Event Organisers Update March 2017 ISSUE 150

NAMED AND SHAMED The number of hotels amongst businesses named by the government as paying employees less than the national minimum or living wage rate …

MURDERER FROM PREMIER INN A former receptionist at Premier Inn, Cardiff has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of a former girlfriend …

WEASEL WORDS Relatives of the 38 British tourists killed in the June 2015 terrorist massacre in Sousse Tunisia have claimed that Tui, the parent company of travel agent …

BAD NAME CHOICES Following our piece in last month’s issue about Liverpool streets, such as Penny Lane, named after slave traders, a row has broken out over a building …

TO CURRY FAVOUR Those who admire our pillar of political integrity and judgement, Speaker John Bercow, might well spot him at his favourite curry house, Madhu’s at…

TACKY THEN The five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Knightsbridge, formerly the Hyde Park Hotel is “as tacky as a plastic Christmas tree in a spray tan salon”…

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS Boasting one of the most impressive cast lists in cinema history A Man For All Seasons, the 1966 film of the final years of Sir Thomas More …

Event Organisers Update February 2017 ISSUE 149

AVALANCHE KILLS 29 AT ITALIAN HOTEL A series of earthquakes and heavy snowfall triggered an avalanche in Abruzzo region, Southern Italy, which destroyed …

DEATH BY DRONE COMING UP? It is a sobering fact that the huge increase in the number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s or drones) in our skies – one million sold …

UNI RISKED STUDENT LIVES WITH MISTAKE Northumbria University in Newcastle has been fined £400,000, plus £26,468 costs after it mistakenly gave a toxic dose of …

WEDDING HELLS
o A wedding rehearsal for a £25,000 ceremony in the Cuban resort of Playa Esmerelda …
o Nearly a hundred Britons, including two wedding parties, are suing the Marelen Hotel …

WAR OVER WAR OFFICE Plans to turn the vast War Office on London’s Whitehall into a £1 billion five-star hotel and 88 apartments complex by 2020 have been met with …

TWO CHANGING HANDS Two UK conference venues are currently changing hands (Business Desk) In Blackpool the historic 180-bedroom four-star Imperial Hotel, with …

PENNY LANE HOTEL FOR SALE The 17-bedroom Penny Lane Hotel in Penny Lane, Liverpool is up for sale at £950,000. The sellers, Christie and Co., are stretching the …

RISING STARS To the annual Performing Artistes Speaker Drinks showcase at the IOD, London, where we mingle with the likes of the elegant dancer John Sergeant and …

TWO IN SCARBOROUGH The Scarborough Art Gallery makes an interesting visit for those, like Victorian artist William Etty, who appreciate the beauty of ladies without …

COVER GIRL Though some may find this exuberant 1944 musical as corny as Kansas in August there’s no denying that it’s a feel-good dancing treat dished up by some of …

Event Organisers Update January 2017 ISSUE 148

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, SADIQ Those welcoming the reopening of the Fabric London nightclub will not include the relatives and friends of the two young men who …

TICKET SALE CLEAN- UP The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced a probe into the online ticket rip-offs common for popular live events…

PREDICTIONS Always tricky, these – look at the gloomy forecasts for Brexit – but nevertheless Buying Business Travel magazine has taken a punt on a few fairly safe …

FLAMING JUNE This sensual painting, by Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton depicts a languorous long-limbed female beauty barely clothed in sheer see-through orange …

JOYS OF TRAVEL A curmudgeonly piece in the Telegraph Travel section amusingly listed a number of “inventions that ruined travel” that will chime with some … 

THE MAN FROM LARAMIE Critics say that, in partnership with director Anthony Mann James Stewart helped change the very nature of the western. For this film fan the late…

Event Organisers Update December 2016 ISSUE 14

POWER OF KNOWLEDGE Look’s like the old Overpayment scam is working its way into the events industry. We are grateful to reader Cindy-Michelle Waterfield of …

DEATHS IN CALIFORNIA PARTY FIRE More than 35 bodies have been recovered from the ramshackle Ghost Ship warehouse venue in Oakland, California after a blaze …

DEATHS IN KARACHI HOTEL FIRE Eleven people died and more than 70 were injured when a major fire started in the ground floor kitchen of the luxury Regent Plaza Hotel …

