What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 23 June 2017

Welcome to another week and even though our #VenueTipoftheDay this week will feature some stunning properties in Edinburgh to coincide with the Festival, we are in fact starting in China!

We're taking part in a Symposium this morning to strengthen our relationship with China as Nottingham has strong ties to the country and our current work with the Unversities locally on a collaborative Microfilm Festival has opened up all sorts of new opportunities. 

Following the recent signing of a partnership agreement between Nottinghamshire and Zhejiang province, Nottinghamshire County Council and partners are welcoming Zhejiang CCPIT (China Council for the Promotion of International Trade) and a delegation of over 60 Chinese companies to the Midlands to explore opportunities for business collaboration, both export and investment across a range of sectors.  

Following a plenary session where speakers representing the UK and China will discuss the abundance of opportunities that exist for business engagement, delegates will be able to pre-book appointments with members of the Chinese delegation and we are keen to speak with the Tourism & Culture companies attending.

If you know little about Zhejiang (and to be honest we didn't either) then it was host to the G20 summit in 2016, last year Zhejiang ranked 4th in terms of provincial GDP with an economy equivalent to that of Austria. With 90% of that economy privately owned, the province ranked 3rd behind Shanghai and Beijing in terms of disposable income per capita, and was 2nd in terms of the number of incorporated listed companies (2015)

Pillar sectors in the province are: light textiles, machinery, building materials, chemicals, ICT and medical devices which is why Zhejiang companies are looking to EU for investment collaboration. 

New and rapidly growing sectors include e-commerce (Alibaba Group is based in provincial capital, Hangzhou) and creative (second largest film and television making region in China).

We also keen to know if our free venue finding service will be useful for the Chinese contingent.

So could we be seeing a Cloud 9 in China in the future? Who knows - watch this space!

Have a great week...

 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? W/c 19 June 2017

Welcome to another week and following last weeks successful visit to the Meetings Show, our recent post on the Mailbag Section of Meetpie may have been a little hasty! Just in case you hadn't seen it, let us remind you of what Paula wrote....

Why Don't We Count?

There seems to be an increasing and troubling trend among some of the bigger venue and hotel chains to remove a direct contact or account manager from servicing smaller or independent agencies – or those whose annual spend does not reach a dictated level.
While we fully appreciate that suppliers only have so much time and resource to service independent agencies, it seems terribly short-sighted to adopt this policy.
We’re not asking to be cosseted or even for a quarterly review, but knowing that you have a direct and reliable contact makes all the difference for most venue finders. Our industry is all about people after all.
The popularity of social media sites does make finding someone suitable to help you with an enquiry much easier, but a working relationship built on trust is far more valuable than a name on a Facebook group.
Many boutique agencies, including ours, don’t have preferred supplier lists and we don’t work to override contracts as our business is based on finding the right fit for the right brief, irrespective of the client. Our spend with some of the larger chains might be erratic and this may well be a situation that many independent agencies share. On this basis can the larger chains really abandon us? Who knows what business they might miss out on if it’s a collective issue.
I know we’re far more likely to steer a client towards a venue with whom we have a contact, so any potential issues or problems can be quickly addressed – and - I’d far rather speak to someone I’ve met than ring a central call centre who don’t consider our enquiry with the same priority as some of the bigger agencies.
Business for many agencies like ours is fluid and the right brief for one of the bigger chains might hit our desk tomorrow – but if we don’t count, then you won’t either.

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So the reason for this little rant from our erstwhile leader was that we had an enquiry, we knew a suitable venue but we couldn't find a suitable contact to speak to with regards to our RFP. Central sales units are all well and good, but if you phone back, it's unlikely you get to speak with the same person twice and whilst you can of course go direct to a hotel, this is not always easy when the enquiry is for international business.

I know this is a view taken by many small agencies, and fortunately, events like the Meetings Show, do help us to discover just who we should be talking with - especially at some of the larger chains.

That said, a little rant now and again is probably good for the soul and its not like we do it very often here at Cloud 9 Towers!

Have a great week.

 

 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? Week Commencing 12 June 2017

Welcome to another week and it's a busy one as The Meetings Show will take up the majority of the week. The Meetings Show is now in it's 5th edition and is the premier event for the meetings industry based in the UK. 

 
In today's world it's difficult to commit to even a day away from the office, but being placed within an industry that demands face-to-face interaction, the show offers an opportunity to connect with over 3,000 meetings industry professionals to source new suppliers, learn about the latest innovations and grow your network - all in one go.
It features more than 700 of the finest destinations, hotels, venues, DMCs and technology providers exhibiting on the show floor. All looking to meet with premium-level MICE buyers under one roof. Exhibiting provides the opportunity to get ahead of your competition and put yourselves in the minds of the buyers looking to place business with new suppliers at the show.

