What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 18 December 2017

Welcome to our final full week of the year! Cloud 9 Towers will be closed from this Friday, 22 December until Wednesday 3 January 2018, when the team will be raring to go for the New Year.

If you have any urgent enquiries, or want to use the Christmas break to plan any events for the coming year then we are happy to help, and in between the odd mince pie and glass of sherry, Paula will be on hand with her mobile for the duration: +44(0)7774 741883.

In the meantime, our best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....

 

What's Floarting Around Cloud 9? 11 December 2017

Welcome to another (rather chilly) week and we are starting with a trip to London today for Paula, who is attending a GDPR Workshop today to ensure the team here at Cloud 9 Towers understand the new European personal data regulations that come into force next May.

 The existing Data Protection Act (DPA) will be replaced by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and this is a framework with greater scope and tougher punishments for those who fail to comply with new rules around the storage and handling of personal data - so really important for us as a business to understand.

We email customers, stakeholders, delegates and all manner of people all of the time so understanding the new stance on the storage of personal data is vital as is protecting that data from the baddies online! 

Recent figures show that in 2016, companies in the UK lost more than £1billion to cybercrime and breaches in data have given criminals access to names, birth dates, addresses and even social security and pension information.

Additionally, a recent report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) claims that SMEs are now more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals than their large corporate counterparts, as we are  consider  easier targets that some of the big companies with well-defended corporate counterparts.

This is one of the reasons that GDPR is considered long overdue by many authorities, and ignorance will be no defence for SMEs who fail to comply, hence our enthusiasm for ensuring we understand the do's and don't for Cloud9 going forward. 

One of the biggest changes we will face is around consent, as under the new regulations, companies must keep a thorough record of how and when an individual gives consent to store and use their personal data. Consent also means active agreement so a pre-ticked box is no longer sufficient and we will all need to keep a formal audit trail. Those individuals on the mailing list have the right to withdraw consent at any time, easily and quickly and when they do, all of their details must be permanently deleted, not just removed from a mailing list.

Should we have a data breach, GDPR will force us to inform the relevant authorities within 72 hours, giving full details of the breach and proposals for mitigating its effects.These new conditions alone – and there are many more – show just how demanding the new regulations will be and how the data is stored whether on a PC, a server or on a cloud. 

There's probably a lot more to it so at least we are taking steps to understand the new laws nice and early as the last thing we want is to upset anyone on our mailing lists or to receive a fine. 

There are some advantages to the new laws though, in that if you worry about embarrassing social media posts online that have been around for years, you can now ask for them to removed and hopefully it will stop a lot of unnecessary phone calls and rubbish through the post. 

Have a great week and just remember, when you are ordering online this year, you can opt out if you need to!

Ho Ho Ho!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 4 December 2017

Welcome to another week and you can tell we are officially in Christmas mode as the radio stations are now ramping up their output of festive tunes, the decorations are up at most hotels and venues and even though the supermarkets have been displaying Christmas fare since just after Halloween, it seems that with the first week of December, we are allowed to celebrate!

So in a simple competition this week we are calling for your best Christmas Cracker Jokes and the winners will win a box of...well...Christmas Crackers (jokes already included!).

Afterall, who wants to live in a world when Christmas doesn't come with some of the worst jokes the world ? It's as traditional as buying Baileys and not drinking it, eating too much and depressing yourself watching Eastenders - the Christmas cracker joke is simply a crucial part of the festive season and one to be celebrated as is perilously perching a paper hat on top of your head.

The jokes tend to be funnier the more you drink, but let's see who can make us laugh without a single drop -It's very easy to enter, all you need to do is to send us your best or original ones, via email to carol@cloud9em.co.uk by this coming Friday (8 December) and we'll let you know the winners next week.

Have a great week and enjoy!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 27 November 2017

Welcome to another week and thank goodness that Black Friday is over. We usually drown in emails but the amount of Black Friday deals and offers seriously started to get on our collective nerves - and it seems that everyone jumped on the bandwagon! 

From events to venues, suppliers to speaker agencies, we got a complete deluge of offers, deals and amazing - ahem - bargain offers. 

Most of them complete tosh it has to be said, but just what is Black Friday and where on earth did it come from?

The manic shopping phenomenon has spread from the US and is now a highly anticipated event for  bargain hunters in this country as well, and if that were not bad enough we now also have to endure Cyber Monday (today)!

It's not always a good thing though, and you may recall on the news about the awful fights that broke out in Asda a few years back, where people were trampled and fights broke out as shoppers became over excited by the savings -and as a result the supermarket giant no longer takes part in Black Friday.

