Prestige Events summer 2015

SUMMER 2015 EDITION WWW.PRESTIGEEVENTSMAGAZINE.COM

20/20

speed networking the ultimate b2b forum

COOL VENUE AWARDS RESULTS YAHIRE WHERE WE ATE LORD WEDDING - PAUPER BUDGET THE BEST EVENT APPS ZAPS MAGIC VISUAL PRODUCTION SIX CATERERS YOU’LL LOVE IN THE TRADE WITH TOP GOLF HOW TO LEAD AN EVENT HOW TO SELL MORE EVENT TICKETS

CONTENTS Welcome to our 12th birthday edition. This year has seen

our 8th annual COOL Venue

Awards top-trend once again.

Interestingly the audit shows that the COOL Venue Awards social

media

audience

is

over twice that of all of the other corporate event industry

awards. Apologies if that’s

sounds a bit modest. I state it because in this events industry

there is a challenge to overcome those who say you can’t do

this because it’s too challenging. Which is total crap. The very word ‘event’ means ‘challenge’. Our awards night is the very antithesis of your traditional affair: no self-nominations, all tickets

free for guests, free drinks, free food, amazing DJ’s, world-class entertainers, etc.

Yes, you may have noticed we said the word ‘FREE’ quite often!

How did we do it..now that would be telling, but if you have a problem, and no one else can solve it, then you should hire….

Enjoy the edition.

Wes

Prestige Events team: Publisher / Founder: Wesley Mendy

Head of Client Relations: Dan Bearpark Editor (Print & Online): Hope Mendy

Head of Database Administration: Allanah Brownsdon-Dolan Head of Social Media: Asif Mirza Design Director: Saroj Patel

Design Editor: Errol Griffiths

Contributing editors: Jacqui Partridge, Jason Scott, Stuart Groves, Ben Gamble

Financial controller: Siobhan O’Dwyer

CONTENTS P8 17 Things You Didn’t Know P11 Readers Letters P15 Where We Ate P16 Out and About with Megabooth P19 Paul Neal P21 Industry Profile – Paul Neal P22 Six Caterers to get Excited About P24 7 Ways to go Viral P27 In the Trade with Top Golf P30 How to Lead an Event P32 How to Sell More Event Tickets P34 Technology Round up P36 5 Best Event Apps P36 Top Five Event Tech P39 Visual Production Focus P44 Supplier Focus – Yahire P46 Supplier Focus – Richmond P50 20/20 Speed Networking P52 COOL Venue Awards P76 20/20 at The Barbican Photo spread P78 20/20 at Wax Chandler’s Hall Photo spread P80 20/20 at London Zoo Photo spread P82 20/20 Warner Bros Studios Photo spread P84 20/20 Vinopolis Photospread P86 20/20 Steam and Rye Photo spread P88 Confex P90 Zap Magic Focus P91 Lord Wedding, Pauper Budget P94 Useful Websites

Prestige Events magazine (est.2003) is a MX4 Ltd publication.

Prestige Events, 108 Clydesdale Road, Hornchurch Essex RM11 1AJ t:01708 737393

wes@prestigeeventsguide.com

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All content in this edition remains the intellectual property of MX4 Ltd and MX4 Ltd holds copyright and cannot be reproduced, replicated, lent, or publicly displayed without prior permission from MX4 Ltd. MX4 Ltd 2014 prestigeeventsmagazine.com

17 THINGS

17 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8

A private equity group has completed its purchase of a major conference and exhibition centre. As first reported in CN last July, LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group is the buyer of The NEC in Birmingham.

Kevin Jackson has resigned from his role as vice-president of sales and marketing, EMEA at global experience agency George P Johnson (GPJ)

Pepsi Max has launched ‘Drone Football’, the first instalment of its new experience-based digital campaign, Genius

Interactive technology group Engage Works officially launched its recently rebranded venue, Flux LDN and announced a series of new technology partnerships with companies including Stereoscape and Pavegen during at event at its offices in East London on Tuesday (28 April).

Eurostar has launched its new year-round service from London to Lyon with the first train departing St Pancras International this Spring

The UK events industry needs more creative thinkers according to the latest findings from London & Partners. The study also found 53% of planners feel under pressure to deliver innovative and pioneering events, yet less than a third said risk-taking is encouraged by their organisation.

A new cookery school in a West Sussex vineyard is offering corporate classes and teambuilding events, as well as conference space for hire. Kitchen Academy at Kingscote will be based in a 15th-century tithe barn visitor centre at the heart of the 150-acre Kingscote Estate.

More than 60% of event professionals stated that a Conservative victory in the General Election would be beneficial to the events industry in C&IT’s anonymous poll, beating Labour by more than half

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17 THINGS

Events agency Fashion & Cinema has announced partnerships with Michael Kors and Vanity Fair to create Icons of Style, a three-day event combining film, fashion and celebrity speakers

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, which features a 12m-high replica Godzilla head, has opened its doors in Tokyo, Japan

Exhibitors at this year’s London Christmas Party Show will be able to measure their return on investment (ROI) much easier with the introduction of NFC wristbands.

Langley’s No.8 Gin has agreed to an exclusive partnership with British sporting events Badminton Horse Trials and Chesterton’s Polo in the Park

Jumeirah Bodrum Palace hotel opens in Turkey. A luxury Turkish hotel overlooking the Aegean Sea will re-open this Spring under the Jumeirah brand.

Chiltern Firehouse owner to open luxury King’s Cross hotel. US hotelier André Balazs has been granted planning permission to develop a luxury 270-bedroom hotel at King’s Cross

The Leadenhall Building to open ‘unique’ event space. The Leadenhall Building in London, otherwise known as the Cheesegrater, is to open Level 42 as a dedicated events venue this summer.

All-business-class service from London to New York makes maiden flight. French boutique airline La Compagnie’s

first all-business-class service from London to New York completed its maiden flight on Friday 24 April marking a step forward in Luxury travel.

Finally everything is awesome! A Legoland Hotel is to open this Summer! Sad news, it’s in Florida

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

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READERS LETTERS

LORD KNOWS! Lord Jason Scott is possibly the most connected man in the UK event industry. Also the most dapper man in the industry, who else could we appoint to answer your ‘event-fashion/ grooming/style’ questions!

Ask Lord Jason a question and win a fantastic Montblanc Pen. Thank you to Montblanc Corporate Gifts for the fantastic prize of a timeless Meisterstuck Platinum Ballpoint Pen (www. montblanccorporategift.co.uk). Email your questions to us at enquiries@prestigeeventsguide.com for a chance to win next time and to receive another piece of writing culture from Montblanc Corporate Gifts. A time honored tradition.

See more of Lord Jason Scott’s sartorial style her – http://pinterest.com/lordscott/this-is-my-style-lord-it/

Q/ What should I keep in my desk in case I’m hungover and have overlooked… well everything…?

The sharpest man in the room never overlooks the details,

no matter how hungover he is! I always add a white Marcella handkerchief to the breast pocket of my jacket as it’s a fail-safe way to smarten up your look. If you have the chance to add

cufflinks do – you want people to not be looking at your dark

circles which hopefully you’ve covered in concealer (its 2015 it’s okay to be a bit metro). DON’T drown yourself in aftershave, it’ll

only remind you of the night before and make your desperation to be seen as ‘okay’ obvious.

Q/ With summer coming up, how do I tackle Linen? I want to wear a linen suit to a wedding in August but don’t want to look like a crumpled mess. Where do I start?

Q/ Recently I got a side sweep to commemorate the end of Mad

Men (sob) but I’m stuck. Gel just flattens it and there’s kinks and arghfhdhlwjioejnfl HELP

When we think of linen, we often to think of white, billowy fabrics

You’ll need ;

on show. But we shouldn’t. Yes, it’s light, cool and should be

The most important thing to remember is that this cut must be

one of the coolest fabrics around. It has a much lower thread

expertly combed. If it’s not, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

and leathery old men that wander around with too much chest

1 | Horn comb by Murdock, £20

saved for summer, but when cut right and worn correctly; it’s

perfectly square through the sides, beautifully graduated and

count than cotton, so it’s very breathable, but it’s therefore much more susceptible to creasing. It can be a pain, but there are ways to tame the beast…

When you’re leafing through the linen pieces at a store, give

them a scrunch to see what happens. You don’t want the cloth

to pop instantly back to its original form that belies artificiality.

2 | Kengo Feather by Shu Uemura, £22 If your hair is thick, wear it much shorter (think Montgomery Clift) and control it with moulding cream. This cut doesn’t suit curly hair.

3 | Pankhurst styling conditioner, £15 For a slicker look, keep it longer on top. Wax will make it look

And if you’re being fitted for a suit, be sure to do more than

stringy and gel won’t hold, so use a styling conditioner to keep it

the block – whatever; just make sure you know how it’s going

4 | Quattro Titanium Freestyle by Wilkinson Sword, £6.99

tricky customer, so try to invest in pieces that are mixed with

over with a razor, but don’t let this style get baggy over the ears.

look in the mirror. Sit down, cross your legs, take a walk around

looking smooth.

to perform when you wear it in earnest. As is clear, linen is a

Have the cut cleaned up every month. Give your neck a once-

another fabric, preferably cotton or silk. Yes, it will lessen the

breathable quality of the fabric a bit, but it’ll hang much better, keep its shape for longer and be less likely to crease.

Do these things and you’ll be fine

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WHERE WE ATE

Where we ate

EACH EDITION, IN BRIEF WE HIGHLIGHT VENUES WHERE WE ATE LATE-NIGHT FOR YOUR BENEFIT.

bass-heavy beats. Even being shunted away to seats behind the

CEREAL KILLER

And there’s substance behind the style. Day-and-night dim

The UK’s first speciality cereal café, owned by identical twins

sum was a Yauatcha innovation, and a special of scallop and

Alan and Gary Keery opened in Brick Lane recently and sent everyone into a nostalgia frenzy (the queues are still insane on weekends). The café offers over 120 different cereals from around the world along with 30 different varieties of milk, all against a backdrop of 80s and 90s memorabilia. Definitely a must for those wanting to relive their childhood morning sugar

staircase has benefits (privacy).

edamame crystal dumplings produced three delicate, pendulous sacs filled with a textural mix of resilient beans, crunchy carrot morsels, flavourful fragments of scallop and juicy sweetcorn. A definite must.

HIXTER BANKSIDE

rush – only here, you can pop in for breakfast, lunch and dinner

The former metal box factory in Guildford Street now plays home

YAUATCHA

opened its doors in November 2013. Neons and artwork by artists

Such acutely stylish venues rarely last, but after a decade

Tracey Emin, Tim Noble and more adorn the walls and the area is

Yauatcha can add longevity to its enviable list of attributes. So why do people still glide down the stairs of this self-styled Taipai tea house into its sensual basement? The design helps: the long bar, spot-lit black tables and illuminated fish tank still have allure, and the nightclub vibe is boosted by beautiful staff and

to Hixter Bankside which follows the success of Hixter City which

divided into different rooms including The Parlour and the awardwinning Mark’s bar as well as space for a private party for up to 70 guests. The food features more British seasonal starters and ‘large hunks of meat’ designed for sharing. Don’t leave until you’ve tried a seasonal cocktail in the basement prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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OUT AND ABOUT: MEGABOOTH

OUT AND ABOUT:

MEGABOOTH

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OUT AND ABOUT: MEGABOOTH

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WHERE WE’VE DRUNK

&

OUT AND ABOUT…WITH PAUL NEAL

WHERE WE’VE BARFLYED

PAPADAIBLO MEZCAL COLLECTION PAPADIABLO ESPECIAL & PAPADIABLO ESPADIN

Papadaiblo (Pope Devil) is a pure Mezcal made from the relationship between Maestro Don Beto and the land of Miahuatlan, Oaxaca. Both expressions are equally sophisticated, complex and subtle. The bottle and branding is outstanding, true to the quality inside the bottle. Papadailo Mezcal is a Mezcal in its truest form, and is pushing the boundaries in its category. A Mexican spirit full of history, culture and flavour. What makes if COOL? Papadiablo Especial is a supreme Mezcal made in

ZECA CACHAÇA

Miahuatlan, Oaxaca. A region renown for the quality of its three Mezcal’s - Madre Cuishe, Bicuishe and Mexicano. Held together

The first Cachaça brand to revolutionise the cocktail world

with 10% Espadin and the homeopathic extract of something

is soon to launch right here in the UK! This is the first time

special. Soft, rich, gentle. Fruits, smoke and green agave.

ever that a Cachaca brand has launched outside of its native country of Brazil. What makes it COOL? This is a hidden secret

Papadiablo Espadin, The perfect counter to his sweeter, deeper

of the Matos family, kept away from the world for more than a

and older cousin. Bright, light, fresh and very energizing. This is a

hundred years. It is a premium Cachaça that is keeping true to

lifter! A high note on the first sip. It is truly electric… but in a good

its identity and origins. A natural and earthy spirit that will truly

way. www.spiritbearmezcals.com

transform our opinions of its category and lead the way to an exciting future.

DICTADOR 20 YEAR OLD Dictador 20 Years Solera System Rum is made from the

Watch out for Zeca over 2015 as it takes the UK by storm. www.

fermentation of virgin sugar cane honey. Distilled partly in copper

zeca-cachaca.com

alembic and partly in steel continuous column, to achieve a

VESTAL VODKA (VINTAGES)

medium body rum. It is then aged in pre-used oak barrels, using the solera method and finally bottled under the highest quality

Over the last few centuries, the Government, big businesses

control to ensure all the secrets are contained in the liquids

and globalization have turned the vodka category into an often

flavour. What makes it COOL? Firstly is it a Columbian Rum,

tasteless spirit, suitable only for mixing with something else.

which is really cool in itself, it is highly awarded, receiving double

Now, thank god, the rise of artesian vodkas are now coming

gold at SFWSC and WSWA award shows.

back and reminding us of a spirits true delights. What makes

www.dictador.com

it COOL? I have chosen Vestal Vodka as it is a vodka of the truest form. A homely, down to earth vodka, with real earth like

MARTELL EXCLUSIVE 300 YR ANNIVERSARY

flavours.

