New office move for GBW

MIDLANDS marcomms agency, Gough Bailey Wright, has moved to new offices in Worcestershire.  
 
Following a sustained period of growth, the full service consultancy is now located in a bigger office in St John’s House in Bromsgrove.
 
The move means the agency has the capacity to keep growing, create jobs and maintain its active role within the community.
 
With an interior designed from scratch by the owners Sue Bailey and Michelle Wright, the new space includes conference rooms, break-out rooms, a ‘play’ room for agency staff and a layout to promote better integration of the agencies design, digital, PR and community affairs teams.
 
Sue Bailey, managing director, said: “This move is a fantastic step for us as a growing business. We spent a lot of time renovating the office and designing it from scratch so it would be able to accommodate our current and future needs.
 
“As GBW’s clientele and team continue to thrive, it was incredibly important for us to bring the company together in one creative and inspirational work environment.
 
“It was a big investment and a lot of hard work, but the end result really is brilliant and we are already reaping the benefits as we enter this exciting new era.”
 

High praise as Blanc lands Church of England deal

THE Church of England has turned to Solihull-based digital agency, Blanc, to help improve its internal communications.

Blanc, based at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Blythe Valley Innovation Centre, provides outsourcing, design and development services for a wide range of clients.

It was founded by Paul Evans and Steve Hawkes in 2011 after merging their respective businesses on the back of working on projects together.

The company has developed a strong base of clients, particularly in the charitable sector, and the firm has also developed links with the Church of England.

Blanc has signed off a major internal communications platform for the church that will help employees work more collaboratively and efficiently.

The platform will be used by staff at Church House, Lambeth Palace and Bishopthorpe Palace and will allow them to share files and communicate through an intranet.

The six-month project comes on the back of a new platform that Blanc created for parish churches on behalf of the Diocese of Birmingham.

Steve Hawkes said: “Working with the Church of England is a real feather in our cap as a company.

“The two projects are quite different and do underline the varying work we can undertake here at Blanc. The feedback from the church has been very positive and we are delighted that they are finding the new platforms so easy to use.”

Arti Halai speaks up for Fleet Street Training

FORMER Central TV news presenter Arti Halai, now of Birmingham-based Fleet Street Training, has won a Vistage UK speaker award.

She received Best Newcomer Award 2014 at a ceremony held at London’s Sky Bar, at the Grange St Paul’s Hotel.

Arti has designed and delivered a number of masterclasses for Vistage chairs and their members across the country, looking at how businesses can raise their profile and protect their reputation through engaging more effectively with the media and seizing public speaking opportunities.

The awards are decided by the chairs, their members, and the scores received for the masterclasses.

Arti said: “I’m delighted to have won this award, especially as competition among the Vistage speakers is so tough. It feels great to be rewarded and recognised for the value we offer business leaders across the country.”