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category Corporate Events

Quality of Event Catering – Some serious food for thought

So, just a few days ago I was eavesdropping on a conversation in the office when one of my colleagues asked another if she had enjoyed the Indian wedding at the weekend.

What I was expecting to hear was something along the lines of… “Well, the bride looked stunning”. Or maybe…“They couldn’t have asked for better weather”. Or perhaps, simply…”It was lovely. So much colour, so much laughter and so much joy”.

But no! Back came the reply…”The food was rubbish! They didn’t have this…they forgot to do that…and I was starving by the time we were eventually invited to eat”.

My initial reaction was that surely she could have started with some positives about what was obviously a very special day for the family involved.

Why The Quality of the Event Catering Makes Or Breaks The Event

But then I realised, people really do judge events by the standard of the food. And I’m not just talking weddings. Birthdays, anniversaries, parties, retirements, conferences…they all feature – and often revolve around – the food, particularly the catering for Indian Weddings.

Sometimes we get sidetracked into ploughing all our effort into decorating the venue. Sometimes it’s all about the entertainment. Or maybe we’ll fuss and fret about how people are going to get there, where they’re going to sit, where they’re going to stay, and can we rely on Uncle So-and-So not to embarrass us all.

But when it comes to the crunch, it’s the food that will make or break the event.

Quality of event cateringGet it wrong and the grumbles will last long after the event has finished. Get it right, and the buzz from table to table will be all about how wonderful everything looks and tastes, how it must have cost a fortune for such high end food (when actually part of the secret was in the brilliant presentation), and a determination to discover the caterers’ details for when their magic is required again.

So…moral of the story? Lots of things go into making an event a memorable success. But if there’s one thing you can never – ever – afford to get wrong, it’s the food.

Tell us your thoughts. What is it that makes an event truly special? Is it the quality of event catering? or the decor, the setting, the entertainment or something else for you? Leave your comments below.

Nov 15, 2018
| in All articles, Asian Wedding, Corporate Events, Event Catering, Weddings

The Ultimate Corporate Event Ideas Revealed

Corporate events are notoriously difficult to get right.

It is challenging to find the right event that ticks all the requirements. It needs first to be fun and engaging. Furthermore, it needs to fit your branding and business requirements. Your corporate event may have to cater for guests and clients while you also have to bear in mind the budget and logistics. Finally, you want corporate events ideas that are unique and get people talking.

Feeling stuck? Read on, and we will reveal the ultimate corporate events ideas for you to take inspiration from.

The ultimate list of corporate event ideas

  • Escape Rooms

Do your team feel confined in an office all day?

It will be nothing compared to being confined to an escape room. Escape rooms are ideal for small teams who have a defined period of time (usually an hour) to escape the room. The escape rooms require a great deal of teamwork, and it can be enlightening to see how different minds approach different clues and tasks.

After the event, you’ll undoubtedly need a meal or drinks reception to talk over the challenge and how the team felt about it. Was there a leader? Did they shout over each other? Most importantly, did they escape on time?

Stunning corporate event ideas from Payal Events

  • Corporate cookery classes

There is no such thing as a free meal, and with a corporate cookery class, your team will have to prepare their own dishes. A corporate cookery class is an excellent way to stir up interest in cookery and do something completely different.

It can help those who are novices in the kitchen and please those who want to learn top tips from the experts. There are a range of different styles of corporate cookery classes from bake-offs to team efforts. You can also find classes for specific cuisines too which is perfect for a themed corporate event.

  • Murder mystery

A ‘whodunnit?’ is a wonderfully light-hearted corporate event idea. You can add to the experience by including prizes for the best and worst dressed as well as an ultimate prize for the best guesses. As the plot thickens, your team will either bond or accuse, and it is highly entertaining to watch. Murder mystery nights will often include a dinner too, and you and your team can often be written into the plot.

  • Coasteering

Coasteering is the ideal action-packed event for adrenaline junkies. Coasteering involves many elements from climbing to swimming, cliff jumping to scrambling. It is a fantastic way to experience the coastline in a brand-new way and incorporates both a challenge and the beauty of nature. Coasteering requires teamwork, encouragement and support which makes it ideal for corporate events.

