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SnowDome partners with the National Snow Show to encourage UK snowsport participation

The UK’s ultimate snow, ice and leisure experience, SnowDome, is joining the line-up at The National Snow Show, sponsoring an epic indoor slope and providing expert coaching to the more than 15,000 visitors expected at the NEC in Birmingham on 23-24 October 2021.

 

The National Snow Show is the vessel for growth for the UK snowsport industry, encouraging people to re-ignite their passion for snowsports and allowing others to discover the sport in a fully inclusive way. SnowDome will be working with the Snow Show team to increase participation by inviting beginners and regular skiers/boarders to come along and get inspiration and advice ahead of the 21-22 season.

 

Stephen Morgan, MD of Raccoon Active Events commented “We are absolutely stoked to be working so closely with SnowDome. The team at the National Snow Show are seriously passionate about creating a truly inclusive event where visitors can not only be inspired by our fantastic line-up of speakers, but also have a go themselves and get some hands-on practical advice on everything from planning a trip to getting the right gear to take with them. The SnowDome team is uniquely positioned to help us achieve this goal and we look forward to working with them over the next six months.”

 

“We are thrilled to be a part of this years brand new National Snow Show! It’s a huge passion of ours to give newcomers an opportunity to give it a go and experience the fun of winter sports!”. Tim Carter – Director, SnowDome.

 

The team behind the National Snow Show has also announced a host of new brands that will be in attendance over the two days including BASI, Offpiste Spirit, The Snowboard Instructor Podcast, Greenover, Canteen Collective, Ski Goddess, Andorra Travel Service, Pulseroll, Dalbello, Volkl, Marker and Weston Backcountry who will join a plethora of brands exhibiting at the event offering the latest kit, tech, trips and gear.

 

The team has also revealed two new speakers including four time Winter Olympian Chemmy Alcott and two-time Winter Olympian Aimee Fuller who join the all-star line-up including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Katie Ormerod, Benjamin Alexander, Billy Morgan, Scott Penman, Jamie Barrow, Graham Bell, Jamie Nicholls, Warren Smith and Ed Drake. Delivering a host of inspiring talks and informative workshops, the speakers will make up a packed timetable across the two days sharing their knowledge and insight into the 2022 Winter Olympics that will be just around the corner.

 

Visitors can access the Rail Jam dry slope, Rider’s Lounge in partnership with Red Bull, Shred & Butta Stage in partnership with Shred & Butta, Skate Mini Ramp in partnership with Graystone Action Sports, Alpine Après Bar with live music and a Good Vibes Après Party, all under one roof.  On top of this stellar offering a bevy of Tour Operators, Resorts and Destinations will be on hand to help plan the trip of a lifetime to some of the world’s most popular resorts as well as some off-the-beaten-track destinations. The Show’s Official Insurance Providers MPI Brokers will also be onsite to ensure that you can have peace of mind on your next trip too.

 

Not just aimed at people already involved in the snow scene, the Show will provide an opportunity for those interested to get a taste for snowsports through a series of workshops, skills sessions, dry slope sessions, as well as a mini league for university students to pitch their skills against each other to be in with a chance to win £500 to spend at the show.

 

For more information about The National Snow Show visit www.nationalsnowshow.com or to discuss opportunities to exhibit contact Stephen Morgan [email protected].

National Running Show South approaches the finish line with record-breaking enthusiasm

Despite being postponed twice over the last year, the new event from Raccoon Media Group, The National Running Show South, is expected to be the most successful launch to date for the company, with more than 20,000 runners and over 100 brands signed up to attend the Expo, set to take place at Farnborough International on 17-18 July 2021.

 

Raccoon Media Group, the company behind The National Running Show, National Outdoor Expo, National Snow Show and Run Show USA, has recently added more top brands to the line-up including COROS, Goodr, Oofos, Aftershokz, Secret Whispers, Kendal Mint Company, Artisan Design, Supernatural Fuel, Viveca Biomed, HBHM, Monty & Ridge, Platinum Ambulance Service, Running Bear, Revvies and MFB Activewear.

