This month I am hopping from venue to venue in Brighton and Sussex absorbing mental images of bedrooms, conference rooms, meeting spaces, out door areas…the lot!  I have seen over 25 brilliant venues and I’m not even half way through.

For me, I think it is vital to visit the venues we are potentially presenting to clients.  It is hard to get the feel of a venue from a website photo and is a great chance to start building relationships and promote business for both parties.  I really enjoy the huge variety of venues; each place boasting its own personal assets and targeting all varieties of custom.  From the extravagant Ashdown Park with its modest 186 acres of breathtaking scenery and Chapel with working organ to Hotel du Vin with its quaint brick wall underground wine cellar; Sussex really has the lion’s share of venue options.

I wanted to turn your attention however to the ‘Petit Fromages’ (if you will) of the venue world and what they have to offer.  There are a couple of places which really stood out to me for a variety of reasons and I’d like to share my discoveries with you.  Are you sitting comfortably?  Then I’ll begin.  If not, fetch a cushion or perhaps a throw and then I’ll begin.

Snooze. Nestled in the quirky surroundings of Kemp Town is Snooze, a 4 star award winning boutique Hotel with 8 double bedrooms.  As soon as I entered, the décor hit me like a wonderous paint palette to the face.  The ceilings proudly offer tailor made graffiti, the walls are clothed with pop art style images, complimented by vintage furniture and kitsch multi coloured tables.  And I haven’t even started on the bedrooms!  Each room has a different theme with incredible décor from head to toe gaining inspiration from the 60’s, Asia, Vintage shabby-chic to name but a few.  Snooze would be a great venue to hold a small private corporate meeting with sole use of the dining area which is bathed in natural light (or just for a cheeky weekend away!)

Lighthouse. This hugely versatile little treasure is hidden in the North Laines, and is a digital culture agency.  I stumbled upon its brick exterior whilst intrigued about the free exhibition that was happening but did not realise that their bow has plenty of other strings.  The upstairs function space with breakout conference room are the epitome of a canvas with no markings (thus, blank) getting me excited about theming ideas.  Downstairs offers two spaces, great for a small conference or meeting with delegate catering provided from a local café.  Lighthouse offers vibrant events throughout the year, supporting film makers and artists which I think is a big old thumbs up.

Before I sign out, I have to mention myhotel.  This differs from the others being a chain Hotel, however being voted the ‘Trendiest Hotel in the UK’ myhotel really is a work of art.  Where Freddie Mercury meets the Maharishi, each room holds a soothing crystal, curved walls and inspiration from the guidelines of Feng Shui.  Two state of the art, natural light conference rooms are housed in this tardis as well as an amazing selection of bedrooms and not to mention rather a nice cocktail or two from the hotel bar Merkaba.  Amazing traditional Indian cuisine is offered by the award winning Chilli Pickle restaurant located underneath the hotel.

If this small selection of venues sounds appealing to you and you would like to arrange a visit or find out any rates then drop us a line!  We work closely with these venues and pride ourselves on the personal approach with great rates and added bolt ons!  Got an event in mind?  Why not use our free venue finding service to find out more about the rest of the unique venues we have to offer.

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I know we have barely seen the back of December but January is zooming by and before we know it spring will be here. That’s what the gardens are telling us anyway – everywhere I look at the moment I spot a new bud poking through. To be honest, I think nature is having a minor crisis, spring is definitely in the air and if you ask me it’s all a little premature for my liking. I’m feeling deprived; where’s the snow, I want to make snow angels!

Conference space in stunning surroundings

The buds, sunshine and calm sea have put a little spring in my step though and it’s made me start to think about 2012 and the possible benefits that come hand in hand with global warming – controversial I know?  Well for those of you that are wanting to embrace the outdoors and who don’t want to don your thermals I reckon you might just be in for a treat (I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a weather girl). Rumour has it that we’re in for a cracking Spring and Summer and there are some blooming good early bird offers that keep flitting into my inbox.

