Yep, the British weather is disappointing us a bit right now, but we have absolutely good hope it won’t let us down this summer (I tell this myself every year, it will work once!). I think more people had these good hopes, because it was absolutely busy in the office the last couple of weeks. After doing plenty of different proposals for upcoming summer parties and teambuilding events it was nice to have a bit of variety and organise a totally different event: our own Pretty Clever networking event. Companies from all over the South of England were invited to our networking lunch to get to know us and each other, and to listen to our guest speaker: Facebook marketer Viv Craske from Digital Marketing Blueprint. The event took place at the Ramada Plaza Gatwick, a venue we have worked together with many times… including and event with 90 men battling in their conference room for an Olympic medal during an Olympic themed evening? Oh yes, we have had it all there!

This network event was something completely different. After sending loads of invitations (I think my email hated me for that), we had a nice group together of 100 people. That’s me in the middle above with the blonde hair welcoming everyone to the lunch! From consultant to holistic practitioner and from accountant to photographer, it was real nice group. It was an absolutely great feeling to do something for so many companies at the same time. People enjoyed the talking and the networking during our drinks reception and during the lunch it looked like everyone knew each other for years already. It is amazing to see how every person comes alone and end up talking to people they first didn’t know, but in the end having great conversations with about their experiences and companies.

Our guest speaker Viv gave an interesting talk about how to use Facebook for your company. Facebook has an incredible number of users in the United Kingdom (almost 31 million!) but many of us (yes me too, I have to admit) are just using it to put on their party pictures from the weekend. Viv showed us how Facebook can be useful to give your company a boost and how to reach potential customers. The best tip of the day was that it is not about the amount of likes you need, but it is all about the talking people do on Facebook about your company.

This all together gave us a great afternoon and we even achieved an enquiry to job confirmation record after the network event.

‘Here’s my number, so call me maybe!’ Is the new song that won’t go out of our heads, and that is what I would like to sing again right now. If you want to find out more about our events or if you want to do an enquiry or if you want to be on our mailing list for our next network event, just give us a call on 0845 413 3030 or email info@prettyclever.co.uk!

We have some images from the event on our Facebook page HERE

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Should I have a summer party?  The answer is most definitely yes.  Christmas parties seem to be a given when it comes to companies, however the summer party is some times forgotten about.  It’s a great time of year to celebrate your staff when the sun is shining and everybody is in high spirits.  Happiness in the work place really does spread like margarine on a lovely loaf.  I’m no scientist but if I were to drop in a cheeky little correlation I’d say happy workers means busy, productive workers and a great way of keeping your staff motivated and happy is to show them how much you really appreciate them.  Thus staff+party=success which generally tends to lead to big bucks.

Umbrellas do tend to make quite an appearance in the summer as we all know.  It is really important to bear this in mind when planning an event in the summer.  If you are planning an outdoor extravaganza such as It’s a Knockout or Duck Herding, it’s important to have a back up plan just in case.  Some events can be moderated from outdoors to indoors such as our fantastic hoola hooping and juggling team building activities (provided there is a high ceiling!)  Alternatively, man up and wear a hilarious poncho.

Management of the event variety is a great way to get a summer party planned without the hassle of you having to sort it yourself.  With our free venue finding service we are sure to find you the perfect venue for your summer event.  If you’re looking for a venue with a great outdoor space then the Felbridge Hotel and Spa is your boy.  Felbridge offers plenty of grassy outdoors, perfect for team building activities.  Alternatively, enjoy a BBQ on site in the lovely courtyard area; a sure way to keep your guests happy (if Felbridge lunch is anything to go by, then the BBQ will be yum of the highest degree).

Maybe summer should be spelt with one ‘m’ for the sake of an acrostic.