ROUX THE DAY Diners looking to try the three Michelin starred food at Mayfair restaurant Le Gavroche in 2017 could well rue the day they go if it’s after the end of …

YORK STADIUM DELAYS The £44million 8,000 seat York Stadium is set to suffer more delays in completion after IGS, its main contractor pulled out citing delays due to an …

CAN’T PLEASE EM ALL Registration company Eventbrite have published a list of ten things that event managers can never get right for all their delegates. These are the …

NIGHT FRIGHT A shift manager in his 30s has been sacked from the 3-star Best Western Walworth Castle Hotel, Darlington, County Durham after a young woman …

CREEPY Creepy it is, and eerie, disturbing, macabre and surreal, just some of the descriptions of the latest psychological thriller from Japanese director and horror genre …

Event Organisers Update November 2016 ISSUE 146

LOOKING FOR… A thought-provoking piece about networking in Conference News by one of its columnists Richard John caught our eye. “Cut to the chase” proposed that …

MORE WHITE-KNUCKLE FUN Another malfunctioning themepark ride has made the headlines, following the Smiler crash last year at Alton Towers. This time it’s at …

EXETER HOTEL DESTROYED The four star 53-bedroom Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter was completely destroyed by fire last month, which was thought to have started …

FIRM’S COLLAPSE AT CUMBERLAND A dispute over building works that ran three months behind schedule at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch forced a Leeds …

THE RICHMOND, LIVERPOOL The Richmond Hotel Liverpool, in the city’s business district and a short stroll from Lime Street station, is independently owned and was …

TRINITY HOUSE Organisers looking for exclusive use of elegant conference rooms in the heart of historical London will want to know about Trinity House, on Tower Hill in …

GRANGE CITY HOTEL Also in the area is the Grange City Hotel, located opposite Trinity House in Coopers Row and with many of its 307 guest bedrooms offering views of the …

COME AND NETWORK Free networking sessions for anyone in the events industry are held by Citizen Event at the Grace Bar and Restaurant, 42, Great Windmill St, London …

TO GO Another good exhibition for those wanting to keep up with food trends is Lunch, held at the Business Design Centre, Islington in September and focussing on food to go …

CARAVAGGIO Those who admire the dramatic and cinematically lit art of the Italian painter Caravaggio can enjoy a current exhibition, Beyond Caravaggio running at …

TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING One of the truly riveting and under-rated political thrillers of the 70’s, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, deals with the reasons why the truth about  …

Event Organisers Update October 2016 ISSUE 145

SO GET GOING The current low value of sterling against the euro and the dollar has opened up some interesting business opportunities, for those who can take them…

TRAVEL GETTING BETTER Those whose train journeys are made worse by strike action, delays and cancellations can now claim back 25% of their single ticket price if…

I’LL HAVE THE SPICY MOUSEAKA You’d think the restaurant at the 30-bedroom boutique Sanctum Soho Hotel, near Carnaby Street was a great choice for some private…

SCOUSE MOUSE The Red Hot World Buffet restaurant in the Liverpool One shopping centre has closed after inspectors discovered live mice caught in sticky traps and…

CRUEL FRAUD Meanwhile management at the highly-regarded Shajan Indian restaurant in Clayton-le-Dale, Lancashire are suing a diner who ate at the restaurant with a group…

FREE ADVICE Those organisers who believe in learning from others might want to take a look at the Event Professionals Handbook. This is a collection of articles by practitioners…

FEDORA There have been mixed reviews about director Billy Wilder’s bitter-sweet film about fading glamour in Hollywood, but those who enjoyed his Sunset Boulevard, also…

Event Organisers Update September 2016 ISSUE 144

BREXISM Organisers booking speakers will know all about the dangers of content including racism, sexism, ageism or homophobia, and the capacity to offend and …

DEATHS SHUT NIGHTCLUB The deaths of two teenaged men from suspected overdoses of drugs at the Fabric nightclub in Farringdon have resulted in the closure …

WATCH YOURSELVES Running events is becoming increasingly challenging, it seems, going by three recent reported incidents this month at some UK venues…

POINTERS UNDER THREAT Carrying one of the laser pointers popular with conference presenters and trainers could be a criminal act in future. Because lasers shone into the …

FAIRY TAIL? The management of the new four-star Titanic-themed hotel at 30, James Street Liverpool, former offices of the White Star Line promises newlyweds “a fairy …

