Event planning for Christmas now!
I read a great article/letter of the month in M&IT magazine recently talking about Christmas events – it read:
The Chartered Management Institute’s survey, revealed that UK employers were too afraid to have a Christmas party because public perception, demonstrates the weaselly attitude of most managers. Rather than praise and reward staff on a regular basis, they prefer to take the ‘easy’ option of saying ‘because of public opinion, we dare not’. Whilst this might hold water for banks & MPs, it should not apply to the rest of the UK workforce – YES to that.
So why not prepare, plan and budget for a Christmas event now. We are preparing the event management this year for JD Parties at both Tatton Park in Cheshire and Knowsley Park on Merseyside – the biggest Grand Marquee, themed events in the north west – Let your hair down to Moulin Rouge and Puttin on the Ritz.
Conferences planners, free venue finders, conference organisers, event management and teambuilding activities is what we do – Can we help you?
Special conference offer from Q Hotels
Q Hotels, which was the AA Hotel Group of the Year in 2008/2009, are offering some special deals at their 21 hotels:
- Book 20 delegates and one goes free.
- Get 10% off your next event.
We have used Q Hotels on many occasions and have been delighted with the way they handle enquiries and look after clients and what I like about the group is that every property is different – So call us for availability on
0844 567 6405
Venue Plus – It’s all in the name!
It’s easy really – We find any “Venue” in the uk, whether in London, Brighton, Birmingham, The Cotswolds, The North West, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and all the counties of England and the great thing about it, is that it is Free to you. The “Plus” bit is all about the complete event package of providing Event Management to look after your conference plus also providing Teambuilding and entertainment programmes. So there you have it – Give us a call.
Just completed 2,050 Conferences and Events
Phew!! Having just reached the 2,050 threshold mark for the number of conferences and events Venue Plus has organised over the years – It is time for a little celebration – Right that’s enough, back to work!!
I have no idea how many delegates that represents – a bit daunting really and indeed how much our clients have spent with venues over that period – it must have helped the economy somewhere and indeed the taxman.
Anyway, everybody lets get going, keep your head down and lets get this country moving again, before depression sets in. All we need is some sunshine and soon.
So, if you need any free help on conference planning and organising your event, however large or small, then don’t call 118 118, but our number – 0844 567 6405.
A unique Training & Teambuilding venue in beautiful Chester countryside
Venue Plus work closely with a fantastic training and conference venue set in the countryside overlooking the Cheshire Plains – An ideal choice to get the best from your delegates:-
Successfactory ™ is based in a most beautiful part of Cheshire in the village of Burwardsley with stunning views across the Cheshire plain to the Welsh Hills beyond and only 15 minutes from the historic city of Chester.
It is a truly unique venue offering the indoors and the outdoors for teambuilding such as archery, high and low ropes courses , formula one challenge, segways, meetings and training.
Working with Successfactory™ is an inspiring process; we work in partnership with you to research, design, deliver and measure powerful development programmes that increase the performance of your organisation.
Successfactory ™ work with businesses from small and local to large and global, offering local accommodation close to the venue.
It’s not just the location, ambience and workspaces that exceed the promise but also the flexibility , quality of service and our delicious freshly cooked food that’s quite exceptional.
We can offer meetings from 4 people up to team building programmes for 150 people.
If you need more information or would like special delegate rates, then contact Venue Plus and we will arrange a showround and introduce you to the team.
Check if your venue has BS 8901
BS 8901 is the British Standard for Sustainable Event Management and is now becoming very relevant to the many important environmental issues that venues should be addressing.
It covers the following:
- Event Organisers or individuals involved in overall co-ordination of the event.
- Event venues including hotels, convention centres and sports venues.
- Suppliers and contractors of key activities relating to the events industry.
- Industry associations and councils.
BS 8901 also offers the following commercial benefits:
- Provides assurance to stakeholders, customers and anyone else involved that the event has been planned and implemented in a sustainable manner.
- Helps differentiate an organisation from its compeitors, helping to win new business, improving reputation and brand image.
- Helps reduce carbon emissions and waste and improve resource efficiency of the entire event supply chain.
So when booking a venue, ask what their environmental policy is and lets help educate others.
Event Management – No hasle!
Venue Plus have just finished the Christmas Event Management run for JD Parties at Knowsley which proved to be very successful this year, despite the economic recession and we are now available to look after your event or conference.
This service takes away the hasle if you are organising an event and allows us to ensure things happen and happen on time, whilst working with you in the running and organisation of your event – so if you are strapped for time or would like help with ideas and conference planning, then give us a call on 0844 567 6405.