La Maison Martell is the oldest of the great Cognac houses and has been making fine cognac for 300 years.

Vestal Vodka is only distilled once, to retain its aromas and taste. What makes it unique, much like a wine, is that each year

What makes it COOL? To commence this year’s Tricentenaire

it has its own vintage and individual flavours. This depends on

celebration in style, Martell have recently released an exclusive

the potatoes harvested that year. How bloody real is that?!

limited edition of the iconic Cordon Bleu. Cordon Bleu ‘Tribute to

www.vestalvodka.com

Martell 300 year anniversary’. It is a unique blend, crafted by Cellar prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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Paul Neal

Paul Neal Bespoke & Tonic

6. What’s a promotional tactic you love to use?

Engagement, Engagement. Getting the brand to look super cool by having it seen at the correct venues and events. To be having their branding message shouting out from the rooftops. There is such great competition here in London, you always need to think out of the box. Each product is different and the same goes for their marketing and sales plan too. None the less, it is always

1. So how did you get into the position you’re in today?

After working within the drinks and hospitality trade here in London for longer then I care to remember, I decided it was time to try something new. I had collaborated with a number of drink suppliers and importers in the past, and really wanted to give it a go. Now I am in my second year working for myself and loving every day of it.

2. What has been a career highlight for you so far?

To date is has been the launch of Ferdinand’s Saar Dry Gin and ZECA Cachaca into the UK markets. I love the challenges and problems faced and get a great satisfaction when seeing my brands located at the venues I visit.

3. What clubs do you think deserve more attention?

I recently met up with Rewfus from 43 Club. They are a staffing and events agency that put on nights across the country and are really starting to make huge leaps within the industry. I will be making sure to keep in the loop of their upcoming events and to see if I can get a ticket or two. Otherwise, I frequently visit Ronnie Scotts upper bar. You don’t need to be a member and their classic cocktails and live jazz bands are a really fun way to top off a night.

4. What are some upcoming projects you’re excited about?

After a year out of the market, I can happily say that I have agreed the exclusive import rights to Legend of Kremlin Vodka.

It is an excellent wheat based vodka from Russia and already has a great reputation here. I am looking forward to building on this and doing something exciting with the brand. Equally, I am looking forward to the abundance of events I’ll be working with over the summer too.

5. What’s the significance of your role in relation to drinks brands?

I work as the middle man between the producers, the venues and the suppliers. My main role is to be the producer’s launch pad into the UK market and to then continue their progression within the market space thereafter. I am aware it is extremely tricky and expensive for a small company to do this. I try to do justice to the producer, their product and the drink business by offering a unique and bespoke service at an affordable price.

about how you engage with the market, what channels you use and how the overall promotional package looks.

7. Have you got any mentors in the biz?

I pretty much idolize everyone in the industry. There are some seriously passionate and skilled people playing their part within the drinks industry. To name a few: Simon Difford (Diffords Guide), Pleurat Shabani (Koniks Tail Vodka) and Andy Mills (The Cocktail Trading Company). Each have their own individual abilities but each working hard to continually improve the drinks industry here and globally.

8. What trends do you see evolving over the next five years?

I think we will continue to see plenty more speakeasy’s and independently owned bars popping up across the capital. Which is a great thing for the industry. Each giving their own version and idealism of what a bar should be and also their own unique concepts on drink designs. This will ultimately leave us ever spoilt for choice, but will continue to rapidly produce an array of young upcoming bartenders to grace our capital. The drink industry’s home is here in London and I don’t believe it is leaving anytime soon.

9. How would you spend 24 hours with no limits?

A Champagne breakfast at Searcys St Pancras where we would shiftily jump onto the Vestal Vodka’s Voyager barge boat. Here we would enjoy a number of excellently prepared cocktails whilst the sun beams down on us. We would also be given the chance to make our own gin from their “worlds first’ off land gin distillery onboard. Once hitting the shores of East London, we would enjoy the buzz surrounding Broadway Market and visit both Off Broadway and The Cat and Mutton for sun fun. Two Pubs I love to visit. Following this we would have dinner at the Chiltern Firehouse and make our way to Egg for an all nighter dance frenzy.

10. Describe your perfect drink A slightly over sweet Old Fashioned using Makers Mark, a drop of Sweet Vermouth and Bitter Truth Orange Bitters. Sitting at the bar counter with pals and sipping it up like glorious heavenly water. www.bespokeandtonic.com

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SIX CATERERS

Six Caterers MOVING VENUE 020 891 6661; www.movingvenue.com

SQUID AND PEAR 0203 0053246; www.squidandpear.com

After 25 years in the catering world, Moving Venue has learned a

Sibling caterers, Claire and Lisa, run the first UK company

thing or two about the industry and individual requirements of its

to receive the maximum Three Star sustainability rating from

clients. At corporate events, private parties and weddings, head

theSustainable Restaurant Association, providing services for

chef Steve creates menus to suit the occasion. They are the only London caterer to be accredited by the Vegetarian Society for their vegetarian and vegan food.

ZAFFERANO 020 8905 9120; www.zafferano.co.uk Working behind the scenes of some of London’s most prestigious cultural venues, Zafferano’s comprehensive

and parties.

CATER UK 01256882088; www.cateruk.co.uk Cater UK Ltd was established in 2001 and began making buffet lunches for a small selection of customers close to their cafe business in Reading. A few sales drives later their territory had expanded and began to overtake the cafe trade. A relocation later

team, which includes two highly qualified chefs, also cater for

and the business now spans over 5 countries with an impressive

weddings and parties with an emphasis on local and seasonal

website ad a promise that what you need will be delivered.

produce.

PURPLE GRAPE CATERING 020 8453 3310; www.purplegrapecatering.co.uk Only sustainably sourced ingredients find their way onto a Purple Grape Catering menu, which is designed to the client’s specification. From small, private functions to large-scale publicvenue hire, this London and Bath based company promises to “tantalise your tastebuds” with their contemporary cuisine.

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events, weddings, photoshoots, film/tv shoots, office meetings

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IMPACT CATERING 0161 707 8129; www.impactcatering.co.uk Catering for 2 or 2,000 all across Manchester Impact Catering guarantee delivery of the most tempting and delicious catering throughout Manchester, Trafford and Media City areas of Salford. Every single Business Catering Order receives personal attention ensuring that standards of excellence are consistently maintained, and their flexible and hands on approach ensures that your needs are listened to.

SIX CATERERS

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7 WAYS TO GET YOUR EVENT VIRAL

7

WAYS TO GET YOUR EVENT VIRAL 24

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7 WAYS TO GET YOUR EVENT VIRAL

Not every event needs to trend on Twitter, but if you can, why the hell wouldn’t you? It promotes your brand as thriving in the 21st century and increases visibility to potential clients. So first thing’s first…

1. Shareable Content The easier your content is to share and the more accessible it is, the higher the likelihood your content will go viral. This can be in the form of photos, videos, hashtags, even challenges, as was the case with the infamous ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

You need it to interest your target audience first and foremost.

2. Choose the Appropriate Network

easily relate to a video that plays with their senses, while being informative and engaging. Choose your videographer or filming company with care and be sure to record during your event and keep all the footage (even unused) as when you’re putting together a showreel of previous events you never know what’ll stand out. Future you will appreciate it!

5. Online Communities Internet stars are no longer few and far between. Many people have become famous based on their usage of different social

Now you need to work out an online strategy to optimize the

media networks, gaining millions of followers on twitter, Instagram

number of shares. Posting on Facebook allows people to like,

or vine. Do some research, some are signed to management

comment and share while Twitter allows retweets and replies.

agencies and see if you can get them to pop along! By involving

The positioning of your content (or perhaps even the content

prominent members of the online community, you have the

itself) needs to be altered slightly depending on the network

potential to tap into millions of people who would be more than

as does timing. Depending on your target market, you may

happy to retweet or share a post.

want to take advantage of visual networks, such as YouTube and Instagram. Encouraging your guests during the event to take selfies is easily motivated with a large screen at the event displaying photos with the appropriate hashtag. You never know who might see the photo and attend the following year.

3. Dedicated Social Media Coordinator Having a dedicated social media coordinator for your event is

6. Hashtags The oldie (yep really) but a goody marketing technique. We aren’t going to insult your intelligence by telling you what they mean but the best ways to use them. Create your own event hashtag, or piggyback off an already existing hashtag to generate buzz for your event. For example, if you’re hosting a food event, choose a hashtag that’s popular amongst food lovers. We love a good #eventprofs hashtag

a necessity in today’s day and age. Designate or outsource

important for interaction levels at the time of your event. Your

7. Presenter’s Networks

social media coordinator should focus on favoriting, responding

If you have presenters at your event, don’t be afraid to use them!

and following social media accounts that use your hashtag or

Most speakers will post or tweet about their events in order to

interact with your brand. Respond to everything!

generate interest from their own fan base and often have a

a specific person to handle all social media before, during and after your event. Generating pre-event buzz is extremely

4. Viral Videos Videos have a high likelihood of going viral. Viewers can

following. Talking to presenters and prominent guests beforehand and ask them how they want to approach the social media and create a joint strategy. prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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WHERE WE ATE

Where we ate

EACH EDITION, IN BRIEF WE HIGHLIGHT VENUES WHERE WE ATE LATE-NIGHT FOR YOUR BENEFIT.

packed into tiny portions: from sliders filled with moist pulled

DISHOOM

seen in a tumble of a mild turnip and apple with crumbly feta,

Filled with vintage interiors, Dishoom’s walls are adorned with 60’s magazine covers while low level lighting harks back to old post colonial Irani Café’s. The look is distinctive and establishes that this is not the local Indian you frequented as a kid. This is something special. The main attraction though is of course

pork and pickled apple, to a black-edged mini pizzas topped with cicoria (Italian dandelion). The salads are equally innovative, as hazelnuts and black sesame seeds. To finish try the chocolate, pecan and bourbon cake which manages to do the job of aperitif and desert in a beautiful ‘two birds one stone’ combination.

THE WOLSELEY

the menu with birianis, bhel (crunchy puffed rice with tangy

A self-proclaimed ‘café-restaurant in the grand European

tamarind chutney) and even pau bhaji (toasted white bread

tradition’, the Wolseley combines London heritage and Viennese

rolls with a spicy vegetable stew as a filling). Our black dal was

grandeur. Whilst the venue suggests it’s been knocking about

exemplary, and the lamb biriani suitably moist. Excellent lassi

since the 20’s, the venue is only a decade old. Nevertheless, it’s

concoctions will help with when the spice gets too much and

now firmly on many a London visitor’s checklist having gained a

even the soft drinks Limca and Thums Up are imported from Mumbai. Queuing is common but we can guarantee it’s worth the wait

SPUNTINO A challenge to this is no wholesome 1950s-style diner, but a dark, grungy space where dim lights dangle in cages, the walls are cracked and battered, and the staff sport daring

reputation that places it firmly along it’s neighbours Fortnum and Mason as a British institution. The kitchen is much-celebrated for its breakfasts but the menu as a whole is admirable. From oysters, steak tartare or soufflé suisse, via wiener schnitzel or grilled halibut with wilted spinach and béarnaise to tarte au citron or apple strudel, there’s something for everyone. The afternoon tea is definitely a highlight for many with weekend mornings seeing in

tattoos under flimsy vests (and that’s just the girls). The anti-

an abundance of mini cakes and scones, all as English as the jam

establishment vibe seeps into the Italian/American themed

that accompanies them, while crustless finger sandwiches at the

menu. Served on tin dishes, food features big bold flavours

bottom are replenished by formal staff from a huge service team. prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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IN THE TRADE

IN THE TRADE WITH...

THE GANG FROM TOP GOLF

Abigail Chance

Michael Hay

Paul Williams

Dominic Taylor

The Who’s, Are’s, In’s and Out’s of Topgolf, and what inspires the gang at the 4-time COOL Venue Award winning venue portfolio.

What is Topgolf?

Michael Hay: It’s where the competition of sport meets your favourite local bar. You can challenge your friends, family or colleagues to addictive point-scoring golf games that anyone from the hopeful pro golfer to your 7-year-old cousin can play all year-round. Just picture a 240-yard outfield with dartboard-like targets in the ground. The closer to the centre or “bull’s-eye” you get and the further you hit your microchipped balls, the more points you get. Score even bigger with Topgolf’s extensive food and drink menu, served to you by one of our bay hosts.

What was the inspiration behind you getting involved in corporate events?

Abigail Chance: More a demand for it rather than us being inspired or attempting to create the offering. We’ve been delivering corporate events for over 15 years now, and while we’ve evolved our offering and the functional spaces, the game is what really drives companies to want to hold events with us.

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You have a varied client portfolio, what do you feel were the defining factors in establishing your relationships?

Paul Williams: The unique experience that the game offers, the flexibility to build bespoke packages, and our dedication to service, from planning an event, through to delivery, and beyond.

You’ve currently won 4x COOL venue awards, what advice

would you give to another event professional looking to win a COOL venue award?

Abigail Chance: Stay well away from the COOLest venue for Corporate Fun award, that’s ours! COOL Venue Awards are, like Topgolf, very unique. They recognise a whole host of venues over a number of different categories and it’s great to be part of, especially when you see some of the venues listed as potential winners. So our advice would be to embrace the experience and don’t get flustered by the competition, no matter how renowned they may be.

Why is Topgolf such a phenomenon?

Dominic Taylor: Because of its uniqueness. Topgolf has taken a

IN THE TRADE largely male dominant game, with so much heritage and tradition, and made it accessible and fun for all ages, gender and ability. And really your ability doesn’t matter, the enjoyment of Topgolf does not rest on how well you can hit a golf ball, rather by the laughter and camaraderie created with friends, while having great food and drink. It’s captivating.

food and drink offering is delicious and extensive. Our service; from booking an event right through to delivery is always personal and first class. Topgolf the game is competitive and compelling; anyone can play regardless of gender or ability. But most of all, Topgolf is simply great fun.

