WHAT MAKES THAT EVENT MAGIC?

What makes a party memorable? The people? Venue?

Entertainment? What the guests got up to?

The team at Business & Innovation Magazine attended the first North Worcestershire Business Awards late last year. It was a lovely, sparkly event, but the guests were stunned when, in a rush of triumph and enthusiasm, one of the prizewinners leapt up on stage. In front of more than 250 people, he proposed to his girlfriend.

For 30 seconds, everyone in the audience held their breath – but it was good news. Reader, she will marry him. We’re all now waiting for our invitation to the wedding.

More companies are investing in increasingly elaborate events for their staff, clients and customers. And with good reason. A fantastic event lives long in the memory – and on social media. But get it wrong and your company could be remembered for the wrong reasons. So it makes sense to invest in brilliant event planners and companies.

The best parties we’ve been to (and the Business & Innovation Magazine team love a good party), delight and surprise. The food will be fantastic, the entertainment, fun and the air conditioning won’t be on overdrive dial, which might keep the tuxedo-ed guests cool, but often leaves those in strappy numbers with goosepimples.

We asked professional event companies to share their most memorable parties.

A festival atmosphere for 350 close friends and family www.oasisevents.co.uk www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

Oasis Events is one of the UK’s most experienced and creative event management companies, specialising in bespoke event design, planning and management, and transforming venues from ordinary places into extraordinary spaces for private clients and businesses of all sizes.

Oasis has been in the events industry for 20 years as a supplier of hired and bespoke services, and leading projects in areas as diverse as weddings to festivals, venues for public events to private parties.

As one example, the team organised a private festival for 350 guests – family and friends of the host.

Because it was a private festival, the clients could curate the experience to provide something for everyone, in terms of and food and drink, venue styling and entertainment.

The event took place in a field with excellent rail and road links just outside Oxford. An event like this could be staged in any large outdoor or indoor space that is flat and well drained.

The biggest wow factor at the event was the spectacular environment. The team transformed 2,500 sq m of an ordinary field with high, colourful sight lines all around, using authentic festival flags to surround the perimeter and multiple large themed structures.

Significant “bang for your buck” was achieved with the impact of all the colour and scale, with the lighting at night creating a festival atmosphere and a memorable event space.

The British Motor Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of historic British cars. Designed in 1993 as a purpose-built conference centre as well as a museum, it has nearly 300 cars in its collection which span the classic, vintage and veteran eras. And it’s Gaydon location is perfect, near the homes of Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin Lagonda.

The museum hosts many events, one of which was the annual dinner for around 80 members of The British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association.

The Association was looking for a different type of venue. With a drinks reception in the Welcome Gallery, guests dined in the main museum and were given a box of British Motor Museum biscuits to take home as a memento.

Creating a new event from scratch in North Worcestershire

The first North Worcestershire Business Awards brought together businesses from the north of the county to recognise outstanding companies across six categories.

One hundred and sixty guests gathered last November for a black-tie banquet in a sparkly decorated, extended marquee from the Garden Room of Hogarths Stone Manor near Kidderminster.

Hosted by BBC Newsreader Joanne Malin, the cost-neutral event involved the close collaboration and goodwill of a local planning group.

Hagley-based events company Opening Doors & Venues provided event production and on-theday running, including full script writing, host and speaker briefings, presentation slides and animations development.

Expectations were high and the event did not disappoint, with a tangible feel-good vibe throughout.

The event’s impact was evident on the night and created the perfect launching pad for a repeat celebration of North Worcestershire businesses in future years.