What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 11 March 2013

Welcome to another week and we continue to be very busy bees here at Cloud 9 Towers!

It's all about people this week which is especially relevant given the programme for the CIPR Northern Conference is now in place and we have a cracking line-up for the event which is set for 19 June in Newcastle. 

'Power to the people' will be the theme and there will be a packed schedule this year with a diverse range of key note speakers, two unique panel sessions and the opportunity to network with exhibitors so delegates will be able to make the most of their time and really benefit from attending.

Delegates will also be able to enjoy the great facilities available at the Great North Museum Hancock and join an informal drinks reception to close the event whilst taking in the stunning surroundings of the Museum.

Now in its 12^th year the objectives of this high profile event are to provide outstanding learning and networking opportunities for PR professionals through a mixture of challenging keynote speeches and practical master classes and workshops. The event is open to members and non-members alike. 

The Programme for the Conference includes

guest lectures from Margaret Aspinall

Chairman Hillsborough Family Support

Group, Guy Esnouf, Head of PR & Public

Affairs, E.ON UK, David Payne Never

Seconds, Neil Midgley from The Daily

Telegraph, John McAndrew, Associate

Editor, Sky News, Milorad Adjer Managing

Director, Ipsos Mori Reputation Centre and Alex Aiken, Executive Director of

Government Communications

There is also the opportunity for delegates to participate in two panel sessions and get

the inside track on Share This Too from many of the contributing authors in advance of its release date on Friday 20 July 2013.

The day will also include contributions from CIPR North East Chair Chris Taylor and CIPR CEO Jane Wilson as well as a special session from this years headline sponsor.

Make sure join the conversation in advance of the event using #CIPRNC and tickets are now available from Eventbrite

DARE is now officially open for entries and as well as great categories, a great programme and fantastic industry speakers, this collaborative project with the PRCA is unlike any other industry awards for the communications industry.

With live webinars, guest lectures, campaign master class briefings and the opportunity to shape the future of the industry, DARE really is a terribly exciting programme and will be held in five regional locations in June.

We're also delighted to announce a rather incredible judging panel which will be co-chaired by Lord Peter Chadlington and Lord Guy Black.

Lord Chadlington has spent his entire working life in communications, as a journalist after graduating from Cambridge University and later in public relations both in-house and consultancy. He founded Shandwick in 1974 and the company was publicly listed in 1984. He established Shandwick as the largest PR consultancy in the UK, holding that position for the next 17 years. He built the firm overseas and it was sold to The Interpublic Group of Companies in 1998, forming the group that became the largest PR consultancy in the world. Lord Chadlington is a former director of Halifax PLC and has written and lectured extensively on communications, politics and public relations. He was created a life peer in 1996. Lord Chadlington is a member of the Nominations Committee.

Lord Guy Black has an esteemed career in freedom of expression issues, serving as Executive Director of the Telegraph Media Group since 2005 and Director of the Press Complaints Commission for seven years. He has been a Conservative Member of the House of Lords since July 2010 and was Director of Communications for the Conservative Party from 2003-2005. 

Lord Black is currently Chairman of the Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust, which seeks to promote and preserve media freedom throughout the Commonwealth.  He graduated from Cambridge with double first class honours from Cambridge.

The other judges include Steffan Williams who has has worked in strategic, financial and corporate communications for over 20 years during which time he has provided communications advice to numerous companies, governments and organisations, both during special situations and on an ongoing basis. Clients have included The Swiss Bankers Association, Greene King, Procter & Gamble, Vivendi, Emirates NBD and the Government of South Africa. He is a Director of the Public Relations Consultant's Association (PRCA), the voice of public relations consultancies in the UK, and a member of the Development Committee at The Policy Exchange, the UK's leading think tank. Steffan is a graduate in Modern History from Lincoln College, Oxford University and is an Old Members Trustee.

Also on the panel is Gavin Devine, the Cheif Executive of MHP Communications. 

Gavin is a senior strategic advisor to many high profile organisations, particularly in transport and infrastructure. His specialism lies in developing business strategies to deal with complex political and regulatory environments. Formerly a senior official in the House of Commons, he was COO of Mandate Communications and MHP before becoming Chief Executive.

