Sleepover is a new style of networking event for the hotel industry, bringing together like-minded souls involved in creating new hotel concepts worldwide.

Sally was also involved when Sleepover made its debut in Berlin in 2012 – have a look here for the evidence!

Sleepover Amsterdam

‘Our second expedition sailed forth into the uncharted waters of Amsterdam with a clear mission in mind…For our guests to meet in a less formal environment than other industry events, for the sharing of ideas, experiences and knowledge to help grow each others’ businesses.

So, no seminars, speed dating, or sales pitches, just social networking of the traditional variety with a great and global guest list – great venues, good food and a bit of grog with industry friends both old and new. After all, we’re all in the same boat.’

LARK snapped a couple of ‘behind the scenes’ and inspirational tones, shapes and aspects of Amsterdam during event prep.

Sleepover Amsterdam will be revealed in its full professional technicolour glory captured by our Amsterdam camera crew very soon!

Sleepover Amsterdam

Our fav quote from the review has got to be ”A cool city-centre hideaway with 14 rooms’  and ‘Large and slick, with a Manhattan apartment style’ and of course we love the 8/10 rating for overall excellence.

Enough said.

Yaelle

Silversmiths are the only Yorkshire restaurant to feature in the “Sexy Restaurant” list, and are rubbing shoulders with fine brasseries from London to Edinburgh, secret hideaways and Michelin-starred establishments.

Read the full article via Silversmiths

Sheffield’s Chimney House celebrates ‘second best boardroom in the world’

A curious building with a curious past, it once housed an elephant used for carrying heavy components in armaments manufacture during the First World War. Marishka Van Steenbergen takes a look

Sleepover is a new style of networking event for the hotel industry, bringing together like-minded souls involved in creating new hotel concepts worldwide.

Our maiden voyage in 2012 saw 100 hotel innovators gather in Berlin for 24 hours of adventure.

2013 sees our second expedition set forth into the uncharted waters of Amsterdam. Our mission remains the same – for our guests to meet in a less formal environment than other industry events, for the sharing of ideas, experiences and knowledge to help grow each others’ businesses.

So, no seminars, speed dating, or sales pitches, just social networking of the traditional variety – great venues, good food and a bit of grog with industry friends both old and new. After all, we’re all in the same boat.

Sleepover Amsterdam

Societiers
You have been brought together to experience the playfulness of the time
One may think that it was mighty fine
To be Lords of the manor
and to be Ladies that clamour
For fine treats of the Empire
Brought fast with a doffing of a cap, SQUIRE…
…Hurry with that.
Tricky fun
put away that gun
We’re gentlemen here until kingdom come.
We endeavour to tease
Your emotions we may seize
Tis the way in The Great House

We’ve been anticipating Supper Society since the end of our last Society meeting in October 12…

Blackout Society was hailed as an disputable success kicking off our foray into our own brand of ‘Supper Club’ So how do you follow that? With Great House Society of course!

We had a full house of fine Societiers convene for the toll of the dinner bell at 8pm sharp – for mystery and intrigue in the form of peculiar happenings and as one guest so elegantly put it ‘bonkers’ food…

The Society  Hall was literally bursting with anticipation and guests, as sealed white boxes floated down to them with the instruction of don’t dare open your box till you hear the dinner bell ring again… Guests sat obedient and still… WHAT’S IN THE GODDAMN BOX!! WE ARE HUNGRY  resounding round the Hall in hungry silent volume…

The trick to this Society is remember those Great Housers liked to play tricks and out-tricksy each other with wily fun and random games – so into Great House mode we plunged with our tricky white boxes and random instruction…

Read the full encounter here

Unusually Gamebore had requested a new website but without the adaptation of their existing logo ID – which had to be incorporated into web design and visual aspects.

LARK directed the look and tone of the site – driving the visual side of both Game and Clay to tell the story of Gamebore and ultimately to promote sales. The site had to be readily accessible across all mobile devices – which presented products in an innovative and dynamic way – which could easily be viewed from any place in the World.

LARK majors on creating a platform on which a brand or product can excel – looking at a different aspect to the world of  English shotgun cartridges brought out not only the technicality and prowess of the product – but also tapped into a lifestyle element that brings a new dimension to the brand. The inclusion of ‘look books’ in the Gamebore site brought a trend and fashion element to the brand portrayal but which had longevity and an ‘anti-aging’ persuasion via content.

Website design and development – 93ft

Website direction – LARK

Photography – James Brown at 93ft

Article courtesy of Company magazine.

‘On a recent trip to Manchester, we stayed at Roomzzz Manchester. It’s housed in a Grade II listed cotton warehouse, boasting high ceilings, long windows, soaring interior spaces and grand Victorian character by the yard.

As you’d expect from a luxury hotel, there’s every concession to contemporary style and comfort with 48 individual apartments to choose from – from compact studios to spacious suites – even a i-mac iand the i-home in every room (perfect for charing your iphone!)

