For the first time in the history of Big Brother since 2002, the home of the show for the last 12 years will now be available as a corporate event venue through the month of September.

This premium event space will only be available for an exclusive eight dates, starting from the 15^th September 2012.  Chillisauce.co.uk is offering bespoke event organisation and management for this unique venue.

Business Development manager for Chillisauce’s corporate events department Matt Curran said “We are very excited to announce the launch of this once in a lifetime experience. Big Brother is reality television sensation of our time and Chillisauce is proud that we are able to offer this ultimate event space to our clients.”

Matt Curran will be the dedicated Big Brother account manager for Chillisauce.co.uk. For more information on hire of the venue please visit hirethebigbrotherhouse.com.

The Big brother house can hold a maximum of 100 guests for standing drinks receptions and networking events. For groups of 50 or less Chillisauce can create events for team building; sit down dinners, product launches and conferences.  It is the rare chance to temporarily become house mates, complete your very own group tasks, talk to Big Brother in the diary room and relax in the Big Brother garden.

The Big Brother House is located at Elstree Studios Borehamwood and is a 22 minute train journey from London Kings Cross station. The venue will be available to hire Monday to Thursday from 9am until 10pm.

The venue is complete with all furnishings, but there will be no production or filming involved in the events.

About Chillisauce.co.uk:

Chillisauce.co.uk is an event agency, which sends over 80,000 people a year out on events and experiences each year. Chillisauce.co.uk operate across the UK and Europe and now offer a bespoke, luxury travel service to destinations worldwideChillisauce Travel.

Big Brother House

Big Brother House

1. Touch the Board – Instead of conventional slideshows and laser pointers, a SMART Board gives you the ability to control the screen as if it were a desktop monitor. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, the board is essentially turned into your computer monitor. Using special pens for the board, you can control every aspect of it as if it were a mouse plugged into the computer system. Moving files, opening shortcuts, browsing the Internet, even demonstrating games can be achieved with an interactive board.

2. Presentational Enhancement – Can you imagine giving a presentation in a boardroom using an 87-inch screen? Everyone in the room would have the ability to see in excellent detail the presentation you are putting forth. Video, PowerPoint files, spreadsheets and more can be shown in great detail to everyone in the room. You can play DVDs that are relevant to your presentation as you would on a regular computer monitor. The possibilities for presentations are near endless and all can be done without being near the computer system.

3. Network Access – As the SMART Board is using the desktop or laptop computer as an elaborate monitor, any files you may have forgotten on the server can be pulled onto the computer you are working from. For an inter-office meeting, you wouldn’t need to worry about having all of the material you need as you could access them from the network. Internet pages can be easily accessed for further demonstrations. And all of this control can be managed without touching the computer after it is turned on.

4. Compact Designs – Thanks to the advancing technology of projectors, short-throw units can be mounted close to the board to reduce used space. As the board itself is mounted on the wall, very little space is used by the SMART Board. The use of short-throw projectors is also beneficial for visual aesthetics as the person standing in front of the board no longer impedes on the projected light. This means that the information on the board can be seen from any angle without the person’s shadow covering it up.

5. Great Range – Aside from the video cable from the computer system to the projector, the Bluetooth unit of the SMART Board for input control can be used from more than 30-feet away. As video cables lengths can be greater than 50-feet, the actual desktop or laptop computer using the board and projector could be on the other side of the room tucked away and out of site.

6. Sound Quality – As these boards are using a computer system, there are many ways you can deliver excellent sound quality. Many boards will have built-in amplified speakers for the computer system while some businesses have used aftermarket sound cards and digital surround sound computer speakers for excellent sound quality.

Although many educational systems are utilizing these boards in order to enhance learning for children and students, many organizations are finding them to be just as useful in the office setting. Regardless of your needs, using a SMART Board in your boardroom or conference hall can be greatly beneficial. Video conferencing can take a whole new meaning if the person is displayed on an 87-inch screen produced by a high-resolution HD LCD projector.

About the author:

Paul and his wife Julie both spend quite a bit of time coming up with ideas, blogging, and researching all things related to childcare. They take care of all the necessary information related to “babysittingjobs.com/”. He personally thinks his blog will help finding information on all things related to a babysitter.

