I am missing Ascot already! This year was absolutely stunning - the grass was its greenest, the sun was at its sunniest and hospitality was full to the rafters with beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen.
Royal Ascot is synonymous with quality, style and excellence in providing unparalleled racing, hospitality and a memorable day out and I had the pleasure of attending as a punter on the Wednesday. I took my housemate Tash and friend of old, Georgie - neither of whom let me down on the dressing up front. No one needed telling twice to wear their very finest and it paid off - photgraphers loved our head-wear and I have been assured I am going to be made very famous in a highly regarded (?) publication in Norway ....
Royal Ascot hospitality provides the ultimate stage for the best racehorses in the world. The quality of the horseracing is simply outstanding, with over £4 million in prize money on offer and a total of seventeen "Group" races over the five days. Royal Ascot runs more group races than any other race meeting in the UK, including 7 Group Ones, the elite level of races, throughout the five days.
We managed to pick up a little something in each race and everything went into a kitty dubbed 'The Champagne Fund'. We were very giggly by the end of the day!
Tuesday 22 June 2010
Friday 18 June 2010
Golf doesn't get better than this
If you’re a golfing nut, there’s one thing you’re not going to want to miss. On the 14th July, on the eve of The Open Championship at St Andrews, we’re hosting the ultimate in golfing events.
Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Stewart Cink and Seve Ballesteros are just four of the 28 golfing greats who’ll battle it out across the 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th holes on the Old Course.
After watching them play, sit back and enjoy a champagne reception and sumptuous four-course Sportsman’s Dinner, hosted by BBC’s John Inverdale, at The R&A Links Restaurant behind the 1st tee.
And, for the perfect finish to the day, Tony Jacklin, one of the greats of British golf, will be our very special guest speaker.
For more information about the Sportsman’s Dinner at the Champions’ Challenge, click here or call +44(0)844 3710883.
Tuesday 15 June 2010
The place to be seen daaarling!
Well its been a few weeks since the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and pretty soon I will have to change my tune and talk about another event - but not yet!
As you may or may not know (depending on how many of my blogs you have read - eh hem!), this was the first year that I headed up the sales for the event - adopting Chelsea as my own project from the sales and marketing, fulfilment to some operational support onsite. Happily, I can say that this was our best year yet on the sales front - a testimony to changing times in the economy, the continued focus on hospitality as a indispensible business tool and of course, the phenomenal popularity of the show.
It was great to see so many old faces (not necessarily indicative of the age of my clients) - and I was delighted to welcome many new ones to the village this year. We had a lot of first timers and so this made it even more exciting for me, watching the picture I paint before hand become a reality for those who have never attended before.
For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of seeing the village yourselves it can best be described as a peaceful haven, away from the hustle and bustle of the show. Pavilions are nestled in a private garden, in an L-shape; scattered with garden furniture and parasols, with wooden decking, water features and local artwork. Typically you will find hospitality guests chatting in the sunshine - Pimm's in hand and the summery tones of the Spanish guitar in the air.
Client feedback was universally glowing with a focus on the fantastic food and attentive service - and having witnessed the hard work of the events team behind the scenes it was my absolute pleasure to forward on the many complimentary and appreciative emails received from clients around the Prestige team.
Lots of early starts and late nights, several laps around the show ground daily - and I confess the odd glass of champers or Pimm's with a client or two - made for a very broken Lorraine by the end of the week; but I loved it. There is nothing better than witnessing first-hand all your plans and hard work come to fruition - and there is a lovely sense of fellowship onsite between us Prestigers that comes with sleep deprivation!
As you may or may not know (depending on how many of my blogs you have read - eh hem!), this was the first year that I headed up the sales for the event - adopting Chelsea as my own project from the sales and marketing, fulfilment to some operational support onsite. Happily, I can say that this was our best year yet on the sales front - a testimony to changing times in the economy, the continued focus on hospitality as a indispensible business tool and of course, the phenomenal popularity of the show.
It was great to see so many old faces (not necessarily indicative of the age of my clients) - and I was delighted to welcome many new ones to the village this year. We had a lot of first timers and so this made it even more exciting for me, watching the picture I paint before hand become a reality for those who have never attended before.
