What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 28 September 2015

Welcome to another week and its another manic one here at Cloud 9 Towers. We've two big awards events looming and launching another three whilst we also have various other events on the go, plus our free venue finding service is also a little popular at present but we'd rather be like this and busy and buzzy than wondering what to do next!

With training courses, new business meetings, websites to update, social media and the endless stream of emails (and yes we are still being invited on endless fams despite Paula's Blog on the CHS Group website last week), it can be tricky to squeeze everything in.

So we could use this week's blog to wax lyrical about time management and also to save a bit of time we could just blatantly pinch the online offering of some training company. But instead and to keep it personal, we thought we would share our tips for keeping all of those plates spinning! 

Our first rule here is about emails. There was life before emails and electronic communication which our younger team don't seem to fully appreciate, but we spoke to people, we telephoned them, we visited them and if needs be, we then wrote to them afterwards to confirm exactly what we had spoken about. This process could have taken a couple of days and factor in postage and weekends and sometimes it could be almost a week. Whilst we appreciate we live in a society where everyone, including clients, wants everything now, but the world really won't end if you leave your emails a little while. That's why we ban anyone looking at emails until 9.30am in the morning. 

That first half an hour in a morning allows you to focus on what you need to do that day and catch up on anything you may have missed. We also use this time to look at our social media and make sure everything that should be up to date, is up to date. If anything really is that urgent, then call us. Or text us, or message us. Just don't email us unless you really need to, and whatever you do, don't fax us. We're not sure how the fax even works any more!

Next up is sharing. No matter how experienced or knowledgeable you think you are, it's important to remember that you are still always continually learning and whatever you think you know, there is probably someone else who knows as much if not more. It doesn't matter if you have always done something in the same way for years and years. Getting a fresh perspective on how to work differently and more efficiently can be a really useful thing especially when you have a lot on.It may be sound obvious, but it's something that many managers often forget, especially when it comes to how they manage their time. In fact, some of our biggest time management mistakes are simply caused because you don't know any better?

Also sharing skills can be a massive help. Assign tasks to those who are pretty good at that particular aspect of a project and ensure those that need some help with certain tasks or some additional training in that area, understand why things are done in certain ways. That way everyone benefits...and even though every project at Cloud 9 has someone to lead it, every project, event and client we have are collectively discussed to make sure we are using each of our own particular skill set.

This is photograph A 1699 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.

Communication is also vital and it doesn't matter how great your external communication is with clients, if people don't understand what is happening internally, then you have no or little excuse when things go wrong.

Whilst we all might complain about the sheer number of emails we all get everyday, BCC has become our friend here at Cloud 9. Forget Blind Carbon Copy the original glossary of BCC, as here it stands for Better Clouds Connected. On a large proportion of our daily emails we BCC in at least another person or a couple of people in the team.

The couple of seconds it takes to do this, and to briefly scan an email that's been sent out, can firstly stop having to have unnecessary meetings but also means that if one of the team is suddenly kidnapped by aliens or worse still, run over by the No.47 bus, then as sad as we would be, at least one other person on the team has a fighting chance of picking up a project to ensures its successful continuation!

So knowledge is power and sharing key. We're also list maniacs here. One a week which we are collectively responsible for. It's amazing what you can do with the power of a few bodies all pitching in!

 
Just ask any of our clients! So, have a great week, see you soon!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 21 September 2015

Welcome to another week and we like a little technology here at Cloud 9 Towers so we are finding it fascinating that the simple hotel Apps that we are all fairly used to for booking hotels, have really come on leaps and bounds recently.

We’ve not found an App yet that will do everything we want but some of the bigger hotel chains are really stepping up the features and making guest experiences much more interactive.

For example, The Ritz-Carlton brand is all about helping you to create lasting memories of your stay, and with their enhanced mobile app, you can enrich your hotel experiences and share them more easily than ever.

You can check in prior to your arrival and receive a notification when your room is ready and check out without stopping at the front desk and having to queue and you can also view your bill and track and any extra charges through the app. Additionally, it doesn’t matter whether you need a shoeshine, turndown service or more fresh towels, you can request it via the app rather than ring housekeeping.

Another lovely feature via the Ritz Carlton App is that you can transform your photos into unique, vintage-inspired travel posters that you can share easily and as they use GPS technology, once the app recognises that you have arrived, you’ll be sent all sorts of special offers and tips from the Group President.

