Job: Events & Business Development Executive

What was your first event?
I have been in the events industry for over 15 years now, I first started running small seasonal events for a farm attraction in Sussex and I was terrified that no one would turn up! I think that fear never leaves you, no matter how many events you do.
What is the event that you are most proud of?
I have loved all of the events I have been part of, but my favourite would be “The Buried Alive Ball”.  I created this event from scratch and it was such a great achievement.  It was a fantastic feeling watching guests enjoy their experience.
What, as an event manager, can’t you live without?
My phone, my laptop, my sense of humour, my note books, lots of tea, and my imagination.
Which event do you wish you could attend?
I love performance, so anything moving.  I cried at Disney’s Lion King, when I saw it live!
What’s your fantasy event?
Something, creative, edgy, with fancy dress.  I love a carnival feel; good food, good vibe.
What’s your favourite saying?
"Prospecting is to Sales, what seeds are to a garden, if we don't plant seeds, we won't get flowers"
Dale Carnegie

If you're ever lucky enough to visit the Principality of Monaco, we've done the hard work for you and found some of the best restaurants around town.

Quai des Artistes

Le Quai des Artistes is an authentic brasserie-style Parisian restaurant on the Port Hercule of Monaco.  Decorated in the tradition of the great Parisian brasseries, with a large terrace overlooking the harbour with a beautiful view of the princely palaces, yachts and the Principality.  Traditional cuisine, refined and generous. A must for lovers of seafood.

beefbar

Stylishly remodelled.  Simple & natural ingredients.  Excellent selection of beef and cuts from around the world. One of Monaco's ‘Chic’ restaurants of 2011. If you like beef it is a must. Steaks are simple but unforgettable. Located in Quai Jean-Chales Rey you will not be far from a super yacht or two.

Mandarine

The Michelin star awarded Mandarine is located on the 6th floor of the Port Palace Hotel with a breathtaking view over the harbour and its mega yachts. Chef Patrick Raingeard’s cuisine offers a wealth of Mediterranean flavours and sensations. Weather permitting you may be able to dine on the outside terrace which will give you unrivalled views of Monaco.

La Saliere

There is a huge Italian influence in Monaco with many classic Italian style restaurants. La Saliere offers a warm Italian welcome with simple and authentic Italian cuisine. It has a very relaxed atmosphere, with excellent staff and wonderful food.

Le Saint Benoit

Le Saint Benoit is located in the heart of Monte Carlo, overhanging the Port, and offering an exceptional view on the Rock of the GRIMALDI. This is one of the best seafood restaurants in the city.

Pacific Monte Carlo

The large, glass-fronted room is decked out with ultra-modern décor: clean lines, dark stones and pale branches. Dishes are a clever fusion of Italian, Peruvian and Japanese, focusing on sushi and ceviche.  Pacific is a short walk from the hotel and close to the world famous casino square.

Virage

An über modern restaurant with mood lighting, modern furnishings and super smooth staff! Well run, modern establishment with attentive yet fun service. Adjacent to the main marina area and trendy bars its a pretty cool place to be with an excellent reputation for some of Monaco's best dishes.

Event Marketing still delivers the best ROI

We’ve organised a number of showcase events for our clients. At an industry event in Chicago we came up with a way for representatives of the organisation to meet with potential customers, show off the organisation’s skills and talents and create a meaningful dialogue with visitors at the stands.

At Goodwood we arranged for a showcase of innovative solutions so internal account managers fully understood what their company was doing in other areas of the business to then cross sell to their existing clients, which was followed by a superb teambuilding and hospitality afternoon to ensure we engaged top level clients.

Nick Ahern, Delivery Director says: “Even during the recession, these events have continued to be an important part of our marketing and business development strategy and we’ve had to make them work hard. Viva Esprit is a trusted business partner and delivers every time. Both events had the right mix of business and pleasure, providing a satisfying experience for the customers we hoped to reach and generating significant leads. All in all, the event proved to be a highly cost-effective investment”.

Another showcase we created an event specifically for our client, taking over the top floor of a prestigious hotel, and invited a targeted audience to come and find out all about our client’s latest technology-focused initiatives. We created bespoke hi-tech booths where customers could chat on a one-to-one basis with representatives from the organisation. And to maintain interest we organised fun incentives such as a raffle, where visitors could win iPods, digital cameras and other high-value prizes.

Teamwork, Teamwork, Teamwork…

When speaking with our clients we regularly hear about employee survey results and how employees are looking for ways to develop within the organisation while being motivated and rewarded. Taking this feedback on board we have delivered numerous teambuilding events where the goal has been fun, fun and more fun!

Staff moral on the increase following successful teambuilding event

The brief was simple – an hour to update staff on the results and forecasted figures for the company, then a morning and afternoon of fun teambuilding activities followed by an evening BBQ for 180 people.

A picture is worth a thousand words ...

Never underestimate THE POWER OF A ROUND OF GOLF

Golf is more than just a good day out; it’s a perfect way to build relationships and network with both existing and potential clients. And at Viva Esprit we believe in creating golfing experiences that are extra special.

Annual client golf day that gets better every year

Since 2006 we have organised an annual golf day for one of the UK’s largest property and infrastructure consultancies. Held at the prestigious Wentworth Club, the event is held on the earliest available date immediately after the BMW Championship. This gives guests the opportunity to play the competition course in conditions as near as possible to those experienced by the professionals themselves – a dream come true for any golf enthusiast.

And every year we rise to the challenge to add something extra – from real-time scoring with eGolfScore to an appearance by Bernard Gallacher with the Ryder Cup to individual swing analysis for each golfer - making sure that everyone goes away with great memories of the day.

Mark Blake, Projects Director says: “It is difficult to emphasize enough the importance to our business of such a day, which enables us to strengthen relationships with our key clients”.

With a little imagination we could transform your corporate event into something really special.

Attention to the smallest detail means we’re big on delivery

We’ve been organising our client’s annual conference for senior management since 2006. In that time, we have developed an in-depth understanding of the organisation’s needs and have forged a strong working relationship. Viva Esprit has gone far beyond acting as an event organiser; we now function as a strategic partner.

Preparation, preparation, preparation

For the 2010 conference we chose the vibrant and cultural city of Barcelona as the location, inviting 200 delegates to the Hotel Arts, a venue that is well set up for large events.

Preparations began months in advance to ensure we secured the best rates and concessions and the involvement of trusted suppliers. Viva Esprit took care of every last detail leading up to the conference – from online registration of delegates to individual travel arrangements to the VIP transfer service from airport to hotel – but simple logistics was only part of our service.

Using our expertise and knowledge, we organised a programme that would keep delegates engaged at all times, and even provided a coaching service for individual speakers to help them be fully prepared for their big moment. Building in time for a rehearsal ensured that the conference ran smoothly and that all the different elements, such as AV, slotted in seamlessly.

During the conference itself, the Viva Esprit team were on site to direct all aspects of the conference and guarantee a quality experience for all delegates. New for this year was a ‘trade show’ which gave delegates the chance to learn more about the organisation’s latest innovations and initiatives. We also took care of the social side, organising a weekend of activities for delegates and their partners. A tour of Barcelona in an open top bus and a walking tour of tapas bars was the perfect opportunity to relax and bond in a more relaxed environment.

Paul Fenton, Managing Director of Viva Esprit says: “Our aim was to motivate and engage, and there was a fantastic sense of community during the conference that achieved one of the main objectives of the conference – to deliver the global ambitions of the business and inspire delegates to work together to achieve common goals.”