Category: News

Rewind back to one year ago and who thought Covid-19 would have such a massive impact and for so long? We certainly weren’t expecting it.

The phrase “we expect to go back to normal” keeps shifting by a few months at a time, first it was October, then January, then Easter and now we are looking at June. Only this time, we have a good reason to believe things will finally start settling down – vaccine! So as long as folks in pharma industry can produce and distribute the long-awaited vaccines in timely manner, then we’re on track to resume where we left off.

We are almost certain that eventually conferences will go back to their full glory with packed conference rooms and buzzing networking suites, but how will it look in the nearer future?

Our predictions:
Hybrid conferences and events are here to stay. Even before Covid situation we’ve been noticing a rise in web streaming requests and AV facilities for remote speakers. Now with virtual systems booming and improving by the day, hybrid and virtual is here to stay. Technology is moving forward and we expect the trend to become a part of our normal conference routine.

Catering will carry on being served individually portioned, but we don’t expect this concept to last for very long. Once the nation is immunised and the virus is under control, we would expect the buffet style dining to make a return to conferences with a bang. In the meantime, we’ll stick to bento boxes, salad bowls and hot pots.

Social distancing will remain for a little bit even when restrictions are lifted. It may not be full distance as per government guidelines, but even the most social people in the world will need a transition period till we feel completely comfortable being within close proximity to other people. In result we’ll run lower capacities, possibly overflow rooms, spaced out networking areas and adjusted registration processes.

We have to remember this is only temporary and the world along with events industry and conference venues will bounce back, no doubt. But for now we can only hope and keep updating our COVID 19 Policies.

Manoeuvring our way around the unfathomable challenges of COVID-19 has been a real test for the whole industry, and as an events team, Regent’s has learnt more than ever the role that communication plays in success.

Regent’s Conferences & Events has been fortunate enough to continue trading safely for the majority of the pandemic due to its status as part of a University, given that a lot of our clients have been running training and educational programmes. We have had regular clients, where permitted, since August last year up to the present lockdown.

Aside from the stringent implementation of safety measures and thorough risk assessments both internally and for clients, the real winning formula has been the communication and perseverance of our staff.

Client liaison
All clients, regardless of event type or size, have undergone a thorough briefing before arriving on site so they are aware of their responsibilities around campus. This typically includes temperature checking delegates at reception and contactless registration, social distancing measures both within rooms and around the building, and group segregation within public areas such as cafes and eating spaces. Communicating our status as a Meetings Industry Association AIM Secure and a Visit Britain ‘We’re Good to Go’ accredited secure venue has gone a long way to reassure clients of our efforts to ensure safety.

Most importantly, the team has helped clients with risk assessments, method statements and keeping clear lines of communication open to reassure them and their delegates that conditions are safe. They have attended campus whenever there are delegates on site and for every potential show-round and managed to get through the period without a single case of COVID on campus.

The London School of Sports Massage has been hiring classrooms at Regent’s for over 25 years. Following a recent event, they said: “Their administration team have always given us a great service and it is a pleasure to work with them. In particular, their efforts to help us run our classes again after the Covid lockdown, and the health and safety protocols they put in place for us, were fantastic and we cannot thank them enough.”

Internal team communication
Communication within our small team has also been more important than ever as we’ve had to navigate new timetables, rotas accounting for furlough and limited staff on campus at any given time. Regular team meetings and the constant use of our team WhatsApp group has enabled everybody to be clear on shared responsibilities, maintain an awareness of client updates and crucially, to check in on each other and provide support through an incredibly turbulent time.

On the effect of the pandemic, our events coordinator Esta Verzoviti said: “My appreciation for being part of a small team grew tremendously during this past year. The uncertainty brought us closer together and we supported each other both professionally and personally.”

Cross-campus communication
The necessity to maintain communication across departments has grown significantly to share insights about the constantly changing regulations for education and its impact on the hospitality side of the business, and vice versa. As such a vast establishment across our 11-acre site, we have had to increase the frequency of meetings and increase the number of departments that we communicate with, to ensure that any other activities planned by the University as a whole have been taken into account. We had assumed some of the responsibilities of other departments required at weekends to minimise the amount of people having to come onto campus. We had also devised and implemented a more effective system of recording delegates visiting campus for our facilities department for track and trace, which was then extended to all visitors to campus.

Having held an introductory experience and CPD event with us recently, Bi-Aura International said: “It was very clear to us upon our arrival that the venue had everything in place to stay as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic: staff wore masks, the hallways were clearly marked with one-way systems and the meeting room layout made complying with social distancing very easy. The Catering Assistant helping us with refreshments was professional and very friendly, and we were pleasantly surprised by the offer of free delicious biscuits on arrival!

