Posts in category: Event Planning

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.  

A lot of people are planning in-person events for the rest of the year, making up for lost time and missed celebrations. If you are organising an event, either private or corporate, there are a few magic touches you can do to ensure that it’s a great success that I’d like to share with you. Do let me know if they help. 

Give your guests as much information as you can 

For some people, your event might be their first one after the past year so, understandably, there might be a few nerves involved. As the organiser, you can make this person feel so much more at ease by making sure your communication is on point. This can be sending out clear directions and what safety measures you have put in place before the event, ensuring that the venue is clearly sign posted and that there are clear areas for coats, bags etc. Doing this work can really help put someone at ease. If you are hosting an event where people may not know each other, perhaps a little guest list sent out beforehand wouldn’t go amiss so people know who to expect and can have a think about who they would like to chat to. 

Make sure everyone is welcomed on arrival 

This sounds basic, but it is so important. First impressions are everything and you want people to feel welcome immediately. A good idea is to have either yourself or someone in your team stationed at the entry point to greet people as they arrive, direct them where they need to be and ensure each person is met with a smile. It is often a good idea to have drinks stationed here too to welcome them! 

Think about your colour scheme 

Like great brands, great events work well with a colour scheme so in the planning stages do think of this as this will inform your decoration choice. If it is a business event, what are the brand colours that are hosting it? or if it’s a private event, what is the venue like and the overall ambience you would like to create? Having a well thought out colour scheme can really make a difference as well as making for some great snaps! 

 Have a focal point for the event 

If you can, it’s good to have a centrepiece for the event – like gathering around to cut the cake or making that speech or listening to that performance. This gives people a focal point that they know is coming and can hang around for. 

Know what you want out of your event 

If your event is a biggy, do you want people to shout about it? Do you want people to post on social media about how much of a great time they’re having? If so, do you have a hashtag you want them to use, or even better, a specific area where they can pose for pictures? Make this super clear pre and during your event. 

Think about final impressions 

This is one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves at times, but it is so important. For many of us, we chat about the event on the way home, so your final impression is one that can stay with you and help formulate your opinion. As the organiser you need to think about people’s final experiences. Are you giving them something to leave with? Are you seeing your guests out and thanking them for coming? Is there a follow-up promised? Put yourself into their shoes and ask yourself what would make you have a lasting positive impression. 

The world of the virtual event doesn’t look to be going anywhere soon so as events professionals, we are fully embracing them and looking at how to make them the best they can be.

Even though when you get down to the nuts and bolts of it, a virtual event is often a person on their own staring at a computer, however it can be much more than that if in the right hands. Imagine if I said to you that going to a music festival is really only a person stood in a muddy field listening to some music that’s happening far away, and they can’t really see where it’s coming from – sounds a bit rubbish doesn’t it?!

What is missing is the magic and the emotions that those experiences conjure up and online events are just the same. Yes, it is tough to think it’s just you, yourself and I staring at a square box but how many of us have completely lost ourselves in a great film or TV series and sat and laughed, cried, cowered in horror because of what we’re seeing, hearing and, most importantly, feeling?

In the virtual technology world at the moment, there is a lot of development into sensory events and how the corporate world, in particular, can add another layer or dimension to their offer to engage their audiences. There is technology that can make the viewer feel that someone is really with them through sound and that they are transported to a virtual reality that is believable and impactful. Definitely powerful stuff.

For us at Lucy Claire Events, we are passionate about that personal touch and how we can marry up touch points to deliver a fantastic experience. So, for example, as well as a great virtual event, there would have been great insight and research beforehand into who the people are taking part in the event and asking is there anything we can send them beforehand to act as a physical prop or gift to enhance their experience?

Also, when on the event, how can we make it as interactive as possible. We hosted a number of Around The World events before Christmas which everybody loved as it got them out of their seats, trying to find things at home and having that interactive element rather than just sat there staring at a screen the whole time. It got people’s energy and concentration levels up as well as made them laugh, which made for really memorable events. By doing your research and really knowing the audience, you can make an event bespoke, personal and memorable.

