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Summer is upon us and with everyone being stuck indoors now is the perfect time to be planning your summer celebration! As we continue to monitor Government advice we are all hoping that we will finally get a summer, even if it is a later one!

Celebrate your valued employees and clients with a night to remember, it’s time to tackle the mid-year slump and re-energise your employees for the year ahead – it is definitely needed after this tough start to 2020!

Here are our top tips to help you plan a fantastic summer party!

Location 

When choosing your summer party venue, think about its location and what style you are going for.

Do you want somewhere ultra-modern, with rooftop city views or a party in a beautiful courtyard, surrounded by blooming flowers?

Consider somewhere that offers outdoor space to make the most of the glorious sunshine and longer evenings, however, ensure your venue has an equally charming indoor space to continue the party indoors once the sun has set – it is England after all!

Catering

If your guests are going to remember one thing from a party it will be the food. We consider any summer party menu to be the main attraction so it’s wise to focus a lot of attention on this!

Sit down dinners are a no-go for summer so why not allow your venue to rustle up something exciting.

A big trend we are seeing this year is street food stations; guests have the chance to interact with chefs as they cook a range of delightful cuisines from around the world – all served from stations with theatrical theming to really wow your guests!

Don’t forget the drinks!

Consider a cocktail, craft beer, gin bar or something sparkling as a welcome surprise to get the party started.

Most venues offer packages for additional drinks throughout the evening – you might want to organise an office poll to determine the favourite wines, spirits & beers amongst your guests to request at your party.

Entertainment

We all love a DJ & Dancefloor, but entertainment can also come in the form of magicians, giant garden games, magic mirrors and Jazz duos.

You can really add an element of personalisation to your party to keep the surprises coming, so ask your venue for recommendations, chances are they know some great suppliers to fit within your budget!

Enjoy the celebration

Even though you have been tasked with planning your companies summer party this year, you need to take a step back from being the ‘Planner’ on the night and enjoy the celebration as much as your guests.

Make sure you communicate with your Event Planner, book site visits to familiarise yourself with the venue and listen to any tips and recommendations your venue has.

To put your mind at rest handover your guest list and details of any suppliers you have booked, so that your venue can take control of this on the night – they are here to help you!

All that will be left, is for you to enjoy the delicious food & drinks with your colleagues whilst taking in the beautiful surroundings of the venue you have booked!

Here at BMA House headquarters, we have been working our magic with our chefs, catering and marketing teams to create a new menu and DDR package to shake up the industry.

Just last month the team at BMA House unveiled our brand new ‘Well Grounded’ DDR package comprising an entirely plant-based menu in line with our green credentials.

The ‘Well-Grounded’ package offers three refreshment breaks, with delicious and healthy snacks, a hot fork buffet lunch and fresh mint tea in the afternoon.  Delegates can select from tasty lunch options such as; Pulled jackfruit & sweet potato chilli with cocoa nibs, soya bourguignon with red wine, wild mushrooms and vegan bacon or tomato gnocchi with Sicilian aubergine stew.

Alongside delicious and nutritious options, your delegates will be saving the environment using our ‘Smart KAPP’ interactive flipcharts and reducing the amount of paper and waste.

Not only have we created this pioneering package, but our chefs also launched an entirely plant-based menu alongside the ‘Well-Grounded’ DDR.

Therefore if clients want delegates to do their bit, perform well and help the planet, but don’t want an entire package, then they can choose indulgent dishes from our breakfast, refreshment, and lighter lunch menus.

Eating a plant-based diet has proven links to health benefits and lowering our environmental impact and we have our ‘Green Guru’ Victoria Lewis to thank for this package.

We spoke to Victoria about the inspiration for the package:

“As the resident ‘Green Guru’ and all-round lover of sustainability, I know that we are a very forward-thinking venue in terms of our green credentials, but we wanted to do more than making changes around the venue, we wanted to get our clients to embrace sustainability too.”

