Author: engineroom

116 Pall Mall opens it’s doors for Valentine’s Weekend

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116 Pall Mall opens it’s doors for Valentine’s Weekend

116 Pall Mall and Searcys are pulling out all the stops this Valentine’s Day by opening up for a special three-course Valentine’s dinner, and a Rosé Champagne afternoon tea, with four dates for you to choose from across the weekend. Enjoy the romantic setting of 116 Pall Mall, with their glittering chandeliers as your backdrop, stunning views of Central London and plenty of rosé bubbles flowing to get you feeling loved up.

Valentine’s Dinner: 11 & 14 February | From 6.30pm

Make this Valentine’s Day one to remember, with a glass of Ruinart Brut Rosé Champagne and oysters on arrival, followed by a candle-lit three-course menu in their beautiful Morning Room. Enjoy the views of the glittering 15ft chandelier hanging above the grand staircase as you head down for a post-dinner cocktail in their secret-cellar Champagne Bar.

£75 per person

Valentine’s Afternoon Tea: 12 & 13 February | 2pm – 3.30pm

Treat your loved one to a special Rosé Champagne afternoon tea at 116 Pall Mall. Indulge in a selection of love-themed sweet and savoury treats accompanied by Rosé Champagne in the beautiful surrounds of 116 Pall Mall.

£35 per person | £49 with a glass of champagne

Still need to make Valentine’s plans? Click here to book your romantic treat today!

Broadway House adds new Virtual Tour

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Broadway House in Westminster have launched a fabulous new virtual tour to make it even easier for you to look round their venue.

The technology allows you to look at all of their rooms, in multiple layouts, through the click of a button. Also, using the ‘doll’s house’ view, you can see the location of your conference room in relation to your breakout rooms and catering spaces.

It looks great, it makes your life easier and, because you don’t need to visit the property lots of times in the run up to your event, saves you time.

Do have a look and let us know what you think.

Broadway House | Central London, Westminster Venue Hire | Make UK Venues (makevenues.co.uk)

Behind the Scenes at the QEII with Stuart Drummond

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The QEII Centre pride themselves on the quality of the event experience and at the heart of that is their experienced, knowledgeable and friendly staff.  They have been kind enough to share their insight and experience on what makes a great Event Manager.

Stuart Drummond has worked at the QEII Centre for 27 years and his role is to work closely with the client once the contract has been approved, right through to the event day itself as well as any post event follow up that is required.

“My job is to successfully manage the event and build strong relationships both with the client and internal teams to achieve this.  My main priority is to ensure all logistics are in place and that the event runs smoothly on the day. It is essential that I build good relationships with clients and get to know them and how they like their events to run, especially as I run many events for repeat clients.”

Stuart believes that one of the great strengths of the Centre is that everything is about the client and ensuring the success of their event.  Staff are a vital part of this from the warm welcome at the reception and security team through to the client care provided by the AV, Catering, Event Management and Sales teams. Professionalism, knowledge and friendliness shines through.

Stuart says “the buzz of the job comes from helping the client to deliver a successful event and achieve their objectives. There is nothing more satisfying than having a client come up to you at the end of the event and thanking you for helping to make it possible.”

And what does an Event Manager do to relax when not looking after customers?  Stuart says “developing my cooking repertoire and trying out new recipes, as I really enjoy it!” Perhaps you can ask him about his favourites when you next visit the QEII Centre.

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Church House Christmas Jumper Fundraising Campaign in aid of The Trussell Trust

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Church House brand-new 2021 Christmas Jumper Fundraising Campaign is in aid of The Trussell Trust.

Last year, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network gave out more than 2.5 million emergency food parcels to people in crisis – and almost a million of these were provided for children. This Christmas, families across the UK will be facing impossible decisions because they’re living in poverty. Food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network face giving out over 7,000 food parcels a day this December. Foodbank use is rising year on year, with need now 128% higher compared to the same time five years ago.

Your donations will be doubled!

Thanks to a generous match-funding offer, all donations will be doubled, at no cost to you. This means that your donations will go even further in helping people face impossible decisions this year.

Together we can end the need for foodbanks. Please give generously. Thank you so much!

How can you help?

Christmas is the season for giving and this year we’re asking all of you to embrace the Christmas spirit whilst raising money for good.

  1. Visit our Christmas Jumper Fundraising Campaign.
  2. Create your own fundraising page, ready to share with colleagues.
  3. Don your Christmas Jumper, take a selfie and upload to your page.
  4. Share your page and invite your colleagues to raise as much money as you can until Christmas Eve.
  5. Stay on top of the leaderboard to win the competition*.

*Competition prize

The team that raises the most money will win a sustainable luxe hamper for their office to be delivered in January 2022.

Frequently asked questions:

  • How can I get involved?

Simply click ‘Sign Up’ to create your page so people can donate and bring out your jazziest jumper this December! Or, if you prefer no selfies, click on ‘Give Now’ to donate only.

  • Can I take part as a team?

