Whilst browsing the internet looking for blog topics, I was sent this link by a co-worker in my department saying that this would make for an interesting blog post. Hesitant as I was at the time (the last time he sent me an email it consisted of a cat “lol-speaking” a truly terrible joke) I decided to open it anyway.

The article (based on a survey conducted by the ILM) was about annoying co-worker habits and which ones were the most annoying. Unsurprisingly lateness was incredibly high on the list, with 65% (of the two thousand managers interviewed) saying that it was their biggest peeve. Dirty plates and cups left on desks came second with 63% and office gossip followed hot on its heels at 60%.

Charles Elvin, chief executive of the ILM, said: “When office-based teams work in close proximity for long periods of time, we see that seemingly trivial issues can grow disproportionately, if left unchecked, and begin to cause upset and resentment.”

We couldn’t agree more; after all anyone can get easily annoyed with other peoples habits, especially if you spend so much time together (apparently we spend on average more time with our co-workers than we do our friends!) So it’s important to keep office relations amicable and professional to avoid any tension or negativity. This can be achieved by openly discussing that annoys everyone and writing down a set of reasonable rules that everybody can adhere to.

For example these are some of the office rules at Eventa,

• The last person to finish the milk has to go buy it
• Wash you your own cups, plates and cutlery after every use
• Don’t use anyone’s sauces/teas/milk/etc. without asking first
• All mobile phones but be put on silent during work hours
• Don’t harass co-workers during annual company parties

Saying that though, we all get along at Eventa so the harmony in the office is always pretty good, I say pretty good because there are certain situations that get us riled up, like if someone brings in cake and doesn’t share it with the whole office! Admittedly, it’s not a serious issue but  hey, they don’t say, “sharing is caring” for nothing you know!

How about you? What are your office peeves? Let us know on our Facebook page our Tweet us at @eventaparties.

Social media week is one of the biggest events of its kind and now that’s its drawing to an end. We examine the effect social media is having on corporate events and how it’s going to shape the future of the events industry.

During Social Media Week, David Adler (CEO, BizBash) opened the How Social Media Drives New York’s Biggest Events session and was heard saying that; “Social media is changing the face of events. It is the most exciting time in the world to be in our industry…” A statement I whole heartedly agree with, having worked for a UK based corporate events company for nearly 2 years now.

Adler goes on to say that “…events are really the new town square.  Anytime you do an event, you’re basically the mayor of that event. You own that ecosystem and own all parts of it.” Now, if we’re going to carry on with the town square metaphor, then wouldn’t it make sense to consider the event attendees as the “town’s community”? And the basis for any good community is awareness and communication, which is what social media is all about!

Because let’s face it, social media is changing the way we communicate with our friends, family, businesses and brands, with over half of UK households accessing social media and social media being accessed via smartphones increasing by 40% in 2012 . Most businesses will have a social media presence, however most people don’t use social media to do market research. The events industry is though. It’s utilising social media in different ways and reaping the rewards.

Below are just a few examples of how social media is used within the event industry…

Facebook

Every events company should have a Facebook page: it’s the most searched for social media site (according to Ofcom) and it’s the one of best to ways to promote your services to social focused consumers. Uploading photos, updating event details and encouraging fans to “like” and share the content is a good way to gauge event interest. Plus because Facebook is so versatile, you can upload polls asking for consumer feedback and supply exclusive offers, which only increases social engagement.

Twitter

A great tool for reporting events and activities as and when they happen. Twitter is often the social media choice for fashion events and industry specific conferences. Most event organisers will create a hashtag before the event and inform attendees about it so they can tweet and join in on conversations. It also breaks the barrier between event speakers and guests, as questions and answers can be during the event. If you want to take your hashtags one step further, you might want to consider registering a tag on Twubs.

Google +

Much like Facebook, Google + is a great place to promote events beforehand and after. Organisers post events up (like Facebook) and promote it to your followers. Google +’s unique “party mode” feature is slowly becoming  popular with many event organisers sharing photos of the event in real time, straight from their mobile phones! So although Google + is currently being used less than Facebook to promote events (at the moment…) We predict that Google will roll out more exciting and exclusive features that will make it more appealing to event companies.

