Posts in category: Event Planning

There’s no doubt about it, things are tough out there at the moment with the growing cost of living crisis and uncertainty. For many people and businesses, events are very much part of what they want to offer but budgets just don’t allow for using a service such as mine or going all-out in terms of what they would like to do.

First of all, let me let you into a secret. The best events are never the most expensive ones. Yes, the ones with the big budgets have the wow factor, the incredible images and ensure their guests have the most amazing time, no doubt, but the really amazing events, and the ones that stay with you, have one thing in common – heart.

By this, I mean that every element has been nurtured and cared about, always with the guest central to that delivery. So, what I am saying is, yes, you need budget, but it’s not the be all and end all.

I am all about paying it forward and sharing my expertise when I can, so I have put together my guide to hosting events on a budget and if you just need an expert eye, please do get in touch as, if I can, I would be more than happy to help.

Set and stick to budget – learn the art of the haggle

This is the first and foremost rule if money is limited. You need to be strict about what you spend where and keep a close eye on all expenditure. Going over budget to deliver your event is not an option, so the key here is researching the best deals and start haggling. Now, I am not saying haggle with fellow small businesses, that doesn’t do anyone any favours, but there is no harm asking your venue and your suppliers if there is any wiggle room on their pricing. Even a small reduction can really help. As long as you ask in a polite way, often people don’t mind the question and it never hurts to ask.

Are there any swaps on the table?

When budget is limited, it is worth thinking of any other ways you can work with suppliers to get your event off the ground and a good start is swaps. For example, could you promote their brand at the event in return for a discount? Or could you offer a service or goods as payment instead? This can really help reduce the spend and keep both sides happy.

Be brutal

Sounds obvious but do spend the time researching venues and suppliers and really assessing what you actually need to make the event sizzle versus a ‘nice to have’. Do a list of what you have to have for it to happen (venue, food, drinks etc) to what additional things you would love (entertainment, features etc). Do you really need a photo wall, for example? What would it add to the overall event? Be brutal and get external opinions as much as you can, especially from the kind of guests you will be inviting.

Avoid brand new if you can

There is not a lot of reason to buy anything brand new for events and most of the time you can get used bits that are just as good. So, go online and search! There are fab sites such as Second-Hand Prop Shop, Event Prop Hire, Party Prop Hire and loads more where you can either buy second hand or hire. From a sustainability perspective, hiring is so much more attractive – and this can be communicated to your audiences too.

Could you perhaps hire a sustainable food supplier to come and cater too? This is fabulous promotion for them too and allows you to showcase your values.

Reach out to your network and promote talent

If you are looking for entertainment for your event but don’t have the budget, are there any people in your network you could ask to come and perform, or even someone from the guest list itself? Another idea is to host a photo competition for the guests to post on social media during the event as this gives you free social coverage and imagery at the event for minimal cost!

You know the saying, ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’? Well, there is nothing more true than in events which is why the venue is always king as this is the first taste of your event that your guests get to experience, and why, in my opinion, you need to spend the time getting it just right!

Here at Lucy Claire Events, we spend a lot of time looking for venues, filling our little black book full of magical spaces for all occasions and this has been built up over the years and many, many hours. I know the importance of first impressions so the venue you choose has to both service the event you are hosting as well as represent the person and brand that is putting it on.

Looking for a venue can be incredibly overwhelming. I totally get this, which is why we are so busy with our venue-finding service saving people precious time. Here are a few tips to help you get underway. I hope they help!

Put together a ‘needs’ list

Before you embark on your search, put together a list of what you need from the venue. This will ensure you don’t get distracted by something that perhaps wows you but isn’t functional for your needs. So, do you need a space of a specific size, a stage, tech support for a corporate event, for example, or for a private party, do you want somewhere exclusive, easy to access with specific catering needs?

Doing this initial ‘needs list’ will ensure you stick to your criteria and don’t waste time looking at spaces that won’t fit the brief.

Know your budget

This is a biggy! As with anything, you can spend thousands on a venue if you want, but do know your budget for the venue and what that includes – is this food and drink as well, together with any added extras such as service charge and VAT? Make sure you ask for a full breakdown of costs from each venue so there are no hidden surprises.

Be specific

By really honing-in on what you want really does save time and money and as venue finders, you are a dream as we can get cracking to find exactly what you’re looking for. Taking the time to really map out what you want in terms of criteria really does pay off in the long run.