Everybody loves an activity.  As much as we all enjoy a picnic accompanied by a cheeky Pimm’s or seven, the sunshine tends to accentuate our energy levels and we have some great suggestions how to expel that energy.  We have a great Olympic themed ‘It’s a Knockout’ activity which is hilarious fun for 20 to 500 people!  Our bespoke treasure hunts can also be tailored for any theme and in any location so wherever you are, give us the treasure hunt challenge!  Some favourites include French themed, Olympic themed and Brighton Rock.

Rise and shine (I’m really scraping the barrel now) and get in touch!  Your employees will be eternally grateful to you for the excuse to have a good old knees up and who doesn’t want to have the excuse for a get together in the sunshine?

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Team Building on the south coast

Corporate events needn’t just be about your team at work. You might want to use some of your entertainment budget to entertain some customers or clients or reward and challenge a team. I’m going to keep this short and sweet, clearly it’s the sun that has inspired me today and living in the South East just has so ouch to offer. Options spread from Brighton Marina to Chichester and cover the Solent too and is a great place to do water sports.  The commute is easy to with London just an hours train journey away from Brighton – It just depends how far afield you want to go!

Anyway, I’m not going to rub it in any further – Brighton has its negatives…seagulls, Make you feel any better?!

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This year ‘summer themes’ seem to be back on the ‘HOT’ list, with party organisers demanding more for their corporate events than a party fuelled with Pimms and strawberries on the London Eye (nice as it might be). Whilst we like to provide innovative and stylish solutions to our corporate clients we are definitely all about listening to what it is that people want to see available.

So let’s talk about suitable summer themes to start with. London and all that’s happening there this summer (namely that big sports day the Olympics) is proving a popular inspiration for a corporate summer party. Then there are those that are looking for more of a British theme – we have some fabulous props and entertainment that complement both themes perfectly. You might think a garden party is a nice idea, simple, stylish and Al fresco, throw in a nice band, some scrummy catering and a bit of cocktail making and everyone will be having fun. Family fun days seem to be in demand this year also so if you fancy an ‘It’s a knock out’ style event then give us a call.

A summer event doesn’t just have to be about a big party though. Our phone lines are hot with enquiries for team building and treasure hunts that combine the competitive and fun element with a party for a finale! It might be a treasure hunt in London, or a nice country house hotel and what’s more if you need the venue then make use of our FREE venue finding service. Having spent last week at CONFEX we’ve definitely got some nice ideas up our sleeves and some fantastic rates negotiated.

We also have some awesome sites across the UK that are perfect to host your own mini Festival – if giant hat tepees, live bands, outdoor catering and camping (or glamping) is up your street then you definitely need to speak to us about our festival packages – they can be as glamorous (or not) as you wish.

We’re set to have a good summer – England is going to be bubbling with sunny Olympic energy and there really are 101 options for your corporate summer party.

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Ladies, come on down (and collect your metaphorical award).  A record percentage of female directors has been announced today.  A rise of 3.1% since last year puts 15.6% of women on the boards of the UK’s 100 largest listed companies.  Furthermore, action may be taken in 2015 if this percentage does not rise to 25% the Government said to FTSE in a stern but caring manner.  The action may be something along the lines of not being angry, but very disappointed.  If this momentum is sustained then we may even reach 30% by then.  That would be lovely jubbly (of course, the Government’s words not mine).  Gents, this is not a knock to you guys but we think this is something to get excited about!

However, no lady or gentleman can reach director status without a job.  Good News!  Over 2,000 firms are looking to hire rather than fire.  Official statistics say otherwise, but we say ssshh to official statistics and let positive thinking have his time to shine.  Not sure if you are familiar with the Olympics at all?  It’s like a sports day that’s happening in London.  Well, because of the Olympics, north-west of England and the East Midlands businesses are feeling very optimistic about the whole affair.  However, the sun of happiness has not got his hat on across the whole of the UK.  Wales, south-east and east England are feeling a little more negative.  However, the Bank of England is feeling a little bit chuffed as over the next few months the economy is predicted to grow by 1%.  And that, my friends, is a lot better than none percent.

