Category: Networking events

TWC uncovers the future of events at Destination Westminster showcase

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Event planners learnt what events of the future will look like at Destination Westminster on Friday 13th September, with talk of 3D holograms, mood altering lighting, ‘unconference’ techniques and social media collaboration amongst tips shared and demonstrated during The Westminster Collection’s 10th anniversary venue showcase.

Held in the ornate surrounds of The Ballroom at central London venue 8 Northumberland Avenue, the breakfast showcase event, which was free to attend, was an opportunity for event buyers and planners to spend a morning with the sales and marketing teams at 50 of central London’s most iconic venues – all of which are available to hire for meetings, conferences, parties, dinners and events.

The Unleash Your Creativity forum saw speakers including Katie McPhee, senior community manager for Eventbrite, Sam Michel, founder of Chinwag and Jez Paxman, creative strategy director for Live Union, stretch delegates’ imaginations about what a conference could deliver if you’re brave enough to invite audience collaboration before or during an event to help shape content. Social media was cited as changing the whole nature of the buying process and Katie McPhee emphasised how important promotion is in making events successful – it takes four Facebook shares to sell one event ticket, she said.

Katy Hadcroft, general manager of RSA House, run by events caterer Harbour & Jones, also showed how food can become visual theatre and underpin interactive experiences for guests, if you apply a little imagination to presentation, serving techniques and taste.

8 Northumberland Avenue’s own catering team Alchemy demonstrated exactly how that is done with a brilliant breakfast menu that included mini Full English breakfasts served on slate squares, mini egg benedict, ‘posh porridge’ in mini bowls and three varieties of flavoured milk served from the crate in mini glass milk bottles, with straws.

TWC later took guests by surprise as Tracy Halliwell, London & Partners’ director of business tourism and major events, was ‘invited’ onto stage to deliver a special message of encouragement to buyers considering London as a business destination. Guests were none-the-wiser that she had magic powers as she spoke inspiringly about TWC’s role in delivering London’s future 2020 vision for business tourism, until she exploded into a bluster of feathers before re-emerging as a chiming, twirling 3D hologram of Big Ben. She had never really been on stage at all – it was all a holographic illusion created by Musion (and filmed in advance of the event).

Destination Westminster marked 8 Northumberland Avenue’s debut of this Musion technology and a dynamic presentation then followed incorporating true-to-life musical performances, animated presenting techniques and interactive graphics led by Musion director Ian O’Connell.

Robin Parker, TWC’s marketing director, said: “This year’s showcase delivered a thought provoking experience for both our event buying guests and member venues. It was great to see several new members exhibiting for the first time this year and many venues relished the opportunity to tell events organisers about the developments they have made to their meetings and events facilities in the last 12 months. The feedback from both members and guests has been very positive.

“The aim of the Showcase has always been to sell the destination first, highlighting Westminster as an area with the whole package. It’s not just for events, but for lifestyle, culture and entertainment and we hope that our Destination Westminster guests enjoyed the opportunity to meet and network with 50 of the borough’s finest.”

For news and updates from TWC, follow @Venues_Wminster on twitter and use #DestinationWestminster to join the showcase conversation.

Unleash Your Creativity forum: The speakers

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Don’t miss incredible nuggets of creative wisdom from true experts in their fields at a special panel debate taking place at Destination Westminster, The Westminster Collection’s annual venue showcase and networking event.

At 9:00am, a specially selected panel of marketing, food, social media and live event gurus will kick off the Unleash Your Creativity forum in the Old Billiard Room. They aim to open your mind to what can be achieved when you inject imagination and resourcefulness into event planning and focus on creating new and memorable experiences.

Katie McPhee, Senior Community Manager, Eventbrite UK

Katie McPhee, EventbriteKatie joined Eventbrite from the BBC in 2011 and was the company’s first employee in Europe. She runs the UK’s social media, co-ordinates all Eventbrite events, sources partnerships and manages a growing community of event organisers in the UK. Katie also works closely with event organisers advising on social media strategy.

 

 

 

 

Jez Paxman, strategy & creative director, Live Union

Jez Paxman, Live UnionJez helped found Live Union in 2009, based on a belief that the role and potential of events within the business and internal communications landscape was rapidly shifting.

An approach anchored in understanding where the true delegate value lies for a particular audience has seen Live Union build a client base that includes EDF Energy, Oracle, AXA, TripAdvisor, Nokia and Amnesty International.