Also we're delighted that Emma Gilpin-Jacobs, Global Director of Communications at the FT will be on the jury. Working with a global team of communications specialists, Emma is responsible for managing all external and internal communications for both the FT and the FT Group.

DARE also welcomes Matt Neale who is co-managing director of GolinHarris, Europe and the James Bond of PR (according to PR Week), and Larry Franks, Managing Director at Beige PR– a true stalwart in the industry, known for his large personality, bad jokes and love of British bulldogs.

Fiona Wilkinson, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications for Visa Europe is also on board - Fiona is called upon to advise the EMC on the communications and reputational implications of their decisions. Fiona is responsible for stakeholder engagement, protecting and enhancing the reputation of the organisation. She has broad expertise in payment systems having previously held roles in marketing, sales, finance and HR. Fiona holds a degree in economics and law and is a former trustee of Eaves for Women. She is a member of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) London Council.

Howard Kosky, Chairman of markettiers4dc group,  a markettierian at heart, and evangelist for the power of Broadcast is also a judge, as is David Holdstock who joined the LGA in May 2012 as Director of Communications.

David comes with 20 years' experience of working in public sector communications, including local government and policing. He joined the LGA from the London Borough of Hillingdon and before that worked for Slough Borough Council and the Metropolitan Police Service. David has wide experience of crisis communications, working on high-profile events such as the Docklands bomb, Paddington rail disaster and funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. He worked with the Foreign Office, helping develop police and Government communications in Bulgaria following the changes in Eastern Europe.

David is also judge for a number of professional communications awards and is a mentor on the Future Leaders programme. He was also UK Chairman of LGcommunications, the national body which represents council communicators between 2008 and 2012. 

So a pretty impressive panel for DARE!

In other people news this week, we're still on the look out for a logo for Brand You, a new initiative coming soon for Bristol Media, which is all about individual contributions to great projects and campaigns. The deadline is this Friday please!

 

Design Competition: What’s Your Idea of Brand You?

There’s a new initiative coming soon from Bristol Media and you can help to shape the programme. We’re looking for an innovative design which is representative of Brand You – a new award scheme which will focus on individual achievements in a wide range of disciplines covering everything from animation to art direction, creativity to communications. There’s no lengthy brief here, as all we want is a great logo which sums up your interpretation of Brand You.

The winning design which will be chosen by a panel including the Bristol Media Board and the Fresh Creative Awards and will then be used to launch this exciting new project. The winning designer will get the chance to enter the work into The Fresh Awards this year, free of charge, as well as enjoying VIP treatment at the Bristol Media Brand You event in September.

So get your thinking caps on, and get your ideas and designs over to paula@freshawards.co.uk on or before Friday 15th March

  

And whilst we are on the subject of competitions, please don't forget the deadline for the Midlands Media Awards is Friday 22nd March...

Have a great week and we'll see you soon!  

  

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 4th March 2013

Welcome to another week and its Awards Central at Cloud 9 Towers!

Fresh 2013 is now open for entries and in addition to lots of exciting new categories, as we are celebrating our 10th year, its Freshtival time.

Rather than just another awards do, we have plans for a three day "Freshtival" from 25-28th September and we'll be using The Lowry Outlet Mall, MediaCityUK, The Lowry Theatre, The Egg at Salford University, Manchester United and one or two bars all around Salford Quays - with a series of guest lectures, seminars, surgeries, special lunches, exhibitions etc.
There is also a Battle of the Bands and a Freestyle Football competition, and we are staging the Fresh PR Awards on the Wednesday night, and the Creative Awards on the Friday night.
We want to pack as much into the three days as possible, and allow delegates to pick and choose their own festival experience (and price) and as a result there will be various free events as well as those you'll need to pay for.
 

The Midlands Media Awards continue to gather momentum and not only have we an excellent jury in place, chaired by Peter Lowe from Sky News, there are also great categories and a unique opportunity for the awards to be shaped by a Public Vote for the first time.

