David Loney Company: 23 Essex Street phone 0121 622 7201 email 23essexstreet@btconnect.com web www.myspace.com/23essexstreet

23 Essex Street is Birmingham's best kept secret! We're located behind the Hippodrome, next to Southside Appartments. We're a 2 level venue with an outdoor terrace (under construction) with v.i.p rooms avaliable.

We've had the likes of Bobby and Steve (garage city), local dj's such as Open Minded People and outside promoters such as Retail Therapist. We have a number of nights available for outside promoters to hire this venue.

This hidden, almost secret bar has quickly become the it place to be and be seen in Birmingham. Every part of this intimate bar had been painstakingly thought about.

Every element has been styled to the highest standard giving it in equal measures the bourgeois feel of a Parisian cafe and the edgy sophistication of an East London pub. Tucked away around the back of the Arcadian has meant if you don't know it's not there you are not going to go.

This has meant the clientele is a 100% strictly in the know crowd. With just being a 2-minute walk from the Arcadian it also means you are never too far from the rest of the action.

Krishan Parmar and Liam Wycherley Company: Eclectic Connections phone 07528211786 email info@eclectic-connections.com web www.eclectic-connections.com

Eclectic Connections is a Midlands based visual collective. The visual collective comprises of photographers, stylists, models and event coordinators. All personnel have various backgrounds working within corporate fashion, film and music. We have experience working on advertising, media, marketing and events.

We are a relativley new company, but since our launch in 2007 we have worked with many fashion brands and music artists, and been involved in many large fashion events, including London Fashion Week, Clothes Show Live and Style In The City. From providing official photographers and models, to helping with the organisational aspects, we have the knowledge and resources to get the results you crave.

If you require any further information, or would like to discuss working with us further please get in touch.

Rob King Event: After the break phone 01572 577330 mobile 07770404875 web www.artrix.co.uk / www.afterthebreak.net www.myspace.com/niyasinger / www.terrellissacs.net

After The Break - Featuring ROY and NYA
In 2003, HEATWAVE Grammy nominated musician Roy Carter and acclaimed gospel singer Nyarayi King "NYA" (pronounced nee ya) put together their musical and vocal talents to form 'After the break'.

A contemporary sound, fused with R&B and Afro Caribbean influences. Roy's professional background being Music, Media and arts development and Nyarayi's being vocal groups, acappella and choirs. Roy is a world renown musician, writer, sound engineer and producer, having worked with Courtney Pine, Stevie Wonder, Madonna and Bette Midler. Winning many awards for his work, he is still touring with 70's band Heatwave, but has decided to explore other genres.

They are currently recording a Dance album for 2008 and performing ‘LIVE’ their 60's, 70's, and 80's catalogue for all to enjoy.

Artrix Concert Hall, Bromsgrove
18th July 2008
8.00pm
£15.00 or £13.00 Concessionary

Chris Williams

Chris Williams
Creative Networks unlocks the Secrets of Success

To an audience who had braved the rain to be at Creative Networks, our speaker Chris Williams explained his ideas about what it takes to achieve personal success.

Recognising that it’s very useful for us all to 'network', Chris stressed the importance of the 'work' part of the word. As an icebreaker, he asked us to introduce ourselves to three people in the audience that we did not know. This did indeed require a bit of 'work' and demonstrated that the first step to personal success is to sell ourselves to other people.

We are, according to Chris a very negative nation. When asked how we are, we generally respond with a 'not bad' or 'ok'. However, if you ask an American how they are, they will invariably respond with a 'fantastic' or 'great'. To get over our natural self deprecation and our very English philosophy of finding fault with everything, we should embrace the 'English Dream' - like the 'American Dream'. The point being, this would be far more positive than seeming to suffer constant 'nightmares'!

By introducing his 'transformational talk' in this way, Chris managed to get us all to interact and generally have a more positive outlook. The message was immediately understood, in the sense that each and every one of us can start to turn our success around and benefit with nothing more than a positive outlook.

Chris acknowledged that everyone who attended the event had already taken a step to make their own success - simply by turning up to the event. He said that being in business for yourself with the ability to be creative are two very strong positive steps towards personal planning success, embracing these and looking to the future are a great step in achieving your goals.

What does success mean? Well, Chris explained that success could be anything, from financial success; to personal gratification and contentment; to happiness – to quote Ken Dodd, the greatest gift that we possess. There are many personal views as to what things constitute success, but generally the process of succeeding can be broken down into the following aspects:

	Progressive
	Realisation
	Worthwhile
	Pre-determined
	Personal
	Goals

You as a person can create success, Chris stated that to get where you need to go, it is essential to take a positive direction and to set and achieve goals.

To achieve these goals, you have to be SMART

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Tangible

We can use this acronym in all aspects of our lives; it represents forward thinking and a positive approach. It can be supported by other means, Chris urged us to:

	Crystallize our thinking
	Write plans with deadlines
	Have a burning desire
	Have supreme self-confidence
	And dogged determination

Concluding his entertaining presentation, Chris emphasized this approach with a quote from another inspirational figure, Paul J Meyer, who said: "Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon…..must inevitably come to pass!"

Our audience was keen to put questions to Chris, so we spent some time discussing ways in which to develop a more positive outlook and take steps in the right direction to achieve our goals. After this event, there was no doubting that our attendees, engaged in whatever line of creative endeavour, are intent on achieving that elusive success and will do everything that Chris recommended in order to realize their potential.

On that note, we thanked Chris, for his lively contribution to the evening, plus our Sponsors AWM and adjourned to the Woodman pub for more ‘networking’ – the difference this month being that we were all acutely aware that this aspect of ‘working’ is every bit as valuable, to succeeding in our individual enterprises, as our actual creative skills.