LinkedIn

Great for niche industry conferences and expos, when used appropriately this method is great way to attract and promote your event to targeted professionals within a certain industry.  Use your company LinkedIn page to promote the event and promote it to appropriate communities that you’re a member of from your own personal account.  This is also a great way to recruit speakers for your event too.

Pinterest

A relatively new contender in the social media arena, Pinterest is gaining users at an alarming rate and is proving to be very popular with female consumers. Regularly used by the fashion and wedding industry, Pinterest is primarily used as a way to promote the event after it’s occurred (once the event organiser has created a board and uploaded photos of the event.) Repins of these photos helps to increase event & company awareness and whilst not directly a converting medium, it’s worth partaking in if you are in a creative industry.

Foursquare

Overlooked (especially since you can check-in on Facebook now) but worth including into your social media event planning. Informing guests that there’s a unique Foursquare offer will also encourage them to check-in during the event, that and the unique Foursquare “badge collecting” feature. Plus if they do check-in, this bit of news will automatically be shared with their friends, not only on Foursquare but on Facebook and Twitter too! (That’s if they’ve allowed multiple sharing that…)

Finally, with social media set to be on the rise in the future we predict that it’ll become more relevant and influential within the events industry. Particularly since event feedback can be received instantly during the actual event (probably via Twitter) Perhaps attendees will be able to request speaker order or choose the actual subjects discussed via Facebook polls? Or create event inspiration pin boards and submit them to event organisers? Who knows what the future holds, but what we do know is that social is here to stay and the event industry is fully embracing it.

((Please keep in mind that this article was written by Richard John Paul. I am merely posting this on his behalf.))

We all know that social media has many ways to stop you from getting a job, but how can you use it to your advantage? Specifically if you are aiming to forge a career in event marketing?

If you only look in certain places or read specific articles, you would think that 2013 should be the year to wave goodbye to all forms of social media if you’re ever going to get that dream job and go down the career path you desire.

However within roles such as event marketing that require a more outgoing personality and a flair for marketing something that people will actually enjoy, you’ll find that the reality is the absolute opposite, with social media needing to be seen as a valuable tool in both connecting with employers and showcasing your skills. Especially as 91% of employers answered ‘yes’ to whether they screen job candidates on social networks or not.

Getting Started

Facebook is the obvious one so I’m not going to spend too long on it because in contrast to Twitter, LinkedIn and the rest, it still is very much a place for you and your friends. Just do what you should have already done and sort through your privacy settings, remove anything ‘incriminating’ and make sure that any non-friends that do land on your profile can at least see links to the more important places. Such as…

Your Twitter Account: Twitter is a perfect starting point when looking to boost your profile in the event marketing industry, as everyone and anybody you’ll want to get in touch with will most likely have an active profile. Again, keep in mind that anyone and everyone can see what you’re posting – so keep it useful.

Then you can start following the relevant businesses, event marketers and engage in conversation with them.  Who knows, a certain marketer could tweet that they’re stuck for ideas, and you could be the follower that comes to them with an unforgettable one. Either way, Twitter is the informal place to start when looking to build relationships and get in touch with the right people. Favourite and Retweet and you’ll be more likely to get the same done to you.

Your LinkedIn Account: Put in the groundwork and then you can turn your attention to LinkedIn. It goes without saying that your profile should be regularly updated so employers can see what you’re doing, but if you have been able to engage with companies, influencers in the field and working event marketers, then it’s time to connect with them… In relationship terms, you’re moving on from the first date.

Your Pinterest Account: So far you might have heard it all before, but building up a formidable Pinterest account could be your trump card. Event marketing really is about the visual experience, so pictures of venue lay outs, various ideas, promotional banners and everything else you have done should be placed here to give you a constantly updated portfolio that brings with a lot more weight than simply words. Not only that, but Pinterest saw the largest amount of growth in terms of audience and visit time than any other social network in 2012, so it really is worth thinking about.

