What's Floating Around Cloud 9? Week commencing 29 May 2017

Welcome to another week, this post is bought to you by a newbie, my name is Emma, I am currently at Cloud 9 helping out, getting some invaluable experience and knowledge from Paula and the rest of the amazing team! I am just about to go into my 4^th year of study at university, and somehow managed to flip my whole degree over in my 3^rd year deciding I no longer wanted to do a specialist PR degree I wanted to do what I enjoyed and have a go events and exhibition management! 

First event I ever organised was a tea party for my hostess badge at brownies, I baked and prepared food, made tea and coffee, all of this was a pretty big deal for a 7-year-old. Since then I have helped to organise my school prom which was a complete nightmare as Venue finding was almost impossible on such short notice during prom season! But it turned out well and we got a lovely location, despite the Olympic torch touring through Nottingham that day and many the roads we needed to get to the venue being closed, but we all got there in the end!
In the 3 years, I have attended Birmingham City University, I have had the chance to have a go at everything the media communication degree offers, such as: Print design and copy writing, PR, TV, photography, radio, marketing, events, new media and coding and some film making. I have done some of these things reluctantly, however, I am so grateful I’ve had these opportunities to try everything and know what I enjoy and am good at. It’s through these exploratory years I have stumbled into the world of events, right before it all starts to matter, for my final year of study! 

As long as I can remember I have always liked to plan, it doesn’t matter what for I always generate a plan of action, so naturally now my diary is my life. So understandably I’ve got my eyes and heart set on a career path with deep roots in planning ahead and being as organised as possible. Originally events was not the pathway I was going to take I wanted to study fashion communication at Nottingham Trent. After I reviewed all my options alongside my A-level results I decided the broad discipline of PR was probably a better fit with more diversity and potentially more opportunities long term. I really enjoy PR but since having a multitude of options to specialise the route of my degree I have ended up taking the path of events/exhibition management and visual design. 

One reason I have changed my mind is that Venue finding is a practice I have always found so interesting, understanding needs of the client to find the perfect space to bring your vision to life is so exciting to me. I am forever looking at hotels in various locations globally, either planning a holiday or a trip or simply being nosy to see what style and facilities they can offer. So, venue finding never feels like work to me when I get to research venues!

Much like the rest of the creative sectors the events industry is forever developing, utilising trends and evolving to fit with and use new media developments too. The opportunity to work in such a diverse environment is a challenge I will welcome with open arms!

The events industry has always sounded very glamourous, lots of travel, lots of meetings, having clients, it really does sound exciting. I now understand after experiencing it somewhat It may not always be glamorous and fun day to day, but the events industry is one which pushes you to challenge yourself. The more you get out of your comfort zone the better your work I find. You have to put so much more into the job, more research, more time, more understanding and ultimately it all leads to a better sense of achievement afterwards too.

 As a community #EventsProfs are so supportive and interconnected, there is competition but mostly companionship, that is a dynamic I wanted to be a part of!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 22 May 2017

Welcome to another week and if you caught our blog last week you will know that were mentioned films where the hotels are almost as important as the plot, story line and characters. 

This started a debate here at Cloud 9 Towers about whether hotels featured more in films than in songs and guess what - films win!  

However, there are some very iconic songs which mention hotels including some pretty famous ones -It’s well over 40 years since Hotel California was released by The Eagles and this is probably the most famous of all songs with a hotel in the title. 

The album's lead single has since become one of the most celebrated rock 'n' roll songs, as well as the most important tune referencing the hospitality industry - even if in a slightly weird sort of way. Hotel California was not about a specific accommodation choice but the line "you can check out but never leave" more about living in LA in the 70's.

There are some actual hotels called Hotel California dotted about the world including  one in Santa Monica, California, one in Palm Springs, Florida, and another in Baja, Mexico. We bet the people who look after their SEO have a terrible job trying to get the properties to rank highly given that a search simply brings up the Eagles!

Another fictional hotel, Heartbreak Hotel was instead inspired by the story of a man who leapt to his death from a hotel in Miami, leaving a single line suicide note: “I walk a lonely street.” Elvis had a top hit with this song and even though the King is no longer with us, there are Heartbreak Hotel-themed stays available for fans, including the 128-room, boutique offering on Elvis’s Graceland estate in Memphis.

Copacabana Palace in Rio, which is looked after by the lovely people at Bellmond Hotels, inspired Barry Manilow to create his 1978 hit - and although a nightclub in New York also claims inspiration, we like to think that Rio is a more glamorous setting for the story in the song! 

Perhaps a little less known and certainly less of a hit was Blue Hotel by Chris Isaak. There are a few Blue Hotels dotted around the world so whether any of these inspired the song we don't know -  we like to think that if the hotel did inspire the song that it was likely to be the Blue Hotel in Sydney and not the Big Blue Hotel in Blackpool but who knows?!

