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The BNC Grand Dinner at One Whitehall Place

One hundred and fifty-six of the industry's top suppliers and buyers gathered together last night to enjoy an evening of fine dining and entertainment at the inaugural BNC Grand Dinner.

Held in the impressive Gladstone....

BNC suppliers recommended by you

For a complete alphabetical listing of all suppliers to the BNC click here

This next section of our site is the heartbeat of the BNC.
These are actual networking responses from the corporate members.
Please take some time to read these impressive e-mails.

UK Networking

I would be very interested to learn of any opportunities that your network members may have in terms of project work or interim management roles in the future.

Best wishes, Andy
I will shortly be leaving my maternity cover placement as Head of Events at the CBI to return to my consultancy business concentrating on event management, sponsorship and publishing.

Naomi
Good to catch up with you yesterday and please pass on my thanks to the organisers of the Everything Corporate Showcase which I found to be a very useful and enjoyable event.
I hope that Darlene enjoyed the chocolate Pizza!

Thanks,
Agi
I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it, but if you call the conference bureau in Edinburgh and explain that it's down the hill, running at right angles to Princes Street and away from the town, I hope that they'll be able to help!
Can you please let me have taxi treasure hunt replies??

Love the idea of that!!

Greetings!

Cassander
Can you please advise on how to obtain access to the website?

Thank you, Jocelyn
To answer Shirley's request I would recommend The Grove www.thegrove.co.uk. Great location, great indoor and outdoor pool, great food!

Thanks

Shirley
Apologies for not thanking you sooner for a fantastic evening at the Soho Hotel. The cinema there is brilliant, as is the ambiance of the downstairs area of the reception. It was great to see the 2Excel Aviation set up as well - I hope to be able to use them very soon.

Regards

Helen
I just wanted to say thanks for a great weekend. I especially enjoyed charades. Also can you pass my thanks on to Bryan and Andrew? I definitely wouldn't hesitate to use/recommend them.

Many thanks,

Colleen
Thanks for a very entertaining evening! Tom the cheese man was a revelation (not sure about the involvement of 'Jeff's beard' in the cheddar, but it did taste great...) and I was very pleased to get the Yule log home in one piece.

Jo
Please could you ask the group if they have any party venue suggestions in central London for approx 600/700 people? We are holding a conference at ExCeL London, and are looking for a quirky party venue. Last year we booked the silver surgeon Boat, which was great. The crowd is young and vibrant, and a venue with a wow factor is required.
Look forward to hearing any suggestions.

Kind Regards,

Claire
I would have loved to have come this evening but I can't as I have Spanish Classes on Monday evenings. Have a great time and I look forward to the next event.

Best wishes, Joanna
Does anyone have any ideas of a venue that would have the wow factor but not be too expensive? Also, they don't want to go on a boat, they would like a view but not really in a high rise building...Would be good to hear your suggestions!
Thanks for all your help!

Regards,

Candice
I'm looking for a venue in Birmingham city centre that can accommodate a three-day conference for around 250 delegates, including on-site accommodation and exhibition space for up to 20 companies. Would be great to have some recommendations from the group.

Many thanks

Claire
A big THANKYOU for such a good evening last night. The venue was amazing and it's great to meet different people each time we have a networking event. Sorry Denise and I were rushing off again but dinner invitations in London are too good to miss!

Kind regards

Gail and Denise
Thanks Kim. Very helpful feedback.

Please say a big thank you to The BNC. I'll let you know who we end up going for and how the event goes.

Kind Regards

Prue
Just wanted to say thanks from Hayley and I for an enjoyable evening. It was good to see you again after all these years (I decided it was 8!). You haven't changed a bit.

Kate
Hi Kim, I hope you are well.
To Lesley - re interactive entertainment: I have lots of friends who are lawyers who regularly go bowling on their networking events so you know it will probably be popular but won't be anything new for the clients. Other suggestions are quizzes, treasure hunts, wine tasting, chocolate making, sporting events (races, rugby, tennis etc), city/walking/ghost tours.

Have fun, Kind Regards, Emma
Just wondered if the group knew of, or could recommend, any venue-finding agencies?

Kelly

Also, our team is quite keen to network with other event managers, swap ideas etc. When is the next BNC networking event and do you know of any other events or networks we could join in order to meet other events professionals?

Thanks, Claire
I hope you are keeping well? The BNC seems to be going from strength to strength these days! Would it be possible to send me a list of the staff you currently have registered? I would like to check for any updates.

Thanks & regards, Fiona
Replying to Alison (about collecting people at Twickenham).....this is an issue that comes up every year for me, as my folks come down from the North West of England for the day. What's best is that your guests remain in the bars inside Twickenham after the game for a couple of drinks. Approx. One hour later it's relatively easy for cars to get close to the ground. Have your guests walk to the West Car Park entrance and have your car meet them there.

Best wishes

toni
I would be really interested in the answers regarding the crisis management question.
Is there such a training?

Best regards and have a good weekend,

Andrea
Would be interested in seeing the responses about the House of Commons as I have been asked to request an event there through our local MP.

Annie
Thank you so much for sending this through and would you mind saying a big thank you to Lynn for me? The feedback she provided was fantastic and I really appreciate the time she took to send it through.

