I’ve copied a few lines from the BBC’s website to explain more:

“From April 2013, companies with sales of up to £77,000 per year will be allowed to change their accounting from the established accrual method to a cash basis.

What this means is that firms will only have to pay tax on the amount of money they have actually received, rather than total orders, as under the current accrual-based system.

This will be hugely beneficial for small firms, as it will end their having to pay tax on received orders for which they have yet to be paid.

If successful, the Treasury will then consider expanding the change to firms with sales of up to £150,000 per year, which it estimates would mean more than three million firms being able to benefit.”

We hope this will help out those SME’s, without, as some suggest, the potential tax evasion taking hold.

Thanks George!

When we ask our clients why this is, there is a common theme.  They usually follow “Kick-Off” events and an evening of such fun and entertainment leaves their staff feeling great about the event and the company!

we’ve delivered these events to suit a host of conference themes and ‘tag-lines’, but to give you an example, we’ve written a short blog about an event we ran just before Christmas 2011.

Usually we bring in some good friends of the company, an amazing couple from a previous series of the BBC’s “Strictly” show.  On Saturday, however, the client wanted not one, not two, but THREE couples to create a very special kind of show.

Being the creative and adaptable company that we are, we were happy
to oblige. So, we made some calls to our dancers and put together a line-up of some of the most talented Latin and ballroom dancers around.

So, our SIX professional dancers partnered up with six of their senior management and they all set aboutrehearsing their routines during the afternoon of the event.

It was slow going at the start, but with the help of our fabulous dancers, they soon found their feet and were ‘waltzing’ and ‘jiving’ all over the floor.

The dancers took a little before dinner to calm their nerves, as our first professional couple kicked off the routine with a stunning jive routine.

You know you’re putting on a good show when all the waiting staff come out of the kitchens to watch!

Dinner was a nervous time for the dancers as the competition grew closer.  After dinner, another of our couples set the scene beautifully, with a passionate Rumba that really sizzled!

Then, the tension really grew as our dancers prepared to take to the floor and the competition began.

For video highlights of our “Strictly” events - Click Here..

Given that they had only had a couple of hours rehearsing in the afternoon, they all did a remarkable job.  The audience was very supportive and not a little surprised by one or two of their management team throwing in the occasional lift and “TV Step” for good measure!

With a couple more of the management team as judges and, of course, our very own “Gavin Revel Horwood” (‘Craig’s younger brother’!!) the atmosphere was electric.  Particularly as the final scores revealed that there was just one point between first and second place.

The winning couple took the trophy and champagne with a stunning Cha Cha, that even Mr. ‘Revel-Horwood’ had to admit was “Fab-U-lous, Darling!”

These really are the kinds of event that make this job so rewarding.  Thanks to all our amazing dancers and to Pinewood Studios for making us all feel so welcome.

There is an art to engaging an audience from the moment you step onto a stage.  So, just because someone can make people laugh in an office environment, it doesn’t mean
they will inspire and engage an audience at an awards ceremony or annual conference.

After years of experience, we’re are absolutely
sure of one fact – a professional host is definitely worth the money!

A host’s greatest advantage is that the audience ‘wants them to be good’.

No-one really wants to sit through a dull and uninspiring talk or workshop
session.  So, the host already has an advantage.

However, if they don’t make the most of this, the audience will soon lose its patience and its enthusiasm for the words that are being spoken.  In many cases, a lot of money is spent on these types of events and it is vital to transmit the meaning of what is being said across to the audience.

An audience has, typically, around a twenty minute attention span,
before they begin to lose focus.  However, choosing to vary the way in which your presentation is communicated will help to keep the energy up in the room and continue to engage the delegates.

So we’ve put together a top ten tips for anyone thinking of giving a speech:

  1. Know Your Subject

Research your subject and really understand it.  That way, if you do get lost, you’ll be able to ‘find   your way back home’.

  2. Don’t Fear The Silence

Be happy to allow a little silence in the room.  After you’ve been introduced, allow the room to settle (and yourself to settle) before you begin speaking.  Leave the ‘um’s and ah’s’ at home!

3. Use Visuals

To engage more of the audience, use visual aids – powerpoint and video – but only as an aid to         describing your words, never as a crutch!

  4. Keep it Short – and to the point!

Say what you need to say, to get the point across and then leave the stage!  Waffle will only incline the audience to drift off.