Taking it Further

You’ve got the fundamentals down but how can you kick the job hunt up a notch and really give it your best shot? Whether you’re unemployed, part-timing or volunteering before your big break, there can be a lot of free time, so here’s some ideas on how to make use of it through social media:

• Get Blogging: Not exactly social media but it’s all connected and aside from the visuals mentioned above, you should showcase your expertise than with some quality, useful blogs that’ll get shared. What events have you been to? What could be done better? Set up your own and also contact influencers about the possibility of guest posting (even better if these are LinkedIn connections).

• Get Out There: There’s no use simply sitting behind a computer screen. Attend events, exhibitions etc. and tweet about them. Take photos and add them to your Pinterest/blog too.

• Consider a Facebook Page: I know I shoved the Facebook profile into the background earlier, however once everything else is up and running smoothly, it might be worth entertaining the idea of a Facebook Page. Easy for all to view and not so personal, this could be the centralised place to post everything from your Twitter and your blog to images from your Pinterest account.

• Is it Time to Vine?: Still in its infancy, it might just be time to jump on to Twitter’s new platform as soon as possible. Forget Instagram – Facebook can keep it, because as Mat Honan from Wired says about Vine: “after spending a week with it, I’m convinced it’s going to be big. Really, really big”. Pictures are one thing (and they should never be overlooked) but how better to get creative or to showcase an event than patching it together in a quick, easily digestible 6 second clip?

You have the tools, now you just need to use them…

Our Best of British party is about just that! Celebrating the best of everything British! This theme has risen in the popularity over the years due to the Olympics and Royal wedding fever a few years ago. So if you love all things patriotic then this case study is going to interest you.

Because we’re going to talk about what’s included in this party, what’s involved in the preparation and how we overcame problems during the event.

First off, we needed a venue that could comfortably cater for 300 guests, in the centre of Nottingham during December. The chosen theme was “Best of British” and the entertainment as well as the décor had to be fun and suitable for all age groups. The space was decorated with iconic British symbols as well as landmarks and objects.

The party also included the following…

• Stunning Best of British Themed Exclusive Room
• British Human-Table to Serve the Welcome Drinks
• Sparkling Wine on Arrival
• Two Course Buffet Meal (Seated)
• 4 x Drinks Vouchers per Person
• David Bowie Tribute Act to Entertain During Dinner
• Union Jack Photo booth
• Prize for the Best Fancy Dress Costume
• Party Favours and Fancy Dress Items on the Table
• DJ and Disco
• Security
• Full Event Management
• LED Union Jack Table Centres
• A Fully Illuminated Sofa, with Union Jack Cushions
• Illuminated Big Ben and Red Telephone Box
• Lamp Posts
• LED Poser tables with Fish bowls filled with traditional British sweets
• Union Jack Bunting
• London Tube Station Arcs
• Stunning Event Lighting

A small issue that cropped up during the event was a problem regarding the photo booth. The representative we had was not used to the model of photo booth, so it wasn’t set up in time for the guests. However, because we strategically placed the booth in a separate room away from the main area, none of the guests noticed and the situation was resolved before they realised.

Other than that though the party was a huge success and everybody loved the theme, to the extent where it’s still being requested now! As a result of this, we’ve repackaged and distributed the party across the country. So if you’re interested in booking this theme for your next company Christmas party then click here to get a quote.

Our good friend Craig from sellymymobile.com has some suggestions for your Christmas party venues in this article:

Christmas is quite some way off yet, although the weather we are having heading into April would make it seem otherwise!

It’s important to get planning for Christmas early though, and not to leave it until the last minute, as this is when we find ourselves rushing into a last minute decision that isn’t to everyone’s tastes.

When it comes to planning for a Christmas party, it can be a right pain trying to book a venue where everyone will be happy to go. Whether you are part of a large company or a small company, it can be difficult pleasing everyone.

Therefore, we have picked a few locations where most people will enjoy and if you get in early enough you won’t have to worry about panicking at the last minute!

