London...On A Budget

Summer can be a busy time for us all; festivals, holidays, shopping the new trends, bars and bbq’s and the general urge to not stay indoors when the sun in shining!

Sounds good right? And probably a little expensive huh?

Well this blog is dedicated to some of the amazing and different events and activities you can do this summer in London… all on a budget!

London; one of the most famous cities in the world and sometimes, to us Londoners, one that we can often take for granted. What inspired me to write this blog was a recent site visit to the iconic Shard. Whilst nearing the top floor I peered out of the window and was left astonished by the stunning view and skyline. Sky scraping buildings with amazing architecture, surrounded by cobbled roads that ooze history. The hustle and bustle of the city is mesmerising...and it really did leave a taste of wanting and discovery (especially as I have lived in London my whole life!)

Whist on my search for different  things to do this summer… I came to the realisation that  exploring my city doesn’t actually have to be pricey at all. In fact, I came across many reasonably priced (and even some free) events.

Here are my TOP 5 picks for the hottest pocket friendly things to do this summer:

1- The view from the Shard - Experience the views from the highest building in London for a real breathtaking activity. Tickets on the official website start at £25 however last minute.com and often Wowcher have tickets for as little as £18.95! I would personally recommend this and also ensuring you sign up to websites that give you these wonderful offers. This is great to do with a loved one, some friends or even alone! Bring a good camera and make sure you get some amazing shots!

2- Urban Food Festival - This is a must! We love our food here at Serenity London and the Urban Food Festival in the heart of shoreditch has an amazing range of food from vegan to italian, to the warm spices of the Asian cuisine, to good old grub with some mouthwatering fully loaded burgers, sweet desserts and drink stalls (including some cocktails to die for).  Entry is free, food is not - unfortunately - but is very reasonably priced and you can often grab a meal for just £10 (appetite depending - of course). They are open from midday to midnight every Saturday on Shoreditch High Street. So whether you want to stuff your face, or simply just go for a cocktail, the atmosphere and ambience is immense, and being in the heart of London going for a stroll in the city after you can’t go wrong!

3- Comedy nights - because we all love a good old giggle right?! We discovered this gem while site viewing nearby - Angel Comedy. This is a comedy house on Camden walk that offers various FREE weekly comedy nights. Monday - improvisation night, Tuesday - Edinburgh festival best bits  - Wednesday - ‘So you think you’re funny?’ competition, Thursday - a night of potential and variety - Friday & Saturday are their Flagship nights (Still free!) and Sundays are their Raw comedy evenings. This is wonderful for a night for a good old giggle - and a potentially free night in the buzzing area of Camden. (Thank us later)

4- Fun Educational Trip - In London we are fortunate to have wide range of beautiful, historic, fun and informative museums that never get old (no pun intended). Our favourite one for these summer months is the Natural History Museum. A classic museum that any Londoner would of probably attended on a school trip, but one that you can only appreciate fully when you re-attend as an adult. The natural history museum showcases some wonderful artifacts with many interactive attractions such as body snatchers: eaten alive by parasitic wraps, Spotlight: Tiger Longwing, Rainbow Nature: most colourful creatures, The making of colour and vision, dual gender butterfly and zebra butterfly to name a few. This is a fun day out for families, couples and friends and it really is a nostalgic experience to take you back to your childhood and re live this magical place. Entry is completely free as well as all the attractions but there is the option for night time experiences for adults and children that you can check out on their website. Perfect for a work event or a perfect date night!

5- For our sweet tooth readers - our favourite (& cheapest!) dessert joint in London - My old dutch. Spoiling you with not only one, but 3 cosy venues scattered around town - Kensington, Chelsea and Holburn, this is a Serenity London Must Go. With the most expensive dessert on the A La carte menu being a mere £10.95 you can not go wrong in visiting. The waffles, pancakes and crepes are to die for ranging from sweet to savoury with flavours such as classic maple syrup and butter to an edgier pear and cinnamon (I know - my mouth just watered too) and savoury crepes from smoked salmon and cream cheese to bolognese! My old dutch simply caters for all - also including gluten free products across all of their menus. They also cater for big groups and parties so whether it be a children’s birthday or for adults  celebrations or simply looking to treat yourself and really go out on ‘cheat day’ this is a fun and quirky place to go!

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!