All Roads Lead to Cheltenham

This week Cheltenham will be staging one of the UK’s premier sporting events as the 2013 National Hunt Festival is staged at Prestbury Park, featuring four days of top class racing.

Racing is a great passion of mine, so I’d like to share some fantastic facts, followed by a few nags that may be worth a flutter…

The event attracts around 230,000 spectators generating ticket sales of more than £7 million, with 27 races, offering more than £3m in prize money, culminating with the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

The Festival has grown significantly over the years and now generates a staggering £50 million for the local economy. Some of the statistics are quite amazing:

- 5,000 temporary staff are employed
- 10,000 beds in the town are sold each night
- 220,000 pints of Guinness are consumed at the course
- 12,000 people sit down to lunch at the course each day
- 30,000 cars and 2,000 coaches bring people to the course
- Over 600 helicopter landings, making this the busiest temporary airfield in the country
- Over £1m cash is withdrawn from the cash machines on course
- Over £1m passes hands in the betting ring for each race
- Off course, bookmakers take more than £600m on the Festival
- Unknown amounts are gambled in all night poker schools

If this is your first visit to Cheltenham, you may be surprised to find that, unlike other sports events, the crowd is constantly moving from parade ring to the stands, to the bar, to the toilet, to the shops, not necessarily in that order. I suggest you try and take time to go into the centre of the course so you can get up close to the horses jumping a fence and appreciate the speed and bravery of the jockeys. It’s a great vantage point to take in the huge number of people in the stands opposite and to hear the roar when a well-backed horse wins, especially one from Ireland!

The Jockey Club is always looking at ways to develop facilities at the racecourse and they are going to be renovating some of the older stands over the next few years, which is long overdue and a welcome improvement. It will be strange not to see Edward Gillespie at the helm this year, as he stood down after more than 30 years as Chief Executive. His forward thinking and organisation have made such a huge contribution to growing the Festival, making the venue a lot more than ‘just a racecourse’, and a place of which the people of Cheltenham can feel justly proud.

No article about the Festival would be complete without a few pointers to some winners this week! So here are some long-range selections for all 27 races, that should give you a run for your money:


Tuesday

1.30 - Dodging Bullets
2.05 - Overturn
2.40 - Fruity O’Rooney
3.20 - Rock on Ruby
4.00 - Arabella Boy
4.40 - Quevega (each way alternative Kentford Gray Lady)
5.15 - Shangani

Wednesday

1.30 - Lyreen Legend
2.05 - Taquin de Seuil
2.40 - Unioniste
3.20 - Sprinter Sacre (each way alternative Somersby)
4.00 - Pendra
4.40 - Bordoni
5.15 - Golantilla

Thursday

1.30 - Aupcharlie
2.05 - Seymour Eric
2.40 - Menorah
3.20 - Reve de Sivola
4.00 - Poquelin
4.40 - Frisco Depot

Friday

1.30 - Our Conor
2.05 - Edgardo Sol
2.40 - Conneygree
3.20 (Gold Cup) - Sir Des Champs (each way alternative Captain Chris)
4.00 - Cottage Oak
4.40 - Art Professor
5.15 - Tanks For That

Enjoy!

Colin Spencer
Chairman

Reasons to be cheerful!

The economy may have been piling on the pressure for many businesses this year, but it hasn’t dampened their goodwill towards great local causes, if our experiences in the last few weeks are anything to go by.

Last weekend the Target PR team ran a pop-up shop for the day in Cheltenham's Regent Arcade, with a mission to raise as much as we could for Sue Ryder. Our magnificent One Day Wonderland raised more than £800 on the day, but none of that would have been possible without the help of lots of local businesses.

Bev, Target’s office manager and chief blagger of freebies, led the sterling work inviting suppliers, local retailers, and friends of our business to get involved - and we were all overwhelmed by the positive reaction, even from companies with whom we had no previous relationship. 