Kind regards

Bridget
I've just noticed that you've made my membership run from now to next year rather than backdating it. That is very kind of you and much appreciated.
Thank you very much.
Monica
Many thanks. It is always interesting to read honest opinions! No snow here today, but sufficient elsewhere to hamper site visit plans!

Kind regards

Jackie
Once again my objectives have been set and this year I'd like to meet with any event managers in the retail industry so that we can share experiences, ways of working and (possibly) general gripes!

Susie
For Sophie - I organised a conference at St David's hotel in 2006 and it was fantastic. The staff were great and went out of their way to ensure everything was perfect. They have changed hands since I used them though - used to be Roccoforte - so I would recommend she sees if anyone has used them recently.

Kind regards,
Emma
I am very interested in joining your network. Please can you let me know how I can and what information you require?

Kind regards, Emma
Many thanks to all those members who contributed towards my bound packs -v- electronic versions. Very interesting comments. I will let you know how I get on!

Regards,

Allison
Feedback on two questions this time: 1. Happy to chat through restaurants in Twickenham with Mabel directly as have lived pretty much my whole life in the area - so should be able to help. 2. Re the Chancery Court - a couple of colleagues ran an event there in February and the reception was mixed: it was good overall but I think there were a few issues with room set-ups. I'll try and get some feedback 'from the horse's mouth' and feedback further if I get any more additional info.

Kind regards, Clare
Could you please let me see the results from Hayley's question? I am looking to do the same but for 100-150 people, but before I ask the question, it would be interesting to see the responses she gets as I may be able to use the same venues.
Thanks for your help as always. Have a great bank holiday weekend.

Charlotte
Can you please ask The BNC for their opinion on the following three caterers - Alison Price, Rocket and By Word of Mouth? We are hosting a client cocktail party for around 800 guests at the British Museum and would be interested to hear feedback from anyone who has used any of them recently.

Many thanks

Prue
Sorry I missed the last networking meeting but please let me know when the next one will take place!

Thanks

Cristobal
CRIKEY! I knew The BNC would help out for photographers but that's a serious list of recommendations!

Thank you thank you thank you...

Annie
Thanks so much for inviting me to the event last night. It was great to see the hotel and Reed and Mackay in action. I really enjoyed getting my colours done - now I need to go shopping!

Alice
I wanted to say thanks for the evening at Browns. I had a very enjoyable evening and learnt a few surprising things about the colours that suit me - bright red being one! I thought that the meeting rooms were really unusual too. Many thanks to Reed and McKay.

Agi
This is new to us so I am wondering if this is normal practice and we have just been lucky in the past or if this is something that hotels are now asking for? Any insight on this would be great.

Thanks Kim, Kind regards, Emma
Please pass on my thanks to those who have sent me some info on Health & Safety at exhibitions. This really is a minefield which keeps getting worse. But all of your comments have been extremely helpful.

Thanks a lot, Elke
We are looking at having a bespoke system built that will allow us to content-manage our events information and to take delegate bookings (and payments) for our conferences online. I would like to get some comparative costs for a project of this kind and wondered whether anyone in the group has done something similar and would be willing to let me know the approximate total cost, from specification through to completion?

Many thanks

Claire
This is really helpful. Please pass my thanks to Katie and Marie. Hotel du Vin had been mentioned; so it's good to have independent confirmation of its excellence.

Regards

Monica
I am interested in upgrading my membership. Can you provide me with more details?

Many thanks,

Diane
I am trying to find a venue in London to cater for up to 100 guests for a drinks reception and sit down dinner in September. The budget is very tight, from ?11,500 - ?14,000. I have looked at many options but they're too expensive and they really are looking for a wow factor. The Tate Modern is an option (at the high end of their budget) but they're not too keen on that as they just cannot envisage it being a good space.

Thanks

Christina
If you can find it, this was a great venue - and one that has been specifically created from an old church.

Regards,

Carole
Many thanks for the Docklands restaurant suggestions, plenty to go on here for starters!

Would you mind asking the club member who lives in the area if there is also a good curry house or Chinese?!
re: party bands. Wow, what a great response! Thanks so much ... this will keep me going for a few events!

Best wishes

Jackie
Hope you are well. Please could you ask the group if anybody can offer some feedback on the Babylon at the Roof Gardens in Kensington? I am thinking of booking the private room with a balcony for an awards meal that I have in June and would appreciate anybody's comments.

Regards,

Claire
Denise has already used one of the contacts she met and it just goes to show how useful these networking meetings are.

Kind regards

Gail
We are an association for independent legal and accounting firms and each year hold conferences for our members. Our delegates pay for their own attendance (meeting package costs and hotel costs) at all of our events.

Sam
Thank you for hosting last night. I had an excellent time - the catering was fabulous and the mind game was a bonus! And the refurbishment on the cruise is very impressive.
Thanks again

Simone
It's my last day in the office today and I would love to keep hearing from the club so please use my home email address.

Talk soon

Rita
Good Afternoon
I would like to join The BNC as I feel that membership would be of great interest to me and my firm. My colleague, Victoria, is already a member.