Email marketing takes advantage of the valuable information that you already have and then takes it up a notch by giving you the resources to plan, promote, and launch the event from one central spot. While this can take a little practice to master, with time, you’ll be able to plan amazing events that will seem to fall into place effortlessly.

When it comes to planning, promoting, and experiencing success with a large corporate event, here are some tips for maximizing email marketing.

Planning the Event – What you do in the months before an event is critical to it living up to your ideals. Use your email marketing to gather information and ideas from your email contacts by sending out an introductory message with a short poll. Then tally up the votes and choose the best options.

Scheduling the Event – Use your email marketing program to get your event scheduled. Sending out an email to your clients and corporate team to give them a tentative date often results in helpful responses.  Include testimonials and positive feedback, images from a similar event you’ve hosted in the past, as well as an outline of planned activities and benefits of attending. This is all PR for your company, which can encourage attendance.

Tracking Vendors and Speakers – Set up a special email newsletter and shared calendar for your event vendors and any keynote speakers or celebrities you would like there. Keep track of all returned or deleted emails to eliminate those entities, and focus on the vendors and speakers who respond in a timely manner.

Getting Event Sponsors – For corporate or community events, you will also want to attract sponsors who will donate door prizes or special incentives for event attendees. Create a sponsor e-list and send out a special message to encourage them to contribute, offering to display their logo or other advertisement during your event if appropriate. This also helps you to keep track of whom is on board.

Sending Invites and Promotions – Use your email marketing program to send invites out to all the folks you want to be there, and make sure you use a system for tracking opened and read emails. Contact people on your email list who have bounced emails or have left your email unread. Then send out emails in increased frequency to remind people to sign up, with incentives for signing up early so you can get an accurate headcount. Remember to send daily messages the final week before the event.

Publicizing the Event – You may also choose to use email marketing to get the word out about your event to local news publications, television and radio stations. Draft a press release style message and send this to the regional Associated Press, as well as your local new sources to get pre-event press.

Managing After-Event Tasks – Once the event has been completed, your job is not done. Be sure to develop the contacts you have established by sending out a warm thank you email message to all attendees, vendors, speakers, and press. Backup all the email addresses and event details in a secure archive. This will help you to become more successful with future event planning.

About the Author: Robert Woodford has been writing articles about email marketing for companies like Reachmail for more than a decade. When not writing, Robert is generally at home with his family or at the gym training for his next triathlon.

One of the most prominent marketing and networking trends is the growing emphasis placed on physical interaction, which builds on the foundations laid through social conversations. Embodied by the increasingly popular ‘Social Media Day Meet Up’, it combines traditional and digital networking methods to enable the development of strong and increasingly meaningful business relationships. This means that hosting such an event can be extremely beneficial for your brand and its consumers.

Planning the Social Media Day Meet Up: Three Steps Towards the Ideal Event

With this in mind, what practical steps can you take to ensure that you plan an effective Social Media Day Meet Up for your business? Consider the following: -

Ÿ Entice Guests to Create a Purposeful List of Attendees: Given the potential benefits of Social Media Day Meets-Ups, it is pivotal that you create an influential and purposeful guest list. This will enable you get the very most from the networking process, and forge potentially lucrative partnerships with competing firms or major industry players. As a way of ensuring that high calibre guests are encouraged to attend, you may want to consider providing contract hire and leasing vehicles to individuals who are faced with a particularly difficult or challenging journey.

ŸCarefully Plan the Logistics of the Event: As the name suggests, social media day events are organized and discussed remotely, which means that individuals from all over the world can participate in the initial conversation. When it comes to planning the physical event, however, distance and geography become pertinent issues that must be addressed in a clear and concise manner. One of the key issues to remember is the importance of professional and organized fleet management, which ensures that traveling guests have a place to park and are able to leave their vehicles in safe hands while in attendance at the event.

ŸDo Not Underestimate the Importance of Spontaneity: When planning any real time physical event, the importance of spontaneity can never be underestimated. This is because unscheduled live events can help to remove the barriers that often exist between unfamiliar individuals, and ultimately create more natural and emotive dialogue. This type of genuine interaction is key to the development of long-standing relationships, whether between professional collaborating partners or lifelong friends. So strive to ensure that your networking event features a number of live and spontaneous activities, which can in turn encourage your guests to enjoy a more fulfilling experience.

