Personal service is something that many offer, but very few actually deliver.

At Impulse Events Ltd we place the personal service we offer our clients at the very top of our priority list.

Many of our clients have had the same account manager for several years, and some may have only ever dealt with that person.

We don’t believe in sending in a salesperson to sell you an event, then passing you to an operations manager, before a total stranger, your ‘event manager’ greets you on the day at your event.

We passionately believe in building partnerships with our clients, and that the best way to do this is to have one person who manages your events, knows your business and hopefully connects with you on a personal level.

If you are interested in building a partnership, please call Simon Mitchell on 0208 203 7473 to arrange a meeting.

We have uploaded a time lapse video of an event we produced last year on Youtube.

The event was held at The NEC in Birmingham and was a Hawaiin themed event for 1000 guests. The party featured a double indoor beach volleyball court requiring over 100 tonnes of sand, and a new world record the the largest ever Luau dance was set!

Click here to watch the video

Our friends at Mint Catering have also been busy posting on Youtube.

They have uploaded a video of their unique Rottisserie BBQ, perfect for corporate summer BBQ parties.

Click here to see the Mint Catering video

Event organisers will be well aware that Gordon Brown doubled the longstanding £75 annual tax threshold for staff entertainment to £150 a few years ago. While it’s most often associated with Christmas party budgets, it’s worth noting that the threshold can be offset against any form of event throughout the year.

So, if your company employs 100 people, at the end of the accounting year £15,000 (including VAT), could as easily be set against a family fun day as post-work team drinks in your local pub.

For many companies, Christmas is still the main event. Rather than viewing the festive bash as a costly chore, smart companies are taking advantage of the tax break to give each staff member £150-worth of party for just £90 a head net.

Last night we were at The Deck, London’s newest summer party, roof terrace venue, for what was to be their first ever seated dinner in the new space. Working with the corporate PR team at Cadbury’s, there was much to tell the 50 assembled journalists as today see’s the re-creation of Cadbury’s PLC.

Key brand messages from the corporate brochure were translated into Large Format Prints, which were hung from the venues beams as the space was washed with light in the signature Cadbury’s purple.

Confectionery inspired cocktails were designed by our mixologists and served as guests arrived onto the terrace with its stunning views over the Thames before they sat for there summer inspired menu. A message from the CEO followed by an informal Q&A session rounded off the night as the early summer sun set over London town.

The event was supported by Impulse who provided complete venue search & liason and full event management.

Since the beginning of the year there has been a lot of talk within the creative event industry regarding the credit crunch and its effect on the industry. Whilst it would be remise to dismiss the possible effects of a ‘tightening of belts’ we have to remain positive, and the simple fact is that as a company, Impulse Events are 25% per cent up on last years first quarter Christmas party sales.

Yes, some companies are cutting back, particularly those with American owners, however, many large companies are still reporting record profits (Shell, Tesco etc) and many more recognize the importance of their events and in particular the annual Christmas party.

In tough times, a major challenge for companies is to keep their staff motivated, one way not to do this is to cancel the one event each year specifically arranged to reward the staff and show them how much you appreciate them. For many employees the Christmas party represents their only opportunity to ‘have a drink‘ on the company’ and perhaps the only time during the year they may get to speak with senior management in an informal setting. What’s more, the Christmas party done well is not only great fun, but a fantastic way of showing staff how much you appreciate them.

I always find that a quick, heart felt, thank you from the MD at the Christmas party rather than a boring hour long presentation is a wonderful way making staff feel truly valued.

Having said this, Christmas Party organisers have to be aware that there will be many companies who still simply cannot afford their party this year, or else will have to cut the budget. For this reason, Impulse Events have frozen their 2007 Christmas party prices for 2008. What baffles me, is why so many Christmas party organisers have increased their prices, some venues are charging in excess of £150 + vat for a decorated venue, a meal and drinks? This is even more than the tax allowance of £150 inclusive of vat, and frankly cant be justified.

Our venues are priced at between £99 and £120 + vat pp and I feel represent excellent value for money, especially as we have added additional entertainment to the packages, and increased our production budget.

Our answer to the credit crunch… offer a premium product, at a competitive price.

Many companies are now embracing the issue of corporate social responsibility and are keen to incorporate this in their marketing mix and with in their events.