“I worked alongside our Venue Manager Kat, General Catering Manager Johnathan and Executive Chef Gordon to come up with a delicious and nutritious, 100% plant-based offering. We took inspiration from our Botanical Garden and included fresh mint tea breaks, to remove non-biodegradable tea bags and to aid digestion.  We are super pleased with the finished product and proud to say we are only one of two venues to offer a fully Vegan menu. We are successfully selling our ‘Well-Grounded’ packages for 2019 and 2020 and we cannot wait to see more.”

At just £75.00+vat per person, the ‘Well-Grounded DDR’ package is the perfect offering to do your bit for the environment, in a stunning venue that promises to deliver exceptional service. If you want to opt for our ‘Well-Grounded’ package for your next event, then get in touch today!

– Main meeting room hire (09:00-17:00)
– Catering room hire (09:00-16:00)
– Fairtrade filter coffee, speciality tea and mini blueberry muffins on arrival
– Mid-morning Fairtrade filter coffee and speciality tea, granola bars and whole fruit
– Hot fork buffet lunch
– Flavoured hydration station
– Mid-afternoon fresh mint tea and cake bites
– Still and sparkling bottled water throughout
– Interactive flipchart
– Soya milk is provided as standard, dairy provided on request

On the 27^th June 2019, BMA House hosted one of the UK’S top 20 accountancy firm’s annual West End Summer Party. The firm comes together every year to celebrate their achievements so far and to show their appreciation to their key clients and contacts.

The firm’s Events team worked alongside one of the planners, Hannah Robinson to ensure the evening was a roaring success. A bespoke summer package was created for the firm, who opted for bowl food and canapés rather than our traditional BBQ package.

Guests were welcomed into the impressive Courtyard to enjoy a Wild Strawberry Verbena Collins on arrival and some music in the sunshine. As the evening got underway, guests got to enjoy some tasty bowl food options; including Butter chicken and rice, courgette & lemon risotto and Mexican grilled prawn salad. To ensure that guests were sufficiently full and satisfied, our team also served up delicious garden pea and ricotta arancini, Greek lamb meatballs, asparagus tarts and mini fish and chips.

A roving magician provided the entertainment for the evening and all guests seemed to be having a fantastic time. Since the event was a huge success and we received some lovely feedback from the team, we thought it would a great idea to catch up with one of the organisers, about her experience hosting their first party at BMA House. Here is what she had to say…

How did you hear about BMA House? Literally through Google and it was one of the best venues I came across.

What was the deciding factor for choosing to host your summer party at BMA House?  BMA House has the wow factor. As soon as you walk into The Courtyard it leaves a big first impression. We wanted a venue that had outdoor space, with somewhere that could cater for the unpredictable UK weather and offer indoor space (if needed). Ultimately that was the deciding factor for us.

What was your favourite part of the event? The food! The canapés and the bowl food were a massive hit!

You had a great menu on the evening, how did you manage to narrow down your options and what was the most popular on the evening? We opted for a food tasting. We already knew what we liked the sound of as the menu offers a variety of food and covers everything you need. We ended up sticking with the options we picked from our first look at the menu. The fish and chips won hands down for me!

How would you rate your overall experience at BMA House throughout the entire event process? 10/10 – Hannah and the events team were so easy to work with and made the process a lot less stressful. It was so nice to know the logistics at the venue were in hand.

Finally, what would you say to any other clients who potentially might want to host their summer party at BMA House? Go and see BMA House! We have been hosting our summer party for a number of years and our client’s feedback was all the same – it was the best summer party yet!

A huge thanks to the team for taking the time to give us such lovely feedback! We look forward to hopefully hosting your event next year…

We still have some key dates in August and September for summer parties, so if you like the sound of BMA House for yours then get in touch today.

Recently some of our fabulous team at BMA House decided to set themselves the challenge of all challenges, hiking a mighty 26 miles in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. We don’t do things by halves here at the BMA and after our Venue Manager, Kat had mentioned to the team about getting involved, we quickly had two teams sign up, who took on two very different but equally challenging routes.