At a Hotel

My first choice is to go with a hotel venue that is holding some kind of party event. The idea with this is that you kill two birds with one stone.

What does everyone do on a Christmas party? They drink, so having a place to stay overnight is what most people like to do. Depending on what hotel you book with, most have a banquet hall or ballroom that can easily fit your office party into.

Add to that the fact that you can have a dance, do some karaoke, and help yourself to a fully catered buffet, then you will pretty much have something that most people can relate to in some way.

Comedy Clubs

We actually went to a comedy club a few years ago for a Christmas party and it was one of the best nights I have had. The key to this is not to sit at the front, as you are putting yourself up as prey sitting so close to the stage!

Here you can enjoy a night of laughs, while sitting down to a three-course meal.

Go To The Races

Another favourite is to go to the horses or the greyhounds. I know a lot of these places cater for Christmas parties, and a lot of them will give you your own room or box.

This event will keep you busy all night and the chances of getting bored are second to none!

You can have either a buffet style meal or a sit down three-course meal, while trying your luck on a few cheeky bets. You never know, you may leave the place better off then when you arrived.

Craig Timmins is an enthusiastic blogger who enjoys talking about mobile phones and gadgets, in an ever-advancing technological world. He is also the editor of the mobile phone trade in website sellmymobile.com, which helps users compare prices for their old phones and tablets.

At Eventa we offer a wide variety of corporate events, however because we offer so many, we don’t always get a chance to showcase and talk about each and every one of them. To rectify this we’ll be selecting some of our favourite past events and writing case studies about them on our very own blog! Not only is this a great way for potential customers to see the various, different events we offer but it’s also a great way to show how we prepare for our events too! So without further ado, let’s talk about one of my favourites “The Bootleggers Ball”.

For this particular event the client needed a space to accommodate 350+ guests in central Nottingham on a Friday night – during the peak Christmas party time in December. The chosen theme would be the 1930’s incorporating the era of prohibition, bootlegging and the infamous gangster atmosphere that was so prevalent at the time.

To keep the guests entertained and immersed in the experience we arranged for live actors to greet and mingle with the guests throughout the evening. The mob boss “Mr Big” welcomed them into the establishment, whilst jazz girls checked people off the guest list and flapper girls mingled. There were also police patrolling the venue, “frisking” and “questioning” guests as they entered the party.

Anyway in the interest of keeping this relatively short, the whole event included the following…

• Chicago Jazz Club Themed Exclusive Banqueting Suite
• The Mobster Owner of the Jazz Club Meeting and Greeting Guests
• Flapper Girls Mingling with Guests
• Police on Patrol “Frisking” and “Questioning” Guests as they Enter the Venue
• Champagne Reception
• Fork Buffet
• Four Themed Drinks Vouchers per Guest
• Frank Sinatra Tribute Act to Entertain During Dinner
• Lesson in the Charleston from the Flapper Girls
• Police Raid
• Casino Tables with Croupiers, Fun Money and Prizes
• DJ and Disco
• Prizes for the Best Fancy Dress Costumes
• Party Bags on the Tables
• Complimentary Photographer
• DJ and disco
• Full Event Management
• Frank Sinatra tribute act
• Fancy dress props for guests
• Goodie bags with themed goodies inside

There were a few issues prior to the party that we managed to sort out in the nick of time! For instance, we only had access to the venue two and a half hours before guests where scheduled to turn up! Meaning that we had to change the unexciting venue into a 1920’s speakeasy party, complete with lighting and sound checks before then! Plus we had to bring in a grand piano too which was no easy feat.

There was also an over capacity problem whereby more guests attended than expected. So rather than compromise any of the entertainment or food service, all of the Eventa staff, Eventa entertainers and the Event Manager at the venue all met before the event to have an in-depth discussion to decide on a very exact schedule so that we could use the space as effectively as possible.

All of this had to be done without the guests noticing, meaning the transitions had to be seamless and (probably) would not have been achieved if we didn’t have experienced event co-ordinators on hand that evening.