Sam
Hi Kim - I have used the Lensbury and can highly recommend them!

Anne
Thank you for putting out my plea for like-minded event managers to get together. Yesterday I met with event managers from the Royal Mail, Logica, ROSPA and CIPFA, kindly hosted by the Royal Mail. We had an excellent discussion and a number of ideas were floated.

Kate
Wonderful - thanks Kim. The BNC always comes up trumps!

Jenny
Just did a bit of my own networking, in Norwich of all places! Had lunch with Lesley from OAG. We met at a venue launch last year and discovered we both lived in Norfolk. Perhaps we should start our own East Anglia chapter as she tells me she is in the BNC too!

Annie
I used to receive all of the BNC emails and found them really useful. However, these seemed to have stopped since I have been on maternity leave. Now I am back in work, I would be very grateful if you could add me to the list again?

Many thanks,

Finola
Thanks for your e-mail. As always very interesting and great invites. I will probably attend the Edinburgh event as we have a dinner at The Balmoral next year and it would be useful for me to visit Edinburgh.

Charlotte
Could you please send me The BNC emails to my yahoo account? I would be very interested in continuing to get some of these emails which I find of an incredible added value.

Many thanks,
Catherine
Amazing - thanks so much. And so much other good stuff too.

Thanks again

Jessica
As always though, if the taxi/car is taking them to the match and collecting afterwards, its best for the car to try and park in the Richmond College car park (I think the match day parking is around 25/30GBP per day). That way the driver can sit and wait for them at the same place he drops them off, and it's only a short stroll across the A316 to Twickenham stadium.
Good luck.

Carole
I was delighted that I was already getting my colours mostly right and not surprised to be told that I'm dehydrated - my fitness trainer is always telling me off about that.

Regards,

Monica
In addition Jen and Joanna (cc'd) will be taking over parts of my role, could you include them on the BNC mailing list please?

Thanks

Rebecca
You kindly forwarded on to me the recommendations for Jazz bands in London (end of last week) and I have put this email in a very safe place, so safe I can't find it now! Could you please kindly resend to me?

Apologies and many thanks,

Bahar
Just wanted to let you know that one of our partners, Glenn Hall, is holding his 40th birthday party at the Penthouse Suite at The May Fair. I told him about the venue when he said he was looking for a swish venue, so thanks very much to you for introducing us to The May Fair.

Many thanks

Sylvia
We contract with hotels for a block of guest rooms and through the contracts we sign provide a guarantee of a minimum number of rooms or room nights for our group. In the past this has been sufficient to guarantee the rooms. However, we have just signed a contract with a hotel in Barcelona and are in the process of negotiating a contract with an international hotel chain for London next year and have been asked to pay the first night's accommodation upfront.

Prue
A star as usual!!! Please thank all the kind respondents.

Regards

Yvonne
I am looking for a venue in Oxfordshire or Berkshire which can hold 250 - 300 for a relaxed afternoon garden party feel event.

Thanks

Carol
I can recommend the River Bank Park Plaza hotel or Savoy Place www.savoyplace.co.uk. Savoy Place has my favourite view of London from its top floor balcony, it's also reasonably priced.

Good luck with your search! Clare
Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for the event at Savoy Place on Monday evening. It was a fun evening, great wine and food and the 'frock exchange' was a brilliant idea and I was happy to take home some really nice dresses!
Hope you're well? Re drinks parties in Manchester: I'd avoid Old Trafford (both the cricket ground and the football ground) unless you're actually doing corporate hospitality at a match, or doing something like a museum tour. The football ground is a little dead and atmosphere-free when it's just a small party in this 82,000 seater stadium. Also, you're a couple of miles outside the city here, and would have to transport everyone by bus there and back (not the place you would want to leave a nice car parked outside unless there is security hired for the event).

Regards

Judy
I'm unfortunately being made redundant but would like to stay in the group. Is it possible for you to use my personal email address?

Hope all is well with you.

Alice
This is unbelievably helpful. Thanks so very much! Can't thank you enough.

Candice
Thank you for your email. Please can you add my name and my colleague's, Gemma, onto the list for the Brown's Hotel event and viewing on 12 May.

Many thanks. Kind regards, Clare
Hope you're well. I'm looking for a jazz / swing band to play at our upcoming Charity Ball at the Royal Courts of Justice. We would like them to play throughout the meal more as background music while people are eating and talking. Any recommendations much appreciated.

Many thanks,
Emma
Thank you for the invitation to the networking event last night. Met some interesting people, as always, and managed to make my canap?s without too much stress, even if it was with a little artistic license! I even managed to make it to my train (although the decision to run up the escalator should have been preceded by a look UP it to see how long it actually was - and once you start, you aren't allowed to stop!)

Lovely to see you again

Annie
Hi Kim

I just wanted to say thank you very much for an excellent evening on Monday night aboard the Silver Sturgeon. It was lovely to finally meet you and also to network with other members of The BNC. I found the evening really enjoyable as well as extremely useful. I made some really good contacts and went away with my head buzzing with ideas and have since heard back from many of the suppliers I met on the night. It is really useful to have the opportunity to meet other event professionals to exchange ideas and find out what is out there! The food was delicious and the service excellent and I look forward to using the Silver Sturgeon as a venue for future events.
Please could you pass my thanks to all at Steigenberger for their hospitality on Thursday evening. It was most enjoyable and I am sorry I was unable to stay for the after theatre party.

