What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 27 April 2015

Welcome to another week and just before dashing off to the inaugural CHS Awards in Leeds tomorrow evening, Paula has been asked to give a guest lecture at a local college who are holding a careers fair.

A career in event management is appealing to many and we get a little inundated with CV’s here at Cloud 9 towers, but unfortunately many of those applying think its all champagne filled parties awash with celebrities.The reality is somewhat different we promise!

More often that not, its very administratively orientated so you have to have a range of skills to really make it in this industry.

Working in event management requires you to be prepared for long hours, challenging scenarios and to able to remain calm in even the most difficult of situations. You have to maintain a professional and friendly manner and be able to deal with suppliers, venues, clients, delegates and guests with the same demeanour as building working relationships enables you to go that extra mile to deliver successful events.

It can be extremely frustrating but also incredibly rewarding and if you can juggle several projects at a time, be prepared for endless admin, calls at weekends and in the evening, and demonstrate real attention to detail, then you will find the industry can provide you with a really satisfying career.

So, are Event Management Degrees and Universities Doing Enough to promote the industry and really give a good grounding to a career in event management?

Increasingly nowadays University Lecturers have a strong industry background in the real world, which is absolutely essential and much more valuable than a life in research and academia! Lecturers today may even have run their own business. It is important to have these positive role models and to be inspired  by tutors who have the experience, have run their own agencies and have lots of enlightening anecdotes to share.

It is vital to have varied input from industry given by micro businesses, SMEs and right through to worldwide event organisations. Their input can be inspirational and thought provoking and this also offers the unique opportunity to ask direct probing questions directly to an expert.

All university students should learn how to create a business plan as this is an important tool for thinking, learning and understanding. In the events industry even if you never start your own business the principles of writing a business plan will be vital transferable skills throughout your career. Client briefs and proposal need to outline the mission, vision and objectives of an event, financial projections, marketing and development plan.

The biggest preparation for a career in the events industry is lashings of experience across a broad range of events. Without this you will have little chance of securing a job or having the skills and confidence to start your own company. Universities have a duty to signpost and develop as many opportunities as possible for their students as well as the individual being proactive.

The UK Centre for Event Management at Leeds Beckett University requires students to develop a business idea and pitch this to experts via a Dragons Den style pitch. They then work for real clients to plan and stage an event with academic and industry professionals providing rigorous feedback to them.

At Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) event management students undertake personality tests and psychometric testing to identify their particular strengths and weaknesses which are then matched in a random group of people with different traits. Each group then meets with charities, selects a wish list of those they would like to work with, develops revenue generating innovative event ideas and pitches directly to the clients.

As in the real world this is a competitive process and there is no guarantee the groups will be chosen by their ideal client but the projects proceed through the planning process to the live event and generate profit for these worthy causes.

Idea generation, brain storming, research, pitch presentations, project planning, report writing, team work are just some of the industry skills that universities are developing in students. These abilities are essential for the modern event manager whatever career path they take.

Have a great week and don’t forget to follow #CHSAwards live on Twitter tomorrow night for updates and results…  

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 20 April 2015

Welcome to another week and today is the first day of National Stop Snoring Week, launched by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association to draw attention and raise awareness to solving a huge problem.

We all know how annoying it is, but it's solving it is not always so simple! So what is the cause of snoring?   Well, there are more reasons than you might realise.Eating too much, drinking a lot of alcohol and allergies can all irritate and block your nasal passage and airways.  For a full list of causes and more information, you can visit the National Stop Snoring Week site.

It's the bane of many a light sleeper. The unrelenting sound of someone clearly enjoying a deep slumber but, in the process, denying others the same luxury.

 

Back in 2011, six Crowne Plaza Hotels in Britain implemented snore patrols as well as trialling "snore absorption" in 10 hotels across Europe and the Middle East. Designated quiet zones in hotels in London, Leeds and Manchester had snore monitors patrolling the corridors.

Here at Cloud 9 Towers we are not sure just how successful all of the trials were, but certainly if you want to stay at the Crowne Plaza at the NEC in Birmingham, there is still a Snore Monitor available on the Quiet Zone floor of the hotel to ensure their guests get the best night’s sleep possible.  

The sound of snoring can be worse than a nightmare if you are trying to get a decent night’s sleep. Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC have created a way that ensures that their guests are not disturbed by the snores coming from other rooms, as a way of enhancing the fantastic Sleep Advantage programme they already offer.   

The Sleep Advantage programme combines superior comfort bedding and a guaranteed wake up call with the quiet zone, where no housekeeping or engineering works will take place between 9pm and 10am on Sundays to Thursdays and the ‘This Works’ aromatherapy kit to help clear your head and counter physical and mental fatigue. 