Just to add salt to the wound of unemployment…surveys show that London visitors will pay double last year’s rates for hotels at Olympics time.  The average price of a hotel in London this summer is said to be £213.  Room prices largely fluctuate on currency, political movements and natural disasters (the last being not too much of a surprise).

Nevertheless, the Olympics it’s safe to say is going to be a landmark event in our lifetimes.  Room prices may increase, but that’s a given!  Thinking of coming to the UK for the Olympics?  Brighton is an easy hour commute and has some great hotels on offer.  Why not use our free venue finding service to help find you and your guests the perfect hotel for your stay?

Alternatively, bring the sports day to you!  Enjoy our tailored ‘2012 Cocktail Masterclass’ or an evening of hilarious sporting quizzical fun throughout dinner.  With the sun already shining big time, treat your delegates to a Pretty Clever Sports Day; hosted by our hilarious compere, this is a sure way to get your team going for gold!  Drop us a line and we can tell you more about our Olympic themed events and other great team building and theming options we have in store this year…go on, I dare you…

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So, you wake up on a Friday morning and you’re deciding what to wear.  You may think ‘hey, I’ll just pop my jeans on…it is Friday after all!’  Well, STOP!  Put down the denim!  Apparently, denim is the item of clothing which people will don when they don’t care how they look.  Colourful, well cut and figure enhancing clothes are ‘happy clothes’, so laters jeans, here comes the multi coloured onzie…

Which leads me nicely to exfoliation.  Be it a pumice stone, bitty moisturiser or one of those brushes with a long handle (all technical names there), exfoliation is carried out daily by human beans (to quote the BFG) every day.  Or so we thought.  Have I helped to build tension regarding this exciting topic of exfoliation?  I certainly hope so.  Yes, a wild brown bear has been photographed using a barnacle covered rock to exfoliate its face which is the first record of a stone being used for this nature by the species.  This observation implies bears have much greater cognitive abilities than once thought.  In that case, I’d say to the photographer it’s probably best to not take photos of a bear when it’s just trying to have a wash in privacy.

Spiders, heights, water, snakes, brushes (in my brothers case)… these are just some of the objects that we as humans fear the most.  But, I can top those big time.  Koumpounophobia; the fear of buttons.  Note to self, if you have a fear of buttons…don’t tell your daughter who is bordering on the wonderful time of teenager-dom.  A story I read in the paper tells of an 11 year old girl who carries round a jar of buttons and occasionally traps her mum in the corner of rooms to taunt her.  And, it appears to be more common than I thought.  Reading stories from sufferers, one victim of the phobia said they want to vomit if they see a button lying around…heaven forbid it be a ‘four holer’.  I think I’d rather stick with my fear of spiders as I don’t have to use spiders to fasten my clothes on a daily basis.  The imagery of that is awful.

And I finish on the ‘QWERTY’ effect.  Typing with the left hand will convey more negative emotions than with the right hand.  Letters on the right hand side of the keyboard attach more positive meanings, potentially attributed to the fact that they are easier to type.  So who’d have thought that ‘junk’ could bring you more happiness than ‘sex’?  (I have just sat there as faced with a Countdown Conundrum trying to create a word with the letters on the right hand side of the keyboard.  Four letters is not a very good effort.)

I hope you have enjoyed these pointless facts.  I’m not wearing jeans and I’m feeling good.  But, it’s not just avoiding denim and typing on the right hand side of the keyboard which can make you happier.  Treat your staff to a gala dinner; theming gives a free pass for hilarious fancy dress always creates a great night to remember.  Or an afternoon of team building; have your staff rushing to get photos with smiling policemen and performing ‘Summer lovin’ in Hawaiian attire with our hilarious ‘Hired or Fired’ challenge.  Or why not have every single one of your colleagues in stitches with our Laughter Workshop?  There are so many options regardless of budget to keep your staff happy and motivated so please do get in touch!  Happy Friday everybody.

