What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 25 November 2013

Welcome to another week and the big office move continues, although its moving a little slower than we would like, thanks mainly to the wonders of telecommunications!

We won't name and shame the supplier in question as we are still hoping that maintaining civil relations at this point may enable us to secure an earlier installation date, but we would advise that you watch this space in case we do get a little desperate!

On a more positive note, a new office for Cloud 9 has provided us with an opportunity for some much needed retail therapy and in the course of sourcing some swanky new chairs, to match our equally swanky new desks, we came across a little something that made us giggle.

Now, we can't possibly match the team to any of these in good conscience but we'd love to know your type (and we don't just mean the chairs!)

 We are hoping, and seriously hoping that next week we can bring you news of the big move so until then...have a good one!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 18 November 2013

Welcome to another week and its all about EIBTM this week - where the global meetings and events industry connects - so we are off to Barcelona!

EIBTM is the leading global event for the meetings, incentives, conferences, events and business travel industry, taking place in the award winning business and tourism destination of Barcelona. The event gathers over 15,000 MICE industry professionals for three days of focused access to a dynamic business environment with over 3,100 exhibitors, thought provoking professional education and business networking to drive your business into the future.

The event runs from 19-21 November 2013 for another must attend exhibition and on the 18 November for the EIBTM Forum, is a  thought provoking conference, open to all EIBTM participants.

We lucky to be going as guests of Accor but its not a complete jolly as we have a very very early start and a packed schedule of meetings throughout the event. However, even the busiest schedule allows a moment to enjoy the view from the Pullman Barcelona Skipper hotel, which is where we are staying. Barceloneta Beach is temptingly close. Multiply that temptation by two - for the two swimming pools - then factor in the tasty tapas in the Blend Restaurant and you have all in all a rather lovely hotel!

We are well versed in attending events as Hosted Buyers but this will be our first time at EIBTM so we are perhaps a little more excited than usual -  and on asking around about tips to make the most out of the event, the overwhelming advice seems to be - wear flat shoes! 

This reminded us about our trip to the Meetings Show back in the Summer when Paula did have a rather unfortunate shoe mishap and had to cancel a couple of pre-scheduled appointments to make a timely dash to Kensington High Street in search of a shoe shop! 

We are also already making sure we are signed up for the other leading event shows next year so we can ensure a Cloud 9 presence at all of the leading industry events.

Some of the team are off the the BNC Global Event Show in February at the Brewery in London. The BNC Global Event Show is an exciting exhibition based in the heart of the City of London. The Show is designed to bring top event planners together with leading UK and international event suppliers in a refreshingly relaxed environment.

The also have leading experts from the events and meetings industry to present interesting seminars and discussions. Stay at the cutting edge with talks on a range of topics such as marketing, event creation, food and drink and much more. Past guests in include Michael Douglas from Genie Mobile on the possibilities for mobile technology, Kate Conway from Tesco on harnessing the power of digital, William Thomson from Gallus Events on organising experiences, and Sam Bompas from Bompas & Parr on the exciting uses for jelly for events! 

One of our favourite shows returns next year and that is the Conference & Hospitality Show in Leeds in April which is the only exhibition outside of London for the meetings industry so make sure you register and keep checking their site for updates and news.

Of course one of the bigger shows within the Industry was always Confex which seemed to have lost some of its sparkle over the last few years, but with new owners in place, and a thankful return to Olympia (we do like Excel but its a pain to get to for us!) we are hoping for a better event. 

International Confex is established as the UK’s leading exhibition and has been supporting the meetings and events industry for 30 years.

 

In this diverse and vibrant industry, International Confex's role is to provide the annual meeting place for the events world and to connect event professionals such as yourself with the best venues, destinations, finishing touches, technology and event support services the industry has to offer.  With the help of our fantastic exhibitors and event experts, International Confex is the place to be to do business and seek advice and inspirational ideas for your events and it's a great opportunity to get that all important face time that can be so difficult today.