Start your 2012 calendar of events with a mighty fine spring conference sprinkled with a fun team building activity – our phones have been smoking this week with enquiries. We have some fantastic venues across the country that offer some stunning outdoor space, break out rooms, roof terraces, secret gardens and natural day light – team that together with our extraordinarily good value AV packages, fun team builds and our infamous smiles and you’re onto a winner.

Take advantage of the strong relationships we have with venues and conference centres by using our free venue finding service.  Call us now for some ideas 0845 413 3030 – it’s that easy!

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The Olympic torch comes to Brighton

There are approximately 70 celebration locations that have been chosen to represent iconic aspects of the UK. There will be a special evening event on Hove Lawns staged by LOCOG and the Presenting Partners, Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung which will mean we can all celebrate the local cultural and sporting scene. The event will end with the lighting of a cauldron from the Olympic flame. It will be a night to remember so if you’re in the vicinity, make the effort and join in the fun.

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So we’re not going to get rich this year, that much is certain – and the spend on events, team building, incentives and conferences is going to continue to be limited. Boooo. But companies will still have a responsibility to their staff, to ensure great team work, to incentivise them… how to do this and not spend a fortune?!

Don’t tear your hair out! We know all about this at Pretty Clever Events, which is why we’ve written a fabulous new range of treasure hunts, created with budgets in mind, but with the focus firmly on teams working together, getting to know each other, operating cohesively and of course having fun

Thought you had to spend a fortune on team building? Think again. These treasure hunts start at £20 per person for a half day activity and tick all the right team buildy boxes

We have a team in-house who write these hunts, and can create a bespoke corporate treasure hunt anywhere in the UK. Recent additions have been the Mods & Rockers treasure hunt in Brighton with a Quadrophenia theme, Brighton Rock also in Brighton – self explanatory, we hope. Jack the Ripper in London; also in London ‘Blow the Doors Off’ – an Italian job-inspired event… Not only can we tailor these to suit the location but we can give a theme. It’s fun, trust me!

If you’re interested in our treasure hunts then do get in touch

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…the title seems like the obvious pun but I just couldn’t resist it.  Yes, my thoughts have been performing the two-step on the main dance floor in that discotheque of business:  The Trade Show.  Since the jolly old days of late medieval Europe, trade shows have been organised to display products for sale, create leads for new sales, to build on or creating a company/product image and to create relationships.  No offence late medieval Europe, but I can imagine trade shows have aged like a tasty cheese, not having to be held outside in the mud, not lasting around two weeks, or having to deal with oodles of pickpockets and all of this to sell a bar of scented soap.

Trade Show

Trade shows are a great way to open doors for future communications; to hob-nob with other experts in your area of work and watch your competitors with the beadiest of eyes (like an eagle).  It appears Simmons Market Research Bureau respondents couldn’t agree more (well, they could…they could agree nine percent more).  91% of respondents stated trade shows are ‘extremely useful’ with nearly half of the respondents purchasing products or services from the trade show.

Trade No

However, there are some newer, younger, more attractive kids on the block; Master Facebook and Mistress Twitter.  With the ever growing world of social media tweeting and status updating all over the place it leaves us a little bit concerned about Grandpa Trade Show.  In October last year, Nashers was not overwhelmed by the LondonLaunch:Live show with its quiet and intimidating atmosphere.  Trade shows are expensive and we don’t all have the spare cash to be spending it on stalls, flyers, staff and optional bunting.

Trade Maybe

Confex experienced an 11% drop in visitors last year compared to 2010.  With their 2012 show coming up in March, will numbers be affected more modern day ways of communication?  With a jazzy site which is easy on the eye and a page dedicated to our friend social media, maybe Confex are doing all the right things to get in the punters.

Big Daddy EIBTM truly excelled itself last year, smashing all previous records with nearly 65,000 pre scheduled appointments (appointments = business being conducted = £££).  I have a sneaky feeling this may have been something to do with being held in sunny Barcelona and is an excellent excuse for a holiday.  But, that’s just me.