The job of the Snore Monitor is to check snore decibels coming from guests’ rooms. If they reach over 100* decibels then a polite knock on door is deemed necessary to inform the guest that their snores have reached such a level that they may disturb other guests.   

The Royal National Institute for Deaf people say that a normal snore creates between 50 and 100 decibels, the new Snore Monitor at Crowne Plaza will ensure snores reaching over 100 decibels are monitored to ensure guests are not disturbed.   

The Snore Monitor at Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC Hotel said “Guest sleep satisfaction is paramount at Crowne Plaza and this new way of ensuring they get the best night’s sleep possible is fantastic. I think of my job as the next level in customer service, looking after guest’s needs whilst they sleep.” 

Trip Advisor is littered with comments from disgruntled guests who have slept in rooms all over the world and been disturbed by other guests in adjacent rooms whose snoring is excessive. But what can you do?

Well, all we can really suggest here is to maybe invest in an Anti Snoring Pillow. Lots of hotels have pillow menus these days and whilst we rarely see an Anti Snoring one, you will probably find one a decent investment. 

For example, the Hotel Collection Anti-Snore pillow. This ultimate snore-relief pillow helps to open up the airway by supporting the head and neck, therefore encouraging better breathing and reduced snoring whilst you sleep. Filled with a foam core, surrounded by soft hollow fibre, covered in smooth polycotton casing. 

And if all else fails, you can always look at sleeping somewhere really remote where you are unlikely to disturb anyone else!

Have a great and hopefully, snore free week! 

 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 13 April 2015

Welcome to another week at Cloud 9!

We're now halfway through April folks, Mothers Day has passed, Easter has passed and there's only 255 days until Christmas - can you believe it! Throughout April is Stress Awareness Month in the USA - time to deal with your stress, learn how to cope with stress and help make yourself feel better. 

At the official website, you can find out information about stress and ways to relieve it during Stress Awareness Month.  Dealing with stress can in itself feel stressful, but there are lots of things you can do to manage it and start feeling great!

From teenage stress to work related stress, there are lots of simple steps that can help you to overcome your problem.

Why not start a stress journal to find out how or why your stress is triggered?  Or just make some more time for fun and relaxation. As we work with some fantastic venues all over the world, we can recommend just some of the best Spa Hotels, where you can relax and defeat the stress within you...

Aman Resorts, Thailand

Since the opening of Amanpuri on Thailand’s tropical island of Phuket in 1988, Aman Resorts has integrated treatment facilities and full service spas into the development of its resorts. Linking discovery of some of the world’s most interesting cultural and natural environments to the health and well-being of its guests has always been a cornerstone of Amanresorts’ approach.  Adjacent to Amanpuri, Aman’s first full-service spa, The Aman Spa, opened in 2001.

Aman is the Sanskrit-derived word for “peace” and Amanresorts strives through its services and facilities to fulfil that promise, offering in boutique resorts a guest experience that is both intimate and discreet. Each Aman resort and destination highlights distinctive local well-being practises. Spa facilities for therapeutic massage, body wraps, scrubs, baths and beauty treatments provide ample opportunity to relax after various expeditions or sporting activities, or to revitalise the mind, body and spirit.

The Scarlet, Cornwall

With its luxury tented treatment rooms lit by lanterns and its far-reaching views over Mawgan Porth Beach to the wild Atlantic beyond, the Scarlet Spa is essentially a quiet, contemplative, almost spiritual place.

Their spa is a little different to others you might have visited. Their focus is your holistic

well being and the nourishment of your mind, body and soul. They do this by drawing on the wisdom of Ayurveda and adding their own, distinctive Cornish twist.

You might want to slather yourself in rich mineral mud in their rhassoul, experience a traditional bathing ritual in the hammam, or try your hand at massage guided by one of their therapists. Outside, a cliff top hot tub invites you to stargaze or storm watch, and their natural chemical-free pool, cleaned by reeds, beckons you into the water.

Their stunning Relaxation Room has cocoon-like pods swinging from the ceiling where you can drift away following your treatment and really absorb its benefits.

Eco has never felt so good.

Sugar Beach, Viceroy Resort, St Lucia

Cradled in the embrace of St Lucia’s World Heritage-listed Pitons, it is hard to imagine a location more conducive to relaxation and rejuvenation than the Rain forest Spa at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort.

Widely regarded as the island’s spiritual heart, the lush foliage and soaring mountain vistas of Val des Pitons provide the perfect backdrop for St. Lucia spas. Guests wishing to unwind can experience a period of re-creation in its truest sense - a time for reflection, renewal and a break from the everyday stresses of life.

