What's Floating Around? 22 April 2014

Adam & Julian from The Studio Venues

Welcome to another (short) week and we hope that every one had a fabulous Easter. We consider ourselves very lucky to be working in such a great industry and as a result, we get all sorts of fantastic invitations to experience the hospitality of great hotels and venues, both in the UK and Internationally.

So, last Thursday, we help an Open Day at Cloud 9 and invited lots of Hotel and Venue representatives to drop in at our Easter Eggstravaganza, as our way of saying thank you. It was also an opportunity to get an update on some of the venues and introduce our newer team members (as well as showing off our new offices!).

Each team member ran a different activity in a different section of our offices and some certainly entered into the spirit of Easter with lots of enthusiasm - including the great guys from The Studio Venues. We feel that Julian is really working the look! 

Paula felt that the ears were not really her thing, and Carol sadly had to miss the day due to a last minute appointment but was there in spirit...and the rest of the team, well its easy to see that they were really up for all aspects of the Easter experience and kicked off with an #Selfie first thing in the morning.

Shannon, Rubina, Becky and Harriet, who is studying Event Management at Leeds Met and is back with us for her third year, all hopped up!

The first port of call for visitors was Carol's Cracking Icing Competition where each of our guests were invited to decorate a Ginger Bread Egg Biscuit and some were more successful than others, its fair to say!

Heather and Jade from the Yew Lodge

in Kegworth took the competition quite seriously!

Katey from Gleneagles with her own Ryder Cup!

Helen with an impressive PUMA Hotels Egg

Luis from Maritim with a Cracking Effort!

Julie from the Raithwaite Estate - Great Branding!

June from Coombe Abbey, if in doubt, sprinkles!

Kevan from Trident - Eggscellent Effort!

Brendan from Millenium Copthorn - Not Giving Up His Day Job!

Great effort from Nikki but Becky's attempt to recreate the Deansgate iconic Hilton, not really going to plan!

Craig's Cracking Effort for the Heart of England

 

Adam trying to curry favour with a Cloud 9 egg!

Julian also trying to cheat!

Fab effort from Alex at Q

 

 After much debate here at Cloud 9 it was a tough call as to who to award the Easter Egg to for this particular challenge and it was really between Luis from Maritim, Alex from Q Hotels and Julie from the Raithwaite Estate. In the end though, we decided that Katey from Gleneagles was the deserving winner for her blatant plug of the Ryder Cup!

After all of that excitement, many of our guests visited Paula in the Pub (well our Pink Office which was kitted out with a little bubbly) and to have a chat without any bunny ears!

As most of our guests were driving, we did have lots of low alcohol stuff on offer and with a drink in hand, it was time to visit Shannon in our meeting room, which we call The Not So Bored Room. Here we had laid out a bit of a spread with Elvis looking on, and a competition, Shannon's Super Sleuth Egg guess.

There were some pretty wild guesses with the lovely Alison from Fairmont St Andrews, guessing 3458 and Becky from the Manchester Deansgate Hilton guessing 2152.

The actual total was 762 and the closest, with a guess of 760 was Adam from the Studio who wins the Egg! His colleague Julian only guessed 246 so what can we say....!

 Harriet's Hot Cross Bun Challenge, was also pretty popular and the clear winner was Craig Cotterill of the Heart of England Confrence Centre, who managed to eat his in just 28.5 seconds. Craig narrowly beat Heather from Best Western who managed 29 seconds, and Kevan Holland from Trident who managed 30.2 seconds. Carla Garman from the Village Hotel was also pretty impressive with a score of 31.1 seconds.

Bringing up the rear however, with 1.22 was Nikki from the Deansgate Manchester Hilton, 1.05 was Adam from The Studio Venues, June from Coombe Abbey with 1.03 seconds and Alex from Q Hotels also with 1.03. Clearly, chaps have bigger mouths and an Easter Egg is on its way to Craig.

Finally once guests had collected their goody bags from Becky, who was guarding the cake tower with her life, it was time to say goodbye with a final stop off at Rubina's Raffle, where each guest was guaranteed to win a prize.

There were smiles all round for those who won bottle shaped prizes - we can't think why ?! - and even those that didn't win a bottle got some rather lovely chocolates.

So all in all another fab day at Cloud 9 Towers - and in addition to placing a rather large booking with a venue, we also got two nice new client RFP's, an update from some fantastic venues, had a giggle and were also lucky enough to receive some lovely gifts from our guests.

A huge thanks to everyone who came, those who had to cancel last minute and those that didn't manage to make it. We love working with you all! Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 28th August

Welcome to a lovely short week! 

It might only be August (just), but before you know it, September will have been and gone, Halloween and Bonfire Night a distant memory, and then its Christmas.

Whilst we are of the opinion that Christmas should really start and end in December, in events you have to forward plan and since Easter, we have been inundated with news from venues about their Christmas schedules and programmes for 2012.

So, seeing as its a short, silly week, lets all don our winter woollies (given the weather not as daft a suggestion as it sounds), grab some hot chocolate, sit on Santa's lap and take a look at some of the great offerings around for you to consider for Christmas 2012.

Book early, and through Cloud 9, you might just be glad you did.....

If you are looking for a spectacular venue with an edge then you might want to try the Ministry of Sound - one of the few centric spaces which can guarantee an exciting event experience, with an award winning lighting and sound rig coming as standard. The venue can accommodate parties for 100 to 1500 guests, and can support a range of catering options from light canapés to a seated banquet, with menus from just £10.00pp. So, if you want something a bit different then the Ministry of Sound can organise everything from an Amusement Arcade to a Roller Disco, so dig out your leg warmers and party! London based but worth the trip.

