HIE Creative Industries Newsletter - October 2010

Here's the latest news from the HIE Creative Industries Team. Lots of opportunities and information  about, and for, the creatively-talented.

You can get it here (124k download)

Business Gateway Roadshow - Wick 4th November

The Roadshows continue and, of particular interest to those who missed the Dornoch bash, there's another (relatively) local opportunity.   So why not take a little trip to MacKay's Hotel in Wick on the 4th November to meet the Gateway team and lots of local businesses for advice, information, networking and, possibly, some fun.  I'm going to be there to see how  they do things differently in Caithness..

For more info, follow the link.

PRS for Music - Music Copyright Workshop

Here's a message from Amanda Millen:

Wednesday 27th October 2010

The Ironworks

122b Academy Street

Inverness IV1 1LX

2pm-5pm

PRS for Music are running a seminar on music copyright. This can be a minefield but Duncan McCrone and Andy Harrower will demystify this process.

Are you making short films but not sure what music you can or cannot use, and more importantly is there a cost?

Are you a musician/composer just not sure what to charge, if anything, for your creative talent on a short film, television programme or radio?

What rights should you sell/buy and what should you keep/not bother with?

What are rights and what do you have to do to 'clear' them?

If you've ever asked yourself any of the above this is a must-attend seminar for you.

We'll explain the difference in using commercial, library and specially composed music, and give an insight into blanket agreements, the latest developments with music and the internet and all will exemplified with over 20 years of music publishing experience.

Andy Harrower is Director of Broadcast Licensing at PRS for Music. Currently he is responsible for overseeing the licensing of TV and radio broadcasters in the UK, ensuring that PRS writer and publisher members are paid whenever their music is broadcast.

Duncan McCrone is Scotland's Senior Development Manager for PRS for Music. He looks after the songwriting and publishing community in Scotlahd and his office is the first port of call for anyone who either creates or uses music in Scotland.

5pm Networking Drinks

6pm Music Showcase with James Mackenzie (and the Aquascene)/Iain MacLaughlin

In advance of their split single, both James Mackenzie and Iain MacLaughlin will be doing a live acoustic set followed by some candid interview chat.

RSVP to Amanda Millen asap AmandaMillen@hotmail.com

Amanda Millen

Development Producer

Screen and Broadcast Industries for the Highlands and Islands

M: 07887 605 062

I've been on a couple of Duncan's workshops in the past and they're not only very interesting but probably vital for anyone in the music industry.

Roadshows Galore...

If you couldn't get to the Business Gateway Roadshow in Dornoch last week, there are several others happening across the Highlands & Moray before the end of the year.  For details, see the Side Panel.  Just remember that Sutherland was first...

Fun with Renewables!!

Assynt Renewables are holding a Demo Day on Saturday 23rd October in the Lochinver Village Hall.  There are all types of fun and activities relating to energy-saving  including the chance to try electric bicycles.

For further information take a look at the Assynt Renewables website: Link

Business Start-Up Guide

The brand new Business Gateway Highland Start Up Guide is hot off the press and is available to download (201k) here.  It sets out the support available for business starts in the region and is full of useful contacts for anyone planning a new venture (or developing an existing business).

North Highland Tourism Survey

Here's a message from Jill McNicol for all North Highland tourism businesses....

North Highland Tourism Visitor Survey

As discussed in our last newsletter our visitor survey is now ready for you to pass onto visitors. We are offering copies of Charles Tait’s ‘Guidebook to the North Highlands’ as incentive prizes as you will see on our home page http://www.northhighlandsscotland.com/

We want and need to start collecting feedback from our visitors and businesses so we can respond better to our visitor needs and we’re looking for your help to do this! The survey will help us assess:-

• visitor awareness

• bookings/future booking intentions

• visitor profile

• average length of stay/spend etc

• activities undertaken while in NHT area/planned for future visits to NHT area

The survey will also provide an opt in - allowing visitors to receive future marketing information and offers from NHT (including capture of name and e-mail address details).

Below we have listed how you can help by adding the link into an email/enewsletter to your contacts, adding a link on your own websites so that visitors to your sites can complete the survey or by asking visitors to complete the hard copy we will provide to a selection of establishments. We would very much welcome your help in asking your visitors to complete this survey.

1. You can paste the hyperlink http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7KX85LZ into the body of an email message or e-newsletter that you send to your guests, visitors or contacts so that when people click on the link they can access our survey

2. You can also add the survey to the homepage or particular page of your website. I have provided a banner (attached) for you to use with the link above for this. You should be able to make this banner smaller if you prefer but if you would like a different size then please contact Navertech who will organise this for you for a nominal fee.

You can add the survey link to a page of your website by going into the website’s editing function and pasting the code below into the HTML (the text) of any webpage. It shows up on the page as hyperlinked text (you can amend the text ‘click here to take a survey’ by just typing in what you want between the coding)

Click here to take survey

3. We will also be providing hard copy surveys to a selection of organisations that can be put into bed packs or completed by the visitor onsite and sent FREEPOST back to the NHT office.

In addition we will be later be launching a Business Barometer survey for tourism businesses in the North Highlands area to:

• assess value/volume of business received by members as result of campaigns

• gather basic customer origin and trend information

• assess occupancy/business levels for 2010 compared with 2009

• gauge confidence levels re 2011

• gather general feedback on NHT campaigns and future activities

Again to make this easy and quick for members to complete this will be an online survey carried out quarterly. Further information will follow shortly.