The Public Choice category invites members of the public to vote for their favourite medium via either Twitter or Facebook and we'll be calculating the results based on comments and RT's alike!

Next we have a great new initiative which is part an awards ceremony, part a unique training experience, part an opportunity to hear from some industry legends and get first hand exposure to some of the best PR campaigns and strategies around, all of these elements will come together under the banner the PRCA DARE Awards.

There’ll be five DARE Events all scheduled for June 2013 and we’re getting ready to launch the programme which will be chaired by Lord Chadlington and Guy Black.

DARE to be different this year with the brand new recognition programme from the PRCA. Challenge your contemporaries and demonstrate the courage of your convictions in unique style.

DARE is diverse and so much more than just another awards scheme for the Public Relations & Communications Industry. It’s about providing new business opportunities, developing talent and showcasing effective communication techniques and campaigns.

DARE to be dynamic and deliver your professionalism and expertise like never before….

ACHIEVE more with DARE. Each of the five, day long DARE events will offer an exclusive opportunity as the events will be a heady mix of key industry speakers covering the topics that matter; a key training element; client consultations and networking ; exhibition opportunities and prestigious lunches where awards will be presented only to those organisations or individuals who have shown the courage to challenge.

Open to Consultancies and In-House teams, DARE is all about encouraging you to be different. In your thinking, in your ideas and in your approach to communications and each event will provide a platform for powerful and positive reinforcement of the excellence that is demonstrated on a daily basis.

RECOGNISE that in this increasingly competitive and challenging industry, embracing new skills and understanding how the array of tools and tips available can make a significant impact on your effectiveness and achievements.

DARE has a commitment to deliver a definitive training element to each event and two of the industries leading professionals will also deliver key lectures. Client invitations will be issued enabling new business opportunities and all delegates and guests will be part and play a part in the DARE event, with networking and connection exercises.

ENGAGE in DARE in 2013. The first step requires an entry from you or your organisation, and includes submissions from Individuals, Consultancies and In-House Teams from both the Public & Private Sector. There are just 10 entry categories in DARE although an additional Award will be presented which will be the Chairman of the Judges Choice:

Full details will be available soon so make sure you don't DARE miss a moment!

We are also engaged with Bristol Media this year and coming soon will be an exciting new awards entitled Brand You which focuses on the individual rather than the collective. 

There is a great opportunity to get involved with Brand You early as we need a great logo for the programme so take a look at our Design Competition

What’s Your Idea of Brand You?

There’s a new initiative coming soon from Bristol Media and you can help to shape the programme. We’re looking for an innovative design which is representative of Brand You – a new award scheme which will focus on individual achievements in a wide range of disciplines covering everything from animation to art direction, creativity to communications. There’s no lengthy brief here, as all we want is a great logo which sums up your interpretation of Brand You.

The winning design which will be chosen by a panel including the Bristol Media Board and the Fresh Creative Awards and will then be used to launch this exciting new project. The winning designer will get the chance to enter the work into The Fresh Awards this year, free of charge, as well as enjoying VIP treatment at the Bristol Media Brand You event in September.

So get your thinking caps on, and get your ideas and designs over to paula@freshawards.co.uk on or before Friday 15th March..

So, awards a plenty and we've lots of other things going on as well so have a great week everyone and remember you have to be in it, to win it!

Enjoy! 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 25 Feb 2013

Welcome to another week!

It continues to be a bit manic here at Cloud 9 Towers as we have the Midlands Media Awards, Fresh, a great new project with the PRCA, the CIPR Northern Conference, an Oil & Gas Congress in Dubai and an exciting new initiative with Bristol Media.

But despite our busy schedule, we did take a little time out last week to make a start on the early celebrations of Carol's Big Birthday which is looming.

Often unsung, Carol does the money thing for both Cloud 9 and Fresh so we took a little trip down to London and treated ourselves to a rather pricey, but equally fabulous afternoon tea at Harrods - and yes, we kept the receipt!