Each member of the team had their own personal reasons for taking part, whether that was their own diagnosis, a family members diagnosis or even the loss of a loved one to cancer, they all knew the battles that people with cancer face and just how important Macmillan’s support can be.  These super 7 did everything they could to raise money for such a great cause. As we said, we don’t do things by halves at the BMA and the team set themselves a mighty fundraising target of £2,000 for Macmillan.

Kat, Sasha, Lisa and Ellie were the first of the group to get their walking boots on and tackled the South Coast cliffs walking from Brighton to Eastbourne. These 4 battled hills, rain, sunshine and one of the UK’S windiest days to complete their 26.8-mile challenge.

Hannah, Rebecca and Sarah were the next 3 to take on the challenge and still pushed through with it, despite hearing just how brutal it was for the other 4. These 3 braved the ever-changing English weather and a slightly flatter more scenic route, walking along the Thames Path from Windsor Racecourse to Henley-on-Thames.

Both teams absolutely smashed their walks and their fundraising target, raising a total of £3,998.88 for Macmillan which is 112% target! Despite, aches, pains, blisters, and very sore feet, the team were incredibly proud of their achievements and completing the challenge.

So if we haven’t already inspired you to get involved, then read their stories here and you might just think differently. If they have inspired you and you are thinking about taking it on next year, you might want to read what they had to say first. Enjoy…

Kat: Our walk was well pretty much awful, who knew the seven sisters on the south coast actually meant 7 giant cliffs/hills to climb? I certainly didn’t! I’ve never experienced windy conditions like that along with rain, hail and sun!

The organisation of the walk is so good, great snack stops and a lovely lunch. Thankfully it stopped raining by this point.

Will I do it again? Maybe but probably not that route anyway.

Sasha: “We battled rain, hail, sunshine, hills that were the size of mountains and wind like I have never experienced before for 26.8miles! Very proud my myself, Kat, Ellie, and Lisa for completing it with a smile on our faces.”

Hannah: “We did the Thames Path one which had such lovely scenery and was luckily much flatter than the other one ?.

Rebecca: “The route we (Sarah, Hannah and myself) took was so pretty, we walked along the Thames Path from Windsor Racecourse all the way to Henley-on-Thames. Very scenic which kept motivation levels up, plus it was flat so no steep hills to climb! The food and snacks Macmillan provided along the route were amazing. I’d definitely do this again one year and really felt my fitness levels come back ?.

In partnership with the fabulous team at HeadBox, 6th June saw us host 150 key clients and venue bookers as part of our BMA House Summer Social showcase.

With the Great British weather on our side, guests were welcomed into the garden for a glass of bubbles and had the opportunity to enjoy an interactive gin and sparkling flowers bar. Both bars did not disappoint, with guests torn between creating bespoke botanical gins or garnishing their prosecco with edible flowers and flavoured liquors.  Our Catering General Manager, Johnathon Reynolds stole the show with his BMA Garden themed beverages, using herbaceous, medicinal plants, such as lemon balm and mint to bring the gin to life. We continued with the medicinal theme serving gin with Quinine, a common treatment for Malaria.

The bar was a real talking point, one guest even asked which drink’s supplier we had used to create this for us. Johnathon was thrilled to hear this saying; “I have often been passionate about gin, I started a gin club in a previous role. It is an exciting time for gin as it just continues to be popular. It was great to be able to take inspiration from BMA House itself to create an immersive experience for guests.”

Sustainability and wellbeing played a key part in the evening. Our Venue Manager, Kat Winfield introduced our new plant-based, “Well – Grounded” DDR as part of her speech. Further speeches were given from Andrew Needham, Founder, and CEO of HeadBox and Nick Taylor from Unmind.   Both their speeches focused on the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Guests were given collapsible coffee cups as giveaways, made from the waste produced at BMA House.

As the sun started to set over the Courtyard, guests enjoyed a jazz trio courtesy of Liquid Strings, while tucking into a menu of Jerk marinated chicken, South American top rump, wellbeing salads, and a traditional English dessert table.