EIBTM has received themselves a standing ovation for their trade show attendance last year as it unfortunately coincided with the air traffic strikes (the second year that EIBTM have been affected by this).  However, show director and clever bean Graeme Barnett offered buyers rescheduled flights or free accommodation which no one is going to complain about really!  And it seems EIBTM are preparing well for their 2012 bonanza.

Other fond favourites IMEX and the World Trade Market also have really positive quotes and high expectations for 2012.

What our buyer says…

“We’re reviewing what we attend as we do find some to be a waste of time. There are a couple of much more intimate shows that have pre-scheduled appointments (ILTM in Cannes is a great example) – and with all the key decision makers in place. Additionally we’ve joined ETOA – and they host a whole bunch of shows and seminars our company can attend. Once again – delegates are made visible and appointments pre-arranged and adhered to so you know what you’re getting. The localised destination-specific shows are good to attend (POW WOW, FITUR,  BIT etc) and we’ll review our decisions on amount of time currently spent at larger more generic shows such as ITB and WTM.”
Rebecca, The Mileage Company

The exhibitor’s take…

“I think there is still a place for the trade show however it is an ever competitive market especially with the social media, however the face to face is still so important.  People need to know it is worth while attending and that they’ll get what they want from it as time is ever-precious in the business world.  Focus is much more on prearranged meetings and focussed networking.  Exhibitors need to know there is going to be the attendance promised – it’s not cheap doing these events both in time and resources but for the right show it’s a great opportunity to get your product known in the wider market. “
Jenny, Cooks & Partners

We at Pretty Clever Events love a chat and would be really interested to get your feedback on the subject of trade shows.  Are trade shows still living the dream like they used to be?  Or with the wonder of the internet as a catalyst for information sharing, are the days of the trade show over?  Whether you are a buyer, exhibitor or you have an opinion to add to the mix then comment below or get in touch!

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Initial improvements include the replacement of more than 4,000 seats in Auditorium 1, the refurbishment of Auditorium 2, enhanced meeting facilities and the modernisation of existing interiors. The improvements to this 5,000 capacity venue slap bang on the seafront also include fabulous new glazed frontage giving the venue a greatly improved facelift, and a complete redesign and remodel of the restaurant

Whilst the venue has always offered a large and flexible meeting space in the city, these improvements really improve the offering for conference bookers and large congress.

Brighton Centre acting general manager Howard Barden said: “With the completion of these works, we anticipate we will greatly enhance the delegate and visitor experience keeping the venue competitive and relevant on both the national and international conference venues scene.”

If you would like more information about the Brighton Centre or to arrange a visit to see the new facilities, please email us

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I have just been perusing the post survey data predictions made by the IMEX Group from the IMEX America trade show which was held in October last year.  Here are a few top predictions and our Pretty Clever thoughts and methods.

IMEX prediction: Extremely sociable media. Yes, you know the fellas I’m talking about…Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to name but a few representing the hype that is called social media.  Survey users reported using these social media sites for their businesses resulting in very high percentages of 70.8%, 50% and 87.5% respectively.  The 50% increase reported of social media use (in the past 6 months) helps to explain the statistic of over 40% agreeing that business is generated with a helping hand from social media.

Pretty Clever says: We here at Pretty Clever are well and truly on the social media bandwagon.  From Tweeting our favourite coffee shop The Hub with orders to regular Facebook status updates about what we’re up to, we believe social media is a great way to show you what busy bees we are and give you in insight into the world of events from a unique, personal (and award winning) angle.

IMEX prediction: ‘Green chain supply analysis’ and ‘responsible business’; need I say anymore? These are trends on the rise for 2012, and so they should be.  Large companies like Walmart are offering incentives for reusing and recycling goods and are working in unison with other large corporations in order to achieve their green goals.  This is great news and I think everyone really needs to start doing their bit.

Pretty Clever says: We’re no Walmart here in the Brighton office, but we’re helping!  We recycle any waste that we can, over half the team walk/use public transport to get to work but I’m afraid we draw the line at reusing tea bags.  There is strict one tea bag per mug policy…nobody likes a weak cuppa.

