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#Event18 birthday celebration in pictures

Event Magazine, leading UK Publication for experiential and live events, celebrated its 18th birthday on 4th June at Borough Market and I had the opportunity to join the celebration together with over 200 event professionals. It was great seeing many colleagues and celebrating with Event Magazine and the industry this milestone.

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Catering on the night was provided by Harbour & Jones, offering three station – cheese and charcuterie stall as well as Mexican and Korean. 

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Cake was delivered by Daisy Brydon Creations

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Event editor-in-chief Yasmin Arrigo welcome speech, highlighting some of Event’s milestones

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With Deborah and Emma from London & Partners

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With Amy from Harbour & Jones

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Kevin Jackson from George P Johnson interviewed by Event TV

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Original signage on the night

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Corporate away days at Four Seasons Hampshire

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The pace of life style in London is so fast and hectic, there is so much going on, and therefore doing something which will take you away from your desk gives you bad conscious. But how about corporate away day in the beautiful English country side, where you can combine work and leisure? Sounds like a good excuse to me!

End of April Four Seasons Hampshire hosted Corporate Showcase and invited me to discover the property and incentive activities. After visiting their two London properties, in Park Lane and Canary Wharf and being a big fan of this brand, I was very happy to check out their famous country house estate. Inspired by the 18th century manor house, the building is a combination of British tradition and luxury surrounded by 500 acre estate.

The showcase started in the afternoon and on this occasion Four Seasons Hampshire has invited me to stay overnight. Without stress I made my way from London, taking a train from Waterloo and in less than one hour arrived at Fleet station, from where I jumped into a taxi and in 10 minutes was at the destination. After a very warm welcome and check-in I went out to get first glimpse of the impressive green surrounding before the showcase.

Catering

At the showcase we were offered a variety of freshly made canapés, oysters, cheeses and desserts. I personally like such food stations, because it gives you the freedom to choose what you want when you want it and chatting with the chef is a nice experience.

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My friends from GC Couture were also present and did a cake decorating class. Since I did it twice already, I decided to skip but not the cakes of course and this time had the chance to try their “fruit without the bits” cake which seems to be very popular at the moment.

There was also a cocktail station, offering to taste local ale and a cocktail from locally produced Bombay Sapphire gin, raspberry puree, lemon juice and rosemary.

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The breakfast on the second day was served at Seasons Restaurant and was lavish, including also a-la-carte menu. I didn’t eat too much to stay fit for the active program ahead!

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After our outdoor activities on the second day, which I tell you more about shortly, we had healthy lunch at the spa restaurant, Café Santé.
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Event and Conference facilities

The showcase took place at the Four Seasons Ballroom Pre-function area and the Ballroom, the largest function room which can accommodate up to 300 guests in theatre style. Pre-function area has direct access to the terrace and ideal for sunny weather!

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Four Seasons Ballroom

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Beckington Room

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Shrewsbury Room

Incentive and teambuilding

The hotel is surrounded by 500 acre estate and you have a variety of activities to choose from on-site, such as the Highwire Adventure, including 24 element high ropes course, a 13 metre ‘Power Fan’ free-fall parachute experience and a 235 metre zip wire ‘The Descent’ that enables you to fly out across the parkland. I did something very similar before and it is very fun when you are in a team, competing against other teams and members support each other at different tasks. It is a good exercise for teambuilding and improving group dynamics.

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Something very unique Four Seasons Hampshire offers is Falconry. I absolutely loved this activity and can do it over and over again. In the introduction to falconry I learned about the different birds and could even feed them. These birds are fascinating. The whole experience takes about 15-20 minutes – so that can be done during a break or as part of other activities.

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The team had more in store for us, archery and clay pigeon shooting, but I decided to relax and enjoy the peaceful moment on the terrace!

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The showcase ended at 8pm and the good news is that the spa is open until 10pm, so that was my program for the rest of the day, before the early wake up the following day. My boyfriend joined me in the evening so the following day we can explore the area together.

In terms of activities there is something for everyone on-site, and there is plenty to do around, too.

Rooms

The hotel has 111 guest rooms and 22 suites. I greatly appreciated all the amenities, the large selection of mini bar beverages and they even have a Nespresso machine and cold milk.

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Fitness and outdoors

The hotel gym has an extensive class offer including spinning, yoga, aerobics and a boot camp style outdoor fitness class. After breakfast we decided to do the outdoor class which was fantastic. We walked towards the pond and after a short warm up did exercises on the grass. It was exhausting at first but being outdoors is so energising and refreshing so you feel great! Why not considering it as a team building activity?