Regards

Monica
Re the question that Clare asked please tell Clare that I am overseas until 10th August so don't have access to my files but if she wants any more information she can contact me when I get back.

Regards

Angela
We have just cancelled a dinner on 5th November. I wondered what information you needed to put the cancellation to the group?

Annie
Yes this weather has been lovely; hoping it will hold out for the weekend! Thanks for the feedback. We've been using the same flower provider for years, so it will be very useful to get some other quotes for comparison and to have a look for a different style.

Many thanks,

Have a good weekend, Susan
Hi Kim

I hope you are well? Apologies for not being in touch for some time but it has been completely hectic with events which is really good news considering the current climate.
regards,

Yvonne
On another matter, did you get my note asking if I can pay my annual subs by credit card please, as this works best for me?

Many thanks!

Jackie
Can you ask the members if they can recommend an event agency? I need an agency that can cover all types of events. I've been looking at two agencies: Adding Value and the Event Business. Has anyone used these agencies and do they have some feedback?

Thanks in advance

Emma
Many thanks for sending out my below request. I'm looking forward to receiving the replies. I'm actually really interested in the email from Amanda regarding work experience at the city law firm. We have a fantastic graduate with us at the moment on work experience and she is trying really hard to get into events. This would be a great opportunity for her. Would you mind either passing on my details to Amanda or can I have her email address?

Many thanks

Sophie
Please pass on a huge thank you to everyone who responded to my question about a fashion photography party venue.

The suggestions were enormously helpful as always.

Best wishes

Claire
Once again the Club saves the day! Please pass on our thanks to everyone who has responded.

Regards,
Jenny
Also, for a ladies evening, what about an evening with Kurt Geiger or LK Bennett as they'll have late openings for corporates, with discounts and models showing off shoes which is fun.

Cheers,

Nina
I also wanted to say thank you (a little late) for all the responses regarding event agencies near Brighton for my friend which have proved really useful. He was really impressed with the quality of the contacts and I understand that they have somebody lined up. He was pleased to finally meet people who knew what they were talking about and had the right experience.

Can you thank everybody for their replies.

Kind regards

Yvonne
Thanks Kim! My fellow BNC members always have a wealth of knowledge it is always useful to tap into!

Alice
I'm looking for an agency that would run our CIO advisory board. The agency would need to have some connections and experience in the CIO world, and would provide the complete end-to-end service of delivering these quarterly meetings. From inviting people, organising speakers, to the logistics on the day.

Sarah
Thanks for the invoice, Kim. I have passed it to accounts for payment.

Hilary
Please thanks the group for me. Great recommendations as always....
The information I received is extremely useful and it is saving me a lot of time!

Celine
Please could you remind me of the password to access the members' side of the website?
Thanks

Claire
If you would like to put her in touch with me I would be happy to chat to her and give her some advice and two or three names to look at, as it may not necessarily be that she needs one of the big well-known companies if her needs are basic and budget small.

Kate
If there is any like-minded retail event managers out there who would like to get together, perhaps we could fix up a networking event sometime in the autumn?
Look forward to meeting you all.

Kind regards,
Kate
My team has also recently undergone a restructure with reduced staffing levels and are considering producing service level agreements to establish some ground rules. I'd be very interested to receive any examples of SLAs that are submitted in response to Charlotte's request, below.
Many thanks

Helen
Thanks for these Kim, sorry I haven't called you back yet, we're a bit snowed under with 12 events coming up, still, not complaining though! I'll get in touch with them, many thanks! Kind regards Sylvia
Regarding venues with roof terraces: I use Shoreditch House and Kensington Roof Gardens on a regular basis. Both are very good spaces for entertaining.

Kristina
I think you'd be better to go to a city centre venue such as the Urbis museum, the Science & Industry museum or the Hilton Hotel's Cloud Bar. For exclusivity try the Sky Bar at the City Inn Hotel, or the rooftop loungebar and garden at the Great John Street Hotel on St John Street.

Good luck.

Regards

Carole
Many thanks to Matt and you! I am really happy being member of The BNC!! And of course, I am always happy to help re Berlin questions :)

Kind regards

Andrea
I hope you're well. I'm organising a dinner for around 250 senior city execs at the Science Museum and I have to organise after dinner entertainment. The most obvious is an after dinner speaker like a comedian but I was hoping the group could give me other ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes, Emma
Having worked as a project manager in exhibition design for over five years, I would be able to help Eve. What she is looking for and what her budget is would determine who I would recommend.

Shelly
Hi Kim

On behalf of Debi and myself we'd just like to say a huge thank you for the incredible evening at the Priscilla Queen of the Desert show last Thursday. The hospitality from the Steigenberger Hotel Group was out of this world!

Many, many thanks Debi and Candice
Please could you post my thanks for the fantastic response to my query on Country House hotels.