In terms of what we can do for you: we can help you to use sustainable products in your events as well as recycled materials.  We can offer you green solutions for your events/conferences and help you calculate your carbon footprint for all of your delegates.  At previous events we have arranged shuttle buses in order for your guests to arrive/leave safely as well as reducing their carbon footprints drastically.

IMEX prediction: Less is more…if you make it more than it was before. Thanks to our current economy (come and take a bow economy but I doubt there will be applause) it appears “doing more is less is the new norm” with “added value” being the way forward.  In other words, everyone likes a freebie.  Organisations are encouraged to offer optimum free knowledge with hotels promoting their free Wi-Fi.

Pretty Clever says: Achieving more by spending less? We’ve got that covered.  Our Free Venue Finding Service is a great way to optimise your “added value”.  You tell us your thoughts and we can find you venues all over the World, which can be complimented perfectly by subtle table centres and lighting or extravagant theming and entertainment!  Here at Pretty Clever we really listen to the client and try and work alongside you to make your event exactly what you wanted (and lots more!)  Our team building packages offer competitive costs for memorable experiences and help you to impress your delegates and guests with an event that won’t break the bank.

Pretty Clever’s Prediction: What do we think?  2012 will be the year of the Treasure Hunt!  If you are looking for adventurous, fun activity where each member has an active role then Treasure Hunts are your answer.  A great team building event which can be themed however you wish to tailor your event perfectly for your guests.  A couple of ideas we have include a French Themed hunt, Jack the Ripper and Mods and the Rockers.  Get in touch to find out more!  Pretty Clever are well under way with the IMEX predictions as well as trying to set ourselves some goals for 2012.

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Thankfully, our van did look considerably younger and whiter than the previous hire van; once we had set off and realised that in fact this van could drive up hill and go faster than 40mph then our nervousness melted away nicely. So off we hopped on our jolly jaunt accompanied by numerous lanterns, a great deal of large red acrylic trees, the makings of a florists workshop (if they have workshops?) and plenty more additions to transform the Hilton Docklands into the opulent surroundings of our Ruby Rush Theme!

I really got in touch with my inner florist preparing our spectacular Ruby Rush table centres with fresh red roses, festive greenery not forgetting the sparkly additions of red and silver snowflakes and even some sparkly silver stilettos! With Nashers guidance and flower tuition we got the table centres finished whilst Heidi, Kat and Tanja tackled our giant red acrylic trees. Within a few hours the room was transformed from day time conference to night time chic, all topped off with a paparazzi red carpet entrance for the glamorous guests.

Despite the short set up time, London traffic and fiddly giant red trees the event was a total success and guests had a wonderfully festive evening!   The evening was beautifully complimented by the fantastic view of the London Docklands; many more excellent venues and views to be shared with our free venue finding service.  Another pat on the back for the Pretty Clever girls (*pat, pat, pat*).

As ever, Christmas has given us the gift of a very busy month at Pretty Clever! But before you know it, the turkey has been polished off, wrapping paper has been stored away for another year and bellies are considerably larger as we see the back of Christmas.

For us, it’s all about 2012. We are really excited about launching our new products in the New Year which we are hiding sneakily up our clever little sleeves. Watch this space…

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Do you need a large venue?

To start with you will need to think about the location, with lots of delegates you will need to have given some serious thoughts to the logistics. How will the guests  get there, is there parking facilities available, if people are driving do you need marshals? If you have decided to coach people in then where can the guests disembark the bus, is it safe and is there space for any of the vehicles to stay on site? Where is the nearest train station? And that’s just the beginning….

Then you need to think about the space available inside. What do you need to be incorporated into the event. You see when a venue that states it has a capacity for 500 theatre style it might not have taken into account space for a large set for example and is there space for a suitable registration desk.  There is a lot of information on the web which I can, hand on heart, tell you is not entirely accurate which of course doesn’t help you when youre looking to plan a large event. We know, we do this type of event all the time. Fortunately for our clients we have the experience and knowledge to know which venue works well for what size of group.  What’s more, we save our clients oodles of time with the venue search – it’s a free venue finding service, it’s efficient and we do what we say on the tin, which is source good venues at good prices, within budget and that work.

