On Friday 5th July 2013 Emkay went along to Silverstone to the second day of the Formula Student competition. We have supported Formula Student entrants for the past ten years offering them sponsorship to help them get their car designs onto the race track!
Take a look at our Facebook page to see the photos of our day!
Check out our photos from our Formula Student 2013 Silverstone Visithttps://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.480218818736829.1073741831.120…
Specialised Management Services Ltd (SMS) announces that they have successfully delivered a topside control systems package for the Panyu Field in record time by accelerating the manufacturing time by 4 weeks to meet the client’s fast-track delivery request.
Through expert knowledge of hydraulic control systems and strong project management experience, SMS were able to decrease lead-time by increasing their pool of labour, working additional shifts and expediting suppliers for improved delivery times; this in turn guaranteed the tight schedule could be accomplished, providing the client reassurance, along with exceptional customer service.
The contract was awarded by OneSubsea GmbH (Formerly known as Cameron GmbH) in September 2012 and consisted of 2 Topside Umbilical Termination Units (TUTUs) and a production Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) for installation on the Panyu 34-1 platform. The Panyu Field is located in the South China Sea approximately 200km south of Hong Kong in the Pearl River Basin.
Dave Howlett, General Manager of SMS, comments ‘SMS has built a strong relationship with OneSubsea and has worked with them for the past 5 years with year on year growth. The development of this relationship has been underpinned by the hard work of the SMS team and great communication between the two companies.’
SMS previously supplied the South China Sea region when OneSubsea awarded a contract for a topside controls package consisting of 2 off TUTUs a HPU and a Testing and Flushing HPU for the Liwan 3-1 platform in the Liwan field located about 300km southeast of Hong Kong in March 2011.
The systems were designed, manufactured and tested at SMS’s Great Yarmouth facilities.
It’s official – We are now a fully-fledged BEST WESTERN Hotel
You can see the signs… no literally! We now have all of our brand new signage up outside the Hotel for all to see that we are a proud member of the Best Western Group, the new signage has given a lift to the exterior of the Hotel and gives that extra sense of reassurance of the quality of our Hotel and high standards.
As you may or may not know, to become a part of the Best Western family there are lots of standards that we have to meet, quality, training and products all need to meet the BW criteria and we did it! We passed the scrupulous checks with flying colours!
You can now benefit from great things when you choose the BEST WESTERN Brook Hotel
Best Western Brook Hotel has 81 en-suite spacious bedrooms including a Luxury VIP Suite, Bar with 24 hour service for residents, Classic dining in our Brasserie Restaurant, Coffee Lounge, Bar with Sky TV and a fantastic location being just a few minutes drive from the A47, 10 minutes drive from the city centre and also Norwich International Airport.
Best Western Brook are increasing occupancy and rates for their bedroom bookings and getting more and more people coming in for meals, weddings and events which has meant increasing the staffing levels across the Hotel employing staff and there are still growths to come.
Bonding with the locals… The Hotel welcomes non-residents for drinks in the bar, meals in the restaurant and coffees in the lounge. Also developing closer working relationships with local businesses such as Lintott Control Systems, Kettle Foods and Norfolk Fire & Rescue on the business estate and across to the Airport Industrial Estate.
Whilst it seems that Summer has only just arrived we are already taking bookings for Christmas with Festive Menus available from £12.95 in our Restaurant, Classic Dinner Dances from £19.95, Corporate Party Packages from £15.00 and for a New Year’s Eve to remember celebrate in style with an arrival drink, fantastic four course meal all in our Filby Suite seeing in the New Year and beyond till the early hours.
If you would like to find out more details on the Hotel you can pop in anytime or call the team on 01603 741161, they are a friendly bunch and will be happy to assist you with anything you need, any time of the day
Traditional QR (quick response) codes have had mixed reviews since rising to fame in modern day advertising. Haunting our streets, magazines and everything in-between, some people like them, many ignore them and others mistrust them. The question is: are the 2D black and white cubes taking over our cities due for a re-think?
