Glasgow Firm Floors the Competition With New Brand Aimed at Architects and Contractors

A Glasgow company whose flooring has already found its way into some of the UK’s biggest gyms and commercial projects is now making a major move into the specification market.

Superstrata, the new specification-grade flooring brand from Marcias Ltd, has officially launched with its sights firmly set on architects, fit-out contractors, leisure trusts and major gym chains.

If the parent company name does not immediately ring a bell, its client list probably will.

Marcias Ltd is the Glasgow business behind Sprung Gym Flooring, whose products have reportedly been used in projects linked to Google HQ, Manchester City, Manchester United, David Lloyd and PureGym. Now the company is creating a dedicated brand specifically for the commercial specification sector.

The move comes after what the business describes as a sharp rise in enquiries from architects, surveyors and contractors needing far more than just a quick flooring order.

Instead, they wanted the full specification package, fire certificates, acoustic testing, slip ratings, sustainability credentials, technical documentation and compliance data before even considering a product for a project.

Founder and Director Richard McKay said the original Sprung brand was never designed for that type of workflow.

He explained that Sprung Gym Flooring was built around direct buyers such as gym owners and operators who wanted reliable flooring delivered quickly, while Superstrata has been created specifically for the specification process used by architects and contractors.

That means downloadable technical sheets, CAD details, NBS clauses, installation guidance and project case studies all built directly into the platform.

The company says every Superstrata product comes with a full technical documentation pack designed to help streamline commercial project approvals and procurement processes.

The brand is also planning to develop RIBA-accredited CPD content aimed at architects and designers, while targeting growth in the UK leisure, hotel and commercial fitness sectors.

Importantly for existing customers, Sprung Gym Flooring is not disappearing.

The company says Sprung will continue operating as its direct-to-customer brand, serving gym owners and operators as it has since 2020, while Superstrata becomes a separate “front door” for specification-led commercial projects.

For a Glasgow business that already supplies tens of thousands of customers, the launch signals another ambitious expansion, and a reminder that specialist UK manufacturing and supply firms are continuing to find clever ways to scale into new markets.

https://superstrata.fit

https://www.gym-flooring.com

New Book Shows How to Run Successful Projects in Half the Time

In a business world where missed deadlines, wasted budgets and failed initiatives can have serious consequences, effective project management has never been more important.

In The Project Management Book, by leading consultant and trainer Fergus O’Connell, shares practical, proven techniques to help professionals deliver successful projects faster, more efficiently and with greater confidence.

Published by the award-winning business book publisher LID Publishing, The Project Management Book: 50 Ways to Run Successful Projects in Half the Time comes out on 11 June 2026. 

In this concise and practical guide, O’Connell distils decades of expertise into simple techniques that help readers manage projects successfully, avoid costly mistakes and deliver results faster.

Part of LID Publishing’s bestselling Concise Advice Paperback series, The Project Management Book demonstrates that while projects themselves may be complex, project management does not need to be. By applying straightforward rules and practical approaches, readers can save time, effort, resources, and money, while significantly improving project outcomes.

One of the UK’s leading consultants and trainers in project management, Fergus O’Connell is the author of more than 15 business and self-help books, including the bestselling Simply Brilliant. His latest book offers practical, actionable advice for anyone responsible for delivering projects on time and on budget.

https://lidpublishing.com

Chapmanbdsp Engineering Supports Opening of Six Senses London at the Landmark Whiteleys Regeneration

Six Senses in London has opened within the historic Whiteley's building in Bayswater, marking a significant milestone in the £1 billion regeneration of one of the capital's most iconic heritage sites. 

Chapmanbdsp played a pivotal role in bringing the project to life, delivering MEP, environmental, fire engineering and vertical transportation consultancy across the wider redevelopment, as well as specialist engineering design for the new luxury hotel. 

The transformation of Whiteleys, the wider complex that now houses Six Senses, represents one of London's most complex and high-profile heritage redevelopments. 

The project carefully restored the Grade II listed facade and dome of the former department store while introducing a vibrant mixed-use destination including luxury residences, retail, restaurants, cinema and hospitality spaces. 

At the northern end of the scheme sits the recently opened Six Senses London hotel, where chapmanbdsp's engineering expertise assisted in integrating the contemporary building services within a sensitive historic structure. 

The luxury wellness-focused hotel features 110 guestrooms arranged across seven floors, with upper levels benefiting from terraces and gardens that create a calm retreat above the city. 