The Last Word

Social Media Day Meet Ups are becoming increasingly popular in the corporate world, especially as brands seek to maximise their presence in a real time and viable manner. It is crucial that you pay attention to the physical logistics of your event, however, to ensure that your favoured guests can attend and contribute towards the growth and expansion of your business.

• Decide what exactly it is that you hope to achieve. The worst kind of corporate meetings are those where the organisers have no clear idea of their goals and concentrate purely on the logistics of the event. Many readers may have attended such meetings in the past and spent most of the day thinking about all the more productive things they could be doing.

• Choose a suitable venue. If the attendees will consist entirely of locally hired staff, it makes sense to hold the meeting on-site. If there is not a convenient space where you do this, book a function hall at a nearby hotel or conference centre. If you have the space available at your corporate headquarters, holding it on-site will reduce the cost of the conference quite considerably.

• Arrange cover for key employees. This will be necessary if you do not want to close the company for the day. Most companies are not keen on the idea of suspending normal business activities for a whole day just for the sake of a company meeting. Hence, you will probably need to think about how you can make sure that each department is able to function without many of its key members of staff. It may be possible to operate on a skeleton staff and have junior employees contact senior managers if they should run into difficulties but this could affect the concentration of the managers concerned so it may not be the best solution. If you want to have a productive meeting you will need everybody to focus on the topics being discussed, which is why it is probably best to arrange cover if at all possible.

• Think about the food and drinks. This may not sound very important but attendees will quickly lose their concentration and function less effectively if they do not have access to snacks and beverages throughout the day. If your company is currently housed in a serviced office Edinburgh or a similar facility, there may well be conveniently located snack bars and restaurants in the building. However, if you are renting a conventional commercial property, you will need to think about hiring an efficient catering team or arranging for attendees to be transported to a local eatery at lunchtime. It goes without saying that tea and coffee making facilities should be available at the meeting venue so make sure that this is indeed the case.

• Finalise the agenda. This is something that should be done as far in advance of the meeting as possible. If it is left to the last minute, you may well find that the people who could have made the biggest contributions to the topics under discussion are unable to do so because they had too little time in which to prepare. In fact, the agenda is one of the first things that should be attended to as it will have an effect on many other arrangements. For example, until you know exactly what it is that you are going to be discussing, you will not know who to invite to the conference.

• Organise overnight accommodation. This is especially important for employees who are travelling from branch offices in other parts of the country. It is best to take care of this sooner rather than later to avoid future complications. Depending on the time of year, you may find it difficult to locate enough suitable rooms if you leave it until the last minute.

• Send a copy of the minutes to every attendee as quickly as possible. Make sure you do this once the meeting has finished. This way, you can ensure that the decisions taken at the meeting are actually put into action in the near future. It is worth having a local printer on standby ready to produce good quality copies in bulk so that you can achieve this aim more easily.

About the Author

Regus is a leading British flexible workspace specialist, offering a wide selection of business centres in prime locations across the country.

I recently returned from delivering my “Mapping the Course” educational workshop at the Inn Development and Management Conference and one of the segments that I covered with the group was prospecting.

Prospecting for new customers is a necessary function of the sales cycle but did you know that new customers generated as a result of prospecting can account for as much as 50 to 90 percent of your hotel’s occupancy?

That’s a big spread in percentage points and those of you who are doing a great job at plugging new business into your hotel on a consistent basis are probably hitting the latter number, exceeding your quota, and keeping your GM out of your hair.

On the other hand, if your hotel’s occupancy is at the lower end of the spectrum it may be because you don’t prospectconsistently, efficiently, and effectively in order to keep your sales pipeline full.

Since the year’s end is just around the corner, are you ready to make a commitment to becoming a more productive hotel sales manager in 2013?

If you answered yes, read on.

Assessments

No matter what channels you use for prospecting, you will need to make some general assessments that are associated with your territory, hotel, comp set, capabilities, etc. and then formulate a game plan associated with your assessments to make sure that your future calls or contacts will be quality ones and not ‘dialing for dollars’.

