The Event Management team are currently busy in preparation for CBRNe South America which will be held at the Sheraton Hotel and Resort in Rio de Janeiro!

The Conference People are managing the full event which includes the pre event administration, logistics and onsite management!  There will also be a large exhibition with companies coming from all over the world to be a part of it.

It’s certainly been challenging assisting the exhibitors with their freight shipments as Brazilian Customs procedures can be quite complex and very time consuming.  For this reason we have appointed Show Carriage as the official event freight forwarder, whose experience in this area make them experts in the handling of Trade Shows and Exhibitions in Brazil.

With the event being held on the 13^th – 14^th March arrangements are well underway and we are all looking forward to what promises to be an exciting event!

With the SunGard Higher Education Conference which was held in December now over for another year, the Event Management team are now busy tying up all loose ends and taking care of all the post event administration.

The event was a huge success with over 400 delegates attending over the three days.  Held at the magnificent 5 star Jumeriah Beech Hotel in Dubai the location couldn’t have been better!  The main plenary and training sessions were held in the Hotels own conference centre just next door.  The Ballroom which as a whole can hold over 1000 people theatre style and the Auditorium which can hold over 400, not to mention the 12 other smaller breakout rooms makes the conference centre and adjoining hotel which has over 600 bedrooms the perfect conference venue!

The Conference People event managed an event this week for three days at The Grand in Brighton for 300 people! The event managers were Laura Salter, Sarah Whitehead, Laura Harrison, Becki Brown and Tanya Jones. We took the lovely enquiry back in the summer and after a packed day of site inspections arraged by the venue finding team our clients chose a typically English 4 star property on Brighton seafront packed with history. Our bespoke delegate management system ‘Ubook’ was used to register all of the delegates and manage their accomodation, dietary and flight needs.

It was a really exciting event with lots of creative ideas. The event was themed on the Olympics with circuit training and jogs along the beach to start each day and the AV set was even a track! Planned into the programme was a motivational speaker an Olympic high jump winner Steve Smith.  There were lots of times where the 300 delegates would split into groups so they took over the whole hotel. We used all of the bedrooms at The Grand and then overflowed into The Thistle. Dining one night was offsite at Havana’s, Due South and the Thistle Hotel.  The gala awards dinner last night was at The Grand in their impressive Empress Suite set for 300 people.  

Thank you to all of the team at The Grand for their hard work leading up to and throughout the event to make it so successful!

What a year 2011 was! Our 25^th Birthday, lots of new client events and some really exciting locations!  Thank you for making 2011 a great year!  

Looking ahead for 2012 we would like to offer your company a really special promotion of free delegate management if you use our FREE venue finding service to book a conference for over 100 delegates if booked by the end of January 2012.  

Following our Hotel Weekends Giveaway prize draw we are very pleased to announce that we raised nearly £3,000.00 for a charity close to our hearts Eastbourne Mencap.  Thank you to all those who supported us.

Whatever your event plans are for the year ahead we are here for you every step of the way.  If you need our assistance then give the venue finding team a call on 01323 644 644.

We very much look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you to Ruby Chagger at the Congress Centre whom I (Hannah in Venue Finding!) recently meet during a venue inspection day in London. Ruby has a wealth of knowledge about the venue and is an experienced hand at running a range of events from seminars to AGM’s. The Congress Centre, located on Great Russell Street, is a modernist building which has recently benefited from a £4.2m refurbishment. The main meeting room, the Congress Hall, can accommodate 500 delegates theatre style, has natural daylight and comes equipped with built in AV equipment. A further 13 syndicate rooms are available, ranging from 12 – 160 delegates. The Marble Hall would be great for exhibitions and evening cocktail receptions and overlooks the famous Epstein Statue in the building’s central courtyard. I was particularly impressed by the modern and colourful registration area that comes equipped with plasma screens and LED lighting, perfect for projecting your event branding!

On the first day of Christmas, my boss gave to me…a free venue finding service from TCP!

On the second day of Christmas, I gave to TCP…an in-depth event brief

On the third day of Christmas, TCP gave to me…a detailed venue proposal

On the fourth day of Christmas, TCP gave to me…Negotiated preferential prices

On the fifth day of Christmas, TCP gave to me…a courtesy call

On the sixth day of Christmas, TCP gave to me…site visit details

On the seventh day of Christmas, I gave TCP…venue confirmation!

On the eighth day of Christmas, TCP gave to me…written confirmation

On the ninth day of Christmas, TCP gave to me… event registration system

On the tenth day of Christmas, TCP gave to me… tailored event management

On the eleventh day of Christmas, TCP gave me…help every step of the way

On the twelfth day of Christmas, TCP helped me…run the perfect event!

Much has been made of the importance of public liability insurance in relation to events in recent years. A wave of litigation and expensive settlements means that H&S and insurance are two very hot topics for anyone putting on an event nowadays and there are stringent laws and guidelines covering both.

The important thing for event holders is to distinguish between what is essential and regulated by law in terms of liability insurance and events, what is good, safe practice and what is simply inaccurate hysteria, often fuelled by an indignant media!

The hard fact is that litigation and personal accident claims are a fact of modern life. Very recent parliamentary action is starting to curtail the personal accident claims and ‘ambulance chaser’ industry, but events organisers still need to be covered and protected.

http://www.constructaquote.com/liability-insurance/public.aspx Public liability insurance basically covers any damages that are awarded to a member of the public, in the instance of them sustaining an injury at your event. It also covers legal fees, which can be prohibitively expensive if going through the court system, as well as expenses and costs. In some circumstances, it will also cover hospital treatment, including any ambulance costs (which the NHS may otherwise claim to you).