Why should an organisation host a team building event at

Why should corporate companies golf days be spent at

Topgolf?

Paul Williams: The opportunity to get out on the golf course as

diverse types of events we offer is endless. All of our packages are

Topgolf and not a golf course?

part of a corporate day is a great experience, certainly for the golf purest. It does pose the obvious question however; what if you can’t play golf? An average Topgolf event consists of 85% nongolfers, with 45% being female. There are no barriers; no need for equipment or traditional golfing attire, you can just turn up (as glamorous as you want) and play eat and drink. Furthermore Topgolf events are not just bound to daylight, we host events from

Abigail Chance: Topgolf is a perfect venue for corporate fun. The bespoke so we can tailor make our packages to suit any occasion from client entertaining to meetings and conferences. We also offer a variety of games which can be used as an individual effort or team effort with prize presentations, perfect for team bonding.

What’s the next steps for Topgolf Events?

Abigail Chance: We’re very excited to be introducing a huge

9am through to midnight.

function space at our Surrey centre towards the end of this

The other positive difference is that the entire group can engage

bar and furniture, kitchen facilities and all the technical AV and

and have fun in a much tighter group, collectively. With a golf day you say your good mornings and you’re sent on your way, not to be seen again by most of the group for 5 hours. Where’s the team

summer. The duel purpose space is kitted out with a modern presentation equipment you’ll need. We will cater for up to 200 delegates and we expect this space to be very popular.

building in that?

We also have some interior design working happening at

What types of events do you hold at Topgolf?

restaurant, while also providing a more dedicated event space to

Abigail Chance: One for absolutely any occasion. We’ve held wedding receptions, product launches and whole centre buy outs – it’s one of the great things about having packages and options that

our Watford center that will completely transform the bar and our corporate clients.

What’s the next steps for Topgolf as a company?

are built bespoke to our client needs.

Dominic Taylor: Continued growth and innovation. We’re also

We define our events by birthday parties, social events and

upon our people and how we provide our guests with a wonderful

corporate events and hospitality. Events are built out on client requirements for Topgolf the game, food and drink, and any required venue space including meeting room, restaurant hire or

dedicated to offering exceptional service, our core values are built experience.

What’s the next exciting thing happening at Topgolf?

outside space such as our patio and open air bays.

Michael Hay: Topgolf Las Vegas opens in spring 2016 as part of

As we know Topgolf has exploded in the US- are you going to

add this location to our portfolio of sites, in the entertainment capital

be building any more Topgolfs in the UK?

Dominic Taylor: It’s inevitable that there will be more UK sites, it’s just a matter of time. We hope and expect to add to our three UK

the MGM hotel and resort. We are very excited as a company to of the world itself.

While it’s part of the US expansion, our UK guests are not going

sites within the next 2-3 years.

to miss out. Our summer campaign between May and September

How do you compare to any other event venue, what makes

Vegas to enjoy the Topgolf grand opening. The prize is a 5 night

Michael Hay: We are very fortunate in the UK to have so many

Grand and $1,000 spending money.

you so special?

amazing event venues, all offering an experience to social and corporate groups. When you combine an activity based event with a requirement for space and catering that’s slightly more niche, and that’s where Topgolf provides such a unique experience. The

2015 will end with a UK Topgolfer and a friend being flown out to stay in Las Vegas includes flights, accommodation at the MGM

“From Vegas to Florida to Chigwell, Topgolf will deliver an experience that very few event venue can emulate” -Wesley Mendy, founder of COOL Venue Awards prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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HOW TO LEAD AN EVENT ORGANISING TEAM

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HOW TO LEAD AN EVENT ORGANISING TEAM

How to Lead an Event Organising Team Having the right team doesn’t just make the event planning process easier but is a crucial part of brand identity, particularly as our industry is so reliant on presentation. It is vital you choose the right team members from day one and with this in mind we have 5 tips to getting the most out of your team that we’ve found have led us to becoming industry leaders in the event world.

EMPOWER YOUR TEAM MEMBERS Particularly if you’re hiring younger people or those who are perhaps getting back in the game after some time out of events, make sure that your employees feel confident enough to make decisions when they need to be done. If a client needs something your employee needs to be able to work out whether or not the floor is okay to leave and where their priority will lie.

You also as a manager need to recognise that they will have to make individual decisions if they cannot (as is often the case)

SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR TEAM Before you even get to the venue outline everything for your team.

Itineraries sound boring (and often are) but they keep everyone on track and work both ways. If you have to ask someone to go above and beyond what’s outlined of them you’ll be aware of it and can acknowledge accordingly.

COMMUNICATE YOUR TEAM VISION AND PURPOSE Your team NEEDS to know not just the concept for the event but the entire brand identity. I can’t tell you how terrible it is to have someone working an event who has to call over a senior to answer basic questions about the brand. We often give any new workers a few back issues of the magazine and a couple of days

reach a superior.

BUILD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR TEAM As the leader of your team, getting to know your team members on a personal level just makes everything better. It increases their support without even recognising they’re doing so whilst bonding the team together. Give rewards where rewards are due and try your best to make it a family of sorts.

BE FLEXIBLE – ADAPT AS TEAM DYNAMICS CHANGE Life happens and you’re not always going to have the team that worked amazing at one event at another. With this in mind it’s vital you recognise where gaps need filling and who works best

to familiarise themselves with the Prestige Brand before events.

where. We have a team spread at points across the world and

It means that when anyone asks any questions that they should

knowing just how big a hole they leave allows us to think much

know we don’t look amateurish.

more objectively when looking at the purpose of our team. prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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HOW TO SELL MORE EVENT TICKETS

HOW TO

Sell more

EVENT TICKETS

We organise more Events than most Organisers so when it comes to reaching a quota on selling tickets we like to think we know how it’s done.

STEP 1: THE EVENT CONCEPT – THE GOOD AND THE BAD

social media content marketing campaign consider what kind of visual images will suit a particular channel. LinkedIn is more

First you need to understand the concept for your event. Ask

formal whereas Instagram and Facebook are way more casual.

yourself: What type of event is this? Who is my audience? What

Looking at social media feeds for similar events will inform

are the elements of the event? What differentiates my event

which channels are most used by your potential audience

concept from other events? Write all of this down in quick bullet

and at what time of day that audience is speaking on social

points. Make sure you play ‘devil’s advocate’ and be critical of

channels. Remember social media feeds are timeline based

your ideas and what you are planning. Otherwise when you

and you don’t want to be sending out communications that are

get told no for such and such reason you won’t be prepared to

not going to be seen because it involves lots of scrolling through

combat it.

the feeds. Twitter isn’t great for this reason unless you’re willing to repost every 45 minutes or so

STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR CHANNELS As the event organiser you need to know your potential audience.

STEP 3: CREATE CONTENT AND SHARE IT!

Whether this is based on robust research or on ‘gut’ feel, you

You have your event plan. You have chosen suitable channels.

need to know who they are and how they are segmented. When

Now create you content. Content has be engaging and relevant

choosing the communications channels you will use for your

to your audience. The little stories about how the day is going to go need to be visualised. This can be done by employing

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HOW TO SELL MORE EVENT TICKETS

photographers and videographers, buying images on line or

STEP 4: LINK BACK

creating your own. Make sure the visuals convey one of your

All communications must have a link back to the event website

stories based on an element of the event. For example, you

or ticketing platform, and this needs to be a seamless and easy

could visit the venue where you are holding your event. A video

process. If you are short on characters, use Tiny URL’s, but always

of our CEO visiting Megabooth got over 500 views and multiple likes and shares. The content has to have either a theme you know people will react to (food, appealing cinematography) or the fun factor. Timing is important so share at about midday.

Having someone react emotively to your content at the right time is going to promote ‘Likes’ and ‘Shares’.

Remember that when visualising your stories it’s always a good

link back. Lastly, don’t try to gather mounds of data in this process.

Make registration as simple as possible as you may lose out to competing events or people’s attention spans.

IN CONCLUSION The success of this strategy to sell more event tickets is bound up in a comprehensive understanding of your event concept and audience, the elements of your event, choice of social media channels and how to create unified content. Once you have

idea to use some sort of branding where possible. Also make

mastered this make it easy for people to interact ‘Share’ and

sure that the style of language you use is suitable to our audience

‘Like’ your posts and include a simple link back to the registration

and the channel you are using. These content tips should evoke

process. If you can master this, you can master the art of selling

an emotional and sensory response by the viewer.

out an event! prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK

Paradise Wildlife Park Free tickets for corporate guests!

If you go down to the woods today you’re sure of a big surprise…

Paradise Wildlife Park, nestled in Broxbourne Woods, is Hertfordshire’s No.1 Tourist Attraction and a multi-award winning conservation & education led zoo and events venue.

It’s also a ‘fabzoolus’ setting for every type of corporate occasion.

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PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK, Yes, Paradise Wildlife Park is not only home to over 400 exotic animals; it also boasts a choice of fully equipped, contemporary venues, catering for groups of 4-4000.

Choose from The Discovery Centre, Boardroom, Marquee, Tiger Treetops or Safari Suite. The Park has a venue to suit every size and style of event.

From Meetings & Conferences, Team Builds & Family Fun Days, to Parties, Product Launches, Staff Incentives, Client Rewards and Team Days, guests keep coming back for more ‘Monkey Business’.

As Europe’s leading zoo for close-up animal encounters, you can also Feed the Big Cats by Hand, Meet the Meerkats and the Lemurs, Tickle a Tapir, Feed the Red Pandas or even Face your Phobia! These are just a few of the amazing, memorable experiences that Paradise has to offer.

The Park is ideally situated just 20 miles north of London, 7 miles from Junction 25 on M25, and only 25 minutes direct from London Liverpool St. A regular shuttle service operates from the station to the Park.

NEW TEAM BUILDS AT PARADISE In addition to the ever popular Animal Enrichment, Enclosure Makeover and Challenge team builds, the Park has teamed up with partners to offer more, great team build options to suit all tastes.I’m a Delegate, Crime Scene Investigates, Crystal Maze and more will be coming soon, but first to launch is ‘Carnivore to Culinary’; an exciting joint venture with The Cookery.

To mark the Park’s continued status as the county’s No 1 Tourist Attraction, and to celebrate its new ventures, numerous awards and accolades over the past 30 years, including the Inspiring Hertfordshire, Business of the Year 2014, Paradise Wildlife Park is giving 10 FREE tickets to every company booking an event at the Park this year.

For enquiries contact sarah@pwpark.com or Sarah Lebentz 01992 476 573. www.pwpark.com

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THE BEST EVENT APPS

THE BEST EVENT APPS Event technology is nothing new, but it most certainly has improved in the past year. Here are three apps to facilitate easy and seamless events not only for the event organisers who organize them, but are equally beneficial to exhibitors and those attending

can easily search, smart filter & prioritize information whilst note taking Basically it allows you to •

Search information quickly and use smart filtering

•

Take notes upon badge scanning

•

Prioritize information and leads

EVENT GUEST LIST & EASY CHECK-IN MANAGER:

New design improvements and better badge quality are just the

Faster and more efficient, coordinate an event beyond simply

beginning. Send your leads directly to your email, and this app

checking in attendees:

is integrated with other popular platforms like Zapier, Hubspot,

•

Allows you to collect, receive, and track donations

Salesforce, and Eventbrite.

•

Further connects with staff members via group messaging

•

Sends custom notifications at guests’ arrival (perfect for

EVENT KIOSK ENTRY & CHECK-IN MANAGER:

VIP attendees)

Beyond what looks like a simple iPad kiosk, having iPad Kiosk Mode at your event takes the check in process to another level:

This app allows you to check in and check-out attendees and

•

Sign agreements with a real signature

use badge printing with the newly designed badge editor, and

•

Print a #SelfieBadge at check-in to optimize attendee engagement and collect guests’ photos

view analytics in real time a cool, sleek admin panel. You can also create a universal barcode to integrate with our other event

•

Allow guests to edit session schedules multi-session events

management apps should you opt to capture leads (via a Lead Retrival app we really recommend- more deets below), scan badges at multi-session events, and avoid the long lines at check-

In additional, you’ll get all the benefits of iPad check-in with our

in...all by scanning one simple code.

guestlist app, like accepting and editing walk-in attendees. _____

LEAD RETRIEVAL & MOBILE CRM:

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Whether you’re at a trade show, conference, or expo, using this

These three apps provide an easy outlet to ensure that your

app is the ideal way for exhibitors to measure results against

diligent planning is not wasted. Event professionals are going

event objectives. Combined with on-site badge printing, you

mobile and Boomset is with them every “swipe” of the way.

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CREATING CONTENT TOP FIVE AT YOUR EVENTEVENT TECH

TOP FIVE EVENT TECH 1. DRONES

Wearable tech such as wristbands give you the opportunity to

Whilst the privacy laws surrounding them are confusing

display messages, colours and other information straight with

Drones are clearly the coolest thing we’ve seen hit the Event Tech scene in a long time. From taking great aerial panoramic photos to delivering drinks, including drones is a sure way to update your event whilst keeping up with the latest technology.

Drones are increasingly becoming readily accessible (our photographer Martin has one in his arsenal!) as they can create another dimension through streaming live footage and helping

your guests. This can be a great way to choose a competition winner or even allow attendees to directly capture specific items of interest from throughout the event.

4. AUGMENTED REALITY Not as readily available as the others but a definite ‘The Future Is Now’ product Augmented reality (AR) is a live view of a real world

remote attendees experience the event online.

environment with additional computer generated information

2. BEACONS

can be used in a variety of ways, be it through printed materials

For something that sounds so... epic (?) Beacons are a

such as a book or brochure, or making your exhibits and booth

surprisingly simple concept. Beacons allow mobile to act as the bridge between online and offline through connecting to an app on your attendees’ phone via Bluetooth. For an event that has several areas using beacons will not only let you get a better sense of what parts of the event were most popular, but you can also communicate directly with attendees by sending them push notifications. Handy when trying to communicate a hashtag or promote activities within your event!

