by admin | Apr 9, 2015 | Food & Beverage
Having written before about food in relation to events, I was hesitant to write another Hot Topic’s with similar content, but in this day and age of our obsession with the latest trends in food, I thought you would find the below read interesting. What this article does show is that the point still remains, food is one of THE most important aspects when putting your event together. Keeping food interesting, healthy and tasty should be at the forefront of your planning when considering your food choices, for events of any style. The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) has released its Top 10 Conference Foods Trends for 2015, so I thought you may be interested to know what items are having an impact when it comes to catering for conferences across the globe. 1. Local The importance of adding a local feel to meetings has been identified as a major trend as attendees want to experience as much as they can about the area they are going to for their meeting or event. 2. Networking Small plates of food items, continuously served in a reception format add a nice break to an extended event. 3. Small Bite size desserts have overtaken larger portions in popularity. Warm house made donuts, chocolate truffles, French macaroons, mini cupcakes and house made cookies are top of the list for planners. 4. Flavour without fat Healthy choices don’t need to resemble rabbit food and conference chefs work with exciting new ingredients including whole grains, protein alternative (quinoa, amaranth, tofu, beans) green vegetables (kales, spinach), low fat and low sugar foods which sound, look and...
by admin | Dec 22, 2014 | Planning & Logistics
The end of the year is almost upon us and while many of you will have your events calendar set for 2015, many of you haven’t because the end of the year always creeps up on us! The good news is, it’s not too late and here at Urban Event Management we can help facilitate your event plans seamlessly and efficiently regardless of the timeframe. I find more and more that the plans clients make are not made 12 or even 6 months out from their event, but 3 or sometimes even 2 months out. There is no doubt events need planning and preparation, however sometimes the more time we have the more procrastination and lack of interest can come into play. The mindset creeps in, “we have plenty of time”. You know you need to run an event – check! The year kicks off and business is in full swing – check! Discussions are had around what needs to happen but resources are tied up doing the job your staff are meant to do – check! All of a sudden you’re a few short months off your proposed event date and you don’t have a venue, a registration web site or a dedicated team to facilitate the successful execution of your event. So how can Urban Event Management help? We are the extension of your team. We meet with you, understand the brief, implement budgets, make connections with all the suppliers and take the lead on creating the event you envisioned all those months ago but just haven’t had the time to properly invest in. We know your time...
by admin | Oct 30, 2014 | Team Building
Team building can be defined as a wide range of activities, presented to businesses designed for improving team performance. When deciding whether to include a team building activity into your event it’s important to consider what outcome you want to achieve. In this month’s Hot Topic’s we chat to Genevieve Matthews, Creator and Founder of The Art of Extraordinary on her thoughts about the value of team building and what she has created that is both beneficial and fun! 10 with Gen Lisa: Thanks Gen for your time. Why “The Art of Extraordinary”? Gen: It takes a little extra, it really does, to stand out, to be unique, to find your point of difference and it’s been through creative, learning experiences, that I’ve discovered my own thing. Ultimately where I’m headed, what my blocks are, who I want to work with, what my talents are, what I need to do, the possibilities and a clear direction. Now that’s what I teach and facilitate for others to discover their thing. It takes team building to a whole new level, because through the creative facilitation of games, activities and art we uncover the gaps and potential for individuals and organisations. People and businesses get so caught up in their day to day, doing what they do and what they want to achieve, they often forgot to concentrate on the being, yes being who they need to be and what it is all for. Lisa: So what are the key benefits of doing one of your games or activities Gen? Gen: We play and explore. When adults are allowed to return to...
by admin | Sep 25, 2014 | Event Content, Technology
Vidstream – have you heard of it? It can be hard to keep up with what’s happening in the world of technology at the best of times and if you want to stay in front when it comes to communicating at your event, knowing what’s hot in the world of technology is paramount. Let’s face it, AV is one of the most important aspects of any event regardless of scale, but also the most likely to cause us stress because there are so many variables. So what is Vidstream and how can it add value to your next event? Vidstream is a new generation of cost-effective, high definition video streamin. What can it be used for? Internal Communications – Team engagement and training, professional education, seminars, video newsletters, new product and service announcements, market and business updates. External Communications – Stakeholder engagement, media conferences, major events, public awareness, education campaigns, marketing & promotion and AGM’s, just to name a few! The host site and presenter can be in the CBD of a major city or in outback Australia. The technology is truly mobile and flexible. In addition to streaming an on-camera presenter, you have the flexibility to insert pre-produced content into the presentation: PowerPoint and video packages, promos, commercials and graphics. What are the benefits? Immediacy – content is delivered ‘fresh’ to maximise impact, removes the delays and additional costs of conventional post-production editing. Content can be streamed directly to television newsrooms and it’s truly mobile – presenters can be located anywhere where there is 4G or 3G phone signal. All operating systems and platforms are accommodated: Windows, Apple, Android,...
by admin | Aug 11, 2014 | Event Content
Have you ever thought how worthwhile it would be to give some real meaning to your event? Sure, we know that every event has a purpose, sometimes it’s a serious outcome that is required and sometimes it’s simply about getting people together, but what if you could go one step further and give real meaning to your event by aligning it with a worthwhile cause or outcome that benefited others with real need? Events have the power to make a real difference to a worthwhile cause, so what can you do to ensure your next event makes an impact in more ways than one. What is your business passionate about? There are so many worthwhile causes in our world that need help. Choose a charity or cause that you feel passionate about and that perhaps aligns with your businesses core values and approach them about how they could best use the help of a business such as yours. When we are passionate about something it drives and motivates us to go so much further. If your people are engaged on more than one level, they will be proud of their workplace and therefore more productive. People Power Whether you’re an intimate group of 10 or a mighty group of hundreds, by engaging a group of people to get behind a worthy cause, the effects go so much further than the initial place they are ignited in. Chances are that group of 10 or 500 will go on to ignite passion in others to either get behind your cause or one they are interested in themselves. Not only have you then...
by admin | Jul 17, 2014 | Food & Beverage
How much thought do you give to the menu selection for your event? Are you more concerned about quantity over quality? Have you thought about how the food you serve impacts on your guests’ experience? Making the right menu choices is just as important as choosing the right venue. Here are some vital ingredients in a successful menu plan. Menu style matching event style If your guest’s can’t easily eat what you are serving, it’s immediately going to make them feel uncomfortable. If guests are standing at your cocktail party ensure items are bite size and don’t need hard to handle utensils to eat with. If your guests are enjoying a seated dinner at your gala awards night, have you printed menus for the table so they know the style of menu being served? Will they have a choice or is the menu alternate serve? The style of event will set an expectation in the guest’s mind, so always ensure the menu choice matches that expectation. Variety is the spice of life We live in age where we can experience a variety of cuisines without leaving our local suburb, so expectations for the menu at your event can be high. While many venue’s will have their set menu’s that they send out automatically, engage with them further about how you can deliver a menu that that will offer something different to a satay stick or spring roll for canapés or a standard chicken and beef option for your main course. Your guests will appreciate the extra effort and give them something else to tell people about long after the event...