The Bulgaria Spa, London

Regarded by many as the crowning achievement of the hotel, the Bulgari Spa has curated

a selection of the most advanced beauty, grooming and health-enhancing treatments available today, offering the flexibility of one off specialist treatments to long term life-improvement programmes uniquely tailored to the needs of the individual. 

The Spa and fitness centre at the Bulgari offers a unique universe of wellness five storeys beneath, and a world away from the fast paced bustle of modern metropolitan life. 

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island caters for everyone's fitness needs with two luxurious Spas and a Fitness Centre, all set in the most idyllic of beachside settings with sweeping ocean and lagoon views. The Spa Retreat on the Main Island is set on stilts over the ocean and boats a holistic spa experience that combines therapies, cuisine and holistic and lifestyle classes, including naturopathic and complementary healing therapies.

The Over-Water Spa epitomizes barefoot luxury with glass-floored treatment rooms set on stilts above a coral reef in the resort's lagoon. This spa features an array of luxury treatment rituals designed with couples in mind using precious oils, colours and crystals to create an air of seduction and mystique. A lavish range of spa facials is also offered.

Le Meridien, Barcelona

Inspired by the centuries-old traditions of social European spa cultures, Explore Spa revitalises the spa experience. The spa pulses with magnetic energy and artful displays, enabling curious minds to discover the good life while engaging with their surroundings, signature treatments and fellow spa goers.

Each Explore Spa offers exclusive services, inspired by the local culture, designed to tap into your sense of creativity and discovery. Signature touch points subtly signify transitions between services and set the Explore Spa experience apart.

As day shifts to evening, Explore Spa offers Spa After Dark – events that connect Le Méridien spas to the local, regional and international art communities. From art-driven cocktail parties to charitable auctions, these curated events evoke thoughtful conversation and spark new ways of thinking about spa.

Kulm Hotel, St. Moritz

Heaven on earth describes it best! Put all your cares behind you in its magnificent pool and sauna-scape, or indulge in the exclusive treatments of your choice, whether in one of their new treatment rooms or in their luxurious Private Spa Suite. 

Their Spa partners and team of highly skilled professionals have created for you an all-inclusive selection of treatments that together appeal to every one of your senses. So join them on a journey to this wellspring of beauty and inner peace. Breathe their pure mountain air and regain all your energy and reserves as they help you discover nature's hidden strengths.

ESPA Life at Corinthia Hotel, London

Set in a space of iconic beauty, ESPA Life at Corinthia London is quite simply the Next Generation of Spa. A pioneering new concept, ESPA Life excels at offering a fully integrated approach to well being, bringing together a team of the world's top experts to offer an unrivalled choice of spa, complementary alternative therapies, fitness, beauty treatments and Daniel Galvin Hair Salon.

Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali

Stunningly located on rocks amidst the sparkling Indian Ocean, these two awe-inspiring spa villas are the pinnacle of their Bali luxury spa. Surrounded by the sea, each spa villa has been ingeniously designed to blend with the environment, highlighted in Indonesian 'merbau' wood, traditional Balinese 'alang alang' thatched roofs, and interiors enhanced by the natural contours of the rocks on which they sit. Experience the sound of waves gently lulling beneath, feel soft sea-breezes drift into your private villa and be invigorated by the scent of refreshing ocean midst whilst indulging in a treatment created exclusively for Bali Spa on the Rocks guests at the best spa resort in Bali.

There's just a few of the beautiful spa resorts that are available to you and we wish you all a stress free month.

Have a great week! 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 6 April 2015

Welcome to another week and we're hoping that everyone had a great Easter. It may be a short week here at Cloud 9 towers, and as busy as ever, but that doesn't mean we wont all be having our usual office sweep stake in the lead up to The Grand National this coming Saturday.

We're not massive gamblers here at Cloud 9 and our choice of runners and riders is more to do with the colours of the silks that the jockeys wear and the horses name rather than form, but hey, that's half the fun!

History has been written about the legendary runners and riders who have triumphed in the Grand National, each of them demonstrating that thrilling combination of human endeavour and equine fortitude. From the legendary triple-winning success of Red Rum, to our present day successors, there is always a story to be told.
Once again the world will stop in its tracks, as 600 million people watch live on television. 40 horses and jockeys will line up to race across the famous fences including Becher’s Brook, Canal Turn, Valentine’s and The Chair.
Whilst your chances of being at Aintree to witness the drama unfold in person is a bit unlikely if you have left it this late to book, that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy some of the other great Jockey Club venues during the year.