3. WEARABLE TECH No not as horrible as that task in The Apprentice but usually far more subtle. Wristbands are an increasingly popular providing an additional method of interacting with attendees.

overlaid onto it creating an interactive scenario for the user. AR

walls ‘come to life’ with videos, animated graphics or holographic images. AR also marries well with event apps allowing event planners and exhibitors to share content more creatively and interactive, on an additional 3D scale.

5. EVENT APPS Definitely the most common on the list and ever rising in popularity, event apps can help towards enhancing an attendee’s experience at an event as well as easing the running of the event itself. The ease, convenience and simplicity of event apps can help encourage attendees to interact more before, during and after the event as well as helping organisers to gauge feedback on the success of certain elements/activities through comments and statuses posted. prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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VISUAL PRODUCTION

VISUAL PRODUCTION

Alex Thraves When it comes to documenting your event a picture

I began filming and editing highlights for family parties and

says a 1000 words (a video churns out novels!) and

events. I then studied video production at South Essex College

we like to think we know some of the best in the

and editing at Ravensbourne University before I began shooting

biz. You may have seen some them at 20/20’s, our

nightlife videography for ‘Too Damn Glam’, a club night now in its

COOL Venue Awards, or and if so know the kind

9th year of operation. It’s through contacts I’ve made at Too Damn

of professionalism we’re talking about here. We

Glam that I’ve met feature film directors, actors and networked

wouldn’t let any old photography team deal with

with other videographers and crews to get to where I am now;

our content so we work with a team that is united in

producing videos spanning corporate promos, nightlife, music

the vision to bring you content that is as much about

videos, events highlights and behind the scenes for feature films.

quality as it is about the COOL factor.

2015 has been my busiest year yet and I’ve made some

Here’s some of our favourites in the Visual Production

incredible connections through shooting video at the 20/20 Speed

field, they come highly recommended…

Networking Events; my next job is a trip to Monte Carlo in May with photographer, Martin James, to shoot supercars and luxury

We began working with Alex Thraves in 2014 and have been

at the ‘Chana Rally’ week.

floored with his skills with a lens. His filming style is fast paced but recognises when focus must be given, and his personal

The coolest event I’ve been to this year is the aptly named COOL

skills with our clients (a hard to impress bunch) have led to

Venue awards, which I was filming at but then vividly remember

people asking where he is when he’s absent from an event.

dancing to Uptown Funk with the crew after the ceremony. The

ALEX THRAVES

venue, Café De Paris, was an amazing place to shoot and the night was so successful it became the first event I’d been to that was trending on Twitter!

Growing up in Southend, Essex, I always had a video camera nearby. It was my Dad’s home movie camcorder that I’d obsess

Website link:

over until I got my own in my early teens.

http://alexthraves.tv/ prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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VISUAL PRODUCTION

BANI MENDY Bani Mendy describes himself as a Predator (producer, director, editor); who works with a team of accomplished individuals from the film industry to lead BAN1VISION. Due to their unique business model. BAN1VISION are able to offer high end, bespoke film and video services at a price point unrivalled by their competitors.

Bani is a graduate of the Film Production programme at The Arts Institute at Bournemouth, where he specialised as a self-shooting producer and director under legendary mentor Colin Young.

Since graduating, Bani’s work has been seen worldwide, from dozens of pop promos on MTV to TV shows aired on Sky and a cinema audience at London South Bank’s BFI. He has now turned his hand to event based visual services and intends to take on clients of the highest calibre, with clients so far including Universal, Sony, Gazprom GM&T among others. www.ban1vision.com

BANI MENDY 40

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VISUAL PRODUCTION

MARTIN JAMES In this day and age it gets harder and harder to impress people, to give them something they’ve never experienced before. In a world of ‘been there, done that’ types at Martin James Photography they believe in a dedication to their clients which sets them apart from everyone else.

CEO Martin James puts this down to five ways in which they

MARTIN JAMES

exceed your expectations: 1. Be Momentous We’re all about creating and planning big moments with our clients, from breathtakingly intimate glimpses to bold and beautiful snapshots. There is a time and a place for any eventuality and we work closely with our clients to make their wishes a reality.

2. Be Prepared To be the best we can be for our couples, we are always prepared.

And that means more than just having all the right equipment with us. We delve into how our couples tick, as well as the action plan for their big day, with our Mr and Mrs Questionnaire. By answering a few quick questions, we can get a real sense of who our clients are as individuals, and a couple, which means our photography emulates their very being.

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VISUAL PRODUCTION

3. Be Bold

the right photographer is an investment. The images are what

When capturing one of those momentous occasions, being timid

you take away from your wedding day; they are what you cherish

won’t get ‘the’ photo. It takes a bold photographer to truly capture

and what you will be looking at when you reminisce about getting

a moment - that, and timing. We’re bold when we need to be,

married. Our advice to you is: Don’t scrimp or try to bag too much

making sure that we’re not obtrusive on a couple’s big day.

of a bargain, sometimes it might be a bit too good to be true. And the last thing we’d want is for you to be disappointed.

4. Be Candid We’d be mortified if we killed the mood of a photo; you won’t find

We believe, a great photographer is one that is emotionally invested

us telling everyone to, ‘Say cheese!” Unless we want to capture

in your day. Ultimately, for us, a photographer’s skill is measured in

a group of people rolling their eyes! We’re all about candid

how well they capture the essence of your passion and love for

shots where our subjects are natural and relaxed. Our aim is for

each other when photographing your wedding. A photographer

people to not even know we are there.

who takes the time to get to know you will be able to capture your day from the perspective of your closest friends and family.”

5. Be Honest We’ve been where you are, trying to keep our weddings within budget - and it’s so easy to get carried away. So this is where our honesty comes in, yes there are cheaper photographers than us, and more expensive for that matter too. However, choosing prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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SUPPLIER FOCUS – YAHIRE

SUPPLIER FOCUS:

YAHIRE Furniture hire can seem like an incredibly dull subject,

whereas other providers will just do basic furniture we have

but the people at Yahire just make it feel different. Yes

everything covered, smoke machines, gazebos, we have a

it’s still chairs and barriers and invoices and bills but they

wide enough variety to cover it all.

offer a service that can’t be beaten. Their 5 star rating

Ben: We’re young and exciting! We’ve taken on young people

on Google’s Reviews is testament to how lovely and

and put them through the ranks quite quickly, and enjoy sharing

dedicated their team is and they never make you feel

our success because people make all the difference in this

like you’re asking too much, offering to go the extra

business. Yahire also buys what customers ask for. So if you’re

mile and never turning a job down.

a client and you want something that we don’t have we’ll go and get that for you. We want to take the game national.

Yahire recently celebrated it’s 4th birthday this year and to celebrate we sat down with managing directors Taran O’Doherty

What’s gotten you where you are today?

& Benedict Leslie to find out how they find managing such a

Ben: Well Taran and I have always been quite ambitious, he’s

successful furniture hire company.

always been a bit of an SEO guru which has definitely helped a lot. We’ve never said no before to anything, where others want

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What makes Yahire different?

to work 5 days a week we have no problem with working 7.

Taran: We provide a seven day a week service and offer bulk

Taran: We also trial and promote from within, we’ve given a

discount and our phone lines are open until seven thirty in the

lot of people chances that they wouldn’t receive elsewhere

evening. We also offer a wide variety of different stock items; we

and they have really proved themselves to be brilliant at what

do things like chairs and tables but also things like road barriers,

they do. Our Sales supervisor for example started working in

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SUPPLIER FOCUS – YAHIRE the warehouse, then was offered a sales role and is now the

from the customers end, such as losing products we will charge a

supervisor, and that’s something we’ve done throughout our

reasonable amount to replace it whereas others in the industry will

business. We empower people and say “What do you think?”

look to profit from the mistake and charge extortionate amounts.

and really give them the chance. People enjoy working here and

We don’t feel it builds solid links with people. As a result lots of hire

it’s a huge family feel, Together we’ve achieved collectively and

companies hire off of us because they like the way we work

anyone who doesn’t get that feel we don’t want.

Ben: To build on that we like to sell the solution to an event and not the hire of x,y,z. We have to make the customer happy whether it’s

Have you got any favourite pieces that you stock?

a conference, a funeral, a launch or a tv programme you have to

Ben: I’m a fan of our LED Cubes

understand that to give the best service.

Taran: I really like our Victoria Ghost Chairs. They’re clear and transparent and something we’ve really gotten into in our more

Have you got anything exciting coming up this year?

premium range. Also barriers! We’ve bought heavily into barriers.

Taran: We have a new website launching soon and we really want

In December for example we provided for events by H&M and

to push our marketing and networking. We’ve appeared at two

Sports Direct and these events are as far filled as Nottingham

wedding fairs as well as many others but we want to do more just

and Manchester.

to keep to our values and keep getting better and better.

Ben: We’re buying a quarter of a million pounds worth of new stock

What have been some of the most memorable events

coming up, so it’s all really exciting! We just love how things are

you’ve worked at?

going right now and want to keep providing great services for those

Ben: There’s the National Television Awards we’ve provided

who need it.

for, recently we did a Eurostar opening and the unveiling of the Ghandi statue.

Website - http://www.yahire.com

Taran: When we first started out we did the National Reality

Telephone - 0207 112 8511

TV Awards which myself and Ben went to. We got to meet the

Words – Hope Mendy

Dragons and it felt very early on like we’d made it even though

Photography – Amber Jefferson

we only had two styles of chairs. We started out with 300 and now we stock over 10,000 chairs and 2,000 tables plus barriers and all the rest, initially investing £10,000 and now owning over half a million pounds worth of stock.

Any furniture trends you love or hate?

Ben: I don’t like the shabby chic thing, it’s not my cup of tea. I love the use of LED lights in furniture Taran: I’d agree with that!

Yahire has really outstanding reviews online for your services, why do you think that is?

Ben: We like to put the customer first, when there is a problem we understand it and we have policies that reflect that. We keep standards high and sell off stock before it gets to a certain level of depreciation. That kind of co-ordination can be hard to facilitate but we manage to take it in our stride Taran: We try and give a personal service, which when we’ve looked at other companies they don’t always do preferring just to send emails constantly. We’re flexible in our approach and if a customer is requesting something it’s not taking us out of our way and we will try where we can. When mistakes happen prestigeeventsmagazine.com

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RICHMOND CATERING

RICHMOND CATERING What has been a highlight for Richmond so far in 2015?

with a history dating back to 1550 and we are looking forward

We’ve had a fair few already this year, but one would be the

to working more with the team there this year. We are always

Family Day for a luxury cosmetics brand held at House of Vans

on the look-out for opportunities to cater at new and unusual

back in February. Richmond were asked to cater their first Family

venues and our portfolio is constantly changing, so watch this

Day held in 2013 at the London Film Museum and so were

space for some new additions soon!

delighted to be chosen to cater again, and at a new venue too!

What are some upcoming projects you’re excited about?

225 guests enjoyed a full day conference with a number of

2015 is our sixth successive year of catering at Hickstead, the

interactive breakout sessions. Richmond served refreshments

All England Jumping Course in West Sussex and are looking

throughout and a hot fork buffet luncheon, which offered an

forward to once again providing a range of catering to the

exciting selection of spicy and traditional dishes. At the end of

Hickstead Derby Meeting in June, followed by Longines Royal

the main conference guests were free to leave and then return

International Horse Show in July. As well as providing daily

later in the evening for a drinks, nibbles and canapé reception

refreshments and luncheons in the Restaurant we also offer

and some dancing!

hospitality packages for corporate and private groups hiring the Boxes and Lodges, and luxury catering to the key sponsors

We have already worked with the client again since at one of their

of the events. For more information please visit http://www.

store events and look forward to assisting them on future projects.

hickstead.co.uk/

What venues do you think deserve more attention?

Another favourite of ours is being held in a luxury car garage in

We work hard at maintaining and improving our relationships with

Hertfordshire, where we are catering for a 3 course business

our listed venues and think all of them deserve more attention!

awards dinner for 400 guests. This is our second year of looking after this client. This year the awards are combined

Richmond are delighted to work in a wide range of locations

with a celebration of the company’s 90th anniversary. The

across London and the Home Counties and are listed at a

theme is black and gold with a subtle 1920’s feel, and guests

number of prestigious and unusual venues, including Syon Park,

will enjoy a Prosecco & canapé reception followed by a three

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Armourers Hall, Freemason’s Hall,

course dinner and drinks and the Awards themselves.

Royal Horticultural Halls, RHS Wisley, Tobacco Dock, Stationers Hall, The Hop Exchange and Wakehurst Place to name but a few.

On 23rd June 2015 we will be showcasing our catering at the Haymarket C&IT Magazine Event 360 taking place at The

46

A new addition to our venue portfolio for 2015 is Dutch Hall,

Roundhouse as the sole Catering Partner to this fantastic

which is a beautifully renovated church in the heart of the City

event.

prestigeeventsmagazine.com

Now in its second year, this award winning forum

RICHMOND CATERING brings together leading event industry influencers and we are

our desk calendars which were sent out to a VIP list of key venues

delighted to be a part of it! Guests will be treated to breakfast,

and clients. Every month or so we are then sending out a variety

lunch, refreshments, drinks and a canapé reception courtesy of

of themed sweet treats and gifts that relate to a key date in our

Richmond Creative Events.

calendar. This also ties in with our social media campaign which we launched at Easter, encouraging recipients of our mailings to

This is a hosted buyer event and limited places are available for

photograph and #tweetyourtreat to us as well.

qualifying organisers. To register your place please visit http:// www.citmagazine.com/event-360/register

Our best marketing tool though has to be our food! As a caterer you cannot market yourself in a much better way other than

Why is catering so exciting in event hospitality at the moment?

feeding people yummy food. Much of our marketing budget goes

The industry offers lots of opportunities to work with partners on

towards showcasing what we can do at a number of event industry

different and exciting projects; the Event 360 Forum mentioned

functions and our own promotional events.

above is a great example of this.