5. Speak Clearly

People tend to speak too quickly, because they allow their nerves to get into their voices.  Nerves are a very natural part of giving public speeches, but try to control them – see below…

6. Control your nerves

Many people will find themselves, without noticing, moving in an irritated and repetitive fashion around the stage, because their nervous energy has no-where to go.  Watch people who speak for a living and see what their mannerisms tell you.  Many will hold their hands together about waist height.  This is where they often ‘keep’ their nerves – ‘squeezing’ the energy out of themselves by pressing their hands together without distracting from what they are saying.  There are lots of other ‘tricks’ to help here.

7. Breathe In – as well as out!

Breathe strongly and consistently.  Your voice depends upon a constant and full stream of air, upon which the words may be formed.

8. Make eye contact

Look into the eyes of individuals in the audience.  Don’t ‘flit’ from one pair of eyes to another without investing in that person, but also be aware not to glare at them.  Make eye contact for a few seconds and then move onto the next pair of eyes.  Feel like you’re talking to each of them ‘one-on-one’

9. Use Humour

If something goes wrong, don’t just ignore it and carry on, be prepared to make a joke out of it and yourself.  It will show a level of confidence that will allow the audience to sit comfortably and listen to the rest of the speech.

10. Use crib cards – carefully!

If you are going to use ‘crib cards’, try not to stare at them intently and read directly from them.  Don’t hide behind them.  Glance at them and use them only as an ‘aide memoir’.  This will mean, of course, that you will have had to write a few short words and phrases on them as a headline.

For more guidance on how to host an event, please feel free to get in touch.

Choosing a venue that is suitable for your event is one of the most important aspects of organising any conference.  All too often we are asked to support a client with delivering a conference, where the hotel has been chosen early on, and the design, look and feel of the event has been considered afterwards.  This can limit the client’s options with other elements of the event so, deciding on the experience you want for your guests before deciding on your venue is key. 

Some of our tips may seem obvious, but when you have a lot to think about, it is surprising how the little things can get missed!

Some questions to ask yourself before searching for your perfect venue:

1. Where is the best location to hold your event and do you need the venue to have easy access to public transport?  

If your guests are able to find your venue easily, it will add to the overall delegate experience of your event. It will also save you costs on expensive taxi fares if major train stations are nearby.  If you have a lot of people driving to the conference, ask if the hotel offers free parking!

2. How are you going to communicate your messages to your audience?

Consider a room that has enough space for your audience, and a conference stage and set to show powerpoint presentations, videos or room for a few chairs for a panel discussion and Q & A session.

 3. How would you like your guests to be seated during the day? 

If your guests need to make notes during the sessions, or you want to encourage them to network, choosing the correct seating layout will determine the size of the room you need.  Ensure the hotel fits the layout you want, rather than making the conference fit into your venue!

4. What audio visual facilities will you require for your presenters?   

Consider whether you want a projector on a table amongst your guests, or whether you would prefer a more professional look with rear projection, which will mean booking a room with a little more space.  The overall effect will be more professional for your delegates and for your guest speakers.
Always check what audio visual facilities are already in place at the hotel and included as part of your delegate package, do they meet all of your requirements?

5. How many syndicate rooms will you require?  

Think about how near your syndicate rooms need to be in relation to your main room.  Consider traffic flow through the hotel, particularly when moving large delegate numbers.

6. Do you require a separate room or area for private refreshment breaks?  

Is there a private area that is away from the main room that can give your delegates a proper break rather than staying in the same room?  Is the space large enough for people to network and does the area need to be away from other guests in the hotel?

7. Would you like a private dinner in the evening?  

If you don’t want your guests to eat in the main restaurant with the other residents of the hotel you may want to consider private dining in the hotel.  Check whether this is included as part of your 24hr rate or if it is an additional charge.
Also, consider the kind of entertainment you require for your evening dinner, and check that you have allowed sufficient time to set up in readiness for the evening event starting.  It might be worth holding your private dinner in a different room to your conference in the day.

8. Do you require outdoor space?  

If you are holding a conference that has a lot of information for your delegates to take in, it can be of benefit for them to get some fresh air!  So choose a venue that has dedicated outdoor space for refreshment breaks, rather than your guests standing out in the car park.
If you are considering an outdoor event as part of your conference, consider what you would like to do before booking the venue, it’s cheaper than paying to coach your delegates to an alternative space during your conference!

 There are many more questions to consider prior to booking an event, so, if it feels like you are walking through treacle, we are here to help. 

Call us on 020 8133 1250

We are often asked about the best way to go about filming for business.
So we wanted to produce a short, and handy, guide to the do’s and dont’s of creating the most effective video.