 

The Event will also play host to a brand-new Yoga Zone, in partnership with Yoga Furie. The Yoga Zone adds to an already impressive offering of interactive features that will connect runners with experts and professionals from across the running industry including a Gait Analysis feature with 8th Element, Strength Zone with Endure Stronger, Run Clinic with The Movement & Running School, Events Village powered by RaceNation, Pace Yourself Zone with Xempo and Art of Your Success, Bra Fit Bar with Runderwear and a Recovery Zone in partnership with Therabody.

 

Nathalie Davies, Group Event Director at Raccoon Media Group, commented: “The last few months has seen an explosion of interest in the event. Bringing the industry together and building a community is of paramount importance and after such a tumultuous year the enthusiasm and pace at which the event is growing is great to see. We are very close to reaching maximum capacity and are delighted to have powerhouse brands including Runners Need, On Running, Salomon, Ronhill, Hoka One One, KT Tape, 2XU, New Balance and Kind Snacks on board. It’s set to be a fantastic event, just what the industry needs after the challenges everyone has faced.”

 

Tickets to the show are available for £10 from www.nationalrunningshow.com/south

 

If you are interested in exhibiting at the show, please contact Rachel Marsh– [email protected] or tel. 0203 9311490

Local businessman Mike Seaman appointed as Running Mayor of Guildford

 New network of Running Mayors appointed to champion running as an antidote to some of our most pressing challenges

A new network of Running Mayors from all across the UK — and beyond — are announced today having been appointed by Runner’s World and the RunSome campaign.

This includes local businessman and CEO of the National Running Show, Mike Seaman. Mike, who lives in Bookham, Surrey runs Raccoon Media Group, a health and wellbeing events company based in the heart of Guildford, the biggest event being The National Running Show which attracts over 35,000 runners over two shows in the UK every year. An avid runner himself Mike is committed to championing running as a sustainable mode of travel, a way to stay fit and manage mental health and build community.

Tasked with advocating for running as an antidote to some of 2021’s toughest challenges — like taking practical steps to improve their community’s mental health and reduce air pollution — the new Running Mayors provide a face and a voice to champion running in the place they know and care about, the city or town where they live.

Mike commented: “I feel really strongly that being active outdoors offers so many positive effects on people’s lives and I will be actively seeking to work with local authorities to make sure that this is recognised and prioritised, and to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to allow local people to safely choose to run instead of travel by car. Guildford in particular faces some huge congestion issues, especially at peak times, so choosing to walk, run or cycle can feel like an unsafe option, as Running Mayor for Guildford I will be actively campaigning for car free days and run/cycle lanes to allow for safer outdoor activity.

“Having worked alongside thousands of runners over the years I understand the huge health benefits running can bring and look forward to being an advocate for that as a Running Mayor.”

The world’s first Running Mayors will promote running as a form of active travel, positioning it as a viable alternative to jumping in the car for short errands and local trips, as well as running for leisure and sport.

The Running Mayors Network is an initiative of the RunSome campaign. Led by Runners World, Active Things and a coalition of leading running brands and organisations, RunSome is urging government to include running in its £2bn active travel funding alongside walking and cycling. With a quarter of a million people in the UK already running everyday journeys, RunSome wants to double that number within the next 12 months, whilst delivering a timely boost to mental and physical health.

Running is an efficient mode of urban transport – it’s cheap, it’s typically twice as fast as walking, often faster than driving in congested cities, has a low carbon footprint and aids our mental and physical health. With a quarter of UK journeys a mile or less (Sustrans) and over two thirds of car trips in UK cities under 3 miles (INRIX) there is much potential. Cities worldwide are adapting streets for people to enable more journeys on foot and bikes. If the UK’s 11 million runners ran just one or two everyday journeys a week rather than drive, it would be significant, enabling us to navigate our cities more healthily and sustainably.

