Tobacco Dock, in Wapping has a total capacity for up to 10,000 standing, making it a suitable hire for large parties, and the party nights put on by the venue.
For other events 300-1,200 guests can sit on rounds, there are 30 meeting spaces and combinations for 8-1,500 and exhibitions of up to 70,000 square feet, or 6,500 square metres.
web: thedocklondon.com
The 900 year-old Cathedral in Norwich now offers two modern spaces for event organisers in peaceful surroundings.
The Weston Room has high oak ceilings, lots of glass and natural light and can hold up to 150 theatre-style. AV equipment and free Wi-Fi are provided, and a licenced bar is available The hourly hire rate is £127.50.The half-day and evening rate is £496 for sessions running 8.30am – 12.30pm, 1.00pm – 5.00pm or 6.30pm – 11.00pm, and the day-rate for 8.30am – 5.00pm is £827.
The Refectory restaurant (see September issue for food review) which also has free Wi-Fi and abundant natural light, can accommodate up to 150 for a reception, 100 for banqueting or 30 in boardroom style. It is available for early morning sessions from 7.00am – 9.00am on an hourly rate of £95, or evening sessions from 6.30pm – 11.00pm for £350.
web: cathedral.org.uk
One interesting and unusual East-London venue just 100 yards from the 2012 Olympic Stadium, and with views over to it from a rooftop terrace, is Forman’s Fish Island, the quirkily pink coloured factory and head office of salmon smokers Forman and Son, near Hackney Wick and shaped like a darne (steak) of salmon.
Substantial spaces for parties and other corporate events are offered, including a large second-floor area with multi-coloured party lighting and holding 900-1,000 for a standing reception, depending on how cosy you want them. Around 400 theatre or cabaret style can also be accommodated in the 635 square metre space The roof terrace, with the inspiring views for sports fans holds 300 for a reception, 100 for a theatre-style layout and 80 cabaret style, and can be used for energising al fresco beverage breaks and lunches. There are four additional spaces for events for 14 to 150, including the restaurant for 20 – 30 seated and 40 standing
web: formans.co.uk
Those wanting an overnight stay very close to Lisbon Airport, or to hold an event there, can check out the impressive new Tryp Lisboa Aeroporto Hotel, where we enjoyed a one-night stay earlier this year.
This is a bright and modern place, an easy 200 metre walk from Terminal One and around 3-4 kilometres from Lisbon city centre, and offers 167 contemporary and comfortable bedrooms with full bathrooms, most of which include a very welcome bathtub to stretch out and relax in. There is a 32 inch LCD TV, individually controlled heating/air conditioning, a safe, desk area, minibar and free WiFi internet. Facilities for guests wanting to make their own tea and coffee (we did) are supplied on request. There is also a complimentary transfer service for guests departing from the temporary Terminal Two (we did) a short drive away. Continue reading
A recent trip to Sarasota, Florida earlier this year turned up a number of impressive attractions for organisers seeking interesting non-residential venues for their events. Most allow complimentary tours for delegates using the facility. Continue reading
A film song entitled “From My Head to My Toes I’m All About Love” sung by a Maria Magdalena von Losch sitting on a barrel in a lowlife German nightclub doesn’t sound like the stuff of legend, until you know that the lady was Marlene Dietrich and the song was “Falling in Love Again” in the English language version of The Blue Angel, lost for many years.
The 1930 black and white talkie film was the first of a handful of memorable films featuring the then 28 year-old Dietrich, under the hard guiding hand of talented director Joseph von Sternberg. This one however actually starred Emil Jannings as the tragically romantic mid-life school professor Immanuel Rath who tracks his young male charges to the seedy Blau Engel club after confiscating, and being pleasantly disturbed by saucy photos of coquettish and teasing cabaret act Lola-Lola, (Dietrich) only to fall madly in lust with her on-stage flauntings in a jaunty white top hat, inadequate skirts, stockings and suspenders. Continue reading
An Ofcom investigation into “documentaries” broadcast by the BBC has found that nearly 200 of them were supplied at no cost, with many secretly funded by special interests and with no sponsorship credits to let viewers know of the possibly biased content. (Press Gazette)
In one example the Independent newspaper reported in 2011 that the Malaysian government had paid ironically-named PR company FactBased Communications (FBC) nearly £12 million over two years to make and place content promoting Malaya positively in “factual” and current affairs programmes. BBC World News, that screened eight half-hour programmes supplied by FBC claimed that they had no idea that they were broadcasting paid-for PR, even though it was given to them free. The poor deluded BBC now accepts that FBC was “not an appropriate producer” for BBC World News. Continue reading
Some marketeers are finding out the hard way the difference between a carbon copy (cc) and a blind carbon copy (bcc) when bulk emailing, and it’s a common but potentially dangerous error for those who accidentally get it wrong.
As an HIV clinic in London very recently found out when they sent out their newsletter using the cc rather than the bcc option on their email system. Pasting email addresses into the bcc field usually prevents individual recipients from knowing who else has received the email, so the clinic sent every recipient the email addresses of every other recipient, that is more than 780 patients of the HIV facility. This was a serious error with likely repercussions as sensitive medical information of this kind is sought after by cyber criminals bent on using it for identity theft, or even blackmail. And insurers are increasingly likely to dispute claims arising from the failure of an organisation to protect sensitive patient data. Continue reading
The old adage that “sex sells” has been questioned after a study at Ohio State University has shown that graphic sexual images can actually distract potential customers and make them forget about buying the product, with the same claim levelled against images of violence.
Accordingly, say the US researchers, advertisers need to carefully consider their approach, in terms of the use of these images, and also the sex and violence content of TV programmes and films they sponsor, or show their ads during.
A misleading leaflet published by Iain Duncan Smith’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) used fake stories of benefit claimants to sell the DWP’s benefit sanctions regime, without making it clear that the stories were fiction. The leaflet has now been withdrawn.
The dishonesty of DWP marketeers came to light after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from Welfare Weekly magazine. This asked the DWP to prove that “Zac’s story” and “Sarah’s story”, two statements with photographs from two people who claimed to have treated very fairly by Duncan Smith’s department over benefit sanctions, were in fact true stories of real people. The DWP was unable to do so and admitted that they’d used stock photographs and made the stories up to suit their promotional message.
After the FOI request the leaflet was quickly wiped off the DWP website, but not before Welfare Weekly had put it up as a pdf on theirs.