 

Paula was lucky enough to enjoy a great weekend with the fabulous Trident Hospitality a couple of weekends ago in Newmarket, which included stays at both the Jockey Club Rooms and also the rather lovely and only four star hotel in Newmarket, The Bedford Lodge & Spa.

The luxury country hotel, recently awarded the highly prestigious 4 RED Stars by the AA provides a perfect blend of old and new and includes a luxury on site spa, indoor pool, superb restaurant and if you have over indulged, a great gym!

The hotel epitomises a contemporary style and each of the stylish guest rooms and suites is chic and comfortable and comes equipped with the latest technology. If you’re looking for quality Newmarket hotels, why not choose the very finest available?

Not only is the accommodation and setting perfect, its also ideal for meetings so do give us a shout if you would like to know more, and you can take advantage of our free venue finding service!

After a great stay at the hotel, and a tour of a nearby stabling yard, it was clear that Newmarket is a unique Town and is visited by many people who are interested in seeing the horses on the gallops, but are not sure if they are allowed! 

Most of the work is done between 6.00am and 11.00am so do not expect to see anything other than the Heath men in the afternoons or on Sundays! The best place to head for if you are looking for some action is Warren Hill, and Paula enjoyed a rather windy trip to see a constant stream of valuable horses working on the two uphill canters. With over sixty trainers and at least 2000 horses in training, there is never a shortage of interesting viewing.

 

From there, we went to Newmarket Racecourse, just one of the Jockey Club courses.  The Jockey Club is the largest commercial group in British horseracing, with assets including Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket racecourses. Governed by Royal Charter, all profits are invested back into the UK’s second biggest spectator sport.

With a 263-year heritage at the heart of British racing, today The Jockey Club focuses its resources, influence and assets on ensuring the sport remains the best in the world, as its leading investor and innovator.
The Jockey Club owns 15 leading racecourses, including Aintree, home of the Crabbie's Grand National; Cheltenham, stage for the prestigious Cheltenham Festival; Epsom Downs, home to the Investec Derby; and Newmarket’s Rowley Mile and July Course, considered Flat racing's global HQ.
Other parts of its Group include Jockey Club Estates, its property and land management arm, which operates the famous training grounds at Newmarket and Lambourn; The National Stud, its Thoroughbred breeding, boarding and education arm; and charity, Racing Welfare, which offers help to all racing's people in need.
The Jockey Club is also the largest shareholder in QIPCO British Champions Series, which aims to throw the spotlight on the very best races in the UK Flat season, and climaxes with QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in October each year.

Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse is the perfect place to host a conference or meeting no matter how big or small with a host of flexible rooms set in acres of breath-taking countryside.They can accommodate everything from 10 to 300 delegates in one location with an additional 20 syndicate and breakout rooms. Together these fully-equipped, comfortable and striking facilities provide the flexibility to meet the full diversity of your requirements.

Beyond the raceday, Jockey Club Racecourses maximises the use of its facilities for conferencing, events, exhibitions, weddings and non-racing leisure pursuits, such as golf, equestrian sport and karting, with profits supporting its core racing business. In total, Jockey Club Racecourses offers 81 function rooms and 230 syndicate rooms, along with 40,000 free parking spaces. It can offer a room suitable for a meeting of half a dozen people through to an auditorium that can comfortably seat 2,000 delegates for a large conference. Each course has its own unique character, from the historic to the highly modern, set in easily-accessible and often picturesque locations, which have proved attractive to business customers and the public.

The weekend in Newmarket ended with a very special stay at The Jockey Club Rooms in the heart of Newmarket High Street. In fact, they have been at the heart of British horseracing for over 250 years. As a private members club, few people have had the privilege of stepping inside and seeing the magnificent interiors, which house an unparalleled collection of British racing memorabilia. The Jockey Club Rooms is available to non-members to use this prestigious Suffolk venue for weddings, high level business meetings and overnight accommodation.

As a gated property with no public access, The Jockey Club Rooms offers total privacy and if you’re planning 24-hour business meetings or a residential conference they also have 18 country house style bedrooms available for use. The Jockey Club Rooms are located less than 1 ½ hours from London and 25 minutes from Cambridge and the M11.







Dinner there was really amazing, and if you are looking for a special venue, then The Jockey Club Rooms is certainly worth the consideration. It doesn't matter if you are horse mad or not, you cannot fail to be impressed with all that Newmarket has to offer.

Have a great week and if you want a tip for the Grand National then we're collectively backing Many Clouds - after all, why wouldn't we?!