What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 21 May 2018

Welcome to another week and with the great weather it's been an amazing opportunity to take a look at some truly great properties in the last week - to help keep our knowledge up to date for our free venue fixing service.

The Nottingham Belfry kindly hosted Cloud 9 last Tuesday for a team meeting and lunch and its always a great reminder of how stunning and stylish this venue is.

Ideal for large events and the layout lend itself to several different styles - but we better get in quick as news has reached us that this hotel which is currently part of the Q portfolio is set to be a Marriott, so international business will soon be heading this way, making the venue difficult to secure.

We also discovered a bit of a hidden gem last week at The Mercure Daventry Court Hotel and Spa. 

It's huge and can take 700 theatre style plus it has great outdoor space an ad a dedicated training centre. Additionally, all of the bedrooms have recently been refurbished and it has one of the largest reception areas we’ve ever seen.

We’re hosting the AIEA summer carnival there in August which should be great fun so if you are an independent agency and not yet signed up, do please get in touch as we would love to welcome you along as our guests.

We also enjoyed a great fam with our friends at Trident Hospitality last week at the Lane End Conference Centre in High Wycombe, and it was great to be pleasantly surprised by the great space and facilities. Although it's a little out of our radar for some events, for specific ones it would make a truly ideal location.

Great bedrooms and wells equipped, and fresh-looking meeting rooms which lend themselves to all sorts of possibilities and what we can recommend, is that even with the smallest of groups, you would feel like the only delegates on site, such is the great adaptability of the layout.

Don’t forget that we can find your next venue for free no matter the event large or small, so do get one touch!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine.

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 2 Novemer 2015

Welcome to another week and we hope everyone survived Halloween in tact and with more treats than tricks!

So, what is in the offing this week we hear you ask? Well, we are delighted to announce the launch of the new look CHS Awards, which following the success of the inaugural Awards launched earlier this year in conjunction with the CHS Group, are back under a new guise for 2016 as “The Character Awards”.

The new look awards have been created to recognise aspects of venues and hotels and rather than allow big budgets or marketing expertise to rule the results, The Character Awards offer a solid platform of promotion for any property in the United Kingdom to showcase their facilities.

Richard John of RJA will once again chair a panel of over 100 different senior event agency personnel who will be responsible for selecting the winners in the awards in one of the 19 categories recognising everything from a “Funky Bedroom” to an “Unusual Boardroom”.

The deadline for entries is Friday 5 February 2016, with the finalists being announced at the CHS Show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Tuesday 26 April with the Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner being held on Thursday 25 May 2016 at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel.

Full details of the Awards, the Event and the Judges are available on the website (insert link) and you can follow news and updates about The Character Awards using #character2016

In other news, we had the lovely Kevan Holland in to see us last week from Trident Hospitality and we had a rather lengthy chat about Independent hotels and their increasing popularity amongst business travellers in the UK, according to the latest research from hotel reservation service HRS.

 

Figures showed a steady monthly rise with a 38% increase in the number of bookings for independent hotels from 2013 to 2014. This increased to 59% from 2014 to 2015. Kevan said he was very pleased with the research findings, especially as Trident has always been passionate about supporting independent venues and hotels. 

And he quotes “For the past 5 years we have worked relentlessly to get the recognition that these venues are a viable alternative to branded properties. Independents do not have the weight of a group behind them with large marketing budgets and a sales force. They do not have the resources to offer overrides that makes them attractive to the larger agents, but they can offer a team of passionate, professional and long serving staff and guests are not treated as a case of ‘here today gone tomorrow’. This is an ethos that we share at Cloud 9.

"There is continuity from enquiry through to delivery and invoicing, developing a relationship and long term loyalty.” During an interview for ‘The Caterer’ Jon West, managing director of HRS in the UK and Ireland, said independent hotels often have more attractive prices and better rating reviews.

 

“While chain hotels will remain important, independent hotels can be a great choice and are now a truly viable option, deserving of their place in the corporate hotel programme,” Jon said. “Outside the US, 30% of the hotels available are chain and 70% are independent but this is not currently reflected by the majority of corporate travel programmes. Interestingly, our latest data for 2014 tells us that while 66% of newly sourced hotels in the UK were independent, a staggering 84% of those actually booked by business travellers in the same year were still chain hotels. 

So, while it is fantastic news that individual hotels are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve from hotel bookers in 2015, there is still a job to be done in order for them to be truly considered part of a mixed hotel programme combining both chain and independent properties,” Jon said.

Kevan is pleased to see that as a collective of Independent Venues, Trident is now being taken seriously by some of the more established agents.  “We now have an agreement with Inntel that will see a greater exposure of our independent venue partners – a genuine partnership based on trust and not on how much the agency can squeeze out of the venues with no real promise of business,” he said.

“However is it saddening to see that independent venues are not well represented on Corporate Travel Programmes. It sometimes seems it is a case of money saving over value often pushed by procurement teams far removed from the hotel and venue users!”

Interesting stuff and a perspective that we very much share here at Cloud 9 - size does not always mean service and that is a value that we want to continue to deliver to our clients both existing and new in the future.

Have a great week...! 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 6 April 2015

Welcome to another week and we're hoping that everyone had a great Easter. It may be a short week here at Cloud 9 towers, and as busy as ever, but that doesn't mean we wont all be having our usual office sweep stake in the lead up to The Grand National this coming Saturday.

