Tag: corporate events

The History of the Garden Party

Posted on by James Mallinder

Garden parties have been a staple of English high society for centuries. From the grandeur of the aristocratic gatherings to the more humble village fêtes, these events have been a way for the English to celebrate and socialize in the beauty of nature.

The history of garden parties in England dates back to the seventeenth century when the French nobility introduced the concept of “fête champêtre” or rural party. The aristocrats of England soon followed suit, hosting their own garden parties, complete with elaborate decorations, musical performances, and copious amounts of food and drink.

The tradition of garden parties gained popularity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries during the reign of Queen Victoria. Her Majesty, along with Prince Albert, hosted lavish garden parties at Buckingham Palace, inviting members of the aristocracy, politicians, and prominent figures from society.

These events were an opportunity for the royals to connect with their subjects, showcase the beauty of their gardens, and indulge in the pleasures of good food and company. The garden parties were often held in the summer months and were highly anticipated by those lucky enough to receive an invitation.

In the early twentieth century, garden parties became more accessible to the middle class, who were increasingly able to afford homes with gardens. These gatherings became a popular way for families to socialize and enjoy the great outdoors.

Despite changes in society and the world, the tradition of garden parties has remained a beloved aspect of English culture. Whether it’s the grandeur of a royal garden party or the simplicity of a village fête, the English continue to celebrate the beauty of nature, good food, and great company.

In recent years, the concept of the garden party has expanded to include more informal and creative gatherings, such as picnics, barbecues, and outdoor music festivals. Yet, the essence of the garden party remains the same – a celebration of the simple pleasures in life, the beauty of nature, and the joy of sharing these experiences with others.

6 company Christmas party ideas

Posted on by James Mallinder

In charge of organising the big company Christmas knees-up and terrified of making the wrong decision? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. To alleviate your misery, we’ve compiled a list of the six best Christmas party ideas your employees are bound to love.

Riddle me this

For the logically inclined, here’s a great team-building exercise to get everyone involved. Working together against the clock, the idea is that you’ll solve lots of puzzles, codes and riddles. At The Great Escape, there’s a host of rooms with differing themes to choose from such as King Arthur’s Secret, Alcatraz and the scary-sounding Asylum.

Skates on

As clichéd as it can be, ice skating is best enjoyed at Christmas time, and brings out the inner kid in just about everyone. Even if you just make it a part of the work Christmas celebrations, you can’t get much more festive than wrapping up warm to glide around the Christmas tree.

corporate events

Cook off

Everyone loves food, and possibly cocktails even more so you can’t go too far wrong by booking everyone in for a Christmas cooking and cocktails session. And just as you’d expect at a cooking school, you get fed after you’ve made your foodie delights, and maybe even a Christmas gift box to take away if you’ve got a particularly generous allowance.

Kings and queens

What an enchanting venue a castle makes. Picture the scene: the Christmas trees will be glistening with lights, the reindeer will be munching away on carrots and attendees will love sipping on the mulled wine while it’s cold outside. A venue like this screams out for a murder mystery game and a true banquet meal.

That’s the ticket

Possibly one of the most extravagant ideas, book an entire carriage aboard the Belmond British Pullman for a luxury train trip to remember. Sommelier-selected bubbly, a customised menu created from the freshest ingredients and a ticket wallet to go away with are some of the perks if you decide to whisk everyone off their feet.

Reely good fun

An integral part of Christmas for many and a good excuse to cosy up with popcorn and a hot toddy, a Christmas movie marathon makes for a fun and relaxed Christmas party. Choose a few of the office’s favourite films, find a good venue such as this one and make sure there are enough beanbags or comfy seats to everyone to unwind.

If you have an idea that you think needs bringing to life, why not consider a party in an igloo? Ours make fantastic, ‘wow-factor’ venues and can be customised in all the ways you can think of from lighting to music.

Can a corporate event add value?

Posted on by Site Admin

Corporate events are a great way for businesses to engage with customers and expand their audience base, and they have become big news over the past few years. There are lots of ways to run a corporate event, and they also offer several advantages for your firm. We have listed four reasons for you to take a look.

Build brand recognition

By hosting an event and building hype around it, you’re able to promote your name and help people to connect with your brand. Generating this sort of exposure is excellent if you are planning an event that will go off with a bang and it means you will be remembered for the right reasons.You want to make sure you select your suppliers, your venue and your activities so you can generate the right buzz around it in the lead up, during the event and long after. Ask yourself: “Will it get people talking?”

Foster interpersonal relationships

Meeting customers and other professionals in person is an invaluable part of hosting a corporate event as it allows you to widen your network of contacts and connect with your clients and audience on a personal level, in turn impacting on their active engagement. You get to converse with that person in front of you in ways that a Facebook post or a Tweet cannot, get to know them, and leave a lasting good impression.

Corporate Event

It strengthens your team

Getting employees together for your event and giving them a shared aim can work wonders for morale, motivation among staff and elevate the working mood. Everyone is working hard to make the event a success, and they all share in the triumphs and setbacks you encounter along the way so they can bond as a team.

Download our brochure to find out how you can wow your guests

Boosting sales

At the end of the day, you will want to see some results from your event, and this can eventually be measured from the number of sales and leads you generated from having a presence on that day. Just remember that while it’s tempting to just look at the sales won on the day, you also need to review the results three and six months down the line if you are to gauge the true outcome more accurately.

Corporate events provide you with many opportunities that you wouldn’t ordinarily have access to stuck behind a computer so go out there and grab them with two hands. If you’re a relatively new organisation, hosting events can be great for you to build trust with your audience.

 

At Igloo Disco, we like to help companies throw a corporate event with the ‘wow’ factor. Think you could do with some corporate event management tips? Check out our article which will serve as your guide.

5 corporate event management tips

Posted on by Site Admin

So you’re about to organise an important event that you want to be remembered for the right reasons. Don’t worry as you’re in the right hands: our top tips on corporate event management will help you get the job done. Just remember, there’s no such thing as too much preparation.

1. Find out what the objective is

Are you in charge of generating income or PR for a new product or service? Just remember here that you have lots of opportunities to engage with people that stretch beyond digital means (these all play a separate part, of course) so think about how best to utilise this face-to-face contact.

2. Begin early

Plan out a timeline of events so you know you are hitting deadlines for certain milestones. If you know what you are focusing on from one week to the next, there’s less chance of you missing it off the list with dramatic consequences. Keep touch points with the vendors you are working with to make sure the deal still stands.

3. Make lists

We can’t stress how important it is to make, check off and check again lists: for yourself, for your staff, for the different suppliers and for the venue. Have one for each sub-section of your event, and don’t forget to check them as close to the date as you can so you know everything is in place.

4. Spread the word

Complement your event with a social media plan that aims to create a buzz around it in the run-up to the event, during the event, and long afterwards too. You’ll also need to create a time frame to release little teasers of information so that you can build suspense and get everyone excited to be a part of your journey – even more important for ticketed events.

5. Remember to follow up afterwards

Now is not the time to take a little breather, in fact, it’s one of the most crucial points along your planning. Hopefully you’ll have run a successful event that allows you to build on your positive relationship with attendees and partners, and know how to make the next one even better.

Download our free brochure to find out how you can wow your guests

While it’s true that you can’t foresee unpredictable problems, you can prepare yourself for as many eventualities as possible to eliminate any awful surprises. By seriously thinking about your objectives, thorough planning and a strong team around you, you should ace it.

Fancy chatting to our team about planning your own corporate event? Get in touch for a free quotation.