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Sam Nash and Lucy Russell posing again!

Back to the show though – I felt it was quite compact this year with their only being a handful of stands in each category. Whilst the exhibitors were all upbeat there was a definitely a concern about how much, if any, business will be won as a result of the show. I guess it will be interesting to see what the post show figures will say.

Being the positive soul that I am though I’d like to share some of the fun experiences we had the first being the bubblegum mousse which was a total culinary delight. The chef placed a dollop of bubblegum flavoured mousse onto a spoon, hovered it in a gold fish bowls, and covered it with liquid nitrogen which made the mixture immediately turn into a solid mass the size of a golf ball. We placed it in our mouth where it immediately dissolved but the messages from the intense bubblegum flavour made you want to chew! Totally insane and I loved it.

Being a total foodie the shot of warm chocolate and raspberry soup can only be described as a mouthful of heaven. I promise you could serve guests a plate of fish fingers, chips and peas but follow it with this divine soup your guests will be talking about it for ever!

So the culinary delights interspersed with magic, cocktail making (you’ve got to love a classic champagne cocktail), cooking workshops, team building games and some innovative photo booth ideas made for a super dooper day. If you want to find out more about some of our exciting discoveries call us now 0845 413 30 30

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As we all know, everybody loves a photo booth, a magician, and of course a DJ; and of course they do provide great, (but safe) forms of entertainment for all varieties of events.  However, we have a selection of new, unique and talented entertainment which we would like to boast about.  We like to have a close working relationship with clients and put together really different entertainment here at Pretty Clever.  Over the past few months I have been researching and recruiting and am trying to persuade you to drop the boring, traditional entertainment and get on board with some singing waiters, a movie making experience and multi skilled performers!

Musical Waiters – These guys recently performed for us at a corporate dinner event in The Grand Hotel in Brighton a week or so ago.  The waiters dress in the same attire as venue waiting staff and spend the whole evening serving drinks to guests, keeping their true identity under wraps.  When the guests are served their coffees, the waiters bring out a selection of instruments including maracas, a kazoo and an acoustic guitar.  Guests are serenaded and handed roses; by working the room every single guest is singing their heart out at these romantic ballads.  The guys are seriously talented singers and hilarious entertainers.  My plan was to nonchalantly hide in the background for the performance but I have a sneaking suspicion my high pitched hysterical laughter definitely gave me away.

Film making Frenzy – this is a crazy, hip (yes, I am like my Gran saying hip) and unique entertainment option.  I feel no explanation I give will do this justice; you must see the video (link below).  This interactive movie making activity casts, shoots and screens miniature tributes to Hollywood classics, and is a hilarious way to create a party night to remember.   Recreate classic movie moments or recreate your homage to Hollywood by becoming Marty McFly, a Ghostbuster or even E.T.!  The icing on the cake is that the films could be screened at your event which would be rather hilarious.

Click HERE to have a look at what you could achieve in glorious technicolour:

And of course, let’s not forget our incredible multi skilled and extremely talented roaming performers.  Our performers can meet and greet on stilts, do fire and grind performances to name but a couple of their talents.  They also have an amazing range of costumes for every theme including the Olympics.

So if you’re having a party (lucky you) then think outside the box in terms of entertaining your guests.  If you want to guarantee a really unique, memorable experience and an evening of sheer hilarity then drop us a line.

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So onto brighter and more fun subjects – summer parties! The office phones are little hot wires right now. Budgets for 2012 have been set and clients are thinking about their event activities for the next 12 months. Team building and the office summer party appear to be top of the list with many companies asking us what the options are. Options – that’s where we come in, while the list is endless we have a few ideas that we think are particularly ‘hot’ right now

Summer Festival

This is exactly what it says on the tin – a festival, in the summer and the perfect way to entertain your employees, colleagues, suppliers and guests. We have some idyllic sites available throughout the UK, some stunning tent structures, a load of delicious catering options from chilli vans to hog roasts and authentic Thai stalls to traditional fish and chips. Then there is the music and entertainment; we have bands coming out of our ears and that suit every theme you can imagine and roaming entertainers like stilt walkers, fire performers, circus acts to name but a few. The festival concept is a great way to celebrate and an ever better way to kick off the summer festivities.