Kind regards, Caroline
Could you let Helen know with regards to the health and safety issue on lanyards: so long as the lanyard has the new safety release catch on them, which is worn at the back of the neck, they are perfectly fine. It's just in case they get caught on anything they will easily fall off with out trying to strangle you.

Regards......Claire
That is great. Please pass my thanks on to Claudia.

What a great service! Could you send through to me some details regarding membership and cost to The BNC.

Many thanks,

Chloe
Just a small note if anyone is prepared to share details of their marketing cost per acquisition with me, and the overall direct cost for having each delegate at the event. Or if not what they actually achieve, what they try to achieve? Just looking for the simple details: ie
Exhibition
Marketing cost - ?15 a delegate
Overall cost - ?95 a delegate
Conference
Marketing cost - ?10 a delegate
Overall cost - ?60 a delegate

Elizabeth
Hope you're well. Please can you send me any replies to the on-line registration system question? We're soon to look into this ourselves, and it would be useful to hear any recommendations.

Thanks

Susan
I held an event at the House of Commons in March. It is very simple and the catering departments are very helpful but, yes, you do have to have an MP to act as your sponsor and the formal 'host' of the event. Nominally it is his event but you can agree that you will settle all bills etc.

Clare
Can you please ask the group if they have any suppliers they would recommend to hire arcade games for an event?

Thanks

Charlotte
Programme: champagne reception followed by afternoon tea. Can either be inside with outside space or in the grounds in a marquee. Total budget ?12,000.

Many thanks,

Luci
Bizarrely Katie and I were going to contact you/The BNC this week to ask for feedback on online registration systems. Would it be possible to forward us any comments you get based on Shirley's request?

Many thanks,

Claire
Thank you for the networking evening. It was great to come along and meet some new people. Please could you send this query out to the group? I am looking for a 4 / 5 star country house conference venue, maximum an hour and a half from London by train with convenient access from the rest of the UK and close to the train station. It needs to feel luxurious and have a country house rather than corporate venue feel, but it also needs a room for 60 U shape and 100 bedrooms. Any suggestions appreciated.

Many thanks. Kind regards, Clare
Hi Kim

Thank you for coming back to me. This is really useful and I will try and have a look at the website later on.

Julie
My colleague has returned from a conference in the US where he met with a marketing contact who has the CMP qualification and recommended it to him for myself.
I have had a look on the internet and have found a whole host of information. However, I am unsure if this is a US-only based qualification. Has anyone in The BNC had any experience with this, being based in the UK? If not, do you or anyone else know if there is a UK equivalent? Any information anyone has would be most helpful.

Thanks Kim
I really look forward to the next BNC event.

With kind regards

Yvonne
PS What a treat to have my nails done at the same time!!
Also, I meant to say thank you for the Champneys information. I organise golf days for clients and their partners. I have an event for 50 people at Celtic Manor which is a golf day with gala dinner in the evening.

Thanks, Emma
Hope you are well! Thanks for sharing the comments from fellow event organisers on going through tough times at the moment. It does put things into perspective and makes those of use whose jobs seem relatively secure realise how lucky we actually are ......for now, although who really knows?!

Many thanks and kind regards

Jackie
Thanks very much for the feedback re European Events. Could you please pop them in an email to me show I can show the head of our department?

Many thanks!

Sylvia
We had a conference in Edinburgh and used an old church for our evening drinks party.
We are thinking of using Chewton Glen for a VIP event in July and I just wanted to ask the group if they had any experiences good or bad with the hotel they could feedback.

Thanks

Chantal
Thanks very much Kim and can you thank all the members for the responses re restaurants in Twickenham and also the taxi services around there on match days - VERY helpful.

Alison
Could you ask Alice how she got into freelancing events? It is something that I am very interested in. Appreciate your help.

Regards,

Claire
First, thanks so much for transferring my email address over - it' great to have been in touch with The BNC whilst I was off and now I'm back in the office!

Clare
I'll be going on maternity leave soon and I'd still like to receive BNC mails. Could you send them to my hotmail account please?

Sophia
Thank you very much for Monday's event at Browns, which I greatly enjoyed. It's always good to meet with other event managers and it was a lovely hotel. I don't think I've ever had lobster canap?s before!

Thank you

Karen
Could you ask The BNC if anyone has worked with Shaker Events to arrange a corporate cocktail evening and if so do they have any feedback to share?

Kind regards,

Lucy
I hope you are well. I am looking for a venue in Oxfordshire or Berkshire which can hold 250 - 300 for a relaxed afternoon garden party feel event. Programme - champagne reception followed by afternoon tea. Can either be inside with outside space or in the grounds in a marquee, total budget ?12,000.

Many thanks

Linda

Overseas Networking

Thank you for this email I find these updates, ideas and questions really interesting.
I will shortly be leaving Incisive Media and moving to Sydney Australia to hopefully continue working within event. I was wondering if there was a branch of the BNC (or something similar) out there that I could get involved in to help keep updated? Any ideas gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Genevieve
How are you? I've managed to find a job now in the Netherlands and this is my new work email address, please use this one as well. Please could you ask the group the following question?

I'm looking for a good quality congress/convention centre that is near a skiing/winter resort in Budapest, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic that is not too overpriced. Please can anyone let me know of any places they have used and loved?

