What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 11 September 2017

Welcome to another week and seeing as we are all off to Harrogate to run the National Acute Pain Symposium for 300 Doctors, Nurses, Anaesthetists and Pain Specialists, at the Harrogate Convention Centre, it seems appropriate to look at some of the great venues in this amazing location.

The Harrogate Convention Centre is a modern event space, with an iconic auditoria and lots of on site new technology. Ironically enough, back in 1835 The Spa Rooms stood on the site of today’s Hall M welcoming the British Medical Association in 1884. 

The Royal Hall opened in 1903 as a venue for social events and meetings hosting The First British Advertising Convention as long ago as 1925. In the thirties Harrogate really started to gain its reputation as the place to hold business events and by 1937 the town was hosting around thirty events a year. Planning meetings and events back then must have been a challenge!

By 1953 almost 150 conferences were held each year and in 1959 the first purpose-built event halls were added. Growing in both size and reputation, by the 1960's they were hosting 170 conferences annually, welcoming 44,000 people to the region.

More halls were added in 1966 and 1971 and shortly after an independent business tourism study recommended building a major conference centre in the town, which became the first step in creating the 2000-seat main auditorium which opened in 1982, hosting The Eurovision Song Contest that same year. This was of course back in the day when we actually still stood a chance of winning. 

Today, as one of the country’s leading multi-use venues, the Harrogate Convention Centre attracts over 300,000 visitors a year with a combination of  exciting trade and consumer exhibitions, inspiring conferences, sumptuous banquets and spectacular entertainment.

Our conference delegates of course need somewhere to stay, and The Old Swan is probably one of the most famous hotels in Harrogate, with a history going back nearly 200 years. Surrounded by pretty lawns and gardens, and just a short walk from the town centre and the Harrogate Convention Centre, it's a combination of Victorian splendour and contemporary luxury.

From its revolving doors to its famous glass-ceilinged Wedgwood Restaurant, the Hotel exudes romance and mystery and it was at this very hotel that the mistress of crime-writing, Agatha Christie, famously disappeared in 1926, resulting in a public furore over the 11 days that she could not be traced. We do hope that our delegates don't disappear on us!

Guests can now enjoy 136 contemporary-styled bedrooms, the famous glass-ceilinged Wedgwood Restaurant or the newly refurbished Swan Lounge and Bar, and with several reception rooms, the capacity for up to 300, and ample complimentary parking, The Old Swan is the perfect spot for Harrogate conferences and events.

We are also using the newly opened and ultra modern Crowne Plaza® Harrogate which is linked by a pedestrian bridge to the Convention Centre, and has six meeting rooms which can host up to 320 theatre style, plus a rather fabulous new bar and restaurant as well as a health club - not that we think we will have much time to indulge in much activity outside of the conference.

So lot's going on this week and if you are still looking for a venue for your next event - making your mind up you might say (think Bucks Fizz!) - then please do remember that here at Cloud 9 as well as running events, we also spcialise in helping clients source the perfect venue for your next event - locally, nationally, globally. 

Have a great week!

What's Floating Around this Week? 7 September 2015

Welcome to another week and it's a busy one here at Cloud 9 Towers! Our first order of business is to welcome Janet to the team who joins us from HRG in Leicester and will be overseeing various projects here as well as streamlining our venue finding systems for clients.

We're then off to the Crowne Plaza in Chester to attend the National Acute Pain Symposium which we're taking over as a project for 2016. As with all events, it's important to get a feel for the delegates and stakeholders and see what works, what doesn't and what we can do to  add a little magic to an existing but respected event to really give it a boost.

From there it's Aston Villa calling as it's the Midlands Media Awards which we run for the Birmingham Press Club. It's a special year for the organisation as they are celebrating their 150th Anniversary this year so we need to make sure the event is extra special this year - and we have a few surprises up our sleeves for the guests! 

We're also using the awards to launch the MMA Student Awards which proved incredibly popular earlier this year and are set for just after Easter next year.

And, whilst we are talking about launches, we've also just launched the next CHS Awards which we run in conjunction with the CHS Group, the lovely people behind the Conference & Hospitality Show.

As the inaugural event was so well supported, we've decided to take the event up a level next time round and therefore, we've increased categories, added some new ones, changed how we approach judging and we're also getting more agents on board to make sure its a really well balanced event. 

Designed to give all venues, irrespective of their status, a chance to be well and truly recognised for aspects of their service or facilities, this a great project and we're excited to be taking it to the next level.

Whilst we are on the subject of venues, we're also delighted to be part of the team developing the wonderful St. Mary's Church in the Lace Market, Nottingham. Although it is occasionally hired out for events, there is a real potential to make it one of the best venues in the City for corporate events and therefore, we are going to be looking after the venue in terms of agent enquiries and coordination so it will be nice to be the other side of the fence for once!

So, lots going on and lots to do, but one thing is for sure, there's never a dull moment and we wouldn't have it any other way! Have a great week...