Here are 8 assessments that need to be addressed.

1. What is my territory or market segment?

Tip - If you are unfamiliar with your territory you can find businesses using Google Earth.  Simply type in a zip code in the search field and hit the search button.  Next, type in the word ‘businesses’ in the search field and hit the search button again.  The return will display most of the larger businesses located within that zip code along with an address, telephone number, and a link to that company’s website.

2. Is my brand easily recognized by customers and prospects?

Tip - Get together with your marketing team or PR firm and learn about your hotel’s current and future marketing plans.  If your hotel is planning a new campaign and it’s a go, pick up the phone and let your top customers in on the news before it’s released to the general public and then follow up with an email that contains all of the information related to the campaign.

3. Who are my competitors and how are they selling against my hotel?

Tip - If your hotel subscribes to an Online Reputation Management solution like ReviewPro, Revinate or ReviewAnalyst you can monitor your comp set and gather intelligence that will help you to better understand how your hotel compares against other selected hotels in your immediate market.

4. How will I continually generate new prospects?

Tip - You need to fish where the fish are biting.  Mine your hotel’s CRM system, ask for internal and external customer referrals and referrals from other sales people who call on your target market.  Speak at functions that your prospects attend.  Talk to your family and friends.  Attend networking functions, conferences, and trade shows where your prospects meet.  Don’t overlook social channels like LinkedIn as a source for prospects and referrals.

5. How much time will I be able to devote to prospecting on a regular basis?

Tip – If you are organized, you should be able to spend between 20 to 30 hours a week prospecting.  If you are a seasoned sales manager and want to challenge yourself, create a list of between 10 to 20 companies that you would like to convert into new customers over the next 12 to 18 months.  Keep in mind that these prospects will take time to cultivate and you should view them as ‘career’ or ‘home run’ customers that will dramatically change your year when you land them.

6. What are my prospecting strengths and weaknesses?

Tip - All of us have varying degrees of strengths and weaknesses and no one is perfect.  If you are interested in delving into what makes you tick, here is some information that will help you to make the most of your talents and opportunities.

7. What is the strength of my target list?

Tip - Instead of purchasing a ‘list’, create your own by using business directories and search engines that are specifically designed to provide information about companies, organizations, and other opportunities that you can add to your target list.

8. Do I conduct thorough research about prospects before I contact them?

Tip - The people that you will be contacting are more ‘sales savvy‘ than ever before so make sure that you conduct some research about your prospect and his/her company before you pick up the phone or send an email.  When you have a better understanding of your prospect’s pain, challenges, and their corporate culture and are able to talk knowledgeably about them, you will have a much better chance of getting your foot in the door.

I’ll have a follow up to this post next week and as always, feel free to add your comments.

Prospecting is just one of the segments from my “Mapping the Course” educational workshop specifically designed for new and seasoned hotel sales managers.

Tom Costello

The good news is that there are plenty of tools and apps out there. YouTube is becoming an increasingly popular way to engage attendees and simply get the news out there. The latest iPhone 5 face plate was leaked via a YouTube video, so why not create your own sensation? Don’t feel like you’re caught in a mousetrap when put in charge of staging the company’s next big hurrah.

Trends to Look out For

HTML 5 is quickly taking over the event app world. Sure, there are a lot of native apps that people adore but they come with problems (like high costs and sometimes simply not working). Event-planning pros can’t depend on something that won’t work all of the time. HMTL 5 lets you download apps directly to your platform so you don’t require Internet access to use it.

Some planners are getting tired of taking what they can get and are opting for the DIY route. There are a few options to customize apps exactly to your liking. Biznessapps.com and QuickMobile.com are just a couple of sites offering personalized app services. The best part is that they’re much more affordable than the going rate.

Leading With Logistics

Meeting solutions for things like online booking or taking payments on-site are also improving. Packages are available so that you can control room design and registration, or even find the best venue in different locations around the world. You’re busy and you don’t have time to sketch out room diagrams or call around to every venue in town.

Check out and compare catering menus in minutes. Considering going the cruise ship route? You can compare prices, layouts and destinations with one site. When it comes to pulling off a flawless event, you need the most up-to-date tools in your belt.

