Capability Events Ltd

Event Organising The Malvern College Summer Ball 2009

2009-07-20T14:23:00.010+01:00

"Thank you all very much indeed once again, it was a really superb night"

This was the fourth year running that Malvern college approached us to produce their annual end of term ball.

Having built a fantastic relationship with faculty over the past three years we were confident this year would be the best yet.

With extensive notes from last year and knowledge of what production works well within their grounds we bounded into our first production meeting with school boy enthusiasm.

The brief was simple:

To entertain 500 guests aged between 17 and 97 after dinner in the schools' houses.

As with previous years, both ourselves and the college wanted to make full use of their fantastic historical grounds and architecture.

As guests walked over from the houses after dinner they would approach the central courtyard of the school, flanked on three sides by the medieval architecture, with a St George statue in the middle and sweeping steps leading to flat tarmac and a grass area.

It was here that we erected three marquees.

The first would house a 30ft long bar, hog roast, chocolate fountain and live jazz quartet. Its sides would be clear pvc, allowing guests to look out across the school grounds and the magnificent views to the Malvern hills. We installed a series of low sofas, tables and giant bean bags to give guests a relaxing place to sit. It was fully carpeted with colour changing LED lights to slowly up light the marquee linings throughout the night.

The middle marquee was centrally positioned in front of the clock tower and St George at the top of the main steps. It was completely clear, allowing guests to soak up the fantastic architecture, watch the fireworks and enjoy a drink at the 12ft cocktail bar even in the event of rain. Poser tables and high black leather bar stools were placed around this area.

The final marquee was for the full mobile night club rig. With an impressive black and white dance floor overlaid onto red carpet, fully integrated light rigs using the latest technology and a powerful speaker system this room was designed and erected purely for dancing.

Red carpet was laid throughout the whole event space, leading to the top of the main steps to welcome guests. In the grassy area above the marquees we installed a series of outside furniture. The surrounding medieval buildings were up lit with a series of city colours, powerful up lights and two fantastic sky trackers. Small event flood lights were used to give light to the darkest corners and two gas flambes were installed either side of the steps by St George.

With finishing touches of fairy lights, red bar down lights to match the carpet and some extra large bean bags the event space was set up and ready for guests after a two day build.

Despite some torrential down pours the event was a huge success. The series of 3 marquees with a central clear span roof meant guests could enjoy the wonderful atmosphere, set off by the architectual lighting, flambes and sky trackers without fear of getting soaked.

A professional fireworks display was fired at 2230 hrs, with guests having a 360 degree view through the clear span. It was a fantastic backdrop to the event before guests enjoyed a cocktail, dancing and the chocolate fountain.

As always, it was a pleasure to work with the college again and we look forward to continuing success in 2010!

Testimonial from client:-

Dear Ben and Nick,

I'm writing to thank you both, Kate and all the staff you had working with us on

Friday at the ball. Throughout the evening a host of pupils, parents and teaching

staff came up to me to say what a superb event it was. It seems all the elements

came together extremely well: bar, music, marquees (especially the transparent

section), seating, lighting, fireworks, organisation and the overall smooth running

of everything.

In the three years I've been doing this event Friday was undoubtedly the most

successful thanks to your hard work, planning and organisation. We're almost

verging on "well-oiled machine" territory now for the Malvern Ball.

Thank you all very much indeed once again, it was a really superb night.

Regards

Mat

Chill Out Hire from Capability Events Ltd

2009-04-15T14:46:00.010+01:00

Here at Capability Events Ltd we are always on the look out for ways of getting our clients attention and actually getting them to book once we have quoted. I figured that you might be in the same boat.

Here I have put together a few sweeteners which will help you swing the deal in your favour.

Our soft furnishing packages are simple and easy to pitch to your client using our unbranded photos which I am happy to let you pinch and use to show your client. (as long as you come and book with us at some point in the future!)

Package 1 fits very well in the corner of a marquee and consists of:-

15 x Cube Bean Bags, Cream - Allow guests to sit on, not too soft.
4 x Giant Bean Bag Cushions, Cream - 1 x 1m each.
4 x Giant Bean Bags, Cream - Allow guests to sink further into the bag. Appox 1m x 1m x 700mm.
4 x Classic Low Sofa - Available in a variety of colours.
2 x Simple Low white tables.
12 x Simple soft cushions- Variety of colours

Total trade cost inducing delivery and set up:- £500.00 inc Vat (£434.78)
You can sell this package on for upwards of £800.00

Other packages are available just call 01684 833133 or email ben@capabilityevents.co.uk

Just another short sharp hopefully helpful nugget of information from Capability Events Ltd.

Here are the pictures you can use:- (please don't put them on your website, only in your emails to your clients or your paper proposals)

If you would like to be removed from our emailing list then we are sad to see you go but here is the unsubscribe link.

10 Tips before you send your CV to an Events Company.

2008-12-31T18:47:00.003Z

This is the contents of an email we send out to the hundreds of people who email us looking for work. Enjoy.

Thank you for your interest in my company.

At the moment we do not have any placements, internships, work experience or vacancies. However we do take people on, often for individual events if your skills match what we are looking for.

