< Previous East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY Corporate events are an important ingredient in building lasting relationships with clients and employees - vital for a business’s growth. They offer a personal method of strengthening bonds and loyalty while enhancing brand recognition in a way that social media, emails and phone calls cannot replicate. From employee teambuilding days to product launches, celebratory parties, fundraisers, seminars and conferences, all these events require some basic event management to succeed, from research and planning to gathering feedback. Here, Business Link takes you through some useful tips for organising your unforgettable event. To start, those arranging corporate events should nail down the occasion’s purpose; what you wish to accomplish. To provide a meaningful experience, consider why you are hosting an event and set goals and objectives - are you looking to attract new customers, educate, or reward staff for example. From here you will be able to decide the kind of event most suitable for your audience, select what will resonate with them, and this will guide everything from decorations to speakers. Deciding your target audience is also key - will it involve executives, potential or long- term clients, or is it an internal party? When you are able to pinpoint your audience, you can work out the ideal way to reach them, establish how many guests to invite, and arrange an event program that is tailored to them, their interests and needs. At the beginning of the planning process firms must additionally set a budget, which will determine the kind of event you can organise. It is wise to have a cushion for unexpected extra expenses that arise. With a budget in hand, deciding where to allocate funds and what may require more resources to reinforce the event’s purpose is next. One will need to balance money to ensure the budget isn’t blown on a single aspect, perhaps decorations to the detriment of entertainment and refreshments, or not being able to afford a tech crew. With all this considered it’s time to select the event’s theme or topic and format, with an For corporate events to be successful, solid planning is essential. success Planning forwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link event that is interactive and varied, such as a conference with roundtables, panel discussions and networking, much more likely to be a success. Themed events can help narrow down your choices for other aspects of the event, for instance food, and make it more cohesive, but should also align to your event’s goals, featuring memorable activities. One will then be ready to choose a venue to suit your event, its mission and size. Venue choice can have a major influence on attendance and will set the tone. Providing a location that is unique and exciting can boost numbers, adding to an event by offering an experience that departs from the overdone to make a lasting impression. This will give guests something to talk about too and make them more likely to discuss the event once it’s over. However, where the venue is positioned must be factored in. It’s all well opting for a quirky manor house in the countryside, but in order to achieve the best attendee numbers it is usually advisable to seek somewhere convenient with good accessibility that is close to transport and accommodation if 52 Á © stock.adobe.com/ sonyachny © stock.adobe.com/ Jacob Lund East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY © stock.adobe.com/ Anton Gvozdikov necessary. For those with lower budgets, consider holding events at less popular times and days, such as organising breakfast seminars, and securing the venue plenty of time beforehand to take advantage of any price deals for advance booking. The ‘when’ is of course another important factor - will your guests prefer to set aside time on a weekday, weekend, evening, or afternoon? While looking for a venue remember to enquire about equipment, what will be provided for you and what you will have to source and set up yourself, such as audio-visual elements, stages and lighting. You may further need to make a decision on in house or external catering, with in house tending to work out cheaper and simpler. When picking food ensure to think about dietary requirements, whether you will be offering a set menu or asking attendees to choose beforehand, and how you want the food to be served - on trays with canapés, as a buffet or sit-down meal. In preparation for the day, you will also need to contract any necessary reputable specialists - caterers, audio- visual technicians, photographers et cetera, as well as booking any speakers, presenters and entertainers - and draw up the agenda for the event, sharing this with your team and determining who is responsible for what. When it comes to the agenda, look to form a balance between giving guests freedom and keeping them engaged with a schedule and variety. Use of technology to help your event go off without a hitch should additionally be considered. There are plenty of event management software options to streamline planning but also for creating interactive features during the event like live polls to boost participation. In the lead up to the event, make sure to promote it creatively. For smaller occasions a simple invitation may be enough, however for a larger soirée you might want to do something louder with emails, ads, social media, blogs, promo videos, adding events to industry listings, getting sponsors and media on board, and encouraging the business’s team to promote the event when visiting clients. Ensure to create a website for the event or a new landing page on your own site and