Serenity London Launch

So after a year of being in business, we decided with the birth of our new sister company Serenity London Event Staffing, January 2016 would be the best time to launch Serenity London Group.

Having a launch event for any business is always beneficial - it creates awareness.

As event planners, this was a joy for us (even though planning an Event for ourselves actually proved harder than for a client - who knew we were so fussy?!)

With the help of all of our business partners, we were able to come together to create an event with all the factors - and chic venue in the heart of Chelsea, versatile DJs, an amazing sweet-cart, some pretty stunning centerpieces, a high tech photo-booth, a magician that will have you questioning your eyesight, alcohol bubbling all night long, a goody-bag full of samples, vouchers and information, and of course, the best mini cupcakes, brownies and fruit tarts you will ever try!

As well as inviting our closest family and friends, this event was more for networking and meeting new faces - and that we did!

We had the pleasure of meeting many individuals from all different working backgrounds, from fashion to tech, fitness, mechanics, marketing, advertising, bloggers and many more.

It was wonderful to meet with like minded business individuals and to hear their stories, hopes and plans for the future.

So, if you have a business or product and have yet to have or even thought of having an official launch, our advice to you - do it!

Put yourself out there, be confident in your brand that you want to introduce it to the world, you never know what could come out of a single encounter with a new face!

So here’s Serenity’s top tips for your launch:

1- Timing - make sure you/your team/your product is where it needs to be before launching, don’t rush - these things take time, but when the time is right, go for it!

2- Attention to detail - the small touches can make the biggest difference. The extra you put in can be what you get out. Give everyone who has taken the time to attend your launch something to remember. With us this wasn't hard as event planning and detail is what we do - but in whatever field, show off your talent and abilities in any way you can. The effort and lengths you go to even show the passion you have in your business and it will sell not only you but your services. 

3- Who attends - Now this one's a biggie. Make sure you think long and hard about the audience you’re attracting. As much as you know you could probably fill up a room with your friends and family - that’s not the objective. Think about potential clients/customers, reach out to like-minded business, individuals that you would like in your network.

4- Make sure your guests leave with something - We provided a gift bag for our guests, as well as packing it full of goodies and vouchers from different companies - the most important piece of content for us was providing everyone who attending with our 2016 brochure.This brochure included all of the relevant information about our company and all of our contact details in a sleek, modern booklet.

5- If in doubt of any of the above and feel like you wouldn’t know when to start - email us at events@serenitylondon.co.uk :)

The Only Way Is Uber

Whether you need a way to the airport, a way back from a festival or want to pop to your friends of a night, it seems as though the new age way of transport is indeed...an Uber!

For those who don’t know, Uber Taxi is an American multinational online taxi dispatch company headquartered in San Francisco, California, and work in all regions in a world. Uber was founded in 2009 and you use the service via an app.

So it’s as simple as this, you download the app, create an account using your email address and billing information and you’re pretty much good to go! Using location services on your phone, your app is able to pick up where you are and all you have to do is put in the postcode of where you need to be. The app will then locate you a nearby driver and give you an estimated time until arrival.

As event planners, we find we are in often need of a taxi. Going to and from venues and meetings with clients,  especially when they are in the central London area in the day as the congestion charge can be pricey as well as parking and public transport is no help when you have a lot to carry! Uber has been our favoured way of transport due to the efficiency of the drivers, the quick and easy way to book a cab on the move and also the competitive prices that they offer!

Below are our top 5 reasons why we think you should use an Uber to get to and from all the best events this summer!

 1. Safety - Uber provide you with the make and number plate of the taxi and also a picture of your driver (which does give you that extra bit of security...and helps the prevention of the embarrassment of  trying to get into a strangers car asking them to get you to wireless as quick as they can) We encourage you to always share these details if you are alone.

2. Reassurance - The app provides you with a live map where you can track the car to see where abouts they are...So there is no excuse to leave them outside waiting! This gives you control and reassurance before the taxi has even reached you.

3. Convenience - There is no need to have to make an extra stop to a cashpoint on your journey if you don’t have cash; Uber is linked to your debit card using paypal and once you are at your destination you can hop out and the payment comes out automatically! Wait! It gets better - if you’re riding with a friend, the app also gives you the option to split the fair with the ease of a click! Simple, fast and effective

4. Professionalism - At Uber drivers earn their reputation - At the end of your journey you will be asked to rate your driver out of 5 stars…this is to do with his performance, attitude, driving and overall experience in the ride (that means having a clean and pleasant smelling car!). This is a way for Uber to keep track on their drivers and the experiences they are providing. If the driver has a high rating it means they are consistent in their work, however a regular low rating driver will be flagged up to Uber and handled with.  

5. Discount - Last but not least, the reason we think you should sign up and use Uber this summer, is because you can earn your first free ride from Serenity London Events! We have teamed up with Uber and are offering you a free ride up to £15 using our code SLEUBER15. We hope that you enjoy using Uber and have your first free ride on us!

Our Summer Event Essentials

As we enter June and we are seeing more sunshine we know for sure the ‘summer’ event and festival season is about to begin. We all have an event to attend or coordinate every weekend and we rush around finding outfits to wear or ensuring everything is in place as we might need to be in two places at once! So I thought I would share a few of my summer essentials that will be with me everywhere I go this summer.

My 1st must have item is my chargeable phone case. Having two phones during June, July and August is not enough to ensure you are always reachable or can contact someone if need be. This does mean the Lumee cases may have to come off at some point of the evening but I just find it is so much easier than carrying your charger and looking for a port to use; if that is even an option at the events venue. I purchased mine from https://www.iphonepro.co.uk/ however you can find cheaper on Amazon, but I recommend you check the power capacity levels when doing so.

My makeup go to is Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H (thanks to @madeupbyisa) and MAC Lightful-C-Tinted-Cream. I have found a combination of the two lasts all day and they feel very light on the skin. Using a small amount is enough for the perfect coverage and lightweight summer look.

I tend to avoid carrying a great amount of makeup with me however I ensure I have Vichy AQUALIA THERMAL lip balm and my favourite Matte lipstick which is either MAC Whirl or Maybelline Nude Thrill Vivid Matte.

A good sized secure bag is essential. On a busy day of setting up, travelling or attending events I ensure my bags have zips. Somehow it gives me peace of mind when out and about or working and avoids my ‘WHERES MY!’ moments. Mango, PLT and Next are currently my favourite high street brands at the moment for bags.

As a Londoner from birth I have been blessed with witnessing  4 seasons of weather in one day. So during the days I am attending outdoor events I ensure I carry a compact rain mac. For anyone visiting the wonderful City of London this summer I advise you do the same. Even though I am always hopeful, you never know when you will need it and they truly take up very little space. I brought my most recent one from http://www.millets.co.uk/.

Finally as an event organiser comfy shoes is a must during work hours. Puma have been doing uber comfy and cute trainers. For heels I have purchased a few pairs from Zara, reasonably prices and you can be in them all night with no pain. Sandals are always exciting to buy and I have brought a few from Aldo, Topshop and Missguided.

If you have any summer event essentials please share with us!

S x

Ps. keep an eye out on our blog for our events calendar and recommendations.