By now you will have realised that this is almost an automatic reply to your request as we get so many people email asking for experience or work.

Can I suggest the following if you intend to get into events. Some of these may apply to you some may not. This is general advice for anyone applying to event companies.

1. Take to time to read an event companies website and learn about them. If you do not know what they do they will not give you the time of day so spend 10 mins looking at their site.

2. For goodness sake check your spelling, syntax and grammar. Get someone else to read through your CV, Letter or email to check it is correct in every aspect. You would be amazed at the number of badly spelled emails we get.

3. Don't send Word docs. Save your document as PDF and send it through. Word Docs are terrible at cross compatibility, your time spent laying out your CV so it looks nice is wasted if my version is different from yours. Send PDF's

4. Always include a sensible, suitable for work, picture of yourself. We are human, we want someone who will represent the values and professionalism we wish to show to our clients.

5. Get a real world, non AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo email address. No one takes a email address such as Imapricess@hotmail.com seriously.

6. Clean up your public Facebook profile. Yes we do check you out on Google, Bebo and Facebook Etc.

7. If you have no experience, no one will take you on to organise or manage events, Period. So get experience. Get out there, organise events from charity parties or fun runs to volunteering to work at events for the council etc. And make sure you photo document what you have done. A blog is ideal for this.

8. Event companies really need Event sales people first and foremost because organising an event is easy. Selling the concept to a client is the hard part. So get some sales experience. We don't sit here with loads of event to plan, we have to go out and get clients to give us money to then organise their event. So sell sell sell. And document what you have done in your blog.

9. Everyone you meet in events from caterers to event organisers should be in your contacts book. Build your network.

10. Join our Capability Events Crew pages on Facebook and keep your ear to the ground. We advertise work on FB. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17716112748

PS. Never give up, Never moan, Always smile, Never turn your phone off, Never be late, Be reliable. Good Luck.

10 Tips on how to start organising a fantastic event

2008-08-29T13:50:00.009+01:00

Here at Capability Events we get many enquiries from potential clients who are at the very start of organising an event. They know roughly what they want to do but all the details are a bit vague.

So we have produced a little 10 step list to guide clients in how to approach the start of their event.

Here it is:-

Before you call anyone to chat about your event it is best to try and decide these basics first so that your supplier can provide you with accurate and sensible advice and quotes. Decisions are key.

1. What do you want to do? You'd be amazed the number of clients who call with no idea what they actually want.

2. Decide on a date or a range of dates, without a date no supplier or venue can quote you or talk to you about their equipment or service availability.

3. Decide on a venue type. Marquee, field, lawn or hotel. Even if you don't have a venue to use yet try and decide on what type of venue would be your ideal.

4. How many people are you entertaining. It goes without saying that a party for 100 people is completely different from a party for 1000.

5. Whats the postcode of the venue. This is very useful for a supplier as it allows accurate location of the event and the ability to decide on the cost of transport. If you don't have a venue yet just saying I want to hold the event in Cheltenham is much better then nothing.

6. One person in charge. If you're the MD of your company by all means delegate the task of organising the event to an employee but make sure that employee feels they have scope of command and are allowed to make some decisions. It is very frustrating for a supplier to not be able to deal with the key decision maker as this makes quoting, and the inevitable following questions a very drawn out process for all involved. This is especially important if you are holding your event during peak seasonal times.

7. What is the purpose of the event? Are you celebrating, showcasing, selling or sharing something? These different event goals all require different handling in terms of your event production. It will effect the atmosphere of the event and what elements your suppliers recommend you have.

8. Try and have a good idea of what you want, even if its just the basic foundations of an event. Suppliers can drown you with ideas but you need to have a good starting point to get the ball rolling. Just saying "I would like to have a memorable party for my 40th" can be tough. However, saying " I would like to have a memorable themed party at home for 150 guests and all I know is I want food and fantastic fireworks" is much better as an initial opener. A decent supplier with good experience will be able to explain the practical pros and cons of different elements of your event to you so you can then make an informed decision about what will work for you and your guests.

9. Know your budget. This is one of the most important things to decide before talking seriously with a supplier such as ourselves. We can guide you, of course but ultimately you get what you pay for. If somebody offers to produce a dinner/dance marquee event for 400 guests for £15,000.00 then be very wary! Its a good idea to have a flexible budget so you can get quotes in on various options to allow you to make an informed decision. An experienced supplier will be able to tell you what is cost effective for your event within the realms of your budget. You will always find that by booking an event package from a single supplier you will always save money in comparison to booking individual elements from separate suppliers.

10. Enjoy yourself! Whether you're organising an corporate ball or a private party at home remember that event planning should be fun. A good supplier will let you be as involved as you want to be and will work with you to produce a very memorable event that hopefully you should get all the thanks for! Listen to their advice and experience and try and find something together that your guests will remember for weeks to come after your event.

Have fun, and last but not least; if your event is outside take wet weather insurance!!!

The Capability Events Team September 2008

Temporary Events Notices TEN's Does your event need one?