“We return time after time as the whole team does their utmost to ensure that we all enjoy the experience and would like to thank the whole Regent’s University Conferencing Team for their support with event planning during these ever-changing times.”

Another client commented: “Rafael and his team in events have made my events feel Covid safe with one-way systems, separate tables for lunch and lots of extra support if needed. I am thankful it has allowed my training with the London School of Reflexology to happen in a socially distanced and safe way and the feedback has been fantastic with everyone relieved to be able to resume their courses so thank you”.

If you’re looking to book ahead for your next training course, discuss with the team how we might be able to help.

Make Venues has announced the appointment of Paul Martins to its senior management team for Broadway House. Paul will join as New Business Development Manager, underlining the company’s commitment to investment in staff and infrastructure in 2021.

Paul joins the business from Cavendish Venues, but will also be recognisable from his terms with The Westminster Venue Collection and the London City Collection, where he served on the boards of both organisations and as Chair for the latter. Paul also served as a council member of the Meetings Industry Association and brings with him over 15 years of experience in the meetings and events industry specialising in both the London meetings market, but also in working with financial, insurance and legal institutions, ideally suited to the Make Venues group of venues.

“We took the decision very early on that we needed to be proactive with our business and invest in the two things our customers most associate with us; great people and great facilities. Paul’s appointment is an early example of this intent,” commented David Vaughton, Managing Director, Make Venues. “This is about looking at the bigger picture, and confidently planning for the demand of our clients as we move through the year.”

“We have a very personal mission to use our growth to give people back careers and allow talent to be realised within our business, as well as the wider meetings industry,” continues David. “We’re looking forward to announcing more people coming into our business in the future, more investment in our venues, and a new way of working in a more prosperous industry.”

“I’ve known Make Venues for a long time, both within London and across the UK. I’ve seen them pick up customer service awards on a regular basis, so it’s been hard to ignore their quality as a group,” comments Paul. “2021 is a massive year for our industry and it’s great to be joining a business with the vision and perspective to be investing now, while things are tough, so we can continue to offer our customers the award-winning products and people they associate with this brand.”

Feeling inspired by Netflix’s latest hit? You’re not the only one! The first lockdown took us to the zoo with the Tiger King, the second to Buckingham Palace for the latest series of The Crown and the third has whisked us down the Mall to Regency London, through the stories, characters and costumes of Netflix’s Bridgerton. We’ve all been inspired to add a bit of Bridgerton bling to our everyday lives and what better excuse to go over-the-top than your wedding? The team at 116 take a look at how can you bring a touch of Bridgerton’s grandeur and elegance to your big day…

BRINGING THE BRIDGERTON SET TO LIFE
Sitting just a mile from Grosvenor Square, the London home of the Bridgerton and Featherington families in the series, 116 Pall Mall is also a short walk – or horse and carriage ride, if we’re staying on theme – from Buckingham Palace, adding yet another touch of regality to your special day. Within close distance to major stations and central London hotels, you and your guests won’t need to travel far to continue your revelry after the ceremony.

REGENCY ROMANCE AT 116 PALL MALL
Built at the end of the Regency era in 1826, the beautiful 116 Pall Mall was designed by celebrated architect John Nash – who did such a wonderful job we even named a ballroom after him! Also responsible for the designs of Brighton Pavilion and Marble Arch, Nash brought authentic Bridgerton glamour and romance to the building at 116 Pall Mall, with sweeping staircases, elaborate balconies and chandeliers – the most spectacular of which hangs above our grand staircase, a 15ft original Regency fitting that on your wedding day is reduced to being the second most beautiful thing in the building

A HELPING HAND FROM A PALACE PROFESSIONAL
We think our whole team deserve a crown, but Martin Dibben, General Manager for Benugo here at 116 Pall Mall, has got closer than any of us to making that a reality. Martin began his career working for the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace, ensuring every knife, fork and glass was in the right place and all manners, uniforms and attitudes were tip-top. His experience is in such demand that he is often found on the set of film and tv productions, providing accurate etiquette guidance to the actors and crew. So not only will your wedding be held in an authentic Regency setting, you’ll have genuine Royal guidance for your ceremony and dining!

DINING FIT FOR A DUKE
From intimate breakfast settings to a banquet fit for the Duke of Hastings, our dining packages can be customised to the size, tastes and dietary requirements of your party – no matter how grand or royal! So whether you’re looking to add a touch of Regency elegance to your celebration through our beautiful art, architecture and fittings, or dream of hosting your own high society ball complete with music, flowers and historical fashion, our dedicated team are on hand to arrange a wedding fit for the big screen.

