Guests at the networking breakfast, which is open to non-members, will hear Lee Evans of Harrogate-based Vital Technology Group give non-technical overview of some of the main benefits and downsides of cloud computing.

Lee Evans said: “Cloud Computing is the delivery of IT resources over the internet as opposed to hosting or operating the services in-house, but one of the biggest obstacles in the adoption of new technologies is trust and security.”

He added: “Reputable cloud providers should have strong business continuity and data recovery solutions in place, and the business breakfast will see me discussing all of this in a very simple way.”

The breakfast is at the White Hart Hotel, Harrogate, and runs between 8.30am and 10.00am. It costs £15.00 + vat for members or £20.00 + vat for non-members. Further details are available at www.themetclub.co.uk or telephone 01423 525622.

The MD of Blue Sky PR client Vital Technology Group has been re-elected vice-chairman of a lobbying forum set up by the leading global IT industry association.

The CompTIA UK Channel Community was only established last year with Lee Evans being chosen as vice-chairman.

As a lobbying group, CompTIA brings together executives from across the full spectrum of the UK IT sector to take on the challenges that are unique to the British market.

Lee Evans said: “CompTIA is one of the most respected organisations within the IT industry and I’m delighted to be re-elected vice-chairman.

“The forum offers a fantastic opportunity to develop the UK IT sector, and brings together vendors, distributors and resellers to work collectively in the interests of the wider community”.

Members of the group take part in face-to-face and online networking events and educational programs, as well as working together on the development of funded and managed initiatives designed to benefit and develop the UK IT Channel.

CompTIA, the Computing Technology Information Association, was established in 1982, and operates educational programs, networking events, timely research and public policy advocacy to help the industry grow.

The managing director of Blue Sky PR client Vital Network Solutions has been a guest speaker at an IT industry conference, in Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

Lee Evans was invited to the GFI Max European Customer Conference where he spoke about the benefits of remote IT monitoring and management.

The annual conference was organised by GFI Software which provides award-winning IT solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as managed service and IT support providers such as Vital Network Solutions.

Lee said: “Being invited to speak at the European conference to a group of IT industry peers was an honour.

“It is a real testament to and recognition of the hard work all of the team at Vital have put in to ensure we are leading the way in using the best technologies and processes available to deliver the best IT support service possible to our customers.

His presentation discussed how remote monitoring and management can be integrated into an IT service provider business to deliver the best possible customer experience.

Lee added: “Choosing the right tools to proactively monitor and manage client IT systems, and getting the most out of them, is crucial in the modern IT service provider market and I was honoured to be invited by GFI to present on the subject.

“This was my first experience presenting on the continent and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the delegates who had travelled from across Europe, and finding out about the cultural and economic differences in their markets.”

Ms Healey, who officially took over from Paul Fullerton on 3 January, will be joined by Neil McLean, chairman of the Leeds City Region LEP; and Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council at the Met Club lunch.

The event, which is open to non-Met Club members, is on Friday 27 January at Mint Hotel, Granary Wharf, between 12.00pm and 2.30pm.

Juliette’s new role is to assess and report to the Monetary Policy Committee on UK economic conditions as seen from the region.

She is also the Bank’s senior representative in Yorkshire & the Humber for banking and public relations matters.

As chairman of the Leeds City Region LEP, Neil McLean is responsible for developing the business case for the LEP, as well as taking a lead role in delivering the partnership’s proposals and overseeing the process to a fully operational status.

Christine Armstrong, managing director of the Met Club, said: “Hosting a panel debate with such prestigious figures as our first event of 2012 is a great way to start the year, and gives a flavour of what to expect from the Met Club over the coming months.”

The luncheon is £29.00 + vat for members or £39.00 + vat for non-members. Further details are available at www.themetclub.co.uk or telephone 01423 525622.

Details of the Met Club’s forthcoming events can be found here.

The duo, who have each won three European Cup winners’ medals, were at Blue Sky PR client Cinnamon Lounge as guests of entrepreneur Sam Miah, where they helped raise around £500 Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The restaurant, in the city’s Northgate, close to the Trinity Walk development, is the fourth eatery to be opened following ones in Mirfield, Horbury Bridge and Flockton Moor.

The Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children & Donkeys (EST), which is based at Eccup, in north Leeds, has had a strategy developed for it so that the charity can manage its future marketing and social media needs in-house.

We’ve put in place a social media policy involving Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, along with an e-marketing campaign, and given directions in more traditional public relations and marketing techniques.