Guests enter through the restored historic entrance into an elegant lobby space, where restaurants and bars unfold around a bold feature staircase.

A dedicated social and wellness club on the second floor forms the heart of the hotel's offering, combining co-working spaces, a central bar and lounge, a restaurant and a range of wellness rooms designed for both members and guests. 

A standout feature of the showcase kitchen is the open-fire oven, introduced at the client's request to display solid fuel cooking for guests. This created a complex fire strategy for chapmanbdsp, as managing fume build-up required specialised ventilation systems to ensure safety and compliance with regulations.

Below ground, the hotel has an extensive spa and fitness experience. A 20m indoor swimming pool anchors the spa circuit, which also includes communal and gender-specific saunas and steam rooms, alongside up to 12 treatment rooms. 

Specialist wellness facilities including a floatation room, a sensory room and a cryotherapy suite complement a 325m2 gym and additional studio spaces. 

The diverse treatment offerings required chapmanbdsp to deliver complex engineering services while developing coordinated strategies for closely integrated systems. 

Delivering these facilities within a historic building required innovative engineering solutions. The listed external walls restricted ventilation placement, so chapmanbdsp worked closely with the project team to develop highly integrated building services that could be discreetly incorporated within the structure while preserving its architectural integrity. 

One of the project's most significant technical challenges arose from planning restrictions that prohibited the placement of plant equipment on the roof to preserve rooftop spaces for private amenity terraces. 

This constraint required a rethinking of the servicing strategy. In response, chapmanbdsp developed a bespoke engineering solution that relocated all major plant infrastructure to newly constructed basement levels, increasing the building depth from 4m to 18m. 

The design incorporates a sophisticated heat rejection strategy that also performs multiple functions, including exhaust ventilation, smoke ventilation and generator ventilation. This multi-use approach allowed complex systems to operate efficiently while minimising spatial impact within the historic structure.

Across the wider redevelopment, chapmanbdsp's role extended beyond the hotel. The practice provided engineering consultancy for the entire mixed-use scheme, which spans approximately 87,000m² and includes residential spaces, retail, dining and leisure facilities. 

A central energy centre forms the backbone of the development's infrastructure, delivering a localised district heating and cooling network supported by high-voltage electrical distribution serving all assets across the site. The retail and leisure components alone include around 6,500m2 of food and beverage space and 21 retail units, creating a dynamic new destination for West London. 

For chapmanbdsp, the project demonstrates the practice's ability to deliver complex engineering solutions within highly constrained heritage environments while supporting ambitious architectural and sustainability goals. The successful opening of Six Senses London at Whiteleys marks not only the revival of a historic London landmark, but also a showcase of how innovative engineering can unlock the potential of historic buildings for modern, sustainable use.  

https://www.chapmanbdsp.com

One Dashboard to Rule Them All? The Apps That Bring Your Social Media Notifications Together

If your working day currently involves bouncing between Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, YouTube and somewhere in the middle forgetting why you opened your phone in the first place, welcome to modern business life.

For many small businesses, bloggers, retailers, cafés, restaurants and independent brands, social media is no longer “optional marketing.” 

It is customer service, advertising, networking, reputation management and occasionally unpaid therapy.

The problem?

Keeping up with notifications across multiple platforms can become a full-time occupation.

Fortunately, a growing number of apps are now designed to pull everything together into one manageable dashboard.

Why Businesses Are Moving Towards Unified Social Media Dashboards

Instead of checking six different apps every few minutes, unified social media platforms can allow businesses to:

View messages from multiple platforms in one inbox

Respond to comments and mentions faster

Schedule posts across several networks

Track engagement and analytics

Reduce the risk of missing customer enquiries

Save an enormous amount of time

For busy SMEs, that can make a genuine difference.

Some of the Most Popular Platforms

Hootsuite

One of the best-known names in social media management, Hootsuite offers a powerful all-in-one dashboard covering notifications, scheduling and analytics.

It is particularly useful for businesses managing multiple brands or high volumes of activity, although some smaller firms may find the pricing a little steep.

https://www.hootsuite.com

Agorapulse

Agorapulse has built a strong reputation around its unified inbox system.

For businesses that receive large numbers of comments, messages and mentions, it offers a cleaner and more organised way to keep conversations under control.