As individuals and as a network the Running Mayors will make the case to city leaders and mayors for why runners — too often invisible in discussions about how we live and move — need to feature in their planning and design of places and services, not least in terms of active travel.

The Running Mayors will also work with other local stakeholders to champion a range of topics that they care deeply about – for many that also includes improving safety and security for women when running, walking and cycling — be that through better lighting, upgrading routes and pavements or buddying up scheme.

High profile campaign supporters include five-time Olympian Jo Pavey and Scotland’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner Lee Craigie.

Five time Olympian Jo Pavey: “I’m thrilled to be involved in the RunSome campaign and to support Running Mayors. Encouraging people to make some everyday trips in an active way is great for both health and wellbeing and the environment. During these difficult times for everyone, it is also even more important to promote the massive benefit that running can have on our mental health.”

Scott Cain, CEO of Active Things and co-founder of the RunSome campaign, comments, “To run is part of who we are. We just designed it out of our daily lives, and now – with COVID-19 and all the changes in how we live and move – it’s time to design it back in again. Just think: if the 11m people who already run in the UK swapped the car for even just one or two short trips a week, we can make a big difference.”

The Running Mayors can be found on the RunSome website and prominent campaign supporters can also be found here.

Iwan Thomas takes on ultra-running challenge in honour of his son who has born with Group B Strep infection

Former European, Commonwealth and World Champion 400m sprinter Iwan Thomas MBE, is ditching the track in favour of the trails as he announces he is taking on his first ever 100-mile ultra-marathon in a bid to raise awareness and donations for Group B Strep Support, the world’s leading charity working to eradicate Group B Strep infection in babies.

 

Thomas has spent months training with endurance running legend Susie Chan and Mike Seaman, CEO of Raccoon Media Group Ltd (organisers of the National Running Show) and Running Mayor of Guildford to prepare for the 100-mile ultra in the South Downs Way Centurion in June 2021. His journey is being documented and will be released on the YouTube channel Run Show TV this Summer – the trailer is now available to view: https://youtu.be/ytLsIezzGCE

 

Stretching from Winchester, Hampshire to Eastbourne, East Sussex with about 4,150 m of elevation change, the magnitude of the challenge is not lost on Thomas who commented: “I suppose I should have known that being friends with Susie Chan would result in some crazy challenge at some point! The furthest distance I have covered to date is 26.2 miles and these days anything over 5 miles is a push! It is not lost on me that this challenge is 400 x 400ms and that is slightly unnerving! I have eight months to prepare myself mentally and physically for what I am sure will be one of the biggest challenges I have faced. I am doing this for Group B Strep Support after my newborn son Teddy was diagnosed with the life-threatening condition and spent 10 days in ICU. You will be able to follow my journey on Run Show TV and on my Instagram – I am going to need all of the support I can get!”

 

Iwan will also be speaking about his experience at National Running Show South held 17-18 July at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre.

The new way of working isn’t necessarily new! – by Mike Seaman

One of the (few) positive side effects of the pandemic seems to be a new openness from employers around flexible working culture and I hope that this continues as we emerge from lockdown. There has been a lot of coverage in the news over the last few weeks about a shift in static office based employment versus a more flexible and dynamic way of treating staff. We’ve been operating a flexible working policy for the last 4 years and I think it is one of the main foundations of our success. We are ‘accountability based’ and not ‘hours based’ which means that as long as you do your job well, then we don’t mind when, where or how you do it.

A high percentage of our team are working parents who fit their job around their role as parents. We also have lots of fitness enthusiasts who like to take exercise during the daylight hours. I believe that allowing those people to perhaps take a walk in the hills on a sunny day or leave to watch the school play makes staff happier and more effective in the workplace. We have built a business that feels like a family on the back of this principle and it’s something that we are very proud of.