Read the full article here and find out how to create your own Bridgerton inspired wedding >>

London’s multi-purpose event venue, Church House Westminster, now offers film, media and TV production organisers fibre connectivity to deliver outside broadcasts to anyone, anywhere in the world.

The new TV Outside Broadcast venue service is provided by BT, one of the largest TV broadcast (TVOB) providers in the UK, with more than 60 years’ experience, providing the latest technology, infrastructure and capability.  BT’s packages offer a large choice of solutions in terms of the very best in broadcast quality and resilience. By delivering multiple HD visions across BT’s high capacity contribution network, clients are able to shift to remote production. BT’s HEVC over satellite solution allows broadcast in UHD from more places than ever before. BT also offers best-in-class security with its BISS-CA encryption technology

The TV outside broadcast service offers a convenient range of options at the historic venue, Church House Westminster:

• Virtual and hybrid broadcast event studio hire in London
• Live outside broadcast venue hire in London

The Covid-secure venue’s in-house audio-visual and production team manages a range of state of the art, broadcast media quality, hardware and software, including lighting and cameras and other technical equipment available for hire if required, as well as stable resilient broadband connectivity. In addition to relying on expert in-house technical support, the venue’s award-winning operational teams are on-hand to assist with any other event requirements including on-site catering.

The Grade II listed building, that hosted the Houses of Parliament for parts of WWII, not only boasts 19 versatile film and TV broadcast studios for hire but also a little-known rooftop with stunning views of Westminster – ideal for piece-to-camera filming and one-on-one interviews.

The easily accessible venue is located in the heart of London, within easy walking distance of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster station.

For more information, contact the team on 020 7390 1590.

In a pivotal year for the events industry, event organisers, venues and delegates have become even more reliant on technology to stay connected. Globally, we’ve all had to adapt to a virtual world, finding new ways of working, learning and communicating.

Technology innovation, and its rapid evolution, is nothing new, yet the Covid-19 pandemic has no doubt seen a surge in the use of certain software and platforms in order to adjust to the ‘new normal’ and keeping moving forward.

IET London: Savoy Place‘s Sean Spencer has put together some of the top industry tech trends to watch out for in 2021.

The resurgence of QR and digital health
While QR codes and Bluetooth connectivity have been around for some time, their use, especially in UK hospitality, has definitely seen an increase and is likely to continue to do so into 2021. Outside of various stages of lockdown, hospitality venues have been using QR codes for contactless menus.

The NHS Covid-19 app has also become a requirement for customers to check into when visiting public venues. Along with the test and trace app, facial mapping and thermal imaging scanners are a must for monitoring the health and wellbeing of delegates and visitors to venues. There’s scope for the introduction of a COVID passport, vaccine certificate or similar new initiative from the Government to determine ‘safe’ travellers and delegates.

Wearable technologies, fitness and health trackers are also continually on the rise. With many industries affected by restrictions and closures, companies are having to switch the narrative to the pros of smart exercise devices and digital workouts at home. For event planners notoriously known for their high step count during busy event periods and frequent show-rounds at larger venues, it’s a great way to track the natural exercise being undertaken during work.

Touchless tech
Remaining as ‘contactless’ as possible will no doubt be a goal for 2021, as it has been when the pandemic first struck.

From voice recognition in meeting rooms (used for controlling blinds, screens, lights etc), to sensors, facial recognition, Bluetooth access control and even contactless banking, the presence of touchless technology will be an important standard for all industries alike.

Hybrid events
With virtual elements becoming a necessary part of an event programme, hybrid events allow for a perfect blend of an in-person venue and high-quality professional event technology and AV.

As hybrid events become more prevalent, venues will need to ensure they’ve got the latest upgrades in internal IT networks, particularly increased bandwidth if streaming multiple events and handling large amounts of data is the ambition for now and in the future. Also, having good third-party suppliers or an in-house team, upskilled in all elements of hybrid events, will be key to future successes.

Central Hall Westminster has achieved the ECOsmart Gold Venue Award for its exemplary green credentials introduced over the last five years.

The unrivalled accreditation programme is run by Greengage Solutions, which recognises and supports eco-friendly hotels and conference venues throughout the country that meet certified standards of sustainability. Central Hall Westminster is one of only six venues in London to have achieved the Gold level award.

The industry standard accreditation is awarded to hotels and venues which meet five key areas for sustainability including; energy and water conservation; waste management and recycling; rooms and facilities; food & beverage; and corporate and social responsibility.

