5 tips on returning to safe live events
Our priority will always be the safety and comfort of our guests, clients and the team at 116 Pall Mall, so rest assured every measure will be taken to make your event, wedding, or party as secure as it is special. Now, before we all get carried away planning a gathering to celebrate every possible situation we can imagine, here are a few things to bear in mind to return to live, in-person events safely.
Any time is party time!
The flexibility we’ve all enjoyed with virtual and hybrid events has meant we’ve broken the mould of when and where a certain type of event should be held. Company parties should be in the evening, weddings should be in the early afternoon, conferences should start in the morning.. not anymore! Being flexible with the time and date of your events in future is beneficial for a number of reasons – firstly, the working day (and therefore free time as well) has changed and people are setting their own hours so they can be available for meetings and celebrations when they ordinarily wouldn’t. Scheduling your face-to-face event outside of rush hour, or busy times of the day, also means your guests may be more confident in travelling into central London to 116 Pall Mall, whereas other times might cause concern as we ease out of lockdown.
Think outside the... ballroom
Alongside dates and times of events changing as a result of our experiences over the last year, where we hold celebrations has also adapted. When organising your next meeting, party or ceremony, keep an open mind on where your event is held – we have a range of different spaces with a variety of styles, capacities, layouts and décor – which means you no longer have to host a conference in a meeting room, you could have it in a ballroom, your awards ceremony could take place in our restaurant or bar, or your team building session could take over our state-of-the-art academy. The diversity of spaces at 116 Pall Mall is well known – we’ve featured in tv and blockbuster films as everything from government briefing rooms to grand banquet scenes, proving the flexibility and adaptability of our building (and our staff!)
Look ahead
We know how long a lot of people have waited to be able to have their weddings, birthday parties or other celebrations at 116 Pall Mall, and we’ve waited just as long to welcome you through our doors! With that in mind, we’re anticipating our calendar booking up fast, and so would recommend getting in touch with our team as soon as you can to discuss your event. To explore our event spaces in the meantime, if you’re unable to visit 116 Pall Mall, you can take a virtual tour of the building here to give you a feel of the personality and potential of our venue.
Know your rights
In the excitement of being able to plan, book and host in-person events again, make sure you don’t overlook important clauses and agreement terms in your contract. Most venues are offering more flexible terms than ever before – to protect not only your event but also themselves and their suppliers (because don’t forget, venues have their own contracts to negotiate too!) – so be sure get these agreements in writing, not just a verbal confirmation during a venue tour or check-in phone call. And while we’re all busier than ever too, do take the time to contact your venue with any questions you might have – it’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially during a period of such change.
Keep a hybrid event as an option in case restrictions change
We mentioned hybrid events earlier on, but they’re a great addition to – not just replacement for – live gatherings. Now that limits on group sizes are easing and will be a thing of the past in a few months, we can use virtual events to enhance the experience of your guests live in the room, and to include those who are unable to travel. The team at 116 Pall Mall want to host your event as much as you want to hold it, so anything we can do to make it as special as possible for as many of your guests as possible, we’ll do.
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EVENT SPACE FOR HIRE AT 116 PALL MALL
116 Pall Mall, a historic, Grade-1 listed Georgian masterpiece in the heart of London can be hired as a venue for any kind of event, from weddings to conferences, launch parties to fashion shows.
For more information on how 116 Pall Mall is tackling the coronavirus outbreak, or for more information on our party packages for the rest of the year, make an enquiry