Category: Uncategorised

RSA House is offering exclusive Christmas party packages at its unique London venue, featuring multiple spaces that are suitable for parties, seated lunches and dinners, and drinks receptions.

The 2021 Christmas package includes several hours of sparkling and house wine, a live DJ and dance floor, a dedicated Event Manager, bespoke Christmas menus from CH&CO Catering, and even more to create the ultimate unforgettable Christmas party for up to 220 guests. Optional extras include pre-dinner canapés, unlimited sparkling wine or spirits, and the RSA ‘Pudding at the Theatre’ interactive showstopper dessert station to truly indulge in the luxury of the venue.

RSA House combines Georgian splendour with high quality contemporary design and is a versatile space suitable for a variety of events. For a truly magical experience, consider hosting your party in the subterranean Vaults, the ultimate underground venue full of unique character, exposed brickwork and intimate alcoves. Or, for a luxurious space steeped in history, hire the RSA’s flagship Great Room as a memorable backdrop filled with 18^th century art: a space like no other.

To book now, visit https://www.thersa.org/rsa-house/contact-us.

The prestigious 2021 Royal Gold Medal, which is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), was presented to Sir David Adjaye in a ceremony streamed live from Accra, Ghana and London, UK on Wednesday 26 May.

Presented in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence ‘either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture’. Normally run as a physical event with a dinner for around 240 guests, this year’s ceremony was a virtual occasion featuring live and pre-recorded content; it was the first time in RGM history that the RIBA could open this event up for worldwide attendees.

In order to maintain viewer engagement via this virtual broadcast from London and Ghana, the RIBA team commissioned some excellent films to deliver all of the key aspects of the ceremony; a new online platform was brought in to allow networking among guests, so they could chat with each other in a 1-2-1 capacity as they would at a live in-person event. An Expo section of the platform with additional messages and content that could be accessed during and post-presentation was also included.

The event itself featured a welcome address and speech from the RIBA President and CEO; pre-recorded messages of congratulations from significant people around the world including former US President Barack Obama and U2 signer Bono; a film showing the significance of the medal and Sir David Adjaye receiving it; a conversation between Sir David and Lucy Tilley, Associate Principal at Adjaye Associates, discussing his past and in-progress projects; and a live Q&A with Sir David himself from Ghana, with viewers able to submit their questions.

Despite the challenges of lockdown affecting the creation of the films in London and Ghana, and factoring in sufficient time to make sure the audience understood all aspects of the event platform prior to the live broadcast, the first ever virtual Royal Gold Medal ceremony was a huge success. Most notably, it was a fantastic opportunity to broaden the reach of the presentation to audiences who may otherwise have been unable to attend and celebrate the achievements of Sir David.

For more information about hosting a virtual, hybrid or live event at RIBA, contact [email protected].

10-11 Carlton House Terrace welcomes guests for events including weddings, conferences, exhibitions, film shoots, meetings and parties after lockdown restrictions relaxed on 17 May.

The venue is following governmental guidelines for event restrictions including social distancing, capacities, and other rules for attendance.

According to government advice, from 17 May some capacity restrictions remain for events, and differ between business and leisure events. Currently, guidance is as follows:

• Business events includes conferences, meetings, exhibitions, tradeshows, as well as private dining events like award ceremonies, gala or charity dinners, and other corporate hospitality. These can go ahead with up to 1000 guests or 50% of the venue’s total capacity (excluding venue staff) – whichever is lower.
• Private events such as weddings and birthday or anniversary parties are subject to smaller limits of up to 30 guests, indoors or outdoors.
• It is not clear whether summer and Christmas parties are included under business or private events. Until we have clarification, we would recommend caution and assume the limit of 30 applies to these occasions too.
• Outdoor events are permitted to have a maximum of 4000 attendees or 50% of the space’s maximum capacity.
• The government will make special provisions for large, outdoor seated venues where crowds can be safely spread out. This will be for up to 10,000 attendees or 25% of the venue’s maximum seated capacity.

To read the full blog, including guidance on international travel, visit https://10-11cht.com/news-offers/international-travel-events-in-the-uk.

116 Pall Mall has launched a new summer calendar packed with events, offers, menus and openings that will be coming up over the next few months.

After numerous lockdowns and being unable to welcome guests properly into the building for well over a year, the team are making up for lost time by putting together lots of exciting activities to welcome you back into the venue.