With the Hilton Hotels & Resorts app for iPhone, you can browse, book and access your information on the go really easily but in addition, there are all sorts of extra features these days such as being able to access pillow menus in advance so your room is just how you want it on arrival.

No need to check in either, you can simply access your room using the App, so if you don’t want to wait, or are simply feeling like having some alone time, you can pretty much sneak in and out without seeing anyone at all!

Starwood also have an app and their new SPG app delivers a richer, more intuitive experience that’s loaded with the features you want. Not only do you get access to the 1,200 hotels and resorts of Starwood’s award-winning loyalty program, but you can also explore all of the brands from Sheraton and Westins, through to W and Le Méridien.

It has all of the usual features you would expect including the opportunity to book and check in well in advance, and provides all of the latest offers and promotions, but it also has lots of hotel information related to your travel plans and around the clock assistance from the SPG support team.

We do also like the fact that you can store your hotel room number so you never lose it, which is handy if you like a particular room at a specific hotel and also there is a great feature which provides an In-language address for when you’re travelling abroad.

Finally the Accor App which allows you to access and book with all of their brands including ibis, Novotel, Mercure, Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Suite Novotel, Adagio, ibis Styles, ibis budget, hotelF1, and Mama Shelter.

Yes you can book and find a hotel near you if needs be, but you can also watch each of the hotels videos in advance and access the trip Advisor rankings on each in advance to help you make an informed choice.

In addition to sending you a booking reminder once you have booked, you can check in online from 2 days before your arrival at the hotel and even check the wether at your destination before your trip so you know what to pack!

The App also allows you to book your own Uber private car to get to your hotel and allows you access to your favourite press publications for free on your mobile using ACCOR PRESS powered by PressReader.

And something which is really rather clever, is that you can discover just where the in crowd are going as you can check the most popular destinations within the Accor portfolio, Berlin to Bangkok, Lyon to London, Strasbourg to Sydney.

So, app(y) booking everyone, have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 14 September 2015

Welcome to another week and now that the Summer Holidays are well and truly behind us, we're in somewhat of an educational mode.

With this in mind, we thought this week, it a good idea to mention essential reading this week for event people. Don't worry, we are not into all of those huge Self Help books, but we do firmly think that inspiration can come from a variety of sources and we like to be well read!

We do get a lot of Industry Magazines here at Cloud 9 Towers and we do like a quick flick through them over our butties at lunchtime, just to make sure we are keeping up to date and we even featured some of our suggested essential reading on our latest YouTube post a couple of weeks ago - which if you haven't seen we suggest you watch!

However, we also like a good book here and we mentioned Judy Allen a couple of weeks ago and her brilliant book for event planners. Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising, Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events is a bestselling all–in–one guide to the event planning business  and has been  fully updated and revised to reflect the very latest trends and best practices in the industry. This handy, comprehensive guide includes forms, checklists, and tips for managing events, as well as examples and case studies of both successful and unsuccessful events and some of content we are sure you will find particularly relevant!

Another great read by Judy is the Marketing Your Event Planning Business book, which is a must for any event planner looking to start up their own business – mostly because it contains every bit of advice to follow if you’re going to become a known brand. Established firms should also give it a read; it’ll be a godsend if you’re looking to expand your client base.

Given that corporate meetings are pretty much an integral part of the events industry,  there are plenty of books on how best to plan them. Thing is, most of those works focus primarily on logistics – something which most event planners are fairly capable of dealing with so Into the Heart of Meetings by Mike van de Vijver’s book instead delves into a number of core questions and practical issues involving meeting design; most importantly, it teaches how to tailor content so meetings deliver the best results possible.

 'Rework' by Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson is also on our list. With chapters like 'Meetings are Toxic,' 'Fire the Workaholics,' and 'Planning is Guessing.', it's a great, short read and certainly some of the content will stick with you.

 

We also like 'Boring Meetings Suck: Get More Out of Your Meetings, Or Get Out of More Meetings' by Jon Petz as its a very lighthearted and engaging book and is anything but boring! 

 

So there you have it, a little reading about reading! Enjoy and see you soon! 

 

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? 31 August 2015

Welcome to another week and it might be a short one but as we venture in September and event season begins again in full swing, we thought it a good opportunity to look at some of the best apps that every #eventprof should be using.

There is a really wide variety of event apps available to help meeting planners and event professionals to increase efficiency, keep organised and create a more engaging experience for attendees and what's great, is that most of them are free and really simple to use. From short lists to lengthy research, no matter what form your writing takes, Evernote keeps you focused on moving those ideas from inspiration to completion and the fact that you can easily gather everything together really makes a difference. Clip web articles, capture handwritten notes, and snap photos to keep the physical and digital details of your projects with you at all times.