Many thanks
Gillian
Hi there, I've used Concorde Lafayette in Paris for a large conference with plenary/general sessions and lots of breakouts - they're attached to the Convention Centre, so lots of options here and the hotel is comfortable too. Hope this helps,

Regards Carole
Hope you are well.

With regards to Suzanne's query re restaurant in Nice. Last year I had the exclusive use of Les Pecheurs. My nos were 65 but it was privatised for my group and cut off at points which we did not use. I reckon it could do up to 140 because there is a large terrace area and eating area outside and inside. Hope it helps.

Kind regards.

Donna
In response to Vicky's request for a dinner location in Rome I would suggest Villa Miani which is on the hill next to the Hilton Cavalieri (sp).
We used it for a gala dinner of 500+ and it was spectacular. One of my favourite places in the world.

Kind regards Jessica
Kim, this is very interesting and thanks very much for sending. What we have done in the past was very small and it worked ok but will take into consideration for the bigger event.

Great network to help us all.

Kind regards.

Donna
Please can you thank everyone who replied re: Restaurant in Berlin. This has helped me out of a tight spot and we now have a fab sounding restaurant booked.

Knew I could rely on the Club!

Barb
I would like to ask the group whether anyone has organised events in Moscow. I'm looking for suggestions on venues or events agencies people have tried in the past.
It would be for around 250 guests.

I hope all is well with you.

Kind regards

Anine
Thanks for the fabulous feedback. I will be going out to view hotels in a couple of weeks and the feedback has really lifted my spirits that we are on the right track. The Hotel Palace Berlin stays top of the list.

It's cold here too. A bit of a shock after the warm autumn.

Georgina
I was wondering if you could help with the below!

We have a dinner in Berlin on the 10th November at the Maritim Berlin for 550 people and we are looking for an entertainment act during or after the dinner. We have used a company called opera on the run in the UK and we are looking for something similar, they are a surprise opera act that are disguised as waiters and then break into opera during the meal. The act would need to be in English!
Any musicians, entertaining acts or anything you think is suitable please let me know!

Best wishes
Claire
Thank you for arranging the wonderful stay at Grande Real Villa Italia, Cascais, Portugal organised by Vega. The hotel is a wonderful venue, overlooking the sea and just 30 mins. from Lisbon. It is well located with an amazing spa, good meeting space and the bedrooms are superbly appointed. My special thanks to Rosario Morais from Vega for her warm hospitality, great organisation and looking after us so well. I look forward to the opportunity of bringing our groups here and working with Vega!

Kind regards

Sandra
I have one question for the network.
I am looking into venues in Jersey Island or Guernsey for a 2 days seminar for 200 people.
Would anybody in the Group have venues to recommend + eventually a local DMC / or team building company?

Many thanks!

Celine
I am just coming back from Shanghai and have held several work dinners at 'M on the Bund' - ideally drinks outside on balcony first as it has spectacular views over across to Pudong and great light show, best views in the city. Inside very hip and chic with classic fusion/ European food.

If you want traditional Shanghai food, try 'Ye Shanghai' in Xintiandi - in the French Concession area, very lively and good atmosphere.

Good luck & enjoy your time in Shanghai.

Bahar

I'm looking for a really good DMC in California/San Francisco. Preferably one that's familiar with pharma companies. The ones I've been in touch with haven't been great so far....

Thanks, Amy
Please could you ask the group if anybody could recommend a nice hotel in Istanbul, I have an event in May for approximately 50 people and need to arrange hotels and meeting rooms etc.

Regards......Claire
Hi Kim,

A couple of New York supplier recommendations for Angela's conference bags:

www.Product101.com
www.Promonationusa.com

We've used both and they are very reliable and competitively priced.

regards,
Fiona
Following on form our conversation I would like to give you an idea to what hotel we are using for executive retreats and high level meetings and dinners.

December 8-12 we will be at the Abama in Tenerife, we are having 3 different dinners, cocktail parties etc and have taken 250 of their rooms and suites. I am currently looking for a location for next years retreat (Dec -09/ Jan -10)
Other examples of hotels we have used are:
Hotel Arts - Barcelona
Four Seasons - London
Four Seasons - Budapest
Grand Hotel - Stockholm
Grand Intercontinental - Paris
Hotel Kamp - Helsinki

And many more.

Another event we are currently promoting and working on is at the Atlantis in the Bahamas where we have taken over the entire hotel for our world wide vacation.

Hope this gives you a better picture to what hotels we are using for our high level retreats and meetings.
Kind regards,

Sheena
An answer for Daniela regarding restaurants in Athens. We had an event in March last year and went to;
ORIZONTES on Lycabettus Hill ( If you go there make SURE you ask for tables on the terrace (by the window). It has an amazing view of the Acropolis and over the city.

Jessica
I hope you are well.
Would you be able to put this question to the group? Thanks I am at the planning stages for our Annual Conference to be held in October in Toronto, Canada. As part of the conference program we offer a day trip to all delegates and their partners. Other than Niagara Falls and wineries, is anyone able to offer any suggestions on what they have done or are planning to do? The group size would be around 150 pax. mainly male Managing Partners from independent legal and accounting firms from around the world.
Coach travel from the city centre would be possible but at a 1 hour transfer limit. Any ideas or suggestions would be great.