The first thing to remember, regardless of what kind of film you’re producing, is that you want it to be memorable for the right reasons!  We  know that sounds obvious, but it does need to be filmed in such a way that isn’t distracting and uncomfortable to watch.

Let me give you an example.  If you remember the film “The Blair Witch Project” - most people recall the elements that made it famous – the running through the forest, jerky filming, dark light.  Imagine now if you were watching a filming that consisted of a lot of that, it wouldn’t be easy to watch and so, this brings us neatly to our first tip!

Lighting:

1. Make the room well lit and evenly lit, so your viewer
can see everything that is going on and is not thinking,
”What is that shadow in the background?”
This way you will keep your audience focused on the key messages, and avoid distractions from the content you’re trying to deliver.

Sound:

1. Get a good clear sound.  There’s nothing more distracting, apart from shadows, perhaps, than a hum or a buzz on the soundtrack of your video.  Again, you want your viewer focusing on the content you’ve designed, not outside noise.

2. Try and find a space to film that is in a quiet area, unless you’re deliberately filming in a busy street.  Avoid a room next to a marble reception area for example that allows external sounds to ‘bleed into’ your video.  Your viewer may find it distracting if there is talking or other noise that is not directly relevant to your video.

3. Check that you can turn off any air conditioning or ventilation systems in the room.

Location:

If you don’t have the budget to film in extravagant locations, then don’t worry, try these tips:

1. Find a room that is as large as possible.  That way, you will have space in which to work and it allows you options to vary the background.

2. If you’re in a room with furniture, check that it can be moved.  It can cause quite a few problems later on and restrict what you can do, especially if there’s a heavy boardroom table that can’t be moved!

3. Try to avoid swivel chairs for the presenters or interviewees.  Once the camera-operator has placed the person in a position that looks good in the viewfinder, it takes no time for the person being filmed to swing around into a different position.  Swivel chairs are often just too tempting!

4. Ensure any windows have blinds or curtains that can be closed where necessary.

People:

1. Be aware of any jewellery that the person is wearing – it can bang on furniture, rattle or even catch a microphone if they move their arms around as they talk.

2. Avoid thinly-striped clothing – it can cause a visual ‘buzz’ or ‘hum’ on the screen.

3. If the person being interviewed wears glasses, but can go without them, then try not to use them.  This will limit the possibility of reflections or light glinting off the lenses.

4. Always make sure there is some still water around for anyone talking on camera.

Finally, we would suggest that you remove any items that might date the film, unless it’s specifically intended for a seasonal video. Christmas trees, poppies etc. should be removed from shot.  

If you would like to know more and have any further questions, feel free to call us on
020 8133 1250 or email events@indigoblueproductions.com

It’s the same web address:  www.indigoblueproductions.com

Check back in a couple of weeks and we’ll be up and running with lots of new and exciting ideas for you.  How about a team building event where your delegates end the day as Guinness World Record Holders, a day at the track with a current Formula One test Driver or spend some time learning to sing with principal artistes from a West End Theatre?!

You can imagine, now, why it’s going to take us some time to get the site on-line.  We anticipate early September should be the deadline.

We hope you like it.

But, remember, you can stay up to date with all our news on Twitter and Facebook as well, and we’ll keep updating this blog to let you know the latest news and information too.  The Twitter and Facebook links are at the top of this blog page!

We hope to see you or speak to you all soon!

If you’ve been tasked with organising the next company conference, you will be responsible for arranging and booking many of the logistics.   To help you avoid the pitfalls, and to ensure your next event is a great success, here are some useful tips that we suggest from our years of experience of arranging conferences.

1. Get the best value from the venue

Before you source your venue, be clear about how the conference will look and feel.  Be specific in terms of the rooms, layout, delegate numbers and accommodation you are catering for.  The more specific you can be at the early stages of the booking, the less likely you are to incur cancellation costs further down the line.

2. Allocate an Event Manager

Allocate an Event Manager who oversees the organising and running of the entire event and who will act as the gatekeeper.  When too many people are involved, it can be confusing for suppliers,  as they  receive mixed messages.  The Event Manager should be the person that directs the proceedings, makes the decisions and keeps consistency throughout the event.  The Event Manager will allocate people to take care of tasks, but they should remain the key liaison with the hotel and suppliers prior to and during the event.

3. Have a clear idea of the delegate experience you want

Imagine yourself as one of the delegates.  How would you want to receive the messages of the conference?  Would that work for everyone?  The average attention span of a delegate is 20 minutes!  So, the less chalk and talk, and the more interactive and impactful the delivery, the more memorable it will be.  You can use a variety of ways to deliver your message using video, PowerPoint, facilitation, Q and A sessions, panel discussions, voting pads; the list is endless.