Of course, the most up to date technology would be wonderful, but it comes at a hefty price, so it’s up to us to draw on our years of experience and expertise to bring the magic and add those personal touches which I am proud to say we do.

If you are looking to motivate your team, say thank you or connect – we’d love to hear from you.

Getting inspiration for events comes from everywhere and through the years, I have been inspired by anything and everything. Clients often come to us for the added wow factor and we’re more than happy to oblige, especially in the current times. 

At the moment, we are sadly hearing a lot about events being cancelled, re-arranged or significantly reduced. So, the events that are going ahead are increasingly special and unique and I’m happy to say, a lot of clients are coming to me to add that sprinkle of fairy dust. 

The best events are the ones that really have the essence of the client running through them and this can be brand values for corporate clients and personality for private events. But, at times, inspiration can be hard to find but if you look hard enough, it is everywhere. 

Many a time, the venue can be a huge source of inspiration. If you follow me on social media, you will see I have been visiting a number of new venues recently and there is a lot of commonality in terms of sustainability and a rustic look and feel. There seems to be a demand for more nature-inspired venues at the moment and earthy feelings of authenticity which allows for some truly beautiful spaces and opportunities.  

If this is the sort of venue you would like to host your event in, this rustic and earthy tone can run through the event in terms of colours, food, invitations, activities and ensure everything feels complimentary and well thought out.  

Once I know this is your preferred theme, I can then dig into my little black book and make sure I work with suppliers who can deliver on this too so that everything is aligned.  

When working with corporate clients, I always ask what their goals and objectives are for the event as they really ignite ideas for inspiration. So, for example if the objective is to inspire the team on an away day and generate great conversation and ideas, I will look for a venue that is in line with their brand values but offers great and inspiring spaces to sit, talk and collaborate.  

Little touches also can make such a difference. So for example, bringing a food truck in rather than the standard offering, creating an immersive experience in line with the theme for attendees can create a fantastic talking point, and adding elements such as themed music, colours and dress can do wonders for the mood (and create some amazing photos!). 

As always, the internet and a good old Pinterest board is a fabulous place for inspiration. I have created boards with my clients for them to add their ideas on and for us to brain dump and it’s always so interesting to see what they come up with when the creative juices are flowing.  

Adding those magic touches doesn’t have to be expensive, and they are often not, it is about understanding who will be there, why they are there and what the client wants to get out of the experience.  

Sustainable events are, rightly, in demand these days and it’s fantastic to see so many venues and suppliers upping their sustainability game.  

The phrase ‘sustainable events’ has been on my radar for a long time now and I endeavor, wherever possible, to be as sustainable as possible in all my events.  

Being sustainable means to be kind to the environment, be mindful on excessive waste and try and be as clean as we can in all aspects of putting on events. It’s an education piece for the event industry as a whole to ensure we work together to offer the most sustainable events possible and learn from each other how best to do that. 

Here at Lucy Claire Events, we are hugely proud to say that we seek out partners that are as sustainable as possible and understand our clients’ requirements for this so we deliver the best events, but in the most environmentally friendly way.  

Often clients will want to be as sustainable as possible but are unsure how to deliver this, so we do that work for them and educate and instill the best practices.   

I’m pleased to say that there have been so many positive shifts from many of the venues I work with to ensure that they are being as sustainable as possible – from small things such as not using plastic straws and always recycling, to a complete overhaul of their venue’s offer. 

A recent visit to the beautiful eco-friendly venue Woodhaven in Surrey really encapsulated this. The venue is a British and European made building with materials and furnishings that have been constructed to suit allergy sufferers, complete with a heat recovery and ventilation system. Pretty impressive stuff. Alongside this, they are really switched on with all the mod cons, technologies and space options to be a hugely credible offering for corporate events.   

Another venue I utterly love is Sheepdrove – an organic farm and eco conference centre on the beautiful Berkshire Downs.  

The owners always dreamt of self-sufficiency and their original aim was to protect themselves from the polluting chemicals used by the farmers all around them and recreate the original Downland landscape. They state that the conversion to organic farming has been a hugely positive experience.  

They also say they have witnessed the nature around them coming back to life with the return of myriad birds, wildflowers, small mammals and insect life and it is so humbling to see how they have transformed this once arid prairie.  