Richard Hamer of Blue Sky PR said: “EST has its headquarters in Sidmouth, Devon, and until now marketing has only been done on a national level not a local one.

“This has meant that the centre in Eccup has really struggled to get noticed. It’s not only a riding therapy centre but is open to the public as well so it’s really important that they are able to reach out to a wider audience.”

EST is visited by around 180 children with special needs and disabilities from around 33 schools in the wider Leeds area each week.

Blue Sky PR client Vital Online Studio has designed and built a new website for the North’s leading independent brick-maker.

The site for York Handmade Brick Company shows off the company’s expertise in manufacturing tailor-made bricks and blocks for the construction industry, as well as for private individuals.

The award-winning company is based in Alne, to the north of York, and was established in 1988, and since then has spent around £2 million in building a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant.

Andy Topps, Vital Online Studio’s sales director, said: “York Handmade Brick is a very unique company, and its reputation for its high-quality products stretches right across the UK, and we are proud to be associated with a business which truly flies the flag for Yorkshire.

“A major appeal of York Handmade’s Old Clamp products is that their bricks are made to look ‘old’ despite being manufactured by hand but in a very modern facility that can produce around 100,000 bricks per week.

“The new website ensures the company can showcase its traditional products in the digital age helping it to market itself across the globe.”

Earlier this year York Handmade provided 40,000 specially made bricks and arches for a pair of award-winning houses in central York.

Guy Armitage, operations director at York Handmade Brick, said: “The company has made great strides in recent years developing new products as well as winning awards for the traditional products that we are better known for.

“The new website is a fantastic medium for helping spread the word of York Handmade’s versatility.”

Our marketing strategy for the Bruce Arms, in Masham, saw us build a new website, create a Facebook page along with an e-marketing campaign.

In addition a public relations campaign was developed on the back of the pub’s re-launch after the landlord invested several thousand pounds in refurbishing the interior and developing what had previously been scrubland into a two-tiered beer garden.

Lee Evans presented to delegates at the GFI Max Customer Conference, held at the F1 Williams Conference Centre, near Wantage, in Oxfordshire.

He spoke about the benefits of remote monitoring and management and how it can be integrated into an IT service provider business to deliver the best possible customer experience.

The annual conference was organised by GFI Software which provides award-winning IT solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, and IT managed support providers such as Vital Network Solutions.

Lee Evans said: “Choosing the right tools to proactively monitor and manage client IT systems, and getting the most out of them, is crucial in the modern IT service provider market and I was honoured to be invited by GFI to present on the subject.

“A remote monitoring and management tool allows IT support providers such as ourselves to monitor, manage and support clients’ servers and computers effectively, remotely and efficiently; which all adds up to reduced downtime, lower costs and a more productive IT experience for customers.

“I have now been invited to present at GFI’s forthcoming European conference in Utrecht, in the Netherlands, in a few weeks’ time and I’m really looking forward to getting the perspective of some European peers.”

Billed as the UK’s premier business festival for entrepreneurs and business growth, MADE runs between 21 and 24 September, and the Met Club will be hosting a lunch ahead of the event on Tuesday the 6th.

The guest speaker will be the strategic marketing director of Creative Sheffield, Brendan Moffett, who will be talking specifically about the MADE Festival and how it will impact on the region.

Brendan joined Creative Sheffield in 2007 to help launch the UK’s first city development company, charged with transforming its economy.

Since the formation of a city-wide work-stream on brand management in 2009, he has been leading on the formulation of a brand identity and proposition for the city.

The lunch is open to non-Met Club members and is being held at the city’s Aston Hall Hotel between 12 noon and 2.30pm, and tickets are priced from £25 plus VAT.

The Met Club is also offering its members the opportunity to buy one ticket and get another free for the Accelerate @MADE event on 23 September if they book before 31 August.

Christine Armstrong, managing director of the Met Club, said: “Being named an official partner of MADE Sheffield reinforces that the Met Club is the voice of Yorkshire business.

“We are also really grateful to Brendan for taking time out to speak at our lunch. He has had two successful spells as marketing director at media giant EMAP in a variety of roles in broadcasting, publishing and b2b.

“His role ranged from protecting heritage to market leading positions to creating and launching new products, and between these spells, he was a founding board member of Sheffield’s ZOO Digital Group, helping to grow the business to a £40 million market cap and flotation on the stock exchange.”

Further details are available at www.themetclub.co.uk or telephone 01423 525622.