Thanks Kind regards

Susan

Feedback on Vienna
There is a hotel bar called Do&Co, not sure if they take group bookings but they are in the centre of town with Cathedral views. Great location
http://www.doco.com/
Or there is Mack, just opposite the Hilton, they do great food as well. Modern interior in a beautiful old building. They have a restaurant and bar area. Mak is a museum as well.
http://www.oesterreicherimmak.at/ueber_e.html
Kind regards

Elke
Hi Celine
I would highly recommend that you take a look at Hotel de France - not on the seafront, but walking distance into St Helier.
Has a terrific new spa and leisure facilities as well as the best conference facilities on the island.

I envy you being able to take a conference to Jersey! Good luck

Regards Carole
This is for Lynn:

Budapest, Hungary: a high standard hotel that can house a conference for approx 150 pax - I can recommend the Hilton Budapest Westend; one of the best hotels I've worked with in Eastern Europe www.budapest-westend.hilton.com

Bangalore, India: a high standard hotel that can house a conference for approx 200 pax - We had an event for 200 people at the Taj Residency. It's an excellent venue, great staff and food was amazing www.tajhotels.com

Hope this helps!

Dorien
Kim, please extend my thanks to the team for the info on Paris events.

Vicky
Regarding the Istanbul hotel request I would like to recommend the Four Seasons Hotel - which is located in the heart of the historic quarter (close to the Blue Mosque). Alternatively, the Ciragan Palace, which is a Kempinski property located on the shores of the Bosphorous. I held an event for the same number of people at this hotel last year and it was truly memorable. The Ritz Carlton is also very good. I do know that Istanbul is very popular at this time of year so this member would need to get in touch with the venues as soon as possible.

I hope this helps.

Diane
Just to say a big thank you for organising the Hosted Buyer trip to EIBTM last week.

I found the meeting very worthwhile. Meeting with potential suppliers and networking with everyone in one place is a great way to kick start the year.

Plus the social networking made it a fun couple of days.

I hope I have the opportunity to attend next year with the BNC.

Many thanks,

Sarah
I am looking for a restaurant in Bangkok for 15 - 20 people and was wondering if the club could recommend any and if possible with a private room?

Thanks

Heather
Firstly thanks for the replies on Toronto.

I have some information for both Diane and Alice.

Greece - last year we held our Annual Conference in Athens and worked with a DMC called ATG Mice part of TUI Hellas Corporate Services S.A.

Emma
I hope you're well!

Re the after dinner entertainment - I did a dinner in Vienna last year and used a brilliant London based act called String Fever instead of an after dinner speaker - 3 brothers and a friend who form a string quartet but make an act out of it - its very very clever and very funny! All of the people we had at the dinner (about 130 global top execs) were really wowed.

Think the website is www.stringfever.co.uk; I can dig out a contact for their PA if there is interest.

Also - I'm back at work next week after 10 months on maternity leave - therefore please could you send emails to my business e-mail instead of this address from now on?

Many thanks!
Clare
In response to Nat's question on South Africa I would thoroughly recommend the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Cape Town for her event in July. I held an event there in November and the location, service and value for money was absolutely outstanding - not to mention backdrop of table mountain and tortoises roaming the grounds. They have two large function rooms and pre-function areas on the ground and first floor which, depending on the set-up required (e.g. classroom/cinema) could probably manage 200 seated. Here is a link to their conference brochure http://www.vineyard.co.za/pages/conference_brouche.htm

Kind regards

Diane
I have a question for the network, hoping I will be able to get some great advices (again!).
I am organising an evening in Zurich for 30 people on the 9th February.
I am looking into a cooking workshop (eventually combined with wine tasting).Would anybody have a suggestion/supplier in Zurich they have used in the past?
Thanks in advance for all your ideas.

Many thanks
Celine
Happy New Year! Please can you ask the group if they know any good DMCs or coach companies in Casablanca Morocco?

Many thanks
Gillian
We have some bedroom cancellations at the Hilton Cavalieri hotel in Rome for the nights of 5th and 6th of November.

If anyone is interested please ask them to get in contact.

Many thanks Isabel
Hope your well.
How do I go about joining up again and I need lot's of advice regarding international hotels etc in my new role?

Many thanks

Dee
Kim - a recommendation for Jeremy in your email below for 300 bed conf in Europe - I have used the Rome Marriott for 600 people and they have great meeting space.

Catherine
Vienna DMC

I worked with them as the preferred supplier for the Sibos exhibition last year. They were great!
Found me the most incredible venue for our Executive Dinner (20pax) and our VIP Party (450pax - in the end!)
The contact details are all below:

Regards

Tiffany
I emailed the group to ask for restaurants in Barcelona which I received a good response.
I have already used one of the restaurants suggested last week. I now have to book another restaurant in Barcelona and the client wants to try something different, but I've deleted the email!
I sent the request for information end of July / early August. Would you be able to re send me the group's reply?