If you have any questions please get in touch.

Thanks

Jill

Jill McNicol

North Highland Tourism

tel: 07970 027741

The Storehouse

Foulis Ferry

Evanton

Ross-shire

IV16 9UX

email: jill@northhighlandsscotland.com

web: www.northhighlandsscotland.com

Dornoch Roadshow

Photo's of the Roadshow by Clive Grewcock

After all the planning and pondering, the Business Gateway Roadshow was held last night at Burghfield House Hotel in Dornoch. Over 60 people attended the event which aimed to showcase some of the support available to local businesses and also to find out what the Sutherland business community needs to help it develop over the next few years.

Nine businesses set up Trade Stands providing the catalyst for a lot of networking and a few deals.  A  packed Question Time session was hosted by STV's Nicola McAlley with Gary Campbell of  Environmental Hygiene Products Ltd and Mike Ellis of  Helmsdale Charcoal & Coppice talking about their very different businesses but similar experiences.

Musical entertainment was provided by Fiona J MacKenzie and Katie MacKenzie

Thanks to Michelle and Ilona from Enterprise Europe for all their hard work, my colleagues Jennifer, Kenny and Mark for leaving their respective Regions to help out.


There are six more Roadshows to be held across Highland & Moray during the next few weeks.  For more information,  email Enterprise Europe

"Preparing to Sell" - Selling Skills for Social Enterprises - 14 October 2010

HISEZ have arranged a Selling Skills Workshop to be held from 12noon to 3pm on 14 October at 81A Castle Street, Inverness:

"With many organisations starting to think about selling to the Christmas market, why not come along to this free networking lunch to discuss ideas about how best to display produce and how to engage with the public.

Aimed at Social Enterprises preparing for the Social Enterprise Day market in the Eastgate centre, but open to any organisation planning on selling products in the run up to Christmas. It will be an opportunity to hear experiences, try out new ideas and hear from Cathie Way, Managing Director of Affirmints, who was recently at a Trade Show in New York. Cathie will share her experiences and techniques with the group.

Lunch will be provided and you should leave feeling prepared to sell!"

 For more info, follow this link

Enterprise Roadshow: 12 October 2010

Don't forget -  the Enterprise Roadshow hits The Burghfield Hotel, Dornoch on the 12th October between 4pm and 7pm.  Hosted by TV presenter, Nicola McAlley, the Roadshows are a great way for anyone starting or developing a business to get access to advice and support. 

For more information - follow the link

Event - The Business of Creativity, 7th October 2010

Rachel Skene of HIE is promoting a support day for Creative Industries to be held on 7th October 2010 at Caithness Horizons, Thurso, starting at 12.45.

"...An event on the 7th October in Caithness Horizons Thurso will include presentations to provide insight into relevant initiatives, highlighting the reasons and ways activities have developed and the impact and benefits of these to local communities and economies. 

Presenters will include: Arts in Business; Hi-Arts; Cultural Enterprise Office, Creative Highland, fashion designer Sandra Murray MBE and art director and designer Simon Costin who will be discussing his commission for the Royal National Mod. 

Topics covered will include: the development of festivals and events, how to raise funding from the private sector, current developments in the arts in Highland; the role of heritage and provenance in creative product and how to go about turning creative ideas into real products...."

To download a copy of the event details, follow this link (249k).
For more information or to book a place contact Joan Lawrie (email) or telephone 01847 896508.

PSYBT Growth Fund Awards

 I was really pleased to attend the PSYBT Growth Fund Awards last week and even more delighted to help present an Award  to Grant Campbell of Muir of Ord-based Angela Stewart Creative.  Grant and Angela started their business in 2005 and now employ seven people and have plans for significant expansion.

The glittering event at Club 29 was attended by some of the most successful businesses ever assisted by PSYBT including Gordon Deuchars of GA Engineering who talked about his nearly 20 years in business since he was first assisted by PSYBT.

PSYBT Board Members included Gio Benedetti and Michelle Mone who stayed to chat with guests and help with the considerable networking activity. 

A great time was had by all, much business was done and a big thank you is due to Evelyn McDonald, PSYBT's Growth Fund Manager, who put the whole thing together.

For more information about PSYBT's Growth Fund, follow this link

Grant Campbell of Angela Stewart Creative (left) with fellow Award Winners

Psst! Want a free website?

For those who don't know about Getting British Business Online, here's a reminder...

GBBO is a joint initiative by Google, Enterprise UK, BT, e-skills UK and many other partners to help small businesses create their first website and help them understand the opportunities offered by the Internet. We've set a target of helping 100,000 UK organisations get their first website easily and for free by the end of 2010.

For more info, follow the link.

Speak Up for Rural Scotland

From the Rural Network newsletter,

Speak up for Rural Scotland

What are the issues that matter to you? What do you think the priorities should be for rural Scotland? You can have your say by responding to the Scottish Government consultation Speak Up for Rural Scotland. The closing date is 25th October, so there's less than a month left to add your voice to the debate.

To participate, follow this link: 

Opportunities for the Crafts Sector

Pamela Conacher at Hi-Arts has posted her latest newsletter with information and opportunities for the Crafts Sector.   To read it, follow this link.