Olympic Party

If you’re going to celebrate the Olympics then this is the year. Whether you want to host a dinner with some Olympic themed entertainment and décor or a daytime event that incorporates the outdoors and gets your guests charging around showing their inner ‘sportsman’  we have a whole host of options. Family Fun days, It’s a Knockout in true ‘Going for Gold’ style, Sports themed treasure Hunts and all that falls in-between. Check out the options here.

Jubilee

It’s the year of the Diamond Jubilee; the Queen has spent 60 years on the   throne and the nation is set to celebrate in style. If you’re thinking about  having a summer party they I’m guessing the words ‘street party’, ‘garden party’, ‘BBQ’ and ‘red, whit and blue’ have all popped into your head. I can see it now – bunting, neat little topiary trees, ‘The Queen’ mixinging and mingling with your guests. And of course, you could not have a British themed evening without ‘John Bull’ our exceedingly British compere in full red, white and blue attire.  An evening of old English parlour games (with a modern twist), British geography and hilarious sound rounds will have your guests laughing until they’re red in the face!

Fun on the water

I don’t know about you but when I say Summer I think of sunshine, beaches, water sports, team building, BBQs and boats. Our head office is based in Brighton and where better to experience a day of fun on the water. RIBS rides on boats, treasure hunts that take you out to see, yacht racing, raft building – the list is endless. Mix that up with a BBQ on the beach or use our free venue finding service to bag yourself a venue with a sea view. Brighton Rocks – fact!

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But, let us focus on the good times the Titanic had and (drum roll please) what a £63,837 one way first class ticket would buy you.  The brains behind the Titanic believed only the bare necessities should be on board: a barbers, library, swimming pool, gym, squash court and of course, a Turkish bath.  For places to catch a bite, or sip a bean, there was a Verandah Café and a Café Parisien serving only but the best haute cuisine for those in first class.  The last meal served on the titanic really did go the whole hog (see what I did there).  Passengers enjoyed a modest 10 courses including oysters, sauté of chicken, roast duckling with apple sauce, pate de fois gras and chocolate and vanilla éclairs.  Not the most accommodating menu for vegetarians where you could enjoy such treats as cream of barley and cold asparagus vinaigrette.  I would rather eat cream of hat and waistcoat viniaigrette but maybe that’s just me…

I think that will be the end of the history lesson for you.  So, why on earth am I talking about the Titanic?  We think, well we know as it is tried and tested that Titanic is a great theme for an event.  “Wear what you wore when the Titanic went down” is a great angle for a Titanic theme with people turning up in pyjamas and all sorts!  We have a bundle of Titanic themed props that could transform any party back to the elegance and glamour that the Titanic boasted.  Bunting and flags could decorate the walls, as guests enter the room on a ship gangway.  It would be as if on the Titanic with an iconic ship’s wheel as a focal point with the ships funnel behind.  Imagine the deck: anchors and ship riggings could be dotted about with deck chairs and suitcase props.

We could ensure you all feel like first class passengers by recreating the menu from the night the Titanic went down, including the port and distilled spirits which were offered after the meal.  Nothing helps you digest quite like a distilled spirit.  We also have string quartets which could entertain your guests and fill the room with that classic ambience.

These are just a light peppering of ideas we have for a Titanic themed event.  It is also one of the many theming ideas we have; get in touch if you would like us to get creative for you!  Parties are great fun as everyone knows, but adding a theme really adds that unique, memorable angle and creates a sense of unity and discussion amongst your guests.  So, make an excuse to have a party and let’s theme it up big time!

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