Over 3,000 meetings industry professionals visit the show to take advantage of the new connections, networking opportunities and education programme we offer across the three days of the show. Visiting companies typically feature event management companies, agencies, corporates, associations, charities and not-for-profits, PAs and EAs and many more. 

The show features over 80 free-to-attend educational sessions in ten dedicated content streams delivered by the most creative thinkers in the industry. Visitors, hosted buyers and exhibitors alike can attend the sessions most relevant to them and learn more about the latest trends & innovations affecting their sector right now. 

As a team we're particularly invested in some of the educational sessions and we'll be checking out the AIEA Session delivered by Martin Ellis from Team Umbrella on Tuesday who is looking at whether progress has slowed us down.

We're all hosted buyers at the show and in addition to the exhibition itself, there are range of great social events surrounding the show.

In an new addition to the event for 2017 is The Meetings Show monthly news which features a range of authors including a regular monthly post from Event Director, Steve Knight, as well as guest pieces from partners and friends from the industry and beyond.

We're sure Steve won't mind us blatantly copying his content from his June edition:

"The doors will soon open at Olympia for the fifth edition of The Meetings Show. The stage is set for another successful show with more than 700 exhibitors, including many who are new to the show. 

Over the last five years, The Meetings Show has gone from strength to strength as we have cemented its position as a market place, meeting place and learning place with a wealth of opportunities for everybody from the industry to come together to do business. We have a lot of support from the industry, and I would particularly like to thank Dubai Business Events, as sponsors of our hosted buyer lounges, and the Barbican and Searcys, who are hosting our Association Meetings Conference. 

But The Meetings Show is not just about doing business. It’s a place to network with your peers, and there are many events taking place throughout the week where this can happen. In particular, we have once again partnered with MPI for the Post Show Charity Party. In support of The Event Apprenticeships Support Scheme, the Post Show Charity Party is a great opportunity to relax and network with industry friends, hosted buyers and exhibitors, whilst enjoying an open bar and complimentary food. Attend the show on Tuesday 13 June and cross the road to join us at 6pm at the Hand & Flower pub. Tickers are only £50 and can be purchased here [insert link].  

In this month’s newsletter we get Splash Event Solution’s top tips for generating effective event feedback, find out more about the ICE Awards, talk to Advisory Board member Christian Mutschlechner and LiveBuzz tells us more about its new Dynamic Email Builder (DEB) tool. And as always we bring you the latest news from the exhibitors you can meet on the show floor. 

The whole team at The Meetings Show is looking forward to welcoming you to Olympia. But remember, to avoid the £20 onsite registration fee make sure you register today – www.themeetingsshow.com/register! Make sure you keep up with everything that happens throughout the week and join the conversation by following us on Twitter @meetingsshow – don’t forget to us the hashtag TMS17. 

We look forward to seeing you!"

Steve Knight
Event Director

Well said Steve - we look forward to seeing you and all of our fellow #EventProfs this coming week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? Week Commencing 5 June 2017

Welcome to another week and our focus is very much Awards, Awards, Awards this week as we'd like to mention the inaugural UK Awards Conference which we've launched in conjunction with Boost Marketing. 

The 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.

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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.

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Increase the credibility of your event, improve your education and innovate your next programme all in one day.

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Delegates also have the opportunity to shape future content of the event as this conference is designed to share best practice and improve industry standards.

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One of the initiatives we are aiming to unveil at the Conference is a new 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 alinged with trust, with transparency & technology which will benefit your business, your audience and your awards.

We're delighted to be working with a host of professional and passionate organisations all of whom share the vision and values of both a new charter for awards organisers and the inaugural conference. We welcome any comments, suggestions or feedback you may have and with your support we look forward to growing and improving the event each year.

Scheduled for 7 November, the event is sure to create a buzz around the industry so if you work in the Awards sector, please make sure you register online for this event, being held at the Cavendish Conference Centre in London. 

Whilst we are on the subject of Awards we are also pleased to be involved in a new initiative for for one of our clients which is the National Acute Pain Awards, part of the National Acute Pain Symposium, scheduled for September in Harrogate.

Recognising the great work of the Pain Departments around the UK, the awards will be an important part of the event this year, so for additional details please take a look at the website.

Lastly, a little call for help please. As part of the Awards initiative, we're asking anyone involved in Awards to take part in a little survey please, just to let us get a better idea of the industry and it's structure. You could win a place at the Conference by completing the survey, so if you can spare us five minutes, well maybe ten, that would be great!

Have a fabulous week!