DTZ Investors has submitted planning for a £9 million major refurbishment of the iconic Printworks Manchester. The planning papers mark the first major investment in the scheme since it launched 20 years ago and will maintain Printworks’ position as a leading and progressive entertainment destination for Manchester and beyond. The works include enhancement of the external façade to complement the existing period architecture as well as new digital tenant signage and improved gateway entrances. There will also be an internal transformation with new technology, lighting and interaction to cater for our growing round-the-clock customer base. The most spectacular aspect of the refurbishment planning will see the internal introduction of a 1,300m2 full span digital ceiling screen, which will be the largest in Europe. It will offer a stunning customer experience with the ability to control ambience, lighting and sound with ever changing imagery and tailored content. Plus, with the growing trend for gamification, Printworks will also benefit from a large interactive screen in the heart of the scheme to encourage social competition and engagement from visitors. Recent letting successes have welcomed tenants from the family and activity-led world, including Treetop Adventure Golf, Escape Reality, and Tenpin bowling (opening early 2020) which have bolstered an already impressive offer. DTZ Investors will continue to diversify its tenant-mix away from a predominantly late-night offer to fully reposition Printworks as the premier destination for both daytime and night-time entertainment in Manchester. Refurbishment is scheduled to commence in Spring 2020 and is being structured in such a way to ensure minimum disruption so that Printworks can remain open and trading throughout. Ben Haller, at DTZ Investors, said: “Our business has embraced the challenges of successful placemaking and we are deploying a variety of approaches throughout our portfolio. This refurbishment at Printworks will create an unrivalled interactive and immersive experience as a crucial element of our strategy, and operational changes will expand on existing community links alongside a new ambitious events and gaming programme. Printworks will offer our domestic and international customers with the quality and authenticity they expect from social interaction whether with family or friends”.    In contrast to industry trends, Printworks has continued to attract strong visitor numbers, ending 2018 with a footfall of over 8.1million – the highest since 2011. As well as the redevelopment of Printworks, the scheme will also benefit from an overhaul of its branding, wayfinding and online platforms. The new website, which is set to launch later this year, will feature a dedicated development news page for visitors to keep up to date on the works as they progress.

Elstree Studios are reviewing their policies and procedures concerning their carbon footprint and endeavouring to improve their “green” credentials. Already the Studios are supplied by “green energy” suppliers and waste collection, but now the studios are considering, solar energy for house lighting and exterior road lighting and attempting to encourage users to be efficient in their use of energy for productions and recycling. Most recently the arrival of Universal Production services on the Elstree Site has meant that clients have access to the latest LED lighting equipment. The Elstree Studios board has also seen changes that help this move towards a Green Studio with the appointment of among others, award winning Director and Chair of Directors UK, Steve Smith, who is a prominent member of the Albert initiative run by BAFTA.  The Albert Initiative supports an environmentally sustainable future for the Production Industry. Roger Morris, Managing Director of Elstree Studios said: “The Board appointments made recently are to assist in decision making at Elstree Studios from Industry Experts.  Currently we intend to build two more super Stages on the old Big Brother Site to accommodate demand for Feature Film, SVOD and Television.” Currently Elstree Studios is the home to The Crown and Strictly Come Dancing plus many other top shows and dramas.

If you’re looking for a job, you should never just look in one place. Relying on job advertisements in newspapers, magazines, or even online is simply not going to cut it in most cases. Instead of looking in one place, you should adopt different ways of looking for vacancies. In particular there are 5 ways that you should definitely try: Networking One of the best ways to find jobs is by networking. The wider your network the greater your chances that you can hear about new openings, or even get a foot in the door. The opportunities that networking can provide when you’re looking for a job are second to none. That being said, you need to learn how to network properly and start to build lots of connections with the right people. Job fairs Generally job fairs are an underutilized, but they have lots of potential. Unlike a normal job application, when you visit a job fair you’ll be able to meet with a representative and can engage them directly. Most job fairs tend to focus on a specific industry, but there are some that are general. Be sure to take steps to make the most of job fairs and you may even end up being asked to sit for a mini-interview on the spot. Direct applications If you prefer to be proactive, you can apply to specific companies that you’re interested in directly. It may help to first check out their website for any job openings, but even if none are listed you can contact them regardless. While the success rate for direct applications when there are no jobs listed is low – there’s no harm trying, especially if you feel you would be a good fit and have a lot to offer. To hedge your bets you may want to apply directly to some companies that do have job openings too however. At a minimum you should check how the company prefers to be contacted however, and avoid direct cold calls that can be intrusive. Internships or temp positions Enrolling in an internship program or taking up a temporary position can be a good way to get your foot in the door at a company, and lead to a permanent job in the future. It may not be the most prestigious role, but it will let you build connections with the right people in the company. Assuming you do try this option, you need to be sure to make your time at the company count. The goal should be to make a good impression and ensure that your leave an impact while performing your role. Job search or listings Last but not least you should never ignore job search sites. The number of jobs that are advertised online just keeps on growing, and it should be easy enough to browse through the positions that you’re interested in. Although there are lots of job search and listing websites out there, you should focus on the most popular ones. It may also be a good idea to look at any that are local, as some positions may only be listed there. It should be noted that aside from the five ways mentioned above, there are lots of other methods that you can use to look for jobs. Some of the more common are social media, headhunters, or recruitment agencies. At the end of the day there’s no harm in spreading a wide net and seeing what you end up finding. The worst that can happen is that you come up empty handed.