Aquabox photography to assist fund raising

Recently, GGS were pleased to donate photography of the ‘Aquabox’ kit for a Norwich Rotary club. Rotary has difficulty getting over the exact nature of the boxes, when raising funds for the charity, and by taking professional photographs and supplying poster prints, GGS will help Rotary to show donors what their money goes to.

The Aquabox scheme is aimed at disaster relief by giving schools, companies or any organisation, a box and a list of the items needed to fill it in readiness for a potential disaster. When the employees in the organisation have completed the list, by donating or fundraising for the items, the box is sent to a central warehouse awaiting the next call to assist those unfortunate enough to suffer a disaster, anywhere in the world. The boxes, which may contain a tent, emergency food, tools or any number of other items, plus the water purification kit, are then instantly despatched.

Work Experience

My name is Jill Wright and I'm currently a student at Thorpe St Andrew High School. I'm in my final year of high school, which is a scary thought considering I'm still pretty undecided about what I actually want to do as a career within this field, (and am only now able to make an alright cup of tea according to my mum!) I took English, Maths, Double Science, P.E, Media, History, German, French, I.C.T, Statistics (an absolute waste of two hours every week, of my life..) and Ethics (another waste of many hours of life..) all at GCSE level. I definitely want to go on to Sixth Form, in order to do Photography at A-Level and hope to work in the media in some form, whether it's in magazine, television etc.

On my first day I was pretty gutted after not actually getting a lay-in, and my mum over estimating the journey from Thorpe to here by about half an hour, and therefore the nerves hadn't really set in, I was just looking forward to the week. All changed when I opened the door to find a very different reception than the one I remembered from my interview- to find I had actually opened the door to Cable and Wireless next door. Once actually inside the right building I met most of the team in their Monday morning meeting. Afterwards I shadowed Michelle for the morning whilst she left me with originals of photos she had edited in order for me to try myself, rather than the endless tea making and cleaning I'd prepared myself for! After lunch I spent the afternoon downstairs in the office copying out a list of every previous client of GGS and other tasks that needed doing in the office.

On Tuesday I continued to crowd the designers upstairs, hassling Dan for the day whilst he talked me through the process of making a flyer for GGS, in order to try and promote the business and increase sales. I then spent time downstairs in the mounting room with Andrew where I was absolutely no use to him whatsoever but continued to follow him around regardless:L After him being away on holiday I had not yet met the other director Peter, so when Chris went to pick up a sleep deprived Peter from the railway station, along with his wife, I also went, and met him for the first time. This was when he reminded me that I would be seeing him at half seven the next morning in order to go out on a shoot, bright and early!

So half seven this morning I found myself in Peter's car on the way to Watton. The shoot was at an industrial factory, where the 'largest electrical heater in the world' had been built. After several hours waiting while they moved the machine, which again I was no help with considering it was about a hundred times the size of me, we began actually shooting. It was really insightful seeing how many aspects were involved in an actual shoot, light, space, dealing with a client etc and also seeing how much work went in, in order to get a good amount of shots. FIVE hours later the job was complete! And now I'm back at GGS helping out in the office for the afternoon, making labels, sorting the post which was actually the highlight of my afternoon:L and writing this, while we listen to my ipod and discuss the new series of gossip girl..

Thursday was a day in the office, researching local competitors websites and exhibitors at upcoming exhibitions.

Thankyou to everyone here, you've all been so welcoming and really helped me in all the different areas of art and design, even if I've only taken in a fraction of everything you've taught me!

How to get the most out of your exhibition budget...

Having decided to book a ‘space only’ stand at your exhibition, you will already have a higher profile than those booking shell schemes. The main advantage with ‘space only’ is that you can build to four meters high at most exhibitions.

There are many advantages to be gained by choosing a modular exhibition stand over a timber based bespoke stand, such as the ability to easily reconfigure to different sized stand spaces in the future, and minimal storage space. Not forgetting that there are tax benefits in that it is a ‘capital equipment’ purchase.

Environmentally, modular exhibition stands are by far the greener option. According to the president of ALCOA (the world’s largest producer of aluminium) 70% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today!

Time and time again we are amazed at the ‘one off’ use of timber constructed stands being demolished and skipped at the end of an exhibition. At some stage in the future they will probably ban timber based stands altogether.