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 20 April 2015

Welcome to another week and today is the first day of National Stop Snoring Week, launched by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association to draw attention and raise awareness to solving a huge problem.

We all know how annoying it is, but it's solving it is not always so simple! So what is the cause of snoring?   Well, there are more reasons than you might realise.Eating too much, drinking a lot of alcohol and allergies can all irritate and block your nasal passage and airways.  For a full list of causes and more information, you can visit the National Stop Snoring Week site.

It's the bane of many a light sleeper. The unrelenting sound of someone clearly enjoying a deep slumber but, in the process, denying others the same luxury.

 

Back in 2011, six Crowne Plaza Hotels in Britain implemented snore patrols as well as trialling "snore absorption" in 10 hotels across Europe and the Middle East. Designated quiet zones in hotels in London, Leeds and Manchester had snore monitors patrolling the corridors.

Here at Cloud 9 Towers we are not sure just how successful all of the trials were, but certainly if you want to stay at the Crowne Plaza at the NEC in Birmingham, there is still a Snore Monitor available on the Quiet Zone floor of the hotel to ensure their guests get the best night’s sleep possible.  

The sound of snoring can be worse than a nightmare if you are trying to get a decent night’s sleep. Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC have created a way that ensures that their guests are not disturbed by the snores coming from other rooms, as a way of enhancing the fantastic Sleep Advantage programme they already offer.   

The Sleep Advantage programme combines superior comfort bedding and a guaranteed wake up call with the quiet zone, where no housekeeping or engineering works will take place between 9pm and 10am on Sundays to Thursdays and the ‘This Works’ aromatherapy kit to help clear your head and counter physical and mental fatigue. 

The job of the Snore Monitor is to check snore decibels coming from guests’ rooms. If they reach over 100* decibels then a polite knock on door is deemed necessary to inform the guest that their snores have reached such a level that they may disturb other guests.   

The Royal National Institute for Deaf people say that a normal snore creates between 50 and 100 decibels, the new Snore Monitor at Crowne Plaza will ensure snores reaching over 100 decibels are monitored to ensure guests are not disturbed.   

The Snore Monitor at Crowne Plaza Birmingham NEC Hotel said “Guest sleep satisfaction is paramount at Crowne Plaza and this new way of ensuring they get the best night’s sleep possible is fantastic. I think of my job as the next level in customer service, looking after guest’s needs whilst they sleep.” 

Trip Advisor is littered with comments from disgruntled guests who have slept in rooms all over the world and been disturbed by other guests in adjacent rooms whose snoring is excessive. But what can you do?

Well, all we can really suggest here is to maybe invest in an Anti Snoring Pillow. Lots of hotels have pillow menus these days and whilst we rarely see an Anti Snoring one, you will probably find one a decent investment. 

For example, the Hotel Collection Anti-Snore pillow. This ultimate snore-relief pillow helps to open up the airway by supporting the head and neck, therefore encouraging better breathing and reduced snoring whilst you sleep. Filled with a foam core, surrounded by soft hollow fibre, covered in smooth polycotton casing. 

And if all else fails, you can always look at sleeping somewhere really remote where you are unlikely to disturb anyone else!

Have a great and hopefully, snore free week! 

 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 28th May

Welcome to the week and may we wish all of our subjects a truly marvellous one!

There's an air of expectancy this week in the lead up to the BIG BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND next week. Whereas usually today we'd all be off, with the Queens Jubilee weekend looming, next weekend will be a long one, and hopefully one with better weather than we have experienced during the last couple of Bank Holiday breaks.

So in tribute to Queenie, we thought we would make this week's blog a truly regal affair!

Ironically, our only excursion this week is the monthly RSViP network social which takes place, and you couldn't have made it up, at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham.

The Crowne Plaza was once The Royal Hotel and is just around the corner from Nottingham Theatre Royal and Royal Centre.

See, told you we were keeping it regal this week!

And now to another right royal event, which is only a couple of weeks away....

For the very first time in 2012 you can enjoy the atmosphere, dress up to the nines, browse the stalls and have a flutter at a very special ladies day luncheon, celebrating Royal Ascot, without having to leave our wonderful city.

Greeted with Champagne and Canapes on arrival, guests can show off their hats  whilst taking a gentle stroll in the garden or take a leisurely browse around one of the many stalls available on the day, selling everything from jewellery to jams.

After a sumptuous, three course, waitress served luncheon, which includes half a bottle of wine per person, guests can hear from a racing expert who will provide tips and advice on how to have a little flutter (or a big flutter!) from our tote table.

Over freshly brewed coffee and petit fours you can then study your race cards and place your bets before we screen the first race at 1.30pm.

Inside or outside, you will be able to see the Ascot Action during the afternoon from one of our screens, whilst continuing too browse the stalls, visiting the bar or having a bash at our charity raffle with some truly fabulous prizes up for grabs.