You can also connect your work with the people who help you get it done. Communicate, collaborate, and share in real-time with anyone in the world without ever leaving Evernote, and additionally you can have really fast and, effective meetings by presenting your work as it evolves. No need to build slides, just one click and your notes are transformed into a beautiful screen-friendly layout. The basic version is really simple but if you want to go pro, as with most apps, you can upgrade to include additional features.

 

The Pocket Planner is a handy event and meeting calculator that uses Convention Industry Council (CIC) standards to recommend food, beverage, service and safety quantities for events based on attendance. You can input your own settings and make last minute changes so that even if you can lots of last minute bookings or cancellations, any event confirmations you have made will still be on track and your financial situation completely clear! Always a plus with events!

Along similar lines is Super Planner, which is also a business app for the professional event planner. It provides a variety of planning tools, including calculators for venue capacity, staffing, catering, staging, projection and dance floor, as well as useful tips in several areas so it has more features that the Pocket Planner, and is as equally useful for #eventprofs. Incredibly good for keeping a track on event finances as the project progresses.

 

And whilst we are on the subject of finance, revenue from sponsors and stakeholders in events can be easily tracked, and you can attract new sponsors and exceed your revenue goals using the EventPilot conference app's unmatched variety of sponsorship opportunities and ad placements. Use the calculator to estimate your meeting app revenue potential. 

  

Asana is a great app for those running events as everyone involved can be assigned tasks and you can check on the status from anywhere of who has done what and when.  Against the speed, complexity, and scope of our modern work, email is no longer up to the task. Figuring out what needs to get done, getting on the same page, and finding the right information in email can be inefficient so   Asana has re-imagined team communication from the ground up. Conversations and tasks are in one place, so everything is actionable and transparent. When less of your time is spent in email, you’ll have more time to get work done.As email is the bane of our life here at Cloud 9 towers, this is an invaluable little app and we're on it! 

If you have ever had a tough time collecting photos following an event then Eversnap solves this problem perfectly. Just ensure you get your guests and attendees to to download the app and then upload event photos to one place. Instead of  having to ring round or email for images to share, Eversnap can store than all in one handy place ready for anyone to access.This is also a great tool for when it comes to promoting the next event of its kind, as you wont spend ages trying to remember just where you digitally filed the photos and images! And, should anything horrible happen to your computer and you have failed to store any images in a cloud or backed them up, then they wont be lost.

EventHero is a real productivity booster and the software aims to bolster your day-of event management capabilities. EventHero offers real-time alerts, on-site badge printing, a lead retrieval system for exhibitors, and access control management. It’s the total package for serious event professionals. If you need to print badges on site then this app has you covered. Use standard Brother™ label printers and blank badge shells for perfect, uniform badges, every time, you can also allow sponsors and exhibitors to easily scan badges and you can even offer them alerts or other data in real-time.

 

Additionally, imagine if you could run the entire floor of your event every 3 seconds. EventHero Real-Time Alerts allow you to set up the activities that you want to be made aware of. Has your keynote made it to the facility? Is a VIP from your largest exhibitor on the expo floor for you to talk about renewal? Wouldn’t your exhibitors like to know which attendees went to the 3 sessions that talk about the problems their product solves? You set up the alerts, EventHero sends you a text, email or both at the speed of light when it happens. Whilst its note free, it is a pretty amazing tool for busy event people and probably a must if you are running a major event with multiple sessions at a time.

 Planning Pod is also not one of the free Apps, but Planning Pod puts all your event planning & business management tools in one, central place. This makes it much easier to collaborate with team members and track event details. The service boasts more than two dozen management tools including budgeting, floor plan layouts, and task management. Some people choose Planning Pod because it's easy-to-use and fast to implement. Others like the fact that it's Web-based so they can access their information anywhere, on any device. 

 

Finally as anyone knows with running event, you can end up wasting a lot of time keeping track of all your event related contacts. Full Contact pulls in all your connections, updates them with social info, and syncs them back to your Apple devices or Gmail. This can save you time when integrating data into your CRM or scouting sponsorship opportunities. Just think, no more excel spreadsheets to worry about! Again, this is a free app, or you can simply upgrade to include all sorts of great additional features.