in promotion use the same hashtags and branding across platforms and consistent messaging. After the event is over, there are a couple of final checkboxes to tick off to evaluate your success. A debrief with your team and gathering feedback from guests are important and will allow you to uncover whether the event met its original goals and objectives and if it had an impact on attendees. The lessons learned from this will be crucial to refining your next event. FEATURES Food & Drink Industry Spotlight Finance Office Solutions Net Zero Focus Education & Training REGULARS Commercial Property Motoring Corporate Hospitality Watch out too for the latest news from across the region in every sector Next month in September 2023 - Deadline 23rd August Visit us at www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inboxOUT OF OFFICE Microlise Group helps raise over £15k at the inaugural Transaid Cup Microlise Group, a Nottingham-based provider of technology solutions, has helped raise over £15,000 in support of a new fundraising initiative: the Transaid Cup, for international development organisation, Transaid. Working closely alongside the charity and Libra Consulting to organise the event which took place at Ilkeston Town Football Clubs’ Microlise Ground, employees also took to the pitch to compete against 12 other industry teams. The tournament featured 13 teams in a 7-aside format, with Michelin Riverside going head-to-head with Michelin Factory in the final match, stealing the crown with an impressive victory. Other teams in attendance on the day included Dawsongroup, Goodyear, GXO, Kinaxia, Lytx, MAN, MEP Hire, and RHA. Microlise customer, Creed Foodservice, made a sizeable donation of food and drinks, which players and spectators were able to purchase, with all proceeds going directly to Transaid. Employ Recruitment also provided sponsorship to support the event. All money raised will directly support Transaid’s mission to transform lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport, by improving road safety and access to healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. Notts firm digs deep to fund new charity scheme Nottinghamshire PR agency Arch Communications is funding the launch of a major new project for a local homelessness charity. The Friary in West Bridgford wants to transform its old allotments into a haven of peace and reflection for the vulnerable adults it supports. The launch of the scheme has been made possible by a £10,000 donation from Arch, which is based in the South Nottinghamshire village of East Leake, just a few miles from the allotments. It marks the 35th anniversary of charity, which is appealing for further funding to bring the plans to full fruition. The project will see the charity’s three allotments in West Bridgford re-vamped to create a quiet and creative space, where service users can help to grow vegetables, learn new crafts and practice mindfulness. With the help of volunteers, the allotments already produce one tonne of produce a year. This is used by the charity’s drop-in centre on Musters Road or given away to other good causes. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Northants firm donates £1,000 to Corby Athletics Club An electrical, plumbing and heating business has supported a Northamptonshire athletics club by making a donation towards its services and facilities. Corby Athletics Club received £1,000 from RK Electrical Mechanical Services after the firm vowed to support organisations in the county. The donation will help the family-friendly club continue to run training sessions and take part in competitions for track and field athletics, road running and cross country. Desborough-based RK Electrical is also having trackside banners at the Rockingham Triangle Athletics Stadium to further showcase its support to Corby Athletics Club. Kye Bishop, general manager of RK Electrical Mechanical Services, said: “I am thrilled to announce our donation of £1,000 to the much-loved Corby Athletics Club. “We strongly believe in supporting our local community, and this contribution will enable the club to maintain their invaluable services.” The Friary Chief Executive, Ben Talbot (left) with the director of Arch Communications, Matt Youdale, at the charity’s allotments Refugee-turned-entrepreneur honoured by University of Leicester An entrepreneur who found sanctuary in the East Midlands after fleeing a brutal overseas regime has been honoured by the University of Leicester. Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL came to Leicester as a child refugee with his family in 1972 to escape Idi Amin’s reign of terror in Uganda, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a few suitcases. From those humble beginnings, Dr Kotecha built up a hugely successful career, founding Morningside Pharmaceuticals, and then becoming a major philanthropist as founder of the Randal Charitable Foundation, making international contribution to pharmaceuticals, life sciences and innovation. The University of Leicester formally recognised Dr Kotecha’s contribution to society, by awarding him an Honorary Doctorate of Science during a graduation ceremony, held at De Montfort Hall. OUT OF OFFICE www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link ONYX awarded inaugural Made in the UK, Sold to the World Award Nottingham-based ONYX Insight has been recognised by the UK government’s Department for International Trade for its export strategy. Recognised in the digital category, ONYX was awarded an inaugural ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ award. The company demonstrated how its innovative technology is used to help the wind industry work