Hats off to bustling Birmingham, the home of studio HQ, for being one of the happiest cities in the U.K to live and work in! Inspired by our beautiful city, we crafted this little thought provoking piece on happiness, as you can tell, we do like to get our thinking caps on.

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” Aristotle

Which couldn’t ring more true, we naturally shy away from things that will cause us unnecessary pain and will joyfully take part in indulgence. The human race is a hedonistic bunch, but with our gift of reason, we learn that gluttony comes at the expense of our health… Luckily the odd occasion won’t hurt! Whether it’s putting your feet up after a hard day in the office, finally reaching that 10km mark or just digging into that freshly baked apple pie; happiness is everywhere to be seen and found. The circumstances could be simple or complex, one thing’s for sure, we all love to feel happy.

If You’re Happy and You Know It…

Of course never forget to clap those hands. Our mood has a significant part to play in our overall mental attitude and perceptions, not to mention productivity! Be kind to yourself and those around you. We spend a lot of our time at work, loving what you do plays an important role in your overall well-being! Have a little read of our last blog “What Makes You, You“. (more…)

Before your trusted mobile device springs out and you start googling, what does brand mean to you? For us we imagine it to be what people say about you when you’re not in the room… Best put, it’s all about the way you want to be and are perceived!

Let’s play a game…

As original as they come, you are effectively your own “brand”. So to get started create a list of 5 buzzwords/adjectives of how you think you are perceived. Then get your peers/friends/family to do the same about you and see how they match up. Remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no 2 people think the same so be in for a treat! This can be real eye opener when it comes to your own business. Funnily enough, this was how thestudio came to develop our core values on an all-important away weekend. Click here to see what else we get up to on our team challenge weekends!

I heart Heinz…

So why do we swoon over beloved brands? Compelled by smart marketing, being creatures of habit and coerced by our own product experiences, it’s no wonder that certain brands develop a special place in our hearts. Maybe it was a past childhood memory of the first time you were rewarded with Cadbury’s chocolate or you vividly remember your mother’s Prada bag and always thought you’d have one just like that when you’re older. So maybe this love developed from a young age or good experiences. One thing’s for sure, everyone has a favourite. (more…)

If we’ve had the privilege of hosting your event, you’ll have noticed our strong customer orientation from the onset! With this in mind, here at the studio, we believe everyone’s role within our business is important, whether it’s picking up the phone or your first steps through our doors, we appreciate everyone has an impact on our customer’s journey.

thestudio team Assemble!

A gathering made up of our all three of our venues (Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds) thestudio undertook their final quarterly meeting of the year! As t’is the season to be jolly and give gifts, the evening kicked off with the ultimate Christmas convention: Secret Santa. Gathered around the large open space that doubles up as our business lounge, the atrium is everything a sparkle with all things Christmas. Adorned with fairy lights and a jazzily dressed tree, it was the perfect setting for the team to dish out the prezzies!

After the initial festivities it was time to get down to the nitty gritty with thestudio forum meeting. Sounding a lot more daunting than it is, this little get together acted as a roundup of the year just gone and upcoming plans for the near future. With a mulled wine or cider to hand, all departments had their chance to present and discuss next year’s business ambitions then it was off to Stable Pizza for pizza, pies and cider… a promising start to the end of year indulgence!

Christmas is a time where people are naturally drawn to one another and is the perfect season to rebuild bridges once burnt, in the hope of a more unified future… Wishing you all a very merry Christmas from thestudio team!

If we’ve had the pleasure of hosting your all-important meeting, party or event, you could probably tell from our lunch menu (Tandoori roasted chicken skewers with mint and cucumber raita, Heritage carrot tart tatin with red onion marmalade just to name a couple), that we @studiovenues HEART our food. We even hold a not so secret quarterly menu tasting. You’re most welcome to join us for a nibble, get in touch by phone, enquiry or social media!

When thestudio Birmingham got a new neighbour earlier in November, our undeniable love for all things fun, festive and food, the time had come for the team to grab their sleighs and head down to the German Market!

Full of whimsy, wonder and fantastically festive, year after year the stalls are brimming with stocking fillers and trinkets full of Christmas charm. As if that wasn’t enough, the market is laden with seasonal treats. As it is a forgivingly indulgent time of year, a foot long bratwurst is not out of the question! With the promise of a white Christmas high on the cards, it was no wonder the team were drawn to the comfort of a hot chocolate and a fresh off the grill sausage.

Feel like you’re missing out? The German Market has nestled into many cities around the UK, so whether you’re way up in Leeds, mooching in Manchester or busy in Birmingham, be sure to visit them before they leave in late December!

Wishing you a very merry time in the run up to Christmas!

Is your team experiencing that all too familiar end of year slump? December is a challenging month; with endlessly dark days and the weather never truly being on side, it’s no wonder people find it’s harder to face the daily grind. But all is not lost, Christmas presents, jolly carols and jam-packed stockings full to the brim are just a few things that make December a month long festive laden celebration.