So there you have it, lots of great apps for you to consider using for your next event, whether during the planning or at your next event. Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 24 August 2015

Welcome to another week and whilst we are not suggesting that you need any thing to do with Rodgers and Hammerstein, (look them up if you are too young to remember who they are), you will need your passport as we prepare to go long haul as our look at new hotels continues, this time in the South Pacific.

So with our bags packed we head off initially to the new Vibe Hotel Marysville which is just 90 minutes from Melbourne. Part of the TFE Hotels Group, the new Vibe Hotel offers a stylish, contemporary hotel to relax and discover one of Australia’s most beautiful regions.

Tucked away in the forested foothills of Victoria’s Great Dividing Range, Marysville has long been a favourite getaway destination thanks to its tranquil riverside location, culinary delights, wonderful scenery and outdoor adventures. The Vibe Hotel Marysville is inspired by its natural surroundings, and you will be too. From the local art, spectacular views of the Yarra Ranges National Park and Cathedral Ranges right through to the superb Radius Bar & Grill featuring premium locally sourced produce and a menu designed by Executive Chef Leigh Colville.

Guest rooms are comfortable and modern, the business facilities are well-equipped. Recharge or refresh in the wellness area, or explore the local area – the Vibe Hosts will be happy to share their local knowledge.

But what is also great about this hotel is that it has a massive capacity for Events with flexible, functional floor space for up to 480 guests with naturally light-filled with floor to ceiling glass windows and state of the art audio visual technology and complimentary high speed internet. A must we feel these days for events.

 

From there we head to off to Lizard Island. Cyclone Ita devastated this petite Great Barrier Reef island when it hit in April 2014 and some 12 months on, and following a massive rebuild and remodeling effort, the isle and its resort have a rather special resort now up and running.

Lizard Island is truly secluded from the rest of the world. With 24 powdery-white beaches and 40 luxurious suites, it is the most northern resort in tropical Queensland and is located directly on the Great Barrier Reef. 

A National Park covering 1,013 hectares with 24 sandy beaches and a lagoon, Lizard Island is accessible only by private charter from Cairns Airport in northern Queensland, Australia. Cairns Airport is accessible from all major Australian airports and directly from some cities in Asia.

The island is reserved for the fortunate few who will experience an unforgettable holiday like no other. Enjoy secluded picnics and sunset beach dining on private beaches, five star cuisine in the beautiful Salt Water restaurant and indulgent spa treatments in the Essentia Day Spa. Relax in style in premium accommodation and take in the wonders of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – right on your doorstep.

Whilst it's not really set up for meetings, if you can afford to go there and take the resort over, then you can probably do anything you like there! 

From here we move to Capri by Fraser in Brisbane which is Urban inspired. High tech. Intuitive. The Capri by Fraser, Brisbane hotel residence offers guests the freedom to choose how and when you want to work, live and play.

An effortlessly stylish and vibrant hotel residence designed by award-winning Ministry Of Design, Capri by Fraser, Brisbane brings a touch of the rainforest to an inner city development featuring living vertical gardens, trendy art installations, and restaurant featuring fresh and nutritious menus designed by Chef Pete Evans.The hotel is centrally located in the heart of Brisbane CBD within walking distance to Queen Street Mall shopping, City Botanical Gardens, and riverside dining at Eagle Street Pier.

It's pretty well set up for Meetings too and is well-equipped for business presentations, and events in Brisbane, as the hotel offers thoughtfully designed event spaces complete with free + fast WiFi and the latest integrated audio visual capabilities.

Showcasing an abundance of natural light and leafy outlook, The Pod is a versatile function space that can cater for up to 150 guests. For a contemporary styled boardroom, the Pow-Wow is an ideal place for small meetings and private dinners.

Well-known chef and paleo ambassador Pete Evans has partnered with Capri by Fraser, Brisbane to design thoughtfully constructed catering menus allowing delegates to enjoy a variety of fresh and delicious selections with paleo inspired dishes and an emphasis on high quality, seasonal and local produce.

Looking ahead to next year, leading Australian accommodation provider, Mantra Group, will manage the five-star hotel within the new M Docklands development set to open in 2016. The 68-room apartment hotel will operate under the group's luxury Peppers brand and will be known as Peppers Docklands Melbourne. We'll keep you posted about this one!

And just a short hop away, the Sofitel So Hotel is also almost open for business in Auckland. The Sofitel So Auckland, the fourth of the So brand, will be smack in the middle of the central business district, putting visitors within close proximity to everything the Kiwi metropolis has to offer. Setting up shop in the former New Zealand Reserve Bank, design junkies will be able to walk one block to the city's harbour and still be just five minutes away from the Auckland Viaduct, the hot entertainment district. 

