It’s finally here, the British summer has decided to make an appearance halfway through the year. Better late than never we say! Before we strut our stuff in shorts and add cocktail umbrellas to all our cold drinks, there is one hurdle to jump…
We spend a good portion of our lives dedicated to our careers which usually means business attire! Whilst presentation is everything, being suited and booted often leads us to feeling hot under the collar. Despite retiring your blazer to your chair back, heat can be a problem.
So how would you keep your guests from falling asleep in your events? Read on for our top tips for keeping your team cool and engaged this summer!
1 – Feel that breeze! Let’s be honest, no one wants to be confined to an office space for the whole day. Not much has changed from those long hot schooldays spent peering out the window wishing you were outside. That’s why it’s important to have the best of both worlds. Choose an event venue that offers an outdoor area where guests can stretch their legs and get that all important dose of vitamin D. It’ll make a huge difference to their outlook and concentration.
2 – Avoid stuffy rooms… Open the windows! General ventilation is a blessing in hot weather conditions. Making sure there is a flow of air will have a significant effect on your guests’ comfort. How to make sure the venue offers exactly what you need? Getting a first-hand perspective of what you’ve booked really helps, book in to visit the event space you’ve booked!
3 – Ice cream! Everyone loves surprises, especially ones involving food. Refresh your guests by treating them to ice cream. It’s a great trick that’ll offer some refuge from the heat and a much-needed sugar boost! Rest assured ice cream isn’t the only option, how about: cool fruit kebabs, individual pots of sorbet, smoothies, jugs of iced tea or even hire in a Slushie machine! The possibilities are endless… Check with your events space what they could offer.
4 – Engage your guests… Visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic, keeping different types of learners engaged in the baking heat is a challenge to say the least! Our solution? Try having ice breaker style activities dotted throughout your event. Three short 5 minute activities will help refocus your guests. Using lightly competitive games, quizzes or puzzles alongside your event topic will make the information more memorable. Alternatively, you could book an external company through your venue who offer fun team building exercises!
5 – Hydration breaks… We all respond to heat differently, some of us relish in the inferno whilst others recoil at the thought of being hot. One sure fire way to douse that flame is to incorporate hydration breaks into your event. These little breathers will help the day keep pace and allows each individual to regulate their own body temperature. After-all, water is the elixir of life!
We hope our summer suggestions will help you in your events. Tweet us your cool ideas @studiovenues.
Written by: Jyoti Banga
Welcome…
Everyone loves feeling a part of something, having a sense of belonging and being accounted for. Life’s much more fun when everyone’s included, it’s why our meat-free buffet options are gluten free, dairy free and of course vegan friendly! #worldveganday
Unlimited vegan options…
On a health kick? Wave goodbye to boring celery sticks and hello to mouth-watering vegan dishes like chickpea and spinach masala with pilau rice or sweet & sour tofu served with stir fried veggies and rice noodles. Who ever said a plant based diet had to be boring? (Watch this space, we’ll be releasing thestudio cookbook this winter which includes some great vegan dishes! Talking about vegan dishes… click here for a surprise recipe!)
Food for thought…
Did you know veganism is more than a plant based diet? It’s a lifestyle! Their ethos of avoiding animal products for moral/health reasons influences all types of products they use from shower gel to floor cleaner, even clothing. Learn more about veganism click here… and the benefits click here…
Insider view…
One of the studio team undertook a short stint of veganism, check out her experience:
“One of my good friends is vegan and she was a real hard-core meat eater. Admittedly I didn’t eat much meat or dairy so taking on a vegan week challenge seemed achievable! It went swimmingly and I haven’t eaten meat since, a few months now, I can’t say I miss it that much, well, that is until the aroma of a bacon sandwich in the morning!”
Foodie to foodie…
Here at thestudio, we see being a foodie as a super power to make any food spectacular, enjoyable and memorable. Whether the dish is vegan or otherwise, we’ll definitely put our heart and soul into it!
We just can’t seem to settle down, can you guess why? It’s International Coffee Day!
If we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming you through our doors, you might have noticed we love a good coffee. We’re proud to offer you and your guests’ fresh bean to cup coffee on every mug you pour… delicious!
Test yourself and see if you’re a coffee fiend by thestudio’s standards!
1. Have you ever experienced coffee envy?
2. Does the thought of tasting luxurious imported beans excite you?
3. Are you on cup #3 by 9am?
4. Does the scent of coffee outweigh the aroma of freshly cut grass or bacon?
5. Would you always choose a coffee over tea?
6. Are your friends and work colleagues impressed by how many jazzy named coffees you’ve tasted?
7. Do you have a dedicated mugs or your all-important morning pick me up?
8. Have you invested in a trusty coffee machine and placed it lovingly by your bedside?
1 – 4 yes’s – tea drinker perhaps?
5 – 6 yes’s – Coffee has a special place in your heart!
7 – 9 yes’s – Must be still buzzing for your last coffee…
10 yes’s – You’re a true coffee fiend!
Give Me Coffee and T.V…
This wonderful world is full of hot drink connoisseurs. With each of us having our own palates and taste preferences we just can’t help ourselves but give tea drinkers a good ol’ shout out…
It may be International Coffee Day we can’t help but use this opportunity to welcome Tetley tea in our venues!
So whether you prefer a rich coffee, sweet tea or a flavoursome hot chocolate… Happy International Coffee Day from thestudio.