We're not massive gamblers here at Cloud 9 and our choice of runners and riders is more to do with the colours of the silks that the jockeys wear and the horses name rather than form, but hey, that's half the fun!

History has been written about the legendary runners and riders who have triumphed in the Grand National, each of them demonstrating that thrilling combination of human endeavour and equine fortitude. From the legendary triple-winning success of Red Rum, to our present day successors, there is always a story to be told.
Once again the world will stop in its tracks, as 600 million people watch live on television. 40 horses and jockeys will line up to race across the famous fences including Becher’s Brook, Canal Turn, Valentine’s and The Chair.
Whilst your chances of being at Aintree to witness the drama unfold in person is a bit unlikely if you have left it this late to book, that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy some of the other great Jockey Club venues during the year.

 

Paula was lucky enough to enjoy a great weekend with the fabulous Trident Hospitality a couple of weekends ago in Newmarket, which included stays at both the Jockey Club Rooms and also the rather lovely and only four star hotel in Newmarket, The Bedford Lodge & Spa.

The luxury country hotel, recently awarded the highly prestigious 4 RED Stars by the AA provides a perfect blend of old and new and includes a luxury on site spa, indoor pool, superb restaurant and if you have over indulged, a great gym!

The hotel epitomises a contemporary style and each of the stylish guest rooms and suites is chic and comfortable and comes equipped with the latest technology. If you’re looking for quality Newmarket hotels, why not choose the very finest available?

Not only is the accommodation and setting perfect, its also ideal for meetings so do give us a shout if you would like to know more, and you can take advantage of our free venue finding service!

After a great stay at the hotel, and a tour of a nearby stabling yard, it was clear that Newmarket is a unique Town and is visited by many people who are interested in seeing the horses on the gallops, but are not sure if they are allowed! 

Most of the work is done between 6.00am and 11.00am so do not expect to see anything other than the Heath men in the afternoons or on Sundays! The best place to head for if you are looking for some action is Warren Hill, and Paula enjoyed a rather windy trip to see a constant stream of valuable horses working on the two uphill canters. With over sixty trainers and at least 2000 horses in training, there is never a shortage of interesting viewing.

 

From there, we went to Newmarket Racecourse, just one of the Jockey Club courses.  The Jockey Club is the largest commercial group in British horseracing, with assets including Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket racecourses. Governed by Royal Charter, all profits are invested back into the UK’s second biggest spectator sport.

With a 263-year heritage at the heart of British racing, today The Jockey Club focuses its resources, influence and assets on ensuring the sport remains the best in the world, as its leading investor and innovator.
The Jockey Club owns 15 leading racecourses, including Aintree, home of the Crabbie's Grand National; Cheltenham, stage for the prestigious Cheltenham Festival; Epsom Downs, home to the Investec Derby; and Newmarket’s Rowley Mile and July Course, considered Flat racing's global HQ.
Other parts of its Group include Jockey Club Estates, its property and land management arm, which operates the famous training grounds at Newmarket and Lambourn; The National Stud, its Thoroughbred breeding, boarding and education arm; and charity, Racing Welfare, which offers help to all racing's people in need.
The Jockey Club is also the largest shareholder in QIPCO British Champions Series, which aims to throw the spotlight on the very best races in the UK Flat season, and climaxes with QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in October each year.

Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse is the perfect place to host a conference or meeting no matter how big or small with a host of flexible rooms set in acres of breath-taking countryside.They can accommodate everything from 10 to 300 delegates in one location with an additional 20 syndicate and breakout rooms. Together these fully-equipped, comfortable and striking facilities provide the flexibility to meet the full diversity of your requirements.

Beyond the raceday, Jockey Club Racecourses maximises the use of its facilities for conferencing, events, exhibitions, weddings and non-racing leisure pursuits, such as golf, equestrian sport and karting, with profits supporting its core racing business. In total, Jockey Club Racecourses offers 81 function rooms and 230 syndicate rooms, along with 40,000 free parking spaces. It can offer a room suitable for a meeting of half a dozen people through to an auditorium that can comfortably seat 2,000 delegates for a large conference. Each course has its own unique character, from the historic to the highly modern, set in easily-accessible and often picturesque locations, which have proved attractive to business customers and the public.

The weekend in Newmarket ended with a very special stay at The Jockey Club Rooms in the heart of Newmarket High Street. In fact, they have been at the heart of British horseracing for over 250 years. As a private members club, few people have had the privilege of stepping inside and seeing the magnificent interiors, which house an unparalleled collection of British racing memorabilia. The Jockey Club Rooms is available to non-members to use this prestigious Suffolk venue for weddings, high level business meetings and overnight accommodation.

As a gated property with no public access, The Jockey Club Rooms offers total privacy and if you’re planning 24-hour business meetings or a residential conference they also have 18 country house style bedrooms available for use. The Jockey Club Rooms are located less than 1 ½ hours from London and 25 minutes from Cambridge and the M11.







Dinner there was really amazing, and if you are looking for a special venue, then The Jockey Club Rooms is certainly worth the consideration. It doesn't matter if you are horse mad or not, you cannot fail to be impressed with all that Newmarket has to offer.

Have a great week and if you want a tip for the Grand National then we're collectively backing Many Clouds - after all, why wouldn't we?!