host of other speakers also providing sessions.

We are big fans of the CHS Show as its always great to connect with our existing hotels and venues and discover potentially new properties.

After a brief trip back to base, Paula is then off to enjoy the hospitality of the Hungarian Convention Bureau who are organising an international MICE Study Tour in Budapest which includes meeting planners from France, Germany, the UK and the USA .

The primary aim of the study tour is to introduce the conference, meeting facilities and unique venues of Budapest as a possible destination for future international events and includes some stunning looking hotels including The Aquincum Hotel, The Hilton, The Sofitel, The Intercontinental, The Bascolo, The Corinthia, Le Meridien and the Marriott.

Hungary is a not a place we know well here so with the impending trip, we thought it wise to do a little research. Although Hungary is not an unknown place on the globe, it is a new destination yet to be discovered for many. And who would deny that in order to attract delegates to a congress, selecting a location they have not known before is crucial...
 
The cost-to-value ratio is extremely favourable in Hungary. In general the quality of services is excellent and prices are still lower than in most European countries.
 Budapest is a magical place, rendered enchanting by the river Danube which divides the city into two. Hills, mountains in Buda, the line of hotels and the commercial district on the Pest side... an air of history, the pleasant climate, festivals and cultural events prove that the city is indeed the Pearl of the Danube. Several convention centres up to 2,000 located in pleasant environment, and 5.000 first class and luxury hotel rooms are at the guests’ disposal.

Living memories of the past, major historical monuments of Budapest may be special venues for banqueting events and social programmes. The fairy-tale Vajdahunyad Castle, the Museum of Fine Arts or even the Parliament can be rented for special occasions.
 

With unique programmes to choose from for groups seeking sport challenges, cultural heritage or gastronomy tours. One of the highlights of your event might be a fantastic evening cruise down the Danube, a magic day on the Hungarian Great Plain with authentic horse shows, and folklore programmes including delicious traditional meals and drinks.

Budapest is a city of baths, it is also called the Spa Capital of the world. A party spiced with a water ballet performance in the marvellous Gellért bath will surely result in a truly memorable evening. The marching of hussar companies in the Buda Castle; a Renaissance themed evening in a medieval castle; an exciting rally across the country with old-fashioned cars called Trabants: there is plenty to do to enrich your programme.


So there you have it, a busy week indeed. Enjoy or as they in Hungary élvez!