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Kaspar the Savoy Cat – London, England

Published

6 ay ago

Aralık 9, 2022

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Black cats are world-renowned for being the harbingers of bad luck and misfortune. However, in some cultures, they are seen as talismans or good luck charms. The latter may be said of the darkly colored feline who resides in London’s premier purpose-built luxury hotel, The Savoy. Kaspar, as they are affectionately called, can be seen perched on a table to the left of the reception desk until their unique services are required.
Kaspar has the remarkable and one-of-a-kind task of being asked to attend any dining function that necessitates an additional dinner companion. The cat’s origins date back to an incident that took place towards the end of the 19th century.
A wealthy South African businessman named Joel Woolf was holding a dinner party at the hotel. The meal was to be attended by 14 guests, but one of the diners had to bow out at the last minute. This left 13 people at the party. Word went around that whichever guest was to depart from the meal first would have an unfortunate deed befall them. Woolf, not being a superstitious fellow, decided to tempt fate and was the first to leave the party. Just a few weeks later, the mining magnate was shot and killed in Johannesburg. When word of his demise got back to the hotel, plans were put in motion to prevent any future mishaps involving the auspicious number of participants.
At first, a waiter would be roped in to act as an alternate. But this proved impractical because it denied the dining room of a server. Towards the end of the 1920s, an architect by the name of Basil Ionides was redesigning one of the dining rooms and came up with a solution to the hotel’s unlucky dilemma. He carved a statuette of a black feline, out of a single piece of wood, that could act as the 14th guest.
It is anybody’s guess as to why Ionides chose the figure of a cat and named it Kaspar. But anytime when there is a function, where an extra body is needed, this lucky grimalkin is put into service, complete with a napkin tied around their neck. They might not add much in the way of conversation, but they are given the same impeccable services as all the other attendees. This also includes an extra saucer of milk for their fortuitous presence.
The abdominal curse seemed to have been lifted, as no such inauspicious events were ever recorded. The same cannot be said for Kaspar, as they were cat-napped during World War II. Winston Churchill would often use the Savoy as an alternative war room. During one military meeting, Kaspar’s presence was required. At the end of the gathering, the charmed totem went missing, purloined by some drunken servicemen. Churchill was not amused and ordered that the feline be returned.
When not “in service,” Kaspar can be located to the left of reception in the lobby. As one walks up to the front doors of the hotel, from the Strand, they will encounter one of the few places in Britain where cars drive on the right hand of the road. This dates back to the era of stagecoaches and remains to this day. Cab drivers are often given their test using this unique roadway.

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Sales and Marketing Director (EMEA) – London

Published

4 ay ago

Şubat 2, 2023

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We are working closely with a leading international publisher of licensed children’s books to recruit an experienced Sales and Marketing Director for EMEA. This is an integral leadership role responsible for some of the world’s most recognisable and prestigious book brands.
What it takes:

A demonstrable track record of building both sales and margin growth, with a commercially minded approach
Experience in successfully managing and motivating teams located across international borders
Extensive knowledge and understanding of the co-edition and rights markets in licensed and/or children’s publishing
A complete understanding, beyond sales headlines, of margins, cost management and budgeting
Being capable of creating and executing sales and marketing strategies
Thriving in fast-paced work environments and being able to manage multiple high priority projects simultaneously
A strong leading voice across sales strategy, market development and marketing activities
An agile and strong communicator both internally and with licensors
Extensive EMEA or directly relevant experience

The right person is comfortable as a leader, with commercial experience managing a team to deliver successful business units, going beyond just a ‘sales department’.
With flexible working options, a very competitive salary and bonus structure, this role offers incredible opportunities for an ambitious and proven sales leader.
At Wonderful Recruitment we provide opportunities for candidates to discover some of the most interesting and dynamic roles in the entertainment industry. For more information about this role please send your CV and salary expectations to Dean@wonderfulideasproject.com and Dan@wonderfulideasproject.com.

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Paris, Madrid, Barcelona among candidate cities to host ICE from 2025 – IAG

Published

4 ay ago

Şubat 1, 2023

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Clarion Gaming, organizer of ICE London, says it has narrowed the shortlist of potential future hosts of the hugely popular industry trade show to four European cities, with its current London home joined by Barcelona and Madrid in Spain as well as Paris, France.
The decision to explore a potential move comes amid pressure from some industry representatives, with Clarion working alongside specialist consultants Equimore to establish the finalist shortlist. The successful candidate will be announced in 3Q23 following a competitive bidding process and will host ICE for a period of five years between 2025 and 2029.
“This robust process is customer-centric and the decision will be taken in the best interests of our stakeholders and of the global gaming industry,” said Alex Pratt, Group Managing Director of Clarion Gaming.
“iGB Affiliate London is very much part of the process and we are engaging with iGB Affiliate stakeholders in order to identify their preferred strategic path.
“The four short-listed cities will progress through a selection process with the help of the experienced and knowledgeable team at Equimore which is overseeing every aspect of what is a robust program.
“In addition to the suitability of locations in terms of capacity, facilities and the ability to accommodate projected future growth the process also encompasses dateline availability, transport connectivity with the rest of the world as well as the broader hospitality infrastructure including accommodation costs.
“By pursuing all due diligence we will identify the city that’s best equipped to not only host an event which continues to play such a central role in helping to create opportunity and prosperity for gaming businesses of all sizes, across every vertical and in every global jurisdiction, but also demonstrate its leadership in the sector.
“In the interests of transparency Clarion will not be making any further comment during the official process.”

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ICE London 2023 to feature exhibitors from record 68 nations – IAG

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4 ay ago

Ocak 31, 2023

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Industry trade show ICE London will feature exhibitors from a record 68 nations, topping the previous best of 65 set three years ago, according to organizer Clarion Gaming.
ICE London returns as a full-sized show for the first time since 2020 from 7 to 9 February, with the total 623 exhibitors representing everything from Argentina to Australia and Macau to Mexico.
“No other exhibition in the gaming space can come anywhere near the internationalism of ICE,” said Clarion Gaming Managing Director, Stuart Hunter.
“To have 68 nations represented by our community of exhibitors means that visitors are immediately part of what is a global experience with unique access to the smartest gaming innovators drawn from every corner of the world. There are very few exhibitions of scale in any industry sector which are able to compare with such international representation and legitimately lay claim to being a ‘global’ or a ‘world’ event.
“Once an event is recognized as being genuinely international, stakeholder groups including brands, regulators, trade associations, media groups and strategic industry-wide bodies focus their activities accordingly.
“Research that we’ve undertaken has shown that for many people ICE and iGB Affiliate London actually start on the Sunday preceding and finish on the following Saturday. In that week we estimate that over 100 gambling industry events will take place outside of the show hours providing a new and compelling perspective on why ICE and iGB Affiliate London are so influential and important to the world industry.”
IAG will have a team of four at ICE London next week. Visit us at Stand ND7-C.