The first NFT-focussed integrated agency has officially launched in Manchester.
Anna and Alex Moss, directors and co-founders of digital marketing agency FireCask, have joined forces with two co-founders in the crypto space – Alexander Golombeck and Sheraz Ashiq – to unveil NFTU: A company specialising in collaboration, production, marketing and tools within the NFT (non-fungible tokens) industry.
The self-professed goal of the company is to build a bridge between the digital and traditional word of arts through accessibility, education, trust and creativity, and ‘help facilitate NFT adoption to the masses’.
NFTU has already secured a number of high-profile clients – including an NFT artist who will be handling the world’s first ‘utility token’ drop.
NFTU also has also recruited several big names to its Board of Directors, including music producer Eddie Kramer (who’s worked with Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Bad Company and The Beatles) and media creative Tim Searle (2DTV, Baby Cow Animation with Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, Tiger Aspect Productions, Beano Studios, CBBC, Aardman Animations).
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The NFTU board also stars Nunan and Cartwright – a three generational family of independent artists – and Selena Støback, a Social Impact Director with a wealth of experience supporting civil society, NGOs and NFPs.
Also on the company board is Adam Malach – Head of Cyber Security Advisory at The Post Office and a results-driven professional experienced in InfoSec assurance, vulnerability management, operations, incident response, network security and compliance.
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Co-Founder & CMO Anna Moss said: “This is such a new and exciting industry to be a part of and I am looking forward to working with new and established artists to help them reach new audiences.
“I love the idea of working with traditional artists and helping guide them through the world of NFTs as well as working with those who are already established.”
Fellow Co-Founder Alex Moss added: “The NFT space is an interesting and crazy place to be. Navigating the ecosystem and discovering the curations you need is becoming increasingly more complex in a metaverse that is already complicated to begin with.
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“NFTU is going to help true creatives produce and collaborate on NFTs that will stand the test of time. We’re already excited about some of the collaborations we have in production at the moment and can’t wait for them to drop.”
Fellow Co-Founder Alexander Golombeck said: “NFTs merge trust and creativity in a seamless way; and have the opportunity to make the concept of ownership more transparent and equitable.
“At NFTU we aim to bring together ideas from all over the world – to produce and market NFTs that create and hold both financial and cultural value.”
Business
Manchester Airport releases statement after customer data stolen in ‘targeted’ cyber security attack
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has released a formal statement after data was stolen from 8.7 million customers in a ‘targeted’ cyber security attack yesterday.
Manchester Airport Group (MAG) – which operates Manchester Airport, Stansted, and East Midlands Airport – said the cyber security incident happened at around 1pm yesterday (Thursday 27 August), and that the data seized from 8.7 million customers included email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations, and postcodes.
The data that was stolen related to car park, lounge and Fast Track bookings, and in-airport WiFi sign-ups, MAG stated.
It was initially confirmed that the system the hackers accessed did not hold customers’ bank or payment details, however, and that all other regular airport operations and customer parking continued uninterrupted.
Manchester Airport has now released a formal statement to reassure customers that they are taking the matter ‘extremely seriously’.
The statement reads: “Manchester Airport Group has been subject to a cyber security incident by an unauthorised third party.
“A quantity of customer data has been obtained that relates to car park, lounge and Fast Track bookings and in-airport WIFI sign-ups at Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports.
“We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems. We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities, and at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised.”
MAG insisted that the incident had not resulted in any ‘operational disruption’, adding: “Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally.
“Neither MAG nor the system accessed hold customers’ bank or payment details. The data that has been accessed includes customers’ email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes.
“We would like to reassure customers that Manchester Airport Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously, and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused.”
Featured Image – MAG
Business
Workers at major Manchester city centre hotel to strike this bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
Workers at one of the most prominent hotels in Manchester city centre are set to strike this bank holiday weekend.
Workers at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel and its bar venue The Refuge, who are members of the union Unite, will take 24 hours of strike action on Saturday (29 August) in what is said to be a ‘long-running dispute’ over union busting.
The strike day chosen by the workers is the second day of this year’s Manchester Village Pride, and is historically the most lucrative day of the year for their employer.
This is because Kimpton Clocktower is located very close to the Pride Parade route, and for several years has been a very popular location for people attending the festival, and even runs a number of Pride events itself.
Unite says that for months now, workers at the Kimpton Clocktower – which is owned by InterContinental Hotels Group UK (IHG) – have been asking for formal union recognition to improve conditions after raising several issues with management, but IHG UK has refused this and instead ‘targeted’ the union for its actions.
Workers at a major Manchester city centre hotel are set to strike this bank holiday weekend / Credit: Rebecca Hope Photography (Supplied)
Previous strikes have already taken place this summer, apparently causing ‘financial hits’ to the business in the process – with the bar being forced to close early at several events as there were not enough staff to cover them.
“A strike on Kimpton’s most profitable day is entirely of its own making,” commented Unite regional officer, Alison Treacher. “Throughout this dispute, Kimpton Clocktower management have treated its loyal workforce with contempt and our members have shown they will not stand for it.
“There is still time to avoid this highly disruptive strike action, but that relies on IHG changing tack by listening to its members and giving them the union recognition they have long been calling for.”
This dispute is said to be the first ever hospitality strike in the North West.
Unite is currently running a petition demanding that IHG UK stop targeting union activists, recognise the Kimpton workers rights to have their grievance heard collectively, and support their union recognition campaign.
The Manc -
6th May 2021 