For our business, technology makes it easy to work from anywhere and to monitor outputs so perhaps we don’t need an office at all? My view is that the office is still essential but it’s purpose has changed. Remote working is efficient and transactional but having your team together in one place inspires creativity, facilitates learning and  builds culture. We allow our employees to choose the days they come in and they tend to do so in clusters to be with their local teams or their friends. I believe that the office days often have softer outputs than the days working from home but we value both as equally important. There is certainly power in allowing a mix of hyper-productivity at home, combined with a social and collaborative approach in the office.

As employers, we believe that maintaining an office is very important as we don’t want to presume that someone has a suitable working environment at home. However, if you want to work from home a few days a week, that is fine by us! As I said at the beginning – as long as you do your job well, we don’t mind when, where or how you do it! I think it is important for other employers to recognise that, for the most part, if you treat staff with respect and as the adults they are, then the rewards will follow. I think we may be saying goodbye to a very prescriptive and controlling way of working and instead adopting a more grown up, healthier approach to our working lives. It has certainly proved very successful for us.

Mike

Sound good? We are hiring so why not come and join the family: https://raccoonmediagroup.com/job-vacancies

Raccoon Media Group launches new digital Outside & Active Festival

Following the postponement of the inaugural National Outdoor Expo which was due to take place in March 2021, the company behind the Expo, Raccoon Media Group, has announced it is launching a new brand-new online hub for outdoor enthusiasts. Outside & Active will launch at 6pm on 27th March 2021 with a week-long digital Festival, packed full of inspirational sessions, ‘how to’ workshops and all the latest kit, tech and gear from a host of the industry’s top brands.

The Festival, providing on-demand sessions available 24-7 with live sessions at 6pm each night for the first 8 days, is aimed at ramblers, hikers, climbers, runners, outdoor enthusiasts, families looking for new excursions and adventurers looking for fresh inspiration and new products. This is also an opportunity for those who are relatively new to exploring outdoors, who are looking for some practical advice. The Festival will provide informative and motivational content from famous faces including Ben Fogle, Roger Black, Anna McNuff, Susie Chan, Sean Conway, Ed Stafford and many more.

Mike Seaman, CEO at Raccoon Media Group commented: “The Outside & Active Festival will provide a much-needed opportunity for the outdoor community to come together and be inspired. We had more than 16,000 people register to attend The National Outdoor Expo at the NEC in March and felt we had a duty to provide an interactive dose of inspiration, timed perfectly for those starting to plan their re-entry into the world as lockdown eases.

“People can expect to hear from industry veterans over the course of the eight days, with informative how-to workshops, beginner 101s and community sessions. The timetable will be shared on the website soon so keep your eyes peeled! We look forward to bringing the community together in the best way we can at the moment so ‘bring a friend’ and let’s ride out the end of lockdown together.”

Ticket holders will have access to some of the top brands in the industry including Ultra X, Salomon, Cicerone, Fulfil Nutrition, Yamatune, Dometic, Splashmats, DryRobe, Cycle England, Arnicare, Andorra Travel Service, Biolite and Jetboil.

Tickets to the Festival are free of charge – to register for access go to outsideandactive.com/login 

If you are interested in being involved, please contact Addie Brake  [email protected] or tel. 07931 528418

Finance Assistant

We are expanding rapidly and always on the look out for new talent. If you are keen to join us then please e-mail a copy of your CV and a covering letter to [email protected]

Please note, we do not accept unsolicited CVs from recruitment agencies. We explicitly reserve the right to retain unsolicited candidate submissions on our own database with no obligation whatsoever to the agency concerned.


Job title: Finance Assistant

Location: Guildford

Hours: Flexible

Salary: Up to £20k p/a pro rata

Job description:

We have a very exciting opportunity for a Finance Assistant to join the award-winning team at Raccoon Media Group.

