Urban lifestyle hotel brand, Ruby, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, has launched Dive in with Ruby, a new series of live music experiences in the UK and Germany, designed to connect guests, locals and music fans with some of the most exciting emerging talent across Europe. Spanning four intimate performances, the series features headline sets from Sasha Keable and Good Neighbours, alongside two curated Secret Sets showcasing rising talent handpicked by the artists themselves.
New research from EventsAir, a leading event management software provider, reveals a significant gap between enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and its practical adoption across the events industry. While 72 per cent of event professionals consider AI valuable or essential for improving event outcomes, 26 per cent are still not using it all.
Among those using AI, event marketing is currently the leading application, cited by 62.4 per cent of respondents, well ahead of data analysis and reporting (37.8 per cent). 15 per cent apply it to logistics and operations, 14.5 per cent to maximizing attendee engagement and 13.2 per cent attendee personalization.
I recently moved house, and although all major reno plans are on hold for a while, I decided to treat myself to some upgraded Christmas decorations as a little moving-in gift. But when a new tree, baubles, wreath, and other festive bits and bobs turned up at my doorstep this week, I quickly realised I hadn’t ordered something else: storage!
It’s easy to overlook how you store Christmas decorations, but many of these festive items are fragile and breakable. Not to mention, they spend most of their days in a cold, damp loft, where they’re susceptible to dirt and mould, which can drastically affect their look and lifespan. That’s why I’ve been on the hunt for some new storage that can protect them properly.
Christmas Bauble Storage Box With Adjustable Dividers
This bauble box comes with four removable drawers that you can adjust to fit the size of the ornaments you want to store. So, you can protect up to 64 baubles and decorations, zip up the lid, and then use the grab handles to easily lift it in and out of the loft.
Argos
Really Useful 77L Christmas Tree Storage Box
Has anyone ever successfully put their Christmas tree back in its original box? I haven’t, so I’m buying this hard-shell storage box for my new tree this year. It’s suitable for trees up to 7ft tall and has a click-on lid that keeps the tree well protected when it’s not brightening up your home.
Dunelm
Wreath Storage Bag
A wreath storage bag is the ultimate companion to your Christmas wreath – or any wreath, in fact! It protects the main wreath and delicate components from damage or dust buildup, and the zip closure makes it easy to remove and put back on. You could also use it for your garlands if you’re partial to these festive additions.
Country Club
Christmas Corner Wrapping Paper Storage Bag
I’m very guilty of misplacing my Christmas wrapping paper and having to buy more year after year, so this wrapping paper storage bag is perfect for me. It’ll keep all your festive paper and wrapping accessories in one handy, folder-like storage bag you can grab whenever you need it.
Holiday Cheer
Christmas Tree Storage Bag – Heavy Duty
If a hard-shell Christmas tree storage box is a little too fiddly for you, a storage bag like this could be a good alternative. This heavy-duty design fits trees up to 9ft tall, and the flexible material lets you fill in gaps with other garlands and decorations.
Christmas Village
Christmas Village Icicle Lights Storage Decorations Holder
You can avoid the yearly detangle of the Christmas lights by investing in lights storage like this – and it’s genius! This box comes with four removable holders, so you can wrap up to eight strings of lights around them. This’ll keep them tangle-free and safe from damage in the loft, so they’ll last even longer.
I always love to be prepared, so buying these Christmas decoration storage solutions now will prevent any nasty surprises after Christmas.
For the past couple of years, the Scandi-inspired paper Christmas tree has been a charming addition to our festive decor, nestled on windowsills, on staircases and as miniature add-ons to our main tree. But this year, Next has supersized the trend with their 5ft Light Up Paper Christmas Tree (£75), and I can’t get enough of it.
How do you take an existing Christmas decor trend and make it better and bolder? Make it bigger, of course! We’ve already seen this with the surge in popularity of XL bows, and now the paper Christmas tree trend is receiving the same treatment.
If you’re a fan of Scandi minimalism but want to make an impact with your Christmas decorating ideas this year, this Next paper tree is a happy medium. Here’s why I predict it will sell out fast.
Next
White 5ft Light Up Paper Christmas Tree – Size One
It’s classic design is simple yet beautiful.
Next
Brights Paper Christmas Tree – Size One
There’s also a bold version is you love colour.
While the purpose of the paper tree trend was to strip back excessive decor and let shape do all the talking, it’s hard to ignore the sheer scale of Next’s new paper tree. Standing at 5ft tall, it’s big enough to replace one of the best artificial Christmas trees or even real trees in your home – perhaps a perfect solution if you don’t want to deal with dropped needles or even excessive decorating.
And that’s not all. Within the honeycomb weave of the paper tree, the decorative piece emits a warm, cosy glow. Main operated, it houses a warm-toned light that makes your tree glow when turned on – all without the need for fairy lights. This creates a gorgeous, hygge glow that is perfect for making your home feel more cosy during December, which, let’s be honest, is more often wet and miserable than it is a snowy scene.
(Image credit: Next)
This paper tree is incredibly simple in design, but it remains impressive – not just because it is so large! Minimalists will attest that it can be hard to decorate for Christmas whilst retaining personal style and not succumbing to masses of glitter and bold colours. But this tree makes it easy. Its simplicity makes it look beautiful, all the more backed up by its warm, steady glow, which I actually prefer to flashes of fairy lights.
Of course, if you are a fan of a colour, there is still a tree for you. The Brights Paper Tree (£38) is made up of rich shades of red, orange and green. Standing at 91cm tall. It’s large enough to make an impact in your home, or even as a replacement tree for small spaces.
If you’re loving the paper tree trend, like us, here are a few more statement designs I’ve found.
Next
Brown Paper Christmas Tree – Size One
M&S
Paper Christmas Tree
B&Q
Paper Tree Christmas Decoration – Olive Green
Are you for or agaisnt the XL paper tree trend? I personally am for…