Don’t forget the power of getting out there

As venue finders, we never underestimate the power of getting out and about in an area and seeing what potential venues there are. We are lucky to have a black book of amazing venues and are the first to know of new openings, but we still unearth some hidden gems by getting out and about. I love discovering new spaces and the leg work that goes with it – and it saves our clients so much time and energy! 

Put yourself in your guests’ shoes

On our site visits, we always put ourselves in our client’s shoes and really look at the space in line with their objectives and needs for the event and ask if the space meets those needs. We drill down on what people will be greeted with first, how does the space look, is it accessible, does it meet the guests’ needs? This allows us to iron out any issues before the event or make necessary amendments.

Are you looking for a venue to host your event? We would love to help you – do get in touch for more details.

As I have spoken about before, there is a definite upsurge in people wanting to host off-site experiences for their teams, whether that be a strategy day, a team building day, an activity day or a mixture of all.

I have been charged with organising a number of these in the past year and I have to say the hybrid mix of work, activities and R&R are definitely the winners. I wanted to share my top tips for hosting a team off-site, if you are thinking about it.

What’s the point?

Before you start planning the nitty gritty, do spend some time thinking about why you are hosting the off-site in the first place. Is it a reward to your team or is to educate, review or plan, or is it a bit of everything? Knowing your why and the objectives of the experience will lead the shaping of it.

Set a budget

As we all know, events can escalate quickly in terms of financial commitment, so ensure you set a budget early-doors and commit to how much you want to invest in this. Perhaps you could think about cost per attendee and work it out that way.

How do you want people to feel?

This is always a question I ask my clients as it is important to know their perceived outcome and want for their attendees. Are they wanting them to be wowed, inspired, educated, thanked, treated, or a bit of everything? A lot of the people I work with are very much wanting to reward their teams for all their hard work during difficult times.

What’s your desired ratio of experience?

As you start planning, do have a think about how much time you want your attendees to spend on the learning part or the adventure part or the relaxing part, if you are having a mix. For example, would you host sessions in the day and then reward with an activity and dinner in the evening, or perhaps you would pare down the business stuff and focus more on the activities in the day in terms of team building? This is very much a business-by-business decision in terms of objectives for the event.

Go deep with the detail

As the saying goes, the devil is in the detail and this is so true for off-sites. What would make your team members really feel treated – is there something personal to them that you could include? Could you incorporate a surprise or something to give them a memorable wow factor perhaps? Ideas include awards, gifts, special guests or a surprise activity / experience.

Be mindful of mixing

If you are thinking of doing a team off-site overnight then do me mindful of people’s space – always give them their own rooms (you’d be surprised how many brands bunk people up together!), allow them free time to spend as they wish and where you can, make things optional. There is nothing worse than being made to feel you need to take part when you really don’t want to.  Your team will so appreciate this extra layer of care.

Pic: Charingworth Manor 

A key discussion in the events industry at the moment is the rise of the short lead times to organise events, with many of my fellow events professionals flagging it as a noticeable change this year.

For me personally, it has definitely been a change. I recently organised an awards’ dinner at The Londoner from start to finish in four weeks at the beginning of July and also two 70^th anniversary celebrations at The Serpentine in two months, which were extremely logistically detailed due to the one-hour access time we had to put in an exhibition. Each event was great and went really well, but the time frames did bring added pressure to the team, there’s no doubt.

I feel this rise of demanding timelines is a result of the uncertain years we have had, and people are reluctant to plan too far ahead – understandably so.

People, myself included, are wary of planning too much into the future, as recent history has shown, anything can happen and with the growing concerns and uncertainty surrounding rising living costs, the country’s leadership and the constant strain on resources, people are holding back.

This is common for both corporate and private events. We are getting quite a lot of Christmas enquiries, but they are definitely coming in later than usual and even though people and companies seem happy to spend the money, they are more invested in the curation of their events than ever.

One thing I have spoken about before is the desire to create experiences and memories and this is what, I feel, people have traded for physical things as we were without companionship and camaraderie for so long. As an events’ professional, it is my role to create magic and bespoke experiences with the client at the heart, so it is imperative for me to really get to know my clients, their needs and their desires more than ever to ensure I bring their visions to life.

This takes experience and I have definitely had to call on my years of knowledge and contacts to deliver seamless events in a shorter time. And I have to say, it’s been challenging at times.

We are in a state of flux somewhat. On one hand, I am so ecstatic to be busy again, but I have to marry this up with realistic expectations and, in light of the short lead time demands, really assess if this is something I can, and want, to deliver to the quality that I expect of myself. There is no point scrabbling around to deliver an event below par and I refuse to do it so, at times, it is a fine line of saying yes and no to some events in order to protect my integrity.