better and smarter, accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. ONYX Insight’s CEO Bruce Hall received the award from Thulani Simbani, International Trade Adviser for English Regions – The Midlands, Department for Business and Trade, at the company’s headquarters on the University of Nottingham campus. ONYX Insight provides expert data monitoring and engineering consultancy services to those in the wind industry across the globe, in addition to research and development into new technologies and products worldwide. Cameron Homes builds new village hall for local community in Breedon on the Hill Homebuilder, Cameron Homes, has built a new £500,000 village hall for the Breedon on the Hill Parish Council creating a central hub for the local community, alongside its new development of 52 homes. The village hall was officially handed over by representatives from Cameron Homes including Adrian Harrison, the development’s site manager and the Breedon on the Hill Parish chairman, Ray Morris. The village hall is located within the Cameron Homes Highwoods Green development, which includes 52 four and five bedroom homes. This is the first purpose built facility in the parish, enabling them to host free activities, run local initiatives and provide a central hub for charities, families, and the community to use. With sustainable living in mind, facilities at the village hall have been futureproofed to ensure low running costs and high levels of environmentally friendly innovation, including heat pumps, solar panels, and underfloor heating. Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL Picture courtesy of the Department for Business and Trade. Thulani Simbani, International Trade Adviser for English Regions – The Midlands, Department for Business and Trade, with ONYX Insight CEO Bruce Hall. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk www.businesslincolnshire.com/events/even t-details/?id=4248&navigated FromSearch=true The Changing Cybersecurity Landscape Friday 11 August Online The cybersecurity landscape is changing with new threats and regulations that mean what worked only a year ago, won’t work moving forward. This webinar will reveal the mechanisms you can put in place to future-proof your organisation from ongoing cyber risk. You will learn: the new cyber threats to be aware of, how to prepare for incoming regulations, and ways to build resilience to increasing threats. For more information visit www.semlepgrowthhub.com/the- changing-cybersecurity-landscape-what- every-business-needs-to-know-to-stay- protected-5/ Adding More Value to Your Recruitment Wednesday 9 August Online It is becoming extremely common for businesses to shift away from a traditional recruitment model to more 0of a talent acquisition model, focusing on the big- picture needs of an organisation, rather than hiring only to address short-term needs. This free webinar will cover: what the current recruitment landscape looks like and what is needed to engage Gen Z candidates further; how apprenticeships can add value to your recruitment by addressing skills gaps and injecting new life-blood into an organisation; how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships give your organisation so much more than recruitment by ensuring new skills and expertise are embedded in your organisation during and post project; recruitment considerations post COVID and what organisations need to put in place for their employees now. For more information visit events Bakewell In-Person Networking Wednesday 16 August Aldern House, Bakewell Join the FSB for a chance to expand your professional network and build lasting connections with other business leaders in the local community. This upcoming in-person networking event is the perfect opportunity to meet new people, learn about other businesses in the area, and share your own expertise and ideas. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/bake well-in-person-networking-1/ East Midlands Manufacturing Network Friday 18 August Devonshire Dome, Buxton The East Midlands Manufacturing Network, led by East Midlands Chamber, unites local manufacturers, enabling members to harness the cross-industry, business, engineering and manufacturing knowledge necessary to evolve and expand. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events/ dales_and_peak_manufacturing_ network2931451584/ Leicester Digital Live Tuesday 3 October Winstanley House, Leicester The Leicester Digital Live conference is back on Tuesday 3 October with a packed day of talks on digital marketing, and this year’s theme is Automation and Integration. A great lineup of speakers will provide the most up-to-date details on recent innovations, tricks, and tips from the world of digital marketing, AI, ChatGPT, and Integration, which you can take away and implement within your own business. In person at Winstanley House, the event will take over the entire venue, which will have one stream of talks, a workshop area, and an exhibition of suppliers and other support organisations. There will also be plenty of time to network over a buffet lunch. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/leicester-digital-live/ © stock.adobe.com/Parradee © stock.adobe.com/hakinmhanwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link R&D Tax Credits Update Tuesday 12 September Online HMRC is clamping down hard on R&D claims, focusing around the technology and advance in science and technology being sought. Starting from 1st August, technical reporting for all R&D claims becomes mandatory. It is essential to effectively articulate the baseline and advancements in technology to ensure compliance. Join TBAT Innovation for this informative webinar, specifically designed to provide your business with an update on the crucial information needed moving forward. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/rd-tax- credits-update/ Inclusive Recruitment Wednesday 13 September Nottingham Trent University City Campus, Nottingham This Inclusive Recruitment course is a non-accredited interactive learning and development programme, delivered by NTU’s Employability team. Delivered weekly over five bitesize sessions the programme aims to develop your understanding and knowledge around inclusive recruitment of early career talent. This programme will give you practical tools and tips that will help you attract, select, and retain a diverse workforce, by applying new recruitment methods, using technology and embedding EDI practices within your organisation. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/inclusive-recruitment/ East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 Thursday 28 September Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham The East Midlands Bricks Awards are back for 2023! Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, this year’s event will take place on Thursday 28 September at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in Nottingham. The East Midlands Bricks Awards, organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, is an independent awards and publicity programme recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. With the economy now recovering after lockdown, and following a successful event held last year, we believe it is now more important than ever to celebrate the robustness of the property industry in our region. For more information, to submit a nomination, or buy tickets visit www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk/mag/bricks-2023/ Sustainability Summit Wednesday 20 September Reach, Derby The Sustainability Summit will bring together industry specialists, scholars, and the business community to understand the impact of environmental factors in relation to business resilience and continuity, and focus on how we can create business value opportunities whilst ensuring a just transition to net zero. On the day, through a range of speakers, panels and workshops, the event will detail how we unlock the benefits of green growth. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/ sustainability-summit-unlocking-the- economic-benefits-of-green-growth-for- smes-the-east-midlands/ Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. And finally The world of Frazer 58 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk The best bosses Though the desire for job satisfaction is common, many employees are unhappy in their roles, and often this can come down to who your superior is. New research, however, has sought to uncover which industry truly loves their boss the most, showing which sector we should be moving into! Experts analysed survey data to gain insights into staff members’ perceptions of their bosses and the underlying factors influencing these sentiments, revealing that employees working in the Media and Internet industry like their boss the most, with a significant 84.4% expressing a positive opinion. The Charity and Voluntary sector ranks as the second most satisfied industry, while bosses in the Information Technology sector secure third place. On the other side of the coin, Sales industry workers are the least fond of their bosses, with only 24.7% of employees admitting to liking their boss. The workers of the future When cracking on with work at our desks it is easy to forget about posture, the importance of screen breaks, and the need to get up to walk around every now and again — especially when working from home, which sees many sitting on their sofas and beds. However, with researchers now creating the stuff of nightmares for remote staff, Frazer has certainly been frightened into taking all these key health considerations more seriously! A study has produced a model showing what people who work from home could look like by 2100, and it’s not pretty. Poor ‘Anna’ has a hunchback, dark, red and swollen eyes, claw-like hands and swollen limbs — all as a result of consistent use of technology, screen exposure and bad posture. She has also put on weight and has developed a weak immune system due to inefficient fresh air and exercise. It is sure to scare one or two into ensuring they have a proper place to work from at home! A 14th century holiday request With summer upon us, many will have submitted holiday requests to their employers months ago, ready to take a trip with the family. But did you know, dear reader, that the concept of the holiday request has been around for much longer than you might think, and has even been written by the hand of literary geniuses? A 14th century document requesting time off work has now been confirmed as the only surviving handwriting of Geoffrey Chaucer, according to a leading scholar. Submitted by the Canterbury Tales writer for King Richard II’s approval, while working as a civil servant, it was perhaps a slightly more high stakes note than the emails, forms and portals we use today. © stock.adobe.com/ benjaminec © stock.adobe.com/ Nastassia © stock.adobe.com/ Artem Varnitsinwww.frontiersoftware.com LEARN MORE TRUST Frontier Software with your payroll processing Accurate, secure and reliable Printing|Copying|Graphic Design LOGOS | BRANDING | BUSINESS STATIONERY FLYERS & POSTERS | BROCHURES | NEWSLETTERS A0 COPYING & SCANNING | OS MAPPING CAD & PLAN PRINTING | PRINT FINISHING High Quality Print & Design in Lincolnshire N 01522 546118 E sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.ukNext >