Central Hall Westminster achieved the coveted Gold Award for its ‘extensive measures taken to fully embrace environmental sustainability’. Over the last five years, these have included:

• Installing specially adapted taps to reduce water wastage
• Being the first venue in the country to partner with Green Tourism to launch a carbon calculator to help organisers calculate their carbon footprint and offset it via a tree-planting programme
• In conjunction with on-site catering partner, Green & Fortune, ensuring sustainable catering practises including avoiding unnecessary waste, using seasonal local produce where possible, minimising the use of packaging and bottling its own water on site
• Ensuring zero waste goes to landfill
• Installing ECO LED lights in all its meeting and event rooms
• Recycling all hardware quarterly
• Training all staff in green initiatives including reusing, recycling and the circular economy

The venue also has a dedicated green team of sustainable champions within its workforce to help drive further sustainability initiatives forward.

To achieve the Gold standard, Central Hall Westminster went through a rigorous audit by Greengage Solutions who take an objective and detailed look at each application.

Andrew Perolls, CEO of Greengage Solutions, comments: “We applaud Central Hall Westminster for taking extensive measures to fully embrace sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Achieving our ECOsmart Award at this level is exceptional. We were impressed with the dedication to introducing green initiatives throughout all areas of operation, from catering to recycling. It is clear that being an environmentally-friendly venue is in its DNA.”

Paul Southern, Managing Director of Central Hall Westminster, concludes: “We are delighted to have achieved the coveted ECOsmart Gold Award and as a not-for-profit organisation which exists to maintain our beautiful early 20^th century building and donate to charitable works around the world, being eco-friendly is hugely important to us. We are proud of the dedication staff and suppliers have put into this to make it happen and we will continue to look at ways to become an even greener venue in the future.”

With guidelines restricting larger numbers for weddings, 116 Pall Mall has launched a new exclusive intimate wedding package for up to 15 people.

For wedding breakfasts and ceremonies that adhere to the regulations without losing their magic, 116 Pall Mall has been creating beautiful smaller weddings for far longer than the government has been telling them to. Think intimate fine dining under twinkling lighting in breathtaking surroundings with a team of intimate wedding experts.

The 116 team will work closely with you to ensure your wedding is as safe and special as possible and will remain flexible to any government updates. The team would love to give you a face-to-face show-round so you can get a feel for all the spaces available.

For more information, click here.

To start off the year 2021, 110 Rochester Row is offering a 30% discount on all delegate packages for events taking place in January and February 2021.

Delegates are welcomed for in-person events to enjoy socially distanced menus in secure and comfortable surroundings.

The offer is subject to availability and applies to new bookings only.

To find out more or to book an event using this discount, contact the team on 020 7828 2888 or email [email protected].

Church House Westminster hosted one of the biggest domestic boxing bouts of 2020 as Hall-Of-Fame Promoter Frank Warren celebrates forty years in professional boxing.

On Saturday 28 November, Dubois vs Joyce took place at historic Church House behind closed doors. The fight was broadcast live on BT Sport and saw Joe ‘Juggernaut’ Joyce claim the British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight championship.

In an incredible reversal, the domestic heavyweight clash was not pay-per-view. Frank Warren, said: “This is about keeping boxing alive and relevant at a tough time and doing something for the fans.” Warren was keen to point out that the Covid outbreak and its negative effect on UK jobs and livelihoods were on his mind as he decided to scrap plans to make the fight pay per view. The blockbuster November event, branded with the apt tagline ‘At Last’, represented the final chapter in a saga that has seen April, July and October dates cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday 5 December, boxing fans anticipated another exciting evening of live boxing on BT Sport with Yarde vs Arthur facing off behind closed doors at Church House.

Warren added: “I’m delighted to be able to confirm such a spectacular venue to host two weeks of fantastic big-time boxing. It’ll be a more than fitting way to celebrate my forty years in professional boxing. Both these bouts are battles for the history books, so it makes sense they’d take place in a venue so rich in history. Winston Churchill announced the sinking of the Bismarck inside this venue, and soon we’ll know who out of these boxers will sink or swim.”

The Westminster venue’s largest event space, the Assembly Hall, took centre stage as the main studio. The Hoare Memorial Hall functioned as an interview and media room, whilst post-fight conferences took place in the Bishop Partridge Hall. A number of other rooms, also located on the first floor of the venue were utilised as flexible changing rooms, storage and staff quarters.

Inside the Assembly Hall, BT Sport presenters were joined by two-weight world champion Carl Frampton and former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye. Commentator boxes inside the Assembly Hall for live coverage featured radio sport pundit Steve Bunce.

The evening started at 6pm when the first of eight matches started off with the undercards which included Hamzah Sheeraz, David Adeleye and Jack Catterall.