These are all businesses led by people who care about the community in which they're based. Happy to do their little bit. And when you add it all together, that's a lot of positive energy. 

If you happened to be on the first floor of Regent Arcade on Saturday you may have seen some of that positive energy in action - the public responded with enthusiasm, and our team excelled at turning a disused retail unit into a hive of goodwill. (You'll find lots of photos on our Facebook page!)

If you missed it, however, don't worry - there's plenty of time to get involved between now and 18 January when our fundraising finale takes place - the Grand Balloon Race. Just £5 a ticket with a chance to win a fabulous overnight stay with dinner at the luxurious Cotswold 88 Hotel in Painswick.

Just email bigwigs@targetgroup.co.uk or donate online at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TargetPR

In the meantime, what better way to finish this post than with a roll-call of all the fantastic companies that have supported us so far!!

I make that 36 reasons to be cheerful - have a great Christmas!

Regent Arcade

Brasserie Blanc, Cheltenham

Marks & Spencer, Cheltenham

Hobbs, Cheltenham

Grafx, Cheltenham

N3 Display, Bristol

Alpha Response, Gloucester

Typecraft, Cheltenham

Stu-art Design

Cheltenham Racecourse

SnowDome, Tamworth

Ellenborough Park Hotel, Cheltenham

Sutdio Fit, Cheltenham

The Entertainer, Cheltenham

Boots, Cheltenham

Sugar Loaf, Cheltenham

BHS, Cheltenham

Lakeland, Cheltenham

Cotswold88 Hotel, Painswick

Specsavers, Cheltenham

Travellers Finds, Cheltenham

Thorntons, Cheltenham

Waterstones, Cheltenham

5 Star Valeting Solutions

Brickhampton Golf Course

Cheltenham Town Hall

Venture Photography, Cheltenham

Toni & Guy, Cheltenham

Lakeside Chippy, Cheltenham

Bodyshop, Cheltenham

Calendar Club, Cheltenham

Little Bag Company, Cheltenham

Folk Dean Balloons

Underwoods Steel

QuoLux
SLG

Sarah Bryars

Chief Executive, Target PR

A way with words

It’s been a busy few weeks here at Target PR, from organising our upcoming ‘One Day Wonderland’ pop-up shop and balloon race in aid of Sue Ryder, to our everyday work, great things happen at 105-107 Bath Road and we'd like to share it with the world. Well, the world wide web to be precise!

In recent weeks you may have noticed that we’ve done more than just dip our toes into the social media swimming pool, we’ve been going all out giving you daily insights into what goes on here at Target HQ. But we didn’t just dive straight in, oh no, we put together a list of hints and tips to make sure everyone in the team was on the right track.

So if you’re stuck for words, or need help deciding whether that tweet about what you had for breakfast is really necessary (it’s not), why not take a look at our favourite top tips and let us know what you think:

1.    First and foremost be yourself, but be cautious. It sounds obvious but don't reveal information that you feel could be potentially sensitive or confidential – you don’t want to let the cat out of the bag!

2.    Internal issues can arise and disagreements do happen, but public arenas, including Twitter, Facebook and blogs, are not the place for these to be aired. Enough said.

3.    The best posts are the ones that signpost information available elsewhere and encourage conversations. Content is king and stuff that works includes: a behind the scenes look at a day in your shoes, insight on and responses to the latest and greatest industry news, or even a guest post from a client that’s benefitted from your help.

4.    If the post is related to a news story, link to it and respond to it, don’t spend time repeating it. After all, people are coming to you for your opinion and insight. As Baz Luhrmann once said, “Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off and recycling it for more than it’s worth”.

5.    Enjoy it!

Zainab Rahman

Account Executive

Shopping in a One Day Wonderland!

Feel-good shopping will be hitting Cheltenham’s Regent Arcade for a 'One Day Wonderland' in aid of Sue Ryder on Saturday 15 December, thanks to the fundraising efforts by the team at Target Public Relations.