For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of seeing the village yourselves it can best be described as a peaceful haven, away from the hustle and bustle of the show. Pavilions are nestled in a private garden, in an L-shape; scattered with garden furniture and parasols, with wooden decking, water features and local artwork. Typically you will find hospitality guests chatting in the sunshine - Pimm's in hand and the summery tones of the Spanish guitar in the air.
Client feedback was universally glowing with a focus on the fantastic food and attentive service - and having witnessed the hard work of the events team behind the scenes it was my absolute pleasure to forward on the many complimentary and appreciative emails received from clients around the Prestige team.
Lots of early starts and late nights, several laps around the show ground daily - and I confess the odd glass of champers or Pimm's with a client or two - made for a very broken Lorraine by the end of the week; but I loved it. There is nothing better than witnessing first-hand all your plans and hard work come to fruition - and there is a lovely sense of fellowship onsite between us Prestigers that comes with sleep deprivation!
The Open Championship Hospitality gets social
With just a month to go to The Open Championship golf at St Andrews, we’re getting social. So, to keep up with all the latest golfing news, or to have a chat with fellow golf fans, join us on our Open Golf Championship Facebook page and The Open Hospitality Twitter feed.
And, we’ve just announced a very special hospitality deal, only available to our fans on Facebook and Twitter. To find out more, head on over to Facebook or Twitter - but you’ll need to be quick as spaces are limited!
Click here for more information on all of our hospitality packages for The Open Championship.
Monday 7 June 2010
The best Chelsea Flower Show video we've found
We think this video shows off the exciting nature of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show perfectly. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the cacophony of sound and colour that only Chelsea can provide.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
Sodexo Prestige networking cruise on Bateaux London
Sodexo Prestige venues were joined by over 300 current and prospective clients for a networking evening on board Bateaux London's flagship vessel, Symphony, on Wednesday 19th May.
The theme for the evening was Dreamboats and Petticoats. Guests were welcomed on board with a dreamy cocktail and networked the room while a live band played. Representatives from Sodexo Prestige's sporting and heritage venues from across the UK were there to welcome guests. New venues to the group included One Queen Anne's Gate and Gilwell Park, Chingford as well as Blenheim Palace, Churchill War Rooms, HMS Belfast.
After an hour moored on the Embankment, the Symphony cruised down the Thames, giving guests close up views of London while the live band performed hits from The Dreamboats and Petticoats. During the 90-minute cruise, guests were treated to delicious canapés, a choice of wine, beer or cocktails, as well as the chance to win some fantastic prizes including hospitality packages at Ascot Racecourse and RHS Chelsea Flower Show, afternoon tea at Churchill War Rooms and a dinner cruise with Bateaux London.
Anna Fenten, Marketing Director, said of the event, "The evening was a great success. It was the first time that we have held an evening networking event and the turnout was superb. It was great to meet with so many current and potential clients in a relaxed and informal way and an opportunity to showcase the Symphony and Bateaux London team."
On docking at 8.30pm, guests were given a L'Occitane (whom some of you might recall we partnered with in the past for Chelsea Flower Show) bag of goodies and a Dreamboats and Petticoats CD.
After an hour moored on the Embankment, the Symphony cruised down the Thames, giving guests close up views of London while the live band performed hits from The Dreamboats and Petticoats. During the 90-minute cruise, guests were treated to delicious canapés, a choice of wine, beer or cocktails, as well as the chance to win some fantastic prizes including hospitality packages at Ascot Racecourse and RHS Chelsea Flower Show, afternoon tea at Churchill War Rooms and a dinner cruise with Bateaux London.
Anna Fenten, Marketing Director, said of the event, "The evening was a great success. It was the first time that we have held an evening networking event and the turnout was superb. It was great to meet with so many current and potential clients in a relaxed and informal way and an opportunity to showcase the Symphony and Bateaux London team."
On docking at 8.30pm, guests were given a L'Occitane (whom some of you might recall we partnered with in the past for Chelsea Flower Show) bag of goodies and a Dreamboats and Petticoats CD.
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