2008-08-25T15:52:00.006+01:00

TEN's or Temporary Events Notices are a pain in the neck for first time event organisers. This small article should help you to make a bit of headway in the vast sea of licencing that you may feel you are presented with by your local council, police, planning and fire department.

First of all let me state now that I am not a laywer or solicitior and my advice is based on years of practical experience in event licences both the old Public Entertainment Licences and the permission to sell alcohol as well as the new TEN's and premises licences. So don't take what I say as gospel. If you need to get proper legal advice then go to Popplestone Allen They are always very helpful and will often answer simple questions before you start getting into the chargeable section of their services.

So let me dismiss some myths that I constantly hear from clients when organising events.

1. You need a licence to give alcohol away for free. This is not true. If you are giving it away free you do not need a licence. However read on.

It depends how "free" the drink really is.

Without getting into legal arguments:-

If you have a free party and give the drinks away for free then no licence in required. Ie a Wedding, house party, birthday party or company party.

If you charged for tickets for the party then you would need a licence. The council would take the view that its is a profit making venture.

So if you are having a wedding or private party or even a public party and you decide to give away for free the drink over the bar then you do not need a licence. However you must be careful if you are charging for tickets. The act of selling a ticket for money and then giving away alchool could be seen by a keen council licencing office as you selling the drink within the ticket price. This is really only a problem for balls.

The key phrase in the licencing act is "retail sale" and this is what you must always consider. It does not always refer to the exchange of cash for a drink at a bar.

2. You do not need a TEN for a wedding unless you are either charging your guests for access to the wedding with the pre determined view of making a profit or charging for drink over the bar.

3. You do need a TEN for other licensable activities such as dancing, live music and catering within certain hours.

Do give us a call for friendly and quick advice!

Luxury mobile bathrooms

2008-08-25T14:53:00.005+01:00

A major component of any event that is often overlooked in the planning stages is the bathroom! One of the key five foundation questions to any event is "Where will guests go to the bathroom?"

We install mobile bathrooms at over 90% of all the events we produce. Often this is due to the sheer guests numbers, or the client does not want any guests in their house; but usually it is simply a fact that there are no bathrooms on site that are suitable.

Gone are the days of the single unit builders portaloo at which guests in expensive evening-wear queue outside, where its pitch black inside and it smells most un lady like. We only ever install self contained fully mobile units of varying sizes that have been specifically designed and built to the standards that our clients expect.

Each unit has a separate entrance for male and female and has full running hot and cold water. Each unit is brightly lit and tastefully decorated and it has its own air filtration system and automatic fragrance dispenser to ensure the unit is always fresh throughout the event. The steps have lights in them to guide guests once it is dark inside.

Bespoke toiletries and make up are available to both male and female guests and in the past we have even put professional make up artists and barbers to prepare the guests (alongside a glass of bubbly!) before the event starts.

In short, once you are inside it is just like being in the bathroom of a 4 or 5* luxury hotel.

The units are wheeled into place and secured with jacks, before being tailed into the event sites' power supply

Believe it or not, using the correct mobile bathroom unit can make or break an event from a guests perspective. " You get what you pay for" is a pertinent phrase in terms of toilets at an event! The right unit can be the cause of much excitement for young ladies at teenage parties, or a cheaper alternative can be a disaster at a private lunch party if it leaks or if it downgrades the whole atmosphere of a function.

Whatever your budget, please always remember that good mobile bathrooms are an essential part of any successful function. We have units of varying sizes and in different styles and only ever offer our luxury mobile bathroom services as part of one of our bespoke event packages.

For larger weekend parties we can also supply mobile shower and bathrooms for those discerning guests who want to stay for the weekend!!!

Private events in London garden

2008-07-28T15:50:00.008+01:00

One of our original '18th' birthday package clients (that spawned the MTV party and numerous press clippings and successful teenage parties since) asked us to create an event space in their garden for two events.

The first was to be an event for our clients' employees - a relaxed affair with Mediterranean food, live music and fine wine. The second event the following day was for close friends and family as the client used the same event space to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

We erected two separate marquees. The first was a main 30ft x 30 ft frame marquee over the clients garden. This housed one of our 12ft long bars and a variety of our new 'chill out' furniture to match the informal atmosphere the client requested. This included new giant leather bean bags, floor cushions,cubes, white sofas, low tables, morrocan furniture and shisha pipes. We up lit the main marquee in a gentle glow of up lighters and the surrounding trees and bushes were lit in a series of fairy lights.

The smaller 15ft x 10ft marquee was erected on the clients terrace and housed the professional chefs, preparing and cooking food in front of the guests. A luxury BBQ was enjoyed by all.

Fine wines, picked by our client from our local wine merchant were served and live musicians from 'Gypsy Fire' entertained guests and added the finishing touch to a very relaxing environment.

A red carpet entrance greeted guests at the door and one of our luxury 2:1 ratio mobile bathroom units was installed at the side of the house.

As always, great care was taken to ensure the clients house and gardens had minimum disruption whilst the event was being built.

A great time was had by all the guests at both functions and we look forward to running the clients Christmas party later this year.

