What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 15 August 2016

Welcome to another week and it’s fair to report that all was not well at Cloud 9 Towers this time a couple of weeks ago. After a few issues with our services and various wrangles with BT, they decided to cancel our Broadband Service, rather than one of the telephone lines we had installed for a specific client event last year.

So our official Cinderella (Carol – we call her that as she is normally office bound whilst we are all out and about at events) bravely manned the phones whilst the rest of the team were dispatched home to work.

Whilst modern technology, phones and Apps make working without a full online service okay, there are just somethings you cannot do in the office without being able to access the internet and emails that require attachments.

So as it’s a Monday and not the best day of the week to pick up the phone and use it as an excuse for any kind of new business generation (as we can’t follow anything up!) it was a case of trying to find an effective way to use our time. Not that easy when every two minutes BT are calling you back to try and plug or unplug something in, which involves scrambling about under desks and unravelling lots of wires.

So writing a blog or two was one way to use the time, as was finally reading the piles of Trade Mags dotted around the office which remain unread and in most cases unwrapped.

A good old fashioned clear out was also in order – do we really need that old Q Hotels mini brochure featuring just 21 properties which is now hopelessly out of date, as well as a copy of Square Meal from 2014? It’s very easy to adopt a hoarder’s mentality sometimes in this industry, when the fact is that most of us use information online these days anyway.

Also, information, contacts and venues change so often that we sometimes wonder why a small fortune is spent on promotional literature and elaborate brochures. We know it’s a topic we have touched on before, but the waste generated by brochures, and promotional items sometimes astounds us.

Memory sticks are another wasted investment for most venues – sorry if you are a venue and you are particularly proud of the information on the memory sticks you give out. We – along with lots of other agents (and we know this because we have checked) simply delete the data on the memory sticks and use them for our own events or information swapping internally.

After our mammoth tidy up, an even bigger filing operation took place. How on earth any office truly manages to be paperless is beyond us, but we do genuinely try and save the odd tree by not printing unless we need to. Venue contacts and client information though remain important enough to print off, if only to carefully study the small print.

So we had a technology fail, but it still shows you can be reasonably productive, increase your industry knowledge and have a clear out now and again. So maybe in a few months we will adopt another technology free day!

Have a great week….

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 8 August 2016

Welcome to another week and this week we’d like to introduce Lorry Loads, which is a dedicated service for the freight and transportation industry looking for venues or event activity.

Whilst we like to think we service all industries with equal experience and professionalism here at Cloud 9 Towers, Janet in our team has first-hand knowledge of this complex and fascinating sector, which keeps our shelves stocked, our businesses moving and our logistics on the go.

Events in this sector are tough and need to be inexpensive, accessible and hit the spot for those involved which is not always that easy.

Most venues with day delegate rates are designed for business professionals and are set up with lots of fancy extra touches which push up prices and enhance their experiences at the meeting or conference, but for those in the transportation industry, the offering needs to be different.

This is not about providing a second class service or lowering expectations but more managing the needs of the business involved. Meetings need to be short and sharp, with the point made quickly so that those involved can get back to doing what they do best – keeping Britain moving.

Additionally, whilst Afternoon Tea and elaborate two course hot and cold, lengthy lunches are perfect for some clients, our Lorry Loads offering recognises that meetings need to be early, healthy, hearty and more importantly happy.

Using this as our mantra, combined with our expertise, we can offer simple venue finding solutions for the freight and transportation industry with you in mind.

It’s still a free service to find your venue, and whether you want a meeting or a get together in Avon or Ayreshire, or from Bristol to Barcelona, then we are on hand to help.

What’s more our Lorry Loads service is also available 24 hours a day 7 days a week as we recognise the that the transportation industry in this country never really sleeps, and funnily enough, neither do we!

Have a great week, enjoy!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 1 August 2016

Welcome to another week and we are in Awards mode here at Cloud 9 Towers with the Midlands Media Awards for the Birmingham Press Club and prepping for the launch of the 2017 CHS Awards which we run for Emma Cartmell and her team, and our Fresh Awards brand which is also having a major overhaul.

Although Awards Ceremonies are not our only focus, it’s how Cloud 9 began so we do still relish the delivery of the actual events themselves even though the process can be quite arduous as any good Awards organiser knows.

From appointing a credible jury to orchestrating a workable timeline, to marketing, to entry processing and to generating sponsorship and involvement from stakeholders, there is a considerable number of elements to include to successfully run an awards programme. 

Many entrants view awards with a certain amount of cynicism and we’ve been very stoic in our approach to making all of the awards events we run as transparent as possible, with good communication at each and every stage. From acknowledging entries, to announcing shortlists, finalists or nominees, making sure that everyone, irrespective of their own success within the awards is kept up to date.

One of the questions we are asked most is about feedback and this is where it can be a little tricky. It’s great to be able to provide a positive commentary from the judges about a job or project that has been well executed but when it comes to anything even remotely critical, it can be a bit tough.

Yes, we all operate in a business environment, but let’s be honest, we have all a personal investment in our work, and even more so when it comes to awards which are an emotive subject at the best of times.

Before you actually put your work out there for scrutiny, it’s likely that you are proud of the job you have done and the effort you have invested so to be told it’s not up to standard, is way behind the campaigns, products or creativity of your peers, can be a pretty crushing experience.

From an Awards organisers perspective this is perhaps the most difficult element when running awards, as to deliver good news, encourage attendance at the awards and have lots of positive stories to tell, is great. But to have to share disappointment or any levelling commentary is not so good, no matter how constructive. 

So perhaps its worth considering that Awards organisers are not always the baddies in this scenario, they are simply working with the results they have and the findings of the juries they work with.

Awards remain a great way to promote your business though, and a great way to motivate your teams and your staff. Even if you don’t enjoy massive success in the world of awards, it is worth remembering that if your business is prepared to invest in an entry or two, then your employer must think you are doing something right to have supported your quest for a gong or two.

Have a great week, enjoy!