It all started stateside and follows Thanksgiving, which is sort of considered the start of the Christmas Shopping season, but just why one a day event now spreads over an entire weekend is anyone's guess and this mass frenzy of shopping has now spread worldwide. 

Some of the bigger retailers use Black Friday to offer big discounts before Cyber Monday but according to our online sources, the day was actually given its name as it's often the day that shops "move into the black", meaning they have enough money to cover their costs while reducing prices.

However, it has also turned out that the day could be associated with a more sinister reason for being Black Friday as it appears that the police and NHS to refer to the Friday before Christmas, which is when emergency services anticipate extra pressures put on them due to Christmas celebrations.

So there you have it, Black Friday last week and Cyber Monday today. We don't really mind as every day for us is a Cloud 9 Day. Free Venue Finding and doing what we love, managing events.

Have a great week - and don't spend too much! 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 20 November 2017

Welcome to another week and it's all Food & Drink this week as we get set for the Warwickshire Food & Drink Showcase this Wednesday. 

The event, which here at Cloud 9, we are running for Warwickshire County Council, is part of their Tourism Framework, enabling partnership work and the ‘Gateways to the Countryside’ scheme across the county of Warwickshire.

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Being held at the Warwickshire Golf & Country Club, the event aims to showcase the quality and vibrancy of the local produce and visitor experiences all in one easy-to reach venue. 

We have an array of amazing suppliers on board including breweries,  cheese makers, and chocolatiers  and we want to encourage businesses to discover and use local suppliers, and additionally attendees will have the opportunity to meet, listen to experts and peers and find out how the county council is engaging with their tourism and food industry.

It's been fascinating working with all of the local suppliers on the event, and we are sure the day will be a great success as our buyer registrations is creeping up daily from local stores, restaurants and hotels all looking for new and interesting product ranges. 

And, despite the fact that its November and already feeling chilly, we also have two Gelato Companies taking part, the first of which is Hooray’s British Gelato Kitchen.

Hooray’s style and inspiration can be classed as a fusion of influences ranging from Classic

Cotswolds and the Best of British, to Cosmopolitan Chic and Global Gourmet. So you can enjoy a ravishing range of cool gelato and fruity sorbet made onsite, in their Gelato Kitchen, hot crepes and waffles, yummy cakes and locally roasted gourmet coffee. Hooray's has got something for everyone, plenty of seating downstairs, as well as the Lounge and Granita Bar upstairs which double as event room. Not to mention the children's corner and the Secret Courtyard!

The other is Swirls, who bring a touch Italy to Leamington with its Neapolitan coffee & authentic gelato handcrafted on the premises in small batches thus creating a creamier & velvety texture. They have been delighted with their customer reviews and having been noted for what they do by winning two Artisan awards so quickly has been tremendous. Their offering includes Panini’s waffles, sweet & savoury crepes, handmade lollies, gelato and semi freddo cakes made to order. 

One thing we will have to avoid is getting too involved in sampling though as we have a range of great distilleries, gin, beer and wine companies all taking part - and we are driving!

Registration for buyers is still open so if you fancy coming along, please see the website for more details and we hope to see you there.

Have a great week.

 

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What's Floating Around Cloud 9 This Week? 13 November 2017

Welcome to another week and we start with a fond farewell to Janet who is leaving us for pastures new this coming Friday. Janet has been an excellent member of our team and will be sadly missed, but the nature of the events industry is that people do tend to ebb and flow a little so we wish her well and our search for new talent continues!

In other news this week, its all a bit about Drones. The International Drone Awards are starting to gain some serious momentum and interest and we have just announced the first of our judges who are based in the States, Europe and the UK and we have some additional invitations outstanding too.

Additionally, last week we undertook a site visit for the World Super Drone championships which are being held in Nottingham next April, and there will be 24 international teams competing for a £25,000 prize for the best pilots.

Drone news has been pretty hard to escape just recently - if you book an Uber in  around 10 years’ time, you will probably get a car that drives itself. But then again, you may not be travelling in a car at all as the app is working on technology that would allow airborne passenger drones to fly short distances around cities.

After upending the taxi market with its ride-hailing service, Uber is now looking to the skies for its next venture - flying taxis.The firm has announced that it plans to deploy its flying taxis in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and Dubai by 2020.

Uber's flying taxis will be small, electric aircraft that take off and land vertically (VTOL) with zero emissions and quiet enough to operate in cities and flying taxis would cut down travel time between San Francisco's Marina to downtown San Jose to 15 minutes, compared with the more than two hours it takes by road, Uber has estimated.