 

International Confex takes place over two days in March in London’s Olympia and hosts over 900 exhibitors covering four areas - UK Venues & Destinations: Discover tourist attractions, unique or traditional venues, sporting venues, castles or country manors. The best thing about it is you only need to travel to one place, Olympia London.

 

International Venues & Destinations: Travel the world (no need to book a flight it's all in Olympia) and discover inspiring destinations, venues, resorts and incentive travel ideas and get amazing ideas for your next events outside of the UK.

 

Something Special: Something Special does exactly what it says on the tin and connects you with market leading suppliers who can provide those vital finishing touches for your events that will leave your guests and clients speechless with sudden urges to tweet about how fabulous you are.

Logistics: Whether you're seeking the latest audio visual, graphics, security, or lighting, our exhibitors can ensure that your events run smoothly and efficiently providing you with some jaw-dropping and cost effective  technology.

 

Over 7,000 visitors from leading agencies, associations and corporate organisations come through the doors to meet new and existing suppliers, attend high-level seminars, see new show features and most importantly, network with fellow event professionals.

 

So a bit of a Trade Show Special this week, enjoy or maybe in the spirit of EIBTM our sign off this week should be olé

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 11 November 2013

Welcome to another week at Cloud 9 and what a wonderful week it is.

We are now officially in moving mode and its all hands on deck as we say goodbye to our old office. We’re not moving far in fact we’re moving meters away however it’s the perfect space for our expanding team and business.

We’re ever so busy with the move however we didn’t want to neglect the blog so this week we’re going to talk about hotels but not just any hotels, unusual ones. You might be thinking ‘’what qualifies as an unusual hotel?’’ well from Treetop Hotels to a cabin in The Woods we’re never too far from something a little different.

Tree Sparrow House – Cornwall :This hotel or should we say Tree House is perched in an ash tree with sweeping sea and countryside views, the tree house accommodation offers a cozy and unique holiday adventure.

Spitbank Fort is an unusual and historic sea fortress in the Solent, off Portsmouth. Now a luxury exclusive venue and hotel, the fort was formerly home to hundreds of soldiers guarding the approaches to Portsmouth. The arms and ammunition have long been removed, making way for nine luxuriously furnished bedroom suites, three bars, three restaurant areas, and spa facilities.

Railholiday is a family company that has built a living providing self-catering accommodation in restored railway carriages. The family started with the restoration of The Old Luggage Van in 1995 and such was the demand that they added The Travelling Post Office to their St Germans station base. 

They have since added The St Ives Bay SK2 carriage at their second location in Hayle, about 5 miles from St Ives on the west coast of Cornwall. Each carriage has a different character, and perhaps the most historic is the 48 ft long Travelling Post Office No. 841, built for the Great Western Railway.  

It went into service in 1889, hauled by the City of Truro on its famous 100 mph run and was originally designed for broad gauge running. Converted to standard gauge in 1891 until its withdrawal in 1934, for many years the carriage formed part of a house in Wales. Now converted to sleep up to six in a combination of double room, sofa bed and bunk beds, The Travelling Post Office is a great place for families, friends and couples alike.

Beach Sun Retreat uniquely offers the ‘perfect beach and summer holiday’ with guaranteed sunbathing 365 days a year!  

The retreat is one of the first in the country, alongside The Wholistic Medical Centre in Harley Street and Grange St Pauls 5* Hotel, to have installed ‘Real Sunlight’s’ innovative health-giving sun simulators, so you've got sunlight at the flick of a switch.
Occupying the ground floor of this former hotel, the property has been refurbished with two themed bedrooms to provide a stylish, one off and spacious holiday retreat, nestled in a quiet location at the end of a private road, with a large lawned garden and direct access to the sandy beach. It is a perfect venue for small parties, family holidays and romantic getaways.

In other news we would like to say a big thank you for the hospitality at the Meet Birmingham Showcase last week.

