apt blog

We’re so pleased to be a Circle2Success Member!

Here at apt marketing and pr, we have been a proud member of Circle2Success from the beginning and 2018 is no exception!

The team at Circle2Success are good friends of ours and they do some fantastic work for the local business community...and we’re not just talking about the Cheese and Wine events either! Founded back in 2013, the local business membership organisation helps to forge relevant relationships, create business opportunities, share ideas and champion excellence.

We think that it’s really valuable for our business being a member of C2S and we love attending the frequent Business Breakfast.  We find the development sessions are brilliant as we always leave feeling we have had time to work on our business as opposed to working in it and we either learn new or get reminded of things we have forgotten and then come back and apply.  This in itself is invaluable for the business and of course it’s really great to catch up with other members to see how their business is performing.

We were also really pleased this month to receive our Circle2Success founder member badges to pop on our website and in our e-mail footer so look out for it we use it with pride.

Finalists announced for Britain's leading Beauty Awards 2017

Forty years of promoting, supporting and celebrating the beauty industry are being celebrated at this year’s sector-leading national beauty awards. Each year, the BABTAC (British Association of Beauty Therapists and Cosmetology) & CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) Awards recognise and reward outstanding contributions to the sector: the talented and the trail-blazers, from exceptional students to established business owners, from extraordinary therapists to the inspiring centres that train them. An impressive list of 61 finalists, each hoping to win one of the 40^th anniversary Awards, have just been announced in the run-up to the glittering award ceremony on 18^th June.

This year, to mark BABTAC’s special anniversary, the new award for ‘Lifetime Achievement/Contribution to the Industry’ throws the spotlight onto those people whose efforts, passion and commitment over the years have advanced the professionalism and status of the sector to the level it now enjoys. As a marker of how much support and commitment the beauty industry and BABTAC attract, there are seven finalists (normally categories have 2-4 finalists): Diana Jenner, Sally Durant, Suzanne Henson, Kim Ford, Julia Leone, Jenna Bailey and Carolyne Cross.

A number of other new categories have been introduced this year:

Business Management Award – in today’s digital world, what it takes to run a business changes rapidly, from how to keep accounts to how to advertise to potential clients. This award recognises how beauticians these days have to be masters of many skills, not just the beauty ones they trained in. However, for small salons and sole traders in particular, keeping up-to-date and learning new techniques and tools can be extremely hard. This award will not only recognise achievement but also provide role models and help to shine a path that other beauticians can follow. Finalists: Beauty at the Bay, HKBHA Academy, and The Foot Health Clinic.

Advanced Aesthetician – these therapists are non-medical skin care specialists who advise clients on the most suitable skin care regimes and products for their skin types, including skin problems such as acne or eczema. They assist with rejuvenating the skin, performing treatments such as skin peels, laser & light therapy, skin needling techniques (incl. Mesotherapy), advanced electrolysis, micropigmentation and microblading. Finalists: Jody Taylor, Martine Jarman, and Suman Jalaf.

Innovator Award – new ways to boost customers’ confidence and satisfaction with how they present themselves to the world are developing at a rapid rate. The finalists in this award are pushing back the boundaries of new techniques for rejuvenating ourselves, helping the sector keep fresh, meet customers’ needs, and ride the storm of the recession. Finalists: Katherine Tonkinson, Diana Jenner, and Martine Jarman.

Brow Specialist – customers’ fascination with the artistry of the eyebrow has rocketed so much in the past couple of years that BABTAC felt this category was needed to represent this new, burgeoning aspect of beauty therapy.  Finalists: Brittany Beck, Misty Crew, Suman Jalaf, and Sita Gill.

These new categories show how much the sector is flourishing and constantly responding to customers’ needs and new opportunities. BABTAC represents professional side of the industry and the practitioners that make it such a success. 

CIBTAC is BABTAC’s sister organisation, working with Governmental departments and professional organisations to develop qualifications that meet required standards, and provide the highest quality training at centres around the world for all aspiring therapists and those wishing to keep up to date with the latest techniques. CIBTAC offers a wide portfolio of courses including beauty therapy, spa, well-being, diet and nutrition, sports therapy, and a number of complimentary and holistic qualifications.

The CIBTAC award categories reward the best training centre, the most outstanding student, and the best inspirational tutor.

The winners will be announced at the beauty industry event of the year, with gala dinner and ceremony at Banking Hall in London at 7pm on Sunday 18^th June. The host for the evening will be Gill Morris, a well respected industry professional, responsible for introducing many new treatments to the UK including Blend electrolysis and gel nails.  Gill is currently the Director of Commercial Development for Sterex and has been a lifelong supporter of BABTAC.

Are you ready for the ride of your life?