We will be swapping our desk-jobs for the shop floor when we run a ‘pop-up shop’ – appearing just for one day – selling a wide range of gifts and stocking fillers with every penny going to the Sue Ryder charity to support its hospice services helping those affected by life changing illnesses.

It's all part of this year’s Sue Ryder Big Wigs Challenge, which invites businesses to raise as much as they can with a float of £50 to get them started.

The lovely people at Regent Arcade have gifted the use of an empty shop next to TK Maxx on the first floor for the day, and the Target team is sourcing donated gifts from businesses all over Gloucestershire, as well as privately donated ‘pre-loved’ books, DVDs, toys and accessories, and some hand-crafted items. We'll also be holding ‘Santa’s sealed bid silent auction’ on the day, with some great tickets and vouchers available to the highest bidder.

Shoppers can buy tickets to Target’s Grand Balloon Race, which will mark the end of the Big Wigs challenge on Friday 18 January 2013. Tickets cost £5 each and the balloons will be released from the roof of Target’s office on Bath Road. The person whose balloon travels the furthest will win a sumptuous overnight stay with dinner, generously donated by the luxury boutique hotel Cotswolds 88 in Painswick.

Christmas is just around the corner so we're asking everyone we can think of to help us raise some money while spreading a little festive cheer. Would you like to get involved? We're looking for more fabulous gifts, products, or tickets to sell in the shop or add to Santa's silent auction. Alternatively, you can make a donation online. And of course we'd love you to spread the word and come down to shop with us on 15 December!

The Big Wigs challenge is run by Sue Ryder every year and sees companies throughout the South West ‘competing’ to raise as much money as possible. The challenge runs from 18 October 2012 to 18 January 2013.

Sue Ryder provides free care to those affected by life changing illnesses through its care centres, homecare services and healthcare clinics.

One Day Wonderland will be open Saturday 15 December from 9am until 6pm on the first floor of Regent Arcade next to TK Maxx.

Donations to Target’s fundraising activity can also be made online at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TargetPR or by emailing bigwigs@targetgroup.co.uk

Thank you and Happy Christmas!

Sarah Bryars, chief executive, Target PR

The Force is strong with this one

Target celebrates 35 years in business this month.

Formed in 1977 – when the Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee and Star Wars was the cinema blockbuster – the company has experienced a multitude of changes, most recently in 2011 when the firm consolidated its focus on public relations as its core specialism, appointed Sarah Bryars as chief executive, and moved to its current premises at 105-107 Bath Road, Cheltenham.

“Target is living proof that quality beats the test of time, whatever the economy throws its way,” says Sarah Bryars.

“Our industry, like many others, has had its ups and downs. But by concentrating on quality and high standards, we’re very proud to be celebrating 35 years in a very competitive business where only the best will do.

“We’re a very different business to the one that opened its doors as an advertising and design agency in 1977. The creative industries, and the businesses we serve, have changed immeasurably – even in just the last five years.

“Quality is Target’s enduring characteristic, and today our team of 11 directs all its energy and creativity towards PR-led solutions that enhance the reputations of our clients so that they can grow their businesses, meet potential customers or sell more product.”

Target PR’s diverse portfolio encompasses B2B and consumer clients, in sectors from heating and plumbing (ADEY Professional Heating Solutions) to beauty (SLG), aluminium curtain walling specialists (Sapa Building System) to equestrian athletes (British Equestrian Federation), and one of the best known names on the high street (Specsavers) – to name but a few. Targeting national, local, specialist, online and social media, it’s this diversity that Sarah credits as part of Target’s success.

“Sharing ideas and experience among a team working on such different clients is a great way of maintaining a fresh perspective,” says Sarah. “But it’s also really exciting to see the depth of knowledge and contacts that each client team generates, and how they use those sector insights and relationships to benefit the client.

“Everything comes back to quality performance; it doesn’t just keep our clients happy it gives each of us a buzz, which breeds confidence, enjoyment, and our performance just gets better, which benefits the client, and so the positive cycle continues.