The Georgian Restaurant at Harrods

Afternoon Tea clearly remains a very fashionable thing to do these days and even though it was half term week, and that we had booked well in advance, we did have to wait a fair while to be seated in the rather sumptuous and huge Georgian Lounge in the infamous department store.

So this week, we thought we'd have a little tribute to all things tea, the best places to go to enjoy it and the best companies that can bring a fantastic vintage tea party right to your own home...

The best place in London to enjoy a sumptuous Afternoon Tea has been named as The Athenaeum Hotel, which has scooped The Tea Guild's prestigious award for the capital for "Top London Afternoon Tea 2012". Now in their 27th year, The Tea Guild Awards are considered the ‘Oscars' of the tea world, with world-famous London hotels and tea rooms competing for the highly coveted honour.

Taking Afternoon Tea is a cherished experience steeped in British tradition and was particularly popular in the capital last year as the British public and many of this year's overseas visitors celebrate British traditions with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympic Games.

With these British celebrations in the capital in mind, The Tea Guild has also awarded special Awards of Excellence to the following establishments in London in recognition of their outstanding quality and consistently high standards in tea service.

The Athenaeum Hotel gained the top spot for London tea destinations after hugely impressing the Tea Guild judges with its exceptional service, great quality tea and extensive knowledge by the staff. The Athenaeum Hotel, in the heart of bustling Mayfair, London, was voted into the top spot after its tea room, The Garden Room, gained a near perfect score from The Tea Guild's inspectors.

The Athenaeum Hotel Afternoon Tea

The judges praised it for its tasteful intimate style and fine furnishings, as well as friendly and efficient staff and excellent selection of scones, sandwiches and cakes. When it came to the tea itself, once again The Athenaeum Hotel surpassed expectations with an excellent selection of teas, and knowledgeable and friendly staff that excelled firstly in advising customers on the choice of tea blends on offer and then serving those teas perfectly. The judges concluded that The Athenaeum Hotel offered "a very enjoyable and relaxing tea experience in splendid surroundings." Commenting on The Athenaeum Hotel winning The Tea Guild's Top London Afternoon Tea 2012 Award, Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, said: "Year on year the nominees for this prestigious award become ever more challenging, but taking tea at The Athenaeum Hotel in The Garden Room gives a demonstration of exactly how special Afternoon Tea has become.

The elegant surroundings make Afternoon Tea a memorable occasion and an experience to cherish, aided by delightfully friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff, and with delicious food and teas faultlessly presented. It is easy to understand why this leading establishment attracts so many, both the young and the old, to take Afternoon Tea."

"The standard of entrants this year was incredibly high and this was especially true in London, which has traditionally been the home of some of the finest Afternoon Tea experiences within many of the world's finest and most elegant hotels and establishments. In the capital as elsewhere in the UK, the tradition of Afternoon Tea has never been stronger, with Tea Guild members busier than ever. More and more people are taking time out to enjoy this great British tradition of Afternoon Tea."

"Afternoon Tea is now the most fashionable way to catch up with friends. It is increasing in popularity, be it for after a busy morning's shopping, a business meeting, a special family occasion, a romantic date or a truly memorable experience for the bride to be and her girlfriends.

Fortnum & Mason's

In Fortnum & Mason's Tea Salon you can choose from a range of teas selected by Fortnum's tea taster. The afternoon tea menu includes finger sandwiches, scones and cakes from the Highgrove Cake Carriage. You can request meat, fish, dairy or gluten-free teas.

Afternoon tea at The Langham has been a tradition since 1865. In the luxurious surroundings of the hotel's Palm Court, you can enjoy finger sandwiches, fresh scones with jam and cream, French pastries and specialist teas. The Langham's afternoon tea is so good, it was named the Tea Guild's Top London Afternoon Tea in 2010.

 

Fashionable Favourites!

If you're a fan of fashion, head to The Berkeley's Caramel Room for the Prêt-à-Portea tea. The éclairs, cakes and fancies are all inspired by the latest fashion collections, and are served in miniature mouthfuls for the figure-conscious. Madonna, Gwynneth Paltrow and the Beckhams have all been spotted here.

