- Your #London #Christmas party venue guide http://t.co/JKVV0U8PLr #eventprofs #meetingprofs
- Booked a live band at your #event or a #stringquartet at your #wedding? Read these tips on working with musicians http://t.co/AwRT44Ts3r
- On this day in 1862, #WestminsterBridge opened following major rebuild by Thomas Page. It's the oldest bridge on the Thames!
- Sip summer cocktails, nibble street food amongst olive & eucalyptus trees @41PP stylish roof terrace http://t.co/lM5yGwgOgU #eventprofs
- Special £59pp DDR with business lunch in Great Hall or Telford Theatre @OGGSVenue throughout May & July http://t.co/DFrsXIbWyG #eventprofs
11
Oct
Oct
By Jenny Hullock, venue manager, 76 Portland Place
“Manage expectations, include the unexpected in your budget and consider your venue choice carefully” – these were all ‘knowledge nuggets’ especially for PAs, shared by Samantha Mitchell, event and awards organisers for Serco, who spoke at our recent ‘PA Guide to Event Organisation’ seminar.
For those who weren’t able to attend but who have recently become involved in organising events, I have compiled a clear 10-point event organisation plan to ensure nothing is overlooked from start to finish. I hope you find it useful.
Firm up your objectives. Before you begin to even think about ... Read more >>
26
Sep
Sep
By James Parsons, Managing Director, The Conference Bench
The effect of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the meetings and event industry can be evidenced in new data released today by The Conference Bench.
A sample of 23 London hotels and venues, including several LOCOG designated hotels, posted £10.04 million in revenue (food and beverage and room hire revenue) between 27 July – 12 August 2012, compared to £1.9 million for the corresponding period in 2011 (29 July – 14 August 2011). This indicates a 434% increase year to year, demonstrating the Olympic Games period’s positive impact on the industry.
Meeting ... Read more >>
14
Sep
Sep
By Clare Hodgkinson, marketing executive, Church House Conference Centre
For event organisers time is precious. Today, through advances in technology, event organisers are being given the option to take a virtual tour of a venue, book event space, catering and AV, and make payment at the click of a button. But is this the way forward for all venues?
Are those venues that don’t have online booking facilities regarded as old fashioned and missing out on business? Will all event booking be done online in future?
There are many advantages to online booking, but it may not necessarily be the most practical option ... Read more >>
04
Sep
Sep
As former RIBA venue head Petra Bones secures her dream job as new Head of Events for Banqueting House and Historic Royal Places, she talks to The Westminster Collection about the lure of the venue’s heritage, the challenge to keep pace with event buyer behaviour and her admiration for the late Neil Armstrong
Tell us about your move from RIBA to Banqueting House. What was your relationship with the venue prior to your move?
I have known Lin Kennedy [incumbent Head of Events at Banqueting House] through the events industry for several years and have been keeping an eye on her role, ... Read more >>
31
Aug
Aug
By Wendy Greenhalgh, Board Director, The Westminster Collection
The stage has been set and Westminster is alive and kicking like never before thanks to 2012 and all the domestic and global profile this year’s events have attracted. So far there’s little evidence of a shadow being cast over post-Olympics London when you hear that 45% of the capital’s venues have already forecast revenue increases of up to 30% from now through to December.
The outlook was upbeat for conference and event venues, tourist attractions and hotels when we released our 2012 London Venues Business (LVB) Report. 30 member venues of The Westminster ... Read more >>
19
Jul
Jul
The Westminster Collection, Unique Venues of London and The Conference Bench unveiled the key findings of the 2012 London Venue Report today, culminating in what is believed to be the largest entirely London-centric meetings survey in circulation to date.
If you weren’t one of the participating venues, do you share similar optimism about the impact the London 2012 Olympic Games have and will have on the London meetings and events market? Or are you an event booker with a great story to tell about your experiences with London venues this year? We’d love to hear from you. Email news@venues-london.co.uk.
The key findings ... Read more >>
17
May
May
By Kevin McLoughlin, audio visual manager, One Wimpole Street
Recognising the importance of connectivity and state-of-the-art technology for the events industry, One Wimpole Street, London’s acclaimed conference and meetings venue, has recently launched a streaming facility enabling customers to stream their audio visual content over the internet to be viewed live or ‘on-demand’.
Online streaming enables audiences to grow and engage, reaching people in other parts of the country, or indeed the four corners of the world. It’s the ideal opportunity to expand the capacity of ‘physical’ events such as masterclasses, meetings, conferences and award ceremonies.
Live and on-demand streams provide powerful benefits ... Read more >>
21
Mar
Mar
By David Wilkinson, Head Chef, One Great George Street
Bowl food is hardly the new kid on the block at One Great George Street as far as food innovation is concerned, so why have we never featured it on our menus before? The reason it hasn’t made its way onto the menus in the past is because personally, I didn’t really know how I felt about it as function food.
What did I think I hated about bowl food?
1) Definitely concerns over practicality. What do you do with your glass while you are eating, as you need two hands to do so?
2) ... Read more >>
12
Mar
Mar
By Clare Hodgkinson, Marketing Executive, Church House Conference Centre
In an increasingly hectic and busy world many professionals go all day with little or no breaks. With deadlines approaching, business deals to make, clients to meet and targets to reach, many individuals find themselves working throughout their lunch break, and working well into the evening and even the night.
According to BUPA, taking regular breaks is of great importance. This statement may come as no great surprise to you and you may still firmly hold the opinion that you simply do not have time due to a heavy workload. Actually, by not ... Read more >>
07
Feb
Feb
By Jenny Hullock, Venue Manager, 76 Portland Place
One of the biggest hurdles facing event organisers is time. Researching new venues is time consuming and often overwhelming, particularly in the capital, where the choice and possibilities appear endless.
Due to busy schedules and heavy workloads, it can be tempting for you to select the same ‘tried and tested’ venues for forthcoming events, but stepping out of the comfort zone and sourcing new alternatives can be hugely rewarding. In doing so you’re likely to deliver an exciting, high impact, innovative function for your target audience, who will welcome the fresh approach.
One way to ... Read more >>