FANCY SEEING YOU HERE, BOSS A new Leeds venue where adult games can be played between consenting couples is planned to open in a former warehouse in …

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE Those with a liking for American modern art will want to know about the latest retrospective at the Tate Modern, London. This features more than 100 …

PATHS OF GLORY Sir Winston Churchill described Stanley Kubrick’s black and white 1967 anti-war film Paths of Glory as “A highly accurate depiction of trench warfare and …

Event Organisers Update August 2016 ISSUE 143

TROUBLES ON THE TRACKS The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union which represents staff at Southern Railways, claims that its members have been hit, spat at …

PRESSING ISSUES A large majority of those reading newspapers were presented with arguments in favour of leaving the EU in the run-up to the referendum, according to …

EVERY CLOUD Brexit beneficiaries, due to the drop in the value of sterling against other currencies, have been UK hotels and attractions, especially in London which is now …

ART DECO IN PADDINGTON Lovers of the Art Deco style of decoration – said in its 1920/30s heyday to represent luxury, glamour and exuberance – will enjoy the decor of …

REGENERATION IN MANCHESTER A disused area near to Old Trafford in Manchester is to be the site for a new, football themed luxury hotel fronted by former Manchester …

BOOZE CRUISES We hear police in Spain are cracking down on organisers of parties afloat after a series of sex scenes on a party boat appeared on a porn website. Police …

DIARY DATES 2016
o 21-22 September, Venues and Events Live exhibition, Old Billingsgate, London …
o 19-20 October, Showman’s Show for outdoor events, Newbury Showground …

BUSTER KEATON Those who enjoy the slapstick artistry of the great silent films will enjoy the massive slice of movie history presented in a collection on Blu-ray of …

Event Organisers Update July 2016 ISSUE 142

NEVER NEVER NEVER “How many Euros can we buy for £100 sterling?” we asked the man at the Western Union bureau de change at Brussels Midi railway station, a few …

HAS YOUR PILOT BEEN BREATHALYSED? Less than a week after an airline won a major best airline award two of their pilots were arrested on suspicion of being drunk at …

MORE WOW FACTOR Another roller coaster crash has again called into question their suitability for safe corporate events. Following last year’s incident at Alton Towers that …

FIFTEEN DRINKS PER PERSON? Party planners should allow three drinks per hour per guest for their parties, and allow for each guest staying for five hours…

HOOKERS AND HARD ROCKERS The 900-bedroom Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch is to become the UK’s first Hard Rock Hotel, opening after re-branding in 2018 and the…

DEAL AT LANCASTER UNI A day delegate rate of £25 per person is being offered by Lancaster University at their Green Lane Conference Centre, this applying to bookings…

DIARY DATES
o
21-22 September 2016 Venues and Events Live exhibition London EC3.
19-20 October 2016 Showman’s Show for outdoor events, Newbury Showground.

EDVARD MUNCH It is folly to argue with Ingemar Bergman’s description of Edvard Munch, the 1974 documentary by Peter Watkins of the Norwegian Expressionist artist…

Event Organisers Update June 2016 ISSUE 141

MORE DIE ON DANGEROUS COURSE Four more riders have been killed at this years Isle of Man TT races. This brings the total to more than 260 people killed since the race …

BOOZE LAW BITES The Lush Bar in Magaluf, where a British teenager claimed to have been egged on by bar staff as he drank 75 Sambuca and caramel vodka shots, is being …

DON’T BE LATE EasyJet passengers arriving at the security check with less than half an hour before their flight leaves will not be allowed to board. The new policy, which is …

SAFARI ROCK The famous Glastonbury Festival could be moving 15 miles west, from Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset to Longleat, Wiltshire in 2019. The organisers, who …

BIG LONDON SPACES To the Hilton London Metropole hotel, Edgware Road, one of Europe’s largest with 1,059 bedrooms, dining space for up to 2,000 and conference …

HOTEL NEWS
o Twelve guests were rescued by fire crews at the 22-bedroom three-star Rushmore …
o BLOC Hotels, which currently has a unit in Birmingham and one in Gatwick, is …
o The St Regis Hotel, Dubai has opened the Sir Winston Churchill Suite. This is 9,828 …

(1900) NOVECENTO It could be argued that when Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci made “Twentieth Century” forty years ago in 1976, his memorable five-hour …