Have you got any associates in the biz you love to work with?

We are seeing our clients becoming much more food focussed

We work with a huge range of fantastic venues, clients and

and taking more of an interest in where food is sourced and

suppliers; far too many to list them all, but one to mention would

are always looking for new ideas for menus, different styles of

be Decanter Magazine who we love and regularly work with and

catering and quirky ideas for how food is presented, which keeps

particularly their awards and judging…. masters of wine are also

us on our toes and we’re constantly coming up with innovative

masters of food!

ideas.

Our week working with them at Tobacco Dock also involved a daily What’s a marketing tool you love to use?

British Cheese menu, with cheeses supplied by Neal’s Yard Dairy.

Our main postal campaign for 2015 began with the creation of

Well Dressed Tables are also a regular supplier to our events.

prestigeeventsmagazine.com

47

RICHMOND CATERING What food trends do you see evolving over the next year?

An ever increasing focus on where ingredients are sourced and the use of fresh, local produce in menus. Unusual presentation styles; the good old china plate, whilst always a staple, is no longer necessarily the standard, with dishes being presented on boards and slates, or in jars and flower pots!

People are becoming braver with spices in their food so we predict a shift in menus offering stronger flavours. Health and nutrition is growing in popularity and this will have a bearing on menus as clients look for tasty dishes that are also healthy.

Burgers…always hugely popular and people are always on the look-out for new combinations to try!

What’s the menu for your next event?

To Start Glazed tomato tarte tatin, with charred asparagus, Radlett goat’s cheese and a shot of watercress vichyssoise Wines; France – Sauvignon Trois Mouline ~ Baskets of country breads and unsalted butter (Gluten free bread is available) To Follow Individual beef Wellington with duchesse potatoes, horseradish filled tomatoes, a medley of summer beans and English and Dijon mustards Vegetarian alternative Sweet potato, spinach and feta cheese strudel with French beans and beurre blanc Wines; Argentina – Malbec To Finish Summer pudding with clotted cream, Lavender pannacotta with seasonal fruits, Chocolate and passion fruit delice ~ Costa Rica coffee and chocolate truffles 48

prestigeeventsmagazine.com

20/20

Speed networking

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20/20 SPEED NETWORKING….THE STORY SO FAR

...WE LET OTHERS DO THE TALKING FOR US TESTIMONIALS – SUPPLIERS

TESTIMONIALS – BUYERS

“The quality of buyer at 20/20 Speed Networking event’s is

“20/20 is a great event, wide choice of different suppliers at all

better than at any event we’ve been to.” - Mike Kershaw, MD

20/20 events I’ve attended. A really efficient use of my time. I’ve

of Concerto Group

recommended it to the dozens of other event organisers and PA’s I know” - Liz Smith, Coca Cola Enterprises

‘I am always guaranteed qualified and decision making buyers at the 20/20 Speed Networking events and am consistently

“I thought the event was really worthwhile, and

happy with the outcome of the meetings, which are with people

I’ve now got so many people I want to meet and follow up with.

who genuinely have an interest in our product and want to

Thank you so much for letting me be part of a successful event.”

do business with us’. - Jackie Boughton, Head of Events,

- Hayley Saunders, Deloitte

Barbican 20/20 networking events are always so useful great suppliers and “The event has been amazing. Met some great new customers

venues all under one roof. The added bonus is that you get to meet

and great new leads”. - Sarah McQueen, Head of Events,

all 20 suppliers in back to back meetings all in one morning. I’ve

40/30 at The Gherkin

made great contacts at these events and business relationship have been formed, it’s the perfect combination for a networking

I have being involved with 20/20 for the past 2 year. In total

event. - Ryan Curtis, DRP Group

we have signed over £200K worth of new business with the companies like IGD , Direct line , Owen James and IMG. I

“Well presented. I have taken away many positives.’ - Jackie

would recommend this product to anyone wanting direct contact

Witter, HSBC

with decision makers in the events industry. - Andy Johnston, Business Development Manager, Blitz

“Would definitely recommend it to many people in my company.

Really useful.” -Valerie Bamford, Barclays

We have been both delegates and host venue for 20/20 Networking events and have always found them to be very

Attending 20/20 networking events, provides me with a deeper

worthwhile. Great use of time to meet some very relevant buyers

insight on suppliers associated with the 20/20 event theme.

as well as quick catch up on what is happening in the industry.

Whether the event is focused on sport stadiums, Christmas party

The organising team are a pleasure to work with.

venues or unusual spaces, the creditable contacts and information

– Andrew Birnie, Head of Events, Café de Paris

I retrieve from those events, is hugely beneficial to share with my peers. - Rob Morgan, Banks Sadler

“It’s been a good event and good value. It’s about the quality of the meetings, not the quantity” - Isla Mckenzie, Head of Events, Ministry of Sound “High quality structured meetings + plenty of networking

TO BE A PART OF 20/20 AND FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: WWW.PRESTIGEEVENTSMAGAZINE.COM CALL 01708 737393

opportunities = a very successful and enjoyable day” - Antonia Fagan, Sales Manager, Identilam

‘OVER £100,000,000 (THAT’S £100 MILLION) IN COLLECTIVE EVENT BUYER BUDGETS WAS REPRESENTED AT 20/20 SPEED NETWORKING EVENTS IN 2014’ prestigeeventsmagazine.com

41

##COOLVENUEAWARDS TRENDS (AGAIN)

“When it comes to organising a Cool Event we wouldn’t be worth our Prestige namesake if we didn’t deliver. And that we do. This year we organised our annual COOL Venue Awards at the Cafe de Paris and as the pictures (and our hangovers) proved we delivered. Read on for the winners, nominees and coolest people who make this industry the best the world has to offer. “

#COOLVENUEAWARDS

#COOLVENUEAWARDS

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COOL VENUES ‘COOLest Bar/Club’ Ministry of Sound

Clubbing in London is legendary but competition is fierce. It seems every day a new location is opening and it can be hard for the more established to stay that way. With this in mind it’s even more impressive that our recipient has managed to not just retain COOL, but still remain leading in the trends it’s sets having won this award three times. Beating off worthy competition in Shaka Zulu, Gilgamesh, Dirty Martini, Whisky Mist, Radio Rooftop Bar, Egg Ldn, Café de Paris, Mr Foggs and DSTRKT, Ministry of Sound cemented itself with our Award as the Coolest Club in the UK.

‘COOLest BOUTIQUE HOTEL’ ME London We do have a special spot in our hearts for Boutique Hotels. The focus afforded by them allows for always impressive architecture and forward thinking furniture that encapsulates the identity the brand promoting. ME London won this category despite heavy competition, here’s why…

Located in the heart of the action and near the city’s main theatres, exclusive boutiques, fashionable hot spots and trendy night clubs, ME London is one of the leading hotels in the centre of London.

Contemporary and cutting edge in style and located in one of the most important tourist destinations in the world it manages to distinguish itself from the rest, no weak claim.

This is definitely led by its design which was done by the world famous architects Foster and Partners.

Among its fantastic services and facilities ME London provides 157 exquisitely designed, modern rooms, including 16 suites; two New York restaurants (Cucina Asellina and STK London); Roof Bar with outdoor terrace and spectacular panoramic views of London (London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge, Covent Garden) and Marconi Lounge; 7 meeting rooms measuring 500 m2 with capacity for up to 300 people and a separate reception area; a modern, fully equipped gym, open 24 hours a day and high speed Wi-Fi internet. It has everything you’d expect a chain hotel to have yet this is only a boutique… crazy!

Other nominees we’d definitely consider worth your time include The Milestone Hotel, Hotel Café Royal, Ham Yard Hotel, The Ampersand , The Hoxton Hotel Holborn, The Athenaeum, Ace Hotel, Malmaison London, and the Zetter.

‘COOLest CONFERENCE/EXHIBITION CENTRE’ Barbican Barbican has everything we love not just in a conference or exhibition centre but a venue. Centrally located and a perfect mix of industrial architecture and greenery located in a surprisingly spacious venue (if you think you’ve seen all of it you totally haven’t- it’s huge) holding the title of Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue.

The Barbican has a range of auditoria, rooms and spaces that can be hired for a wide range of events, from conferences, AGMs and product launches to meetings, receptions and weddings it does it all.

It’s even the home of the London Symphony Orchestra and will this summer play host to one of the most exciting theatre productions of the year – Benedict Cumberbatch’s turn in Hamlet in partnership with National Theatre Live. Along with most National Theatre Productions this means the play will be broadcast live in cinemas around the world in October, truly confirming that the Barbican is a world class venue.

This isn’t to say our other nominees are not. They’re also a pretty impressive lot hosting an array of impressive events whilst delivering first class hospitality and surroundings. They include, Congress Centre, The Crystal, The O2, ACC Liverpool, QEII Centre, Alexandra Palace, Business Design Centre, SECC, Royal College of Surgeons and Imperial College London.

COOLest COUNTRY HOUSE / HISTORIC VENUE Somerset House Ashdown Park, The Bingham, Blenheim Palace, Tower Bridge, Gleneagles, Weston Park, Luton Hoo, Cliveden, Tower of London, and the Churchill War Rooms are all world class venues.

Each commands an image if institution, strength and Britain in a way few others can claim to. This year we decided to award our Coolest Country House/Historic Venue Focus COOL Venue Award to Somerset House. So what distinguishes it from all the others? We’re so glad you asked…

Somerset House is a major arts and cultural centre in the heart of London. During summer months 55 fountains dance in the courtyard a simple but striking attraction that in the heat can make the overbearing nature of London feel just that bit more tolerable. In winter you can skate on London’s favourite ice rink, safe in the knowledge you won’t have too far to travel to your next appointment as despite its 16th Century design it’s a stone’s throw from the West End. Somerset House also programmes contemporary art and design exhibitions, free displays, family workshops and guided tours, but easily it’s most recognisable event is the biannual home it provides to London Fashion Week. We’re excited for the Summer Series at Somerset House, returning with a diverse and impressive line-up of headline artists alongside hotly tipped emerging acts.

‘COOLest FOR AGM’S’ Freemasons Hall Your Annual General Meeting can be a bother to organise. We organise events throughout the year but without a doubt it is always our biggest (the COOL Venue Awards) that really takes the most focus and consideration. With this in mind when you’re organising a large meeting you NEED it to be special. Expectations have to be met – no questions asked.

The Royal Exchange, 155 Bishopsgate, QEII Centre, Mermaid Theatre, Tate Modern, Painters Hall, Central Hall Westminster, London’s Living Room and the Magna Science Centre are all perfect for AGM’s. But our favourite has to be the Freemason’s Hall located in Covent Garden.

Built between 1927–1932 as a memorial to the Freemasons who died in the First World War, it is one of the finest Art Deco buildings in England, and is now Grade II* listed internally and externally. In addition to the Grand Temple (seating 1,700) there are 21 Lodge Rooms, a Library and Museum, Board and Committee Rooms and administrative offices – seriously it’s HUGE. We’ve hosted many a 20/20 there and there’s a reason we keep returning. Service is first class and the awe inspiring architecture guarantees an elegant air to any meeting.

COOLest FOR AWARD CEREMONIES The 02 Most people think of the O2 as a venue that is primarily used for concerts and gigs. A place you can grab a Nandos before seeing the Foo Fighters and hopefully catch the DLR home in time before the tube shuts. But as the host of The Brit Awards the O2 proved itself as a venue with something extra, something it could utilise to stunning effect; scale.

Tracey Emin’s art work suspended across the arena, illuminating the performers added not just a layer of sophistication to the event but managed to reflect some of the greatest iconography we retain about the awards. The Brits clearly hit a high in the 90’s in a way it hasn’t quite recovered and by having Emin who along with Damien Hirst evokes 90’s cool unlike most others - create artwork that lit up the show we were reminded what this show is, a testament to the best of British artistic potential.

The O2 was also perfect because of its location. Transport services are notoriously brilliant in that part of the city and the distance from residential areas allows for the arena to really pack a punch when it comes to sound. The scale of the dome itself lends itself to the spectacle of an awards ceremony and reflects the achievement they’re celebrating.

Our other nominees also deserve a mention, The Hurlingham Club, East Wintergarden, The Roundhouse, Warner Bros Studios, The Troxy, The V&A, Bafta 195 Piccadilly, The Royal Albert Hall, Café de Paris and The Roof Gardens are all spectacular venues. That’s why we hosted our COOL Venue Awards at one!

‘COOLest FOR CORPORATE FUN’ Top Golf Harry Potter Studios, Alton Towers, Go Ape, Hot Tub Cinema, Centre Parcs Woburn Forest, Mercedez Benz World, Abbey Road Studios, Namco, Bounce Ping Pong and London Zoo all represent the pinnacle of corporate fun within the UK, but when it came to deciding on our winner we looked to the exciting, always dynamic sport of… golf?

Top Golf does what Golf isn’t supposed to do, it makes it fun. This isn’t to say that those who do enjoy a day of playing golf are odd, but for a sport so reserved and built on a quiet and controlled atmosphere Top Golf swoops in like the Happy Gilmore of the event world. It manages to take the fun part of golf (hitting balls further than your friends) and expands on it, adding arcade games, a competitive element, great food and fun drinks which combined makes for the best Friday evening/Teambuilding event/First date location we’ve found in the UK. If you haven’t gone along yet – do. They have a range of locations and however much of a novice you may be we guarantee you’ll leave smiling.

‘COOLest FOR FILM PREMIERE AFTER PARTIES’ Café de Paris A dazzling and opulent event space, Café de Paris never fails to leave a lasting impression on guests which is exactly why we hosted our COOL Venue wards there this year. With many original and iconic features including the grand sweeping staircases, glittering chandeliers and stunning ballroom floor, Cafe de Paris makes for the perfect space to host a corporate event in central London.