After the BBQ guests were offered a venue show-round. The show-round was a great opportunity for leading corporates to see our end-to-end service, innovative catering and a wide variety of impressive spaces.  Guests used the hashtag #BMASummerSocial and the evening itself was featured in industry press. Click here to read all about it.

A big thanks to our caterers CH&CO, Liquid Strings, HeadBox and Unmind for working with us to make the evening a roaring success. It was a great opportunity to bring new faces to the venue and we look forward to hopefully hosting their events in the future.

Simple steps to better office health

One must be mindful of office snacks

Birthdays, Fridays, hump days and ‘just because’ days: there always seems to be a constant flow of sugar-laden, low nutrient based snacks in our offices.

Don’t get us wrong, we don’t think there’s anything wrong with treats – but sometimes they can come a little too thick and fast.

So how do you learn to enjoy them in moderation?

Here are some facts that might help you put the biscuit down…

• Raises your blood sugar levels as most naughty snacks are high in processed carbohydrates
• This creates further cravings and can lead to overeating
• Post sugar dip leaves you feeling tired
• Sugary snacks can cause you to build unnecessary fats and are low in nutrients
• Dense in calories, so you end up having more energy than you need

Find some guidance on sugar from the NHS here

If you struggle to say no to snacks out of habit, try swaping them. Some good swaps to make are:

• Whole fruits
• Hummus and veg sticks/pita bread
• Nuts with natural yoghurt, blueberries and a grated, high percentage (over 60%) dark chocolate
• Energy balls

Take the darn stairs

Everywhere! Your commute to and from the office is the best opportunity to get some stairs in – walk up the escalators and take the stairs everywhere you can, the underground is full of them!

In and around your office building- don’t press a button and wait- take the stairs!

We’re big stairs advocates because:

• It uses a lot more energy than just standing in a lift
• Steps help tone your glutes, hamstrings and quads
• Sometimes, you can even beat the lift

Use ones’ lunch break

GET OUTSIDE! Just a 10-minute walk on your lunch break can have many positive benefits.

Or, if you fancy it, you can actually fit your workout into your lunch break!

20-30 minutes for a lunchtime workout is sufficient and if you’re as lucky as we are, based in Bloomsbury we are spoilt with green areas.

Take a jog and see what new places you can find. Or use the green space to do a HIIT training session with an office buddy.

• Resistance bands are easily transportable for green area work-outs
• Running/jogging requires little planning and you get to explore the area near your work
• Improved concentration through the afternoon
• Increased metabolism
• Afternoon glow

Eat a well-balanced feast for breakfast  

• Low in sugar
• High in protein
• Wholegrains
• Whole Fruit
• Overnight oats
• Smoothies with at least 70% veg

Healthy breakfast inspiration from the NHS.

Stay hydrated

Glug, glug, glug- keep your water bottle close.

There are some great re-useable ones out there where you can add fresh fruit to lightly flavour the water.

Green Tea is always a winner and the warm water makes you feel fuller.

Let us know how you stay healthy at work!

Written by Jenny Darlow

Contact us on 020 7874 7020 or email [email protected]

BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP

Top tips for hosting modern, eco-friendly parties, receptions and more…

Planning an event can be an exciting prospect – you choose a venue, pick the most tempting food and drink combinations and arrange the logistics.

But on the day, have you ever stopped to wonder where those trays of pastries will go now everyone has left the room for the meeting? Or who will turn off the air conditioning as you leave for the day?

A lot of people don’t consider this.

It’s a consideration like these which we often leave behind when we exit our familiar environments.

BS 8901 is a framework which was developed specifically for the events industry after the London 2012 Olympics.

It’s a standard by which the industry is held to operate in a more sustainable manner.

As a result, BMA House has gained a Silver Tourism Award in our efforts to reduce the amount of energy used during events and become one of the most sustainable venues London has to offer.