Afternoon tea is served five times a day in The Dorchester's famous marble and gilt Promenade. Enjoy a selection of finger sandwiches followed by warm scones with jam and cream, French pastries and a choice of fine and rare teas. You can also get afternoon tea in The Dorchester Spa's Spatisserie.

The award-winning afternoon tea at The Lanesborough includes freshly baked scones, thick clotted cream and homemade fruit preserves. If you have trouble choosing from the wide range of teas on offer, you can call on The Lanesborough's Tea Sommelier – the first in England – who will be happy to advise you.

Tea at The Ritz is nothing less than an institution. It has become so popular that there are now five sittings every day at 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm. Booking at least four weeks in advance is essential. Afternoon tea is served in the elegant Palm Court with music by a pianist or a harpist.

The Savoy

The Savoy's tea is served in the historic Thames Foyer, accompanied by a pianist playing on one of the hotel's traditional white pianos. Expect a selection of finger sandwiches, freshly baked raisin and plain scones, French pastries and Thames Foyer signature cakes, plus a huge selection of teas.

Claridge's was awarded the Tea Guild's Top London Afternoon Tea in 2011. The luxurious tea includes finger sandwiches, sweet pastries, freshly baked raisin and apple scones with jam and cream, and a choice of almost 40 teas. This popular afternoon tea is served daily at 1pm, 3pm, 3.30pm, 5pm and 5.30pm.

Brown's Hotel's award-winning afternoon tea is served in the English Tea Room, complete with wood panelling, fireplaces and original artworks. Relax to the sounds of the baby grand piano as you enjoy finger sandwiches, pastries, scones and cakes from the trolley. There's a choice of 17 teas, and two Tea Sommeliers to help you choose.

 

 Of course you may prefer to enjoy your tea in the comfort of your own home and there are all sorts of companies who will bring you a truly delicious afternoon treat direct to your door - and they'll do the washing up too!

Our favourite is Once Upon a Teacup Vintage Parties  based in Manchester. Once upon a time in Manchester "Once Upon a Teacup" started out as a couple of vintage tea sets for a girly tea party. As the passion for finding beautiful pieces grew, so did the china collection. Soon they knew that they had to share it with others. They enjoy collecting beautiful mismatched china and take pleasure in mixing them with vintage linen textiles, silver plated cutlery and pretty cake stands to create stunning and unique vintage style occasions for all to enjoy.

They specialise in providing Private Vintage Tea Parties in your own home/garden (or chosen Venue) and can cater for between 8 - 30 people providing all the food needed together with beautiful vintage crockery. 

If you are not in the North West and don't fancy a trip to London there is also a great option from The English Cream Tea Company: the home of delicious and indulgent fresh Afternoon Tea Hampers, Gifts and Vouchers.Your hamper boxes are delivered by Courier to mainland UK in beautiful, specially chilled packaging so that they arrive ready to eat.

Filled with all the goodies you get at a luxury London Hotel Tea, these hampers are perfect for treats, outings/events, corporate gifts, saying thank you, or just to make someone feel special.
 

They even made the Guinness Book of Records for the largest English Cream Tea Party ever.

 

 So there you have it, a tribute to tea, and to the one thing that keeps our office going - especially when we are busy!

Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 18 Feb 2013

Welcome to another week!

We’re no stranger to hotels here at Cloud 9 Towers and despite the vast numbers of hotel venues we have used or stayed in, its clear that the UK market is missing something……something a little different.

Although we offer a free venue finding service, we think we would need some very special clients with specific tastes before suggesting any of the following....

In less than three months, North American LEGO fanatics will be able to book a stay at the continent’s first LEGO hotel. The finishing touches are being put on the fantasy-inspired Legoland Hotel in Carlsbad, California—while the hotel itself is not constructed of tiny plastic bricks, the bright, color-blocked façade will certainly bring to mind everyone’s favourite childhood toy. The hotel opens its doors on 5 April 2013 and has numerous themed rooms planned throughout. 

 These stunning glass houses may still just be a concept design, but there is a great alternative that will also allow you to immerse yourself in nature—these clear “bubble” tents by the Attrap’Rêves Bubble Hotel.