Lastly anyone under 40 probably wont even know this song but Pennsylvania 6-5000 by Glen Miller,  is the phone number of the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City. Before area codes, the first two numbers were called the "Exchange Code," and were represented by a word whose first two letters were used as the numbers. Thus, "Pennsylvania" represented the PE exchange code, which translates to the number 73 (P=7, E=3). The number today, complete with area code, is (212) 736-5000.

You see, we don't just know our hotels here at Cloud 9, we also know our numbers!

Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 15 May 2017

Welcome to another week and this week we'd like to talk about hotels, which is not unusual we know, but more about hotels which are the back drop for films. 

The reason for our interest in this subject is that doing a little research recently into hotel facts for Fiona's #LittleFactsat5, we discovered some rather unusual and interesting information about film stars and hotels which got us thinking! From legendary love stories to tales of drunken and debauched behaviour, there are numerous anecdotes which we could share, but we wouldn't want to make anyone blush so instead, we'll look at some of the films which are almost secondary to the hotels! 

A relatively recent favourite has to be the fabulous Grand Budapest Hotel, which is a stylish and funny film from director, Wes Anderson. It features the adventures of Gustave H., a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the trainee lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune.

The cities of Görlitz and Dresden in Germany, along with some other spots in Saxony, were the  main film location for the film  and although the Director took inspiration from a cocktail between Vienna, Prague and Budapest to create the city of Lutz, in the invented Republic of Zubrowka. The plot occurs in a background with clear references to the history of Central Europe, during the interwar period of the 20th century and the hotel itself - was an an old abandoned department store!
The production team did a magnificent job recreating a fictional universe, that is at the same time familiar to the public. Also the shooting locations are not very difficult to recognise for those who have been there. Many films try to mask or hide the real film locations. In The Grand Budapest Hotel, on many occasions the camera was pointing at the same perspective as postcards do:

Perhaps one of the most famous, and certainly unsettling (which means downright scary) films about a hotel is The Shining with Jack Nicholson. Based on the book  by Stephen King, Nicholson goes mad after he and his family look after a remote hotel in the Rockies and its probably one of the greatest horror films of all time. Far too scary for the team here at Cloud 9 Towers!

More up our street it has to be said is Carry On Abroad which features a very dodgy hotel, still being built, in the Spanish Resort of Elsbells. With bad weather, bad food and some very odd staff, it's perhaps a representation of hotel that most Spanish Tourist Authorities would best forget! Whilst some of the team at Cloud 9 are too young to enjoy the Carry On genre, some of the older, more distinguished members of our team love them!

Animated film Hotel Transylvania features the voices of Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, and CeeLo Green, and it tells the tale of a five-star resort where monsters can go to—get this—be safe from us humans. We're unlikely to ever make a booking here but the film is enormous fun anyway!

The Regent Beverly Wilshire in Pretty Woman features Garry Marshall's biggest hit and although Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) doesn't give the friendly staff the time of day, Vivian (Julia Roberts) cosies up to the bellhop, Edward's driver, and the benevolent hotel manager, memorably played by an on-point Hector Elizondo. 

In a similar genre is Maid in Manhattan. Set in  the Waldorf Astoria in New York, it features
Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) as a single mother born and bred in the boroughs of New York City, who works as a maid in a first-class Manhattan hotel. By a twist of fate and mistaken identity, Marisa meets Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), a handsome heir to a political dynasty, who believes that she is a guest at the hotel. Fate steps in and throws the unlikely pair together for one night. When Marisa's true identity is revealed, the two find that they are worlds apart, even though the distance separating them is just a subway ride between Manhattan and the Bronx.

However a firm favourite with the team here at Cloud 9 has to be The Hotel del Coronado in Some Like it Hot (1959). When Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis assume the identities of female musicians Josephine and Daphne, their on-the-run ruse—sparked by fear of having witnessed mob killings—takes them to Miami's fictitious Seminole Ritz resort, which was in fact California's Hotel del Coronado. It'd be the setting for countless classic moments, from the advances of Joe E. Brown's ageing millionaire to the beach frolics of Marilyn Monroe's Sugar Kane, whom the lead duo observe walks like “jello on springs.”

We bet you never think about hotels in the same way again! Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 8 May 2017

Welcome to another week and following our post last week about employees and shorter working weeks we'd like to talk incentives this week. 

Just what keeps people on track, keeps them motivated and enthusiastic about their work?

When you wake up in the morning, what is the passion that drives you to start your day? Here at Cloud 9 because we all really share a passion for delivering great events and helping clients find the perfect venues for their events, it's easy to see why we all leap out of bed every morning.