Customised & Colourful
Customised QR codes, a creative and colourful adaptation of the original QR code, help achieve a much better link-through rate than traditional codes. Colour and branding beats the ‘everyone’s got one’ look and gives scanners a much better indication of where the link is leading to. Customised QR codes also look a hundred times better within advertising – especially when colour and design integrates with the look and feel of a campaign.
Despite this, pitching any sort of QR codes has been a challenge in a market rife with uncertainty, mixed awareness and negative PR (widespread stories of hoax codes linking to computer viruses for example).
Better, Faster, Stronger?
In response to the QR code situation, several experts and tech-giants Samsung are paying close attention to an alternative: NFC (Near Field Communication) to rival QR codes.
Technologically superior, NFC is hot-topic right now among tech-circles and is demanding to be noticed.Superior – yes but there’s still the problem of education. In terms of consumers knowing what it does and what is can do for business.
NFC wins on so many levels.Your QR code has a number of standard mobile challenges. Not all mobiles have inbuilt scanners and your consumer may well be challenged with ‘one step too far’ by not immediately being able to scan your carefully designed custom code with their phones’ scanner. Until all smartphones have a scanner feature, sadly you will always be up against it on this one.
Enter the NFC tag. It looks like nothing else, comes with a short call to action (‘Tap Here’) and once you’ve tapped sends you to a destination associated with the original information.
From a marketing perspective it’s brilliant and for an on-going basis – a cost saver.
~ You’re reading a promotional poster and NFC takes you to a promo video ~ You’re at a meeting and NFC lets you download an event guide ~ You’re at a railway station and NFC rings the local taxi service
There are endless possibilities. The user doesn’t have to search for info. No more wasted print costs. There’s an immediate two-way gratification – information shared and received. It’s win-win.
With the technology improving by the day, NFC has the power to connect the public and for businesses to employ a quicker, more cost effective means of providing the customer with the information they are keen to share.
Whatever you want to share with your customer, NFC can make it easier, quicker and cheaper. Tap your business into the power of NFC.
For more information on how NFC can work for YOUR business, please visit our site here
July Newsletter
Many companies these days are tracking their workers mostly in collaboration and agreement. The majority doing so would agree that tracking boosts productivity and provides valuable information for both administration and the end user.
Care – particularly domiciliary care, where a care worker delivers a service in a client’s home, is booming. In many cases this care is funded by the local authority, but there’s a growing area of private care companies offering alternative services.
Finding the right care giver is fraught. If you’ve even been on the research side seeking the right provision for a loved one then you’ll know the challenge. Generally considerate, dependable companies also attract similar care workers and they are keen to demonstrate that their care package meets targets.
Companies providing a worker tracking facility have much more to show the families they support. Real proof of correspondence means better piece of mind.
With data easily recordable via scanned QR codes, or NFC codes, care workers can now show that they have completed each important task on an agreed care plan.
With phone in hand they scan a code or tag set up to link to individual actions. For example, If Mrs Smith’s room needs tidying, a quick scan of the appropriate QR code or NFC tag, records its completion on the company’s software system. When Mrs. Smith is given her prescribed medication, a similar scan takes place, and again, when her care giver records that a drink has been taken.
Whatever important, daily task is required, it’s duly recorded and trackable. Time, place, worker, location and it’s quick and easy for the carer to do. Each scan takes only 2-3 seconds.
From the care company’s view this is enormously important, but it’s also becoming a valuable one in proving their service delivery, demonstrating good practice to their client’s families, and in turn, growing business. Why? Because tracking provides reassurance.
If you’re a family member you’ll want to see that your loved one is receiving the care you have paid for. If you’re far away, it’s reassuring to know they are in good hands and that required medication is delivered, nourishment given and visits undertaken.