I get such a thrill from working with these types of venues and I am so heartened to see most, if not all, new venues taking their eco footprint very seriously as people expect nothing less.  

The industry is definitely changing and during this enforced lockdown a lot of fantastic venues and suppliers have used this time to address their sustainability offer and ensure they are doing all they can. It’s by working together that we will support each other to be the best we can be.  

Back at the end of August we worked with a top Norwegian events company providing the UK partnership arm to their event hosting a fabulous three-day ‘English Adventure’ weekend for 480 guests from a Norwegian tech company in Oslo.

After 5 flights into 4 airports, a summer BBQ arrival party in each of the three hub towns, Windsor, Henley and Oxford, accommodation across 11 hotels in the three towns on the first night, 25 activities on the Saturday, an Edwardian Ball at the University Museum of Natural History, accommodation in 3 Oxford colleges on the second night, a finale event at Oxford Town Hall and then five return flights on the Sunday, our mission was complete!

It’s quite a feat to cram everything that happened that weekend into one fun blog post, so we’re going to give an overview and then post future blogs focusing on specific parts of the event.

After months of endless planning, preparation, meetings and site visits, the day when 480 Norwegians arrived was upon us. After some efficient airport transfers from Stewarts Coaches, guests arrived at their evening summer BBQs on the Friday, at Oakley Court for those staying in Windsor, Greenlands Business School in Henley and the Oxford Thames Hotel. These wonderful summer garden party style evenings were a super start to their English Adventure on the River and their introduction to the Thames Valley.

Spread across 11 hotels on Friday night; four in Windsor, five in Henley and two in Oxford, guests enjoyed a plethora of activities on Saturday – 25 to be exact! Lots of fun and games organising transfers, lunches and logistics! Pre-chosen before their arrival, these included Painting by the River in Oxford, riding in Windsor Great Park, tours of the three towns with visits to Windsor Castle and Christ Church College, cycling to Oxford from Windsor and Henley, Stand-up Paddle Boarding, boat cruises on the Thames, learning how to play Rugby and Cricket, and many more. (We will be writing about these on the blog in due course!).

The whole group then descended on the dreamy spires of Oxford for the rest of the weekend. Maintaining the flowing river theme by staying close to the Thames, guests were based at three colleges; St Anne’s, Queen’s and Pembroke. On Saturday night an Edwardian punk style Ball rocked into town at the University Museum of Natural History. What a venue!!! And what a location for this party! With dinosaurs greeting guests, colourful fancy dress, vintage circus acts, a mix of entertainment acts, photo-booth and DJs to keep everyone on their feet, this was a night like no other and a great way for our client to celebrate.

We bid farewell to our guests on Sunday with a university college themed graduation at the Oxford Town Hall. Actors took to the stage to tell the weekend’s stories – accompanied by much laughter and reminiscing!

This was a fabulous event for LCE. The team on site and those who assisted in the pre-event organisation were invaluable. I am incredibly proud to have had each and everyone one of them with me. It was duly noted by the Norwegians what a great team we had – so here’s to more successes in 2020!

Best thing about this event? My incredible team!! Without them this event wouldn’t have been the success that it was! I’m incredibly proud of each one of them. Many of them I had worked with before, but there were many who had come highly recommended to me by event industry colleagues, and so this was a great testament to them too. They really pulled together as a team, and I was so touched when it was mentioned to me by one of the Norwegian events team what a great team I had. They were fantastic, and I can’t wait to work with them all again in 2020!

Biggest learning from the event? You need a strong team to support you on events of this scale. With the various logistical challenges needing to be accomplished this is when you need your team of professionals in support both in the pre-event planning and on-site. It is imperative to have a team of event managers you can trust and rely on. Working with such large numbers of people also requires good management systems in place and a large team of event managers to achieve the greatest outcome.

‘A massive thanks to Lucy and her team for running a fantastic three-day team offsite for our Norwegian client last summer. Whether in the run up or onsite, the team were always approachable, supportive and with smiles on their faces ensuring a complex logistical operation looked effortless to our clients!’