At this years RSVP exhibition I will be speaking about this hot topic and discussing with a panel of experts whether or not CSR can and should be incorporated in events.

From an environmental prospective Impulse Events tried to do there bit in 2007. Within our Christmas party packages, we recycled every bottle of wine and beer throughout December, we used low energy lighting where possible and requested that our caterers sourced local, organic produce. We will soon be meeting to discuss how we can go further in 2008.

We have also witnessed a rise this year in clients requesting socially responsible events, these have included team building activities incorporating some community work, and have proved extremely popular.

For more information on our team building activities – please click here

http://www.impulseevents.co.uk/team.html

Last night we where tasked with turning the corporate meeting space of one of the country top Law Companies into a warm, atmospheric party space in which to host the Capitals top property movers and shakers.

The board rooms have been designed to hold extremely tense litigation meetings and confrontations and apart from the exceptional artwork which a particular partner is very fond of, the rooms are very non de script.

We were tasked with injecting a little flair into the space and creating that all important atmosphere, stage one was to hide the partition walls, created by our bespoke draper surrounds where fabricated, installed and dressed with white cloth. Stage two, lighting, a combination of wash lighting across the ceiling with alternate coloured up-lights in the company’s colours, finished with some shaped effects scanning across the ceiling; overall creating a warm low level of light perfect for an evening of networking.

The room was completed with a surround sound system that allowed for the background music to make its way across the space, whilst keep a low volume level so the all important networking chat is not compromised. the music was a combination of tracks from the Impulse background lounge collection and from a Piano provided by us for one of the members of the firm to play.

A linked sound system and some further lighting was installed in the reception area providing the party atmosphere across the building.

Impulse produced the event in partnership with the in-house events team, managing the caterer and other suppliers allowing them to concentrate on the guest list and event marketing.

The Impulse Events website has today (21/2) been updated.

Details have also been released of our 2008 London Christmas party venues, this year we will exclusively operate:

Lord’s Cricket Ground

The HC

The Grand Hall

Click through for more details on these and more fabulous London Christmas party venues.

We have also added details of seven recent corporate events we have planned click here to view them.

Our newest Christmas Party space, The Grand Hall is located directly opposite the brand new St Pancras Station - to celebrate the fact that this venue is now only two hours from the centre of Paris we are offering every client that books an event in the is space during December the chance to win an all expenses paid trip to Paris.

For every guest you book for at your Christmas Party at The Grand Hall, you will receive one raffle ticket - so if you book an event for 400 guests that 400 raffle tickets

 The lucky winner will win:

 2 return tickets on Eurostar to Paris

Dinner for two in a Michelin starred restaurant

2 tickets for the Moulin Rouge

2 night accommodation at the fabulous Ritz Paris Hotel

For more information on this or any of our other London Christmas Party Venues please call Simon Mitchell on 020 8203 7473.

Avoid common pitfalls with your office Christmas Party

As we hit February the party season may be over, but rather than relax and look at the photographs of everyone enjoying themselves it may be time to think about next year’s Christmas party. It’s never too early to book to ensure that you get both the date and venue that you want.

With that in mind it’s worth taking note of some of the common pitfalls associated with office Christmas parties as they can be a legal minefield. Croner Consulting created a report advising of the common mishaps businesses would do well to avoid when planning their Christmas parties.

For example, one of the suggestions Croner Consulting advise is to invite employees partners, such as Husbands/Wives, Girlfriends/Boyfriends. The logic behind is that spouses tend to keep a watchful eye on their partners and will help to ensure that no one gets out of hand while indulging in the festive spirit.

Another suggestion was to curb the alcohol intake of the employees as the employer is responsible for their employee’s actions when they provided the alcohol. Warnings should be issues about sensible behaviour and drink driving. It might be prudent to book transport for the end of the night so that your staff can make their way home safely.

As with any situation that mixes alcohol with crowds the potential for things to get out of hand is always there. As such it may be prudent to issue stern behavioural guidelines so that your staff are aware of what is acceptable, and what will result in disciplinary action; such as fighting or harassment.

Remember, the intention of the Christmas party is to have fun, however you need to be sure that the interests and image of your company are protected at the same time.