Wednesday the 23rd of September was the day for an outing with the internship team, to the Square Meal events. After waking up really early I still found myself running on my two-inch heels to be on time. The free, pre-booked Addison Lee car was already awaiting outside the office. My last colleague arrived –also running. Maybe we should have made it a marathon to Old Billingsgate Walk. We were ready to go and chatted happily to one another. I decided to involve the driver a bit so he would not feel like the male outcast. After the second question we discovered he was grumpy and so an outcast then. Thankfully our journey ended five minutes later when we got to the venue. Thanks, Mr Grumpy!
Inside the building we received passes with our names and big, pink bags to collect folders and goodies in. As we walked around to figure our ways around we couldn’t help but to desperately look back at the cafeteria. Square Meal would provide all visitors with free breakfast and lunches. However, we had come to gather information and not fill our stomachs –although we came close with the cupcakes, Turkish delights, free lunch pack, juice, water, popcorn and chocolate. Okay, we stuffed our faces!
The first seminar was about new venues at 11 am. We were shown various hotels, The Cooking Academy, museums, Parklife (a large outdoor square), screening rooms, conference spaces and even a ‘boat venue’ called On The Water. How do all these humongous buildings fit into London, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh?
Finally… Lunchtime! Our anticipations were high. When we got to the bar there were only overly, buttery almond croissant and chocolate muffins. Disappointed I returned with two croissants and a pure orange juice. Anticipations were risen again when announced that lunch would be served soon. There was a choice of chicken, vegetarian and lamb. I chose the latter which consisted of a few pieces of cold, shish lamb in between grass, a small pot of fruit salad, tiny bits of pita bread and more hummus than could actually fit on the pita bread. Not really what you call a proper meal. Ooh well, at least it was better than nothing..
The second seminar at 1pm proved more interesting and was called ‘Make Your Event Budgets Work Harder’. Some information is also online at www.squaremeal.co.uk/feature/reap-you-sow-14-good-reasons
The first tip was to stick to the budget and being aware that 20% of guests will generally not show up. One should also not be afraid to negotiate with suppliers or venues for discounts or extras. Moreover, be flexible on dates and don’t go for the traditional weekend or dinner hours. Combining your events and actually making it into a day out can really impress your guests and save you on costs. Or you can get together with another event and share the costs. Maintain what is really important when cutting corners.
Remember that the first and last impressions are the ones that count to guests. When choosing a venue, pick the right one for your event and negotiate on deals with the venue owner or manager. Always taste and ask for samples when dealing with caterers and suppliers. Think local and be economical, but also ecological. On http://www.usedeventstuff.com/ you can even bid for items used during other events and shows for a lower price. When it comes to the food you can always fill your guests’ bellies, without emptying your own pockets too much. Be ingenious and create your own punch or cocktails instead of spending money on dear champagne. Load bowls of food with carbs such as pasta and potatoes or create a buffet to avoid waste.
For entertainment always spend wisely. Check what is at the venue already and what you can create around it to draw attention. Depending on what you want your guests to do at the event, be aware that bands, DJs and iPods each get different responses. A good band can make a party, whilst a DJ can get people to dance.
The most important piece of advice in my opinion, was the last one: Make sure the people are enjoying themselves!
The third seminar at 2 pm was also informative, but a bit boring. That probably had more to do with the fact that I was getting extremely sleepy. And the presenters voice sure could have taken me to lala land. I managed to stay focused though and gathered his advice on Christmas parties. Christmas parties at the office are essential for team building, staff retention and a good morale. Therefore the boss should not skimp. There is not much reason to as a company receives £150 for each employee to spend on their Christmas party. So if you ever wondered how your greedy boss can always afford an expensive box of chocolate from Tesco. Come to think of it, where does the rest of the £140 go?
As in the second seminar it was mentioned again to think about the timing of the event. Does it really have to be in the evening, or can in also be during lunchtime? Can spouses come too (if not, then I would suspect something fishy was going on at the Christmas party). Don’t take risks, but do shop late to get bargains. On the other hand, get out early to find the best dates before someone else books it.
Make your invitations very attractive and give plenty of notice. Even after all this ‘advertising’ do not expect attendance to equal invites. Still, get feedback after the party and improve next year.
Always expect there to be pitfalls and try to avoid them. Confirm costs and times beforehand. Even better: get them in writing. Insist on a tasting. If the caterer or supplier refuses, you should consider if it’s a wise idea working together with them. Don’t run out of liquor, but also make sure your staff gets home safe and sound at the end of the event (whether that is day or night). And also very important: don’t do it for the directors. Go with what the employees are into, because the party is for them and about them.
The fourth seminar at 3 pm did not grab our attention for long as we implemented the exit-plan after a few minutes. I don’t know what this seminar had to do with budgeting. It was called ‘Hospitality for Every Budget’, but I don’t think the ridiculously high prices were of use for anyone in the room. The presenter even had the cheek to call a hotel bedroom at £95 a night inexpensive.
