We are playing a big part in this year's Times Crème show — and we're not just talking about our massive DeskDemon WorkSmart pavilion that will be smack bang in the middle of the show!

We're bringing our new WorkSmart technology initiative to the show, running from 17th-19th May at London Olympia. We know that technology plays a huge part in your working life, so with the help of our partners HP, Fujitsu and Plantronics, we'll be showing you how the latest cutting edge technology can save time, money and stress in your office every day.

But our Crème presence doesn't stop there, we've also helped to develop the technology seminars, sponsored this year by Eurostar. Our very own founder and CEO Mek Rahmani will be presenting a seminar titled Using the Internet as a Work Tool, and there are three other fascinating seminars titled How to be Successful with Style, E-mail Overload and Using Technology to Get Noticed.

Of course, we'll also be giving away some fantastic prizes!

Head over to the site to find out more and to register for the technology seminars and the show itself. See you there! more...

This month our careers section focuses on the East Midlands, and it's crammed full of all the information you need to know on furthering your career in the region.

The East Midlands is a vibrant area, with some stunning scenery — 10% of the land in this region is officially declared to be an area of outstanding beauty. The average journey to work is just 21 minutes, cost of living is low and housing is affordable.

By 2010, the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) want the region to be one of the top 20 in Europe. It has already risen 7 places in 2 years, and is now 28th. As EMDA say in their Summary Report for 2003-2004, "We're on our way! Now watch us really go for it."

Whether you live in the region already, or you're thinking about a move there, we've got everything you need to know to boost your career, including:

• Employment prospects and salaries
• Recruitment agencies
• Universities
• Learning and Skills Councils
• Networking Groups

Do you wish you were one of those confident people that seem to get all the breaks? It's time to say goodbye Average, hello Alpha as Dianne Bown-Wilson reveals a few of the secrets that will help you to elevate yourself above average PA status.

Whatever their age, gender or status, Alphas embody those two great intangibles, charisma and presence, as well as natural leadership and an ability to generate trust. In fact, they seem to represent everything one could wish to be — and to cap it all are just so darned nice... ain't life unfair?

The good news is that you too can become an Alpha. You simply have to focus, consciously and constantly, on becoming the best you can be. Aristotle summed it up when he said: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

Five key elements are involved in the process which, if started now, could see you well on the way to becoming an Alpha surprisingly swiftly.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

We know how much you love to read about the lives of your fellow PAs, thanks to our popular Day in the Life feature, and we're sure that Dream Jobs will grab you attention in the same way! If you love being a secretary but wish your role was more exciting, we hope you'll be inspired by this new feature. We'll be chatting to PAs in enviable positions, to find out how they got there and why their jobs are just so damn fantastic! First off, Kathryn MacLeod, PA to the managing director of Radio Clyde in Glasgow tells all about the world of radio broadcasting.

How did you start on the career ladder?
I started work as an office junior with the Thomson Foundation Television College in Newton Mearns in Glasgow when I was 17. I was taken under the wing of Phyl Entwistle, the senior secretary, who was wonderful to work with.

The College held residential training courses in television production and engineering for people who were already employed in stations in developing countries.

In 1985 the College ceased residential courses in the UK and the lecturers concentrated all their efforts on training overseas. By then I was a fully-fledged secretary — and the only one remaining as Phyl had retired and the others had been made redundant. In 1990 it was decided to centralise all the Foundation's offices in Cardiff, where the press division and head office were based.

How did you land your dream job?
I was keen to remain in the broadcasting field and wrote to BBC Scotland, STV and my favourite radio station — Radio Clyde. At first there was no response from these organisations so I applied for a job at the Southern General Hospital and was offered it. A few days later, a letter arrived from Alex Dickson, the programme director at Radio Clyde.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

Stay tuned to DeskDemon throughout May for all of this and more:

Spotlight on Leeds
Our tour around the UK with Conference Solutions by Expotel continues to the place once viewed as the archetypal grim northern town. Leeds has undergone an amazing transformation in recent years, and you'll find plenty of large and unusual conference venues to choose from.

Spotlight on Paris
Venture slightly further afield in our travel section with a guide to everything the business traveller needs to know about visiting the romance capital of Europe. Suzanne Brown will don her beret and seek out all the details.

Holiday Cover
You're looking forward to disappearing off for a well earned break, but the thought of getting the right temporary cover for the office fills you with dread. Well fear not, as Cath Janes brings you her top tips on finding staff that will make sure that the office is still in one piece when you get back.