We're really excited here at apt marketing & pr as there are a number of sponsorship opportunities available for the penultimate stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain 2017!

This September, our hometown of Cheltenham will host the penultimate stage of the Tour Of Britain. The stage will see the world’s top professional cyclists race through the Cotswolds to arrive in our historic spa town on Saturday 9th September − and for the first time, a stage finish of the Tour of Britain (TOB) men's race.

Residents and visitors to Cheltenham not only have the chance to get up close to the world-class race, but to also see the town transformed for another major festival, celebrating cycling, accessible to all.

There is an exciting variety of sponsorship and business partnership packages are available to suit all budgets, from finish line tickets and corporate hospitality, to naming rights for the festival and the Tour of Britain stage. All of these fantastic sponsorship opportunities are available on the new dedicated website: www.cheltenhamcyclingfestival.org.uk

Many of the packages feature exclusive opportunities not available on general sale, such as seats in front of the finish line, or one of four tickets to ride in the guest car for the full Stage.

Tracey Crews, director of planning at Cheltenham Borough Council says: “To make the very best of this world-class event, we have a comprehensive package of business partnership opportunities available to suit all budgets, from finish line tickets and corporate hospitality, to naming rights for the festival and the Tour of Britain Stage.

“This is a thrilling and high profile event for Cheltenham that will have an international reach, attracting large numbers of visitors to our town.”

There are also one and three-year packages available to help support the event and make it a huge success for the town and the local community.

As well as having some of road cycling's world-class greats in town, the festival will also feature competitions, a street fair, a demo zone, a kids zone and much more besides, encouraging everyone to get onto two wheels. Organisers are expecting thousands of people to flock into the town to enjoy the festivities.

For more information and to take advantage of these opportunities, contact Victoria Petkovic-Short, our very own Account Director on 01242 250692 or email [email protected]. We're really excited to be working on this local event and look forward to hearing from you!

 

Cheltenham ahead of the race as Tour of Britain comes to town

It has today been announced that Cheltenham will host the penultimate stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain this September, which will see the world’s top professional cyclists, race through the Cotswolds to arrive in our historic spa town on Saturday 9 September. Cheltenham Borough Council will be offering residents not only the chance to get up close to the world-class race, but to also see the town transformed for another major festival, celebrating cycling, accessible to all.

More than 120 cycling pros including the world’s cycling elite will zip through town on two wheels past some of the most stunning scenery that Cheltenham has to offer, with a route that passes the racecourse, Pittville park and ends with a celebratory finish in our gorgeous Regency town centre. The televised event will be supported with market stalls, family activities, and street food in what is sure to be the event of the year. The organising team has ambitions to launch an annual cycling festival, featuring the Tour of Britain, set to encourage more residents to get active and out and about in the town.

The OVO Energy Tour of Britain has passed through Gloucestershire before, during the 2014 and 2016 editions of the race, but this September will mark the first time a stage has finished in the county. The pros will tackle the “SKODA King of the Mountains” climb up Cleeve Hill inside the final 10-kilometres, before finishing Stage Seven in the centre of Cheltenham. They will start the day in Hemel Hempstead, before crossing Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and passing through the likes of Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh and Winchcombe.

Tim Atkins, managing director of place and economic development for Cheltenham Borough Council, says: “This will be a major economic boost attracting a large number of visitors to the town. The Tour of Britain is a fast-paced and thrilling event to watch and many locals have stood on the side-lines as the pros dashed through Gloucestershire in recent years. Now, we are proud to have secured not only a race through our streets, but the finishing posts as well, which will see the town broadcast live on television to more than a million viewers. We’re looking forward to welcoming cycling fans to Cheltenham to witness the excitement here first-hand.

“This Tour of Britain event will showcase Cheltenham and will be a great platform for the promotion of cycling, particularly highlighting Cheltenham as a great town for all types of cycling and promote its important relationship with the Cotswolds as a touring destination. In the summer months, there will be a programme of community cycling events that will take place across the town in the lead up to the event in September. We want to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in this fun activity, promoting the wider health and environmental benefits and create a legacy”.

Historically the Tour of Britain has brought significant economic benefits to host towns, For example, in 2013 the Sidmouth to Dartmoor stage attracted 188,000 day visitors and 62,000 overnight visitors, totalling 250,000 visitors for that event who spent almost £14 million during that stage.