Love putting a name to the face? Then why not up your networking A-game and shimmy on down to thestudio’s vibrant meeting and event space in central Birmingham. Why you ask? Apart from being renowned for its light, bright and innovative spaces and being a great location to meet, train and entertain, thestudio are proudly hosting #midlandshour’s tweetup on 04th May.
Tweety bird
If you thought tweeting was something that only birds do, you’d be mistaken! Welcome to the 21st century where our preferred means of communication is through social media. It’s time to connect, share and post with those around you. Affiliate with people from across the world to those in your neighbourhood, indulge in this opportunity to create some truly valuable connections. At this FREE event you’re offered the chance to mingle with like-minded professionals, a perfect opportunity to revive your business links, all in the comfort of your very own city centre.
thestudio? Never heard of it…
Your one stop shop for all your meetings and event needs, thestudio resides at the heart of the city boasting unique, bright and colourful event spaces suitable for both formal and informal gatherings! Our venues are built on their excellent reputation and our simple mission statement of “Customer First”… Plus the food, we always have to mention the food! (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…)
Britain is accustomed to the odd watery spell or downpour that seemingly last for months on end, blending every season into an indistinguishable monsoon. Unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, the media has been rife with warnings that we, Great Britain, were going to experience our first hurricane!
Battering its way through America and dominating over beautiful Bermuda, Hurricane Joaquin bellowed its way towards Britain. But before you grab your wellies and begin boarding up your house (the most efficient way across the pond to saving you windows; and selves), Joaquin made a ‘turn for the best’ and has decided against visiting the Isles.
Though we expect and anticipate the UK’s notorious wet weather, more often than we’d like to admit, we do get caught out! Forgotten your brollie? Not to worry, as a guest @ thestudio, we endeavour to keep your head high and dry with our complimentary umbrellas! Ensuring your spirits aren’t dampened.
So you’ve found yourself attending an event in Birmingham? It may be the first time you’ve visited the bustling second city or you could be a self-professed Brummie. Whether you know Birmingham like the back of your hand or haven’t seen what the city has to offer, here are a few things you could get up to if you’ve got a 30 minute lunch break or even a whole day to spare! Click on words in bold to find out more…
The Big Hoot…
Strolling through the city centre, you may notice that Birmingham is now overrun with giant owls! These classy birds are part of the Big Hoot, helping to raise both awareness and funds for Birmingham City Children‘s Hospital. Grab a trail map from their pop up shop in the Great Western Arcade as the owls are soon to be auctioned off!
Leisure time…
Not got long till your next session but still curious what sights the 2nd city has to offer? Well the iconic Floozie in the Jacuzzi (real name The River), is a short walk away and sits proudly in front of our Town Hall. With a flow of 3,000 gallon per minute, it’s not hard to imagine the fountain was once one of the largest in Europe. The Floozie has recently become even more of a spectacle, due to leaking pipes and an extortionate cost to keep the water flowing, The River is now bursting with foliage, and has become, in essence, a giant flowerbed. Now you’ve made it so far, why not take a sneak peek into Birmingham Art Gallery? It’s right around the corner!
A thing of beauty…
Never thought a cityscape could be beautiful? Let Birmingham’s cityscape sway you from the roof top of our newly stylishly designed Library.
Days out…
If chocolate is something you cannot live without, then you‘ll be happy to hear that Birmingham is the home of Cadbury! Take a journey through its chocolate coated history, from the bean to bar, Cadbury’s Chocolaty haven promises a day full of insight and of course delicious chocolate!
Visit a place of inspiration: Sarehole Mill, a fully functional 250 year old water mill that stimulated J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings or how about St.Martineau gardens/Botanical gardens? Perfect surroundings to help unleash the explorer in you. These locations are well worth the short bus journey out of the city centre. (more…)
Have an hour to kill on your lunch break? Rather than clock watching until your next session kicks in, why not stretch those legs with these great suggestions courtesy of the local studio team! Whatever you fancy doing, we’re sure you’ll find something on this list.
Venturing out …
Nestled in the northern quarter of Manchester, The Hive isn’t just the home of thestudio but of an amazing eatery: Pie & Ale. Apart from being a great combination of décor, food and service, this place is a brilliant location to reenergize just before that long journey home.
I could do with a brew …
The Brits are world renowned for a ‘spot of afternoon tea’ and café Sugar Junction, Rosy Lee tea rooms and Teacup Kitchen will make for a perfect setting for this (not more so than thestudio of course). If you’re scouring for some class cakes or thirsty for a charming cocktail, these places are just lovely and are 5 minute walk away.
Vintage You Say?
Have a fondness for all things alternative and vintage? Then Affleck Palace will keep you busy! In just 5 minutes you can find yourself having a good old fashion rummage. You never know what gems you’ll uncover. (more…)
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favourite things…”
Here @ thestudio, I’m sure you could guess a few of our favourite things, well, one which has the most prominence: FOOD!
No matter the cuisine, thestudio are sure to honour all things delectable, from creature comforts like a heart-warming beef chilli or a sweet treat to supply a much needed sugar rush to support you on your travels home.
Talking about sugar rush, did you know tomorrow is National Taffy Day? We had it saved in our diaries so we thought why not let loose and celebrate it a day early! (more…)
Join in celebration of this delicious day by grabbing an oat & raisin cookie…
Whether you’re a self-professed carnivore or just have a sweet tooth, from haggis to flapjacks, oats are so versatile they can be enjoyed by all!
Here @ thestudio (as you can tell) we love food, hence our National Food Day craze! With our love of food being at the fore front of what we offer, having unique menus is really important to us… With that in mind, have you had the pleasure of trying thestudio’s oat baked chicken?