So, that all important question?

How do you keep your team motivated throughout the holiday period? Here are a handful of tweaks that might help give your colleagues a new lease of life!

Cue … Baubles, tinsel and fairy lights

thestudio ethos strongly believes that the environments we work in play a key role in our productivity, creativity and efficiency. Hence why we aim to provide our guests with light bright innovative spaces; great places to get your thinking cap on. Everyone enjoys a change of scenery from time to time so why not spruce up your view with a bit of Christmas cheer! (more…)

This may be your first encounter with thestudio or you could have the venue on speed dial for all your meeting and event needs. There may still be a few things you didn’t know about us! Read on and be enlightened. 🙂

1 – Hot drinks and wifi…

Nestled at the heart of the second city: thestudio Birmingham has quite a few quirks up its street. The largest of all current venues this setting truly offers something more… Open to the public, our business lounge is a retreat for like-minded professionals looking for that special place to get the job done. With a bar menu to hand, unlimited hot drinks and wifi for £5, what more would you need to help fuel you throughout the day? When the time comes for a much needed break, refresh yourself on our roof terrace, it’s beautiful in all seasons.

2 – Away we go…

Is your team bogged down and in need of some revitalization? If the good old days seem to be buried in the past, it’s time to “shake your groove thing, shake your groove thing baby” with an away day. Mix things up with Rum, Lime & Sugar’s cocktail making classes or better yet compose a team anthem with Dan Whitehouse. These are just a couple of our away day alternatives, if this has peaked your interest shuffle onto our website. You may even be inspired by some of thestudio teams’ away weekends. (more…)

Tonight is no ordinary night, with the sun setting early and winter already upon us it seems like a gloomy end to the day is inevitable. But all is not lost, as tonight is magical Bonfire Night and to top it off, it’s also thestudio’s Leeds launch party, so chin up! (Literally or you’ll miss the fireworks).

If you’ve visited us in Leeds before, its winning panoramic views would have undoubtedly made an impression and if you have the pleasure of joining in our celebrations, we offer you delicious food, thirst quenching drinks, fireworks and surprises along the way!

Tweet your pics @studiovenues (more…)

We, thestudio team, love the festive season, and what better occasion to celebrate in the run up to Christmas than Halloween!

Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve or All Saints Day, is a surprisingly auspicious occasion. It is known for having roots in Christianity and Paganism as a day to remember Saints, Martyrs and the dead. It was only a year ago that we celebrated with a big monster mash and a “lunatics asylum” themed party @studiovenues! Lots of pumpkins all round.

smashing pumpkins

What’s the first thing that springs to mind when Halloween is mentioned? For us, it’s definitely pumpkins! We find their strange faces, eerily set aglow with candle fire truly creepy! The tradition of carving pumpkins has been around for centuries; in keeping with the strangeness of Halloween we thought it was time to investigate…

Take part in the festivities, tweet your carvings @studiovenues! (more…)

Quaintly decorated trees, snow flurries and hot chocolate by an open fire topped off with timeless Christmas classics are just some of the things to look forward to this festive season. Amidst the ghouls and ghosts suspended from window to window, in ample time for spooky Halloween celebrations, Christmas has tiptoed its way into the shops, and for some even into our bags!

With this in mind it seemed like a no brainer that thestudio join in with all the festive preparations! For those of you on our mailing list, you may have already been greeted by our Christmas email. If you’re not and are interested in finding that all important venue we’d love to help. With novelty knits and cocked Santa’s hats being the obvious seasonal attire, we welcome you @studiovenues for a great Christmas do!

What a better way to anticipate this pleasant period than to reminisce on past get together? The team let us in on what they love most and their own quirky traditions.

Let us know your Christmas customs and kitchen catastrophes @studiovenues, we love a good story! (more…)

If you were lucky enough to be around Birmingham last week you may have seen quite a few events kicking off, not just the long awaited England Vs. Wales match (well done to Wales), but the unveiling of Grand Central, the opening of John Lewis and the activity packed Birmingham Weekender!

With lots of exciting events now behind us, it is hard to imagine there’s much life left in September, but you’d be surprised! As the month comes to an end and autumn slowly draws in, turning the leaves and even the Moon red… We’d like to introduce our new menu!

As fall bares a whole host of ripe treats to the table, a change of seasons truly wouldn’t be the same without the studio menu tasting which also takes place every quarter. If you’re interested in joining our taster panel then Tweet us @studiovenues to get on the guest list! The more the merrier.

If you we’re able to join us this Monday you’ll have been able to feast both your eyes and tummies on our alluring autumnal selection. From heart-warming Beef Bourguignon to Heritage Carrot Tart Tatin served with red onion marmalade and treats like “Snickers” Eaton mess, what’s not to love?

We hope that you’ll be able to join us in our next gastronomical journey.