Private 40th Party, Bristol

2008-07-28T15:29:00.012+01:00

One of our favourite old clients was turning 40. His brief was simple:

"I want fun and mayhem. I want my mother to be shocked"

So with great gusto we got down to planning a fun informal party for our client at his family home he shares with his wife and young children.

Set around his pool area and tennis court, a stretch marquee was erected over his walled garden and various bars, furniture and entertainments were dotted around for the guests.

Welcomed by a red carpet entrance with 'fake' security guards and a cocktail guests were then led through a tunnel to the walled garden where Mediterranean musicians and food were waiting.

As the night moved on guests enjoyed a disco, a cream bun fight and a 40ft foam cannon alongside some 'life guards' and general mayhem.

We can't really divulge the true happenings of that fateful night, but suffice to say it was a real pleasure to be part of the special celebrations, and to be our clients sole supplier for his thrid event with us.

Bring on the 50th Captain underpants!!!

Malvern college ball 2008

2008-07-22T15:14:00.010+01:00

After providing only the bars, some lighting and event management services to the school last year, this year the prestigious college chose us to completely design and produce their end of year student and parent ball for 500 guests.

With guests flying from all over the world and real impact was needed at their entrance to the event space after their dinner in the separate school houses.

Two main marquees were erected; one to house a mobile night club area and main bar, and the other to hold one of our award winning cocktail bars, a chocolate fountain, a hog roast and some relaxed seating.

The main quad area was covered in red carpet and a tri lite tower was erected in the middle of this set piece; which stood in between the two marquees.

Gas flambeaux, contemporary leather stools and glass poseur tables were placed in the red carpet area for guests to enjoy the stunning view of the school which was dramatically lit by city-colours and flood lights.

Guests enjoyed a traditional jazz quartet, a mobile night club, a 7 piece live band, a fireworks display, bespoke cocktails and all in a beautiful setting.

All from one single supplier:Capability Events!

Despite some initial weather concerns the evening went very well and we are very pleased to have already been asked to produce next years' ball.

Private event for 150 guests at home

2008-07-22T14:17:00.009+01:00

Having treated himself to a brand new Audi R8 for his birthday, our private client wanted a relaxed garden party at home with family and friends to celebrate his 40th.

The brief was simple: to create a relaxing event space for children and adults alike with room for informal dining, a bar and a dance floor.

We installed a main 9m x 21m fully lined marquee. It was fully carpeted and had a selection of seating in for the guests. The bar was a blue down lit 12ft long cocktail bar with one of our bespoke fully mirrored back bars behind it. A professional cocktail flairer performed from behind the bar whilst our staff mingled with guests

The sides of the marquee were fully open to give a flowing event space into the clients garden for the afternoon. Furniture, games and even a bucking bronco were placed outside to keep children and 'young at heart' adults entertained!

Despite several torrential downpours, nothing put a dampener on the celebrations, complete with a presentation on our 60" plasma television from the clients son.

A fantastic luxury BBQ was available to guests throughout the day, prepared, cooked and served in front of them from a separate 5m x5m chinese hat marquee.

We also installed a chill out marquee in the far corner of the garden, next door to the giant jenga, giant connect 4 and table football. The 5m x 5m marquee was filled with our new leather giant bean bags, floor cushions and cubes which was quickly turned into a huge den by the children!

A traditional jazz quartet welcomed guests to the house, alongside our staff serving champagne. After food, a 7 piece live band played to rapturous applause. A great day was had by all and we look forward to our clients 50th!!

University of college London 2008

2008-07-22T14:11:00.004+01:00

The open evening for all architecture students marks UCL's second largest event in their academic year. With over 4,000 student and corporate guests, Capability Events was delighted to be asked to take care of the drinks for the evening.

A long standing client of ours, UCL are always a pleasure to deal with and once our 30ft long main bar was in place the evening went extremely well.

Our fast dispense draught system worked wonders, pouring a cool clean pint every 3 seconds and our staff served a full bar range selection including cocktails. We look forward to expanding somewhat next year, including a single cocktail station with professional flairers entertaining the guests.

Private Asian wedding Sudeley Castle

2008-07-21T15:38:00.003+01:00

This prestigious event for 500 guests marked the second largest wedding we had attended.
We installed a 6ft long reception bar for an outside reception followed by an 18ft long bar for the main bar inside.

Our premium bar services really came into action when we supplied table service to each table at the wedding meal. A full range, alongside personalised cocktails were on offer to all the guests for the duration of the day.

With relatively large guest numbers of 500+ it is paramount to ensure that re stocking, glass collection and rubbish removal are done effortlessly throughout the day, to not compromise on service to guests. This was aptly done, and through clear communication with all other suppliers, Capability Events ensured the day was a memorable one for all who attended.

Hyde Park Hard Rock Calling 2008

2008-07-21T15:00:00.008+01:00

For the third year in a row 'Hard Rock Cafe' used Capability Events for their bar unit requirements. As headline sponsors, 'Hard Rock' needed premium looking bar units to install into their VIP areas and the Hard Rock Cafe marquees.

In total we installed 29 x 1.8m front bar units and 25 x 1.8m back bar units.

We included some of our brand new completely folding bar units. Designed by us after many years of mobile bar experience, they maximise space for logistics whilst giving a client a fantastic practical bar unit once installed.