Each one fully fitted for the practicalities of daily life; each one finished with a subtle suggestion of the Orient inspired by the bustle of nearby Chinatown.

It’s easily reached from Manchester Piccadilly railway station, and with Piccadilly Gardens just a few blocks away, the Northern Quarter beyond, Manchester Central and Deansgate’s shopping to the north-west, you’re never far from the heartbeat of this vibrant 21st Century metropolis.  So perfect for a girlie weekend of shopping and partying!!!’

Company

Roomzzz

LARK put together an awards entry which was presented to a stellar line up of nationally acclaimed experts in design including Sir Terence Conran, Livingetc’s editor, Suzanne Imre, Linda Barker and Wayne Hemingway MBE judged 93ft the winners of the category based on the strength of their interiors portfolio.

Uniquely representing Yorkshire and shortlisted out of hundreds of entries, 93ft competed against four other design houses from the North at the awards for the prestigious title of ‘Interior Design Practice of the Year’.

93ft are regarded by the industry as specialists in presenting bespoke turnkey design which pushes past ‘just’ interior design and incorporates ID and Brand to accompany interior solutions that gives their clients the platforms they need to develop and improve their business in commercial, retail, leisure and hospitality environments.

Based in Sheffield but working all over the UK and into Europe 93ft led by owner Tim Hubbard, 93ft work with brands who are willing to use interior design as a way to improve their business prospects and to elevate their brand to a level which reflects products they sell, environment or the ethos in which they run their day to day.

Hubbard comments ‘We work with a great range of clients with varying budgets and timescales. A new interior often means closing – and the inevitable loss of trading time. We not only design bespoke but direct and project manage to ensure our clients open as fast as possible but with exceptionally high standard results, to be recognised for this in this economic climate is not only reassuring but immensely pleasing.’

An important part of 93ft’s design ethos is the use of high quality reclaim and salvage materials which have been rescued, restored and applied into architectural interiors. Hubbard comments ‘using reclaim isn’t always the easiest way – but the results of historic woods and antique leathers, materials with meaning and heritage make all the difference to us and our clients.’

93ft

Interior by 93ft

Silversmiths

Photography by James Brown at 93ft

LARK has created a series of socials for guests to reserve and pay for their seat to join other lovers of coffee and seekers of breakfast/lunch perfection to gather at The Chimney House and meet over 40ft of social tables with friends, family or solo…

Inspired by global wanderings in and out of coffee houses and the perusing of some of the best social eating experiences we joined up with deluxe purveyors of coffee perfection – Tamper Coffee to bring the ultimate Coffeehouse of delight.

As with all events by LARK, Coffeehouse will pop up and drop down again and pop up on demand.

LARK events deliver sell out events, partnerships with pursuers of perfection, elevated brand profile and the ultimate showcase of a brand, allowing customers of the future to experience The Chimney House.

Coffeehouse at The Chimney House

Creating an utterly irresistible feast for the eyes and the mind was top notch priority but which also contained careful prose to delight the eyes.

A more than valuable visual tool to enhance new sales as well as to remind old and loyal customers that their restaurant of choice is ever raising the bar on excellence and never resting upon its laurels.

A look book designed to invigorate and to stimulate hunger, this particular version is punctuated with hand drawn illustrations especially for Silversmiths to drive home the aspect of homemade, home grown and exacting levels of care.

Look Book design by 93ft

Photography by James Brown at 93ft

Silversmiths

Courtesy of The Guardian – one of our fav descriptions of The Chimney House…

‘Then there’s the beautiful Chimney House for indulgent dining in atmospheric Grade II- listed surrounds’

Styling means the power of suggestion, the placement of ideas and the element of curiosity. Mud Crab has several mini sub brands that needed to be incorporated into text – but in a manner that isn’t apparent – but will become so on visiting the restaurant or reading a menu online.

Top priority was a sense of  louche ‘devil may care’, mystical playfulness  but matched with tender wisdom – all created in house by LARK.

‘Ethereal stampede.
Sun, rain and dinner dance. Summon the Gods, we’re talking ritual.
All hail the rumblings within.’

‘Wilderness roaming, urban profound.
Slight of hand and trick of the eye.
A gathering in a glade
Feast from within.’

‘Some say to be happy, one needs to be content.
The wise say contentment is usually found in the last mouthful.
Therefore happiness is surely within anticipation.’

Also essential was the use of prompt which could also be used as news flashes to promote offers and seasonality.

Mud Crab

Leaping to the challenge LARK applied various techniques including PPC, Social Media, illustration and the application of SEO via smart blogging to captivate an audience and improve bookings over the festive period by 50%.

As a one-off project LARK produced measurable and instant results via weekly reports and ‘cost v results’ management.

The Lawrance