The triggers that motivate people to achieve are very different for everyone and although lots of people's response would be money, some would reply recognition or simply that they get personal satisfaction from a job well done. 

Keeping your employees motivated therefore can be a tricky business for clients, and incentives or rewards that spark renewed enthusiasm in one member of staff might well trigger fear and loathing in another. 

For example, the thought of a long weekend in Amsterdam all paid for by your company might sound great to Dave in Sales (hic) , but Anne in Accounts hates flying, has a fear of heights and can't think of anything worse.

It seems easy enough to get people in your company together for an event locally but add in any travel as part of the event, especially overseas and a few bad decisions can lead to all sorts of trouble especially if you invest heavily in it and its fails to deliver.

As with all events, leaving everything to the last minute is a recipe for disaster. Get your people on board early, ask what works for them and where they would like to go. Booking flights, hotels and activities in advance is not only sensible, you are also more likely to pay much less for the experience. 

Communicate the plans with your team. If there is a chance to participate in a desert safari for the more daring of your crew, then maybe source a nice relaxing spa or shopping excursion for those less inclined to huge sand dunes.

Team Building has come a long way since staff were giving two barrels and a couple of planks and tasked with crossing an imaginary river, but some staff, even in these days of trying to ditch the office "cake culture" hate to do anything with involves lots of physical activity or where their abilities and level of agility might come into question.

Let everyone know as early as possible about the trip and the agenda, from coordinating who is taking who to the airport, to dietary requirements, and any medical issues, have a check list and stick to it. 

Don't forget to research options that might prove challenging for any members of your team with mobility issues, or any reduced hearing or visibility. They might be perfectly comfortable in your office environment here but taken out of their comfort zone, what should be a great incentive, could turn into a horrible experience for them. Disability laws differ around the world and your policy of inclusivity here in the UK could amount to nothing overseas.

It's also advisable not to try and pack in too much on your agenda. If you have invested a considerable amount taking your team overseas on an incentive, don't make them stick to such a tight itinerary that they don't get a minute to actually stop and take in their surroundings. 

Here at Cloud 9 we love finding the perfect incentives for clients and whilst we always start with a client brief, step two is always the same. Get an employee questionnaire included in the process.

The boss might have always dreamed of climbing Everest and thinks his team would also enjoy it, but Dave would rather be in the bar, and Anne? Heights? Flying? She would rather hand her notice in despite her being the best person you have had ever had on board with regards to keep the company finances in check...

Have a great week and don't forget to call if you'd like an incentive programme tailor making for your team. We promise to look after everyone including Anne!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 1 May 2017

Welcome to another week and it's another short week, with the May Day Bank Holiday. Being so close to Easter it appears that most weeks are short weeks at present and yet the August Bank Holiday seems a long way off.

When you are under pressure to deliver Events, shorter working weeks are a bit of a mixed bag in that you have less time to get everything done when people are around to communicate with, and yet long weekends provide the ideal time to catch up on paperwork and other tasks that require some peace and quiet. However, its hard to be productive when you friends or family are enjoying some nice weather or a BBQ and you are stuck in an office playing catch up! 

Apparently a third of workers say their boss thinks that the ideal employee should be available 24 hours a day, according to a recent poll run by Relate, and that work should come before home life. Over a quarter work longer hours than they would choose to and as we know in the Events Industry, sometimes the pressure to be on site or available for clients is unrealistic, yet we still work silly hours to accommodate them.

Overworking is very bad for our health and wellbeing. The Mental Health Foundation says that “the pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is perhaps the biggest and most pressing challenge to the mental health of the general population”.

More flexible working and shorter hours would be better for employers as well as for employees. As the Timewise Foundation says, employers attract extra candidates and a more diverse pool if they hire flexibly, because many talented workers cannot consider a full-time role.

Also, both efficient work and the best ideas come from workers with energy – whoever did their best work when they were exhausted?
There are a few companies starting to adopt a policy of a shorter working week with Californian Ad Agency Steelhouse implementing a policy of a long weekend every month for staff, and Japanese clothing company Uniqlo offering all employees the option of four longer working days and then longer weekends.

South Korea made employees an offer back in 2004 by enacting a national policy that reduced the work week by 10% (from 44 to 40 hours) and made Saturday an official off-day. But the plan may not have led to the quality-of-life improvements that policy leaders expected. On the contrary, labour scholar Robert Rudolf of Korea University reports in the Journal of Happiness Studies that the policy had no effect at all on job or life well-being.

So just what is the best policy we wonder? Well here at Cloud 9 Towers we all share the idea that if you enjoy what you do, it doesn't feel like work anyway, and that's a mantra we are sticking by!

Have a great (short) week!