10 things your Professional Speaker should do
Hiring a professional speaker can be expensive, however if you do your research beforehand it could prove to be a great investment for your event. Here we look at the attitudes and actions which professional speakers should exhibit.
Guest Speakers - What should you consider before booking one?
One of the most important questions to ask before you book a guest speaker for your event is What message do you want the speaker to convey to your audience?
Top 5 Tips for finding the right venue for your event
Finding the right venue for your next event need not be a major headache if you follow our 5 Top Tips ....
It will never happen to me! Event Insurance - do I really need it?
How many people in our industry consider Event Insurance? Specialist insurer Hiscox stated that there was a predictable rise in claims for event insurance earlier this year. Despite this, most events were not insured for bad weather at all. Read on for our Top 10 insurance tips ...
The Disability Discrimination Act - Profiting from compliance
As an Event organiser, you know it is the right thing to do, you know you have to do it and you know it makes commercial sense..
10 Commercial reasons to address DDA (Disability Discrimination Act)
7 Top Tips for finding an accessible venue
10 Essential Budget Planning Tips for your Event
Preparing a definitive budget for an event is a challenging task with so many factors to consider, however with the help of our 10 Essential Budget Planning Tips, we hope that the next budget you prepare will be easier to create and pleases the purse holders!
7 Top Tips for a successful Site Inspection visit
Site inspections, or showrounds, serve only one purpose - to ascertain whether a venue is the most suitable venue for your particular event. Below we identify our 7 Top Tips for a successful Site inspection visit:
6 Top Tips for Hosting a Successful Corporate Golf Day
How to use the "Credit Crunch" to your advantage
How can Red Dragon Events help you benefit from the Credit Crunch? More than ever venues need to retain as much exisiting business as possible whilst continuing to attract new business. There are a number of ways in which this can be used to your advantage:
The Spying Game - How Safe is your conference?
"Eureka" moment at 10.04pm
10.04pm "Eureka" moment may spell the end of the early nights! - 4.33pm is the least creative time of the day; - The shower is found to be the most inspiring space; - Women are better at retaining their creative ideas
Conference Food and its effect on your delegates
Conference food - how does the food you serve effect your delegates?
Referral Incentive Scheme
New - Referral Incentive Scheme! Earn a minimum of £50 Bonus Bond vouchers for every successful referral you provide us over a certain booking value! Plus another £50 worth of bonus bond vouchers to the person you referred us to!
Crash Course in organising a Christmas Party 2008
Christmas parties are often the highlight of the year for many companies. Below we have listed some helpful tips to make sure you have a great time!
Early-Eager or PM Professional
A new report shows tapping into a delegate's natural human rhythms can aid productivity, concentration and retention. The Meeting Minds report by Dr Lawrence Smith, senior lecturer at the Institue of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, applies psychological theory regarding human rhythms, sleep and work scheduling to the meetings industry.
Rules of Engagement
Rules of Engagement - incorporating new technology
Crash Course in Audio Visual
Using the latest technology can be an important tool in getting the message across at your next event. We have identified below some key points to consider when creating the maximum effect from your AV.
Top Tips for Welcoming Guests to your event
Read our Top Tips for Welcoming Guests to your event!
Top Tips for Hosting a Memorable Corporate Golf Day
Golf is considered one of the most important tools in Corporate Entertaining.
10 Top Tips for Holding Greener Meetings
1. Save Paper. Using new media and electronic technology can cut down your paper use.
Conference delegates remember bad food. Get the food wrong and it could be one of the major messages delegates take back with them. But how do you know that the food you dish up can also have a beneficial or detrimental effect on your delegates' concentration?
What you give your delegates to eat and when you break for lunch or snacks are just as important when it comes to choosing a menu. Leading nutritionist Ian Marber, aka TV's The Food Doctor, says frequency matters when it comes to maintaining the perfect energy and concentration levels. Marber advocates there is no place for a huge lunch in the middle of the day, instead delegates would eat more frequent but substantial snacks of protein and complex carbohydrate-based foods. Here are some key things to consider next time you are planning the food for your event: Timing is crucial, claims Marber - "Eating little and often keep blood glucose levels consistent. Food should be the source of your energy levels, otherwise you get your energy from stress and you are not performing effectively - you are just running on adrenaline. If you get a peak, you then get a trough - a rush of adrenaline is followed by exhaustion." "The worst foods you can give are simple carbohydrates - cola, tea and coffee with sugar served with a pastry. Simple carbohydrates lead to a surge in energy which ultimately leads to a slump." continues Marber. Protein content - Delegates need to consume enough protein - fish, meat, eggs, nuts and tofu are high in protein. Research by Northumbria University's Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre suggests that although it may not help concentration levels, it may play a part in helping delegates remember the message. Post lunch nap? - Marber suggests some foods help you nod off and organisers should avoid feeding them to delegates. Such foods include turkey, cottage cheese and bananas. The culprit is an amino acid contained within the food called tryptophan, which is a natural sedative. Imago at Loughborough University is one of the few dedicated conference centres in the UK to have been awarded the Food for the Brain Accreditation. This is an independent evaluation of how well catering operations deliver food to their customers and the nutritional value of the food on offer. Imago's Executive Chef, Andy Grant, also has some advice: Get fruity - always include fresh fruit in delegate menus to aid digestion and provide long lasting energy Watch your Speed - One thing to consider is how much GL, or Glycaemic Load a food contains. GL reflects the speed at which carbohydrate is converted into sugar and released into the body. Low GL foods fill delegates up for longer and helps prevent the post eating slump. Los GL foods such as nuts and dried apricots are excellent for break times, as they help prevent energy levels dropping. Caffeine Comedown - Drinks also play an important role in delegates performance. Stimulants such as tea and coffee may initially heighten energy levels, however the delegate may notice a period of tiredness when the caffeine wears off. To aid energy and concentration levels, Imago recommends herbal teas, sugar free juices, smoothies and of course, water as they all rehydrate. How seedy are you? The body is unable to produce Omega 3 fats, so they need to be regularly consumed in our diets instead. Omega 3 is used by the body for essential functions, particularly by the brain for memory and mood, as well as for heart function and hormone balance. Oily fish, linseeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts are a good source of Omega 3. Source: "Meet, Eat & Sleep", Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, October 2008, pgs 31-33