We look forward again to next year!

Plymouth University Dry hire bars

2008-07-21T13:20:00.005+01:00

Alongside some of our usual University clients, this year Plymouth University chose Capability Events to supply them with all their required bar units for their Summer ball.

We supplied three separate bars to the University, installed into three different areas of the function and each in a different style. As a dry hire, all access and positioning was organised prior to installation and our staff set up the bars with minimum fuss, leaving them all ready to be stocked and staffed by the University.

"Just a quick email to express how delighted I was with the bars you supplied to out Ball on Wednesday. They looked fantastic and gave our event the quality feel I was looking for. The service from your guys on the day was excellent and the equipment was fitted and removed very efficiently.

I will certainly look to use your services again next year."
Commercial Operations Manager
University of Plymouth Students' Union

Private birthday party 17th May 2008

2008-07-21T13:04:00.003+01:00

For this 150 guest private party we provided one of our premium bar services.
A 12 ft bar was installed in front of one of our bespoke fully mirrored back bars and guests enjoyed a full selection of drinks from the bar; including personalised cocktails! A great night was had by all and we are very grateful for such a lovely testimonial from the client. Although we were only providing the bar, great care was taken in the installation and removal of the bar to minimise disruption to the clients' house and gardens both prior and after the party.

A party at home, darling?!

2008-06-03T16:19:00.004+01:00

We've seen a dramatic increase in private parties at home. We've also noticed we are one of the only companies in the UK who do this as a sole supplier. We own everything that we install so you only ever have to deal with one supplier: Capability Events!

We have always produced events for clients at home, but it is especially in the last 12 months that we have seen a significant rise in clients preferring the comfort and security of their own property as a venue

Gone are the days of hiring out the local manor house or the nearest 5* hotel for a private event.

As people look more towards their own property as the perfect venue, we investigate the pros and cons of having complete control over your dream function at home.

Despite people thinking professionally organised events at home are only available to the super-rich; the average spend on a party for 150 guests at home is £15,000.00 - £18,000.00. This normally comprises of a red carpet entrance, marquee, catering, a free cocktail bar and entertainment. All you need is a reasonably sized garden with good access and a great sense of adventure!

Most people choose to open up their houses for anniversary or birthday celebrations, with the majority of people opting for a marquee over their garden.

We then have a blank canvas with which you can have complete artistic control and can decide exactly what happens in the marquee.

Our owner, Ben Leeke, says "The client only has one supplier which allows us to create their event with minimum fuss and disruption to their house and daily living. Clients are a lot more savvy about their options and the event industry as a whole, given that most of them attend multiple corporate functions each year. We know they are tired of the traditional black tie dinner and dance function, and with a party at home they are free to celebrate in whatever style and atmosphere they choose; allowing for a much more memorable event."

So what are the cons? Well, not everyone wants a team of installers and event managers disrupting your daily family routine. We know this, and our testimonials are proof of the fact that every precaution is taken to respect your private house and gardens. In many cases we often don't go near your house at all and just access the garden to install the marquee and all that is required to create your event space.

All of our staff from our installers to our event managers are professional event staff who have been trained to meet the highest standards that we know you expect. They are all polite, well presented people whom, we have hand picked. Many of them have been working with us for a few years. Our staff directly reflect our services to clients and their guests, and we ensure they they respect all aspects of your function, whilst helping to create a fun a welcoming atmosphere for your guests,

What this all means is that you can create a very personal event in the comfort of your own home. We're very open with all the different options that are available to you, but we do have some strict policies on under 18's functions. We do lots of them, but we ensure we work closely in tandem with parents and guardians to pacify any concerns with regards to alcohol and behavior.

So what happens if you want to hold a private function at home?

Just get in touch with us either via phone or email and we'll then have a quick informal chat with you to find out what you would like to do. We then look at the basic costings for the 'five golden rules of a successful event'. These are:

1. Where will guests go? (Eg. A marquee!)

2. What will they do? (Eg. Dance, mingle)

3. What will they drink

4. What will they eat

5. Where will they go for the bathroom?

These are the core 5 elements for an event. Once these are out of the way then the creative side can begin in terms of entertainment, lighting and theming. If you like the look of our initial ideas then we'll arrange a no obligation site visit at your convenience. We can then get a chance to meet you to discuss your event in detail. This also allows us to create an in depth quote together with a guests perspective for you to mull over.

We're not in the business of over selling big additions for your event. We're in the business of creating an event that you, your family and friends will love so much that they'll think of us when its time for an event of their own.

So please feel free to get in touch for a quick chat about your event. We are here to guide you in the right direction towards your dream function at home.

Please look at the event videos and private testimonials on our website to see how our clients see us!

We hope to talk with you soon.

The Capability Events Team June 2008

A Capability Catch up!

2008-06-03T15:34:00.008+01:00

Its been almost two months since our last blog. We were busy telling you then that this year is our biggest yet for enquiries. Well, we're now into our biggest event production season off the back of those enquires. The mobile bars are going well and we continue to offer the largest stock in the UK. On the 25th - 27th June all of our front bar section will be filling the Hyde Park festival as guests enjoy the music of The Police and Eric Clapton. We have also seen a huge increase in private event production at clients' own houses - please see our separate blog above for more details on this!