If you think that sleeping in a tent means roughing it out, you cannot be more wrong—each of these pretty bubble tents is 13 feet in diameter, and comes with luxurious comforts like a queen-sized bed, a telescope for star-gazing, and even an adjoining bubble bathroom.The hotel currently has location networks in Bouches-du-Rhone and Loir-et-Cher, France; its rooms can be set up in a variety of outdoor settings—from a pine forest to hilly wine country—and are suitable for use throughout the year. If you are looking to get as close to nature as possible but will prefer not to give up the modern conveniences of the city, a stay at this bubble hotel will be just the thing for you.  The only thing we suggest here is a good pair of PJ's and no modesty!

Beijing-based architectural firm PLaT Architects is building a hotel in the middle of the Gobi Desert—in Inner Mongolia—that is designed to work like a ship floating on the sand.
The Xiangshawan Desert Lotus Hotel is constructed without the use of concrete or water—it features a new structural system that fix in the fluid sand and load-bearing walls that take the load off the base of the building.
The architects have taken care to use local materials in interior design so as to give guests a true experience of the desert—for instance, the wall covering is made from the surrounding sand.  The Lotus Hotel is located in Xiangshawan Desert, 800 kilometers west to Beijing and middle of Ordos and Baotou. The site is facing Hantai River, a branch of Yellow River, and east to Kubuqi Desert that more than 200 kilometers wide. 

The form of Lotus Hotel not only blends in the desert, but also exhibits a power of the environment and itself. Architects used the traditional Chinese idea of “Zhen”, which is, in simple words, the art of repeating same elements. Rotation of squares in a same angle creates triangles in the process, and made the form stronger. In consideration of structure, shading and wind, architects integrated function, form and landscape, resulting in a form of lotus.

 

Belgium-based hospitality company Sleeping Around has rolled out a refreshing new hotel experience with their pop-up shipping container hotel that is constantly moving around. Packing luxurious rooms into compact 20-feet tall shipping containers, their rooms come complete with high quality linen, a walk-in shower and air-conditioning.

This unique hotel can crop up just about anywhere—such as on a busy street or in a park; it is currently located on riverfront in Antwerp but will soon be moving to another location. As it has no fixed address, guests are required to locate their rooms by GPS—this element of surprise is a key part of the hotel’s appeal. You may even submit new locations suggestions for the hotel to move to on its website. 

 

Now if budget is no object, how about An Orbiting Hotel Aboard A Space Station, For Space Vacationers.... Commercial space travel looks set to become a reality—first with a shuttle service to the moon and now, a hotel housed in a commercial space station.
Promising a truly out-of-the-world experience, Russian company Orbital Technologies plans to develop a commercial space station that would serve as an orbiting hotel, 217 miles from the surface of Earth. As can be expected, a space vacation like this will not come cheap—a ticket to the space station will set travelers back US$80,000, and another US$160,000 is chargeable for five days of accommodation.
Designed for comfort and leisure, the hotel comes with an experience space crew and will be serving up gourmet food instead of the bland food tubes astronauts traditionally eat—it is even equipped with windows, cameras and binoculars to allow guests to take in the breath-taking view!

Add this to your bucket list, beer-lovers—a hotel in Ostbevern, Germany, in collaboration with a regional brewery, has created a room where guests can snuggle up in a vintage 19th-century beer barrel.

The barrel was actually in use until 1995, when it was converted into a unconventional bed that would comfortably sleep two.

There are a total of three such beer rooms, so gather up a few of your beer-guzzling friends and make a booking for this unique experience here. 

As you can see, we are missing some of these unusual experiences here in the UK so maybe there is a chance for someone to do something very different!

In other news this week, its time for us to remind you of some key dates for 2013 and some of the fabulous events we are involved with....

1st March: The Fresh Awards opens for entries

13th June: The Midlands Media Awards

19th June: The CIPR Northern Conference

25th September: Freshtival 2013 begins

We've lots of other exciting event news coming soon!

Have a great week..