The main focus of the role is to support the Finance Manager in running the day to day finances of the business

Key responsibilities include:

  • Updating spreadsheet & systems with daily transactions
  • Process invoices
  • Credit control
  • Tracking & reconciling bank statements
  • Reconciling with sales team
  • Process payroll & monthly payment run
  • Assisting with vat returns
  • Cost analysis reports for other departments

Essential skills

  • MS Excel
  • Excellent organisational & time management skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Ability to work independently within a small team

Desirable

  • Book keeping experience
  • Finance or accounting qualifications

How to apply

Please apply today with your current CV to [email protected] by 30/3/21.

 

About us:

Raccoon Media Group is a dynamic, high-growth events business focused on health and wellbeing markets. Our events are well-timed, community-driven, tightly focused and passion-led. We bring buyers and sellers together to see cutting edge innovations in a fun and exciting way.

  • We are a company that deliver on our promises and commitments to internal and external partners
  • We are a service business and we aim to respond to all internal and external comms within 1 working day
  • We support flexible working, we are achievement-based not hours based
  • We are a trust-based business that believes in empowering people through delegation
  • Diversity is important to us and we operate a policy of conscious inclusion
  • We are one team and we are all in it together
  • We challenge the status quo, we are innovative and open-minded
  • We focus on our environmental impact

 

Benefits of being a raccoon:

  • Part of a multi-award winning team
  • 20 days holiday per annum
  • We encourage you to be active – shower facilities, bike racks and heated lockers
  • Performance related incentives and bonuses
  • Government pension scheme  – 5% employee and 3% employer contribution
  • Dedicated time within the week for you to be active
  • Personalised training and development plan
  • Rapid business growth offering you rapid opportunities to progress

Administrator

We are expanding rapidly and always on the look out for new talent. If you are keen to join us then please e-mail a copy of your CV and a covering letter to [email protected]

Please note, we do not accept unsolicited CVs from recruitment agencies. We explicitly reserve the right to retain unsolicited candidate submissions on our own database with no obligation whatsoever to the agency concerned.


Administrator role

We currently looking for someone to join our small and friendly team…

Job title: Administrator

Location: Guildford

Hours: Full Time

Salary: Up to £20k p/a

Job description:

We have a very exciting opportunity for an Administrator to join the award-winning team at Raccoon Media Group.

The main focus of the role is to support the Event Directors with a number of administrative tasks, to ensure all departments are working more cohesively.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Liaison between sales, accounts and marketing
  • Contract processing and related administration
  • Floorplan and website reconciliation
  • List building and lead generation for sales and marketing teams
  • Pipedrive CRM maintenance
  • Appointment setting for event directors
  • Diary management for directors, project meetings etc
  • Booking travel for the directors
  • Admin support on-site at exhibitions
  • Admin support for marketing and content
  • Key log / management
  • Contract admin – setting up new shows etc on Adobe DocuSign system
  • Admin support for finance
  • Stationery and office consumables ordering
  • General business administration – e.g. assistance with new starter packs, holiday form processing etc
  • IT inventory log
  • Meeting notes (excluding board meetings)
  • Be part of the sustainability committee

Experience & skills:

  • Organised and good at diary management
  • Able to work on own initiative
  • Competent on Microsoft systems: Outlook, Word, Excel
  • Understanding of a CRM system (preferred but not essential)
  • Good phone manner / confident on the phone

How to apply

Please apply today with your current CV to [email protected] by 15/3/21.

 

About us:

Raccoon Media Group is a dynamic, high-growth events business focused on health and wellbeing markets. Our events are well-timed, community-driven, tightly focused and passion-led. We bring buyers and sellers together to see cutting edge innovations in a fun and exciting way.