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After this class we rented hotel bikes and cycled around the estate and along the canal. The scenery on our way was so peaceful and relaxing and the total trip took us about two hours and we came back to the hotel for lunch before heading back to London.

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It was a rewarding experience and amazing how many activities you can do in a short period of time. I know that we, event planners, tend to sometimes fill every single hour with activity but if you choose Four Seasons I recommend leaving some free time for attendees to do what they want and just relax. Finishing the program early in the evening will let them enjoy the spa and fitness and starting late the following day will allow them to enjoy a long breakfast, have a fitness or spa session or participate in one of the classes.

As always, Four Seasons kept to their highest standards and it was very rewarding and relaxing get-away from London and I came back energised and motivated. Until next time!

Corporate hospitality in the new corporate world

Back in March I attended the monthly Event Marketing Association (EMA UK) event about corporate hospitality in the new corporate world. After the financial crisis and introduction of the Bribery Act, any such spend needs to be justified in major corporations. This discussion looked at the current situation, changes that happened over the past years and current trends. The event took place at the elegant and historic Dartmouth House in the heart of Mayfair for corporate event planners and the experienced panel of speakers included Nick Gratwick from Keith Prowse, Stephen Farrow from Aegon Championships, Cheryl Chickowski from Cultivate UK and was moderated by Andrew White from Triggerfish Communications.

Why corporate hospitality?

The discussion started with what is currently happening in the marketplace and why companies need corporate entertainment. According to the panellists, back in days it was for entertainment only and nowadays it is for business development, strategy and is part of the marketing mix. Organisations are interested in investing in a memorable experience therefore experiential marketing is playing a bigger role. It becomes about finding out what clients want first and delivering on their interests.

Compliance, regulations and hospitality spend

Should corporate hospitality spend be anonymous? The panellists suggested that it is not possible to stay anonymous about it and it is even getting harder to justify expensive tickets. Therefore, the industry sees a trend of moving from expensive tickets to bespoke hospitality.

Talking about branding, times have changes and companies are not investing anymore in branding but rather in experiential and activation, such as in corporate suites to communicate and create an experience that says who the company is.

In the corporate environment it can take up to three weeks to get permission for bookings because it has to go through compliance, so hospitality companies are aware of this long sales process and need to work around it.

Is the market back after the recession?

The recession and the Bribery Act definitely affected spending. In a way this is good because it “cleaned” the market and the strongest industry players had to readjust their offer. Such examples include offering buffet instead of seated dinner, offering less formality with more networking opportunities.

Which industries offer corporate hospitality?

Before, major clients were from finance, pharmaceutical industries, now more industries have demand for corporate hospitality too, such as tech and gaming. We also see more and more small and medium enterprises booking corporate hospitality.

Food trends

Today’s guests are “foodies” and expectations are much higher – people expect a culinary experience, not just feeding. There is trend towards sustainability too, and so the customers want to know where the food is coming from and if it is local or organic. Tastes are changing and customers will not book the same event from previous year.  Despite the tight budgets, there is still place for premium offer for food and beverages.

Next generation Y

We see the rise among young and affluent generation. How can we appeal to them? According to the panellists, they want a more relaxed atmosphere – instead of a round table, for example, look for a back stage with celebrity and athlete. Two of their characteristics – they are active and tech savvy. You can appeal to them by personalization on mobile and interaction on the big screen – so be aware of it and plan accordingly.

Current offer on the market

Is there too much on the market at the moment, can it be confusing for the customer? Post crisis consolidation helped to clear and refresh the market and now we mainly see major players but also the rise of “boutique hospitality” such as Fortnum & Mason at the Flower Show. When choosing a hospitality provider to work with, it was the opinion of all to go to one with proven track record of experience with the type of events you want for your clients.  For major sporting events work with the rights holders or at the least their official resale agencies. There are many tales of non-delivery, tickets not materialising within the industry. Do not be the next tale!

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March special feature: venue of the day

Thanks for joining me this March for the “venue of the day” feature. After visiting so many venues over last two years, I have realised that I still have so much to share with you, be it a story or a picture that didn’t go on the blog. So, sharing with you these venues on Instagram and Facebook seemed as the right way to go to complete this gap. All the venues you have seen I visited on different occasions and while some are very luxurious and exclusive, such as The Shard, others are very casual for community events, such as Timberyard Old Street.

All 31 venues are listed below. I really hope you have enjoyed this feature, as much as I did, and I will be back soon with more surprises (and venues, of course). If you liked this and would like to see more of it, or have any suggestion, please let me know by commenting below. I am constantly aiming to make this blog the best source of information and inspiration for you, enjoy!