As coasteering is hard work, make sure to organise a celebratory lunch afterwards to allow people to re-energise and recoup the calories they have burned off.

Award Winning Corporate Event Ideas from the Team at Payal Events

Corporate Event Ideas from the Award Winning Team at Payal Events

  • Luxury yacht

Do your team dream of the high life?

Make it a reality by chartering a yacht for the day for your corporate event. Your team can simply sit back and relax or take up the helm of the boat. Include caterers on board, and your team can enjoy a sumptuous meal while sailing in the peace and tranquillity of the ocean. If a luxury yacht is out of the budget, then many sailing companies will offer a dinner and boat trip combined activity.

Not great on water? Then head to the skies and opt for a stunning skyline location for drinks and dinner with a view.

  • Art classes

A great way to unleash the creativity of your team is to hold an art class. This type of corporate event is relaxed and gentle; it is ideal for those who do not look for the next adrenaline rush. The whole team can be set up with an easel and art materials. An art teacher can then be on hand to offer advice, encouragement and expert tips. Art can help people to unwind and de-stress; it is also very rewarding. Furthermore, the guests will be able to take their masterpiece home; it may even start a hobby.

If your team aren’t keen on creating art then why not have an evening at a gallery or exhibition as a corporate event idea. Complete the evening with canapes and drinks. You can even ask the curator or artist to share their knowledge. This can be a great option to build links in the local community. As a business, you can even host your own art exhibition and ask local artists to contribute.

If you would have been inspired by any of these corporate event ideas and would like to find out more, then feel free to contact us for more details.

 

Jun 14, 2018
| in All articles, Corporate Events, Event Planning, Inspiration
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The 5 Best Corporate Event Examples We Could Find

When it comes to corporate events, there are so many aspects to consider. You not only have to consider the entertainment, high-quality food and superb location but you also have to make sure every aspect works together to create one fantastic event.

If you want your event to be memorable and talked about for all the right reasons, then you need to make your event unique and give it the wow factor. To help inspire you, here are some of the best corporate event examples that we could find.

Our five best corporate event examples

1. A carnival

If your corporate event will be used to celebrate an achievement or provide fun for your guests, then what better way than having all the fun of the fair? A carnival theme can allow you to go to town on theming, while still being relatively cost-effective, with a few simple stripy tents. You can have a range of carnival games such as ring toss, hook-a-duck and the coconut shy. Include tasty carnival snacks such as candyfloss and popcorn.

The benefit of this type of corporate event is that it gives you the chance to scale it for your needs, a small carnival theme could be set up at your premises while a larger event could be hosted in the grounds of an event location.

To thank the people that post reviews on Google Maps, Google hosted a carnival for their Google City Experts and it certainly impressed everyone that was lucky enough to be invited.

2. Comfortable conferences

If your next corporate event is a conference or lecture, then you can still give your event the wow factor, even if it is not considered the most exciting event of the year. Make your event exciting by holding interactive exhibits and small showcase booths to browse. You may also enlist the help of a celebrity as a speaker or performer to draw a crowd which is what Target Corporation do for their employee meetings.

Another excellent idea for your next conference is to transform the conference theatre. For example, a TEDx talk took out the uncomfortable chairs and replaced the seating with bean bags. For events where there will be long speeches, your guests will definitely appreciate feeling comfortable and relaxed. Add in some great food and drink choices, perhaps even waiting staff service for the event and you will definitely have people returning year on year.

3. Jump on the bandwagon

If there is a huge pop culture trend, do not be afraid to use it as a theme to astound your guests. Talked about TV shows, iconic movies or a particular sporting event can all be excellent themes on which to base your event. For example, American TV network HBO threw a huge corporate event for their staff celebrating one of the network’s biggest TV shows, Game of Thrones.

During HBO’s Game of Thrones inspired event, guests could seat on the famous Iron Throne and there were plenty of photo opportunities for guests to become their favourite characters and travel to the many locations without leaving the room. When choosing your theme, try to tie in food, activities and themes to make the whole event come together cohesively.

4. Make it a competition

All people love a chance to win some fantastic prizes. By transforming your corporate event into a game, you have the opportunity to attract a substantial crowd. The competition can be based on almost anything but it is essential to make it relevant to your company and your event.