Play It Again

Recording conferences (and really any event) has been around ever since the first audio cassette was on the market. Then came the days of grossly expensive, lumbering video equipment. Recent years have seen a decrease in the costs of high-quality video recording which has made it a real option for conferences with a budget.

Features like playback, sound mixers and preview monitors are now affordable (really) for even a nonprofit organization. These options are also lightweight, durable and can be packed around without the help of an entire A/V crew. It looks like highlights of the trade show will be making a YouTube debut after all.

Byline:  Michelle is an aspiring writer who currently works for a company that sells mousetrap products. When she’s not working she’s blogging on anything and everything! She loves how blogging gives her the opportunity to improve her writing skills, voice her thoughts and opinions, and share advice with an unlimited audience.

Add some motivation - Business people often have full calendars and daily packed agendas, so inviting them to a networking event without some kind of edge might seem like one more thing they have to add – and it might be more likely to drop off their schedule. Be clear in your purpose of the event, and let your invitees know exactly what they will get from the event.

Choose the right place - Planning a successful networking event is like real estate – what’s important? Location, location, location! Put some thought into your location. It should be large enough to facilitate the networking aspect – lots of room for the attendees to move around and mingle — but small enough to seem intimate. Make sure the location is convenient for your guests by choosing a location that’s close to a business district or near public transportation. The location should have ample parking or valet service.

Choose the right time - Location is important, but so is the time and date you choose for your networking event. Your event should fall when nothing else is going on in the community – stay away from dates that coincide with holidays, community events, sports events or school holidays. These can all effect who will attend your event. The time is important, too – The time should allow guests to finish up his or her work and make it to the event without rushing, but not so late that it interferes with evening plans or responsibilities.

Plan your menu - Networking event menus can range from a full buffet to Hors d’oeuvre, and the menu will be driven by your budget. If you plan on having small hors d’oeuvres, choose ones that can be eaten on-the-go or while standing and talking. This means no messy dishes or foods that should be eaten with cutlery. Provide a good selection of foods, including vegetarian dishes, and a wide range of beverages.

Spread the word - A networking event without people is….a party of one! Social networking makes it much easier to spread the word about the event, but you should still do your research. Find out where your audience will be most likely to see the event announcement and focus your energy there. Use short, interesting facts and teasers to help your event announcement go viral. Create a hash tag on Twitter and an event page on Facebook, and keep your guests informed of and excited about your event through consistent communication before your event. Use email reminders closer to the date of your event, but don’t go overboard – too many announcements can appear like spam.

Structure your event - Whether you’re planning a short and sweet business after-hours cocktail party or an evening of speakers, you have to have an agenda in place. As guests enter, provide a written agenda, or have one available on posters or sign-boards throughout the event location. Act as emcee (or ask someone to do it for you) to help guide the event. You might also help introduce attendees and get the conversation going, especially if there is a mid-event lull.

About the Author: Sarah Bridgewater has been writing about numerous conventions and networking topics for over a decade. When she isn’t writing, you can find her spending time with her family or covering freelance stories for Nimlok. Visit their website.

Take a look around your organization’s conference room right now. Chances are it could use some serious updating. If you are hoping to ‘wow’ your customers and run effective staff meetings, you should plan to give your conference room a modern re-do.

Thankfully, conference rooms of today have many options in terms of technology and comfort. To make the most of your conference room, here’s what’s missing from yours to make it great.

Interactive White Boards

For the thousands of meeting participants who need visual aids to illustrate and understand difficult concepts or plans, whiteboards are a necessity. However, now everyone is going digital and replacing standard white boards with completely interactive, computer-based white boards. Generally, these can be installed easily on one wall of the meeting room, allowing all meeting presenters and guests to take a hands on approach to solving problems and brainstorming new ideas, virtually.

VoIP Conferencing

We live in a global business climate; therefore you are likely to need access to a conference system that allows you to connect with attendees around the world. If this is the case, a VoIP conferencing system is the way to go. Choose a provider who offers a secure way to make conference calls with unlimited participants, the ability to record meetings, and share files virtually.