In time, I hope the timeframes will extend a little more, but I am aware they may not. Events professionals, like me, are delivering despite the challenges, and this way of working could soon be the norm, so we have to be prepared for that and enlist the processes and help needed to ensure we can meet demand without risking our own work ethic and self-care.

It is an interesting topic, and I would love to hear your experiences too. Are they similar to mine?

Have you ever been to an event and the venue was just spectacular? I was lucky enough to work on two events in one week at The Natural History Museum recently and the space was just incredible. Being in such an iconic building immediately set the tone for what were hugely memorable events and allowed people to have the wow factor and that air of exclusivity that they were privy to be in that space at that time.

Wow factors are big in the events world and creating them through magic touches is what I love doing the most. Of course, not many of us have the budget to host our event at The Natural History Museum, but there are definitely things you can do for your event to create the wow factor.

Here are a few of my suggestions:

Think about every sense:

I talk a lot about sensory elements in events, but it really is worth considering what your guests are experiencing. Often people are focussing on what an event will look like that they sometimes forget to ask what it will smell like, feel like sound like. By being in tune with all senses really can give the wow factor and can add that further dimension.

Little touches:

As they say, the devil is in the detail and the smallest of things can create a wow factor. For example, is the seating plan really thought out in line with who you feel would have the best conversations and connections? Could you add a small surprise that guests weren’t expecting which will be hugely memorable? Is there a takeaway you can give them to remember the event?

Drink & Food:

Let’s be fair, most people remember what they ate and drank at an event and whether it was any good or not. Try and make sure your menu is tailored to your guests as much as possible and offer the best tasting experiences you can. Could you do something specific to the theme that will be memorable?

Give opportunity to wow

By this I mean make sure there are spaces for people to showcase where they are and why. Give them a reason to show off, especially on social media. Are there any props you could have to aid this or a specifically dressed area? Could you have someone manning that space to create a sense of exclusivity?

Be really clear on your goal

Wow factors, I feel, are often generated most when events are really clear on their purpose. Events that have a clear objective in mind and everything is built to achieve that are often the most memorable and magical. If you are wanting to celebrate a certain occasion, try and make sure everything is driving towards that, or if it is to reward staff, make sure that each element drives to that.

Wow factors can’t be bought but they can be created so if you would like some help creating yours, do get in touch.

This year, I have definitely seen a rise in team activities and companies wanting to reward their team through shared experiences. Good leaders reward the people around them and with many people still feeling the impact of lockdown, it is not lost on many lead teams that their employees have perhaps been through the wringer.

It seems that leaders are being more insightful in their rewards and instead of a little bit more in the pay packet (which, I’m sure it still very welcomed!), they are instead wanting to offer an experience they can share together that they will all benefit from.

High on many of my clients’ agenda is wellness and wellbeing and saying thank you by looking after their staff in this way. I have many people ask me for a really special location that is in nature, beautiful and will offer rest and respite for the people that have worked so hard.

And I am more than happy to help as there are some incredible venues in the UK offering the perfect get away from the day-to-day. I recently hosted a group of eight at the stunning Lakes By Yoo which was the perfect backdrop for them to connect and relax. It feels that the days of renting an off-site meeting room with rubbish coffee and a white board are behind us (thankfully!) and leaders are wanting to reward and inspire their staff – with fantastic results.

It’s not rocket science that by doing this, leaders are cementing a great sense of respect and good will among their employees. Being thankful and appreciative goes such a long way and this in turn will create a sense of loyalty and desire to work hard so by offering a stunning location as an away day or a weekend can work wonders.

A few of the activities that I have helped organise for clients that have been really successful include:

• Cycling – a team cycled from Windsor to Oxford and then Henley to Oxford.
• Wild swimming – this is so popular at the moment and the people who attended the experience at Wasing Park loved their swimming followed by sauna.
• Yoga – great for mental health and wellbeing and an activity people can do together. We also offered candle lit yoga at one retreat which was so magical.
• Exercise classes – again, a great way to get in the right frame of mind for the day ahead.

These are just a few examples, but I love working with clients to find their niche and what they love. I mean a good walk and talk in nature is one of the best things anyone can do!

Retaining and rewarding great people is imperative to business success and this should always be high of leaders’ agendas as by being in-tune with this will pay off in dividends. If you would like to arrange a special experience for your team, we would love to help you and have a big contact book of some really special locations so please do get in touch!