All in all it was a good fun day where we gathered loads of business contacts for our internship events and leaflets. We played a little game of bowling and entered a competition to win a black shiny bag worth £650. The bag also comes with a death threat from one of my fellow interns if one of us wins it. So if you are missing me for too long, you know that I won. Watch this space!
Inside the building we received passes with our names and big, pink bags to collect folders and goodies in. As we walked around to figure our ways around we couldn’t help but to desperately look back at the cafeteria. Square Meal would provide all visitors with free breakfast and lunches. However, we had come to gather information and not fill our stomachs –although we came close with the cupcakes, Turkish delights, free lunch pack, juice, water, popcorn and chocolate. Okay, we stuffed our faces!The first seminar was about new venues at 11 am. We were shown various hotels, The Cooking Academy, museums, Parklife (a large outdoor square), screening rooms, conference spaces and even a ‘boat venue’ called On The Water. How do all these humongous buildings fit into London, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh?
Finally… Lunchtime! Our anticipations were high. When we got to the bar there were only overly, buttery almond croissant and chocolate muffins. Disappointed I returned with two croissants and a pure orange juice. Anticipations were risen again when announced that lunch would be served soon. There was a choice of chicken, vegetarian and lamb. I chose the latter which consisted of a few pieces of cold, shish lamb in between grass, a small pot of fruit salad, tiny bits of pita bread and more hummus than could actually fit on the pita bread. Not really what you call a proper meal. Ooh well, at least it was better than nothing..
The second seminar at 1pm proved more interesting and was called ‘Make Your Event Budgets Work Harder’. Some information is also online at www.squaremeal.co.uk/feature/reap-you-sow-14-good-reasons
The first tip was to stick to the budget and being aware that 20% of guests will generally not show up. One should also not be afraid to negotiate with suppliers or venues for discounts or extras. Moreover, be flexible on dates and don’t go for the traditional weekend or dinner hours. Combining your events and actually making it into a day out can really impress your guests and save you on costs. Or you can get together with another event and share the costs. Maintain what is really important when cutting corners.
Remember that the first and last impressions are the ones that count to guests. When choosing a venue, pick the right one for your event and negotiate on deals with the venue owner or manager. Always taste and ask for samples when dealing with caterers and suppliers. Think local and be economical, but also ecological. On http://www.usedeventstuff.com/ you can even bid for items used during other events and shows for a lower price. When it comes to the food you can always fill your guests’ bellies, without emptying your own pockets too much. Be ingenious and create your own punch or cocktails instead of spending money on dear champagne. Load bowls of food with carbs such as pasta and potatoes or create a buffet to avoid waste.For entertainment always spend wisely. Check what is at the venue already and what you can create around it to draw attention. Depending on what you want your guests to do at the event, be aware that bands, DJs and iPods each get different responses. A good band can make a party, whilst a DJ can get people to dance.
The most important piece of advice in my opinion, was the last one: Make sure the people are enjoying themselves!
The third seminar at 2 pm was also informative, but a bit boring. That probably had more to do with the fact that I was getting extremely sleepy. And the presenters voice sure could have taken me to lala land. I managed to stay focused though and gathered his advice on Christmas parties. Christmas parties at the office are essential for team building, staff retention and a good morale. Therefore the boss should not skimp. There is not much reason to as a company receives £150 for each employee to spend on their Christmas party. So if you ever wondered how your greedy boss can always afford an expensive box of chocolate from Tesco. Come to think of it, where does the rest of the £140 go?
As in the second seminar it was mentioned again to think about the timing of the event. Does it really have to be in the evening, or can in also be during lunchtime? Can spouses come too (if not, then I would suspect something fishy was going on at the Christmas party). Don’t take risks, but do shop late to get bargains. On the other hand, get out early to find the best dates before someone else books it.
Make your invitations very attractive and give plenty of notice. Even after all this ‘advertising’ do not expect attendance to equal invites. Still, get feedback after the party and improve next year.
Always expect there to be pitfalls and try to avoid them. Confirm costs and times beforehand. Even better: get them in writing. Insist on a tasting. If the caterer or supplier refuses, you should consider if it’s a wise idea working together with them. Don’t run out of liquor, but also make sure your staff gets home safe and sound at the end of the event (whether that is day or night). And also very important: don’t do it for the directors. Go with what the employees are into, because the party is for them and about them.
The fourth seminar at 3 pm did not grab our attention for long as we implemented the exit-plan after a few minutes. I don’t know what this seminar had to do with budgeting. It was called ‘Hospitality for Every Budget’, but I don’t think the ridiculously high prices were of use for anyone in the room. The presenter even had the cheek to call a hotel bedroom at £95 a night inexpensive.
All in all it was a good fun day where we gathered loads of business contacts for our internship events and leaflets. We played a little game of bowling and entered a competition to win a black shiny bag worth £650. The bag also comes with a death threat from one of my fellow interns if one of us wins it. So if you are missing me for too long, you know that I won. Watch this space!
By Aichel
Adinkra Films
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