Here's what we've been up to since we last blogged:

- University college London dry hire of 27m of bar hire
- Plymouth University may ball
- Various private events for clients at home
- Dorothy Perkins multiple store cocktail party nationwide

And here is what those clients said about them:

A private joint celebration at a clients' home

"Hi Ben,
I just wanted to say how amazing you were on Saturday.Everyone thought you were so professional and also so pleasant to everyone.Thank you so much.Also the photos were great.I am so thrilled with them.
I shall recommend you to loads of friends and also to Goldman Sachs events team if you would like me to."
Plymouth University:

"Just a quick email to express how delighted I was with the bars you supplied to out Ball on Wednesday. They looked fantastic and gave our event the quality feel I was looking for. The service from your guys on the day was excellent and the equipment was fitted and removed very efficiently.

I will certainly look to use your services again next year."

Commercial Operations Manager
University of Plymouth Students' Union

Dorothy Perkins:

"Just a massive thank you for everything you did to make 'Girls Night' a huge success. Your efforts were greatly appreciated and we will definitely be in touch again."

And so with a smug look on our faces we embark on a crazy summer, with 0ver 30 events in the next three months across the UK.

Please watch this space for event briefs, summaries, photographs and videos.

The Capability Events Team - June 2nd 2008

Our New Promotional clip

2008-06-03T15:22:00.003+01:00

Please check out our latest promotional video that takes some of our favourite clips from events last year and up to March 2008.

Its proved very popular with old and new clients and has been received on our website very well.

With this summer shaping up to be our biggest summer yet, expect lots more of these event videos which we love creating. Suggestions for sound tracks please!!!

Recent Events inc The Boat Race

2008-04-07T16:00:00.004+01:00

The past two months have been our busiest enquiry months in our history and we have all been working towards what will be our largest summer yet. With new employees being sought and new bars being built we've just been too busy to write up all of the recent events. Here is just a taster of what we've been up to:

6th February 2008 - Corporate Hospitality at 5* Celtic Manor Resort

22nd February 2008 - Maxim Live 2008

8th March 2008 - Swingland UK

29th March 2008 - The Boat Race

5th April 2008 - 2 x private functions

We've got some very exiting functions upcoming, alongside some big household names so keep an eye for our latest videos, pictures and blog entries as the summer approaches us quickly!

Proseal 10th Anniversary Party

2008-02-13T12:34:00.013Z

In October 2007, Proseal approached us to discuss their upcoming 10th Anniversary in February 2008.
Our brief was to design an event at their modern offices and factory worksite in Adlington, Cheshire. They wanted to invite 300 employees and guests and create a relaxed and fun environment for them to enjoy. Aside from wanting BBQ style food and a free bar the client was not sure what else they required to give their guests a memorable time. After a couple of lengthy site meetings we advised on a number of entertainment options and the client decided on various fairground attractions both inside and outside.

Producing the event on a clients private grounds always entails executing a detailed production plan, allowing clients to keep working right up until the start of their event. The event plan space covered all of their main car parks, and suppliers had to been installed in order to maximise the set up space and time allowed to build.

Despite howling gales, bitter temperatures and snow the build went relatively smoothly. We erected two 12m x 24m frame marquees with a long entrance tunnel, before the large fairground rides and mobile toilet units were installed in place. The following 24 hours gave us plenty of time to install the smaller elements of the function, including a full mobile disco, an 18ft long main bar, bucking bronco, animatronic quick draw, furniture and a colour changing smoking/chill out area.
From 7pm on the 2/2/08 guests started to arrive. After a short walk beneath our bespoke tri lite entrance with flame cannons, they were greeted on the red carpet with a drink by our staff. Our award winning flairers provided fantastic bar interaction, mixing bespoke cocktails throughout the night. Guests were free to explore the event area, and they were soon enjoying all the attractions, despite the cold weather! Fresh BBQ food was served all night, alongside a pasta and salad bar. Bacon butties and coffee were served at midnight and all the party-goers were kept safe by our SIA registered security staff and FPOS medic.

It was a fantastic night, and after enjoying a live jive band the guests danced away until 2am. With personalised projections gobos shining both inside and out and city colours lighting the outside area some were still dancing as they walked home!

Dawn Malone, Office Manager, of Proseal said: “Everyone had a great time. The evening was absolutely wonderful and will be talked about for years to come. The only problem we have now is what to do for our Christmas party as nothing will top our tenth anniversary. The snow caused several pre-event jitters but any worries I had were dissolved as Capability Events executed the perfect event keeping all our guests warm despite the bitter February weather.”
As testament to this, guests partied well into the night leaving with huge smiles on their faces and continued to dance on their way home.