For example, sports brand Puma held a cycling competition as part of one of their marketing campaigns. Guests of the event simply had to cycle on an exercise bike for two-hours to receive brand new sports equipment, clothing and trainers. For those who wanted to take the event more seriously, there was a cycling competition where participants had the chance to win $25,000.

While your competition does not have to be as big and expensive, it can be an excellent way to get people excited about your event, it can also help with your social media campaign as people size up their competition and start to challenge their colleagues.

5. Get technological

Another way you can add excitement to your next event is through using innovations that people have yet to see or experience themselves. There is a range of technological corporate event ideas and you can draw experience from other businesses. For example, Adobe celebrated creativity with a 3D selfie creator. Samsung also utilised technology when they asked people to tweet their dreams and then they transformed these messages into projected art as an interactive installation.

To improve participation at your next corporate event, consider installing an interactive graffiti wall like the Unstoppable Confidence Summit where the guests could write inspirational messages for all to see.

Got a budding corporate event idea?

If these corporate event examples have inspired you, then Payal can help to transform your idea into reality. Offering event planning as well as luxury catering, we can help to transform your next corporate event into something amazing. Let us know your next event idea and find out how we can help by getting in touch.
Mar 14, 2018
| in All articles, Corporate Events, Inspiration
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Five Reasons Why You Will Love A Corporate Event Planner

Planning events can be one of the most stressful activities you can do.

Help is at hand however. By hiring a corporate event planner, you can create an experience that is successful, powerful and hopefully unforgettable – for the right reasons. Here are five reasons that make hiring a corporate event planner a no-brainer.

Five reasons you need a corporate event planner

When it comes to corporate events, there is a tremendous amount of pressure. Whether you are launching a product, impressing customers or thanking the staff, your event has to impress. It can be hard to get the message of your event across and make everything run smoothly and on time. That’s where a corporate event planner comes in handy…

  • Transform your vision into reality

Corporate event planners are in the field because of their creative flair and passion. With just a small brief, event planners can unleash their creativity to turn a dream into the real thing. If you have a bud of an idea of what you want from an event, then a corporate event planner can transform the design.

It is important you have a clear objective in mind. With this, a corporate event planner can use their experience, connections and suppliers to create an event that is on the brief and will impress. Whether small and subtle, to large and extravagant, using the creativity of an event planner can inspire an event beyond your expectations.

  • More for your money

While you may see a corporate event planner as an added expense, they can actually save you money, allowing your event to enjoy more for the price. The reason? Corporate event planners have many contacts and suppliers in the industry. They know where they can find quality for the best possible price.

Corporate event planners have a lot of purchase power and a fantastic network of contacts and trusted suppliers. This can establish fantastic deals with suppliers which your event can benefit from.

With just one event, you will find it hard to score deals with the big vendors. However, a corporate event planner will be able to negotiate better thanks to their existing relationship or the potential to throw a lot more business their way soon.

  • Budget control

Sticking with the theme of money, a corporate event planner does not just help your event to enjoy more for its money; they can also help you to save money and remain in budget too. All too often when armed with a budget, we have a lack of control and worse, forget about an aspect until it is too late which forces us to go over budget.

A corporate event planner, on the other hand, will be equipped with the latest high-tech software for budget control as well as having experience in how best to proportion and split the budget. As well this, they will make sure there is always a little left for emergencies. Budget management tools can be costly as well as being difficult to operate. However, an event manager will be skilled in using the software and will be able to give you all of the budget information you need, without you having to worry.

An event planner will always stick to your budget and will consult with you if they are over or under budget so that you always have the overriding decision. By having an event planner looking after the budget, it can be a huge weight lifted, and a significant responsibility is taken care of.

  • Experience

Corporate event planners are armed with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. By planning hundreds of events, there won’t be many events that they have not come across, experiences not encountered or problems they have not already resolved.

Event planners have a diverse work experience, where no two days are the same, this means they are equipped with a wide range of knowledge that they can apply to each situation they encounter. From the best successes, they can share tips, while if things go wrong, they will know how to fix them.