After the government stuck to the roadmap plan on the 17 May and lifted the latest set of restrictions, 116 has reopened their much-loved Café Duke and Wine Bar for breakfast and lunch to the public for the first time. After the success of launching The Terrace at 116, the team will be continuing their service in this secluded green haven with a new menu of summer cocktails, seasonal dishes, and a bubbles happy hour with 25% off all sparkling wine, prosecco and champagne between 4-5pm every weekday – ideal for work or social gatherings!

Speaking of the terrace, don’t forget to make the most of this outdoor space for private summer parties – with capacity for up to 50 on the terrace, or for hire along with the adjoining Carlton Room for up to 150 guests.

They’ve also been planning social events such as jazz nights in their Wine Bar and a classical piano dinner with world-renowned pianist Francois Xavier in the Carlton Room, providing you with entertainment, delectable dining and exciting drinks and cocktail menus.

Kate Dean, Marketing Manager at 116, said, “We’re so excited to be welcoming visitors back into the venue. Although we’ve been open for a little while for meetings, working, filming and outdoor socialising on the Terrace, the latest lifting in restrictions is going to have a huge impact on everyone in the hospitality industry.

“Our building is definitely filling up more as each day passes and we’re actually opening up a lot of our dining spaces to the public for the first time, so I’d highly recommend making the most of this and booking before we fill up. We wanted to put together some fun and exciting activities for the summer to celebrate reopening and I think we’ve done just that. Keep an eye on our calendar as we’re planning on adding new dates as we go. Let’s celebrate the reopening of hospitality in style – welcome back to 116 Pall Mall!”

View the summer calendar.

The QEII Centre has been awarded a Greengage ECOsmart Silver Award for its efforts in operating more sustainably.

The award is given to hotels and meeting venues who take advanced steps to achieve a wide range of eco-focused actions.

The QEII Centre already holds a Green Tourism Silver Award and works closely with the organisation on ways it can continue to deliver improvements and innovations to lessen its carbon footprint.

Planners booking a venue displaying the ECOsmart award symbol are assured the property has been assessed and taken a range of eco-friendly steps to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability.

For more information on holding your next event sustainably at the QEII Centre, contact [email protected].

Westminster Venue Collection (WVC) are delighted to announce that many of their venues have reopened and are now able to host business meetings and events for up to 1000 delegates (or 50% of the venue’s capacity).

Whether you are organising a conference, hosting a meeting, running an exhibition, or planning a wedding reception or other special celebration, WVC’s hand-picked selection of prestigious, unique, traditional and modern venues will provide the perfect space.

The following venues situated in the iconic city of Westminster are currently open and looking forward to hearing from you:

• 10-11 Carlton House Terrace
• 110 Rochester Row
• 116 Pall Mall
• Broadway House
• Central Hall Westminster
• Church House Westminster
• IET London: Savoy Place
• Lincoln’s Inn
• London Transport Museum
• QEII Centre
• Regent’s Conferences & Events
• RIBA
• RSA House
• VUE West End

For the last two and a half years, Marina Papadopoulou has been the Business Development Manager for Church House Westminster – a Grade II listed, multi-purpose events venue, located in the heart of Westminster.

Marina offers an extensive experience of 21 years in the events industry. Her journey started as a TV and movie producer followed by a quick transition into events. She worked with the biggest DMCs, event agencies and hotel chains as an Event and Sales Manager delivering a significant amount of corporate, incentive and charity events.

We spoke with Marina this month to find out how her role has changed over the past year and what it means to finally be returning to live events.

What’s been the biggest change to your role over the past 12 months?
As a Business Development Manager there is always an element of diversification and proactiveness, but also going above and beyond. Over the past 12 months all these aspects fell into place and it was a year to try new things and to experiment. On the other hand, as a Business Development Manager, I longed to be around people, to connect live, to engage face-to-face, and this was a real adjustment for me.

What has been your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge for me has been the continuous changes that we had to face as a team, as a building, but also as an industry. The uncertainty and not being able to plan was nerve-wracking. Seeing Church House Westminster almost empty and without clients made me feel very sad.

What’s been the most exciting project you’ve worked on with Church House this year?
As mentioned earlier it was the year of thinking outside the box, a year of thinking collaboratively. Most of my projects involved the creation of strategic partnerships to promote Church House and Westminster as a destination. Whilst I can’t share specific details now, watch this space for exciting announcements!