Premiums are based on the nature of the event, the number of anticipated attendees and a range of other factors, including any high risk elements planned for the day such as sports, horse riding etc. Policies are very much tailored to the applicant and the situation, so it’s well worth speaking to a qualified insurance advisor to ensure you’re taking out the right product. Use an independent advisor if you want to know they are searching the whole of the market, rather than simply products they will be paid commission for. Alternatively, use a comparison site to construct a quote from an array of providers.

You will find that many customers like to see that PL insurance is in place when events are being promoted. It offers extra peace of mind, so the bonuses go beyond simple adherence to law and it will be one thing off your list too.

Rhian Farnworth, Forward 3D

I have just come back from a fantastic weekend at the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset and would like to thank Chrys McKay and the staff for making the weekend so enjoyable!!  With 140 bedrooms and meeting space for up to 400 delegates, it’s the perfect choice for any type of meeting/party.  At the weekend, they had a vintage party in the De Vere Suite which looked amazing.  The Suite is very grand and ornate with its own staircase within the room – a fantastic room for a party!  I would also like to add that my bed was one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept it!! The Conference People look forward to working with The Royal Bath Hotel soon!

Thank you Nadia Stones for showing us around last night! The sales and venue finding team at TCP had a great showround at the American Express Community Stadium. The stadium offers fantastic function space with views of the south downs or views of the football pitch! What a great space and perfect for any event! The Conference People look forward to working with you soon! Pictures can be found on our Facebook page!

Thank you to Christopher Savage for a fantastic weekend exploring the IHG hotel group.  The venue finding team were spoilt rotten with dinner at the Intercontinental London Park Lane and lunch at Crowne Plaza London St James. Pictures can be found on our Facebook page! The Conference Peole look forward to working together soon!

Below is a snippet about each of the hotels we viewed – why not take a read and see if any of these venues would be perfect for you…

Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury

The Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury, located close to Russell Square Underground station, is a modern business hotel with fifteen purpose-built meeting rooms, accommodating up to 300 delegates theatre style. For residential conferences, the hotel has 313 bedrooms, including a number of accessible rooms. Post event, delegates can relax and meet in the Junction Bar and Restaurant or experience a more casual atmosphere in Callaghans Irish Pub.

Intercontinental London Park Lane

The Intercontinental London Park Lane is an iconic and elegant five-star hotel which is situated between Hyde Park to the north-west and St James’ Park to the south-east. The hotel, which was refurbished in 2007, has 13 event rooms, the largest of which can accommodate a total of 1,000 theatre style; has over 400 opulent bedrooms and a fine dining restaurant headed by Theo Randall. There is also a health & fitness centre and a spa, and so delegates can unwind in luxury during their stay.

Holiday Inn Regents Park

This hotel is situated in a great location just next to Regents Park and only a 10 minutes walk from the Hustle and Bustle of Oxford Street.   The hotel has 333 well equipped bedrooms for both business and leisure guests, and also offers executive and Suite levels if required.  The most unique aspect to this property is the exclaimed Academy Conference Centre, which is perfect for any size conference with 13 flexible style conference rooms from a large event for 300 delegates to small boardroom meetings for 8 guests.  After a busy day why not relax in the Junction Bar and Lounge with a cocktail and then move on into the Junction Restaurant where you will find a meal for every taste.

Crowne Plaza London – St James

This traditional four star hotel is located just minutes from Buckingham Palace and Victoria station and has 340 bedrooms to include elegant standard, Superior and Deluxe rooms and suites.  Suitable for all business and pleasure needs, this hotel has 17 meetings rooms and can host up to 250 delegates for a conference.  Alternatively if you’re looking for somewhere to host a special drinks reception, the courtyard at 51 is a wonderful setting for your guests.

Crowne Plaza London Kensington

This boutique Georgian townhouse is located in Kensington and has 162 guest bedrooms including 20 suites.  The hotel features three meeting rooms, the largest can accommodate 110 theatre style and the room can also split into three sections.  All the meeting rooms have natural daylight and Wi-Fi internet.  The hotels hidden secret is it’s one acre private garden, a great extra for any coffee break or drinks reception.

A massive thank you to Ellicis Hotel & Tiara Hotels & Resorts for a truly fantastic familiarisation trip to Lisbon.  The weekend was packed with seeing some fantastic off-site venues for dinners along with site seeing on GoCars, truly the best fun and way of seeing the city.

We had the pleasure of staying at the fantastic 5 star Tiara Hotel Park Atlantic, this hotel has 331 rooms which includes 17 suites.  The 18 meeting rooms are set over three levels and the largest rooms (Colmbra A&B) can accommodate up to 450 theatre style with a massive 5.5 metre ceiling height.  The hotel also has a fitness centre and offers complimentary Wi-Fi. 

The whole Lisbon experience was amazing and this city has so much history, a great mix for a perfect conference location.

The venue finding team are looking forward to working with the hotels very soon!

Well of course you know that! But can we help you find the perfect venue for your event during this time? Perhaps you want to avoid London and book elsewhere for less?! What ever location you need we are here to help you!

If you’re forward planning and need our assistance then give the venue finding team a call on 01323 644 644.

We very much look forward to hearing from you!