Category Archives: Client Promotion

Santa Claus is coming to Town Friday 18 November 2011

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Santa Claus is coming to Town!
Friday 18 November 2011

Today regional shopping destination, thecentre:mk announce exciting plans for the opening of ‘An Olde English Christmas’ in Middleton Hall and a spectacular outdoor ice rink in Queens Court for Christmas 2011.

In 2010, over 6,000 people visited the centre to watch Santa parade down the malls and open his grotto. This year thecentre:mk announce plans for a parade which will start at Door 1 near M&S food hall and cascade down the Midsummer Arcade of the centre at 4:30pm on Friday 18 November. Over 100 children from local schools will create a wonderful acapella Christmas carol chorus to accompany Santa on his journey to Middleton Hall, to open his grotto.

Once Santa and his carol singers reach Middleton Hall and Santa officially opens his grotto, the Milton Keynes City Orchestra will take to the stage to play a mini sing along carol service, for all of thecentre:mk guests to enjoy. Song sheets will be provided for guests to join in and Christmas will have officially opened in Milton Keynes.

The elegant outdoor ice rink, in Queens Court will hold an extra special charity ‘donate to skate’ on Thursday 17 November from 6:30-7:30pm, to raise money for BBC Children in Need. thecentre:mk welcome families to come along to be the first people to skate on the ice and enjoy the wonderful festive atmosphere of the outdoors in Queens Court.

Melanie Beck, Head of Marketing and Communications at thecentre:mk comments, “We are very excited for the launch of Christmas at thecentre:mk this year and especially with the inclusion of Children in Need at our ice rink in Queens Court and the Milton Keynes City Orchestra for the opening of ‘An Olde English Christmas’ in Middleton Hall. We hope that our shoppers will join us for these special events over the two days and enjoy the beginning of Christmas in Milton Keynes.”

To visit Santa in his grotto, to book a ride on the train or a skate on the ice rink, visit http://www.thecentremk.com or call 08445 449660. Santa’s grotto closes on 24 December 2011, the Ice Rink and ‘An Olde English Christmas’ which includes the train, close on 2 January 2012. The ice rink in Queen’s Court can accommodate need specific and group bookings, as well as school and corporate party requests.

Please note thecentre:mk BBC Children in Need Skate will not be ticketed and will be based on a first come first serve basis, entrance will be based on a donation to the charity, a minimum £5 donation per person is recommended.

TWO MILE ASH SCHOOL HAVE A BALL AT PRESTIGE HOMES MK LIONS!

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Fifty excited pupils from Two Mile Ash School signed up for a Basketball Coaching Clinic Special this Sunday (6th November) with Prestige Homes MK Lions, Milton Keynes own professional basketball team.  Students not only benefitted from an interactive and engaging one hour coaching session followed by pizza but also watched the Lions play against rivals Guildford Heat which proved to be one of the most tense matches of the season!

Arranged by Shirley Townsend, Head of Extended Schools at Two Mile Ash, the pupils enjoyed an action packed, fun coaching clinic with players Ishmael Fontaine and Cameron Bernard where they were taught shooting and ball handling skills whilst proud parents watched at the side line.  A tasty pizza and drink followed afterwards and then pupils, parents and staff watched MK Lions play a thrilling, close match against Guildford Heat, with our local boys just clinching a win 98 – 82!.  Shirley Townsend said “the children have had an amazing afternoon, it was a great mix of basketball tuition and entertainment, we will definitely be organising another one for next year”.

Available throughout the season at every home game, The Coaching Clinic Special for schools costs just £12 per head and includes a one hour coaching session by a professional coach/player, a pizza meal courtesy of Frankie and Bennies and a ticket to watch the MK Lions in action playing a home match.  Accompanying school staff each receive complimentary tickets and the school gets a ‘shout out’ and free photograph with a player.
Any schools interested in arranging a Coaching Clinic Special or any other school basketball packages should contact Debbie Sidwell, Schools Development Manager,  at Prestige Homes MK Lions on 0843 309 3600.
MK Lions Basketball, MK Lions Arena, Snowdon Drive, Winterhill, Milton Keynes,
 MK6 1AJ
Telephone; 08433 093600. Email; debbie@mklions.com, http://www.mklions.com

INTERDIRECT DOES MOBILE APPS

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With 16 years experience in the digital industry, and countless software solutions, websites and touch screens under its belt, Interdirect is proving it is still ahead of the game when it comes to what its client’s want – and right now that’s mobile apps.