Many are happy to pay a premium to have access to their company’s care tracking facility to check on their family’s care package as a result.
Tracking makes economic sense for care companies too. To get more information on how NFC technology can help please visit our site here
Written by Geraldine Jozefiak, Partner at Think Mobile Media.com
One of the Eastern regions longest established integrated marketing agencies, has seen a significant boost in turnover from the Asian market for the first time.
Norwich-based The Point has been responsible for delivery of a major international branding exercise for ARCADIS, the global built asset consultancy with more than 19,000 employees and over €2.3 billion in revenues. The Dutch company has acquired a number of regional consultancy specialists during recent years across the infrastructure, water, environment and construction markets. The Point was first appointed to develop the integration of their UK acquisition into their brand family. The efficiencies delivered on that project saw the agency retained by ARCADIS to oversee a similar exercise for Singapore-based Langdon Seah, the longest established and largest cost management and quantity surveying consultancy in Asia.
‘Since the beginning of 2013 we’ve engaged with ARCADIS’ global corporate brand and communication team in Amsterdam, planning how best to integrate the numerous international acquisitions in to the established brand in territories as diverse as South Korea, Brunei and Malaysia’, commented Managing Director Ian McKinnon-Evans.
In addition to adding revenue from the Asian market, the agency also recently secured new business from the $57 billion US chemical group Dow, by being appointed to work with their UK-based agrosciences division. The business win came after success in a competitive four-way pitch process.
The initial task for the agency was to conceive and create a new ‘knowledge brand’ to sit at the heart of all Dow activity within the UK arable sector. The campaign was launched earlier this month at Cereals 2013, the UKs largest arable event. The agency delivered a fully integrated campaign from event planning, social media content, a mobile and tablet site and a trade press advertising campaign. Work will develop throughout 2013 across further event presence and start to broaden across the company’s extensive product portfolio.
‘Working with major global brands like Arcadis and Dow has challenged us in a very positive way. Yet again we’ve had to raise our game, as unearthing innovative creative strategies that deliver cut through and engagement are critical for clients of this calibre who are serious about brand. But it’s what we’ve always been good at and it endorses the strength of the integrated offer we’ve built in recent years. It also proves you can be world class in Norfolk.’
Find out more about The Point at www.thepoint.co.uk
At Blue Heron Training, we believe great workplaces start with great people. That’s why we’re excited to host an upcoming HR Forum featuring Pippa Byrne, HR Director at Yapily, who will be sharing insights from her remarkable 30-year career dedicated to leading and supporting people.
Pippa has worked with teams across some of the world’s most recognisable brands, including The Body Shop and Hugo Boss as well as supporting organisations through her own HR consultancy.
Today, she shapes the people and culture strategy at Yapily, helping a fast-paced fintech scale with heart, clarity, and purpose.
True to her people-first approach, Pippa’s compassion extends beyond the workplace. She is also the proud and loving owner of 37 rescue dogs, including three she brought home from Northern Cyprus.
This webinar will be an honest, practical, and engaging conversation about what it really takes to build a people-focused organisation. You’ll come away with:
Real career reflections from Pippa’s 30 years in HR
Straightforward strategies for putting people first in your own business
Practical ideas for creating cultures where growth, engagement, and innovation thrive
Opportunities to connect with other HR professionals through interactive breakout sessions.
This session is perfect for HR professionals looking to be inspired, gain practical insights, and learn from real-world experience.
This event is free to attend and open to Norfolk Chambers members and the wider HR community.
Secure your spot and join the conversation. We’d love to see you there. Book here.
Latest Job Vacancies: BEST WESTERN Brook Hotel are looking to recruit new team members to join their busy Hotel in the following areas…
Housekeeping – looking to recruit 2 room attendants on a permanent basis working anything from 9am to 4pm (sometimes earlier, depending on how busy the Hotel is) from 3 to 5 days a week including Saturdays. Experience preferred but not essential as full training will be given.