A particular passion for Jez is the merging of live and digital channels to redefine what an event can be and what it can achieve for audiences.

Jez regularly participates in industry forums, blogs on all things live and contributes to the Narrative Environments MA course at Central Saint Martins.

 

Katy Hadcroft, general manager, RSA House for Harbour & Jones

Katy Hadcroft, RSA House Katy started her career in London after four years of studying Hospitality Management at Manchester University. She quickly became the Event Manager for Searcy’s at the Royal Opera House which saw her organise many high profile and glamorous events including the BAFTA awards for over 1000 celebrities, Condé Nast flagship GQ Man of the Year Awards and Chelsea Football Club’s Centenary Dinner.

Wanting to develop her skills further, a move into outside event catering led to experiencing a career defining moment…Lewis Hamilton arriving by helicopter to Exxon Mobile’s Silverstone Grand Prix party for 650 with oysters and amazing cocktails.

Katy’s career path then entered the world of contract catering where she joined boutique and sustainable catering company Harbour and Jones as a General Manager in 2010 working at 76 Portland Place before taking a short career break to travel. She re-joined Harbour and jones in January this year firstly working on projects and then becoming the General Manager at the Royal Society of Arts.

Katy is happiest when she is putting together creative quotes for clients, organising events and sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for food.

 

Sam Michel, founder, Chinwag

Sam Michel, ChinwagSam founded Chinwag in 1996 to support the nascent digital marketing industry. The organisation has grown alongside the industry, whilst Sam has held positions as arguably the UK’s first paid webmaster for Time Out magazine, part of the founding management team of the UK’s first web agency, Webmedia and the start-up team at digital off-shoot of TV firm Carlton (now part of ITV).

He’s launched numerous events including Chinwag Psych, international startup series Digital Mission and he’s the Executive Director of Social Media Week London, part of a global collaborative event series taking place in 26 cities wordlwide. Sam is a member of the global advisory board. Consultancy clients include UK Trade & Investment, Open Data Institute, the BBC, the Technology Strategy Board and he’s an active participant in a number of start-up accelerators.

http://chinwag.com/blogs/sam-michel

http://www.toodlepip.co.uk

@toodlepip

 

Stephen Moore, founder & chairman, IP-Config.com

Stephen MooreStephen has 25 years’ experience in business, founding, financing and operating a number of companies, including IP-Config.com, a business performance consultancy specialising in innovation and growth. Stephen is also chairman of 8 Northumberland Avenue, HarvestDigital and Visual Voice. He believes that innovation is an evolutionary process for survival, differentiation and sustained business growth. An essential component of every business, the skill is running innovation effectively and making it a core cultural component of the organisation.

 

Jonathan Byrne, chief operating officer, Royal Aeronautical Society at No.4 Hamilton Place

Jonathan ByrneJonathan Byrne has a wealth of experience in the Events and Hospitality industry, culminating in his current role as Chief Operating Officer of the Royal Aeronautical Society where he is responsible for the operational functions of the learned society, including marketing its Park Lane, Mayfair, headquarters No. 4 Hamilton Place as a meeting and events venue.

Jonathan joined the Society from Westminster’s Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre where, as Commercial Director, he oversaw the planning for the Chilcot Enquiry. He worked previously with Mint Hotels in the group-wide role of General Manager – Meetings & Events, developing the hotel group’s meetings and events product. For the seven years prior to this, Jonathan was Group Sales & Marketing Director, responsible for driving the brand and leading the sales and marketing functions at a strategic level across the nine businesses of the Crown Group.

 

To register for FREE, and for more information about the timings and full programme for the showcase and panel discussion, click here.

Chocolate and Caipirinhas at etc.venues Victoria

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An evening of exotic cocktails and chocolate tasting greeted TWC members at etc.venues Victoria on 13th August, as we got together to tour the venue’s sophisticated conferencing facilities and large, landscaped garden, reports Custard Communications’ Henry Rubinstein.

I always enjoy attending Westminster Collection FAM trips. It is a marvellous opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes at some of London’s most iconic venues and also a chance for members and partners to interact in a relaxed setting. This time Pimlico based conferencing venue etc.venues Victoria hosted the event for TWC members to experience and enjoy its welcoming mix of modern facilities and warm hospitality.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the pleasing sound of ice chinking in a cocktail shaker as etc.venues Victoria’s accomplished mixologist prepared Caipirinhas, a refreshing post-work quencher, very welcome on a balmy summer’s evening. These were accompanied by a delicious selection of cold canapés including: tarragon chicken terrine crostini, salami wrapped cream cheese on pumpernickel and goat’s cheese and sundried tomato tartlets.