1 – Old Billingsgate

Kicking off “venue of the day” feature when every day I’ll share with you venues for small and big events or even just for an after work get together. I want to start with the Old Billingsgate – a venue I’ve been to several times for the Square Meal – Venues & Events show, an exhibition for event planners and suppliers. I love this venue because it’s very central with stunning views over London Bridge and the Shard and reminds visitors of the historic London. Did you know that it used to be world’s famous fish market before it was transformed into event space? In 1982 the fish market was relocated to Canary Wharf.

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2 – Regent’s University London

Have you ever considered an academic venue for your event? If not – think again. Back in January I attended the International Partners’ Conference at Regent’s University London and it exceeded all my expectation. Modern facilities, five event spaces & large number of classrooms with fully equipped AV, multiple catering facilities on site, very central location and extended list of preferred suppliers! That’s where I studies International Events Management so high standards and know-how guaranteed, too.

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3 – ExCeL London

This conference centre is one of my favourites and I usually visit it during the World Travel Market. It isn’t central, but easily accessible from London city via tube/ Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and even cable car. It has stunning views over The O2 Arena and Canary Wharf. I like the venue because it’s easy to navigate between the exhibition halls and they have great seminar rooms upstairs and dedicated media centre. But what I like the most is the varied and value-for-money catering offer they have on-site.

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4 – The Scotch Whisky Experience

When in Edinburgh don’t miss out on including The Scotch Whisky Experience in your programme. After our tour (back in 2012) and whisky tasting class we had a very delicious lunch at their on-site restaurant. The venue is just next to the iconic Edinburgh Castle – so you can do both in one go!

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5 – Public events

Shout out to all public events in London! National celebrations, public viewings, sports and community events, there is always something for everyone. With a small picnic and good company of friends every event rocks! My favourite event is BNY Mellon Boat Races, which takes place this year on the 11th of April. It’s recommended to arrive about 4 – 5 before the race and enjoy the cheerful atmosphere!

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6 – The Shard

The Shard has officially announced its opening for corporate and private event hire last week! The space is located on the upper levels 69 and 72 from where you’ll have the most stunning views over London. But the experience begins already when you enter the venue. You’re exposed to animated maps, screens and graphics storytelling the historic context of The Shard and its surrounding before taking the lift to level 33. Then at the “Transfer zone” you’re led through an all-enveloping graffiti word map of London. If you have some minutes to spare before the transfer you can test your London knowledge as you go through. 

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7 – 8 Northumberland Avenue

8 Northumberland Avenue is the first to offer 3D Holographic Technology on-site in London. It creates very unique experience and I had the chance to see it back in 2013 during a site-visit. To experience it you don’t even need 3D glasses and can capture the images with your camera. Perfect for product launches, presentations, pitches and even concerts.

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8 – Tobacco Dock

I visited Tobacco Dock only once for the FEAST food festival last year and absolutely loved it! Dating to the early 19th century and built in the propose to serve as a warehouse for the receipt and storage of goods, it was re-launched in 2012 as an event space. I particularly liked the fact that over two floors you can run different event functions (dining, music, entertainment) and the outdoor space which is excellent for sunny days. The ship statue by the entrance reminds of the venue’s history. Great for large scale events.

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9 – Manchester Metropolitan University

In recent years academic venues become more and more popular for events. Not only they offer competitive rates but they have fully equipped conference facilities and established relations with catering, AV and other suppliers. Last year I had the chance to visit the Benzie Building at Manchester School of Art in Manchester (Manchester Metropolitan University Conference and Events) and it’s a real gem. It almost felt like being in a museum rather than a university! One of the things that caught my attention was the concrete wallpaper pillars in the main event hall and the pattern on them – I’m sure that this and other pieces of art created by students will impress you, too.

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10 – L’Abbaye de Fontevraud

If you read my blog on a regular basis you know that I like to feature unique venues. I’m happy to see that more and more venues recognise the benefits of offering their space for events and reach out to larger audience. This time I want to present L’Abbaye de Fontevraud near Angers, France. What used to be a cloister is now transferred to be a destination, Cité Idéale (ideal city). At first, when we’ve been told that it used to be a monastery, my first thought was that it’s the “retreat” type of venue. But that was the complete opposite. It’s a destination up to the highest standard you can imagine. It’s where you find heritage and technology, modern and ancient, past and future, tradition and innovation, simplicity and luxury. The design of this dining room where we had our group dinner gives a gentle reminder of the monastic atmosphere of the past. Can’t recommend enough!