And if that wasn’t enough, outside will be both a hog roast and ice cream stall if you get a little peckish, and you can also enjoy afternoon tea, which will be served around 5pm.

Just after the last race at 5.30pm, the raffle will be drawn and there will also be a great prize for the most outrageous hat. Ending around 6pm, you are sure to have had a truly memorable day – which you will be able to relive with our next day photographic gallery - without the long and arduous journey home!

Tickets for this exceptional event are priced at just £60.00 + vat per person each and can be booked via email, paula@cloud9em.co.uk or online via Eventbrite www.eventbrite.com/event/2556510592 

 Group or Corporate Bookings for 10 places or more are available with a 10% discount. Places are strictly limited so book early to avoid disappointment!

Finally this week in a tribute to the Queen, we thought we should list our top 10 Diamond Jubilee favourites, facts and fun stuff to make you smile!

We are not having a party to celebrate the event this time round (Jubilee Weekend clashes with him indoors birthday celebrations!) but if we were, then we would really be going to town.

So here goes, the countdown begins........

At 10, we have the right royal lady herself, with a cardboard cut out Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, standing 170cm tall in a lilac dress. Perfect as a gimmick to stand around at your Diamond Jubilee street party or celebration!

 Priced at £32.00 we think this is hilarious!

Over the reign, Her Majesty has given regular audiences to 12 Prime Ministers, so this is our number 9.

The first was Winston Churchill 1951-55, followed by Sir Anthony Eden 1955-57, Harold Macmillan 1957-63, Sir Alec Douglas-Home 1963-64, Harold Wilson 1964-70 and 1974-76, Edward Heath 1970-74, James Callaghan 1976-79, Margaret Thatcher 1979-90, John Major 1990-97, Tony Blair 1997-2007, Gordon Brown 2007-2010 and finally David Cameron 2010 - present.

At 8 we have something which we think would only suit the most patriotic of people . Yes, its a  Union Jack Second Skin Suit, priced at £26.00

With Medium, Large and Extra Large Sizes Available, we are guessing that one should not indulge in too many cucumber sandwiches or slices of battenberg before donning this look.

One things for sure though, you will certainly stand out!

At 7 we have that dilemma that many of us faced when having to buy a gift for someone!

Unusual live gifts given to The Queen on foreign tours include: two tortoises given to The Queen in the Seychelles in 1972; a seven-year-old bull elephant called "Jumbo" given to Her Majesty by the President of Cameroon in 1972 to mark The Queen's Silver Wedding, and two black beavers given to The Queen after a Royal visit to Canada.

At 6 we have something, which given our track record for terrible Bank Holiday weather is sure to be a must.

It's a Union Jack Umbrella Hat and according to the blurb, one size fits all. We do wonder how many glasses of the old vino collapso you would need to partake of to don such an item, but hey, it takes all sorts!

At 5 we thought we would let you know that The Queen has attended 35 Royal Variety performances. Whilst we have no doubt that she would be enchanted by Ashleigh and Pudsey, who won Britain's Got Talent recently and the right to perform at the next Royal Variety Show, we do wonder quite how she would react if Rapper Zipparah Tafari had won with his BGT audition song Where's My Keys Where's My Phone. We think that one would not be amused!

 At 4 we have an item that every budding princess and drama queen should own - an inflatable crown! The advantages of having an inflatable crown as opposed to a real one, are of course obvious. You don't need your own tower to keep it in when not in use. You don't need to employ the services of Beefeater's to guard it. You don't need to learn how to carry all of that excess weight on your bonce as its just air. And most importantly of all, you can let the air out between appearances and stick it under your bed, along with the rest of your rubbish purchases!

At 3, The Queen has sat for 129 portraits during her reign. Wow, what a woman. It might be a genetic thing, but all of the members of the C9 Team, hate having their photographs taken. Carol is especially allergic to this activity, so imagine having to sit still for all of those hours only to have your own mush to look at in the end!

 At 2 we have that The Queen learnt to drive in 1945 but she is the only person in Britain who can drive without a licence or a registration number on her car. And she doesn't have a passport.So, not having to have a passport or other form of identification, must make life easier when it comes to renewing her annual motor insurance! Despite the powers of Google, we couldn't find any record, but we did wonder what would ever happen if Liz had a bump! After all, in these days of American Style Ambulance Chasers "Where there's blame, there's a claim".

We conclude our countdown with possibly the daftest thing we found amongst the endless array of paraphernalia that is available to help you celebrate the Diamond Jubilee Weekend ahead. So here goes...at number 1.... its a Pack of 2 Great Britain Car Wing Mirror Covers.  The blurb to accompany this £2.45 purchase states that each pack contains 2 Great Britain Union Jack car wing mirror covers are made from good quality polyester. You draw the string to secure onto your wing mirrors and it's the perfect addition for sports events and celebrating the Queens Jubilee!

We are literally speechless......but, enjoy your week ahead, and the Diamond Jubilee Weekend!