The décor was made to portray the illicit jazz club scenes of the 1920’s-1930’s with plenty of velvets, red & pink lighting, feathered lampshades and illuminated backdrops. For entertainment there was a roulette and Black Jack table using fun money and rewarding prizes for those who didn’t want to get one the dance floor.

Considered to be one of our most popular themed parties, we offer this party in several destinations across the UK. If you are interested in arranging a prohibition party for your own company or simply want top get a quote from us then please email enquire@eventa.co.uk or call us on 0844 826 2027.

Guest Post from our friends at Alive Network - Online Live Music & Entertainment Booking Service. 

In today’s economic climate, it’s not enough just to give your clients or employees a ‘nice’ corporate event – you need to wow them, entertain them and energise them about your event, your products – your company.

And all this at a time when corporate entertainment budgets are being squeezed and value for money is so important.

Sounds impossible right? Well…

A live band is one of the best ways to inject enjoyment, energy and fun into any corporate event. A live performance by a professional or function band is so much more than just music; it’s a great show packed with songs everyone knows and loves, and a shared experience that guests can enjoy and talk about for weeks afterwards.

There’s an energy to live music you just don’t get from recordings, and it has absolutely nothing to do with volume or stage size. The best corporate function bands can delight a roomful as easily as they can thrill a large marquee or ballroom, and it’s all down to what they play.

The best UK corporate events bands have the experience, professionalism and imagination to create a show that suits your audience and guests. By playing the most famous tunes by top artists from the 1960s to today’s number one hits, everyone knows a song or two, from the youngest whizzkid in IT to the most senior of board members. And with so many international artists and globally-loved songs to choose from, your foreign guests or delegates will always feel part of the party!

As a result, performances by live bands for hire are also great ‘levellers’ – you’ll find guests of all ages up and dancing given half the chance, and those just relaxing and watching will have their feet tapping or be humming along.

If at this point you know your CEO/manager/MD is sooo not going for this, here’s a thought. A live band doesn’t have to play pop or rock. So get around them by suggesting:

• A jazz band to entertain during drinks on the terrace of your conference hotel
• A soul band for a smother, cooler class of entertainment after a long day of work?
• A Rat Pack singer and big band playing a set that exudes sophistication for a dinner of top execs and management?
• A swing band or a salsa band to get absolutely everyone up and dancing?
It’s as simple as that, so next time you’re given the task of organising the corporate entertainment, why not rock the party with some of the UK’s best bands to hire. Your guests will love it, your colleagues will love it, and you’ll get all the praise and glory for having booked them. Job done!

Alive Network (www.alivenetwork.com) is the UK’s largest live music and entertainment service, with over 4000 experienced musicians, bands and groups on its books.

Last year was a great year for us here at Eventa ( who part of The Eventa Group by the way.) Our CEO Rob Hill won The Sussex Business Awards 2012 entrepreneur of the year award and The Eventa Group was listed as one of the fastest growing companies in the UK in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100. Both great achievements, I’m sure you’ll agree!

So when we were offered the chance to become official sponsors of the 2013 Brighton and Hove Business Awards (in association with the Argus) we were both honoured and delighted. After all, this is the eighth year that these awards have been running and our very own Rob Hill is judging this year! Once again the BAHBAs are supported by the MDHUB, Chamber of Commerce and B&H Tourism Alliance. Meaning that, once more, Tony Mernagh will chair the proceedings once more. When asked about the event Mernagh commented that,

“It’s great to see the BAHBAs back in the city celebrating all that’s good about our dynamic economy. It’s even more important that we celebrate in these difficult times; Brighton & Hove has got lot to shout about and there’s no better platform for shouting than the BAHBAs…”

Entry opened on the 22 March and closes 31 April. So if you haven’t entered yet then you better get on it! The awards themselves will be presented at the end of the Brighton Pier on Thursday 6 June. Apparently there’s going to be free rides, party food, candy floss, unlimited wine and of course a chance for all attendees to mingle and network with some of Brighton & Hove’s best and brightest business people.