If you are looking for something a bit closer to home (for our Nottingham clients) then you could try a Marco Pierre White Christmas at the Alea Casino in Nottingham.  In addition to a unique dining experience, there are also party nights throughout December with prices from just £28.00pp.  Whether its Legends of Vegas, Dirty Dancing, Take That, Abba, Grease or George Michael that floats your boat, then there is something for you in the run up to Christmas.  Reasonably priced buffets and set menus are available, and for those who want to push the boat out, then you might want to try the Marco Pierre White New Year’s Eve Dinner & Ball. Additionally Alea are offering some exceptional "experience" packages from just £10 which includes a drink, 30 minutes of tuition on Blackjack or Roulette and £2 free bet. You could win back the cost of your night!

You could also take advantage and book early at one of our favourite venues in the region, The Nottingham Belfry. There are numerous choices on offer including Classic Christmas Party Nights,  Disco Inferno Nights for those who love 70's and 80's music, and even Warm Up Nights in the run up to Christmas. With prices from just £20.00 per person and lots of fabulous accommodation deals, the Nottingham Belfry is a great option for the festive season. The Belfry also offers a great New Year Getaway with prices from just £139.00 and is also offering some fabulous deals for those visiting friends and family in the area from just £65.00 per room including breakfast.

If you fancy a more traditional celebration this Christmas then you might want to consider stepping back in time and enjoying The Heart of England's very own take on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.Enjoy freshly roasted chestnuts and the sounds of the Carollers as you prepare to enter the cobbled streets of Victorian England.Enjoy a sumptuous Three Course meal, before partying the night away with their DJ. They will entertain you until the early hours with a wide variety of music. The spectacular nightclub sound, laser and video show will rock you like no other! Prices for Tuesday to Thursday are just £29.95pp and for Friday & Saturday evenings throughout December £36.95pp and include an amazing themed room, arrival drink, sumptuous traditional three course meal, fun casino with prize for the best gambler, and a Disco until 1am.

 

For the more budget conscious amongst you, you might want to consider our sister service through Dazzling Table Displays. Christmas should be a magical time but if you get stuck with organising the office Christmas Party and decorations again, the spirit of Christmas can soon desert you! Dazzling Table Displays can work their magic on your behalf from as little as £99+vat for our Christmas Office Makeover & Party Pack. We can even cater an office party and organise a range of games and festive entertainment, designed to suit even the tiniest of budgets.

Normal service resumes at Cloud 9 next week so do join us for news on Fresh, the CIPR Northern Conference and lots of other exciting projects we are about to unveil.

Enjoy the week. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

---

---

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 2nd July

Welcome to another week!

Plans for the revamped CIPR Northern Conference which is now set for the 11th October are taking shape and we should be able to announce a full and exciting line-up in the next couple of weeks. There are opportunities available for anyone wishing to target the PR Community to come along and have a stand at the event - and to network - for just £225+vat, which includes the opportunity to be a delegate at the event. 

Taking place at the Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, this is a conference you cannot afford to miss in 2012. Please email paula@cloud9em.co.uk for details.

We're off to take a look at the Beach at the Heart of England Conference centre this week as a potential venue for Fresh 2013. Yes, its a beach in the middle of the country.

Based just outside of Birmingham, this unusual site set in 160 acres seems to have everything from a Beach to a BBQ, with boats, off-road vehicles, purpose built woodland courses, exhibition halls,  conference rooms, a camp site and restaurant bar. http://www.heartofengland.co.uk/index.php/about/1

We might just sort that Fresh Festival 2013 although we are not sure how some of the creative types might feel about camping - or given the industry, maybe that should be glamping!

We've never been fans of camping here at Cloud 9 - frankly if you cannot plug your hairdryer in, we are not interested, but it seems its a growing trend and we found a great website dedicated to glamping http://www.glamping-uk.co.uk/

And we even found somewhere that we might just try one day. "Loch Ness Glamping- glamorous camping in top spec armadillas situated in the midst of the breathtaking great glen, Loch Ness; En-suite, under floor heating, DVD, own BBQ areas, fresh linen and many glamorous extras, Family and pet friendly. The perfect setting to experience your highland adventure."

Moving back inside, we are looking forward to a good do at the Nottingham Belfry this Friday where they are showcasing their banqueting and entertainment skills - which we have no doubt will be excellent.

http://www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels/the-nottingham-belfry.aspx 

From its ultra modern design to its enviable location just 1 mile from the M1 and 5 miles from the city centre, The Nottingham Belfry is a stylish oasis of magnificent proportions. When it comes to hotels in Nottingham, the Belfry has it all covered. The geometric design of the building with its walls of glass, coupled with a plush, contemporary interior makes for one very special hotel experience.

As the region’s biggest conference venue, the state of the art facilities can hold up to 700 people across 13 fully flexible conference and meeting rooms. 

Helping to cement its reputation as one of the best Nottingham hotels around, the Nottingham Belfry boasts a luxurious spa that will have you floating up to your room on a cloud of sweet smelling loveliness! Master therapists provide an extensive list of delicious treatments and packages for you to indulge in.

We end the week with something that made us all smile! It's National Shed Week when shed enthusiasts are encouraged to keep an eye on the ShedBlog to discover the Nation's Shed of the Year. This annual event sponsored by Cuprinol is now in its 6th year and it continues to go from strength to strength!

 Those contending to be Shed of the Year range from hut sheds, eco-sheds, pub sheds, summerhouses and even a category called a tardis shed! This year there will even be a special category for International Shed of the Year.You just need to check out the previous Shed Week winners and see - there are some real works of art on show, and an amazing array of different shed uses. http://www.readersheds.co.uk/