Remember remember

November's started with a bang, not just from fireworks!  I spent a few days in Paris and took the opportunity to see what's new over there in retail display and also to look at how they handle some of their high visitor volume museum layouts.  I was particularly interested in the Musee de l'armee which has a fantastic World War I and II exhibit complete with video clips, multi-lingual sound bites and things to touch and feel as well as to look at.  Some extremely moving exhibits which will remain with me for a long time; as we approach Remembrance Sunday I am certainly wearing my poppy.

Richard III

Well it's been an interesting Friday, starting with a seminar on what's new in mobile at 7.30 this morning in Nottingham, then filming for a piece which will be on air on East Midlands Today tonight talking about the benefits that could be brought to tourism in Leicester if 'the bones' really do turn out to be those of Richard III.  That was closely followed by an interview with Ben Jackson on BBC Radio Leicester for his drivetime show tonight on the same subject.  So now back in the office wading through emails!

I was put on the spot about how much a Richard III visitor centre could bring in revenue to Leicester - I'm sure far more brilliant financial minds than mine will be modelling just that, all I could do really was look at what another city-based historical visitor centre might turn over.  Somewhere like the Jorvik Centre in York for example, which has seen more than 16 million visitors in the 28 years since it opened might be able to help with some real life stats and of course there are all the add-ons like benefits to local hotels, restaurants and shops.  This is where joined up marketing thinking will be really important, partnerships between Leicester businesses could double or triple the revenue made on pure ticket sales alone - I would love to see a visitors centre and then go to a performance of Richard III at Curve.  Fingers crossed the bones do indeed turn out to be those of the last Plantagenet King.

A motivating September

It's been a great September with lots of new business enquiries, a visit to 100% Design and Design Junction, a conference about corporate communications in Brazil, a fantastic production of Certified at Leicester's Curve theatre and finally a presentation of my certificate of appointment as a Fellow of the CIPR.  Unlike the doom and gloom that seems to haunt my every morning when the Today programme comes on with the alarm clock, my experience is that clients have returned from their summer breaks re-invigorated and determined to do their utmost to create business wherever they can.  Maybe they're partly motivated by the amazing summer of sport during the Olympics and Paralympics.  I for one echo that determination, let's hope that motivation continues for the rest of the Autumn.

Leicester back on the world map again!

I can't help feeling excited about the recent archaeological discoveries in Leicester.  To find an ancient church underneath a bland, grey, city council car park is exciting enough, but yesterday's announcement of a find of remains which quite possibly could be those of King Richard III has got me reaching for my history books and re-reading about that part of British history.  I was particularly pleased to receive this morning's email from www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk  including a brilliant interview with Richard Buckley from the University of Leicester describing the find.  So pleased, I thought I'd share it - have a look at this!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRY0CLRCjM8

Google updates

I've spent lots of time in the last month ensuring that I'm up to date with all of google's latest algorithm changes and then working out what they mean for my clients.  Perhaps the most dramatic for many websites is the penalisation for duplicate copy - if, for example, you have a news section on your website which contains press release content and that press release has gone out to lots of publications who then choose to publish it in its entirety on theirs, then you risk significant search penalties. 

So, that's me very busy for the next four weeks ensuring that my clients' sites don't contain duplicate content - hey ho!

Summertime

Our office here overlooking the Wreake Valley, with its pretty river meandering through the valley is usually glorious at this time of year, but we've seen so little sunshine so far it doesn't really feel like June and the footpaths are still muddy.  I'm thrilled to report that Hoby Open Gardens weekend made over £5,700 for All Saints Church in Hoby, despite the downpours last Saturday.  So many of my clients have summer social activities planned many of which are now subject to a plan B. 

Responding to the British weather should stand us in good stead for responding to changes in the business environment.  'When the going gets tough, the tough get going' and we're certainly having to help our clients work harder and smarter on customer development and retention.

We're doing lots more email and social media campaigns across many different sectors as clients are keen to maintain conversations with their customers even when business is quiet.  No PR campaign is now complete without thinking about social media and how that could impact and certainly no crisis PR policy can afford not to make the most of social media - as Jimmy Carr demonstrated last week!

LOROS Garden of Light and Reflection

I was so delighted to be invited to the official opening of the new Garden of Light and Reflection on Friday which is now installed at its permanent home at LOROS off Leicester's Groby Road.  This amazing hospice does so much for so many and I was pleased and proud to be involved in the project.  I hope the garden brings solace and peace to those who see it.  Thank you Simon Cooper, not only for chauffering on Friday night, but for all that wonderful footage of the project from its inception.  See his photographs and film footage here.  www.lorosgarden.org.uk

Things are picking up ...

Am I the only one seeing things picking up across a wide range of clients? It feels like the world has been holding its breath since the banking crisis and is a little terrified of accepting that things are looking up. I'm not suggesting that business is soaring, but what I can see is that clients in all sorts of sectors are making good progress. Long may it continue and let's hope we start seeing some confidence coming back - I for one am a little fed up of all the doom and gloom reports on broadcast and print media. Can we start giving airtime to some of the good news please?

Turning a small venue into St Mark's Square

BEFORE

AFTER

It's been a fun couple of months, with lots happening for all my clients. Vortice announcing double digit sales growth despite a really tough market in the building trade, Richard Watkinson & Partners opening their new estate agency office in Melton Mowbray extremely successfully, I've celebrated a big birthday and managed to create Piazza San Marco from a very small Leicestershire venue and Las Vegas Market held their best show for several years. Onwards and upwards 2012!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm looking forward to an exciting new year and I hope you are. Just preparing for the launch of Richard Watkinson & Partners estate agency in Melton which opens next week, Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival which will see a whole raft of great comedy at The Belmont Hotel Leicester and the January Las Vegas Market which opens on the 30th. What more could I wish for? Apart from losing a few pounds after the Christmas feast! Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.