Working closely with the Public Sector.
Venue Plus have been working very closely with the public sector over the past few years, in helping them organise their conferences, meetings or other events and providing a free venue search all over the UK. As conference organisers and venue finders, we are given by various hotel companies not only corporate rates but special government rates, which are applicable to the public sector. So in order to make sure, during these difficult times, that you are being offered these rates – contact us on freephone 0844 567 6405 to discuss your requirements for training, networking or for any event that you might be planning.
Think early for your 2010 meeting or event.
Now is the time to start thinking about your next event or conference for 2010. How about getting your team together and organise an “out of the office day” to start the new year and get them fully motivated for a hard year ahead. Perhaps combine it with some teambuilding activities – that should clear away the cobwebs!!
Anyway a Merry Christmas to all.
Top Tips from Venue Plus for Cost Effective Conferences…
1. Greater opportunity to negotiate low prices and achieve added value – we are constantly given special rates.
2. Be flexible with your conference or meeting dates, as Mondays & Fridays are usually cheaper and easier to negotiate.
3. Plan ahead as far as possible, as there will be more venue options for you and a better delegate rate.
4. Look at the possible location for an event, as travelling time for your delegates is important and the further away the higher the travel cost, also a residential conference could become a day conference.
5. Look at your audio visual requirements – Do you really need all that kit to get your message across and why not use the inhouse supplier as already there and knows the conference rooms. I also find that if negotiations are tight, then I try and get AV equipment included – It all helps!
6. Look at all the extras – Do you need bottled water @ £5 a bottle, I think some venues are even producing their own bottle water. Also look at the wine list in more detail, as you would in a restaurant. What is wrong with the house wine – ask them if you can taste it before the event or dinner.
7. Do you need a three course lunch and then go through the grave yard session for your meeting – Why not try a smaller, lighter treat and ask the chef to produce something different & then talk about it, rather than the usual hot and cold buffet. Also reduce the confirmed numbers at the contract stage, otherwise you will be charged for no shows.
8. After the shortlist of venues has been provided and you don’t have time to inspect them, then call us and we will go through all the detail and visit the conference co-ordinators and advise you on their suitablity to your particular brief, so you can make the right decision to suit your objectives.
9. Use the internet or your website to promote your event – therefore use less paper and the telephone.
10. Call us and let us do what we are good at – Free venue finding, teambuilding activities, corporate events and conferences, event management…….
£150 Annual Tax Allowance
It’s not too late to organise your Christmas Party and as I have just read in the paper, businesses have an annual tax allowance of £150, which can be put against entertainment or basically looking after your staff.
So really you can’t loose and I don’t think everybody knows about this, as a client of ours has just cancelled their Christmas party, but still had to pay 45% of the costs, so really they lost out financially, but I do understand the internal politics of a company, redundancy issues etc.
Anyway, if you need help with your corporate event or party, then let us know.
Conference Venues in London with low carbon policy?
We have been asked to research and find a conference venue in London for about 200 delegates with workshops and exhibition space, that have a low carbon usuage environmental policy.
This is a difficult one, as it seems that hotels and conference venues have yet to get to grips with this very important subject and having spoken to various venues in researching this, I find that no-one has a clue what their policy is or what is being done to reduce their carbon footprint, which will benefit all and save on costs.
If you have been to or know of any venue in London, that is able to offer a written statement or company policy and has put this into practise then let us know, so that we can pass this information on and start supporting them and the planet!
Conference Sector – No recovery in sight!
Hotels in the UK are not expecting to see conference and meetings business recover in the coming year, according to the latest UK Hotels Forecast from Pricewaterhousecoopers.
Despite this pessimistic forecast, now is still the time to organise a conference or event – It is usually the case in these difficult economic times to cut the training and sales budget, but you have still got to communicate to and motivate your staff, so why not take advantage of some very good conference rates and organise an event. So how about planning an event soon or let us hear your views on what’s happening in your organisation.
Which venues have you been to, that you would recommend to others?
Christmas Party Organisers
Venue Plus are again this year contracted to do the event management for JD Parties at Knowsley Park for their Christmas Parties. The Grand Marquee holds 1500 guests and the themed extravaganza show is “Out of Africa” , so if you feel like attending one of the best parties in the north – call 0845 757 3043 or look at www.jdparties.co.uk.
JD Parties are also staging “Puttin on the Ritz” at Tatton Park, where they have been entertained guests for 15 years, so come and experience the glamour and glitz of 1930’s Hollywood and have a night to remember.