What type of event are you most looking forward to hosting again?
As a team at Church House Westminster, we always loved innovative and unusual events. With our clients we were always working together to create unique experiences. So, from hybrid conferences, gala dinners, award ceremonies and fashion shows, really anything with just a twist, I can’t wait to be hosting all of these experiences in our lovely spaces.

Are you open now for events?
We have in fact remained partially open since August last year for essential meetings, filming and outside broadcasting (without an audience) but we have all been massively excited to reopen properly again for 50% capacity events as of 17 May.

What’s your favourite thing about Westminster as a destination?
For me personally, Westminster is the heart of London, vibrant, innovative, with cultural and historical influences. It’s impossible to think of a more central place to work and live.

Check out our top venues for hosting your next team building event in London or virtually as keeping teams connected continues to become more important than ever.

Regent’s Conferences & Events
With four acres of beautiful gardens, innovative and challenging activity ideas and one of the finest caterers in the capital, Regent’s is the ideal London team building venue. Having hosted dozens of team building events each year, the team is well versed in the complexities of accommodating all personality types through a range of games and challenges. Working with some of the industry’s best suppliers, Regent’s has previously hosted everything from competitive cooking and tango dance-offs to forensic crime scene challenges and Krypton Factor-style mazes. The idyllic York Lawns, offering four acres of stunning outdoor space in central London, can host ambitious set-ups such as crazy golf, inflatable assault courses and boot camp challenges.

To find out more about hosting your team building away day at Regent’s, get in touch at [email protected].

IET London: Savoy Place
Savoy Place’s central London location, spaciousness and innovate in-house event team make it an ideal venue for corporate team building days. It offers a range of indoor and outdoor spaces for in-person delegates as well as the cutting-edge technology needed to effectively connect remote teams. The team’s collective experience hosting team building activities, as well as its strong relationships with suppliers, opens up a whole realm of creative possibility, from cupcake and pizza making, to outside yoga on its stunning Johnson Roof Terrace. To make the most of the venue’s convenient location, guests are often encouraged to explore the area during their breaks, with Embankment Gardens directly next door and Covent Garden just a stone’s throw away.

Contact the team at [email protected] to book your corporate team building day at Savoy Place.

Church House Westminster
For those still cautious of travel, Church House Westminster offers a range of virtual team building experiences to keep teams motivated and entertained from wherever they are. With many larger companies still not planning for a full return to the office until winter, there are still lots of ways to keep the whole team engaged. Partnering with Team Building Experiences, Church House provides the tools to arrange team events, from virtual game shoes for up to 40 guests, to quirky joke-writing workshops and vegan candle-making online workshops.

To find out more about virtual team building with Church House, visit https://churchhouseconf.co.uk/virtual-team-building-experiences/.

From 17 May 2021, 110 Rochester Row is reopening for business meetings and events.

Smaller meetings for up to 30 delegates will be permitted until restrictions are re-evaluated for 21 June, but those seeking to reach a wider audience in the meantime or to include delegates who may not yet be comfortable travelling, the venue has introduced a range of simple hybrid event packages.

The London venue uses the latest in-room technology to support live events, featuring high-specification equipment and touchscreen controls. Teaming up with its expert AV partners Crossover & Bowerman Production, this offering extends to include virtual and hybrid events. As every event is unique, 110 Rochester Row has created a range of packages designed to suit your needs. All meeting rooms are equipped with wireless conference phones and extendable microphones are available, covered within the cost of room hire.

Details of the hybrid packages can be found here and for more information please get in touch with the events team.

On Tuesday 20 April, Church House Westminster interviewed Anna-Marie Trzebinski, founder of AMTEvents and Hazel John, MD of Oxygen on “Evolving event skills as the new currency”.

Every week Church House has been interviewing a range of expert guests from the UK events industry to bring inspiration to events – from creating personal event experiences, harnessing the newest technology, how to find innovative and relevant sustainable solutions, clever event production ideas, engaging event marketing hacks, developing new event skills, mental health, and well-being, and so much more.

During this session, delegates were invited to find out how the pandemic has instigated upskilling and enhanced job profiles. The speakers looked at examples of how challenging career situations were overturned, the importance of keeping positive, and how to find purpose and balance when the chips are down. The speakers also shared their outlook on the future of recruitment for the industry and event skills, along with tips on how to make your CV stand out and ace that all-important job interview.

The whole interview can be re-watched on YouTube here.

For more information about events at Church House, get in touch with their virtual event experts via a contact form or call 020 7390 1590.