What's Floating Around Cloud 9?: February 2017

Monday 27 February 2017

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 27 February 2017

Welcome to another week and with Spring around the corner, this is really exhibition season for anyone working in Events. It was Awards season last week and now exhibition season, what will be next we wonder?

Last week was the North East Venue Expo in Newcastle, the week before was the BNC Show in London and this coming week see's the start of International Confex at Olympia. Combined with the numerous emails hitting our respective inboxes to attend both the CHS Show in Leeds in April and The Meetings Show in June, and its clear that exhibitions for events, and indeed most industry's are here to stay.

What is clear though is that visitors don't just want to visit an exhibition, they want to be engulfed by it and use it as a complete opportunity to be engaged.Experiential events are quite the draw these days as attendees look for something unexpected, and with so many events and online experiences competing for our time, audiences to gravitate towards events that are producing amazing experiences.

So which exhibitions are delivering in terms of education and our increasing demand for entertainment combined? Here at Cloud 9 Towers we love to know so we did some digging!

James Cameron’s “Avatar” created a world people were drawn to and an Avatar exhibition, AVATAR: Discover Pandora, has opened in Taiwan where Pandora becomes a “real” place and visitors can interact in a hands-on way to learn more about science and the wonder of Cameron’s 2009 movie world.

This is not the first exhibition inspired by a film, as you may remember another of Cameron’s blockbusters – Titanic – has also inspired several exhibitions and permanent exhibits across the world.

The exhibit plans to expand to other cities, before the 2018 release of the first of four Avatar sequels but this is not a one-off exhibition attended only by extreme fans as there is an increase in desire for virtual reality experiences.

Physco fan had the opportunity back in 2015 to attend and stay in the illustrious Bates Motel and the exhibition enabled visitors to step inside Norma and Norman Bates’ world in a truly unique and innovative way.

Closer to home and capitalising on the current popularity of escape rooms, Immersive Events have created a Prison Escape experience at Dana Prison in Shrewsbury.

Attendees/prisoners are dressed in prison clothing and locked in cells and it's up to them to get out, navigate the guards, and other prisoners who may report the attempted escape. The first person who who makes it to freedom is declared the winner. Challengers can even decide to spend the night at the prison if they desire to.

So these are exhibitions are not simply about walking round and collecting all of the freebies available (we can spot the freebie hunters a mile off!), they are instead a platform to change visitors to participants.

Have a great week, enjoy!

Monday 20 February 2017

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 20 February 2017

Welcome to another week and with the recent BAFTA's, The Brit Awards on Wednesday and the Oscars looming, Awards Season is well and truly upon us.

We like a good Awards do here at Cloud 9 Towers and we've run hundreds of them in our time, and one of the ones we are actively involved with at present is the CHS Awards.

The awards provide hotels and venues with a unique opportunity to showcase their facilities to the events industry at large, compete in each of the carefully chosen categories and be recognised at a glittering Awards Ceremony on the 11th May 2017 at The Royal Armouries in Leeds.

With guaranteed exposure to a receptive audience of hosted buyers, an industry seal of approval for a job well done, a great platform for promotional marketing and first rate networking, the Awards are open to any hotel or venue within the UK.

Judged in two key stages by leading industry professionals and then by agency decision makers, these Awards, which will be fun, fair and credible, will also offer the perfect environment for entertaining clients and customers alike in a fun setting.

There are many benefits of entering awards, from PR exposure and increased credibility to improved team morale and celebrating success.

Not only that, the CHS Awards give your hotel or venue the opportunity to get in front of over 70 venue finding agents from across the UK who judge the awards for us.

Mega MacBraidy, General Manager of Horizon Leeds who won the Chairman's Award last year said "Entering the CHS Awards is a brilliant way to promote your venue. The judges are all prestigious industry names, so getting our venue in front of them really helped increase our profile, and then winning increased it even further. These are the only industry awards to offer venues the opportunity to showcase a room or a part of their service – so smaller venues can compete with larger ones. We won four awards in 2016 and the impact of winning has been amazing – and very good for our business. We have used the logo in our marketing, on our emails and the awards are on the wall in reception for everyone to see. Being an award winning venue has helped put Horizon Leeds on the map, and I’m very much looking forward to entering this year and hoping to retain our crown!"

The Awards are free to enter and the deadline is Friday 3 March 2017.

Whilst we are on the subject of Awards, we attended Love Business last week at Donnington Park, in conjunction with the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, to mark the launch of their 2017 Business Awards.

Part of our contribution to the event was to prepare a crib sheet with tips and advice for entering the Awards and just in case you need a reminder why awards matter, we thought we would share it with you.

1. Awards are a great way to demonstrate that you believe passionately in what you do as a business, as well as motivating your team as it underlines your commitment to their work or productivity.

2. Awards offer a great opportunity for you to take a step back from the day to day running of your business and appraise your activities - so even if you don’t win a trophy, your business will still benefit from your own review.