Absolutely! Click the ‘Sign Up’ button at the top of the page and you can then choose to create a team or join a team. You also have the option to join as an individual if you don’t want to be part of a team.

  • How do I share my page?

Head to your fundraising page and copy the URL, you can then share this on all of your social networks and on email. If you have a team page, friends will be able to click the ‘Join team’ button to help you on your mission!

Church House Westminster – Christmas Jumper Day campaign (give-star.com)

QEII thanks donors for coats for London’s vulnerable

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The QEII Centre is thanking its visitors, staff and passers-by for their generous donations of coats for the capital’s most vulnerable residents.

London’s leading conference and events venue partnered once again with charity HandsOn London to serve as a coat collection point for its WrapUp London campaign.

The campaign, now in its eleventh year, asked for unwanted or unused coats to be dropped at selected points around the capital during a two-week period in November. Coats are sorted before being distributed to charities that support the vulnerable in London, including the homeless, the elderly and refugees.

This year, in its third year of supporting the campaign, QEII collected an estimated 325 coats, taking the total number of coats it has amassed for the charity to 3,825.

Diane Waldron, director of sales and marketing at QEII, said: “HandsOn London is a fantastic organisation which, through its annual WrapUp London campaign, aims to get a warm coat to every individual who needs one. The QEII Centre proudly served as a collection point once again and we are very grateful to every person who donated a coat and supported the appeal.”

Jon Meech, chief executive, HandsOn London, said: “Collections as held by the QEII Centre are the heart and soul of Wrap Up London. These local collections have enabled people to donate their spare coat easily and locally to where they live and work. We would like to thank everyone at the QEII Centre for their time and enthusiasm and to everyone who donated a coat to their collection. You have helped hundreds of local people stay warm this winter. Thank you.”

Aiming for a perfect Christmas – essential tips for Christmas tree dressing

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Church House Westminster with Elizabeth Marsh Floral Design share some essential tips for Christmas tree dressing

Last week Elizabeth Marsh Floral Design was delighted to bring their special touch to Church House’s historic Westminster venue interiors. As they set to enhance and embody the venue’s space by dressing fragrant fir trees and adorning garlands, they thought of some essential trips for tree dressing to share with all.

You can read all about their top tips or tune in for their tree-dressing tips and tricks on Instagram.

Find out more

Creative Christmas returns to RIBA at 66 Portland Place with ‘Build Your Own’ celebrations

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With the Christmas party season paused last year due to the pandemic, 2021 is set to see festive celebrations return bigger and better than ever before! Countless ideas and plans had to be put on hold, including ours, so this year we’re once again giving you the opportunity to build your perfect party package by selecting the individual elements that match your taste, budget and requirements.

In anticipation of the return of Christmas parties this year, we’ve re-launched our ‘Build Your Own’ experience – a subtle nod to our architectural roots – starting from £60 + VAT per person. This package is flexible with multiple F&B options at different price points, that can be selected as a standalone package or in conjunction with another to suit budget and preference. If we can ease the burden of organising Covid-secure F&B, it gives you more time to be creative with theming and entertainment.

We have three architecturally stunning spaces for Christmas parties at 66 Portland Place – the Florence Hall, RIBA Gallery or Aston Webb Room, or the option to combine rooms if you are going all out for a big celebration to make up for the lack of Christmas party last year! As the venue’s principal entertaining space, the Florence Hall features stunning floor to ceiling windows, which fills the room with an abundance of light, glass doors and carved pillars to provide a chic, mid-century backdrop. The expansive space can accommodate all manner of set-ups, from round tables, casual seating, or the inclusion of a dancefloor, and opens onto a leafy roof terrace.

Available to hire on its own or in conjunction with the Florence Hall, the RIBA Gallery features etched floor to ceiling windows and Art Deco detailing, as well as access to the adjacent landing, a triple height atrium space arranged around a grand sweeping staircase. For more intimate Christmas dinners or lunches, the Aston Webb room, which is located on the second floor, is steeped in history and features large windows which fill the room with light and allow for a grand view of the tree-lined Portland Place.

Our festive menus by CH&Co feature a range of flavoursome dishes, made using fresh, seasonal ingredients – from classic roast turkey to exciting alternatives like wild boar or artichoke velouté, followed by decadent chocolate ganache.

Whether you want a bespoke celebration planned down to the smallest detail, or a smooth solution for your office Christmas party, we work with you to come up with the perfect event package – and your event manager will be there on the day to ensure everything runs smoothly.

RIBA 3509 RIBA L 2722 Rosie Charlie 82

Westminster Venue Collection partners with Paje Consultancy

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Westminster Venue Collection are delighted to announce they have awarded the contract to provide Westminster Venue Collection with a full marketing, membership and enquiry service to Paje Consultancy Ltd from 1st November 2021.

WVC offers over twenty high quality venues in the Westminster region of Central London, and the Paje team are delighted to be working with this organisation to assist them in their exciting journey back to pre-pandemic business levels.