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11 – The Banking Hall

The Banking Hall in the heart of London’s financial district is truly charming venue which I discovered last year when I visited the London Christmas Party Show. Hope to host my own Christmas party there one day!

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12 – Hilton, Munich Airport

This venue is from my very first blog article in 2011 – Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich – which I visited for the first ever Kempinski Career Day and wrote the article about the event and hotels facilities. Recently I’ve found out that since January 2015 it officially belongs to the Hilton group. The real palm trees in hotel’s Atrium are the highlight of this venue!

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13 – Ace Hotel London Shoreditch

Looking for a venue with a view? Ace Hotel London Shoreditch is a chic and modern boutique hotel with this stunning view perfect for a summer BBQ (visited the venue back in September). Not long to go until we can enjoy drinks on the terrace, spring is in the air!

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14 – Château de Crémat

This venue is for all fashion enthusiasts. Did you know that Château de Crémat in Nice, France, is the birthplace of the worldwide famous Chanel logo? Legend says that Coco Chanel was good friend of the owner and attended many parties at the castle. Their CC logo inspired her to use it for her new perfume, which later on she registered as a trademark and the rest is history.

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15 – Den Blå Planet

Truly amazing venue I visited during the MIND event last December. It’s an absolutely unique experience having dinner among hundreds of these beautiful and fascinating species and at the same time relaxing and educating.

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16 –  Google Campus

The old good Google Campus is the favourite venue for all #eventtech community events. Was honoured to be part of the panel on two occasions and share my blogging experience with event planners.

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17 – Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers

The team at Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers has lots of creativity! Instead of the standard site-visit during MIND event last December, they set up three rooms in different themes. This one is a room of a business traveller, another had a romantic set-up, and last one had a Fifty Shades of Grey theme (which I’ve published last month ;)) No way you forget this site-visit, such a great idea!

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18 – The Cavern Club

The Cavern Club in Liverpool is where the Beatles were playing every night before they got discovered and received international exposure. On my last trip to Liverpool in 2011 we had a fun team building activity singing and playing on the same stage as the Beatles. We had a fantastic lead band which supported the activity and we even discovered hidden talent among the team.

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19 – Level39

Level39 is another venue, besides google campus, famous for start-up events in London. Nothing beats this spectacular view. Just WOW.

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20 – Zelo’s

Zelo’s in Monaco is a chic and modern restaurant and events space which is located just above the congress centre Grimaldi Forum. It’s a favourite party location on weekends but can be also privatised for events. And the view is truly amazing, too!

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21 –  Zefi

Weekend’s pick is Zefi in west London where I was for friend’s bday. Casual, great atmosphere and company (sorry for the bad image quality!) 

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22 – Four Seasons Canary Wharf

The Four Seasons Canary Wharf is one of three in the UK, other two are London Park Lane and Hampshire. I had the pleasure visiting the venue on two occasions and network with other event planners and meet some of their partners. Be it a corporate event or personal celebration, Four Seasons offers modern luxury for today’s savvy customers.

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23 – Nice Observatory

By now some of you might have seen this venue in the latest movie by Woody Allen, Magic in the Moonlight. I’m not sure what makes this venue more unique, the fact that it was in Woody Allen’s film or that it’s an observatory, but the venue is a real gem. It’s located high up on the summit of Mont Gros from where you have a magnificent view over Nice, France!

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24 – Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco (SBM)

The Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco (SBM) is a major player in the Monaco tourism, culture and entertainment industries and is a ‘one stop shop’ for MICE in Monaco including ,among others, a Beach Club, 23 tennis courts, 18-hole golf course overlooking the sea, 5 casinos and 2 night-clubs. The SBM group has so much to offer, would be impossible to visit all of the venues in five days I spent there last summer, but good reason to come back!

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25 – Château de la Perrière

In Angers they save the best for last. After three intensive days of site-visits and exhibition we had a surprise event at Château de la Perrière and all got dressed up! Instead of a formal dinner (as you would expect in a castle ;)) it was a rich buffet of cold and warm appetizers and desserts, sushi station and open bar. Shortly after everyone arrived the DJ opened the dance floor and we just enjoyed ourselves, great way to finish corporate event!

P.S. – This picture was taken by a drone to capture the castle in the background. Lately we talk about this event tech and this is a perfect example how to use it at events. Photo credit to Helidrone Ouest.