Many thanks

Judi
Have a wonderful suggestion for the Hotel Request for Munich: The Bayerischer Hof. www.bayerischerhof.de
It is an amazing hotel, can accommodate 100 pax, cabaret, and is extremely central. It is the first address of Munich to give you an idea.
We have hosted Award Banquets there and are returning this Spring for another event there. Contact Details:
Kirsten Lambertz
Bankettassistentin

Hotel Bayerischer Hof

Regards

Gema
I found your website somewhere at the net..
Is the BNC only meant for UK based event managers?

Met vriendelijke groet / Best regards,

Melissa
Meeting & Conference Planner
Schering-Plough

Hi Melissa - it is for event managers worldwide
Regards
Kim
Please could you ask the group if they have any recommendations for venues in India - Mumbai or New Delhi? We are look for a conference venue / hotel to cater for between 600 - 700 delegates in Feb for two days.

Any suggestions from the group would be appreciated.

Kind Regards
Claire
I am looking for a top DMC in Rio?

Cheers

Christie
Dear Jo

Berlin Venue

I have just come back from the Meeting in Berlin conference, during which I visited several beautiful 5* properties that could be useful.
I would recommend the Kempinski Bristol in Berlin, Concorde, Regent and Hyatt all in Berlin.
If you wish to have further details on the above please contact me.

Best regards
Sandra
I've got a question - can anyone recommend any good dinner entertainment in Shanghai. It needs to be something quite unique to Shanghai / China. It's a dinner for c 200 pax

Thanks
N
I hope you are well.

I would be interested to see the replies to the request about information for a licence for Middle East conferences.

Thanks

Georgina
Feedback for Emma re: Gundel
I used it back in September and while I wasn't involved in the forward planning everything ran smoothly on the night and the food was good. Lovely balcony for drinks before/after and they catered for the dietary requirements we had. Parking and Coach set down isn't always easy but we didn't experience any problems.

Hope this helps!

Amy
Hope you're well.

Please could you ask the group to recommend a venue finding agency I could use, based in France. I'm looking for a venue to host a drinks reception for 300 people at MIPIM.

Many thanks

Lucy
Barcelona: Can recommend Mirabe restaurant situated on side of Mont Tibidabo with excellent views of the city. Two floors available for private dinners.

Anne
I would like to ask members if they can recommend a DMC in Athens. I am holding an event at the Cape Sounio resort in October and whilst I have booked the venue I need help with off-site events.
As this is first time I have considered using a DMC, I would be grateful for any general tips - e.g. how they work, what to expect etc.

Many thanks

Diane
Hi,
I am arranging a cocktail event in Singapore for approx 150 guests and I wondered if anyone could recommend a really unusual venue with a massive wow factor?
Thank you

Vicky
Could you just post this on the members please:

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to al the members who responded about restaurants/nightspots in Cannes. Really good and extensive list to choose from.

Many thanks Alison
We are looking at a few hotels in Berlin for a customer event and I would like to know if any of the members have had experience of these hotels, good and bad. The hotels are: Hotel Palace Berlin, Hotel Adlon Kempinski, and Hotel Berlin. At present the Hotel Palace Berlin appears to best meet our requirements.
Thanks
Georgina
Hi Kim
we are looking for a DMC in Dubai - any ideas??
Many thanks
Kate
Venue in Boston, I think it was XV (15 hotel) and it has a restaurant / private dining called Mooo! (steak restaurant - AMAZING). The private dining room is their wine cellar - no view, but it's a quirky space and we had a fantastic evening there in Oct - Executive level dinner.

I'll do my best to come on the 27th.

Tiff
Hope you are well....
In answer to Annie's query regarding Moscow, can you let her know I am more than happy to speak to her directly? Moscow is a difficult destination to deal with and I had invaluable help from a fantastic agency!

Kind regards,

Cai
Please can you pass the following information onto Claire re venue in Philadelphia. We held a conference in Philadelphia this June and used the Historic Landmark Building at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for our formal conference dinner.

We were in the Washington Foyer for pre dinner drinks and the Rotunda for the dinner. The venue is amazing, especially with all the art on display for the guests to venue over the course of the evening!

My contacts for the event are as follows:
PAFA - Judy Garst -
Duffy Catering - Matt Duffy -
Flowers: Robertsons Flowers (Susan Weist)-
Entertainment: Norma Michaels Entertainment -

If Claire would like any further information please feel free to pass on my contact details to her.

Kind regards

Emma
I am looking for a venue for a Chairman's Dinner 50 pax in Rio de Janeiro. Could you ask the network if there are any recommendations?

It shall be a typical Brazilian restaurant, be upper class and give one the feeling to actually be in Brazil/Rio, no stereo type.

Kind regards

Daniela
Could you please ask the club for the following issues:

Poland:
DMC for ground services such as dinner transfer and excursion for Warsaw or Krakow.

Venue with a meeting space of 800 sqm, could be museum or gallery in Warsaw or Krakow

Greece:
Restaurant in Athens for a formal dinner,70 pax, sophisticated, price range EUR 70 - 80
Restaurant in Athens for an informal - unofficial dinner, 30 pax

Thank you.
Kind regards

Daniela

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