Pretty Clever Conference Services

I diverse – once you have chosen your venue you need to think about the infrastructure inside. Access for the guests, breakout rooms, team building areas,  toilets, room layout. Is there natural daylight anywhere in the venue that your guests can benefit from, crew areas, signage, power supplies – the list is endless.  Then there is the matter of catering – most people remember the food aspect of an event, and it is in fact an area that most people like to ‘feedback’ on (often whether you ask for it or not!) If you have big numbers then believe me when I say you need to have nailed the logistics of the food and beverage. How many people do you need to cater for and how much time do you have? We recently did a conference for 1000 people and the time available for the lunch break was limited, in addition to which the client definitely did not want the guests to be in a queue for any length on time. With this in mind we chose a venue that had a substantial gallery with many access points, this meant that with the assistance of our marshals we were able to cater for all 1000 delegates at multiple buffet stations quickly and efficiently. It worked well, delegates were happy and so was our client. For the gala dinner in the evening the room had to be turned around so that the guests were seated on round tables, the challenge – everybody eating at the same time, as my pet hate is when a room isn’t serviced correctly, and one half of the room has finished their meals whilst the other half haven’t even got theirs. Again the client was thrilled; our catering team was split in sub teams meaning that we could do a big sweep of the room enabling everyone to enjoy their food together. Perfect.

So, if you need a big venue I suggest giving us a call. There is a lot to think about and our initial expertise will cost you nothing. We know what to ask you and what to get out of a venue in order to create a successful event. Big events can be beasts if they are not managed properly and believe me you don’t want to unleash a beast when you are making such a substantial investment! Let our friendly and dedicated PCO team take the beast out of your event – we are based in Birmingham, Brighton, London, Bristol, Norwich, Leeds and Sheffield. Call now 0845 413 3030 or email info@prettyclever.co.uk

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Nevertheless, ‘I’m a celebrity’ always appears to be staining my TV screen at home and I speak for my housemates and I when I say I think it may be our guilty pleasure.  Although I have absolutely no idea who half of the people in the jungle are it still provides amusement on a Sunday night.

Sunday night’s episode left me hiding behind a cushion, experiencing an extremely strong gag reflex for hours to follow.  A task involving Pat-‘Fun House whole lotta’ fun’-Sharp and Fatima-‘bizarrely competitive’-Whitbread looking like carnivorous astronauts blessed our screens.  The task involved a buggy little cocktail of snakes, cockroaches, maggots and (I shudder when I write this) humungous spiders being dropped into transparent helmets – and this had to be endured for 30 seconds.  The sheer pinnacle of this task had to be when Fatima experienced an unwelcome visitor climb into her nose at the start of the task…and staying true to her competitive nature she stood there with a cockroach up her nose for 30 seconds just to pass the task.  What an absolute mentalist.  After enjoying 3 water syringes up the old nasal tract, the cockroach came shooting out.  As if the cockroach was not enough…he entered the competitive nostril to find a maggot had already set up camp from the previous trial.  Yummers.

However it’s not all bad in the jungle.  Regardless of the fact that is a bizarre grouping of people with a variety of ages and backgrounds, the trials seem to build relationships and bonds through the age old method of team building.  Pretty Clever do gain inspiration from ‘I’m a celebrity’ but I’m happy to say the extent is not as far as inviting thousands of creepy crawlies to assist at the event.  Or so I thought.  Sam just nonchalantly produced a dish of chocolate covered real bugs from her drawer and in fact we do go all out on our ‘I’m a celebrity’ events…snakes, tarantulas and all!  Furthermore, Ant and Dec (or as I still fondly call them PJ and Duncan) are quite literally hilarious (‘’I like the one on the right…is he married?’’ Nash 2011)

Which brings me to my conclusion: I’m rather glad I am not a rubbish celebrity so I am never tempted by a large package of money to jump out of a plane and have a cockroach climb up my nose.

If you fancy having your very own Bushtucker Trials or craziness with creepy-crawlies and carnivorous creatures then our ‘I’m NOT a Celebrity’ team building might be for you. Click here to contact us

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