Whatever

Event magazine is sorry to hear the news that one of the industry's most influential characters has passed away.

Vanessa Cotton was a fantastic ambassador for the event industry and will be greatly missed.

Our sympathies go out to her family and friends.

Many of you have been following this story. Well, here's the list of websites that were taken down so you can see if you were affected without even knowing it:


Normal 0 0 1 1360 7752 64 15 9520 11.518 0 0 0

http://www.88events-company.com/

http://www.aaa-inflatables.co.uk/

http://www.abc-events.info/

http://www.acf-hospitality.co.uk/

http://www.act-iondays.co.uk/

http://www.acts-and-attractions.co.uk/

http://www.afford-a-band.co.uk/

http://www.a-listlookalikes.co.uk/

http://www.aliveandkicking-entertainments.co.uk/

http://www.aliveandkicking-entertainments.co.uk/index.php

http://www.alive-network.co.uk/

http://www.alive-network.com/

http://www.alive-network.com/group-services.php

http://www.alive-network.com/index.php

http://www.alpha-entertainment.co.uk/

http://www.altitude-eventmanagement.co.uk/

http://www.animal-bouncers.co.uk/

http://www.area51-site.com/

http://www.atm-events.co.uk/

http://www.bestparties-ever.com/quote-request-form.php

http://www.bigfoot-events.co.uk/

http://www.bigwheelentertainments.com/

http://www.bounce-krazee.co.uk/

http://www.bouncingbuddies.org.uk/

http://www.cabaret-casino.co.uk/a-z-entertainment.php

http://www.calmer-karma.org.uk/

http://www.calmer-karma.org.uk/index.php

http://www.carnival-uk.com/

http://www.carnival-uk.com/our-products.php

http://www.caspro-entertainment.co.uk/

http://www.celebration-displays.co.uk/

http://www.celebration-displays.co.uk/index.php

http://www.charm-music.org.uk/

http://www.chi-lli-sauce.co.uk/

http://www.christmasparties-unlimited.co.uk/index.php

http://www.classique-promotions.co.uk/

http://www.company-christmas.co.uk/

http://www.easypeasy-uk.com/

http://www.es-promotions.the-entertainment-group.com/quote-request-form.php

http://www.eventshouse.eu/

http://www.eventshouse.eu/index.php

http://www.event-wise.co.uk/

http://www.excalibur-entertainments.co.uk/

http://www.executive-amusements.co.uk/

http://www.fakeface-s.co.uk/

http://www.find-arcademachines.com/

http://www.find-arcademachines.com/index.php

http://www.finesse-entertainment.co.uk/

http://www.finishingtouch-events.co.uk/

http://www.fun-tasticasino.co.uk/

http://www.fun-tasticasino.co.uk/index.php

http://www.fun-timehire.co.uk/

http://www.gfileisure.co.uk/

http://www.gigmaster-s.com/

http://www.happy-daysevents.co.uk/

http://www.jlp-events.co.uk/

http://www.jlp-events.co.uk/index.php

http://www.kaleido-scope-events.co.uk/

http://www.keyadventures.org.uk/

http://www.king-bouncealot.co.uk/

http://www.king-bouncealot.co.uk/index.php

http://www.k-music.co.uk/

http://www.knockout-entertainments.com/

http://www.knockout-entertainments.com/index.php

http://www.leapfrogint.co.uk/

http://www.leapfrogint.co.uk/index.php

http://www.lmm-uk.com/

http://www.london-musicagency.co.uk/

http://www.mainline-funcasinos.co.uk/

http://www.murder-mysteryshop.com/

http://www.music-for-london.co.uk/

http://www.ny-t.co.uk/

http://www.party-offers.co.uk/

http://www.party-pop.co.uk/

http://www.par-ty-pop.com/

http://www.party-rama.co.uk/

http://www.partytime-leisure.co.uk/

http://www.phoenix-leisure.co.uk/

http://www.prima-artists.info/

http://www.pro-shot-golf.co.uk/

http://www.p-s-w-leisure.co.uk/

http://www.racenight-services.info/

http://www.racenight-services.info/index.php

http://www.r-a-i-events.co.uk/

http://www.rev-elation-events.co.uk/

http://www.rev-elation-events.co.uk/index.php

http://www.shootingstars-circus.co.uk/

http://www.splitting-images.info/

http://www.sport-squest.co.uk/

http://www.sporty-racenights.com/

http://www.squaremeal.org.uk/

http://www.sunshine-games.co.uk/

http://www.theedge-uk.co.uk/

http://www.theright-address.co.uk/

http://www.theright-address.co.uk/index.php