With experience, they will know the best ways for you to achieve your objective. From surprising guests, they may recall an event that used real mannequins to come to life during the event to surprise guests. For the best canapes, they may know the perfect supplier. If you need help finding the ideal theming for your niche event, then they may know the perfect vendor to contact. They may even be able to show you pictures and videos of events who have used the idea before so you can see it being brought to life before your event takes place.

  • Reduce time and stress

Planning an event can take up a significant amount of time, and it is likely that your plate is loaded with other activities and tasks too. Event planning has a lot of complex processes and many intricate details to organise and check on. With so much to do and with trust in so many suppliers it is understandable how stressful planning an event can be.

Fortunately, by hiring an event planner, you can relax. Make the most of someone planning all of the details on your behalf and schedule a regular update to give you added peace of mind that everything is on track. By saving time in the event, you can gain time on other projects, which may prove to save money too.

Looking for a luxury event planner?

At Payal Events, we can turn a party into an unforgettable event that surpasses the wildest dreams of our clients and impresses all of the guests. We want to help to reduce the stress of your next event by taking care of every single detail for you.

Tell us about your next event, and we can help to turn your vision into a reality.

Feb 12, 2018
| in All articles, Corporate Events, Event Catering, Event Planning, Weddings

Six Corporate Event Ideas To Inspire You In 2018

As we start to plan for the essential corporate events of the year, event planners are on the lookout for the most creative corporate event ideas that will get people talking and make the event memorable. If you are tasked with planning or managing a corporate event in 2018, then read on for six of the best corporate event ideas to inspire you in 2018.

6 Ways To Put a Different Spin On Corporate Events

  1. Alternative Payment

If you are looking for a way to launch a product or service, or simply a team building event for workers and colleagues, then the alternative payment set up is a fascinating concept that offers benefits to guests and the business running the event. The alternative payment looks at trading a skill or task for the price of food on offer.

For example, if you are launching a fitness or healthy eating program, then you can offer exciting, healthy food by asking your guests to ‘pay’ for it by exercise. You can have exercise bikes and treadmills available allowing people to earn their food.

For networking or skills sharing event, people can pay for food and drinks by offering a service, completing a task. What you then build up is a talent pool as well as valuable feedback and information that can help to craft your business or product.

In fact, with alternative payment, the possibilities are endless, and it can be adapted to suit a whole range of situations.

  1. The immersive experience

To really take your corporate event ideas to the next level, consider a multi-sensory experience. Multi-sensory is an impressive delivery while being at the height of fashion as mindfulness takes hold. Multi-sensory experience can involve a plethora of content. For example, the event food can be part of a journey, inviting guests to enjoy the smell, touch, taste, sound and vision of different dishes to awaken every part of the body.

You can also use a multi-sensory experience to create a narrative. Ideal for engaging guests throughout the whole event and making every aspect of the event tie in together.

  1. Treats for sharing

With social media playing a significant part of marketing for businesses, corporate events are the perfect time to capitalise on your marketing campaign. Throughout your event, you can offer prizes, experiences and exclusive access to VIP areas just from getting the word out there about your business and event.

Offer rewards to those who share your brand on social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Sharing your organisation and event with their network will improve your exposure and show your audience that you know how to throw a party.

  1. A community event

If your brand is all about giving back and supporting the community around you, then a community event is an excellent idea to bring everyone together. It can also help to build relations which can often be strained regarding businesses in the community. For a start, a GPS treasure hunt is a great way to get people discovering the area and finding out more about the location.

Secondly, volunteering for projects can also help to give back to local charities and forge valuable ties with people in the area. It is also a fantastic way to improve your business reputation and market your brand. End the day with a celebratory meal for all involved to enhance networking and thank everyone for being a part of your community.

  1. Improve a skill

Nowadays, everyone is looking for self-improvement methods across all aspects of life. Your corporate event can help to take advantage of this by offering people the chance to learn a new skill. Depending on your brand this can vary, but popular skills could include cookery classes, dance classes, mindfulness and meditations and even 3D printing workshops.

Whatever theme works for your business, you can find a way to have a workshop or masterclass to help everyone feel the benefit of being part of your corporate event. Not only does learning a new skill means everyone gets to take home knowledge, but it can also improve brain function and give improved performance for other tasks too, so it might just benefit your business in the long run. One of the better corporate event ideas?