Secure Wireless Connections

There’s nothing more annoying than getting into a meeting space and then realizing you don’t have connectivity to the Internet. Add to that the opportunity for thieves to steal your digital information and you can see why having a secure connection in a conference room is vital technology. Improve your meeting room with an internal Wi-Fi system or DSL cable Internet access used with a unique password.

Universal Charging Station

Businesspeople today need to have their mobile devices with them everywhere, including their travel and meeting times. To make your conference room more technology friendly, add a central charging station to power up devices and maintain signal strength during webinars. Make sure the charging station is compliant with adaptors for all kinds of mobile devices.

Conference Room Environment Controls

Does the phrase “Never let them see you sweat” ring a bell with you concerning meetings? Conference rooms can be rife with anxiety that heats things up. Therefore, your meeting space needs to have environmental controls that can let you adjust the temperature, lighting and even air flow. Install a digital environmental control technology in your conference room, with a remote control access.

Ergonomic and Soft Seating

Those old office chairs are probably a little worn out from years of use. Instead of getting the same type of conference room chairs, why not allow your meeting guests to experience personal comfort in ergonomically adjustable chairs and non-traditional soft seating arrangements? This can encourage more collaborating and less bickering across a table. Sofas, benches, tables and other seating options are available to make your conference room much more conducive to positive meetings.

Conference room technology has come a long way into transforming meetings into good experiences where great things happen. Make sure your conference room can do the same for your organization.

About the Author: Steven Taylor has been writing about technology and internet services for businesses for several years. When he’s not writing, you can find Steven volunteering at his local community centre.

When is your marketing campaign the most ineffective use of time, money, and resources for your hotel?

When your message only contains your value proposition.

Check the analytics of your last email campaign for instance.

How many opens did you get?  What percentage of your emails were unopened?  What was your response rate?  Did you see any click-throughs?

If the answers were low, high, none, and no, keep reading.

The secret to a successful marketing is much more than just your value proposition

The secret to a successful marketing campaign is driven by a message that will solve your customer’s problems.

Go back and read your last email blast and ask yourself what problems did your message solve?

Did you solve problems by telling prospective customers about your recent multi-million dollar renovation, a special discount on AV or that secluded Japanese soaking tub on a private balcony?

Those are value propositions and not problem solvers.

The message that your marketing campaign should convey must be in harmony with the thinking of your prospective customers. This means that you need to have enough understanding of your customers in order to determine their needs, worries, problems, and desires.

If you want to attract and engage prospective customers and lead them down the sales funnel, you need to focus on them and their problems.

The more your message helps to solve your customers problems, the more apt they are to respond to your message and move that much closer to a conversion.

So what problems are your customers struggling with?

Tomorrow morning might be the perfect time to pick up the phone and ask them.  If you don’t have the time to make that call then consider sending out a survey that will uncover more opportunities where you can identify what problems confront them (and ones that you can solve).

If your hotel has a blog, take a look at the search engine keywords that may help to uncover some clues.

If your hotel has a Twitter account, type in relevant keywords and look for comments or read articles from links provided that can help point you in the right direction.

You do read your TripAdvisor reviews don’t you?  What do guest reviews say about your hotel and what problems of theirs did your hotel solve?

Follow this link to find out other ways to use Social Media for customer research.

Here are some problems that customers may encounter on a business trip or while attending a meeting.  Does your hotel provide a solution to any of these problems?

• Does your hotel’s reservation team provide the type of professional service and accuracy that customers expect and deserve?
• Does your hotel front desk staff excel in providing check-in and check-out in a friendly, timely, courteous, and accurate fashion?
• Does your Conference Services team stand up and deliver in all aspects of their duties?
• Does your hotel staff consistently demonstrate that they are willing to do whatever it takes to exceed your customer’s expectations?
• What do your former customers say about your hotel and do you share their testimonials with prospective customers?
• Is your in-house AV provider the best in the business?
• Does your hotel provide complimentary WiFi and is it readily accessible?
• Does your Business Center provide more than just a copy and fax machine?
• Does your hotel provide a complimentary shuttle service to/from airport/hotel and other areas within close proximity to your hotel?
• Does your hotel offer complimentary and secured parking?

Do you need help crafting a marketing message that will solve your customer’s problems?

Send me an email and let’s discuss!