Somebody in the office did ask me what and how do you get knighthood. Was it Sir Richard Hadlee’s services to cricket or services to charities that he received this accolade? I am not sure and would welcome anybody’s thoughts. I know there are only a few Sir’s in cricket, Sir Ian Botham …who else? All I know that Sir Richard Hadlee is a genuinely nice person and will be a wonderful asset to the breakfast we are holding at The Landmark Hotel. Would have liked to have had a few more attendees but New Zealand Cricket Team aren’t the greatest pull…I have found out. Sorry!

Hellen has another early start tomorrow to be there at 08.00am but that’s events for you!

Team Tactics
01227 738280

You are reading this absolutely correctly. No they couldn’t give us phone lines. So in desperation we used one line that came from another building and split it between 5 phones, 4 PC’s with email and internet, 1 fax….through something called VOIP. However at that time, by which time I had aged 10 years, VOIP kept on falling over, which resulted in our clients being cut on in mid flow and not being able to communicate to the outside world.

So in desperation measures, we had a call centre answer our calls for 10 months and they could patch us through using only one line at a time. How we survived I don’t know but we had a cracking year. No thanks to BT. We were put up to High Level complaints and a guy called Steve Fisk has been holding our hand ever since.

We have had BT phones installed on the 18th February and it was truly amazing to have incoming calls after so long! However we are still using VOIP for internet and email. Trying to move this across to our correct line should be easy but it seems not and when we tried last week, it seems to have opened up a whole can of worms.

Anyway, had enough today and still not sorted so logging out and giving up.

From a miserable, unhappy bunny!

Sailing – Cowes
Trying to source a Beneteau 47.3 for one of our regular clients. Got an excellent boat and just awaiting confirmation.

Xmas party for 200 guests with a difference!
We have suggested a wonderful River Thames Boat called the Silver Sturgeon that has just undergone a multi-million £ revamp and theming the event a Latin American Carnival/ street party. I love the proposal I have sent last week and have got very excited about this projected December party. Fingers crossed they can go with the dates now left. We have incorporated drag queens, salsa dancing, cigar rolling, live cabaret performers, rum tasting, Rio de Janeiro style carnival procession and capoiera dancers. Can I come??!!

House of Commons – client drink’s party
We are working with a top legal law firm to organise a fabulous drinks reception on the Terrace at the Houses of Parliament in September. We need to dress the marquee on the Terrace and will get some flower companies and lighting companies to come up with some contemporary ideas for the area. Progressing nicely though my contact is abroad currently.

Henley Regatta
I have dealt with a number of enquiries for hospitality at Henley Regatta. Not blowing our own trumpet…. much, but I do feel our two facilities are very smart. We offer one very contemporary enclosure called The River Lounge and another more traditional facility called Fawley Meadows. You know, having a moan here, there are some very pushy sales people, one of which works for the biggest events company in the market. They must be getting desperate for business looking at the way they treated one of our new clients. Here’s what happened. ..We had the Marriott Group book 30 places with us and this big events company called them and was trying to say that Team Tactics were not official blah blah and to book with them. Luckily our client had already had a referral from someone else within The Marriott and told them very politely no thank you!!

Polish Farmers over to the UK
Unfortunately, sometimes you put in all the effort and turn it around very quickly and they don’t always happen. We had a Polish events company call us which was a referral. Their client Syngenta (farmers) wanted a 5 day event, two days in London, sightseeing, gala dinner, trips around the farms, then three days in London, with sightseeing, London Eye, medieval banquet etc. I worked on this for a couple of days last week and unfortunately heard today that she believed her client had already booked the event but was just comparing the price. Anyway, its interesting as we seem to be doing more work with Polish event management companies and I know Hellen is meeting one in London this week.

Tower of London Music Festival
We are still getting absolutely loads of enquiries for the Tower of London Music Festival and can’t do anything about it as the main organisers haven’t released any information as yet. In fact they were very cross we had put the date on our website – sorry – Harvey Goldsmith. I am honestly not sure if there will be an event in London this year but will await with baited breath.

Corporate trip to Paris – with wine tasting
We have selected a fabulous top of the range 5 Star hotel for our clients who have wanted a VIP trip to Paris. We have also included our Wine Tasting event to make more of the day. I have been instructed today to email the booking form for September 11th. Yes when our internet is up I jest!! (Phil, come on get the internet up PLEASE!!) Team Tactics provides a range of events to France including the best of the best, The Champagne trip around Epernay.

6.00pm and now receiving emails but can’t send any out! Progress at least!

Tina Benson
Team Tactics
01227 738280

Client Comment
”Hi Tina,

Sorry that I missed you, but just to say a huge thanks for all of your help with organising the antiques evening last night. By all accounts it was a great success and after speaking to many of the delegates this morning, it was greatly enjoyed all round. Thanks so much for helping sort this at very late notice, it really was much appreciated! If you could also pass on my thanks to Thomas when you are next in contact that would be great, i’ve heard that he was a great host for the night.

I’ll defintely be recommending team tactics to other groups at PwC looking for a similar event.”

We feel the event’s success has been largely due to our fantastic venue. With wonderful high ceilings, bags of natural light and a modern yet relaxed decor, our facility allows client to run meetings, presentations (and even wine tastings events!) as a pre-curser to a cookery team building session. Be it a group senior management running a client evening event or a truly informal and fun staff cookery session, the emphasis can be adapted to ‘cater’ perfectly for both.