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26 – ArcelorMittal Orbit

Some people love its design while others don’t understand it. I visited it back in 2012 during the London Olympics and indeed it has beautiful views over the Park and London. As event planners we always look for interesting and unique venues and The Orbit perfectly falls into this category. It was created by Sir Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond as an entry to a 2009 competition to design an iconic tower for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and when accepted it cost £22.3 million to build! During the day it’s open to the public and afterwards operates as an event venue.

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27 – Château Soucherie

There’s no trip to France without some good wine tasting, right? Today “travelling” back to Angers and presenting another unique venue, the vineyard Château Soucherie. During the two hours we were there we tasted only two wines and the rest discussed flavours, regions, did blind tasting accompanied with good food. To conclude our activity we opened a bottle of Prosecco with a knife, a common French tradition called Sabrage and usually used for celebrations. That was such a perfect day, with blue sky and good wine, couldn’t ask for more.

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28 – Timberyard Old Street

Not only Timberyard Old Street is one of my favourite coffee places in London, downstairs they have space that can be privatised for events (that’s how I discovered it). Perfect location for small community events and excellent coffee guaranteed!

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29 – Sunborn Yacht Hotel

One of the latest venue openings in London is the luxurious Sunborn Yacht hotel which I visited during World Travel Market last November for Rio CVB event. Ideal location if you want to combine your event with major events at the ExCeL so it’s just a walking distance for your attendees.

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30 – The Dartmouth House

The Dartmouth House in the heart London’s Mayfair is a luxurious and historic venue for corporate events and private celebrations. If you want a truly authentic British experience that’s the right venue for your event!

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31 – One Horse Guards

One Horse Guards, part of One Events collection is a lovely and central venue, overlooking London Eye and just walking distance from Big Ben. With this venue I’m wrapping up this venue of the day March feature, hope you’ve enjoyed it and I’ll be back soon with more surprises (and venues, of course).

If you liked this and would like to see more of it, or have any suggestion, feel free to let me know. Thank you for your ongoing support and I’m constantly aiming to make this blog the best source of information and inspiration for you.

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Which one is your favourite?

Cake decorating workshop with GC Couture

I strongly believe that every team building activity that stimulates creative thinking and teaches a new skill will be more fun and memorable for attendees. Two weeks ago I have been invited by GC Couture to experience their cake decorating workshop and afternoon tea at the Four Seasons Canary Wharf. You might remember that last year in July I attended the FS Summer Showcase where I also participated in a similar workshop, but which was shorter version of this one. This time it was a full afternoon programme from 13.30 – 17.00 on Friday including Champagne reception and afternoon tea.

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Canary Wharf

Four Seasons is one of my favourite hotel brands for events, be it corporate, private celebration or just having after work drinks at the bar. I just love this brand for offering modern luxury for today’s savvy customers and attentive customer service. I love Canary Wharf and it is also one of my selected areas in London. I get inspired by the business vibes, seeing businessmen and businesswomen in suites and love the overall architecture of the tall and modern glass buildings. FS Canary Wharf is easily accessible by tube, DLR, bus or by boat, operating by Thames Clippers. The station is just next to the hotel. Definitely something to consider if you commute from city centre and it adds to the overall experience. The property at Canary Wharf is one of three in the UK, other two are London Park Lane and Hampshire. I had the pleasure visiting FS Park Lane for Event Marketing Association event but haven’t visited their Hampshire property yet.

On arrival we were greeted with a Champagne reception and canapés before going for a short site-visit to see the presidential suite which overlooks the iconic London skyline.

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View from the presidential suite

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Champagne reception and canapés on arrival 

When we were back, all was set up and ready to start with learning the first decoration technique with our experienced instructor who took us step-by-step through the process of making roses, flowers, butterflies to place on top of the cupcakes.

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Individual kit for the session 

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Learning decoration technique 

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Decoration techniques with sugar paste

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After about 40 minutes, afternoon tea was ready to be served and that was an ideal occasion to network with fellow team members, also wedding or corporate event planners. I felt that it was good to have the networking session in between because by then everyone was more relaxed and ready for the weekend. FS spoiled us with a range of very delicious cakes, crispy scones, variety of sandwiches and teas.

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Afterwards, we were back at the working station, ready to learn one more technique, the fondant, and finalise decorating our six cupcakes. And just before leaving, we had a short lottery and everyone left with even more sweets home, to share with our loved ones. It is so fun and easy to make and there is not right or wrong, just have fun and be creative.

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Cupcakes made by our instructor 

Cake decorating is a great activity both for men and women and good way to get everyone involved, learn new skill and have something to share with friends and family. I had a fantastic Friday afternoon and couldn’t think of a better way to start the weekend.

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