Amazon’s delivery drones, currently being tested in Cambridgeshire, use a similar technology to cut down on noise and extend their range.

 

Additionally, with Christmas fast approaching, it seems that Drones will also top many a gift list this year. With drones now widely available now at high street stores such as Currys and Argos, many expect the leisurely use of the small aircraft to quite literally soar.

 

The boss of the recently opened drone arena says he wants to make drone racing as popular as football. UKDS Racing, in Nottingham, which launched last March, and with whom we are working here at Cloud 9, are hosting competitions and teaching children and adults how to fly drones.

The site, which is located next to Notts County's Meadow Lane stadium, will be reconfigured every month "to keep pilots on their toes" and the long term plan is to have a drone arena for each city and for people to be able to view drone racing from their homes.

 

With the World Super Drone event being filmed as part of a series, this could happen sooner rather than later! 

 

Have a great week.

 

 

 

  

What's Floating Around Cloud 9 This Week. Week commencing 6 November 2017

Welcome to another week and our first November news. The nights are drawing in, ghosts, ghouls and fireworks are done and dusted with for another year and as usual we're busy at Cloud 9 HQ organising and pitching for several events. 

Despite how busy we are it is also vital in this industry to keep our venue and destination knowledge as fresh and relevant as possible. Our clients confirm events all over the UK but also worldwide and it is an important part of our job to experience destinations first hand. Recently our Brand Director Fiona spent a weekend in Bergen courtesy of destinations UNLIMITED, Eton Travel Group and First United Events and Incentives and she has shared her experience below.

As a UNESCO World Heritage City and a European City of Culture, the Bergen region has the ideal combination of nature, culture and exciting urban life. It's Norway's second largest city after Oslo and the most popular gateway to the fjords of West Norway.

Our group of 10 met at Gatwick at the respectable time of 9am to start our weekend, and before we new it we had arrived in Bergen after a short 2hr flight. First impressions were the breath taking views flying in to the city followed by experiencing the brand new passenger terminal which gives visitors a great start to their Norwegian adventure.

We stayed at the Radisson Blu Royal hotel in the heart of the old town area on the edge of Bryggen wharf. This great conference hotel comprises of 21 events spaces with a combination of contemporary meeting rooms and historically inspired dining rooms. Dinner transportation was a wonderful evening cruise to the Cornelius Seafood Restaurant where in addition to amazing cuisine all guests are treated to an entertaining history of the restaurant by the charismatic owner.

Saturday saw us boarding the historic train to Flaam and taking a 2 hour journey through the beautiful countryside to reach our destination. Lunch was courtesy of the stylish Fretheim Hotel, but before this we were given a great site inspection of this unique property. The hotel is a beautiful white timber building which dates back to 1850. The newest part of the hotel was built in 2000 but the historical part has preserved the traditional features of the property with 17 'character' bedrooms for an 18th century experience. And yes, this means no TV!

The afternoon saw us kitted out ready for a RIB boat safari from Flaam all the way to Gudvangen. This stunning journey has been rated as one of the most scenic in the world and it did not disappoint. The mountains are majestic and provide an jaw dropping back drop to the beautiful fjords. A quick visit to the brand new Viking Village in Gudvangen was an additional treat to our events programme. This innovative project gives visitors the chance to experience life in a Viking community and learn more about the Viking age.

Our bus trip back to Bergen was broken by a quick visit to the Magic White Caves of Gudvangen, an amazing network of caves brought to life by colour, music and 'magic ponds' which can be hired for events from May to September. Once back in the city we experienced a fantastic dinner in a 'locals' restaurant in the historic area followed by a drink or two in a traditional style bar before calling it a night. 

Sunday morning we were up and ready to take a city walking tour with our informative guide who took us to the hidden gems of the old town area and through the beautiful residential streets winding up the hillside. The day was stunning and our ride up to Mt Ulriken on the cable car for lunch gave us a wonderful vista of the whole city. Those of us with conference business took an impromptu site inspection of the Bergen Convention Centre before re joining the group to make our way back to the airport.

The programme arranged for the group gave a great insight into what clients can experience if they choose to stay for a day or two after their conference, or wish to come purely for an incentive. We pride ourselves in gaining invaluable knowledge by partaking in familiarisation trips such as this to be able to share our experiences with our clients. If you have any event enquiries for Norway or any other destination please do not hesitate to contact us and we will help you plan an amazing event! 

Have a great week!