November 22, 2018 by zibmedia Leave a Comment

Is this your new team building or staff rewards program?

A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to be invited to a VIP FUNsession by FUNLOCKA. We dined at nel. Restaurant out of hours, got to meet Chef Nelly himself, put the chef whites on, plated a (not so perfect) plate and played a taste testing game that had even the foodies in the room scratching their head. What was this event and how can you experience it? Allow us to introduce you to your new best friend for staff incentives and rewards – FUNLOCKA.

FUNLOCKA is an employee engagement tool that gives employers the ability to get to know their staff by gathering data on their motivations, hobbies and interests. It then gives users (employees) access to choose from over 250 experiences for rewards, incentives, team building and gifts. These experiences are constantly being updated and 70% of the experiences are unique to FUNLOCKA. We are talking about opportunities to play with puppies for an afternoon, make gelato with Messina or experience a 6-course degustation with matching whisky!

Spearheaded by Luke Cook (former media and advertising executive) and professional event extraordinaire, Jill Covitz (of TCM Events), their aim is to make people happy. They do this by giving them access to FUN, fresh and interesting experiences – i.e. you won’t see any standard movie vouchers on this platform.

Luke and Jill have wide reaching contacts in the events, media and entertainment industries and have been working hard since their launch earlier this year to curate amazing experiences with their suppliers.

One of their connections is Chef Nelly – always a kid at heart, his passion is about making food fun and he does this at nel. Restaurant. Working with nel. Restaurant was an obvious choice for FUNLOCKA and together they have crafted some fantastic sessions.

The session we attended started with an introduction by Chef Nelly who invited four of the guests into his open kitchen to try their hand at plating up. Given a choice of crockery and ingredients of the meal we were going to be served for lunch, the four wannabe-chefs used their inner Master Chef to create a plate worthy of an award-winning restaurant. The results were… interesting, but what’s important is that it was FUN!

L-R clockwise: Fiona in her chef whites | Nelly and this apprentices | Nelly handing out the mystery dessert | Plated lunch by Nelly | Plated lunch by participants

We then sat for lunch and enjoyed the dish plated by Nelly – looking a whole lot better and tasting delicious! After lunch, the dessert was served – a scrumptious-looking ice cream on a stick. While eating dessert the guests were asked to guess all 10 ingredients in the dish – the winner was our very own Fiona!

Fiona’s prize on the day was some FUNLOCKA FUNtimes credit to spend at her leisure, which gave us the added bonus of jumping on the app and trialling it for real.

Here’s Fiona’s thoughts on the platform…

When you first download the app I went through a short quiz to help determine my interests and what kind of experiences would interest me. Now when I log in it offers me three experiences that I can either swipe up if they interest me (Tree Rope and Zipline Adventure) or swipe down when they aren’t to my taste (Whisky Tasting Masterclass).

Within the app I can see my wish list, how many FUNtimes I have to spend and any experiences I’ve booked, plus experiences that are available to book. I noticed that quite a few of the experiences would make great team building activities (group yoga and meditation or an interactive theatre experience) and some are just awesome to tell everyone about come Monday at the watercooler (premium seats to a Bon-Jovi concert).

How can you use FUNLOCKA?

Well if you’re company looking for a new way to engage staff, entertain clients or wanting to find some unique team building experiences, then head on over to their website www.funlocka.com to learn all about their subscriptions. It’s a remarkable new product and we are positive employees are going to be pretty excited when they learn about earning FUNtimes credit to spend.