“That’s not to say it’s always a smooth ride! We’re in a very tough trading environment. But we’re determined, fiercely loyal to our clients, to each other and to Target, and we’re full of ambition for the future.”

Sapa Building System hands press office to Target

Sapa Building System Ltd in Tewkesbury has chosen Target PR to handle its public relations.

From its new state-of-the-art premises in Tewkesbury Business Park, Sapa Building System offers architects and specifiers a range of innovative aluminium systems for curtain walling, doors, windows and specialist applications.

Sapa has 140 staff in Tewkesbury and is part of the Sapa Group which employs 14,600 people worldwide and has an annual turnover of $4.9 billion.

Sapa’s Commercial Director, Jon Palethorpe, said taking on Target was a major step forward in the company’s bid to consolidate its position in Gloucestershire.

“Our new building enables us to merge our two existing operations in the county at a single site with great access to the whole of the UK. We now want our sales and marketing messages to get out there as efficiently as our products can travel up the M5,” said Jon.

“We have class-leading products and wanted a class act to help us shout about them. Target has all the contacts we need in the building sector, and the company is local which is hugely important when it comes to communication.”

Sarah Bryars, Chief Executive of Target PR which is based in Bath Road, Cheltenham, is delighted to be working with Sapa: “It’s a privilege to be working with a global brand with high standards and a reputation as a major force in the UK fenestration industry.”

The Account Director is Rachel Meagher who has been with Target for more than six years. She will be putting Sapa’s core messages out to local authorities, the architectural press, building titles and specialist magazines.

Sapa Building System’s recent contracts include providing windows for the new Welsh Assembly in North Wales and a unique unitised curtain walling system for the new Co-op HQ building in Manchester.

Award win that stemmed from someone else's great PR

The team at Target PR is still basking in the glow of pride at winning the Small Business category of the first Gloucestershire Apprenticeship Awards, held last week.

Run by The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo with the sponsorship backing of some great Gloucestershire businesses, the night was impressive on many levels. The Princess Royal was the guest of honour among 340 attendees there to celebrate the skills and talents of local young apprentices and the businesses that support them - as employers and training providers.

For some of the big businesses attending, apprenticeships are nothing new. Engineering, manufacturing, construction - these are all sectors that have long understood the benefits of training on the job, blending theory with practice and a living wage.

Our story is a little different. PR and Marketing has traditionally taken the graduate route, drawing talent fresh from university or as a career change from journalism, and these will undoubtedly remain popular pathways into our profession. But two years ago, we had a little light bulb moment that started our apprenticeship journey.

I was attending the launch of the '100 in 100 Apprenticeship Challenge' at the Hotel du Vin in Cheltenham. It promised to be a handy networking opportunity, I thought, with some rather nice canapes. But I was hooked by a couple of great speakers sharing their personal views - an employer and an apprentice. That, plus a chance to chat to someone from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) began the dialogue that led to us taking on our first marketing apprentice, Courtney (pictured here on the right next to me).

The launch was the start of a series of campaigns that Gloucestershire Media has taken to its heart, leading to the awards night last week. But the idea started in the PR team at Gloucestershire College, for which they deservedly won a CIPR PRide Award.

Taking a task as vast as 'growing apprenticeships' and giving it a campaign focus has been hugely successful in this county; targets of creating 100 apprenticeships in each campaign have been exceeded, and that has created a sense of momentum. The partnership with Gloucestershire Media has been pivotal.

The pace has been sustained, and more and more 'advocates' have got involved - some are advocates with direct interests such as training providers, others are simply businesses that want to be part of something positive. Positive for their own business, and for the business community.

So for us, winning an Apprenticeship Award has been a double whammy. Great for Target - a little bit of profile and a pat on the back always does us good. And great for PR, as something that probably started at a brainstorm somewhere deep within Gloucestershire College has sparked a chain of events that are contributing to real change and a life of its own.

Sarah Bryars