Product launches, award ceremonies, presentation lunches and Champagne receptions all work beautifully in the space and with the excellent stage, sound & light facilities, live music, artist showcases and cabaret dinners are also an ideal fit. A location central to the arts and media scene Café de Paris will probably be most recognisable to readers for its central role in Strictly Come Dancing but it has been used as a film location featuring in X-Men First Class [Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy 2011], The Edge of Love [Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller 2008], An Education [Carey Mulligan 2009], to name but a few.

Our other nominees include the likes of Cirque Le Soir, The Roof Gardens, The Playboy Club, 195 Bafta, Aqua, Radio Bar at ME London, Ace Hotel, Indigo2, and One Embankment. All fabulous venues, but when it comes to encapsulating what we view as ‘COOL’, Café de Paris, seeped with history yet leading the way as a contemporary venue has to come up trumps.

‘COOLest FOR GALAS’ Old Royal Naval College The Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) in Greenwich is one of the most important contributions to European baroque architecture and the centrepiece of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.

Today this historic landmark is open to the public and, since the departure of the Royal Navy in 1997, is managed by the Greenwich Foundation, a registered charity. The College is one of the top 20 visitor attractions in the UK and welcomes over 1.8 million visitors a year to its free attractions which includes the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre, Painted Hall and Chapel.

It also plays an important part in the local community and every year over 8,000 schoolchildren take part in inspiring workshops. 80 musical events are performed in the Chapel, and over 60 weddings and 50 filming and photography shoots are held at the ORC, and it’s not surprising that in recent years it’s proven a perfect location for Galas. The grand architecture and serene Country-In-City feel creates an ambience like no other as it manager to wear its reputation as a beacon for conservation, innovation and creativity with pride.

We couldn’t not mention our other nominees who include Vinopolis, Middle Temple Hall, Banking Hall, Searcy’s at the Gherkin, Rushton Hall, The Brewery, OXO 2, The Ivory Vaults, LSO St Lukes and Dutch Hall.

All fabulous venues and 100% worth your consideration when booking your next event.

‘COOLest FOR PRODUCT LAUNCHES’ Arcelor Mittal Orbit Tower Launching a product can be a daunting project. You need to reflect your brand in the venue so although the recipient of this award might not be the same for every event (sometimes you do need something more old fashioned) when searching for the COOLest we couldn’t not pick the Arcelor Mittal Orbit Tower.

With its dramatic architecture and panoramic views of London from the east, the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, an award winning event space, is a show-stopping venue for any occasion. Their expert team will make it their mission to help you host an unforgettable occasion. And the Venue has hosted many national and international news and entertainment broadcasts, most notably on the BBC. It’s already been chosen as the venue for a number of corporate events, including occasions hosted by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Other venues nominated deserve a mention and include Sky Garden, The Sorting Office, Old Billingsgate, Saatchi Gallery, White Space, Altitude 360, The Orangery at Kensington Palace, The Roof Gardens, The Dairy Arts Centre and Royal Horticultural Halls. All fabulous venues definitely worth your time and money, which is why we’ve hosted 20/20’s at many of them!

‘COOLest FOR RECEPTIONS’ The Roof Gardens Rooftop gardens and bars are a common place in London now as everyone fights for the best view of our world famous skyline. The Roof Gardens in Kensington has that special Richard Branson touch and manages to be both cosy, open and a refreshing take on a Chelsea worthy garden all within the city.

This rooftop members’ club features three suitably plush, themed gardens spread over 1.5 acres.

Handily, the venue also holds events open to non-members, so that anyone can enjoy lush and luxurious partying from up high, at themed events, live gigs and DJ nights that lean towards house, funk and disco. Remember to break out your glad-rags and dress to impress.

The garden on the roof is an added wow-factor bonus at this romantic seventh-floor dining room on Kensington High Street, where the pleasure of eating under trees and among the flamingos on warmer days makes the lovely Modern British menu and well-chosen wine list that bit more exotic and interesting; friendly staff help make it a special experience and display the upmost professionalism when it comes to organising your event.

Our other nominees include The Deck, Dandelyan Mondrian, Searcys at the Gherkin, 195 Bafta, Hurlingham Club, Cutty Sark, Sky Garden, Mr Foggs and Steam and Rya

‘COOLest FOR SMALL MEETINGS’ De Vere Venues Holborn Bars It’s often the smaller meetings that are the most important. The ones where the confidential contracts come out and the boss’s brow is furrowing and sweating in a way even a jaunty smile can’t quite disguise. With this in mind our shortlist of nominees for this award is made up of venues guaranteed to take an edge off in the most fashionable way possible. Ice Tank, Library, Blue Fin, The Arch- Marble Arch, The Connaught , White Rabbit Studios, ETC Venues, Wallacespace, RICS and the Wellcome Collection all get our seal of approval. But none quite like De Vere Venues- Holborn Bars does…

Their service is all about flexibility and this extends to the booking options. It could be a one-hour catchup in a meeting zone, half-day, 24-hours or an entirely bespoke package. For an informal meeting, you’re welcome to catch-up with a coffee in reception or over lunch in the award-winning Steam, Bake & Grill or signature restaurants.

With more meeting rooms than anyone else in the UK, De Vere Holborn Bars be able to accommodate your group size and budget. How about a fully equipped tree house for some blue-sky thinking? A wood-panelled boardroom in a listed mansion? A creative glass ‘think-tank’ in London? Or a high-tech auditorium for 850 people? You can have it! Plus, you’ll have access to fully trained technical experts whenever you need them.

‘COOLest HOTEL CHAIN’ Crazy Bear Group Thinking about a COOL Hotel can often draw the mind to the boutique, the unique and special, with chains promoting images of Holiday Inns and the like. Never before has that been less the case as it was in 2014, a year where we saw our nominations expand to an impressive 10 Hotel Chains.

Our winner this year was the decadent Crazy Bear Group, easily our frontrunner in the field with its three locations across the UK in Stadhampton, Fitzrovia and Beaconsfield. Its Stadhampton location is possibly our favourite with abundant gardens, an eclectic design, and award winning dining and inventive facilities, within eighty acres of working farmland all contribute to its distinctive personality. The Crazy Bear Stadhampton also has a unique oasis in a countryside setting a great foundation for our Crazy Bear hotel scene. What we really love about the chain though is its focus on Events. Always luxurious they range from musical legends performing to celebrations of the upcoming/latest Grand Prix. Membership also guarantees free access to all events among other perks making the Crazy Bear a chain worth staying loyal to.

This isn’t to negate our other nominations in the slightest ranging from the legendary Dorchester Collection to the more contemporary Firmdale Hotels our nominees included The Maybourne Hotel Group, W Hotels, Rosewood, Elite Hotels, Red Carnation Hotels, Millennium Hotels and Morgan’s Hotel Group. The W Hotel chain’s London location deserves a special mention for its Screening/Cinema flaunting 39 regimented red-pillar luxury seats perfect for music playbacks, theatre style lectures, live video conferencing, Playstation parties, press screenings or simply a film club with friends all available for hire.

‘COOLest MUSEUM/GALLERY’ Saatchi Gallery It is only when you leave the UK that you really gain an appreciation for just how brilliant our Museums and Galleries are. Often free and meticulously designed London in particular manages to distinguish itself from the rest of the planet offering world class venues at low cost allowing it to become the arts and culture capital of the world.

When The Saatchi Gallery first opened over twenty five years ago it was only those who had a dedicated interest in contemporary art who sought out the gallery to see work by new artists. The audience, however, built steadily over the years and in the new home in King’s Road has seen visitor numbers now exceed 1,5million per annum, and the Gallery has worked with media sponsors on a number of shows including The Observer, The Sunday Times, Evening Standard, The Independent on Sunday and Time Out. Many artists showing at The Saatchi Gallery are unknown when first exhibited, not only to the general public but also to the commercial art world, and many of these artists are subsequently offered shows by galleries and museums internationally. In this effect, The Saatchi Gallery operates as a springboard for young artists to launch their careers and if anything is ever evocative of ‘cool’ its relevant youth.

Our other nominees are all legends – or close to becoming them- in their own right and all deserve an honourable mention; The Science Museum, The V&A, The British Museum, Imperial War Museum , Natural History Museum, The Museum of Brands, The National Portrait Gallery, The London Transport Museum and The Museum of London.

‘COOLest ON WATER VENUE’ Spitbank Fort HMS President, Tower Bridge, Pig on the Beach Dorset, Pontoon St Katherine’s Dock, Silver Sturgeon, HMS Belfast, The Yacht, Bateaux London, The Elizabethean and Spitbank Fort are all fabulous On Water Venues, and that’s why they all made our nominee list. But we found one venue to simply be …cooler than the rest (no it’s nothing to do with the temperature of the water they’re on.

A private island in the sea between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight Spitbank Fort was built to protect Portsmouth harbour from attack from Napoleon III. It takes a mere 30 minutes by boat from Portsmouth or Southampton and is only 2 hours from London. A truly luxurious destination with roof top hot pool, sauna and fire pit you can enjoy incredible panoramic views across the Solent whilst the location acts as a wonderful base for fishing and an array of water sport.

Their accommodation on board is pretty spectacular too with a choice of three rooms, the most luxurious being the Admiral room, and the venue itself is available for exclusive hire for when only the best will do. From Weddings to Business Meetings Spitbank does everything but better offering one of the best views in the business… and from us, that means something.

‘COOLest OVERSEAS VENUE’ Grand Hotel Excelsior, Malta When you’re investing your money in a foreign trip you really need it to be worth it, if anything for the shame factor if its not. Sure if an event in the UK isn’t up to par it’s embarrassing and potentially still a career ruining move, but screwing it up when your entire team has flown for x amount of hours and packed the sunblock, you aren’t just risking embarrassment but humiliation. Picking our nominees was tough but we had to make sure the eventual winner was going to deliver. So despite a list that included Sagrada Familia, Sheraton Huhzou Hot Springs Resort, Burj Khalifia, W Verbier, Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, JW Marriot Marquis Dubai, The Rockefeller Building New York and The Highline New York we awarded the Coolest Overseas Venue to Grand Excelsior in Malta.

Home of The Grand Safina ballroom it truly embodies what the name (Safina) suggests - a luxury cruise ship. With a capacity of welcoming as many as 250 seated guests for dinner, the ballroom is an ideal venue for weddings, product launches as well as holding conferences. The magnificent ballroom can be split and converted into two event sites: Safina A and Safina B for smaller gatherings.

Guests can also take advantage of the fully equipped and highly functional Executive Boardrooms to get right down to business. Equipped with the latest presentation technology, it is the perfect location for high-profile executive meetings. Three Executive Boardrooms are designed to offer total privacy with state of the art facilities.

‘COOLest RESTURANT’ Heddon Street This award was definitely a biggie. Whilst food acts a necessity for the most part where we choose to spend our money on it as a luxury is important and we don’t want to waste your time.

When Gordon Ramsey’s Heddon Street opened scandal spread as news of a booking sabotage filled the papers, yet despite a rocky start Heddon Street has cemented itself as a regular booking for our office, knowing we’re guaranteed quality every single time.

A breathtaking space over two floors, Gordon’s newest restaurant is a stylish mix of vintage and modern, and offers a contemporary European menu.

One of our favourite features is the interactive wine tasting counter where guests can try a wide range of wines by the glass and participate in engaging tastings and food pairings. It also boasts its own ice cream parlour, where a whole host of frozen goodies from alcoholic ice-cream cocktails through to retro old school favourites are served.

A raw bar, pizza oven, cocktail lounge bar and private room will also be on hand at the stylish venue, which is in the capable culinary hands of head chef Maria Tampakis – who earned her culinary stripes at Bread Street Kitchen and before that spent time at the three Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges in New York.

Other brilliant nominees include Duck and Waffle, House of Wolf, Tramshed, Beach Blanket Babylon, Hawksmoor, STK at ME by Melia, The Chiltern Firehouse, Holborn Dining Room, Mint Leaf and Meat Liquor.

‘COOLest SPA VENUE’ Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park When you work as hard as we do the time you spend relaxing has to be of a high calibre. A bath and a cup of tea can tide us over for a few weeks but when we’ve been putting in the hours I think we all need a bit of a ‘Treat yo self’ weekend and for those times, we call on some of the Country’s coolest spas. Shangri La London, Chewton Glen, Four Seasons Hampshire, Gleneagles, Park House Hotel, Celtic Manor, Langham, Cowshed Spa at Shoreditch House and Como Shambhala Urban Escape all made our nominees list but when it comes to kicking back in the ultimate luxury we couldn’t think of a better representative than the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Away from the buzz of Knightsbridge, it offers a calm and nurturing environment in which you can begin your personal journey to physical and spiritual harmony. With extensive heat and water facilities, expert therapists and a range of indulgent treatments, they have created a luxurious haven of wellbeing. Mandarin Oriental provide a unique five star journey for everyone, and offer each guest a consultation during which your personal therapist can tailor your treatment to you and your needs- great for those who want a personal touch to each of their treatments.

‘COOLest SPORTING VENUE’ Emirates Stadium The running joke this year was that our CEO Wesley Mendy is in fact an Arsenal Fan. But here, we hand on heart state that had nothing to do with the outcome of this Award.

Emirates Stadium not only represents everything that Arsenal is about; Cool, Cultured, Original, Stylish and Aspiring.

Located in the heart of Highbury not too far from its predecessor it reigns an iconic piece of modern London architecture.

Architecturally it’s the most or second most beautiful stadium in the country (probably second after Wembley to be fair but that is to be expected), the exterior is a fantastic dedication to Arsenal football club with nostalgic decor all over the outside of the arena, while also boasting statues of absolute sporting legends in Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Tony Adams dotted around the outside. The seats are just the best in the country, football-stadium wise, no question about it, and the fact that you can sit anywhere and be more than satisfied with the view is certainly a rarity in any building, let alone a 60,000 seater. This is more relevant for the match day but the Emirates also, without any possibility for debate, has the best pitch in the entire country. The grounds staff that are employees of the stadium are masters of their trade because it’s always an immaculate surface. There’s also little things that are signs of quality like around the banners inside the stadium that displays years to signify what season Arsenal won particular trophies with space for new additions. Those intricate details just help to make the stadium what it is, a shrine perfectly dedicated to the Arsenal Other nominees included Wembley Stadium, Top Golf, Goodwood, Ascot, Twickenham, Copperbox Stratford, Chelsea FC, Lords and Bounce Ping Pong.