It is especially popular with agencies, creators and growing independent brands.

https://www.agorapulse.com

Buffer

Buffer takes a more streamlined approach.

It is simpler than some of the larger enterprise-focused systems, making it attractive for bloggers, freelancers and smaller businesses that mainly want scheduling and light inbox management without unnecessary complexity.

https://buffer.com

Zoho Social

For businesses already using Zoho products, Zoho Social can fit neatly into an existing workflow.

It combines social management with reporting and customer relationship tools, often at a more budget-friendly price point than some competitors.

https://www.zoho.com/social

The Important Catch

While these platforms can dramatically reduce social media chaos, there is one unavoidable limitation:

Not every social media company allows full notification access through its API.

In plain English, that means some notifications may still only appear properly inside the original platform’s own app.

So while unified dashboards can reduce the madness, they may not completely eliminate it.

The Bottom Line

For businesses trying to stay visible online without spending half the day trapped inside notification overload, unified social media platforms can be a genuine productivity upgrade.

Because frankly, if your phone pings one more time from six different apps at once, there is every chance somebody may eventually attempt to throw it into the nearest canal.

Opti Day London: From Traffic Decline to Value Optimisation. How Publishers Are Reframing Monetisation in 2026

Opti Digital, the leading AdTech company specialising in publisher revenue optimisation, hosted the London edition of Opti Day last week, bringing together senior publisher revenue leaders to exchange on the operational realities shaping monetisation strategies today.

Following previous editions in Paris and New York, the London session reinforced the role of Opti Day as a platform for practical, experience-led discussions, moving beyond high-level trends to focus on how publishers are adapting their models in increasingly complex and constrained environments.

A changing paradigm: from volume to value

Opening the session, Magali Quentel-Reme, CEO at Opti Digital and Olly Aulakh, CRO, outlined the structural shifts currently impacting publisher monetisation.

Traffic volatility, declining acquisition from key channels, and sustained pressure on open market CPMs are redefining how growth is approached. Scale alone is no longer a viable lever.

At the same time, user experience and technical performance have become directly linked to revenue outcomes. Page speed, latency, and overall site efficiency now play a central role in audience acquisition, engagement, and monetisation.

“Publishers can no longer rely on volume alone, maximising value per user has become the new growth driver,” Magali Quentel-Reme told That's Business.

In this context, publishers are facing a fundamental challenge: how to maximise the value of each user interaction while operating within increasingly complex and fragmented environments.

Drawing on its experience working with a broad portfolio of publishers globally, Opti Digital emphasised a model combining lightweight, performance-driven technology with a consultative approach, positioning itself as a strategic partner focused on balancing revenue growth, user experience, and operational efficiency.

Publisher panel: navigating complexity in practice

The publisher panel, featuring Hasan Ramadan (Head of Digital Advertising, Euronews) and Alistair Patterson (Head of DataLab, 1XL), provided a grounded perspective on how these challenges are translating into day-to-day operations.

A key theme was the growing complexity of publisher stacks. Fragmented setups, multiple demand partners, and evolving ecosystem dynamics are not always generating incremental value — and in many cases, are introducing inefficiencies and revenue leakage.

Audience behaviour is also shifting, particularly among younger users, pushing publishers to rethink both distribution strategies and monetisation approaches.

Rather than relying solely on traditional setups, publishers are actively experimenting with new formats, new integrations, and alternative ways of capturing demand more effectively.

Both speakers also highlighted the importance of close collaboration with partners such as Opti Digital, not only from a technology perspective, but in enabling faster execution, improving performance, and aligning monetisation strategies with operational realities.

Client spotlight: execution as a competitive advantage

The session with Thomas Porteus (Director of Product and Partnerships, Navigate Health) illustrated how these challenges translate into execution.

Facing legacy technology constraints, performance issues, and declining monetisation efficiency, the publisher partnered with Opti Digital to rebuild its infrastructure and improve site performance.

By focusing on speed, mobile optimisation, and simplified monetisation frameworks, Navigate Health achieved a significant uplift in revenue performance (up to +46%), while also reducing operational complexity for a lean internal team.

Beyond performance gains, the collaboration enabled the team to shift focus from technical troubleshooting to growth, highlighting the importance of execution speed in a fast-moving ecosystem.

From insight to business impact

Across all sessions, one element stood out: the level of operational depth in the discussions.