Now in its third year, the Meet Birmingham Showcase, in association with M&IT, was the chance to explore Birmingham, and meet face-to-face with the people who can make your events happen. 

In the midst of some truly incredible changes, the city is seeing transformations unlike ever before. The brand new £188million Library of Birmingham not only offers a new city landmark, but also truly unique event spaces and this is just one of the venues we had the opportunity to explore last week as well as a great night at the New Hall Hotel and an overnight stay at the Radisson Blu. 

It's fair to report that the team had a thoroughly enjoyable and educational time with the great Meet Birmingham Team, and a whole host of venues - including the new facilities at Conference Aston on Friday.

So that's it for this week..enjoy! 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 4 November 2013

Welcome to another week and its a busy one ahead to say the least.....

With Halloween all done and dusted, it's Bonfire Night tomorrow so we are getting our woolly gloves out ready for our sparklers - which is about as much as we have time to organise this year with so much else going on here at Cloud 9...

We have trips to Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester in preparation for events for next year as well as two days at the Meet Birmingham Showcase at the back end of the week!

 

Now in its third year, the Meet Birmingham Showcase, in association with M&IT, is the chance to explore Birmingham, and meet face-to-face with the people who can make your events happen.In the midst of some truly incredible changes, the city is seeing transformations unlike ever before. The brand new £188million Library of Birmingham not only offers a new city landmark, but also truly unique event spaces.

The city’s infrastructure is also seeing great change, with the redevelopment of New Street Station and the runway expansion at Birmingham Airport. And with a steady stream of new hotels, there has never been a more exciting time to be bringing events to Birmingham. We have a few lined up and are yet to pick venues for 2014 so we plan to make the most of it!  

With a series of venue tours and lectures over two days, it should be a great way to find out more about the options and even though we know Birmingham well, venues are continually changing so its great to keep up to date.

As soon as November hits we always start thinking Christmas (and why not?!) and one of the first events on our festive calendar is the Birmingham Press Club Christmas Lunch on Tuesday 3 December, with one of Britain’s favourite comedians – national treasure Joe Pasquale!

Press Club chairman Ed James said: “Joe is well-known for being one of today’s hardest-working and top-selling comedians and we are thrilled that he has been able to accept our invitation. The Christmas lunch is always one of the highlights of the Press Club year – and with Joe there this year will be no exception.”

Joe, who will made a Life Member of the Press Club in recognition of his professional achievements and support to the media industry, is this year appearing in the pantomime spectacular Sleeping Beauty at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, which runs from December 7 until January 18. 

With a 20-year career of live stand-up tours behind him, and a television pedigree stretching back to 1987, when he first appeared on New Faces, Joe has amassed enough stories to write a best-seller. And that’s just what he is doing at the moment – writing his autobiography. If he can find the time to finish it, that is, for his schedule is pretty much non-stop at the moment. 

As the “voice” of a number of TV and film characters, a star in touring theatrical productions, game show host, winner of I’m A Celebrity….Get Me Out of the Jungle, and a competitor in ITV’s Dancing on Ice, Joe is now – not surprisingly – developing into a real-life action man! For having qualified as a pilot and taken up boxing and running, he has also competed in a celebrity edition of Total Wipeout, attempted to smash the “most amount of martial arts throws in a minute on Guinness World Records Smashed and completed the Virgin London Marathon for Diabetes UK.

Also in Birmingham the same week is the Birmingham Publicity Association Christmas Party which we've not been too for a couple of years, but if our livers will allow, we might try and make it this year! 

Its that time of year again where all BPA Members get together and have a good old party! This year their legendary Christmas bash will be themed 'Snow Business' and will take place at Villa Park on Friday 6th December, Boasting a whole lot of food, drink and some of the best entertainment you could imagine, the not-to-be-missed party will kick off at 12.30pm, with the after party going on until the early hours at Fleet Street Kitchen, Summer Row.

So a real Birmingham blast this week! Enjoy and have a good week!