http://www.true-viewevents.co.uk/

http://www.true-viewevents.co.uk/index.php

http://www.uk-stars.co.uk/

http://www.unique-entertainment.org.uk/

http://www.vegasnights-uk.co.uk/

http://www.wild-events.co.uk/

http://www.world-fireworks.com/

http://www.world-fireworks.com/a-z-entertainment.php

http://www.yes-entertainment.co.uk/

http://www.ze-ro-gravity.co.uk/

The Ideal Home Show has now racked up an impressive 175,000 visitors at its halfway stage.


Given that last year the event, which was a week longer, pulled in only 155,000 its a remarkable return to form.


Media 10 marketing head honcho Rob Nathan said the figures are actually good news for the whole exhibition industry. Certainly it's hard to argue that a succesful Ideal Home Show will install confidence in the sector. And even Earls Court received a nice little facelift for the event.

Smiles all round then, but is the Ideal Home Show an exhibition bellwether or is this success flash-in-the-pan, what do we reckon?

Interesting story in the Yorkshire Post. We don't have a Yorkshire correspondent so didn't make it to the court I'm afraid, but there's important stuff about the relationship between client and venue here, with one suing and the other counter-suing. We'll keep you posted on the outcome.

So, with minutes to spare before this AM bulletin hits your inboxes, I spotted this story about a nightclub which used images of Adolf Hitler to promote itself.

The promoter, known as "Ruff T", issued a hasty apology, denying any glofication of the Third Reich, a policy that "Gentle T" (my new alias, as of just now) would usually take as a given.

You have to wander though, what these guys are thinking when they come up with these ideas.

I say thinking...

All eyes on Copenhagen over the next few days, and not focusing on nudie statues either, but rather the sensitive and future-defining issue of global warming.

 
How serious is global warming? Well, the naysayers are saying 'nay' and the doom-mongers are mongering doom and all anyone really knows is its very confusing indeed. But I'm convinced it's happening and convinced we should all be doing something about it.

 
Not that I've become climate change expert overnight, but I have had a chance to visit the almost-completed Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. How did this help me come to a decision? Well, read on...

Next time you're near the hotel go over to the entrance of the adjacent Park Plaza County Hall London and look at the colourful structure. About five metres off of the ground, near the entrance, you will see a human-sized door leading directly to the outside. Anyone exiting it, you would imagine, would break their ankles and possibly quite a lot else. But upon my enquiring what its actual purpose is general manager Andrew Swindells gave a frightening response:

 
"It's a dinghy exit", he said. "This near to the Thames we couldn't build it without one."

If insurance companies think there's enough chance of flooding to insist upon a dinghy exit one storey up a brand new building only yards from the Thames, then that's good enough evidence of global warming threat for me. In response I've started building an arc built purely from chewing gum (the most indestructible substance known to man), because from the sounds of it, we're all going to get wet.

So, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the UK's number one pleasure beach no less, has put on its website a handy weather guide for anyone wishing to visit.

 
Knowing that the UK climate is a tough little blighter to pin down the good people of Blackpool wrote the following helpful disclaimer (grammatical errors left in):

 
"Our coastal location gives us a unique micro climate, the clouds have often dropped all their wet stuff long before reaching us. The Met Office, by their own admission, says the UK weather forecasting is virtually impossible to predict and no more so than in our part of the world."