The important part is who you choose to deliver those sessions.  A great message can be lost in the style of your speaker’s delivery!

4. Have a measure of success for your event

We see any event as an investment for the company in both time and money.  So, it is important to have some performance indicators to know you have achieved a Return on Investment.

What messages do you want your delegates to leave the conference with?
If you have a conference message, is this followed through after the event?  If so, by whom?
What are you expecting your delegates to do differently when they return to the office?
What is your call to action at the end of the event? 

Ask for feedback straight after the conference and also three months after, to see what the delegates are doing differently.  What have they implemented from the last conference?  What results are they seeing? What suggestions do they have for future conferences?   It will give you a good idea of what worked and what you need to change for next time!

5. The week before your conference

Arrange a pre event meeting the week before the conference with the key players from the hotel.  For example, the hotel’s Event Manager, Conference and Banqueting Manager, Housekeeping and Front of House.  This is your opportunity to familiarise yourself with the people who are supporting you during your event.  Run through the agenda and iron out any last minute questions ahead of the conference.

The more you plan ahead, the smoother the event will run on the day!

If you have any questions, or require assistance arranging your next conference, call us today

Tel: 020 8133 1250 or

Email: events@indigoblueproductions.com

Web: www.indigoblueproductions.com

HSBC World Record Holders

Simple!  You help them set a new Guinness World Record – The World’s largest Football Mosaic – of course.  The record to beat now stands at 35.17 Metres squared.  It’s certainly different and what a great way to demonstrate what it really means to be ‘World Class’.

We knew it would clearly show a number of key business models; achieving through teamwork, leadership, communication and so on, but the human element really came to the fore.

To see the video goto: http://www.indigoblueproductions.com/video/hsbc

There were obviously moments when a number of the delegates thought it couldn’t be done.  That was when the real leaders within the group showed their true colours.  Taking control of the situation, they started to positively direct the teams around them and brought back into the fold, those who were beginning to lose their belief.

It also helped that they again referred to the meticulous instructions and graphics that IBP had produced for them.  It is satisfying to hear both our suppliers, Guinness World Records, and our client ‘waxing lyrical’ about the quality and professionalism of the event, particularly after all the hard work and attention to detail.  Ok, so there was a little bit of fun on the way – like the team blowing up the footballs and then practising our ‘football surfing’ techniques!

So, this is Lisa and Sue showing off the fabulous branded footballs that we had made especially for the event.  If you want to know how long it takes three people to blow up 800 footballs with four electric pumps – the answer is around 2 hours!

We were so pleased to see how well the event ran and how, working in a team, the graduates were able to set a new record and leave the event as Guinness World Record Holders!

As for us, well we were left to deflate 800 footballs and re-pack them.  And if you’re wondering what you do with that many footballs after the event… well, you arrange for them to be distributed to local football charity projects around the regions that were represented.  And that’s exactly what the guys at HSBC did!

This is a hilarious event that we’ve been ruunning for a year or so now.  These ‘Pink Porkers’ will walk, waddle and “Oink” their way down aspecially designed track in a ridiculous race, that will have your team in a strange mix of hilarity and hysteria!  The excitement and tension that these racing pigs create will have your guests screaming for more!

The louder you shout, the faster they go!  So take a deep breath and cheer them on home!

These are the crazy, wacky and totally addictive Racing Pigs! – Under staters orders!

These guys are available as a featured activity, as part of a series of activities for a team
challenge event, or they can work brilliantly as a charity fund raiser idea.

You can even have an owners’ race, where people bid to own one of the Porkers and are
then awarded challenge points for each race they win throughout the event!

If you like watching the Formula One racing, this is your opportunity to try your hand at driving one of the latest high-definition driving simulators.

As if that wasn’t enough, we are in the unique position of offering you a very special challenge.  This is your chance to pit your skills against a current Formula One Test Driver!

YES!  This is actually one of the current test drivers for a formula One Team.  As if to prove the point, he is currently in the driving simulators at Silverstone, driving the Albert Park circuit, feeding valuable information back to his team colleagues at the Melbourne circuit, in readiness for the season opener!

So, if you think you’ve got what it takes to take on the best of the best, this is your opportunity to put the pedal to the metal and take on the challenge!

Compete with the best, at work and at play!

Another exclusive opportunity with Indigo Blue Productions!