‘COOLest TEMPORARY STRUCTURE’ HAC Artillery Gardens There are many reasons why the HAC is the natural winner of this COOL Venue Award. It’s a superb, secure, private location just minutes walk from any City office located in the largest garden in the City of London. The Prince Consort Rooms is a stylish, contemporary space offering one of the largest capacity permanent venues in the City, and sports facilities for cricket, football, rugby, softball, croquet, corporate fun days and more.

The historic Georgian mansion houses several elegant rooms which are available for hire, as well as extremely flexible facilities accommodating numbers from as small as 10 to as large as 2000. The service is impeccable and there’s incredibly high quality catering. Also something your photographer will thank you for is that all rooms have natural daylight. Not to be overlooked when you’re attending or booking an event you want to publicise.

Other nominees included Serpentine Pavilion, The Deck, The Fountain Room – Bloomsbury Big Top, Selfridges Roof Garden, The Pavillion at the Tower of London, Battersea Evolution, Syon Park, Tom’s Terrace and Canon Bridge Roof Gardens. All fabulous Venues and worth your money and time.

‘COOLest VENUE PORTFOLIO’ Searcys With a nominee list that includes Late Night London, Concerto Group, Lime Venue Portfolio, ETC Venues, ITA Venues, Q Hotels, Inception Group, Hoxton Hotels and the De Vere Group we must think pretty highly of Searcys to give them the accolade of Coolest Venue Portfolio.

Since 1847, Searcys has been one of the UK’s most prestigious catering companies. With a passion for quality and an ability to execute an event to the very highest standards, they have developed a world-famous reputation for catering and hospitality and over the next 120 years were awarded a royal warrant and became the contract caterer of choice not just to royalty, but also to many of London’s stately homes. In the 1970s they opened a series of bars and small restaurants in London as their first permanent sites. Then, in 1990, Searcys were appointed as catering partner to the Barbican – a relationship that we still thriving over 20 years later.

COOLest MULTI-PURPOSE VENUE’ EGG LDN After a gap of three years we decided to reintroduce this premium category. Outstanding choices for this category included Eventcity, Emirates Stadium, Altitude London, Blenheim Palace, etc. But EGG edged the voting choice with its constant reinvention and chameleon-like qualities.

COOLest Members Club THE PLAYBOY CLUB The winner in this category is a marmite situation. However you look at it, one cannot argue that The Playboy Club omits a charisma and legend that money cannot buy. In the words of our publisher, if someone created a ‘Magic Mike’ club, it too would be like Marmite, but by God it would a place that women and free-minded guys would attend. BIG UP Playboy Club!

‘COOLest VENUE ARCHITECTURE’ Blenheim Palace Sometimes a venue can have amazing architecture but not great service or amenities. Thankfully that is not the case for any of our nominees or our winner which manage to prove style and substance can exist in perfect harmony. A list including Shangri La Hotel at The Shard, The Royal Opera House, The Crystal, The Royal Albert Hall, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Syon House, Banqueting House, Somerset House and The Old Royal Naval College was always going to be tough to beat, but Blenheim Palace managed it.

From the imposing Great Hall to the beautifully intricate State Rooms, the Palace balances delicate detail with ambitious architecture on the grandest scale.

Stunning portraits, tapestries and an exquisite collection of furniture grace the Palace interior, set against a magnificent backdrop of ornate ceilings and striking stone work.

The entrance to the Palace sets the tone, leading you through glorious wooden doors into the Great Hall - one of Blenheim’s architectural glories.

Leading on, you can marvel at the porcelain displays in the China Ante Room and the famous Blenheim Tapestry that hangs in the Green Writing Room. The outside isn’t too bad either with The Formal Gardens being the jewels in the crown. A collection of majestic gardens commissioned by the 9th Duke, their beauty is exemplified in the serene Water Terraces, the Secret Garden and The Duke’s Italian Garden.

Well worth your time and money.

‘COOLest VENUE LAUNCH’ The Sky Garden 2014 was a brilliant year for Venue Launches so this award was difficult to give. Our nominees include Arcelor Mittal Orbit Tower, Royal Liver Building, Ham Yard, Mondrian, Banking Hall, The Loft, Swingers LDN Crazy Garden, Chiltern Firehouse and Dutch Hall. But when it came to the winner we had to go with Sky Garden.

The Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street is a unique public space that spans three storeys and offers 360 degree uninterrupted views across the City of London. Visitors can wander around the exquisitely landscaped gardens, observation decks and an open air terrace of what is London’s highest public garden. The Venue has been designed to create an open and vibrant place of leisure, offering visitors a rare chance to experience London from a different viewpoint. Entry to the Sky Garden is free but we recommend pre booking to avoid disappointment (you won’t want to miss out!).

The Sky Garden is also host to Fenchurch Street Bar and Grill, A refined dining experience at the very top of the Sky Garden. Darwin Brasserie with its sweeping bar and a gallery kitchen where you can experience stunning food theatre and finally the Skypod Bar where you can enjoy breath-taking views over London’s glittering skyline.

SPONSORS KUDOS

#COOLVENUEAWARDS

….And this year’s COOL Venue Awards saw us inaugurate sub-restaurant categories that recognise the UK’s amazing array of different genres

NEW CATEGORIES ‘COOLest Indian Restaurant’ Mint Leaf

‘COOLest Meditteranean Restaurant’ Beach Blanket Babylon

‘COOLest Oriental Restaurant’ Gilgamesh

‘COOLest British restaurant’ The Folly

‘COOLest Middle-Eastern restaurant’ ‘COOLest American Restaurant’ Kenza Steam and Rye ‘COOLest Italian Restaurant’ Jamie’s Italian Restaurant

‘COOLest Afro-Caribbean Restaurant’ Shaka Zulu

‘COOLest French Restaurant’ Brasserie Zedel

‘COOLest Latin American Restaurant’ Floridita

‘COOLest South American Restaurant’ Sushisamba

20/20 ‘CHRISTMAS PARTIES’ SPEED NETWORKING THEME: CHRISTMAS PARTIES DATE: 25/9/14 HOST VENUE: BARBICAN www.barbican.org.uk SYNOPSIS: 20 buyers met 20 Suppliers in the beautiful Barbican centre in central London. In a light garden environment we had one of our most successful events that saw the true harmony of 2020’s reflected within the environment it was held in.

SUPPLIERS INCLUDED: ITA, Emirates Stadium, Concerto Group , Egg London, Demon Wheelers, De Vere London,

Megabooth, GSP, Blenheim Palace, Barbican, Ravenous Catering, Stonegate Pubs, Hawthorn Theatrical, The British Library/ Peyton Events, Allianz Park, Science Museum, Millennium Gloucester Road Hotel, Four Pillars, IOD, Lords , Imperial College, One Wimpole Street, Martin James Photography

THE 20 BUYERS INCLUDED: Omnicom Media Group, Hospitality Line, Nestle, RLM Finsbury, Pearl, Rock & Raven, KPMG,

Elite Model Management, Thinkers HQ, Inspirational Venues, Capitv8 Events, Beyond Certainty, Crazy Cow Events, Capital Music Live, Orion Health, Incom Tours & Events, The Knights of London, Banks Sadler, BT, Shout About London, Icenie, Hawker Consumer Publications, Energy UK, KPMG, BTS, Caxton Manor

20/20 ‘PARTY AND EVENT SERVICES’ SPEED NETWORKING THEME: PARTY AND EVENT SERVICES DATE: 9/10/14 HOST VENUE: Wax Chandlers Hall www.fizz.uk.com

20/20

speed networking the ultimate b2b forum

SYNOPSIS: 20 corporate buyers and suppliers all wanting to bring the best to their Parties and Events met at the luxurious Wax Chandlers Hall where they networked to bring some of the coolest events we’ve seen to fruition!

SUPPLIERS INCLUDED: Demon Wheelers, Megabooth, Ravenous Catering, Wax Chandlers Hall, Identilam, LED

Factory, Zaps Magic, Capital Music Live, Studio Souffle, Partridge Events, C3 Imaging, Designer Flowers, Martin James Photography

THE 20 BUYERS INCLUDED: Shout About London, Incom Tours & Events, Eastville Associates, Thinkers HQ, Silver & White Occassions, E2E Events, Reward Gateway, C&S International, Papillion Events, Egg London, Crème Glacee, Drinking Water Solutions LTD, The Athenaeum Hotel

20/20 ‘CENTRAL LONDON VENUES’ SPEED NETWORKING THEME: CENTRAL LONDON VENUES DATE: 16/10/14 HOST VENUE: LONDON ZOO www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo

20/20

speed networking the ultimate b2b forum

SYNOPSIS: 20 corporate event buyers requiring the best event venues and services met with matched suppliers in an amazing setting that spoke to the child in all of us! A perfect location for the best of Central London Venues.

SUPPLIERS INCLUDED: London Zoo/ ITA, IET Venues, Cavendish Venues, National Theatre, Middle Temple Hall ,Congress

Centre, De Vere London, Vine Tree, One Wimpole Street, Ambassadors Bloomsbury, Demon Wheelers, One Great George Street, Kingsway Hall/ Kensington Close, Hawthorn Theatrical, Emirates Stadium, Imperial College, Strand Palace Hotel, Icetank, Designer Flowers, 10-11 Carlton Terrace, Swan at The Globe, Zaps Magic

THE 20 BUYERS INCLUDED: Omnicom, Ophiuchus Publishing, Macmillan Publishing, Crazy Cow Events, Admiral Group,

Vivid Events, Silver & White Occasions, Motorsport Magazine, NIG UK, Mazars, Crème Glacee, Legalease, Overbury, Robert Fenton Enterprises, The Coca Cola Company, Grass Roots Group, Instinctif Partners, Shell, Shout About London, Fisher Productions, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, TBA plc , Caxton Manor , Wellbeing of Women, Eden Essential Events

20/20 ‘UNIQUE VENUES’ SPEED NETWORKING THEME: UNIQUE VENUES DATE: 6/11/14 HOST VENUE: WARNER BROS STUDIOS www.warnerbrothersstudiotour.co.uk

20/20

speed networking the ultimate b2b forum

SYNOPSIS: A simply magical event bringing together 20 buyers and suppliers requiring the coolest Unique Venues to network in the incredible home of blockbuster films; Warner Bros Studios.

SUPPLIERS INCLUDED: Warner Brothers Studio, Top Golf, East Wintergarden, Lords, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Deck at The

National Theatre, Ashridge House, De Vere Venues, Somerset House, Centre Parcs, Roof Gardens, GSP Saatchi Gallery, Wellcome Collection, Altitude, Royal Horticultural Halls, IET, Arsenal, No. 4 Hamilton Place, Hawthorn Theatrical, Zaps Magic, The Hurlingham Club, Demon Wheelers

THE 20 BUYERS INCLUDED: Reward Gateway, Heartwood Group, Eventworld, Schroders, Flare Communications,

Teenage Cancer Trust, Bluehat Group, Hay Group, Hollywood Inc, London Corporate Event Solutions, Robert Fenton Enterprises, Instinctif Partners, Crazy Cow Events, NIG UK, Lynch-Pin Communications, Hearst Magazines, Eastville Associates, Legalease, Shout About London, ITV plc, Vanilla Bespoke Events, Jam Events, Chew Events

20/20 ‘CORPORATE DINING AND CATERERS’ SPEED NETWORKING THEME: NON LONDON VENUES DATE: 13/11/14 HOST VENUE: VINOPOLIS www.vinopolis.co.uk

20/20

speed networking the ultimate b2b forum

SYNOPSIS: 20 Corporate event buyers requiring the Coolest non London Venues and services meeting 20 matched suppliers in the settings of an amazing venue located near London Bridge.

SUPPLIERS INCLUDED: Vinopolis ,Warwick Conferences, Top Golf , De Vere M25,Blenheim Palace, Imago, Grand

Harbour, Ashridge House , Runnymede, Demon Wheelers, Farncombe Estate, Cedar Court Hotel, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Centre Parcs, University of Sheffield/ Halifax Hall, Lane End, Hedsor House, Luton Hoo, Lancashire CCC, Leicester Tigers, Designer Flowers, Bournemouth International Conference Centre

THE 20 BUYERS INCLUDED: Flare Communications, D&D Conferences, Aprada Advisors, Crazy Cow Events, Vivid

Events, The Guardian, Inspirational Venues, Universal City Conferences, The Guild of Travel & Tourism, Barclays, One Eyed Dog Films, Jam Events, Sciteb, Bluehat Group, Casbah Promotions, Ogilvy & Mather, Mazars, Department of International Development, Silver and White Occasions, Caxton Manor, Moi!, Crème Glacee, Incom Tours & Events, E2E Events, Hospitality Line, Shiv Events

10/10 ‘PARTY AND EVENT SERVICES’ SPEED NETWORKING THEME: PARTY AND EVENT SERVICES DATE: 15/1/15 HOST VENUE: STEAM AND RYE www. steamandrye.com

20/20

speed networking the ultimate b2b forum

SYNOPSIS: 10 Corporate buyers requiring the best event venues and services, meeting 10 matched suppliers in the setting of an amazing live music acts and alternative Americana décor. An ideal setting for this themed event!

SUPPLIERS INCLUDED: Steam and Rye

LED Factory, Designer Flowers, Hawthorn Theatrical, C3 Imaging, Identilam, Demon Wheelers, Megabooth

THE 20 BUYERS INCLUDED: Omnicom Media Group, Caxton Manor, JAM Events, Marryat Ltd, L’Oreal AXA Corporate Solutions, Hearst Magazine, Melon Events, Shout About London, Chew Events

UPCOMING EVENT EXHIBITIONS: CONFEX

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INTERNATIONAL CONFEX

International Confex Where the meetings industry meets International Confex has been the UK’s leading and longest standing event for the meeting and event industry for over 30 years. With over 6,700 unique visitors attending the 2015 show, Confex is the focal point for thousands of professional and commercial conference and exhibition organisers, corporates, agencies and associations looking to discover venue, destination and supplier inspiration.