Good to know. So it is effectively admitting that its own weather forecast might turn out to be not entirely true. With that in mind, lets look at the predicted weather for the next four days in this dampest of Decembers:

Hmmm...

So, I received an invitation to a fantastic event I am very much looking forward to going to, but the dress code on the invite says "business/smart casual".

Now, I've always thought smart-casual should be hyphenated, but that's another matter altogether and much of the world seems to disagree with me,  but my question is: what the clucking bell does "business/smart casual" actually mean? I can only imagine it refers to some very specific suit and shorts combo that is only usually seen on catwalks and amongst the sartorially ridiculous.

I've made smart-casual mistakes before. One of the first press trips I ever embarked on involved this sort of dress. I asked a PR what it meant, and she unhelpfully said: 'Well, it means smart or casual. Don't be too smart but don't be too casual'. Knowing that, variously, teachers have described me as 'not too smart' and 'overly casual' I opted for a suit and shirt... predictably everyone else had gone for jeans and I looked like a bit of a twit.


Anyway, to solve the "business/smart casual" problem I've opted for the following outfit:

Christmas tunes are bloody terrible on the whole. Every year I chew down to my jaw bone to the sound of Noddy Holder's over-played saccharine monstrosity. And don't get me started on the montonous, dirge of carols and hymns that accompany the festival.

Easter tunes are, thank our resurrected Lord, decidedly lacking. An area that could surely be cashed-in on. (If someone wants to buy me a Kanye West-style autotune device I will happily pen and perform a ditty about eggs, crucifixes, bunnies and the like in order to exploit this niche.)

After careful deliberation with my colleague David Quainton, I've decided the only annual tack-fest with musical credibility left intact is All Hallows Eve.

Tune-age for this increasingly Americanised Pagan festival is, surprisingly, pretty decent. So it was with eager anticipation that I hit the dance floor at the London Dungeon party last Saturday (31 October 2009), decked out in a hastily devised gothic Victorian gentleman ghost gettup.

The night was a success, don't get me wrong. I embraced the guided tour around the venue, complete with water-ride and hanging simulator. What's more, the sartorial efforts of the guests was admirable.

However, the only scary tunes spun by the DJ were Thriller and Ghostbusters. Two great ghoulish ditties, no doubt, but the plethora of missed opportunities:

Ghost Town, The Specials
Monster Mash, Bobby Pickett
Halloween Head, Ryan Adams
(Don't Fear) The Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult
Dragula, Rob Zombie
Psycho Killer, Talking Heads
Born Under A Bad Sign, Albert King
Zombie, The Cranberries
Creep, Radiohead
Highway to Hell, AC/DC
Black Magic Woman, Santana
Devil Woman, Cliff Richard
Poison, Alice Cooper

For pictures and a news story on London Dungeon's Halloween Party, click here.

I bought myself a ticket to the frankly disastrous Liverpool v Fulham match at the weekend. It highlighted to me why, when choosing client hospitality, it's better to put them in a box rather than give them a real experience in the stands. As much as they may say they want to embrace the masses, football grounds on the odd occasion contain small pockets of numpties, and they are best avoided in a business setting.

My story begins in the Fulham Riverside stands, for that is where I was sat (on my lonesome), and where I introduced myself to the fans seated with me:

I sat down, all happy, like, chatted to the old boys (who happened to be Fulham season ticket holders) around me (the younger fans seemed to be seated away to my left), who were courteous and we wished each other well and continued to speak throughout the match.
Some idiot, I shall call her an idiot, sat to my right and despite my hello didn't say a word to me. Fulham scored, I gave courteous applause. Then Torres scored a fantastic goal and I clapped my hands once. Literally one clap.
She grabbed them and said: "Have some respect."
I said: "Sorry, it was a reaction. I don't think I'm being hugely disrespectful anyway, but sorry."
Then I chatted to the guy to my left.
She then said, out of nowhere: "Look around you."
So I ignored her.
They then scored again in the second half and she clapped very loudly in my face and said: "You aren't clapping now are you?"
I ignored her.
Fulham scored again and I did indeed clap courteously, for it were a good goal, so it were.
She did exactly the same thing again, but louder.
I was fed up, turned round to her and said loudly enough that people around could hear me: "You're an idiot I'm trying to enjoy a football match."
She said: "Thanks for the £50."
I said: "Oh my God, you really are a huge idiot. I've done nothing to you, I've chatted to everyone, even had a laugh with these guys (some blokes behind that she apparently knew, given she was a season ticket holder) and you seem to be trying to ruin my day when Liverpool are doing a perfectly good job of that anyway. You're embarrassing yourself."
She said: "Thanks for the £50."

It was truly the worst footballing experience of my life. The quotes are pretty much word for word, I can remember it vividly because it annoyed me so much. The upside was I that was more annoyed with her after the match than the result, so every cloud...

Sigh. It's a shame, Fulham is a lovely club generally, with great matchday hospitality as well, should you ever sample it.

The Parlour bar, kitchen and cocktail lounge in Canada Square has its officially opening party tonight. The venue can be hired out for private events and has space for up to 650 guests. If you're going along to the opening party let us know what you think.

Check out this news story I stumbled across:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200910010423.html

Last night  (7 October 2009) I was privileged to attend Sony Ericsson's A Night of Classical Reinvention, organised by Iris Experience and the mobile phone giant.

The event, held at P3, Baker Street, bought together the toast of urban music talent, including Ms Dynamite, Kano, Goldie, Scroobius Pip, Sister Bliss and Layo & Bushwaka to reinterpret Vivaldi's ubiquitous The Four Seasons with help from The Heritage Orchestra, Tom Middelton and The Bays.

Despite the name of our editorial blogs (Good/Bad), the terms of my contract require me to say a bit more than ‘it was good' so, to prevent another session with the Haymarket cat o' nine tails, I'll elaborate a bit.

The musicians were given from 12pm on the day of the concert to perform whatever they had by 8pm. I'm happy to say that, despite reports that the performers were racked with nerves, the result was blisteringly energetic and technically flawless- no gaffs whatsoever. Ms Dynamite's vocals were ferocious and Scroobius Pip's laid down his rhymes with expert timing.

Goldie's interpretation of ‘Winter' was a standout. He looped the string section's central motif, before guiding the piece into a chaotic, but melodic, drum and bass frenzy.

The visuals also impressed, as did the food. More details of which will appear in the news section very soon, alongside an online gallery.

Event's top story this morning reported how the upcoming Metro Ski and Snowboard Show at Olympia has cut the cost of its tickets to reflect the current economic situation. Visitors to the five-day winter sports event will now be able to get hold of weekday passes for less than half the price of last year's tickets. 

Coincidentally, the news came in at the same time A Place in the Sun Live announced it attracted 1,589 less visitors to it's event at the NEC Birmingham this year. A bit of research revealed the show charged the same price for tickets this year as in 2008.

The question is, will more organisers now be tempted to reduce their ticket prices to attract more visitors?

So, according to the nationals, three men are to stand trial accused of fraudulently trying to sell premier hotel and event space the Ritz hotel. For £250m.

Blimey. That's a lot of lottery wins. I'd hate to be the rich shmuck who almost bought it. Still, if anyone offers you the chance to by the London Eye you'll know what to say. Brilliantly, one of the accused has the first name 'Conn'. The case continues.

In other news, Glastonbury Festival has sold out already. I've managed to get a ticket (hooray for me!). Playstation and Orange, amongst others, will be ecstatic that it is proving as popular as ever. Is there any better event to legitimise your product? The Olympics perhaps. Although there is an argument that the people who frequent Pilton's finest mud-fest are the very sort that reject brands. What do you think?