The WVC portfolio encompasses fashionable townhouses and private members clubs to luxury hotels, celebrated attractions, historic institutes and leading society venues.  This carefully selected venue collection combines both modern and traditional exhibition spaces, museums, auditoria, conference rooms and banqueting halls to offer the finest world-class facilities all based in London’s iconic City of Westminster.

Rachel Azzopardi, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Westminster Venue Collection says “We are delighted to be working with Mandy Jennings and the experienced team at Paje Consultancy.  The Board and I believe with their excellent track record in sales and marketing, plus success in managing hospitality industry consortia they will take our London collection of venues to new heights and really help support our venues coming out of the pandemic”

Mandy Jennings, CEO and Founder of Paje comments “Building on our strengths and the experienced team we already have in place; this is an ideal opportunity for progression.  We look forward to working with all of the exciting and innovative WVC venues over the coming months and developing a strong business model as meetings and events business continues to bounce back.”

This latest appointment provides Paje Consultancy Ltd with a fantastic opportunity to use their experience gained from successfully representing other leading UK consortia.   Mandy Jennings and the team have been partners of Venues of Excellence since 2016 winning the “CHS UK Best Representation Award in 2020” and during the pandemic Mandy made the decision to purchase the organisation to assure its longevity.  Paje Consultancy also provide a dedicated sales and marketing team for the acclaimed Academic Venue Solutions association.  Paje Consultancy formed in 2010 and have worked on over one hundred independent consultancy projects for hotels and venues during this time, plus they operate a first class Learning & Development academy providing online and classroom training for the hospitality industry.

ENDS

For more information contact:

Mandy Jennings MIH, CEO Paje Consultancy Ltd & CEO Venues of Excellence

Email:  [email protected]

Mobile: 07776 307167

WVC Website:  www.venues-london.co.uk

Paje Consultancy Website: www.paje-uk.com

Central Hall Westminster joins Toilet Twinning charity’s 10th Birthday celebrations

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Central London conference and events centre, Central Hall Westminster, is joining forces with Toilet Twinning for the charity’s 10th Birthday celebrations on World Toilet Day, Friday 19th November.

Since becoming a ‘loominary’ just over five years ago for the charity, which helps provide water and sanitation to some of the world’s poorest families, Central Hall Westminster has become a major sponsor, raising a grand total of £55,000.

As a partner for the event, Central Hall Westminster’s Managing Director, Paul Southern, will speak at a special online birthday party to mark ten years of Toilet Twinning at 7.30pm on Friday 19th November. The free evening event will be hosted by Toilet Twinning CEO Lorraine Kingsley and its Country Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hebdavi Muhindo. It will also feature some more famous faces, including comic Paul Kerensa and TV presenter and anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota, share stories about Toilet Twinning’s impact over the past decade and some of the innovative ways supporters have raised money, along with an inevitable dash of toilet humour.

Central Hall Westminster adopted the charity in June 2016 in partnership with Methodist Central Hall Westminster. Central Hall Westminster Ltd was originally set up to provide funds to maintain its iconic and architecturally significant Grade II* Listed building and provide income to support the local church mission and ministry, as well as donate to many UK and international charities including Toilet Twinning.

As well as ‘twinning’ its own toilets to provide latrines for families overseas, the venue invites visitors and event professionals to donate their loose change to help the poorest communities gain access to clean water, a proper latrine and receive hygiene training.

Paul Southern, Managing Director of Central Hall Westminster, comments: “As an events venue which exists to provide money for the upkeep of our historic building and for charitable works around the world, we are delighted to have joined with Toilet Twinning to celebrate their 10th anniversary. We would like to thank each and every one of the event professionals and visitors who have donated to this worthy cause and helped us reach £55,000 in five years. Over this time, we have learnt about the crucial difference toilets make to people’s health and well-being. Sadly, 1.7 billion people globally still don’t have a safe, clean toilet at home. We are hugely impressed with the work Toilet Twinning has done over the last ten years to address this.”

Toilet Twinning CEO Lorraine Kingsley adds: “On World Toilet Day, we are so excited to be celebrating all we’ve achieved over the past decade to flush away poverty and delighted that Central Hall Westminster is joining us for the online party. Central Hall Westminster has been a ‘loominary’ for over five years and we are very grateful for the fantastic support they and their visitors have shown us: £55,000 is an incredible amount to have raised.”

Book your place at the Toilet Twinning’s World Toilet Day online party, in partnership with Central Hall Westminster, on Friday 19th November here: https://www.toilettwinning.org/world-toilet-day-party/

Enjoy a Champagne Lanson Dinner at 116 Pall Mall

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Enjoy a Champagne Lanson Dinner at 116 Pall Mall.

Whether it’s your preferred regular tipple or something you save for special occasions, drinking Champagne has long been synonymous with style. To celebrate World Champagne Day on 22 October, 116 Pall Mall are inviting you to join them for a guided four-course Champagne Lanson Dinner in the Champagne Bar.

Book a table