On the flip side, if you are a business that provides experiences worthy of FUNLOCKA’s catalogue of FUN, then we suggest you connect with Luke and Jill ASAP! There is no cost to suppliers to be involved and only new opportunities to grow your business… so why wait? Email funtimes@funlocka.com

In the meantime, Fiona used her FUNminutes last weekend to enjoy a date night with her husband at the Virtual Room Sydney for a Virtual Reality Experience. Fiona tells us a little more here…

I’d never tried VR before and it seemed a bit odd to be put in separate dark padded rooms with a headset for a date night. That all became insignificant however when faced with the amazing and immersive experience offered. We got our headsets and controllers and suddenly became uber cool metal plated agents ready to save the world. A mix of escape room and gaming the ‘levels’ were challenging enough that we needed to work together but simple enough to be good fun rather than stressful. All in all, it was a brilliant night out that would be perfect for team building and parties and something I wouldn’t have tried had it not been for FUNLOCKA! Unrelated, but worthy of noting, is that after my FUNsession, we had dinner at one of my favourite Event Birdie restaurants – Olio Kensington St.

November 20, 2018 by zibmedia Leave a Comment

Take a deep breath. It’s that time of year again. Yep, just when you thought you couldn’t get any busier, the party season has kicked off. The start of November marks the official start of the end-of-year/ Christmas party season, so don’t expect to be getting too much rest between now and New Years’ Eve.

There are events to attend, outfits to pick out, people to see and lots of eating and drinking to enjoy – it can be tiring being a guest.

For those of you tasked with planning parties this season or those of you tasked with setting up, pulling down and turning around events night and day – the next two months are going to be busy.

So, to make life for party-goers and party planners just that little bit easier, we’ve put together the Ultimate Survival Guide for the Party Season. Be sure to have a read before fatigue sets in – you’ve been warned!

For the party-goers!

1. Be a party-goer not a party-pooper!

Having the right attitude when approaching party season is a must. If you are invited to an event – say YES! Think of all those people out there who sit at home miserably wishing to be invited to a party or social gathering – like Cinderella! Don’t grumble about having to go to a party where there is likely to be free food, drink and entertainment – say YES and you’ll be rewarded with good times. Who knows, you might even meet the man/ women of your dreams, your new best friend or make a career defining impression on the boss.

2. Dress for the occasion

When you get your invite to this year’s hottest themed party, be sure to make an effort and dress up. A little bit of effort will go a long way to impressing your colleagues, the hot guy/ girl in accounts and/or your boss. Best of all, it’s fun and you’ll have a much better time when you immerse yourself in the festivities.

If the event doesn’t have a theme – great! You will look a little less ridiculous walking down the street, but you still need to make an effort. Make sure you dress for the occasion, it’s a party after all.

NB. Ladies, no matter what you wear there is one party-goer sin that you must avoid – do not take off your shoes! Not only is this extremely unsafe (it practically rains broken glass during party season), it’s also just a massive social faux par. Persevere with the pain until you get home or hide a pair of flats in your bag – just do not go bare foot!

Gents – same goes for your shirt – leave it on please.

3. Pace yourself – don’t get too messy

No one likes being around a messy drunk. And, honestly, come the morning after, no one enjoys having been the messy drunk either. Sure there is a free bar, but we all know what happens to the kid at Sizzler who eats one too many ice creams – it’s not pretty. So to avoid that scenario we recommend the following:

1. Make sure you have several glasses of water throughout the evening.

2. Eat something! Preferably more than one arancini ball.

3. Don’t mix your drinks, i.e. don’t do this – a beer, a wine, a champagne, oh another beer, fine… a vodka shot, hmmm warm wine- don’t mind if I do…

4. For those extra big parties, put a bottle of water and two Panadol by your bed for when you get home.

4. Have an exit strategy

It’s a fact – there will be barely a cab in sight between 11pm – 1.30am on any Thursday, Friday or Saturday night between now and early January. Just like the drink driving ads suggest, have a plan B.

Make sure you catch that last train home, keep a timetable handy for those late night buses (or download the app), book a cab in advance or arrange a private driver – it will not be as expensive as you think and boy will you appreciate it at the end of a great night! Or, even better, cash in some of those brownie points you have been saving – ask someone to come and pick you up.UPDATE: We wrote this article back in 2014 – before Uber! (Boy, has a lot changed in 3 years…). If you’re not already a user, now is the time to jump on board and enjoy the Uber ride. Be warned, during peak times Uber rates can jump up to as high as 3x the standard rate… so factor in the extra cost when planning your way home.