(There’s also going to be karaoke sing-song session too but we’re not in a huge hurry to inform any of the Eventa team: there are quite a few disastrous singing attempts last year and no one wants to experience that again!)

This year the Eventa team attended the international Confex exhibition held in the ExCel centre (London) and boy was it going to be a busy day! I went to several talks during the day in a clear tube that they called the “Status Update” arena, whilst Lara and Sian wandered around meeting suppliers and catching up with familiar faces.

There were hundreds of stalls and suppliers there and it was great to meet new potential venues for summer and Christmas events, located across the county – in one place. We even met a few venues who we previously have worked with in the past.  This was great as it allowed us to put a faces to names, which we’ve been emailing for over a year!  For me, the talks were particularly interesting as they centred around mobile development, social media and brand amplification. I particularly enjoyed the talk by Joe Rice who used Cadbury as an example of event amplification, using social media as the driving engine.

Meanwhile, a champagne glass later, Sian and Lara were busy sampling food from caterers and suppliers who were all competing in the Canapé Cup Competition run by the guys and girls and Square Meal during the event. They also met up with activity suppliers who provide things like a photo booths (Sian had an amusing incident that an Austin Powers impersonator and some ice cream cones…) and more impressively we got to see live motion holograms. The demonstration was present by Musion who showed us a ballerina, Will.i.am and a dancer covered in roses performing. Super impressed doesn’t quite cover how amazing the spectacle was and we genuinely believe holograms are going to become much bigger in the events world from now onwards.

Finally, after Confex we attended a networking event hosted by Lime Venue Portfolio, where we met venues in their portfolio and sampled their supplier’s food and viewed their supplier’s theming. The event also allowed us here at Eventa, to meet and speak to venue’s that (due to distance) we don’t get to meet face to face and network with people within the event industry. All in all, we had a great time and we can’t wait to see what’s going to be showcased next year!

Recently the content team and I were invited to attend a showcase event in Manchester’s EventCity.  Naturally we accepted the invitation! Meaning that a train and a taxi journey later we found ourselves faced with the huge venue that is EventCity.

After signing in and depositing our coats we were shown round the venue – on a golf cart. Yes, it really was that big. Our tour guide told us that EventCity is the biggest event venue in Manchester and we believe her! After all, it was 28,000 sq. metres of space huge.

Once our tour had finished we were taken through to a layout and light showroom, before being led into where all the fun was happening. We weren’t left gawping for too long though: the boys were persuaded to test their omelette making skills in a Saturday Kitchen style cook-off on the main stage. The final results were less omelette more runny egg. Needless to say neither of them won!

During the day we also joined in cocktail making, serving up some impressive Cosmopolitans and Mojitos. As well as perfecting our cocktail shaking technique (it’s all in the forearm motion apparently.) We also joined in on some wine tasting (very friendly and knowledgeable staff.) Sampled several delicious dishes (risotto and chocolate cheesecake were divines.) Cooed (O.K. I cooed – the boys didn’t) at the stunning flower decorations and competed in various games (SEGA rally and darts anyone?)

Team Eventa also competed in a company vs company 30 minute cook off challenge. We faced BlueMonday (from London) and after seeing what was in our mystery boxes (rather like Ready, Steady, Cook.) We started furiously chopping, frying, seasoning and stirring and ended up with a delicious pork fillet pasta dish. Complete with a cream and paprika sauce, seasonal veg, garnished with fresh, zesty apple batons. Unfortunately the other team landed steak in their mystery box and (as far as we’re concerned) it swayed the judge and he proclaimed BlueMonday as the winners.

6:30pm marked the beginning of the Russian themed Christmas party (yes – even though it’s nowhere near Christmas) and saw more people turn up to enjoy the festivities. There were acrobats, aerial artists and dodgems! Not to mention more food and drink! By the end of it we were full, giggling and ready to curl into bed and sleep off the effects of a great night. Once again thanks to Georgina for inviting us! We had a great time!