                Following the success of its first iPhone app, which was launched in March 2011, Interdirect won further iPhone application projects with several shopping centres, including The Harlequin, Lakeside and Metrocentre, as well as breaking into the European market with an app for Corvin Shopping Centre in Budapest.
Always keen to make the most of an opportunity, Interdirect then set its sights on designing and developing an Android application, and in July 2011 it launched its first multi-platform application for the Northampton Business School. Using its highly skilled team of designers, builders and developers, Interdirect produced an app that enables users to learn about Northampton Business School’s philosophy and to discover what makes it a special place to be.

Founder and managing director of Interdirect, Nicholas Mann says: “The digital arena is more exciting than ever before, with the fusion of really helpful handheld devices and significantly better transfer rates, creating a world of possibilities that Interdirect is excitedly tapping into.”
“Interdirect continues to be forward thinking in everything it does, and will constantly assess the market to identify opportunities for further growth.”
                Senior developer and Interdirect’s Android expert, Tom Jenkins says: “Android is the fastest growing operating system in Europe, with  a current 23% of the market share, so it makes sense for Interdirect to broaden its portfolio into developing Android applications.”


“The Northampton Business School application is designed to exemplify the essence of the brand, making use of engaging functionality to encourage repeat visits. This is all driven by a web based content managed system which gives staff at Northampton Business school complete control of the mobile user experience.”


Dr Mark Cusiter, Principal Lecturer in Marketing says: “At Northampton Business School we are proud of the distinctive, high quality experience that we create for both our students and corporate clients. In adding a smartphone app to our communications mix, it was important that we captured the essence of this experience to create an app that users wanted to return to again and again. We chose to work with Interdirect because they listened to our brief and shared our vision for an app that was distinctive both in appearance and functionality. Despite the challenges of speaking to multiple audiences through a medium that presents a number of constraints, we are delighted with the end product and are confident that it will deliver on our communications objectives.”

THE WEBBER INDEPENDENT SCHOOL JOINS IPAD REVOLUTION

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The Webber Independent School, Milton Keynes is leading 21st Century teaching by introducing Apple iPads in a revolutionary move to embrace new technologies and prepare students aged 3-18 years for life in a digital society where both knowledge and practical skills are highly coveted.

While many young children are learning to hold a pencil, students as young as 3-year-olds are now practicing writing numbers on their iPads as part of the school’s dedication to a 21st century learning environment. In addition, children can now take photographs, shoot videos, research lesson topics on the internet, play educational games and even track the planets in the sky using the light-weight interactive tablets.
Principal Sue Vig, said: “We believe that young people enjoy learning through a variety of technology enhancing tools. The response has been incredibly positive so far, with teachers and students reporting that the devices have made their lessons more engaging. Though, it is important to note that that the technology has not been introduced as a replacement for traditional reading and writing methods, but as a modern supplement to the children’s lessons.”

The decision to introduce such technology was further backed by parents who thought the weight of the iPad and its battery life made it ideal for children to use for learning at home as well as through the school day. The Webber Independent School will host their first ever master class for parents in November where roles will be reversed and children will teach parents in a lesson on the basics of modern technology.
The Webber Independent  School is holding an open day on Friday 11th November all day. 

CALCUTTA SHORTLISTED

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The shortlist for the prestigious British Curry Awards has just been announced and Milton Keynes’ Calcutta Brasserie is among the few to compete at the highest level in the Indian food sector.

An amazing 2,700 restaurants were entered for the awards from a record 68,000 public nominations. These have now been whittled down to a shortlist of 100 from which the nine regional winners and the Newcomer of the Year will be announced at London’s Battersea Evolution later this month.

This year’s awards dinner will be hosted by TV celebrity chef James Martin and attended by around 1,600 restaurateurs, VIP guests and celebrities.

Mo, proprietor at Calcutta Brasserie said: “We were shortlisted last year but this year we hope to win. The event has been nicknamed the ‘Curry Oscars’ by David Cameron and it’s the most important event for Indian restaurants. On Monday 28th November we will keep our fingers crossed but either way we know this is a wonderful success for us all and we owe that to our chefs, staff and of course our customers. Thank you.”

For more information about Calcutta Brasserie, visit http://www.calcuttabrasserie.co.uk or call 01908 566577.