5. Dance like no-ones watching

There is nothing better than letting loose on the dance floor. It’s a great way to let off steam and get into the spirit of things. After all, that is what the staff party is all about- letting your hair down and celebrating the year that was. Don’t be shy – say YES to good times and enjoy the party!!

via GIPHY

Want to read more? Top ten tips for packing the dance floor

For the party-planners!

The silly season is a ridiculously busy time for anyone working in the events industry, so a little preparation and a positive attitude is needed to get you through to January. Here are a few of our top tips that should help you survive the busy season…

1. Stretch, rest and drink plenty of water.

Looking after yourself should be your number one priority! Otherwise, you simply will not survive.

Before a big shift or long day on your feet, make sure you stretch – your entire body. There is nothing like a 15 hour day on the job to make you realise you had muscles in places you never knew!

Take advantage of quiet days and rest – physically and mentally.

Drink plenty of water. Do not consider a diet of Red Bull and Mars Bars – been there, done that, it’s not good. Nothing works better than H2O. So, stay hydrated and eat good meals when you can – your body will thank you for it.

2. Smile – no one likes a grump

If everyone took this advice, long set-ups, take downs and events would all be dream. Don’t let your stress or someone else’s get you down. We’re all here to work together and produce amazing events – be kind to each other!

3. Charm the pants off party-goers

If you’re working front-of-house, we suggest you charm the pants off your guests. Whether you’re serving drinks, food or ushering people around – if you’re friendly, helpful and enjoy a bit of banter – the guests too will enjoy themselves. Do this, and you’ll also find your long night of work will fly by and be a lot more fun.

**This article has been updated November 2018 (originally published in 2014)

November 15, 2018 by zibmedia Leave a Comment

Guest Blog by Jessica Roberts | Australian Venue Co.

Summer has arrived and we cannot wait to host a busy event season at our Melbourne venue, River’s Edge Events. Following a recent refurbishment, the venue is now a bright, modern event space that is the perfect blank canvas for adding summer styling that will make your event insta-worthy!

When we launched the venue a few months ago, we worked with Melbourne styling and furniture hire company, Valiant Event Hire to design three looks that would work perfectly for summer events.

Guided by the team at Valiant, we discovered that each of the looks are easy to achieve with a few signature furniture items, linen and small details like vases. Depending on your budget, each of the styles showcased below can be replicated by adding a few key pieces so you can be sure your event is on-trend.

Each of the styles worked so well within our event space that we thought we’d share them with you too.
Let’s take a look…

Look 1 – Greenery

Modern yet understated. Everyone loves a bit of greenery!

Playing with various textures, we created a stylish space using furniture and décor with simple, clean lines. This striking look features stunning olive and grey pieces complimented by black and white marble plates, gold detailed crockery and beautiful fresh linens.

Perfect styling for a corporate event or if you’re looking to add a bit of timeless elegance to your dinner event.

Event Styling Trend | Pastels

Look 2 – Pastels

If you’re wanting to bring a feminine touch to your event this is the look for you.

Bring warmth to the venue with this soft pink palette which styles perfectly with the polished concrete floors and neutral tones of River’s Edge Events.

For a cocktail party set up, we mixed the white marble bar with beautiful pink velvet and gold metal chairs, and used a colourful posy of florals for an extra pop of colour. The feminine touches were carried through to the table settings with use of white silk cloth and pink silk napkins, white marble and gold plates and crystal glasses.

Event Styling Trend | Colour Pops

Look 3 – Pop of Colour

Curved lines. Bold colours. Using tonal velvets these pieces create a homey feel perfect for the festive season. Easily mixed with different pieces, the chunky lounges in burgundy and marigold provide a pop of colour to any space.

Continuing the luxe feel, black deco stools were used to style the venue for a cocktail party. A bold statement on their own all the space needed was some extra floral details and we were ready to let the festivities begin!

Get the look for your next event…

Venue | River’s Edge Events

Furniture | Valiant Events & Styling

Crockery | Complete Function Hire

Linen | Table Art Linen

Florals | Style by Nature

November 8, 2018 by zibmedia Leave a Comment

Whether you’re planning a charity fundraising ball, an important conference, a Presidential dinner or even your own wedding – politics is inevitably going to infiltrate and shape your event plans. Knowing how to be diplomatic is a skill set event planners must perfect.

To find out more about handling the politics of events, we caught up with Laura Schwartz, the Director of Events for the White House during the Clinton Administration.

While her role was fully immersed in the world of “politics”, we discovered that a lot of the issues she learnt to deal with during her time in the White House, can to some degree, affect all events. There might not be snipers on the roof, but the CEO or your Mother-in-Law’s gaze can be just as intimidating…

Join us as Laura shares 5 Event Planning Tips she learnt while working in the Business of Events at the White House…

1. Host your guests…

When we asked Laura what the hardest lesson she has learnt while working in events, her reply made us stand up and cheer – we love her philosophy…

“It’s not the hardest lesson, but I think it’s the most important lesson for all in the industry and something I began every meeting at the White House with: ‘We do not host events. We host guests’ and if you realise that and, build around it your message and objective, then you’re set up for success.”

**Reminds us a little of one of the first blogs we ever wrote: Don’t Forget the Guests!

2. Use your events to bring people together

No matter what differences people may have, there’s always something that we have in common.

Sometimes events need a focal point to bring people together, and an organised meal can do just that. Laura says, “You never know when the next conversation is going to change your life but instead of happening in the boardroom or the Oval Office, it happens over a meal. Curating that meal to be something special and symbolic is vital.”

There’s perhaps no clearer distinction than in US politics, where Democrats and Republicans are fiercely opposed on many matters.

Laura gives this example. “Every year there’s a shamrock exchange at the White House for St Patrick’s Day. At night, there’s a reception for the Irish Prime Minister, and there’s Irish music and some great Irish beers and it’s a chance to show this great collaboration from these two countries. That’s a great day to celebrate heritage whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat. All the Irish members of Congress are invited and come together over a common agenda.”

“By hosting events like this we’re trying to break up the political headlines with social functions. The guests can let their guard down and realise that there’s more that brings them together than divides them.”

3. Pay careful attention to the seating plan

As anyone who’s ever made a seating plan will know, there’s a real skill and delicacy that’s required to make everything work. Power balances are even greater when you’re working with some of the most important people in the world, and making someone feel less important than other guests or World Leaders can have major implications.

Laura explains, “How do you decide who sits at which table? If a President at table three thinks ‘Why am I not at table number one?’ it can get dicey. Hillary [Clinton] came up with a brilliant idea – half-moon table. The [US] President and Hillary were in the middle and then it just went out in NATO protocol order.”

“There were seats for the interpreters to sit behind the heads of state and the spouses of the heads of state, and it didn’t block the servers.”

“Because we wanted conversations at the table and the whisper of interpreters to be heard clearly, instead of an orchestra or a quartet, we just had a single piano player and it was wonderful. You have to take into account not only the protocol and the order of seating, it’s the myriad of languages and the interpretation that may be needed. These are very rare, sensitive, unique and powerful opportunities when these heads of state get together.”

4. Seek out your guests’ requirements

When you’re organising an event and you’re expecting attendees of different cultures – which, in this day and age, is likely at every event– it’s important to be sensitive to their customs.

Whether you’re debating menus, the serving of alcohol, the use of interpreters, how you greet someone or anything else, it’s much better to ask ahead. Laura advises that you, “go ahead and ask the assistants to those people coming in from foreign countries for the information you need. You get a lot of respect by asking questions before they show up and invited guests will know how much care you’re putting in.”

“There’s no cookie cutter event when it comes to hosting different cultures, you want to get it right. Having that conversation before you set something in stone makes all the difference. You get buy-in from all the parties and it makes it that much stronger an event.”

5. Build strong relationships

One of Laura’s key pieces of advice is about building strong relationships with all stakeholders.

Laura adds, “I think a good relationship goes a long way. I, for example, had a very good relationship with the Secret Service. There were many who tried to fight them a little bit; I found that if you respected what they did, they respected what we did.”

“Oftentimes, you’ll see the President and the spouse get out of their vehicle to shake hands with the crowd. That’s very planned and what you don’t see are all the snipers on the rooftops and in the hotels and offices. The Secret Service takes over.”

Final note…

The politics involved with planning events can be treacherous – multiple stakeholders, opinions and people to please. However, as Laura shows, by learning how to master diplomacy you can produce events that will have even the most important people in the world enjoying the same tune, sharing a meal and coming together for a common cause.

Laura Schwartz, as the White House Director of Events for the Clinton Administration, worked one-on-one with the President, the First Lady, World Heads of State and international business leaders as she created and executed more than 1,000 White House events including State arrival ceremonies and dinners, America’s Millennium Celebration, the UN Millennium Summit and NATO’s 50th Anniversary. While producing the President’s events on the world stage, Laura demonstrated the ability to inspire a nation and the world through powerful productions. She arrived at the White House, with no political connections, at just 19 years of age as a volunteer answering phones in the press office. Immediately proving her value, Laura climbed her way up the ranks to Staff Assistant, the Midwest Press Secretary, the Director of Television, and ultimately, the White House Director of Events. Following the administration, Laura travelled the world with Former President Clinton for the Global Initiative.

To learn more from Laura Schwartz join us at The Business of Events on 7th – 8th February – an insightful, two-day conference that will provide deep insight into the global event market and how it will impact your business.

November 5, 2018 by zibmedia Leave a Comment

One of the most common venue search requests we get from event planners is, “need a venue where I can BYO our own caterer”.

For some, choosing their own caterer is preferred as they think it will mean the event is cheaper… (note, it’s not always the case). But, for most event planners, they prefer to use an external caterer so they can have more flexibility and creative direction over the catering at their event. Styling the menu can have a big impact on the overall event experience, and by choosing their own caterer, Event Planner’s feel they have more control over the food element of the event.

However, finding a venue in Sydney where you can BYO catering can be tricky as a lot of venues have in-house catering teams. But never fear as your trusty event side-kick, Event Birdie is here to help!

Check it out – we’ve compiled a long, long list of Sydney venues where you can bring your own caterer and produce the menu (and event) of your dreams…

Oh, and if you’re not settled on which caterer you want for the job, then check out our list of fantastic Sydney event and weddings caterers to find the perfect supplier for your special event.

The Studio

Rosebury
100 Banquet | 180 Cocktail
The perfect blank canvas venue for your event, The Studio gives you the freedom to present your product at its best.

Prestige Harbour Cruises

Darling Harbour
10-500 Banquet | 18-950 Cocktail
Prestige Harbour Cruises is your Sydney Harbour Cruise specialist. Their large range of private charter boats provide a great Sydney Harbour venue for all events – all with 360 degree views!

The Private Kitchen

Chippendale
80 Banquet | 120 Cocktail
The Private Kitchen is a bespoke pop-up space located in The Old Rum Store in Chippendale’s buzzy Kensington Street. With an indoor space flooded with natural light and a large wrap around balcony, it can be booked for a large variety of events.

Pix on Location

Alexandria
330 sqm
Pix On Location is a New York style daylight studio that has the WOW factor. Diamond polished concrete floors and spunky translucent partitions keep the light flowing from both sides of the studio in the morning and afternoon light.

Manly Yacht Club

Manly
100 Banquet | 170 Cocktail
The perfect waterfront venue, Manly Yacht Club offers uninterrupted views of Sydney Harbour from their huge sheltered balcony and hall.

Urban Winery Sydney

Moore Park
150 Banquet | 200 Cocktail
This multifunctional space allows you to create a truly unique event that’s sure to engage all of the senses. It features a fully functional winery, cellar door, wine bar and event space.