The evening culminated in a chocolate tasting which pitted venue against venue in a fun challenge to win a bottle of Prosecco.

Having tasted all five chocolate flavours and submitting my answers, I thought I had done really well, only to be disappointed when, what I thought had been orange flavoured chocolate turned out to be apple crumble – obviously my taste buds need some training! There were definitely some keener palettes than my own with Philippa Shanahan, UK Sales Manager at CAT Publications, achieving the highest score.

Throughout the evening we were superbly looked after by sales manager Claire Bowman and her team, who put a great deal of thought and effort into keeping us all entertained. It was a really enjoyable event and I thank them for their hospitality. Click here to discover more about etc.venues Victoria.

RCS open afternoon sees 150 intrigued event profs marvel at medical memorabilia

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An open afternoon at The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) saw 150 event professionals discover the wonders of this major medical institution this week, where 15 characterful rooms each boast their suitability for a range of corporate and private events.

Champagne and nibbles by catering partner Ampersand greeted guests as they arrived to the Surgeon’s Library – the only part of the building to have survived the WW2 bombings – before a guided venue tour led them to the weird and wonderful medical samples and equipment on display within the stunning Hunterian Museum, on to the state-of-the-art lecture theatres and through to the large Edward Lumley Hall, which has capacity for 350 banqueting style.

RCS homemade lemonade

Concluding in The Webb Johnson Hall with a Holborn High Tea and dishes including watermelon and duck salad, and fillet of Herefordshire beef with fondant potato, cauliflower and elderflower puree, guests then networked over homemade lemonade, cocktails and exquisite wine. Guests departed with goody bags bursting with treats, including quirky personalised hand sanitizer true to the venue’s medical roots, homemade lemonade plus a cluster of exclusive offers.

If you would like to arrange a visit to view The Royal College of Surgeon’s event spaces, please contact Emma Hayes on 020 7869 6745 or email [email protected].

Register now: Destination Westminster

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The Westminster Collection (TWC) is pleased to welcome anyone in the business of booking corporate and private events, meetings and conferences to register now for Destination Westminster, its 10th anniversary London venue showcase. The event takes place on Friday 13th September 2013 at London’s most central venue, 8 Northumberland Avenue, from 8.30am – 11.30am.

The breakfast showcase event, which is free to attend, is an opportunity for event buyers and planners to spend a morning with the sales and marketing teams at 50 of central London’s most iconic venues. The Westminster Collection is renowned for its eclectic portfolio of member venues, which encompass everything from historic institutes and societies, colleges, museums and private members clubs, to luxury hotels, concert halls, modern training venues, churches and Thames river boats.

New for 2013 is an Unleash Your Creativity forum, designed to inspire new and innovative ways of creating cost-effective events. It will feature a panel of renowned creative talents from venues, suppliers, agencies and production. Details of the panellists can be found here.

Host venue 8 Northumberland Avenue will also take the opportunity to showcase its prowess as the first venue in the UK to offer clients a permanent high definition holographic projection system within its stunning Ballroom, with a presentation by Musion, the world leaders in holographic projection technology and telepresence.

Speaking of the TWC showcase, marketing director Robin Parker said: “It is 10 years since The Westminster Collection formed to create a community of like-minded venues that believed in championing Westminster as a top-class destination for business and events. In this time we’ve grown and gained prominence as a reliable venue sourcing service for event organisers and as a credible marketing platform for venues.

“Our annual showcase has always been a popular date in the calendar and with new features like the creativity workshop, a host of venues eager to introduce you to investments and brand new services, plus eight new member venues to discover since our last showcase, we hope that guests will make the most of this opportunity to explore, learn, socialise and better understand what’s on offer in Westminster. It really is the go-to destination for events, lifestyle, culture and entertainment.”

Registration is open now at http://destination-westminster.eventbrite.co.uk/. This is a free business event especially for professionals responsible for sourcing venues and planning events and as such, TWC does reserve the right to limit or refuse registrations.

If you wish to stay in London the night before Destination Westminster 2013, a number of TWC hotels are happy to offer promotional rates to event guests on Thursday 12th September and over that weekend. Click here for details.