We thoroughly enjoyed Proseals' fresh approach to their employees and this function. We wish them all the best for the nest ten years and hope to see them again next year! (Without the snow!) Enjoy the video:

The Capability Events Team 2008

Press realease

CAPABLITY EVENTS CONDUCT THE CELEBRATIONS
FOR PROSEAL’S TENTH ANNIVERSARY

February 2008 marked the tenth anniversary of Proseal, a Cheshire based company, who are the leading manufacturer of heat sealing machinery and tooling in the UK. To commemorate this auspicious occasion the Directors of Proseal decided to have a relaxed informal party for their employees and guests, and called upon Capability Events to work their magic in delivering a truly memorable event. The brief was to conceive, produce and manage an informal event for 300 guests on site at Proseal’s manufacturing facility and despite the snowy weather this was achieved.

Capability Events utilised the car parks encompassing Proseal’s offices and factory, executing a detailed production plan, which allowed Proseal to continue operating while the party venue was being built. Capability Events designed and built a maze of marquees, which housed an eclectic mix of entertainment, including: a casino, bucking bronco, animatronics western shooting gallery and dancing to a live band and disco. Outside the entertainment continued with fairground dodgems, coconut shy and a shooting gallery.

Ben Leeke, Capability Events, commented: “To bring the whole event to life Proseal projection gobos shone both inside and out, while city colours illuminated the outdoor party area with an explosion of colour. To keep all the guests safe, behind the scenes our SIA registered security staff and FPOS medics were on hand if needed.”

Amid the fairground theme, guests were treated to a barbeque supper and breakfast at midnight plus a free bar throughout the evening, which also included entertainment for Proseal’s party goers in the form of Capability Events signature cocktail flairers who added a touch of spice to the proceedings.

In amongst the excitement of the evening a character photographer took photographs of guests throughout the evening, superimposing the images onto famous film posters providing a fabulous memento of the evening for all those attending.

Ben Leeke added: “Proseal has a great commitment to their team of employees and it was a pleasure to work with them in celebrating their tenth anniversary.”

Dawn Malone, Office Manager, of Proseal said: “Everyone had a great time. The evening was absolutely wonderful and will be talked about for years to come. The only problem we have now is what to do for our Christmas party as nothing will top our tenth anniversary. The snow caused several pre-event jitters but any worries I had were dissolved as Capability Events executed the perfect event keeping all our guests warm despite the bitter February weather.”
As testament to this, guests partied well into the night leaving with huge smiles on their faces and continued to dance on their way home.

RAF Innsworth Closure party 18/01/08

2008-01-22T10:56:00.002Z

Since 1940 RAF Innsworth has been the administration HQ for all of the Royal Airforce in the UK. It is a huge base and has been the training facility for aircraft fitters, technicians and by the end of the second world war over 5,000 personnel were living on the base.

In September last year the base approached us to discuss a function that was to mark the closure of the base. It was a great shame but the base wanted to have a 'stadium rock' style function and were determined to organise a great event to thank all their employees past and present.

The event was to be in a large 70m x 30m hangar, which was to be converted into a function space for 1,000 guests.

Our brief was to supply everything required to turn the hangar into a fantastic looking concert space, with a large bar,food stalls, toilets, giant stage and lighting rigs. This was a mammoth task as the hangar was just a shell.Our build started three days prior to the event date. As there were no secure rigging points in the hangar, our dedicated light and sound team had to install free standing rigs and light towers to give sufficient event lighting. A 30ft x 20ft stage was installed with a powerful 20kw PA system for the four bands and disco that the base wanted.

The bar was to be a cost price bar and we installed a 60ft run of front bar, down lit in red white and blue. A mobile chiller unit was placed behind the bar for refrigeration and 17 bar staff (including two of our flairers)were booked for the night. At the far end of the hangar was the food and seating area, serving BBQ foods, crepes and hog roast baps. The seating was themed in red, white and blue and gas fired heaters were professionally installed at all corners of the hangar.
As with any function of this size, but especially with military functions, health and safety is of paramount importance. Teams of carpenters were brought in to construct and install fitted fire exits in place of the huge shutter doors, and to drill holes in the walls to install the gas pipes for the heating and food elements of the event.

A small chinese hat marquee was erected just outside the hangar over looked by a tri lite hung with spot lights. This was to be the main entrance and two flame cannons guided guests across the base to the party space. They were greeted on the red carpet by professional door staff.

Four luxury mobile toilet units were maneuvered by the Capability Events into place at the stage end of the hangar and positioned to create a bathroom area behind the stage.

A complex logistical plan was executed perfectly, ensuring over 20 suppliers arrived in order for the production of the event.

The main stage saw 4 live bands, a disco and a compere and well over 1,000 guests danced on until 3am.Although hard work to produce within a limited budget we thoroughly enjoyed working with the RAF for this event and are happy it was such a resounding success.

Flight Lieutenant Paul Morgan, RAF organiser of the party comments: "It was a bittersweet evening, celebrating RAF Innsworth’s 60 year anniversary but saying goodbye at the same time. Although many of us will be posted to Air Command High Wycombe, which will take over RAF central administration, we will be leaving behind many of our civilian colleagues who have helped with the smooth running of the camp during out time here.Morgan adds: The party was a sell out, with 1000 RAF and civilian personnel attending. Capability Events were the consummate professionals and executed the event without any hitches. There is no doubt without them I would have even less hair!"