  1. Festivals

Festivals have been a huge trend, and it is time for your event to capitalise on the trend and create your own festival. Once you have found a suitable location, it is easy to create a festival vibe with pop-up food stalls, a stage for performers and a collection of entertainers milling around the event. It creates a really relaxed vibe and allows people to experience a festival for themselves without coping with the camping.

Depending on your budget you can really go to town with a festival theme by offering everyone branded wellies or ponchos as well as having top rate performers such as singers or comedians to give your festival a distinctive edge.

Jan 15, 2018
| in All articles, Corporate Events, Event Catering, Event Planning, Inspiration

How To Organise A Company Event In Six Easy Steps

While organising a corporate or company event can be a great way to raise your profile within the company and increase your experience in events planning. A company event can be a stressful event to plan. With a tremendous amount of money invested by a business and a level of expectation from employees, worker as well as customers and supplied, it is crucial to have an event that is both high-quality and makes a positive impact.

Follow our six easy steps to organise a company event.

Step one: define the event

One of the most common ways for an event to fail is the lack of definition from the start. Before you plan the event, its location and its content, you need to decide what the event is for and how it will work.

Whatever message you want your event to portray, from a celebration of a successful project or year or an awards ceremony or even a marketing event or project launch. The message of the event should be clear so that the whole occasion can unfold naturally. Appropriate activities and entertainment should be chosen in accordance with your theme, whether it is a relaxed, informal gathering or a black-tie event.

The best way to ensure your event is well defined it to come up with objectives of what you want the company event to achieve. Set the goals, reflect and measure them; that way you’ll make sure your event stays true to the message.

Step two: consider content

Following on from deciding the message, how are you going to get this message across during the event? Whether you choose guest speakers, demonstrations, team building activities or a meal. Consider the content that you want to include in the event and that will help you to structure the event allowing enough time and helping with important decisions such as venue, capacity, dates and start times.

For each aspect of content, ask yourself: does this add value to the event and portray the right message? If the answer is yes, then you’ll have great content that is crucial to your corporate event’s success.

Step three: start booking

One of the most challenging aspects of planning a company event is managing the many suppliers needed. Once you have decided the event, the theme and content; it is time to start sourcing the appropriate suppliers who can bring your event to life. Before you begin contacting suppliers, it is wise to have a list of essential details to hand such as;

  • Number of guests
  • Duration of the event
  • Dietary requests
  • Accessibility requirements
  • Size of space required for you and your other suppliers.

You’ll then need to ask the suppliers for crucial information such as costings, insurance and cancellation policies.

Keep a note of every phone call and email, so you have all the details available in case an aspect is missed. For some suppliers and complex events, it may be worth using a project management tool so you can update all of the suppliers at the same time and they can communicate among themselves if needed.

Step four: communication

As well as maintaining contact with suppliers and keeping everyone in the loop for updates, additions and change, you need to communicate the event to the most important people: the guests. Utilise all the networks that you have at your disposal whether that is the company intranet, social media, emails or physical invitations. Make sure to spread the word and promote the event as something that is unmissable.

It is the people that make the event, so make sure that it is well-promoted so that it attracts guest and sets a positive tone for the whole event. Remember, misleading claims will cause a negative atmosphere which can kill the ambience of your event. Be honest, clear and enthusiastic to make your event a success.

Step five: budget

For company events, unexpected situations can occur, and with these, deviations usually bring additional expense. When budgeting, make sure to have a reserve put by so that you have to finances available for unforeseen costs and to accommodate additional requirements.

Keep your budget documentation up to date at all times, so you don’t miss any aspect or supplier out of your costings. It may be worth utilising a specific software to help you keep track of all your expenses easily.

Step six: be original

A sign of a great event is a talking point or an impression you’ve left which sticks in somebody’s mind. Consider the attention to detail and try to come up with new and innovative that leaves a great impression. So many company events and conferences pass people by as they are all a similar setup.

Try and think outside of the box to come up with a new idea, focus point or an unusual approach to a standard event aspect such as the awards ceremony or catering to make your event remarkable.

Oct 11, 2017
| in All articles, Corporate Events
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