To fully maximise your investment you also need to consider fundamental issues such as:

• Set specific goals for the event

• Tell people why they should visit you

• Make the most of pre show PR and advertising

• Don’t forget sponsorship opportunities

• Train your show staff

Take control & keep your website up to date

Up until relatively recently clients relied on their appointed web developers to not only design and build their websites but also edit and update them.

These days many clients prefer to take control themselves and this is achievable with the use of content management systems, often referred to as CMS's.

But taking control of a website can be a little daunting, after all whatever is done will be seen by the public including, perhaps more crucially, customer bases. But with simple training clients can quickly gain the confidence and ability to keep their websites up to date - and looking good. Words can be edited, pictures can be changed and pages can even be added or deleted within the root structure.

There are a number of 'off-the-shelf' CMS solutions available, as well as public domain 'shareware' options, but the most reliable CMS solutions often prove to be the bespoke ones. Having a content management system custom-built to a client's preferences and requirements will ultimately prove less restrictive and more future-proof. The system would focus solely on that client's business, so there would be no surplus functionality that can often prove irritating. The result is a much more powerful, deliverable solution that performs exactly to requirements.





















We've found here at GGS that our clients tend to prefer the bespoke CMS option and we work together from the outset to ensure that the resulting solutions deliver correctly and consistently, thus allowing our clients to take control of their websites with confidence and ability!

How to put up a Pop-up...

Pop-up display systems are a really popular piece of exhibition equipment. What many people don't know is that they are so simple to assemble, and because they are expandable, they fold down into a small carry case that can fit into any small car.
You will find the pop-up frame, the graphics and magnetic bars in your kit. To assemble the pop-up simply take the pop-up frame, and with the studs at the top, fully expand the system until the locking arms are fully secure. Attach the mag bars onto the front, D-ends and, if applicable, to the rear. Once the mag bars are securely attached to the magnetic hubs, carefully unwrap the graphics. One by one attach the hanger at the top of the graphics to the studs at the top of frame. Smooth the graphics down onto the bag mars, ensuring that they are sitting flat and straight. Easy! When it's time to take the pop-up down, carefully remove the graphics one by one, lifting them up to detach them from the studs at the top. Always roll graphics with the image on the outside. After removing the mag bars, collapse the frame. All Sorted!
If you need any more info about how to assemble exhibition equipment click onto our website here.

Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Halliday!

It is often said that the two most stressful things in life are getting married and moving house. That didn't stop our Web Designer, Keith, who did both in the same week! Keith and his bride, Christine, moved into their new home on Saturday 12th June, and were due to get married the following Saturday.

The civil ceremony and reception took place at the beautiful Amber Lodge near Acle, Norfolk. It was a small do, with 30 of their closest family and friends attending. Although there were some anxieties over the move (is there such a thing as a stress-free move?), the wedding went without a hitch. This is until Keith and Christine were told by the registrar that their marriage certificate, which had been painstakingly hand written, had caught fire! It had been accidentally laid on a tealight candle whilst the ceremony was being finalised.

Although the weather was somewhat disappointing, there was a break in the clouds for pictures to be taken outside. Keith, Christine, and guests thoroughly enjoyed the food Amber Lodge provided. A delicious indoor BBQ was the main culinary event, followed by canapes and a late supper.
They honeymooned in Dorset for two weeks, staying at a wonderful country cottage retreat.
The wedding was a huge success, and everyone at GGS wishes Keith and Christine much happiness for the future. (Lets hope that they don't have too many heated discussions over all that decorating!).

Children's Hopsital Ward Revamp in the EDP

The Eastern Daily Press has recently published an article about the Children's ward refurbishment at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. GGS played an important role, providing the majority of the graphics for the various rooms and waiting areas, creating a fantastic 'seaside retreat' within the hospital. The make-over at the NNUH involved transforming the walls, ceiling and windows into bright and colourful works of art. Emma Jarvis, the Hospital Arts Co-ordinator explains the impact it has had on the patients; "It's much better than it was before. Because all the kids are less stressed, the parents are less stressed." The seaside theme is great for children of all ages, turning the ward from a clinical, uninviting area to a truly welcoming place. Emma says "when the parents tell their children it's time to go, they don't want to leave."
We're delighted that the graphics have been such a hit with everyone connected with the ward, inlcuding the staff, and with some excellent quotations from some of the children visiting the ward, the article proves that the refurbishment was a major success. However, we do feel that the artists deserved a mention. A big well done to Hannah Giffard, Kate Green and Eloise O'Hare who contributed to the fantastic graphic designs.

(Pictures courtesy of Mike Robinson).