Associate Facilitator, Guest Lecturer and Guest Speaker Sharifa Wilkinson, is in Qatar working as the Last Mile Lead at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. Here is her recent article on her time with the Workforce Planning Team By Sharifa Wilkinson When you think of a mega sporting event like the FIFA World Cup™, the first thing that comes to mind is the prolific players, the stunning stadiums and the fantastic fans. However, there is a

How nice it is to have something to celebrate – much-needed now and after the last 2 years. The Platinum Jubilee is an excuse for a party and for us to get together with family and friends. If you are looking for ideas on how to create a celebration a la Royalty, here are some of my tips: Royal banquets ordinarily are laid out as long tables, called Sprigs. The hosts’ table is a long one running horizontally and the sprigs are set off from this vertically. If you’ve a sizeabl

Earlier this year we were delighted to welcome Rita Conde Luís to our teaching team as an Associate Facilitator. With specialist knowledge of global event operations for large corporate organisations, Rita is ideally placed to observe new trends in events in the UK and internationally. We caught up with Rita as pandemic restrictions were lifting and the event world was trying to determining what the new 'normal" would be. Could you tell us about your role as Global Event Ope

Work smart, not hard - as the saying goes. Planning ahead can make all the difference in seeing success. Creating a smart digital marketing plan can easily be done with the right resources. Watch and learn The first point I’d like to touch on, is how much power there is in observation. Observation is a free tool that can be used for researching competitors and prospective customers. If you want to get a better understanding of how to reach your target audience, pay attention

In a wedding, flowers are essential for the bridal bouquet, bridesmaids’ posies, entrance, table flowers, and interior decoration. They set the tone for weddings. For instance, having tulips of different colours can add vibrancy to your aisle or table arrangement. Likewise, a bouquet filled with light pink hydrangea or baby’s breath can strike a more graceful bridal walk. Roses paired with gold ornaments around the wedding venue can also exude classic and exquisite wedding vi

I have recently taken a deep dive into Sustainability in Events. The UK events industry council states that “Sustainability for events means taking action towards preserving our natural environment; promoting a healthy, inclusive society; and supporting a thriving economy.” While I am not a catastrophiser believing the world is going to end tomorrow, I do believe that human activity has contributed to some seriously negative and harmful practices. Our actions to become mor

When it comes to creating beautiful and stunning events, the sky is the limit for your ideas, but the budget is sadly limited. I’ve often heard statements like “I’d love to do (fabulous idea) but it is going to be too expensive”. While this statement probably has a lot of truth to it, it can also limit us thinking about great ideas. My top advice to overcome this is to dream first without restrictions as that is when the really fabulous and fun ideas will come. Do not edit yo

Our industry engaged in a collective sigh of relief when the last of the restrictions were dropped in July and weddings could return to ‘normal’. Since then, weddings have largely returned to normal, albeit with all vendors supplying risk assessments and testing prior to the wedding day. Contingencies have never been more important. And this is how it will be from now on, we must take responsibility for ourselves and therefore protect the couple, their guests and our fellow s

Being a wedding or events planner can be one of the most fulfilling careers in the world. Every occasion handled can be a great opportunity to create memories, whether at a grandiose annual corporate event or a more intimate wedding party. It is indeed a wonderful privilege to turn a concept into a joyful reality where people can celebrate life and love or create value. And yet, while a planner’s task can be delightful and exhilarating, it is nonetheless, not a walk in the pa

Keeping your business as visible as possible can be tricky. It is a difficult thing to do and to judge. We thought it would be helpful if there was a list of resources online, so we made one. Here is the list of free resources to help your business stay visible online. Quality Content Creating quality content for your social media and email bulletins is crucial to the success of your business and its visibility. There are many online tools that you can use to help you create

Choosing the best suppliers for your couple’s wedding day or your client’s event can determine the success of the occasion - so it’s really important to pick the right suppliers! Here are my top six tips to pick the best suppliers to ensure your events are perfect: 1. Always get more then one quote - it’s important to always get multiple quotes so you can compare price points and package inclusions. Showing your clients a variety of quotes also illustrates your knowledge of

The event industry over recent years has as made considerable effort to provide guidance and education to its members on creating events that have minimal impact on the environment. And the need for this focus is apparent when we consider past practice by global event organisers, exhibitors, venues and attendees: A report ‘The Show Must Go On’, based on 279 UK summer festivals estimated 3.17 million people attended UK music festivals every year creating 23,500 tonnes of wa

A great way to create environmentally friendly events is to think about what and how you serve your food. Here are three things for you to consider: 1) Locally sourced and organically grown food. Work with chef caterers that have good relationships with local farms and producers so that it becomes built into what you offer to your guests. 2) Food that comes in plastic free packaging. A touring band we worked with required all food and beverages in their green room to come in

Sustainability and weddings can be thought a somewhat incongruous pairing; we are well aware of the somewhat profligate nature of some of the wedding day elements, whether it’s a cake too big to be consumed by the number of guests, a dress that’s only worn once, or flowers that are binned later that night. I hope this feature helps to give you some ideas around how you can make your wedding less impactful on the planet but still stylish and everything you dreamed it would be.

Exhibitions by their nature create astonishing amounts of waste. From paper and packaging, to single use floor coverings and furniture items, plus copious numbers of carrier bags and give-aways, the industry has had to battle against its actual and perceived damage to the environment. Exhibition stands themselves are frequently never used again – once the exhibition closes its doors, the stands and their contents usually end up in a skip headed for landfill. With the general

While weddings are a wonderful chance for friends and family to get together and celebrate the union of two people, they can actually be very damaging to the environment. And, with table decorations, flowers, and food that’s thrown away at the end of the day, it’s not really surprising. Luckily, there are many ways to make weddings more sustainable. If you’re wondering how to plan a greener event, then we’ve got you sorted. From the type of invitations you send to the clothes

Deciding on a micro wedding is not easy. Hence, the reason elopements became so popular. How can you decide on only up to 50 guests, it...

Charlotte & Oliver from London have always dreamed of going against their families’ tradition of an all-white wedding and create a...

I am Gabriela and I am a Hospitality professional certified in planning Weddings and Events all over the world. After obtaining my...

You’ve said yes, you’re really excited, you’ve held the dream of your wedding day in your heart and the vision in your mind for as long...