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The 46 venues include old favourites such as Blenheim Palace with its imposing architecture and impressive historical credentials, and Ascot Racecourse which was redeveloped in 2008, plus new venues such as the Great North Museum: Hancock and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh which have recently been added to our extensive portfolio. Emma Rogers works at Blenheim Palace and says, “It is amazing working in such an incredible venue with so much history. Driving into the grounds and looking across the lake and bridge towards the Palace is still breathtaking. Blenheim Palace is a World Heritage site and so we have to pay particular attention to respecting the building and the grounds. It means we have a grand venue for a celebration that provides a perfect backdrop to a wedding day; the venue sells itself. We have to respect that the 11th Duke of Marlborough is still in residence here and it is his home, but we do work with the operations team to make sure our guests can celebrate in style without impacting on him and his guests. We have to be conscious of the noise levels and the use of fireworks, but they’re still possible, and we always work to find the right solution for our guests.” Here are Emma Rogers top tips on creating beautiful events in stately homes: 1. Sometimes the function room is so ornate that it needs very little decoration to create an impact. On the other hand a simply decorated room allows you to go to town on the decorations and make an impact, using just the right colours. You do not want to be fighting against the decoration already available, but enhancing and complimenting it to create the right look. 2. Many function rooms in stately rooms have very high ceilings so you can afford to go tall with the decorations for maximum impact. Depending on the time of year/day candles can also be combined with flowers to create a subtle glow throughout the function room after dark. 3. We always recommend canapés during reception drinks. The number of canapés depends on the length of the reception drinks but we always recommend a minimum of 4 per person with a good mix of meat, fish and vegetarian. The canapés which work well are those traditional English ones which reflect the feel of the venue, including Baby Oxford Bangers and Mash, Quails Eggs with Smoked Paprika and Celery Salt and Carpaccio of Beef on a Parmesan Sable Biscuit 4. Be mindful of the fact that your venue may be a visitor attraction and open to the public. It may also be a private family residence. Obtain as much information as early as possible regarding any operational restrictions. 5. Some stately homes offer event planners and they will work with the best florists and musicians in the area. These suppliers will be fully aware of what they can and can't do, access times to the historic venue, set up procedures and delivery times. 6. Most historic venues and stately homes have beautiful grounds; ask what is available and make the most of all of the space. 7. The food is of great importance. Choose a venue which sources food locally and offers you a food tasting to choose the menu. 8. Very few stately homes have their own accommodation but they are likely to have good rates with local hotels. Many will send minibuses to collect the guests at the end of the evening. Always check and ask what is included in the facility fee - beware of hidden costs, potential additional costs such as security and parking. For information on meetings and events Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, please click here.
Set in the stunning parkland of Burghley House, the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials offers that elusive ‘something different’ at one of Britain’s favourite events. Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th September, 2010
Back of the net! With Newcastle United back where it belongs in the Premier League, now's the time to get on board with the winning team by holding your next meeting, conference or event at Newcastle's own St James' Park