This is a question I get asked a lot and it’s an understandable one. On the surface, events look pretty easy don’t they, but often the complexities and details only become apparent when the person organising is too far down the line, which can lead to excess stress and worry and, in worst cases, not enjoying the event altogether. 

Years of experience as an event and party planner has taught me that memorable events take time, effort and experience. Yes of course anyone can organise an event, but can they organise a great one? It’s like saying anyone can throw some lunch together, but will it be the best lunch?  

What I will say is repeat business is common in my industry. Once people have used an event planner, they very rarely go back to doing it themselves! This is because the time, energy and stress we have saved can be worth their weight in gold, and that coupled with our little black books brimming with venues, suppliers, special touches and magic goes a long way. 

We work with a number of private and corporate clients and there are big similarities in their requests. Many ask for the event to be unique and memorable. Now, let us think about the words unique and memorable for a moment – they are big words with even bigger expectations. And, as the person who is being paid to deliver on these requests, I need to know what I am doing and draw on my experience to really understand what these words mean to this client. 

For example, a private party to celebrate a special birthday could be hugely memorable due to the fantastic venue, or the little touches like personalised gifts for the guests or getting to know the birthday person’s tastes to conjure up a few surprises. Whereas, for a corporate event, it could be classed as unique if the room is set up differently or if the way the networking is organised is something the attendees have not experienced before. 

The key here is knowing the client and taking the time to understand their interpretation of these words and deliver on that. I often draw on years of experience to do this and have been there and got the T-shirt, as they say, and know first-hand what works really well.  

However, I never rest on my laurels! I am constantly looking for new venues, suppliers and thinking of ideas on how to deliver the most inspiring events. This has been hugely apparent over the last year in the new digital world and being as up to date as possible on the technology for events that is constantly hitting the market. 

It will be interesting to see what events will stay digital moving forwards and what will exist in real life, and if there will be an equal balance. After all, from a time and budget perspective, there is a lot to be said for staying online at times, but there is nothing as magical as an in-person event.  

 We would love to hear from you if you would like a reliable and creative pair of hands assisting you in delivering a special event for you!  

As an event planner, personal touches have always been important when planning and running events, but as I reflect on the past year, I have definitely seen an emergence in a more bespoke event.

This is for many reasons, but I feel the main one being that people wanted their first event after we re-emerged from lockdown to be super special and wanted more onus and care into making it personal for them. There is a deep desire for people to host events that are unique to them and that say something about their personality or brand, and for attendees to come away having been immersed in a truly memorable experience.

Creating a personal event doesn’t have to cost the earth – it is often the little touches that have the biggest impact. Elements such as giving the event a scent is hugely powerful, without being obvious, and is a great way to subliminally impact your guests through their senses. We recently created a bespoke scented candle with a supplier to be given to guests in their swag bags on a retreat we organised.

Another way is creating unique elements such as place cards. I recently held an event where we worked with a local calligrapher and many guests took their place cards home with them as they were so beautiful. Using local creatives to help style your event adds an extra layer of creativity and a fabulous talking point with your guests. Keepsakes are a lovely thing to offer, so it has been wonderful getting creative with these and enlisting some wonderful suppliers to create bespoke takeaways in line with the look and feel of my clients’ events.

Taking the time to know your guests can work wonders too and that is not just their dietary requirements I mean here. It is good to know whether they drink alcohol or not, and if not, create them a unique non-alcoholic option. It is good to know what their overall aim of the event is – is it networking, a celebration or a launch, for example? Can the seating plan be curated to ensure people are sat next to select people that they will connect and spark with? Taking this extra care in the planning phase can pay off in dividends with guests always remembering where they met ‘that’ person or had ‘that’ conversation.

Personal touches are demanded more than ever, and rightly so. Here at Lucy Claire Events, we love rising to this challenge working with venues, suppliers and externals from our little black book to ensure that all guests walk away having experienced something special. We have always prided ourselves on working in partnership with the person or company hosting the event, and really getting to know them and their objectives for the occasion. There has been a big focus on giving back and saying thank you with many businesses wanting to go above and beyond to thank staff and clients. When an event is quite personable like this and the attendees all know each other, that does allow us to get even more personable as we can create games, quizzes or challenges specifically for their tastes and relationships.

So, if you have an event brewing for 2022 and would like that sprinkle of personal touches, please do get in touch to organise a chat over a coffee, as we have so many ideas to share with you!

I am still recovering from a fantastic 3-day Founders Retreat for a client at the stunning Wasing Park estate just near Newbury, and I have to say it really has got me excited about future event activities. 