Enjoy the video of the event below!
The Capability Events Team 2008

Ledbury Hunt New Years Eve Ball

2008-01-03T15:46:00.002Z

For the second year running we helped organise and produce the Ledbury Hunt Ball. Called the Golden Button Ball the evening again proved to be a great success.

Earlier in the day on New Years Eve the Golden Button Challenge took place over prime Ledbury countryside. Here are some pictures from fence 7. Carnage takes place.

East Thames Christmas Party - 20/12/07

2007-12-21T14:37:00.001Z

In April this year the East Thames group approached us again and asked if we could replicate their successful Christmas party we worked on last year. Once again, it was to be held in the beautiful Stratford town hall.

Our brief was to provide bar and DJ services for up to 500 guests. Each guest had five free drinks tokens. after which they had to pay for their drinks. Food was supplied by the hall and the world famous Titch from 'Fantasia' was booked by us to play an eclectic array of music from around the world to ensure the diverse mix of guests had a great Christmas party.

We arrived in our 7.5 tonne lorry and used the service lift at the venue to move 7 sections of bar, lights, drinks and bar equipment up to the function room. We installed an 18ft long main bar down lit in red, that served a full range of drinks including draught. Opposite to this we installed a 12ft long cocktail bar down lit in blue. Both bars had back bars with our bespoke mirrored back bar attachments. The main bar had 5 staff members, whilst the cocktail bar saw Chris Withey performing as a cocktail flairer alongside our very own Lorcan Lynch.

A great time was had by all, and we look forward to working with the group again for Christmas 2008. Check out the video below!

BT Christmas Party 18/12/07

2007-12-19T13:38:00.000Z

Last night we ran a private party for the workers of BT global services on the 34th floor of the world famous BT tower in the heart of central London.

Access was suprisingly easy for central London and the client was most helpful in ensuring we had the correct access information and required parking spaces (a welcome alternative to most events in central London!)

We installed a 12ft cocktail bar down lit in blue, with our bespoke mirrored back bar attachment. A professional cocktail flairer entertained guests as they arrived at the party shortly after finishing work. We also installed a working ice luge onto our black marble bar top, allowing clients to try some Christmas shots in a unique way.

3 of our young and eleqount staff served guests a free drinks from a full bar range including tailor made cocktails. We really enjoyed this event. not only for its fantastic views across London, but also for the lovely comments from guests and appreciation of our quick set up time. We wish everyone at the BT Tower a Merry Christmas and we look forward to working with them again n 2008

6 EVENTS OVER 4 DAYS - IN THE FESTIVE SPIRIT!

2007-12-19T12:03:00.001Z

Last week saw our busiest run of festive events, both in the corporate and private party sectors.
The 11th of December saw us working for Georgio Armani at their flagship store on Regents Street in London. Full of celebrities and press the event saw our bespoke mirrored bar fronts being installed to make the most of the event sponsor brands 'Grey Goose'. Armani hired an 18ft front bar from us, and despite a difficult install the event was a huge success.

The following day we ran a private office party for 100 guests for a prominent London agency.
We ran one of our hugely popular free cocktail bars, with tailor made cocktails for the evening, alongside our normal full bar range. We have noticed a good increase in the amount of corporate clients who choose to have their Christmas party in their office. It means no venue fee and complete control over their function. However, this also means we have to ensure that the day to day running of their office is not affected by our event set up, but that the bar is ready and open for guests shortly after they finish work. With this in mind we've got our set up time down to under one hour and guests enjoyed a basement party full of dancing and debauchery!
On the 13th December we had a last minute dry hire for another London agency. They required
two separate back bars, each with built in glass fronted fridges and our bespoke mirrored back bar attachments. We worked late into the night on the 12th in our workshop giving the back bars a respray and delivered them into central London on the morning of the 13th.

On Friday 14th December we organised and produced a party for 100 guests in a private residence just outside London. The event was to celebrate Christmas as well as our clients 25th wedding anniversary. The brief was to provide a fun and informal atmosphere, alongside our standard premium services. We installed a fully heated 12m x 9m frame marquee into the clients garden with easy access for guests though the house. The marquee had one of our bespoke cocktail bars installed, a black and white dance floor, some LED lights, a PA system and our relaxing stylish white leather furniture. Outside the house we rigged our powerful coloured flood lights to give some architectural lighting.

Guests were greeted at the front door with a glass of champagne before enjoying first class catering and bespoke cocktails. As always, we ensured minimum disruption to our clients house and gardens.

The next day saw a very grateful client full of praise for a very successful party! We look forward to working again with them in summer 2008.

On Saturday 15th December we travelled to Kent for another private party for 120 guests.

Set in a historic old barn we had to work hard to ensure guests were kept warm throghout the function. However, it was a beautiful atmosphere and after installing our 'i' colour lights, a PA system and one of our bespoke 12 ft cocktail bars everyone enjoyed themselves.

That night we also ran a pay bar for 250 guests at our local rugby club. We did this as a favour for the club that many of us at Capability Events play for. Since the floods in July 2007 the club lost its club house and held this Christmas party in a nearby hall to try and raise some much needed funds. The night was a huge success.