What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 24 April 2017

Welcome to another week and we have yet another Bank Holiday weekend looming next week so let's hope we all have a productive week! Short weeks and long weekends are great but when you are super busy with a variety of very different and time consuming projects it can be tricky to keep all of those plates spinning effectively. 

Every event professional knows how time consuming planning an event is. 

From the very start of the process through to the actual event the amount of time and effort that goes into every event is huge. 

As an event draws near, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a seemingly endless to-do list and a shrinking time frame in which to get things done. 

However, with some simple planning you can manage your time more effectively and first up we suggest treating your event as a project – make use of web-based project management tool like Basecamp and that way you can keep on top your to do list, without keeping on having to look for your to do list. Here at Cloud 9 Towers we are big on using simple tools to help us keep on track.

Focus on one thing at a time and don't get distracted. Prioritise your tasks and put all other jobs and actions aside. Do one thing at a time and do it well. Allocate a time frame for each project and keep a track either online or using your mobile phone alarm. Yes you will get calls and emails about other projects but unless they require immediate action, put them to one side until you are ready to deal with them.

While  many events professionals do work all sorts of  miracles on a regular basis, there’s no point in trying to be a saint. If you have too much to do, delegate some of it or ask your colleagues for help.The less stress you are under, the better you will perform and the better your event will be.

If you need a quick answer to a quick question, avoid email and pick up the phone - you are likely to get a much faster response and you can always confirm your conversation in an email later. 

Finally, don't get distracted. Yes, we know that the gossip around the coffee machine is fascinating and you do want to know what happened in last nights East Enders (whilst you were still at your desk) but the more you are distracted the less organised you will be. 

Do one thing at a time and do it well.

Have a great week. 

What's Floating Around Cloud? 17 April 2017

Welcome to another week and it's a short week this week so we hope everyone had a great Easter break, filled with family, friends and more Easter Eggs than you can shake a stick at! 

We would like this week to focus on a new initiative that we have been debating for a while here at Cloud 9 Towers, and as a result, working with some great stake holders, we are launching the first UK Awards Conference. This will be a forum of education, energy & exploration for awards & events organisers in all key sectors. Refresh, renew and revitalise your brand, learn how to improve your core delivery programme and the steps to increase both market awareness and the bottom line.

​With an array of incredible speakers, the opportunity to attend workshops that are relevant to you and your awards, a wealth of useful new suppliers, the UK Awards Conference is also introducing a revolutionary new bench marking scheme for awards organisers, based on the core principals of the event. This is designed to increase the credibility of your event, improve your education and innovate your next programme all in one day.

One of the objectives of the event is to establish a code of conduct, best practice policy and accreditation for anyone running or managing awards events and programmes. This national recognition will demonstrate your ethics, commitment and your professional approach to delivery. Above all, the charter will show your brand is aligned with trust, with transparency & technology which will benefit your business, your audience and your awards. Delegates attending the Conference will automatically qualify for this recognition which we aim to become an industry standard.

There are thousands of awards programmes taking place in the UK each year recognising every sector from Advertising to Aerospace, Travel to Transportation and each of these events involves hundreds of hours of planning, administration and delivery - as well as the success and achievements of the winners.

​This inaugural one day conference offers a unique opportunity for those who work behind the scenes to learn new skills, improve their working practises and increase their knowledge with new tools, trends and techniques. From financial viability and revenue opportunities to avoiding the pitfalls on a critical path, this very important conference will address all aspects of the successful steps you need to take to refresh and revitalise your awards brand.

​Awards matter to the entrants, so their trust, your operational transparency and the technology platforms that you can use to streamline your programme are the core objectives of the event and we want everyone to leave the event with a new sense of purpose and an appetite for amazing awards events.

​The website to accompany this new initiative will be available towards the end of the month and the event is planned for November, so please let us know if you would like any additional details at this stage!

Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 10 April 2017

Welcome to another week and we're pleased to report that a good time was had by all at last weeks CHS Event in Leeds. It was great catching up with all of the suppliers we use on a regular basis as well as meeting new ones, and lots of new potential venues.

Increasing your event industry knowledge is an ongoing and important part of our business and with so many new venues and changes in ownership, keeping up to date is sometimes a difficult task!

However, we are keen on education here at Cloud 9 Towers, as we think the more knowledge we have, the better informed we can be for clients so the team here and our Ambassadors are always researching, meeting and looking for the best options available.

From venues in Birmingham, Berlin, Bolivia or Brazil, you name it, we're on the case!

In other news this week, we're pleased to announce that last week we started a new partnership with the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, the largest Chamber outside of London. 

As part of this new initiative, we're offering Chamber members in the East Midlands a complimentary health check on any event activity.

What this entail is really a one to one personal session where we can look at what you are spending on events and whether we can do better for you in terms of venue and supplier negotiation.

We'll also review whether you are getting a good ROI on your events and seeing how you evaluate them from both your own and delegates perspective. 

Lastly, we'll be looking at your social media usage when it comes to events and providing some useful tools and tips to help improve delegate engagement and awareness. 

If you are not a Chamber member, but would still like to see just how your events are performing, do please get in touch and either one of the team here at Cloud 9 or one of our regional Ambassadors would be delighted to make an appointment with you.

It's all free and you never know we could save you lots of money, and lots of time, which let's be fair, in today's world amounts to the same thing!

It's a short week this week with Easter, so we wish you an abundance of Chocolate Easter Eggs and a great few days over the Easter Holidays.

If you are feeling particularly flush, you might want to splash out this weekend on a rather pricey egg for your nearest and dearest! We can’t imagine many people are prepared to spend £1000 on an Easter egg but if you decide to be decadent then an epic creation should be right up your street.

The giant Easter Atelier Egg from Godiva is a whopping 66cm tall and weighs 14 kg. Taking four hours to decorate with layers of white, milk and dark chocolate used to create a lace like effect, its pretty stunning but here at Cloud 9 we'd be afraid to crack it, which is half the fun of an Easter Egg!

Have a great week! 

 

 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 3 April 2017

Welcome to another week and it's another busy one as we are all off to Leeds for the Conference & Hospitality Show at the First Direct Arena, which although is not on until tomorrow, starts with a hosted buyer event this evening.

Cloud 9 Towers will therefore be a little quiet but luckily Carol is holding the fort whilst we are all up in Leeds.

This is great for us as its an excuse to get all of our Ambassadors together so we are congregating Leeds later today, having some training and then we are off to join the other hosted buyers at a party at Malmaison. Yes, it's true, it's tough being an #eventprof!

We've so many projects on the go at the moment its a little hard to keep up, so this week's blog is a little short and sweet but we did want to share with you, some fascinating reading. 

Are you ahead or behind the curve when it comes to adopting event technology? What talent are eventprofs looking to hire in 2017? How much do others spend on hiring venues, event promotion or content? What trends are other organisers paying the most attention to this year?

These are just some of the questions answered in this year’s 3rd annual Pulse Report which is produced by Eventbrite, which reveals all the key event industry statistics, benchmarks, opportunities, challenges and trends you need to know.

Based on a survey of 800 event organisers – of all shapes and sizes from across the UK – they’ve taken the pulse of the industry, and made the full 44 page report available.

It really is worth a read if you have the time and it looks at everything from what effect we think Brexit will have on the industry, to the average spend on events in the UK. 

Download your free copy online and let us know what you think?! 

Have a great week and we look forward to catching up with you soon.