However, there is still a long way to go from the venue, organiser and guest’s side to lessen the impact of events on the environment.

Here are my top tips for creating a sustainable yet simultaneously stylish party, reception or dinner, to go some way to readdressing the balance:

LIGHTING

As you gaze out at the London night sky you can be overwhelmed by the lights which litter the skyline; bright white, twinkly blue and stable red which cling to buildings.

Solar panelling has now been adopted by many households and offices as a way of cutting down on the wasteful energy this produces by harbouring a natural resource, sunlight.

There are now some really innovative and interesting solar panelled lights emerging on the market that work perfectly for evening receptions, parties and dinners that utilise any outdoor space.

For example, Homebase has some great solar panelled fairy lights which turn on automatically at dusk and off at dawn, using a handy mini solar panel to collect the sunlight.

They can omit a very strong light and detect light changes, saving you the hassle of remembering to turn them off and on.

A great choice for anyone trying to host more sustainable events!

THEMING:

Pinterest is great for inspiring party ideas and has thousands of eco-friendly pins.

Avoiding single-use or disposable decorations is a must. Anything that was created solely to be part of the background at an event for a few hours, only to be chucked away after, is a red flag in our books!

There are tonnes of really great ideas for reusing things; everything from using crates as trays or jam jars for glasses filled with crushed ice and a variety of fruits.

CATERING

Consider how the food is sourced for the event.

If your venue has in house caterers, ask your planner for information on the caterer’s sustainability credentials.

Or if you are sourcing your own food, look for locally sourced produce. Our central London location means for us, that’s often at the Bloomsbury Farmers Market. Aim to minimise food miles as much as possible.

Trust us – your guests will taste the difference!

Also, consider the number of guests who have confirmed they will attend versus the number who will show up on the day.

Factors including the weather, how regularly the event runs and if it is ticketed all contribute to how inclined guests will be to show up.

I would consider these at the point of planning and account for dropouts accordingly.

GET GUESTS INVOLVED

Make sure your guests know you’re trying to make your event as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. We’ve been working towards becoming a sustainable London venue to hire for years, which means most people who visit are already well aware of what to expect.

Introduce the premise in the delegate packs, monitor how much energy was saved during your event and feedback to delegates after the event.

We’d also recommend encouraging them to download eco apps.

Build a narrative and take guests on the journey.

REUSE IS BETTER THAN RECYCLING

If any theming is leftover from an event, try to reuse it where you can for future events or give to guests. If this isn’t possible, ensure it is recycled in the appropriate way. At venues, you can ask for their recycling policy.

And remember, better than reusing is not buying anything new at all! Consider what you already have available and how it can be repurposed.

You can read more about BS 8901 events industry framework here: www.actionsustainability.com/news/198/BS-8901-Make-your-event-sustainable/

SUSTAINABLE VENUES LONDON

Written by Maxine Reynolds

Contact us on 020 7874 7020 or email [email protected]

BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP

Top 5 tips on planning the wedding of your dreams from a wedding venue, London…

Yes folks, it’s that time of the year again, when shops, online retailers and colleagues’ desks are full of everything red! Dreary and depressing for some, but oh so exciting for others who’ve been waiting in anticipation ever since they were left short of a proposal on New Year’s Eve! So if you were you one of the lucky ones to receive a sparkling ring on the 14^th February: a huge CONGRATULATIONS to you.

Now is the time to get planning for your big day, but where to begin? We think that as a wedding venue in London, we’re well placed to give advice to first-time planners. So here are my top five tips in the best order to get cracking to ensure this lovely engagement period is smooth and as stress-free as possible.

1. Choosing your wedding venue

First thing first, you can’t have a wedding without a wedding venue, so put this at the top of your planning list.

Questions you should consider discussing with your fiancé before you call up for a visit are; where is the venue located? If far away, you’ll need to think about accommodation the night prior for yourselves, as well as places for friends and family to stay.