Harbourcat Party Boat

Manly
36 Banquet | 44 Cocktail
If you are looking for fun, this is it! Harbourcat is a purpose-built catamaran designed solely for day and twilight cruising, offering the experience of a lifetime in and around the most beautiful Harbour in the world.

Freedom Hub

Waterloo
80 Banquet | 140 Cocktail
This unique 100 year old warehouse has high ceilings and black steel beams that are perfect for hanging gardens, festive lights and flowers. Not only do you get an amazing event space, but Freedom Hub also gives back – 100% of profits support victims of modern slavery and human trafficking within Australia.

Impact Corporate Venue

Moore Park
70 Banquet | 70 Cocktail
This innovative and exciting event space features state-of-the art technology. Their Impact Wall is a laser field in front of a screen that detects an object or someone’s hand and then alters the video content accordingly. Use for team building, product launches, media events and conferences.

The Venu e Alexandria

Alexandria
The Venue 1900 sqm | The Studio 350 sqm
Located conveniently between Sydney’s International Airport and the CBD, The Venue is a large, flexible warehouse space with 5 star amenities.

The Cutaway

Barangaroo
5400 sq. m | 3500 Cocktail
The super-sized concrete void is Sydney’s newest and most unique cultural venue. Located a step away from the CBD at Barangaroo Reserve, it can be transformed in a variety of innovative ways to host your next event.

The Cell Block Theatre

Darlinghurst
190 Banquet | 300 Cocktail
The Cell Block Theatre is a grand historic space that was the women’s wing of the old Dalinghurst Gaol. Located within the National Art School the 10 metre high sandstone walls create the awed ambiance of a cathedral and the Gallery Lawn outside provides a beautiful outdoor space.

Overseas Passanger Termial

The Rocks
250-700 Banquet | 400-1200 Cocktail
The Overseas Passenger Terminal is Sydney’s premier location for events and activations offering hirers direct views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour from each of its four indoor event spaces.

White Bay Cruise Terminal

Rozelle
500 Banquet | 500 Cocktail
Boasting dazzling views of the Sydney skyline, it has a variety of flexible spaces including the terminal with 12m ceilings and a wealth of natural light.

Lindesay House

Darling Point
100 Banquet | 100 Cocktail
An elegant 1830’s mansion with full views across manicured lawns to Sydney harbour. A beautiful garden and marquee offer an outdoor space.

Botanic Gardens Fleet Steps

Circular Quay
550 Banquet | 800 Cocktail
Fleet Steps offers unsurpassed views of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Garden and city skyline. These fantastic views are complemented by the historic Fleet Steps, providing a stunning entrance for your guests. The overall effect is one of grandeur that never fails to impress.

Sydney College of the Arts

Rozelle
150 Banquet | 200 Cocktail
Kirkbride is a Victorian neo-classic complex built of sandstone and set against the shores of Iron Cove on iconic Sydney Harbour. It provides an assortment of scenic and specialised venues, catering for anything from large events to intimate gatherings.

Lion Gate Lodge

80 Banquet | 100 Cocktail
Built in 1878, Lion Gate Lodge is a stunning Victorian sandstone building boasting a private landscaped cottage garden, large permanent awning and paved courtyard.

Whitehouse Institute of Design

Surry Hills
300 Banquet | 600 Cocktail
Whitehouse Institute of Design offers an industrial feel and is complemented by large windows filling each room with natural light. The expansive foyer and grand staircase is a unique venue space that lends itself to a variety of functions

S.H. Ervin Gallery

Sydney
120 Banquet | 250 Cocktail
This Georgian style building dates from 1856 and featurs high ceilings, gracious spaces and natural light. The S.H. Ervin Gallery offers a very elegant backdrop for functions.

NOTE: This list of venues isn’t finished and we’ll be adding to it again shortly. Book mark this page and return when you next need a venue with BYO catering!