Tracey Crews, project sponsor of the Tour of Britain and director of planning, continued: “We’re delighted to host some of the biggest names in cycling. This really is a massive opportunity not to be missed – by both residents and businesses alike. With an expected significant boost to the local economy we’d encourage businesses to get involved and take advantage of the publicity and the range of sponsorship packages. Contact apt marketing & pr to see how your business can get involved in this fantastic and historic event with our sponsorship packages”.

apt marketing & pr at Pro Beauty London

On Sunday 26th & Monday 27th February 2017 we attended the beauty show of the year, Professional Beauty London. Our eyes were dazzled by girls sporting glitter lips, as we wiggled through the crowds to don the newest in lip plumpers that tingled and enhanced our smiles. We stopped to stare at the nail polish stands with the mecca of nails being at the OPI stand. We stopped to be, scrubbed, buffed, smoothed and rejuvenated by lotions and the newest in potions. We had a cheeky pit-stop to be massaged, leaving us in complete relaxation (research honest!) We watched on as brows were preened, buffed and highly defined and we saw the latest techniques in micro blading. During this process we saw one man have his confidence restored by having the crown of his head transformed with the application of micro blading. Beyond joining the swarms of beauty buyers, lovers and trend setters, we did do some serious work, we promise! But after all, work is not work, especially when you love what you do.

So onto the real 'work' our resident Marketing Guru Angie Petkovic held a jam packed seminar on 'Maximising your White Space' for salon owners and therapists. We absolutely loved answering individual questions of real business pain points and giving our expert advice on how to manage. As usual with a packed room we didn't have time to answer all the questions, so if you missed the talk or couldn't get a ticket, please email [email protected] for a copy of our 'Maximising your White Space' leaflet.

We are always on the look out for new products and we weren't disappointed. Our favourite was by far the newly launched Crocodoil who made their debut at the show! We managed to have a chat to the founders, Lloyd and Barbara Bantleman, who gave us some background on the product. Crocodile oil has been valued as a skin enriching oil for centuries by many ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians and Chinese. We were astounded at how this completely natural product left our hands silky smooth. You can purchase samples on their website for around £6.99, we would highly recommend trying this amazing product!

 

 

Apt team building experience: Greek on the Docks Dining Experience

Following on from our last blog, after the apt team successfully escaped from Trapped Escape Rooms, they headed to the new Greek on the Docks restaurant overlooking the harbour for lots of food and a cheeky bottle (or two) of wine!

Upon entering the restaurant which opened in Summer last year, we were all greeted by smiling faces and beautiful aromas. Our waiter, Nikos was absolutely exceptional and did not only keep the beautiful house wine flowing but also kept us giggling throughout the night.

As there was quite a large group of us, the staff at Greek on the Docks could not have been more attentive, considering we also had two Vegans in the party. For starters, the staff worked hard to prepare a Greek style Mezze tailored to all of our needs, all of which arrived beautifully presented on quality crockery with generous portions. The main meals were freshly prepared and just as delicious. So delicious, in fact that we have pulled together our very own suggested menu for you to try:

STARTERS

Kolokithakia: Battered courgette chips, served with Tzatziki.

Caramelised Onion Fava: Traditional yellow bean puree with caramelised onions and balsamic drizzle.

Dolmadakia: Vine leaves stuffed with rice.

MAINS

 Kleftiko: Slow cooked lamb in filo pastry with tomato and cheese.

Moussakas: Layers of aubergine, courgettes and beef mincemeat.

Gemista: Peppers and tomatoes stuffed with rice and vegetables.

DESSERTS

 Baklava: Delicate sweet pastry with nuts and syrup.

Trio of desserts

We would really like to thank Greek on the Docks for having us and for a lovely evening complete with gorgeous food and wine. If you haven’t already, we definitely recommend you book a table, oh and don’t forget to try the Kleftiko, it’s very tasty! Greek on the Docks have also recently launched a delicious lunch menu with one course starting from just £6.90 so be sure to try that out too!

Apt team building experience: Trapped Escape Rooms in Gloucester

On Wednesday 8^th February, the apt team headed out on a team building event and there was no better way to focus on team building than an escape room followed by lots of food (...and wine)!

The team chose to experience the brand new Trapped Escape Rooms located on Eastgate Street in Gloucester and their two themed escape rooms. If you’ve not heard of an escape room before, it is a physical adventure game where the players are locked in a room and need to solve puzzles and clues to escape, all while being up against the clock!

Trapped Escape Rooms in Gloucester which only opened on Wednesday 1^st February 2017 were absolutely excellent and accommodating to our team building event. Upon arrival, we were given the all important safety briefing and the team was split up into teams of five to go head to head against each other...

So with the team split into Team Haunted Hotel & Team Prison Break we were sent to our rooms to escape. It was made all the more humorous with Team Prison Break having to fashion orange and striped jumpsuits!

Team Prison Break however, had the last laugh. The team managed to escape from their room with 30 minutes still on the clock making it to the top of the leader board completing the room in just 29:31 minutes! Meanwhile Team Haunted Hotel were still trapped, although they managed to escape (with quite a few clues) with one second to spare!