  • We are a company that deliver on our promises and commitments to internal and external partners
  • We are a service business and we aim to respond to all internal and external comms within 1 working day
  • We support flexible working, we are achievement-based not hours based
  • We are a trust-based business that believes in empowering people through delegation
  • Diversity is important to us and we operate a policy of conscious inclusion
  • We are one team and we are all in it together
  • We challenge the status quo, we are innovative and open-minded
  • We focus on our environmental impact

 

Benefits of being a raccoon:

  • Part of a multi-award winning team
  • 20 days holiday per annum
  • We encourage you to be active – shower facilities, bike racks and heated lockers
  • Performance related incentives and bonuses
  • Government pension scheme  – 5% employee and 3% employer contribution
  • Dedicated time within the week for you to be active
  • Personalised training and development plan
  • Rapid business growth offering you rapid opportunities to progress

National Running Show announces new date for South show

Following the unveiling of the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown, the National Running Show has today announced that it is moving its inaugural National Running Show South event to Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 2021. The event will take place at Farnborough International and is set to welcome runners of all abilities for a packed weekend of inspiration, kit, tech and connection.

Originally due to take place 5 – 6 June 2021, the event has been moved by six weeks to follow the date line for the easing of all restrictions set out by Government on Tuesday 22 February 2021.

The show, open to runners of all abilities, will feature an Inspiration Stage, Running Skills Theatre, Ultra Zone with Bad Boy Running, Live Kitchen with Kate Percy, Strength Zone with Endure Stronger, Events Village with Race Nation, Bra Bar with Runderwear, Trail Running Zone with We Run Trail, Recovery Zone with Therabody, Pace Yourself feature with Xempo and Kids Zone with Marathon Kids.

Mike Seaman, CEO at Raccoon Media Group commented: “I simply cannot wait to get back to a live event and am so excited that we can finally stage a National Running Show again! We have continuously said that we will only run shows when it is safe to do so and with hugs and high 5s all round! That still holds true. The government has a stated aim for restrictions to end from 21 June which is amazing! Our new dates are on the 17-18 July, which also gives us a 4-week cushion.  I believe that face-to-face human contact is crucial for us all and I believe that the National Running Show is an important event for the running community that we the organisers have a duty to deliver.

“I am delighted that the government have recognised the importance of events and have delivered a clear plan for large scale events to resume safely in the summer. Thank you to the entire running community for supporting us throughout the last year, we are incredibly grateful and I am beyond excited about seeing you all in July!”

Tickets to the show are available for £10 from https://nationalrunningshowsouth.seetickets.com/event/national-running-show/south/1485643 

All exhibitors, speakers and brands will be kept up to date on the National Running Show website www.nationalrunningshow.com

Event Relief 2021- 24hr Global Vodcast Marathon Raising Funds for #eventprofs

Wednesday 3rd March will see the very first Global Vodcast marathon, organised & hosted throughout by events & exhibitions professional, Dan Assor.

Starting at midnight GMT, Dan will host 24 hours of live programmes across social media, with the aim of raising funds for EventWell, the Event industries charitable social enterprise, dedicated to cultivating better mental health, and wellbeing in events. EventWell Pledge programme offers vital and immediate support to any event professional experiencing personal and financial hardship, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

https://eventwell.org/eventwell21/     https://eventwell.org/eventwell-pledge/

Each hour, show organisers, suppliers, media and industry associations from UK, USA, India, Mexico, Asia, Canada & Oman, will be joining Dan as they produce their own fun, and engaging session, include comedy, music, health sessions, and panel discussions.

Organiser & host Dan Assor commented, “I am delighted that the global event community is coming together during this difficult to raise much needed funds for those in our industry enduring hardship during the pandemic, as well as raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing”.

Founder & CEO of EventWell, Helen Moon said,

“We are delighted that Dan is organising this event to raise funds for EventWell which will help us to continue our important charitable and outreach work offering financial relief for so many event professionals experiencing hardship due to the global pandemic. We cannot thank the whole team and everyone taking part enough for their additional support, thanks that not only come from the EventWell Team and Trustees but also from each of our beneficiaries and community.”

The event can be watched live on these platforms;

LinkedIn – The official Event Relief 2021 page https://www.linkedin.com/events/eventrelief24hrvodcastmarathon-6766416253427974144/

Facebook – Like the page

www.facebook.com/danassorpodcast

YouTube – Subscribe to the channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-OrGlb7C5y4dbankOiztuQ

Donations can be made here https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/eventwell