The Ultimate Guide To London’s Event Planners
Put your hand up if you love parties? Exactly all of us. How many of us can host the perfect party, organise where the band are going to sit, can whip up 300 canapés and source a life-sized Kylie Minogue cake, complete with chocolate wings? Not so many. It’s time to call in the professionals, London’s event planners. From the kind of parties we could only dream of as a child to the most outrageous requests.
Sharky and George
Sharky & George provide the most imaginative, unique and energetic children’s parties available. Whether it’s a quest in the park, a private music festival or a recreation of a favourite movie, they’ll make it happen!
Thought children’s parties were just a mess of smeared chocolate cake, tears and endless games of pass the parcel? Not at a Sharky and George event, they are the kings of children parties and can make anything happen. Director George Whitefield lets us in on the most elaborate request , ‘a secret agent gold smuggling party based in the Swiss Alps for 25 seven year olds involving laser battles in the snow, code breaking, bomb defusing and storming ‘Fort Knox’ and overthrowing an enemy force to recover the gold and save the day!’ They love their jobs from experimenting with toys and testing cakes and this passion makes every event amazing.
George’s Top Tip: ‘If you choose to provide the entertainment yourself, at home or in the venue, have four hours of games planned for a two hour party. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you race through games and ditch ones that don’t work on that particular day for that particular group of children.’
Website: http://www.sharkyandgeorge.com
Euro Events
They have a vast knowledge of the events industry based on over 30 years’ experience and they also have the ability to provide tickets and facilities to major sold out events in UK & overseas.
With over 30 years experience Euro Events are able to arrange events like no other that include getting clients into major events, think top sporting events and entertainment and venues and arranging a surprise 24 hour trip for 500 guests from London to Paris for a gala dinner and 5* overnight stay. Managing Director Chas Wheeler says that one of the most important things is that the staff know what they are doing, ‘brief staff on what the event they are working at is all about and what people are attending the event and staff should always smile’– because let’s be honest a couple of drinks down the guests won’t.
Chas’ Top Tip: ‘Always have spare white shirts, ties, tights, shoe polish, phone charger etc. available and never say no to any request no matter how strange.’
Website: http://www.euroevents.com
Polar Black Events
They like their clients to be ‘the first’ to do something. Whether it’s the latest venue they get access to, a new/ interactive digital installation at an event, the latest floral trend or a new way of serving canapés – they make sure they are completely on top of new/ upcoming trends.
Fill a garden with flamingos, design a cocktail menu for VIP dogs, hire the Vatican for dinner, transport 150 guests in horse and carriage down Bond Street, and build a forest in the middle of London, these are just some of things that Polar Black Events have dealt with according to Louisa Preskett. With clients including Rolex, Estee Lauder, and Veuve Cliquot, you know they’re going to put on spectacular events.
Louisa’s Top Tip: ‘Get creative, with so many invitations and parties, make yours stand out. Make it your own and be brave in your decisions/ creativity and don’t forget the little things. Low lighting, background music and the venue team to check that everything in your venue is clean and presentable.’
Website: http://www.polarblackevents.com
Organise Events
They are a boutique in the events world, keeping their team small to enables them to remain dynamic, creative, current and personal.
There isn’t much that Organise can’t do, although they can’t bring Luther Van Dross back from the dead to perform – yes they have been asked to. However if you want a life-sized Kylie Minogue birthday cake they can fix that. The key to throwing a great event they say is knowing perhaps the perhaps prosaic but key things – where are the kitchens, where are the band sitting, how far is it to transport things? It’s all in the details. Get these right and everything else follows.
Lara’s Top Tip: ‘The best piece of advice we would give is to hire a professional. As the saying goes if you think it’s expensive to hire a professional wait until you hire an amateur!’
Website: http://www.organise-events.com
Christabel's
They combine unusual flavour combinations – making sure that people leave having tried something new. In order to retain the bespoke nature of our events, they do everything in house from the production and venue sourcing to the food and drinks.
Renowned for her Mad Hatter brunches, nostalgic dinner parties and her mobile botanical bar – where you can create your own cocktails, Christabel Beeson wants her guests to have a great time is keen to help in anyway, ‘I was asked if I could help someone propose to his girlfriend at one of our Mad Hatters brunches!’ With clients including everyone from Nike to Dove, her attention to detail is second to none, sourcing cutting edge props, hand painting menu cards and scouting unique venues.
Christabel’s Top Tip: ‘Always do something different, to keep things evolving and changing – creating an experience which people leave having tried something better. London is full of pop up events and alternative experiences so it is important to stand out.’
Website: http://www.christabels.org
Look out for London’s Ultimate Caterers which is coming next out on Monday!
To see our full list of suppliers click here