Are you dreaming of your drinks reception and photos outside in luscious greenery, or a modern barn setting where fun garden games and tug of war games take place? If so, look for a venue with plenty of outdoor space, but what is key is choosing a venue as much for its interior as its exterior.

No one’s going to want to be sipping champagne and tottering around in high heels in the mud, so make sure you are prepared for all guests to be indoors and for your wedding photos to have an inside backdrop, unless you’re happy to put on fashionable wellies, grab a big brolley and enjoy the English rain!

As far as wedding venues London goes, BMA House has four gorgeous inside rooms, each licensed for both civil ceremonies and wedding receptions for up to 200 guests, together with two stunning outdoor spaces ideal for live music and your champagne and canape reception.

Speaking of food…this WILL be the talking point for all your guests so ensure your venue offers the variety and cuisine you are hoping for.

If you’re keen on serving your uncle’s best wine or your fiancé’s favourite craft beer, ask if the venue allows you to bring in your own alcohol and if they charge a corkage fee.

And lastly, get as much help as possible, see if the venue offers an in-house wedding planner who can help plan your day, after all you’re likely to have never done this stuff before. BMA House offers a dedicated wedding planner to guide you on all aspects of planning your special day.

2. Picking your perfect photographer

Good photographers will get booked up surprisingly far in advance, so look around as early as possible so you can secure your photographer.

Once your wedding is over, all you will have left are your memories of the day and photographs, so it’s important you choose the right person to photograph your special day, and in a style you’re comfortable with.

Meet a range of photographers and ask to see some of their work, as well as browsing their online galleries. It’s also worth asking your venue if they have any photographers they’d recommend.

More often than not, they’ll have a few – all of which already know the venue well. This means they’ll know they best places for the most romantic shots, the best angles and the best lighting. Win-win!

Another popular option nowadays is to have an engagement photoshoot, which is a lovely opportunity for you both to meet your photographer and to get used to being behind a lens, bearing in mind this person will be with you all day from bridal preparation through until the first dance, you’re going to want to feel at ease with them.

3. Bridesmaids

Choose them wisely and don’t take any abuse from friends and family if they feel hard done by if you’ve not chosen them as your bridesmaids.

People can be funny when it comes to this subject, but stick to your guns; you’ve chosen your favourites for a reason.

If you have close friends who you’d like to make part of your day, get them to help out in other ways, for example, doing a reading during your ceremony, helping you make your wedding favours, or assisting setting up your dining tables.

This way you’ve involved everyone.

4. Finding your ultimate wedding dress

Dress fitting is another daunting task, and usually, the dress you’ve dreamed of since you were a young girl is often not the dress you’ll go for.

Fittings need to be booked in advance, most bridal shops will not let you just turn up and try on a range of dresses, so make sure you book an appointment and take along mum or your chief bridesmaid as a second option is worthwhile.

Be wary when buying from places online and do check out the supplier’s ratings, as some dresses can appear to be one thing, then when they turn up, many a bride I’ve known has been disappointed but the seller has not had a refund policy due to this being a bespoke dress.

My advice is to do your homework and try it on before you buy.

Don’t rush into buying the first dress you see, you’ve got to be 100% happy with the style and fit.

Your dress will be the first thing your guests will glance at when they see you walking down the aisle.

5. Honeymoon destinations

Another big job, but a very exciting one to plan!

With so many destinations to choose from, the first thing to think about is the time of year you are looking to jet off as this will condense your country search, for example, it’s unadvisable to travel to some parts of the Caribbean during their hurricane season.

I’m seeing more and more couples taking a ‘mini-moon’ immediately after their wedding, then going on a longer break months after.

This is a nice idea as it allows you time to reflect on your wedding, see friends and family again the following day, to unpack and open up your cards and gifts…and still have something to look forward to later on in the year!

This option is also good if you’re ideal honeymoon destination is in its rainy or stormy season around your wedding day, meaning it may not be ideal to fly out then.

Written by Rebecca Hurley

Contact us on 020 7874 7020 or email [email protected]

BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP