Well done Design Leicestershire member!

Just been reading today's Marketing magazine and fellow Design Leicestershire member Checkland Kindleysides has won the Marketing Design Excellence Award for 2009 for its fabulous retail design for Timberland at Westfield London. Well done!

For those who don't know, Leicestershire and Rutland are home to the largest design cluster outside London, with award winning retail, textile, product, graphic, architectural and web designers. The Design Leicestershire website is currently being updated and soon anyone looking for cutting edge design from an agency that happens to be based outside London can search the database within one click.http://www.designleicestershire.com

HOW TO BOOST THE COFFERS FOR CHRISTMAS!

After a few months of development, my client Eyewun has just relaunched its fabulous reverse auction website with lots of opportunities to win cash prizes between now and the end of January 2010. In these recession hit times what better to cheer you up than having a go at a fun reverse auction, it might even boost your coffers for Christmas - have a look! http://www.eyewun.co.uk

London Fashion Week

Well done to Mark Fast who caused a stir at London Fashion Week by using a few curvier models (size 12-14) to show his knitwear. There's been a lot of talk about body image, great to see some action and not only did this result in a brilliant PR coup for Mark Fast, but it's also a celebration for 'real women'!

Hotels of distinction!

Staying at Las Vegas Hotels is something else! Over the years working with my client there I've been lucky to stay at a variety of great hotels - this year it's the Palazzo, last year it was Mandalay Bay and before that a couple of times at the Paris and Caesar's Palace. It's useful for me to experience first hand how some of these top hotels do things - I work with a lovely independently owned hotel in Leicester which is constantly investing in upgrading their facilities and services - visit http://www.belmonthotel.co.uk/ and there are things I can draw from what I see in the US that come in useful back home.



Las Vegas is incredibly theatrical, it takes a while to appreciate, because first glance for us Brits creates that 'is this for real?' feeling, but these hotels are really very clever. In the middle of the desert what do they have? Sunshine year round, gambling, girls, but also real luxury, designer clothes stores and great shows. No expense is spared and it's all about fun, fun, fun and treating yourself. Apparently the Bellagio Hotel has more Michelin starred chefs than the whole of Paris - quite some accolade.

Viva Las Vegas!

I thought it might be fun to blog from Las Vegas where I've been since the weekend at the fabulous World Market Center for the Las Vegas September market. The doom and gloom that's hit the furniture industry this year appears to have been banished here - there's energy, excitement and glitz and where better to work hard and play hard than Vegas!

The spirit of this city seems to permeate through the business done here - optimism rules. The end of the working day merely heralds the beginning of party time - yesterday, to celebrate Mexican Independence Day there was tequila, Mexican dancers, music and fun, and for me that was just the aperitif. Fabulous dining at the Wynn, followed by dancing at Blush and very little sleep - truly Las Vegas!

Sunny Italy!

Been meaning to blog every since we all got back from sunny Italy! What a delightful two weeks, sunshine, sunshine, sunshine - great food, great wine and more sunshine! La Passione (http://www.lapassionevilla.co.uk/) really is the most wonderful place to rent - glorious house with pool, tennis court and olive grove, in the middle of nowhere in Le Marche where no-one speaks English - tested my pigeon Italian somewhat. Only when you get away do you realise the benefits of switch-off time, only two weeks later and I'm still sitting at my computer at 7.30 p.m. when I really should have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, oops sorry Prosecco in my hand! My children are having a wonderful summer despite the UK's somewhat tricky weather - this week it's Rutland Water for sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and more high jinks - thank heavens for my husband for sorting it all out for them. Seems a lifetime ago when my summers used to involve lots of sailing, canooing, haymaking and harvesting - suppose it was decades ago - whoops.