Planning a student ball is always a huge undertaking for anyone but for someone who has never even organised a simple dinner party it can be a daunting prospect and should not be undertaken lightly. To run a successful ball you will need to be focused, organised, decisive and forceful. Planning any student ball is hard work, stressful, frustrating as well as exceedingly time consuming. In addition to this, university tradition dictates that the majority of balls are placed just after exam time, so you have your revision to contend with as well. If all of this hasn’t put you off running a ball, go for it and do it with style! Read more »

If you have never run any sort of corporate party before, or are not even vaguely aware of how to run a corporate party, the chances are that you may feel utterly overwhelmed by the prospect of being responsible for such a large undertaking. The good news is that if you take the whole operation step by step you will find it is really quite easy, that there are plenty of people willing to help out there and what is more when the party goes with a swing you will have a great sense of satisfaction. Read more »

In spite of the unpredictable British weather most people enjoy a party out-of-doors, epecially the relaxation of eating and drinking in the beautiful great outdoors. The tone of any al fresco party should be leisurely and informal, whether you are having a few friends round to eat in the garden or whether you have hired a stately park, complete with marquees and a classical music performance.

Don’t forget that your own garden can be one of the loveliest settings for an outdoor party, with a little bit of imagination you can transform even a small garden into a gorgeous outside dining room. Read more »

So, you have been asked to organize a charity ball. You hope it is going to be the greatest, the best and most stupendous ball ever held, and that all the guests will gasp in awe as they arrive!  Your main objectives when running a charity ball is to raise the charity’s profile, raise plenty of cash  and make sure that everyone has a great time (regarding the tickets are good value for money).  Large or small, any ball can take up to a year to plan and organise - here are a few tips to help you on your way. Read more »

Cocktail parties are one of the most flexible and easy ways to bring a large gathering of people together. You don’t need to worry about table plans, guests can circulate freely and more or less come and go as they please. A cocktail party is a great way of returning hospitality as without the complications of of organising formalised seating. Also, another huge advantage of holding a cocktail party is that many different social or business sectors can mix far more easily, feeling comfortable that they can move on round the room if they are bored or start to feel out their depth. Read more »