3. Be clear about your objectives and your story when applying. You might know your business inside out and back to front, but the judges don’t, so make sure you communicate clearly and concisely.

4. Ask for collaboration or invite stakeholders to support your application with an endorsement or even just a review of your Awards application. From typos to testimonials, an outside opinion might make all the difference to your chances of success.

5. Awards offer an excellent opportunity to undertake some free marketing, so if you are shortlisted, make sure the whole world knows about it. Add a button or banner to all of your literature and online platforms and PR your achievements traditionally and via social media. It’s time to embrace your success.

6. Awards enable you to benchmark your business and see how you are performing against your peers and competitors. What are they doing differently and what ideas can you adopt for your own business.

7. Awards open doors and allow you to engage in new conversations with potential customers. They offer new opportunities to increase the credibility of your business and differentiate you from the competition so make most of the awards at all stages.

8. Awards enable you to attract new talent to your business, as potential employees are more likely to be attracted to your company, especially as you have already shown a commitment to your current staff or team.

9. Awards provide a great networking opportunity on the night of the ceremony. Even if you don’t win an actual award, you can still win new business, new contacts and new potential opportunities so you will never leave empty handed. Make the most of the experience at each and every stage

10. Celebrate your success (or attendance) and extend the longevity of your win with as many photographs and images as you can, as we live in a digital world where content matters – so collect as much as you can at every stage.

To find out more about The Chamber Business Awards this year please see the website!

Have a great week and remember to think Awards!

Monday 13 February 2017

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 13 February 2017

Welcome to another week and we're delighted to announce the launch of our new Corporate Hospitality Division which we are running in conjunction with Optimise Hospitality.

Judi Oliver and her team are working with us here at Cloud 9 Towers to offer a wide range of bespoke solutions for clients wanting specific events that cater to their needs, as well as a range of established events throughout the year. From private boxes and tailor made travel solutions, our combined expertise means we can deliver to budget and to brief quickly and easily, saving you both money and perhaps more importantly time.

Here are just some of the amazing opportunities available for 2017 and beyond...

· March 2017

·        11th March, Rugby, RBS 6 Nations: England v Scotland, Twickenham Stadium

·         14th -17th March, Horse Racing Cheltenham Gold Cup, Cheltenham Racecourse

·         18th March, Rugby, RBS 6 Nations: Scotland v Italy, BT Murrayfield

·         18th March, Rugby, RBS 6 Nations: France v Wales, Stade de France

·         23rd March - 25th April, Cultural, Madame Butterfly, Royal Opera House

·         25th and 26th March, Concerts Craig David, The O2

· April 2017

·         3rd - 9th April, Golf, The Masters, Augusta, USA

·         8th April, Horse Racing   Randox Health, Grand National Aintree Racecourse

·         8th April, Rugby Saracens v Harlequins, Wembley Stadium

·         18th - 22nd April, Concerts, Bruno Mars,The O2

·         29th April, Boxing, Joshua v Klitschko, Wembley Stadium

· May 2017

·         7th May, Cricket, England V Ireland 2nd Royal London ODI, Lord's Cricket Ground

·         12th and 13th May, Rugby, Challenge Cup, Murrayfield Stadium

·         13th May, Motorsport, Monaco E Prix (Formula E), Monaco

·         14th May, Motorsport, Spanish Grand Prix, Barcelona

·         20th May, Motorsport, Paris E Prix (Formula E), Paris

·         21st May - 19th June, Cultural, La Traviata, Glyndebourne Festival, Glyndebourne, West Sussex

·         22nd - 25th May, Concerts, Eric Clapton, Royal Albert Hall

·         23rd - 27th May                , Cultural, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London

·         24th May, Cricket, England V South Africa ODI, Headingley Cricket Ground

·         28th May, Motorsport, Monaco Grand Prix, Monaco

·         28th May - 11th June, Tennis, French Open, Roland Garros, Paris

·         29th May Cricket, England v South Africa Royal London ODI, Lord's Cricket Ground

· June 2017

·         1st - 18th June, Cricket, ICC Champions Trophy, Kia Oval Cricket Ground

·         2nd and 3rd June, Horse Racing Epsom Derby, Epsom Racecourse

·         4th - 9th June, Cultural, Phil Collins - 'Not dead yet', Royal Albert Hall

·         9th - 11th June Polo, Chestertons Polo in the Park, Hurlingham Park, London

·         10th June, Motorsport, Berlin E Prix (Formula E) Berlin

·         11th June - 6th July, Cultural, Hamlet at Glyndebourne Festival, Glyndebourne, West Sussex

·         13th - 17th June, Horse Racing, Royal Ascot, Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire

·         17th June Concerts, Stone Roses, Wembley Stadium

·         17th - 18th June, Motorsport, Le Mans 24hr race weekend, Le Mans, France

·         19th - 25th June, Tennis Aegon Championships, The Queen's Club, London

·         21st June, Cultural, Bryan Ferry at Hampton Court Palace Festival, Hampton Court

·         22nd June, Cultural, Rick Astley at Hampton Court Palace Festival, Hampton Court

·         24th June, Concerts, Jeff Lynne's ELO, Wembley Stadium

·         27th - 30th June, Tennis Tennis Classic, Hurlingham Club

·         27th June 1st July, Tennis, The Boodles, Stoke Park

·         28th June - 2nd July, Concerts, Adele The Finale Tour, Wembley Stadium

·         28th June - 1st July, Rowing, Henley Regatta, Henley on Thames

·         29th June - 2nd July, Motorsport, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood, West Sussex

· July 2017

·         1st July Motorsport, Brussels E Prix (Formula E) Brussels

·         1st July Concerts, British Summer Time Hyde Park - Green Day, Hyde Park

·         2nd July, Concerts, British Summer Time Hyde Park - Justin Bieber, Hyde Park

·         2nd July, Motorsport, Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull Ring, Spielberg

·         3rd - 16th July, Tennis, The Championships, Wimbledon

·         4th - 9th July, Horticultural, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Hampton Court Palace, Surrey

·         5th - 9th July, Concerts, Henley Festival, Henley on Thames, Oxon

·         6th - 10th July, Cricket, England v South Africa 1st Investec Test Match, Lord's Cricket Ground

·         6th July Concerts, British Summer Time Hyde Park - Kings of Leon, Hyde Park

·         8th July Concerts, U2, Twickenham

·         16th July, Motorsport, British Grand Prix, Silverstone

·         20th - 23rd July Golf, Open Championship, Royal Birkdale, Merseyside

·         20th - 24th July Flowershows, RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, Tatton Park, Cheshire

·         23rd July Cycling, Tour de France, Paris

·         26th July Equestrian, Royal Salute Coronation Cup, Guards Polo club, Egham

·         26th - 30th July Horse Racing, Qatar Goodwood Festival Goodwood, West Sussex

·         27th - 30th July Cricket England V South Africa 100th Test, Kia Oval Cricket Ground

·         29th - 31st July Motorsport, German Grand Prix Hockenheim Ring

·         29th July - 5th August, Sailing, Cowes week, Southampton

·         30th July, Motorsport, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest

· August 2017

·         6th - 13th August, Sailing              Cowes Week

·         18th August, Racing, Newmarket Nights - Olly Murs, Newmarket Racecourse

·         23rd - 26th August, Horse Racing, Yorkshire Ebor Festival, York Racecourse

·         26th August, Racing, Summer Saturday Live - Jess Glynn Newmarket Racecourse

·         26th - 28th August, Motorsport Belgian Grand Prix, Spa, Francorchamps

·         25th August , Cricket, England v West Indies Test series Headingley Cricket Ground

·         31st August, Motorsport, Salon Prive, Blenheim Palace

· September 2017

·         1st and 2nd September Motorsport, Salon Prive, Blenheim Palace

·         3rd September Motorsport, Italian Grand Prix, Monza

·         7th -11th September, Cricket, England v West Indies 3rd Investec Test match, Lord's Cricket Ground

·         8th - 10th September, Motorsport, Goodwood Revival, Goodwood, West Sussex

·         15th - 19th September Cultural London Fashion Week, London

·         13th - 16th September, Horse Racing, The Ladbrokes St Leger Festival, Doncaster racecourse

·         17th September, Motorsport, Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore City

·         24th September, American Football, NFL - Baltomore Ravens v Jacksonville Jaguars, Wembley Stadium

·         27th September, Cricket, England v West Indies ODI, Kia Oval Cricket Ground

·         30th September, Horse Racing, Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, Chantilly Racecourse, Nr Paris

· October 2017

·         1st October, Horse Racing, Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, Chantilly Racecourse, Nr Paris

·         1st October, Motorsport, Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang, Kuala Lumpur

·     1st October, American Football NFL - New Orleans Saints v Miami Dolphins, Wembley Stadium

·         19th and 20th October, Festivals, London Bierfest, London

·         22nd October, American Football, NFL – TBC, Twickenham

·         24th - 29th October, Cycling, 6 Day London, Lee Valley Velodrome

·         29th October, American Football, NFL – TBC, Twickenham

· November 2017

·         18th November Rugby, Scotland v New Zealand, Murrayfield Stadium

·         26th November Motorsport, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit

·         25th November Rugby, Scotland v Australia, Murrayfield Stadium

· December 2017

· 15th and 16th December, Concerts, Pete Tong Classics, The O2

· Throughout December, Various Christmas Parties, Various

· September 2018

· 26 - 28th September, Golf, Ryder Cup, Le Gold National, Guyancourt

Have a great week and let us know if you would like any additional information on our new service. This is Corporate Hospitality Cloud 9 style!