The experience that the teams had in each room were completely different, Team Prison Break were thrown into traditional jail cells while Team Haunted Hotel were stuck in a spooky hotel room. It was almost like having a ‘Big Brother’ in the room with the interactive screens as well as some other interactive surprises in the Haunted Hotel room including loud bangs on the walls...which made Sarah, Jess and Dawn all jump out of their skins!

Trapped Escape Rooms in Gloucester have done a fantastic job at bringing the global phenomenon to the local area and we are really looking forward to watching their business grow. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out their website and like their Facebook page to keep up to date with what they’re up to and their exciting offers.

Thanks guys!

Maximise Conference Awards

The Maximise Business Awards arealmost here and there is still time to book, sponsor and nominate the best business woman in the country.

The categories for 2016 are:

• Business Woman of 2016
• Business Mum of 2016
• Best New Business of 2016
• Active Business Woman of 2016
• Excellence in Business 2016
• Mature Business Woman of 2016
• Young Entrepreneur of 2016
• Creative Business of 2016
• Speaker of 2016
• Venue of 2016
• Product of 2016
• Intern of 2016
• Host of 2016
• Man of 2016

For more information on the Maximise Business Conference and the awards, visit the Women’s Business Club website. Tickets are still available so book yours today!

Inspirational Speakers at the Women’s Business Club Maximise Conference

With the Women’s Business Club Maximise Conference just around the corner, we wanted to give you an insight into the inspirational people who will be speaking at the event:

Siobhan Greegard – Siobhan is an entrepreneur and parenting commentator. She founded her first business, Netmums, in 2000 and it grew to become the biggest parenting website in the UK. Siobhan will be the Keynote Speaker on the main stage with a talk entitled Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

Angela De Souza – Angela is the founder and director of the Women’s Business Club and this year her talk will take a very honest look at how business owners are not making the money that they should and what to do about it.

Sara Tye – Sara is an award-winning, top 500 international PR, business and organisational development expert. During Set One, Sara will be talking about how to grow your business ahead of the curve with effective public relations.

Andy Gwynn – Andy is a business coach for business owners, franchisors and professionals and has been helping grow businesses since 2003. Andy will be talking during Set Two about how to use LinkedIn to find your ideal clients.

Jennifer Hall – Jennifer runs ‘The Life Buddy’ and is also a business creation coach and mindset master. Jennifer will be the first of the speakers during Set One and will be providing advice on how to achieve your goals.

Billal Jamil – Billal is an internationally acclaimed Professional Speaker and specialises in public speaking and presentation. Billal will be speaking in Set Two on why success is just one breath away.

Still not got your tickets for the event? Tickets are still available online, click here to purchase yours. Tickets cost just £22.50, but we also have the last few remaining guests tickets at a discounted rate, so give us a call on 01242 250692 to come along as our guest.

Share your thoughts on the speakers on Twitter - Don’t forget to tag @WomBizClub and use the #Maximise2016!

Maximise Conference: Exciting Exhibitors

Here at apt marketing & pr, we are really excited to be exhibiting for the first time at the Women’s Business Club Maximise Conference on Wednesday 30^th November 2016.

There were a number of exhibitor packages available from Gold, Silver, Bronze and Small Business, all for an affordable price.

Here’s the list of businesses who are exhibiting:

Gold Exhibitors

• Strawberry Studios
• The Life Buddy
• Public Speaking Academy
• redheadPR
• 3 Degrees Social
• Karosa Jewellery

Silver Exhibitors

• apt marketing & pr
• Hire My Outfit
• Honour Wellbeing
• House of Robinson
• Fiona Scott Media Consultancy

Bronze Exhibitors

• Invide Social Media
• Coconut Group
• The Isbourne Holistic Centre
• Increase your Social Reach
• Lis McDermott Photography
• Travel Cloud
• Sophie Cameron-Davies
• Safe From Slavery
• Phoenix Cards
• Millie&Belle Accessories
• Calisto Green
• Cheltenham Wigs
• WMM Silver
• Active Gloucestershire

Small Business Exhibitors

• Foxy Lady Drivers Club
• Nikki NockyNoo
• Anorak Cat
• Step by Step Listening
• Sunago Unique Creations
• Zest Bootcamp
• Box Polish
• Pink & Green
• Cheeky Little Prints
• Tricia Designs
• Primrose Mortgages

There is still time to get your tickets to attend the Women’s Business Club Maximise Conference, book your tickets here for only £22.50! Don’t forget to let us know if you are going to the event by using tagging @WomBizClub and using the #Maximise2016 on Twitter!