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March 2009 Blog Archive
27 March 2009 All Synchronize Watches
What's that saying? 'if you want something doing...'?
After leaving the blog in Paul's 'capable' hands last week, you'll be glad to see I resume my weekly posting.
If you are out and about in Manchester city centre saturday evening you will be lucky enough to witness a global movement taking place...Back in 2007 on the 31st March Sydney, Australia first started "Earth Hour", by 2008 'Earth Hour' was recognised on 35 countries all over the world and this year it falls this saturday (28th) from 20:30-21:30pm (local time). The idea was created by the WWF in a bid to prove that people do care about climate change. For 'Earth Hour' all over the globe, lights are switched off, the act of switching the light switch demonstrates your 'vote' to care for the planet. In Manchester buildings taking part include the Manchester Wheel, the Arndale Centre (which to be fair would have been shut anyway!), Manchester Cathedral. the MEN Arena and the universities amongst others. Obviously you can take part at home by switching your lights off and as far as I know its still Ok to leave the TV on!.
Don't forget to 'spring forward' on Sunday!
Yep... it's my turn to do the blog... and I forgot... You can't see me now, but I'm hanging my head in shame :(
PS. ... and no, I haven't had my teeth whitened... it was a very bright flash on the camera, OK!
This week was in danger of being ruined by spoilsports, when not only was Piccadilly Train Station guarded by what looked like the whole of the Greater Manchester police force on Saturday to ensure that the silent disco could not take place, but then the 'models running through the university campus stunt' for Manchester Masters on Monday was called off at the last minute! Luckily my faith in ridiculous ideas was restored when I read that a proposal has been put forward to put a count down timer on pedestrian crossings, meaning that when the Green Man comes on you are counted down by a loud tick-tock to get to the other side of the road! Apparently the scheme will cut down traffic flow but I'm not too keen on the idea of a large-scale version of the 'bleep test' everytime I try to cross the road!
In a heroic effort to support Comic Relief 2009, the rapport team decided that climbing Kilimanjaro wasn't enough, we wanted to do something bigger and better and that would make much more impact, so... we decided to all come in to the office dressed in the Rapport brand colour, unfortunately it hasn't really worked out as some forgot and others 'didn't know', or was it the curse of Friday the 13th? Either way Vicky and I are the only ones to look like purple grapes, but its the thought that counts!
I took a jaunt to Manchester Airport on Thursday to have a look at the new venue based there; the Concorde Conference Centre. It boasts a 1,600 square meter "Concorde Hall" which houses the flagship aircraft from the Concorde fleet. I was treated to early morning glass of Bucksfizz and miniature pork pie with piccalilli (amongst any other canapé I could get my hands on!). I also managed to have a manicure and enjoyed a tour of the Concorde itself (where I found out where the Queen preferred to sit and that Michael Jackson always booked two seats so no-one could sit next to him!). But despite all this I was also pleased to find a refreshing, interesting and well equipped venue right on our doorstep.
Finally Abi wowed the students of Chester University on Monday when she went in to guest lecture, although some of us voiced concern at her 5:30pm Monday afternoon slot, she received a brilliant turn out and hopefully managed to inspire some young hopefuls into the industry - watch this space!
6 March 2009 Spring is in the air!
For all of you who have always wanted a glimpse into life at Rapport HQ, our 'Spaces' competition is now well under way and with the deadline for entrees closing on the 30th April at 5pm you don't have long to start putting pen to paper, (or finger to mouse).
We want students, studying any course, from any university in the North West to come up with creative event concepts for a fictional networking and invitational learning event. We don't want to fall into the trap of 'sticking to what we know' and would like to think that no two events we have produced have been exactly the same, therefore the students can provide us with fresh perspectives, hopefully coming from backgrounds as unrelated to events management as architecture or fine art. The students don't get a bad deal either; the winner gets £1000 cash or the chance to come and work with us, I know which one I would choose! (the work experience obviously ...).
Interest has so far been extremely encouraging, however if nearer the time we want to drum up some more entrants, we could always take a leaf out of Manchester Masters' book. They have got "page 3 stunner" Rhian and "Jodie Marsh's ex" Matt Peacock to run through the university campus wearing nothing but entry forms in order to excite students into ripping off the forms and applying for the graduate programme. So don't be alarmed if you see Abi and Chris loitering on Oxford road in trench coats towards the end of April - its all for a good cause!
Speaking of dodgy goings, on pirate radio stations came back under the spotlight this week when a police raid in South London resulted in two being shot down, one while live on air! There are two camps on this issue, one like me, harbors nostalgic memories of long wave radio Atlantic 252 which was reportedly transmitted live from the middle of the Atlantic ocean (there have been talk since that this was actually untrue but i will be keeping the dream alive until proven otherwise). The Pirate radio dj's argue that they do it for the love of the music and provide their listeners what they want to listen to without having to tow the corporate line and stick to a playlist. The other side argues that pirate radio stations interrupt normal radio waves making legit radio stations inaudible and can even interrupt emergency services signals. Either way they seem to be mainly focused in the South so us 'up North' don't get the luxury of choice but if the Rapport office is anything to go by any station which doesn't have a 3 song playlist which is put on a daily repeat is fine by us!
Tomorrow I will, once again, be hanging around a Piccadilly train Station with a camera, but this time for a very different reason. From 2pm-2:30pm that will be the location of Manchester's (potentially!) biggest silent rave. Now call me what you will but I don't own an MP3 player or Ipod so I wont be taking part (dancing around to your own music with headphones in is one thing but dancing around not listening to anything is quite another!) but this is a monumental event in Manchester's history and so I will be there for moral support. So far, according to sources, hundreds of people have signed up on the facebook site and will all be congregating at the main entrance just before 2pm before the 'rave' commences under the train boards - for a taste of what you could be doing on Saturday watch the clip below of a silent rave in New York - see you there!