Related news

– Creative gurus accept challenge to Unleash Your Creativity at TWC showcase

– Unleash Your Creativity forum: The speakers

WW2 sea battle exhibition now open on HQS Wellington

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This summer, HQS Wellington invites event organisers to take a break from sweltering site visits and instead climb aboard the last surviving example of a Second World War escort ship in Britain, to learn about one of the most important sea battles of this time.

The ‘Convoy: The Battle of The Atlantic’ exhibition marks 70 years since the Battle of The Atlantic reached its climax and it is a fascinating, poignant reminder of HQS Wellington’s role in the struggle. The exhibition is open to the public from 11:00 – 17:00 on Sundays and Mondays until 16th December 2013 and admission is free.

Moored at Temple tube station, The HQS Wellington’s extensive deck area is the perfect outdoor venue for all your event needs, from its sunny Quarterdeck, to the stunning Court Room, it is a perfect setting for events up to 220 guests. Event organisers are also invited to enquire about bookings and availabilities on their visit to the exhibition, and a dedicated on-board events coordinator will be happy to conduct tours of the venue and demonstrate the unique facilities of the Ship.

For more information about HQS Wellington please contact the venue and events team on [email protected] or by phone on 0207 240 9888.

Champagne Gosset & scallop canapés prove hits at St Martin’s wine tasting

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Westminster-based venue managers and event coordinators swirled, sniffed and slurped through a line-up of seven quality wines at an enjoyable tasting evening with on- and off-trade supplier McKinley Vintners earlier this week (Weds 19th June), at Trafalgar Square church, café and events venue St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Hosted by Louise du Bosky, marketing and brand manager for McKinley Vintners, guests, who were all from venues within The Westminster Collection (TWC), tasted varieties including Domaine Clavel Régulus rouge 2010, Côtes du Rhône, Château La Mascaronne “Quat’Saisons” rosé 2010, Côtes de Provence and Ca ‘Ongaresca Spumante Rosé Brut within the beautiful oak-panelled surrounds of St Martin’s Hall.

The star of the show was the Champagne Gosset Brut Excellence NV, combining Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne, established in 1584.

Intense, elegant and warm on the nose, with very fresh floral notes of honeysuckle, wisteria, white jasmine and vine blossom, this Champagne rapidly gives way to mature, fruity aromas, from delicately perfumed, melt-in-the-mouth garden pears to the sweet, more identifiable perfumes of exotic fruits like pineapple, guava and mango. Swirling releases subtle hints of butter and caramel, followed by a warm fragrance of gingerbread and cinnamon.

On the palate it has an earthy taste with the subtle fragrance of cinnamon, cardamom and green pepper. Its finish is smooth, with delicious flavours of candied fruit, cinnamon cake and liquorice, making it an ideal accompaniment to saltwater fish, poultry, duck or rabbit.

Canapes by head chef Adam at SMITFSt Martin-in-the-Fields’ in-house head chef Adam Ismael and team excited with carefully crafted canapés, including mini chargrilled venison burgers served in a mini brioche bun with crispy pancetta and blue cheese, seared scallop served on crispy potato cake topped with pickled quail egg and chive hollandaise, and warm smoked salmon profiteroles glazed with paprika parmesan.

Guests were later taken on a tour of the rooms available for hire for weddings, private events, meetings, conferences and dinners at St Martin-in-the-Fields. The intimate, vaulted ceiling and exposed brick Gallery space looked stunning adorned with the vibrant works of artist Mark Weighton’s The One and the Many exhibition, while The Crypt was busy with jazz fans awaiting the sca and Latin funk sounds of 9-piece band Maroon Town.

This weekend, St Martin’s will see its brand new Café in the Courtyard crane-lifted into position in the open terrace directly behind the church. Its grand opening will take place on Monday 24th June, at 10am, when lunch will be available from 11.30am-2pm. In the evening the Café in the Courtyard will be the perfect place to relax with friends over a glass of wine and a meal and to watch the world go by.

Find out more about holding an event at St Martin-in-the-Fields here.

The Westminster Collection brings together the finest meetings, conference and events venues in the City of Westminster, a large area of Zone 1 central London which encompasses major landmarks, world famous shopping streets, beautiful parks and an assortment of restaurants, attractions and entertainment.

Through our free online venue enquiry service, events and marketing communications programme, TWC aims to promote the benefits of doing business in Westminster and be a trusted enquiry mechanism for event organisers, event agencies, corporate and association buyers.