Bar – looking to recruit a part time bar attendant working flexible hours depending on the needs of the business so from 15 to 30 hours a week approx, includes evenings and weekends plus more hours could also be available for weddings and events at the Hotel. Restaurant – looking for full and part time waiting staff to join our friendly team, flexible hours including evenings and weekends
To apply for any of the above positions please send you CV and covering letter detailing which position you are interested in applying for to the Hotel at 2 Barnard Road, Norwich, NR5 9JB or email [email protected]
National Grid
will shortly begin a series of drone flights along the proposed Norwich to
Tilbury route to help improve understanding of the landscape and environmental
conditions along the corridor, using advanced technology that reduces the need
for on-the-ground surveys.
The drone
surveys, carried out by Stirling X, a Norwich-based company with fully
certified pilots under enhanced permissions from the Civil Aviation Authority
(CAA) will record video footage of the route from heights of around 100 metres
(approximately 330 feet). The footage will give project teams a clear,
up-to-date view of the landscape and environmental features along the corridor,
helping to identify opportunities to reduce impacts on people, wildlife and
habitats.
The drones will
capture only footage directly relevant to the route and surrounding landscape.
They are not equipped or intended to record any personal or property-specific
information, and no identifiable individuals will appear in the video. This
ensures the survey remains entirely focused on environmental and engineering
data needed to inform the project’s planning and design.
Because of the
permissions granted by the CAA, the drones can cover long distances while
maintaining high safety standards and minimal disturbance. Flights will take
place in sections of around 5–10 kilometres, with each drone passing over an
area just once. The drones will not fly directly over residential properties
and will generally operate at a height that makes them barely noticeable from
the ground.
Each flight will
be managed by a qualified pilot, with trained observers stationed at intervals
along the route to monitor the drone’s progress. Operators will work primarily
from public rights of way and other accessible areas for take-off and landing, minimising
any impact on local communities and landowners.
The surveys are
being coordinated with local airfields, including Wattisham, to ensure safe
operations. The drones produce only a low level of noise, comparable to an
electric lawnmower during take-off and landing and will be quieter once at
operational height.
The video surveys will be begin in Norwich and work southwards, taking several days to complete the first phase. The footage will be used by National Grid’s environmental and engineering teams to support planning and design work for the Norwich to Tilbury project, part of The Great Grid Upgrade.
We are very pleased to introduce our new Head Chef, Luke Grimbly – his first shift tonight and he has already introduced a delicious special for the Restaurant this evening so we hope you enjoy the changes Luke will be bringing over the coming weeks… Best Western Brook Hotel, Norwich To make your reservations in our restaurant call us on Norwich (01603) 741161
bmi regional is the ‘easiest airline to book’ in the UK The bmi regional website is the easiest airline to book according to research undertaken by the editorial team of Daily Telegraph, based on the number of mouse clicks and time taken to book a flight.
Comparison of the online reservation processes for 12 short-haul UK airlines serving domestic and European destinations found that bmi regional customers can confirm a seat with just six mouse clicks – four fewer than the closest competitor, while the booking process takes just five minutes – one of the fastest times. Here is the original article: https://bit.ly/120cNVw
In addition, bmi regional is the UK’s most punctual scheduled airline for the eighth consecutive year, according to independent research by FlightOnTime.co.uk using Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data.
Cathal O’Connell, CEO of bmi regional, said: “Making travel hassle-free for all of our business and leisure customers is a priority for us and that includes developing a smooth booking process. We’ll continue to seek more ways to ensure that flying with bmi regional is easy, such as thirty-minute check-in, our ‘bags fly free’ policy and serving complimentary in-flight refreshments.” bmi regional operate daily services to Aberdeen from Norwich International and passengers can enjoy complimentary in-flight food, refreshments and bar service; and 20kg hold baggage allowance at no additional cost. Please visit www.bmiregional.com for full details.