Rather than focusing on abstract trends, conversations centred on execution, what's working, what isn't and where publishers are actively testing new approaches.

Opti Day London confirmed publishers are operating in a market defined by structural constraints, but also by increasing opportunities for those able to adapt.

Performance will increasingly depend on:

maximising value per user rather than scale

aligning monetisation with user experience

simplifying infrastructure

executing faster and more efficiently

More broadly, the event reinforced the role of collaborative, peer-driven formats in helping publishers navigate these challenges.

As the ecosystem continues to evolve, the next step is clear: translating insight into execution, and execution into measurable business outcomes.

RoRo, RoRo Your Boat More Easily as Customs Declarations UK Goes Live with French ELO, Delivering End-to-End Channel Crossing Compliance in Single Platform

Customs Chaos? There’s Finally One Less Border Headache for UK Hauliers.

If you've ever watched someone trying to deal with post-Brexit customs paperwork, you'll know it resembles a cross between air traffic control, speed dating and an escape room designed by accountants.

Just when operators thought they'd finally got their heads around CDS declarations, ENS filings, GVMS references, MRNs and the thousand other acronyms now haunting Britain’s logistics sector, along came another delightful addition from France: the Enveloppe Logistique Obligatoire, or ELO.

Because obviously what cross-Channel freight really needed was another mandatory digital envelope.

Thankfully, Customs Declarations UK, better known as CDUK, has announced it's now fully live with France’s ELO system following direct integration and certification with the French customs authority, the DGDDI.

And for businesses moving goods between the UK and France, that's actually rather important news.

So... What Exactly Is ELO?

The ELO is now mandatory for road freight vehicles travelling between the UK and France via RoRo routes like Dover, Folkestone and the Channel Tunnel.

In simple terms, it acts as a digital logistics envelope linking together all the customs and safety paperwork connected to a crossing.

Or, put another way, it's one more thing drivers absolutely do not want to discover is missing while sitting in a queue at Calas.

The system connects vehicle details, customs declarations, safety filings and barcode data so French customs authorities can see everything before the truck even arrives.

Without it, things can get very awkward very quickly.

One Platform Instead of Seven Browser Tabs and Mild Panic

What makes CDUK’s announcement significant is operators can now complete the entire process from one system instead of bouncing between multiple portals while quietly questioning their career choices.

Users can:

Submit UK CDS import and export declarations

File ENS declarations for GB safety and security

Complete ICS2 filings for EU requirements

Generate the ELO directly within the platform

Download the required barcode instantly for border presentation

That means fewer duplicated entries, fewer mismatched references and considerably less opportunity for somebody to accidentally upload the wrong form at 4.57pm on a Friday afternoon.

ICS2: The Acronym That Sounds Like a Robot from Star Wars

For goods heading into the EU, the ELO is heavily tied into the ICS2 safety and security framework.

French customs requires ELO submissions to reference the relevant ENS or ICS2 filing data, which means operators without a proper ICS2 setup can find themselves with a rather alarming compliance gap.

CDUK says its platform handles ICS2 filings across road, sea, air and rail transport, including both House and Master-level declarations.

Which is useful, because modern customs compliance increasingly feels like trying to complete a Sudoku puzzle while driving a lorry through Kent.

Free ELO Access? In This Economy?

In a rare and refreshing twist, CDUK says its ELO functionality will be available free of charge under a fair usage policy for both existing customers and new subscribers.

Given the growing pile of costs facing hauliers, freight forwarders and importers, that decision will likely be welcomed with the sort of enthusiasm normally reserved for functioning motorway services coffee machines.

Jawahir Lal Lund, Director and CEO of AJ Software Solutions Limited, summed it up neatly, saying businesses are already facing enough regulatory complexity without having to juggle multiple systems and risk costly mistakes.

And honestly, after several years of border bureaucracy multiplying faster than supermarket meal deal prices, few in logistics are likely to disagree.

For operators regularly moving goods across the UK–France corridor, particularly through busy RoRo crossings, this integration could remove one of the more frustrating administrative bottlenecks from the process.

Which, in 2026, practically counts as a miracle.

https://www.customs-declarations.uk

That's Technology: ChatGPT Is Changing How Fans Discover Concerts and...

That's Technology: ChatGPT Is Changing How Fans Discover Concerts and...: The rise of conversational AI is beginning to reshape one of the internet’s most familiar behaviors: search. For years, discovering live eve...