“CONFEX is the very best MICE exhibition in the U.K. without any doubt. If, like us, you speak to everyone passing your stand and qualify them you cannot go wrong. Our first CONFEX was in 1996 so this was our 20th. Anyone who fails to exhibit is missing out on a vast pool of new business. We collected 118 paintakingly qualified inquiries - who could ask for more?”

David Aherne, Director, The European Convention Bureau “Genuinely enjoyed Confex this year for the first time ever. I felt a benefit of attending rather than having the usual feeling of just

This all encompassing exhibition sees an abundance of

going because I should. Well done to you and your team, it looked

qualified event industry buyers attend the show for our

great and had a real energy.”

outstanding quality and quantity of exhibiting companies eager

Alex Jones, Group Marketing Manager, CloserStill Media

to showcase their wares. We also produce an engaging and innovative free educational programme with a number of high

“I would like to say how valuable I found Confex International

profile guest speakers and interactive panel and seminar

this year. It is a show that I truly believe reflects our conference

sessions. The networking opportunities available are vast and

market. The variety of stands were very reflective of the diverse

varied, creating the opportunity for all visitors and exhibitors to

market we are now in. Our team always find the Show so

meet existing as well as brand new contacts and providing a

beneficial to visit. One of the key factors for a consultative venue

fantastic platform on which to build future business.

finding agency is that we provide to our clients superb knowledge of all venues globally. The scope was excellent and lots of new

Co-located with the Event Production Show and taking place

faces in the industry were seen - ticking this box for us all with

on 2nd & 3rd March 2016, International Confex is the largest

fresh ideas and different venues.”

buying platform in the UK events industry and is a must attend

Anita Lowe, Chief Executive, Venues and Events

event for anyone and everyone who plans, implements or produces all types of events.

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ZAPS MAGIC

ZAPS MAGIC 1. So how did you get into the position you’re in today?

6. What’s a promotional tactic you love to use?

I was studying for a Maths Degree and joined the English Civil

Magic is one of those activities that needs to be seen to really

War Society where I realised I have a talent to entertain. I honed

appreciate what is going on. I am not the typical magician

this through intensive training and performance all over the UK with a Commedia Dell’Arte troupe called “The Gobbi Players” where all my creativity was pushed into the spotlight performing as ‘The Magic Cavalier’. I was then the resident magician and sword fighter at ‘The Shakespeare Tavern’ in London and it didn’t take long for word-of-mouth to spread! Management at a number of Prestigious Venues, together with ‘Event Management Agencies’ began calling upon my expertise. This led to weekly performances as a resident magician at such notorious and

with tattoos and who barely has a command of the English language, there is a different energy when I perform. I like my work to be engaging and very interactive, so I use any networking opportunities to get the chance to demonstrate what I do in a live environment, without the aid of camera tricks ( as used by many TV Magicians ) Once my performance gets my foot in the door, I follow up with some email marketing

legendary venues like Peppermint Park and Coconut Grove.

7. Have you got any mentors in the biz? Or mentored anyone?

Being seen in all the right places got me to perform at the Roof

My first job in the Computer industry was in Covent Garden,

Gardens in Kensington, which soon turned into me becoming the

so every lunchtime as spent watching all the acts performing

“In Flight” entertainment for Virgin Atlantic for all the inaugural

in and around the Piazza where I learnt a lot. I also watched

flights.

a lot of Paul Daniels back in the day. His people management

2. What has been a career highlight for you so far?

Performing in Cyprus ( where I come from ) alongside Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and Earth Wind and Fire for Sir Philip Greens Birthday Party was amazing.

3. What venues do you think deserve more attention?

I love the variety of venues from the quirky to the ultra-stylish, I don’t have a favourite!

is amazing. I spent a lot of time with and old school friend of mine call Fay Presto and I got a lot of inspiration from her, and I still do to this day. Right now I really like a young magician called Jonny Driscoll. I predict he will be a big part of the future of magic 8. Where trends do you see evolving over the next five years?

Seeing a lot of magic on TV has made magic quite cool now, but there is nothing like performing to a live audience. Magic is

4. What are some upcoming projects you’re excited about?

a cool way of entertaining at an event in a very cost effective

Every year, I am responsible for putting entertainment

way. I think the trend will be for more close up magicians, unlike

proposals for graduation balls and corporate parties. This year

the stage magicians who can have expensive production costs.

is no exception! I am excited about putting a proposal for the prospective client, then once confirmed, I love scheduling the event, then finally running the event on the night. My best party ever was a function at the Grosvenor Hotel and I hope that this year’s projects will be bigger and better!

5. Why is magic so exciting in event entertainment?

Magic has a capacity to provoke feelings, emotional reactions

9. How would you spend 24 hours with no limits?

I would love to visit all the Theme parks in Orlando as I have not been for many years, and I would love to see how they have moved with the times, I would then head out the Maldives to enjoy an evening of fantastic food, followed by walking along the beach, hand in hand with my lovely wife looking at the stars

and weird sensations. I like my performances to be “experiential”, which means that the guests will actually be involved with the performance and will feel the magic happening in their own hands. When guests feels a coin bending in their hand, and when a signed note is found in the middle of a kiwi fruit that they were holding the reaction is amazing, and the rush I get from knowing I created that moment for them is amazing 90

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10. Describe your perfect night in London Have a lovely pampering session complete with massage, after that going to a top West End show. Dinner would be a fabulous Thai Buffet and followed by Champagne at the top of the Shard looking at London at night. The most exciting city in the world.

WEDDING FIT FOR A LORD ON THE BUDGET

A Wedding fit for a Lord on the Budget of a Pauper

by Lord Jason Scott and Lady Samantha Claire White-Scott

“When you look for the right person, you always end up with the wrong one. But when you just sit by the corner and wait, he comes along and shares the corner with you” Jason: So you’ve finally found that one person to share that

BREAKDOWN:

corner with you and you want the world to know but don’t want to pay the world to have it. Let me share how a premier party

THE INVITES: £50.00

planner and eventrepreneur cuts costs on the most special day

We used www.gettingmarried.co.uk and for £50 you get a website

of his life

for your wedding. It includes the invite, RSVP function and the ability to track and update guests and let them have access to

Samantha: As Jason and I are saving for our very own dream

various info, local hotels to book, etc. No licking stamps for this

castle we decided to keep things as simple as possible. Jason

practical bride and groom.

is an events expert, a business development consultant and I being a PA for the last 13 years have great contacts, so

THE DRESS AND BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: £375 AND £80

we pulled in as many favours as possible with our favourite

RESPECTIVELY

suppliers.

I went into my local Wimbledon bridal shop, (http://

EST COST: £6,583.80

allthatglittersbridal.co.uk) and asked them where they sent their prestigeeventsmagazine.com

91

WEDDING FIT FOR A LORD ON THE BUDGET

samples. They actually had an outlet store in Croydon and if you

a tailor and having his dream suit made for under £500, but a

are prepared to sift through some amazing dresses from various

www.suitthatfits.com has the same service as does Suit Supply.

designers, be open to needing a dry clean and fitting then this is

Groomsmen arranged their own blue suits, red socks and a

the place to be. Plus there’s room to negotiate! My dress is from

group discount was agreed for this by a well-known suit shop.

Essence of Australia and was retailing at £1500 and I bought it for

Remember if you don’t ask you don’t get!

£375. I got my bridesmaid’s cocktail dresses for £40 each there.

The sashes from them got turned into pocket squares for the

HAIR AND MAKEUP FOR BRIDESMAIDS, BRIDE AND EVEN

groomsmen thanks to my dry cleaners who we’ve provided great

THE GROOM GETS A DUSTING: £300

business to! Who knew the colour praline would be such a hit with

We asked on Facebook and a friend recommended a makeup

the blue Suits they are wearing?

artist who has been so helpful and on point with many things.

Instead of a veil I have opted for hair extensions I can use again.

SUITS FOR GROOM AND GROOMSMEN £250

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Jason, AKA Sartorial Lord, of course had a photo saved for over

THE RINGS: £550

a year and combined a business trip to Bangkok with seeing

We decided a budget and on a recent work trip to NYC we went

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WEDDING FIT FOR A LORD ON THE BUDGET to 5th Avenue in their jewellery market and got rings for £275

THE RECEPTION: £3,000.00

each. We haggled the price lots! Mine is 6ct white gold with

We found a charming pub called The Prince Albert in Camden and

diamonds in Art deco fashion and Jason’s is a Cartier 1988 three

arranged a minimum spend for the venue hire. We covered food

band gold vintage ring.

and drink for the dinner and a cash bar from then onwards which made up the minimum spend.

CEREMONY: £488 We got married at the Camden Registrar Office Chambers which

DECORATING:

seats 80. It looks pretty vintage and unusual and the staff were

The venue had so much character already that we went for the

lovely.

rustic look (especially as table clothes were an additional £100)

A great feature of London’s registration offices is that they are

and bought some bunting off the eBay and a bright red Royal Mail

normally in listed buildings with amazing period features. In

built it yourself post-box for cards.

Camden’s case, it is the marble stair case was perfect for photos.

FAVOURS: £395 TRANSPORT: £515

Forget favours; get a Photobooth where guests can take home a

I arrived with my bridesmaids in an Uber to get to the wedding

memory! We chose http://stardiscos.com for their inclusive deal of

ceremony as did Jason.

4 hours hire, guest book, prob box and a slick looking Photobooth.

To get guests from the ceremony to the reception we have hired a traditional London bus www.redroutemaster.com

PHOTOGRAPHER: £350 We used a friend!

CAKE: £60 We bought the sponge bases for the wedding cake from http://www.sweetsuccess.uk.com and have a lovely next door neighbour who offered to ice it for free http://www.cakemagicuk. com FLOWERS: £250

DJ: £0 Who needs a DJ when you have Spotify. https://www.spotify.com/ uk just arrange play lists on a laptop and go.

So there you go, and lastly when friends and family were asked how much we spend, they surmised in the tens of thousands although all agreed IT WAS PRICELESS.

I’ve been using Bloomsbury flowers exclusively for all my clients for the last 13 years. They did a great deal on 3 bouquets (bride and two bridesmaids) and flowers for the table.

Words – Lord Jason Scott and Lady Samantha Claire White-Scott Photography - Christopher Reeves (www.travelsnapper.co.uk) and David Bracegird

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USEFUL WEBSITES USEFUL WEBSITES

USEFUL WEBSITES FOOD AND DRINK Caterers and Party Food www.eden-caters.co.uk www.zafferano.co.uk www.officediner.co.uk www.purplegrapecatering.co.uk www.foodshowltd.com www.liquidchefs.co.uk www.munchlunch.com General Food Retailers www.caleyco.com www.regionalfoodanddrink.co.uk www.freshfood.co.uk Meat and Charcuterie Specialists www.realmeatco.sageweb.co.uk www.bleikers.co.uk www.blackface.co.uk

www.trainline.co.uk www.orient-express.com www.eurostar.com

Wine, Champagne & Spirits www.bbr.com www.oddbins.com Cheese/Dairy Specialists www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk www.colstonbassettdairy.com Organics/Special Diets www.freshfood.co.uk www.somersetorganics.co.uk Beverage Specialists www.fortnumandmason.com Hampers/Gifts www.presentsofmind.co.uk www.chocolatestore.com www.fortnumandmason.com www.aquascutumgifts.com Deliveries/Takeaways www.deliverance.co.uk www.officediner.co.uk Chocolate and Cake Specialists www.chocolatestore.com www.theorigionalchocolatefountain. com www.jane-asher.co.uk

Event staffing www.rcpromo.co.uk Team building www.leapplc.com www.bluehat-teambuilding.co.uk www.www.sundialteamscapes.com www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk www.topgolf.com www.beargryllssurvivalacademy. com www.swordfightinginternational.com www.demonwheelers.co.uk

www.owen-brown.co.uk www.parnhamfunfairs.co.uk www.igloos.co.uk (luxury loos) www.merlin-fireworks.co.uk Entertainment www.megabooth.com www.krulive.com/krutalent www.tenorsunlimited.com www.partypianos.com www.urbansoulorchestra.co.uk www.zapmagic.com www.swordfightinginternational.com EVENT MANAGEMENT Creative Event Management www.leapplc.com www.shoutaboutlondon.com www.blitzeventsolutions.com www.optixevents.com www.tastour.com www.caxtonmanor.com Social Media www.smileysocialmedia.com Incentive Gifts www.montblanccorprategift.co.uk Venue Finders www.jpeventsltd.com www.shoutaboutlondon.com

FLOWERS www.designerflowersuk.com

Event Speakers www.londonspeakerbureau.com www.speakersforbuisness.com

TRANSPORT

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Limousines www.hcdchauffeurdrive.com

Event Photography www.mattchungphoto.com www.hollywren.com

Rail

Badges, Wristbands, Lanyards

PrestigeEventsGuide.com prestigeeventsmagazine.com

Trophies www.awardefx.co.uk

HOSPITALITY

Outdoor Fish Specialists www.islandseafare.co.uk www.caleyco.com

www.identilam.com

Security www.redcarpetsecurity.com Printing www.c3imaging.com www.gprintsolutions.co.uk Published by MX4 108 Clydesdale Road Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1AJ T:+44 (0)1708 737393 F:+44 (0)1708 737389 wes@prestigeeventsguide.com wes@prestigeeventsguide.com www.prestigeeventsguide.com www.prestigeeventsmagazine.com Copyright of all editorial copy remains the sole property of Mx4 Ltd and may not be reproduced without the prior permission of Mx4 Ltd. All opinions expressed within this publication remain those opinions of the feature writer, and neither Prestige Events or Mx4 Ltd hold and liability or responsibility for those opinions,views expressed or photography supplied.