We do offer our clients the option to choose a menu of their choice (Thai, Singaporean, Chinese etc) but generally we find a blend of all the menus works best. This not only allows a varied and more wholehearted practical (spice blending, cucumber nut relish, steamed fish in banana leaves, pork and prawn dumplings) but makes for the most fabulous sit down three course meal with wine. Of course, in-case the groups fall a little short with their culinary prowess, our chefs will add a few dishes to supplement the banquet.

If you have any kind of cookery event in mind to check our page here, but better still give us a call to discuss on 01227 738 280

RM

Hellen and I met our group at the Blueprint Cafe (part of the Design Museum) that fronts onto the River Thames last Friday for a taste of what we offer to our clients.

As we walked along from London Bridge to the Design Museum, we were blasted along by the wind….what a trip this was going to be! I am one of those unfortunate people who suffer from travel sickness so I began to wonder if I was doing the right thing!
Fear not. What a brilliant time we had. On the RIB, I was like a kid, propped up to get a birdseye view of the Thames and all the powerboats ahead of us.

What we really liked about the event was the fast boating experience at the other side of the Thames Barrier, when our skipper really put the throttle down!
Also seeing the amazing views and landmarks along the River Thames, the 02, House of Commons, Big Ben, Tate Modern just to mention a few. Here are a few pictures of the action.

I can honestly say that this was one of the windiest and coldest days and it was great fun. So no problems with the weather I can assure anyone!

Happy boating!

Tina Benson
Team Tactics

We (actually Hellen and Laura now!) are delighted to be working with a Polish events company, Zebra Events on behalf of their client, Avon Cosmetics. The programme really does look fabulous. The first evening starts with dinner at the world renowned Galvin at Windows. The next day there will be a tour of London with Avon decals along the side, stop over at the London Eye and lunch at a typical English pub. The event with culminate in a show-stopping Gala Dinner with the Bootleg Beatles, amazing lighting and coloured linen, covered chairs with bows…and some stunnning flower displays. We hope the client will chose a harpist, some living statues and a look-a-like.

Talking of look-a-likes, did anyone see The Apprentice last night? I thought David Beckham was a perfect choice, shame so many of the candidates wanted to stab each other in the back. Almost wanted to turn the TV off!

Anyway we hope to show you some stunning pictures of the evening soon.

Tina Benson
Team Tactics
01227 738280
www.teamtactics.co.uk

Click here for details for hospitality at the European Open which Colin Montgomerie won at last year’s European Open at the K Club.

I know the London Golf Club well as I played there a year or so ago and, surprisingly played good golfer…okay ….for me!! Also its rare for a major event to be held in our county KENT!!

The London Golf Club boasts superb facilities and the course is in fantastic condition.

However, to participate in some golf yourself at an Open Championship golf course, do have a look at our golf event Team Tactics is running at Turnberry (venue for the Open Championships 2009) - should be a fabulous event and am looking forward to joining in the fun too. Click here for all details.

Another point to mention quickly is that when Hellen and I were on a site visit in the Algarve, Portugal, both of us sat down and said to each other…’why were we not promoting the fact we know Portugal, we run golf days, sailing days, spa etc’ …and we are not promoting something we know so well? So watch this space!

Tina Benson
Team Tactics
01227 738280
www.teamtactics.co.uk

Each area or zone we provided represented a region of the globe. New creative challenges & skills needed be mastered before regrouping for the finale performance.

The teams experiencing three different types of rythmic team building activities in each zone, …..The Haka (Maori War tribal dance), Junk Funk (using ladders, bins, boxes and other ‘junk’!) plus the ever popular range of Drums

JUNK FUNK
It might all look like rubbish and random objects, but by the end of this workshop participants can’t believe how great it all sounds. Using familiar house hold items & some useless rubbish, your team will rehearse and perform a multi tasked routine with the help of our ‘Junk Funk’ professional performers.

The results never fail to amaze… a mop and bucket may never quite look the same again!

HAKA WORKSHOP
For this part of the event, everyone is on their feet, warrior faces at the ready…some faces painted…all committed to this powerful and moving ritual.

Feel and see a new side to your people. This tribal event led by our passionate New Zealand instructors, is a fantastic addition.

The whole afternoon and evening was held for two reasons. Firstly, two offices were combining into one. However, secondly, due to a few redundancies, the company wanted to ‘lift’ the rest of the workforce, to demonstrate that those that were still with the company were valued and that their careers were both safe and secure. What better way to do this and inspire the group with lots of fun by providing this creative platform for individual expression ….Global Music Experience.

Global Music Experience is a high energy event. Our rhythm activities provide;

- inspired energy
- big entertainment
- sense of team achievement
- new company unity

Client comment
‘I have to say that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day. The event brought people together and will be talked about for some time to come. The Team Tactics staff on the day were friendly, helpful and organised. I am more than satisfied’

Tina Benson
Team Tactics
01227 738280
www.teamtactics.co.uk

Excluding the Liverpool v West Ham final, the season finales involving the ‘top four’ have a tendancy to disappoint so this year’s final between the Premiership’s Portsmouth and the Championship’s Cardiff promises a more open and entertaining match.

Our FA Cup Final Hospitality only package comes with Champagne reception, three couse lunch and the all important complimenary bar. So click here for more information or contact us to make a booking and reserve your table.