In events of old, activities for guests would have been things like an exercise class or a workshop of some description – which are great of course – but this time we really embraced nature and the great outdoors, and it was wonderful. 

As I am sure you have seen, wild swimming has got super popular during lockdown with people getting their swimming fix in the natural rivers and lakes as pools were closed and many have never looked back. As Wasing Park is such a stunning spot for a swim we decided to offer it as an activity, and we were bowled over with the response. So many people wanted to get involved, especially as we followed it with a beautiful authentic wood-fired Scandinavian sauna! 

I partook myself and I have to say it was such a perfect way to start the day being in nature in the heart of an ancient woodland. It really did alleviate any worries or stresses and set me up perfectly both mentally and physically for the day, even though it was a tad cold to say the least! I am a big fan of Scandinavian living and the complete love and inclusion of the outdoors and nature into their day-to-day life is something I dream about seeing people completely fall in love with this too who perhaps had never tried it before was so brilliant. 

Going forwards, I will definitely be adding wild swimming into experiences where I can and always look to offer something in line with the huge benefits nature can give us. It is not just restricted to the warmer months, as this retreat has shown, doing something outdoors if planned correctly can be an all-year-round experience. 

As we were in such a stunning location, we also thought we would have a bit of fun with our guests and organised a Segway treasure hunt around the grounds and a little cocktail masterclass which were both really loved. I love watching how the guests got really into it, had a slight competitive streak and had such good fun. 

We also offered wonderful yoga Nidra sessions one afternoon and a pre-breakfast yoga session on the last day that were hugely well received. Yoga Nidra focusses on the state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, like the “going-to-sleep” stage and was super relaxing for all our guests. 

As an event organiser, experience is everything, and for this retreat, the star of the show really was the location, and I was determined to celebrate that fully. The best experiences are achieved when organisers really immerse themselves in the setting and think outside the box about the possibilities it holds and how they could offer the wow factor to their guests. Planning, giving yourself enough time and dreaming big always win the day!  

Even though it was an incredibly busy three days, I got such pleasure from seeing the guests have such a wonderful time and fall in love with the stunning location and all it has to offer. I cannot wait to organaise my next one!  

If this sounds like something you would love to host for your family, friends or colleagues, please do get in touch. 

I know, I know – it seems mad mentioning the C word, but it is the middle of September and thoughts need to be had into how you will celebrate this year with your colleagues, friends and family. 

There’s no denying it – the landscape is different, and people are approaching the festive period in a different way. We are getting numerous requests for smaller parties and creating experiences rather than the bog-standard dinner and party affair, and this is music to our ears!  

When working with smaller groups, there are a lot more possibilities for us event planners as we can really get creative and conjure up some incredible bespoke experiences for you. Are you responsible for planning? We would love to hear from you about how we could help – we have a huge list of venues and suppliers as well as so many ideas to make your party and celebration one to remember.  

Here are a few tips and thoughts to get you going!  

Don’t dismiss online 

As we have seen in the past year, with some fantastic planning and a lot of creativity, online experiences can be great fun. We have hosted ‘Around the World’ challenges, wine and cheese tastings, Race Nights and other games with fabulous results. If you wanted to you could perhaps mix in-person and online? It is possible!  

Get the festive fun started with a gift box 

Gift boxes were massive last year as no one could see anyone in person. There is still high demand this year. We think they are a lovely gesture and hugely compliment your event as they get guests excited and engaged for the upcoming celebrations. They can also be sent in advance and can be themed in line with the experience.  

Go outside the box with your venue  

If you are hosting a small party, have a think about the venue and get creative! With big groups, you can be quite limited on venue choices due to capacities, but with smaller more intimate affairs, you can definitely think outside the box! We love getting creative, and have organised fantastic Christmas parties on exclusive roof tops, secret gardens, beautiful barns, boats and even abroad – so everything is possible!  

Think how you want to make people feel   

There’s no denying it, people have been through the wringer a bit over the last couple of years, and so this year Christmas is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get together, to thank, celebrate and support. People may be in different places emotionally so for your celebrations do remember this and think how you would like them to feel, what experience they should have and what outcome you would like.  

It’s all in the details! 

As with any event, the devil is in the detail and the small touches can make such a big difference and leave lasting impressions. How about creating a signature cocktail to serve guests on arrival? Or providing a surprise element such as a performance, a speech or special gifts for guests? 

Have fun! 

Christmas is about celebrating so don’t forget the fun element! People are so happy to be with each other so do focus on the human side.