If you know So, you know there will be a big-name designer to take the building from its financial glory and turn every one of its 133 rooms and common areas into stunning canvases. No doubt the lobby lounge bar, rooftop restaurant and sexy swimming pool with get the designer touch, but we will have to wait and see which artist will put their stamp on the property. SoSpa and the gym, SoFit, both located in the old bank's vault, will also be included undoubtedly getting the designer flair.

So there you have it, an update on the South Pacific for all of those planning long haul trips in their future! Have a great week and we will see you after the Bank Holiday.

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 17 August 2015

Welcome to another week and rather than continue our series on new hotel openings, we thought it was timely to talk about the whole issue of Fam trips and what constitutes a good one. Additionally which invitations should you accept and which shouldn't you?  For the uneducated amongst you, fam trips or familiarisation trips are a great way to discover new venues and to really get a grip on potential new venues for any new enquiries that might come your way. 

Along with many other agencies, we get a bit inundated here at Cloud 9 Towers, with invitations to all sorts of open days, weekends, lunches, dinners, breakfasts, excursions and lots of opportunities to explore far flung destinations abroad.

Getting the balance right between having enough staff in the office to cover our workload but also ensuring we use these experiences as an education can be a bit tricky - and where we can, we also want to try and convert business at some point so that we do actually deliver a return on the investment that is made on us. We don't want to be known as Fammer Scammers! That's not an official term but we love it!

For example, Paula went on a great trip at the back end of 2014 to Amsterdam with Accor Hotels, but it was only this last month that we managed to get some business in two of the hotels that featured as part of the trip.

 

Fam's are also a great way to connect with our agents and sometimes this can be equally as interesting as its always useful to discover just how other agents are doing, and how they approach the various issues that sometimes arise in this business of ours.

It's fair to say that if we wanted, we could probably be at something or other almost every weekend of the year, and the number of invites we have to turn down by far outweighs those that we accept. 

A client of ours in the Travel Industry regular takes agents away and its always interesting to hear stories about the trips and just how badly some of the guests behave on these trips - despite the fact they are fully hosted and paid for. 

Unfortunately, we have also witnessed this here as on some trips we have noticed both a distinct lack of manners and grumbles about hotel rooms, travel arrangements and even really petty stuff such as having to buy the odd drink or cover extras like newspapers. It never fails to amaze us just how much some people take these invitations for granted and we have a strict policy here when it comes to fams.

We only accept those when we think we may actually have a chance at getting some business for the property, destination or region. We always make sure we are on time and genuinely interested in the show rounds, be a hotel, venue or area. It doesn't matter whether we are seeing 17 different categories of hotel bedrooms in a single hotel, we maintain our enthusiasm. We tweet and put it out there on social media, both in advance, during and afterwards and we always, always, always, thank our hosts and the venues included for the wonderful experience. It is after all just good manners.

And, we only go if we have the time to do it!

Judy Allen wrote a great book called Event Planning Ethics and Etiquette: A Principled Approach to the Business of Special Event Management and it has a great chapter on Fams with the odd horror story thrown in for good measure, but its a must on this subject.

 Virtual Fams are a great idea if you don't have time but want to get a feel for a venue and Meet Pie have a great online destination reference tool for event planners.  Containing all the relevant data needed for meetings and incentive travel organisers to build an event programme, Virtual Fam Trip is constantly updated to provide necessary real time information for event planners - from dates of public holidays to visa requirements, meeting venues to local destination management companies, team-building to transportation, weather conditions to restaurants plus useful additional links and more. In this fast-moving world, Virtual Fam Trip gives you everything you need to research your next event location without even leaving your desk, allowing you to respond to the most demanding brief quickly and efficiently.

So, what's our Fam diary looking like? Well, Carol has just returned from a rather lovely visit to Ardencote Manor in Claverdon, Warwickshire. Over the years the Ardencote has evolved from a family home to an award winning Hotel and Country Club offering unrivalled facilities and excellent customer service. It's more a resort property these days with a Spa, Leisure Club and all sorts of really great facilities and its fair to report that Carol loved it and is already trying to interest clients in the venue for their next event.

Rubina is off to Scotland with Gleneagles next month, and Paula is off this coming weekend with Accor to enjoy Chester Races Ladies Day and three of the Mercure Hotels in the North West. And we have just signed up our new signing for IBTM in November, which includes a fam to Madrid....

So, that's it for this week, enjoy and we'll see you next week!