Events – much like a club sandwich
26 April 2017
Parties, events, receptions, soirees: much like a club sandwich aren’t they?
Having enjoyed this month’s edition of Conference News, I did pull a wry smile at Rob Davidson’s piece on sideshows, entitling his article ‘The hand of sideshow Rob,’ a clear reference to our yellow friends The Simpsons. He talked about having his hand made out of wax at a recent conference in Dubai and what a great ice-breaker it was as crowds of people gathered to watch him do it.
And it then occurred to me that this tiny element of the conference was just that, along with millions of other layers, aspects, ideas and logistics. A club sandwich if you like. The Club is the king of all sandwiches isn’t it? You won’t make one at home but given the option at a hotel by a pool on holiday you’ll go for it; because it’s the big daddy, it’s a treat and why on earth not? All those layers of deliciousness just for you to enjoy.
That’s what events are really aren’t they? Huge social occasions containing lots of aspects: creativity, style, originality, foresight and seamless organisation. In one way or another we all manage events; whether it’s a family gathering at Easter or a kid’s birthday party or your full-time job. However, the real trick is understanding what aspects are going to keep people entertained and talking about your event way after it’s finished. The icing on the cake if you will, but oh so important!
That’s the other thing about events, keeping ahead of the curve, something we’re no stranger to here. At Madame Tussauds alone we launch ten new figures a year. On top of that we also launch new attractions within the attraction such as The Voice and Kong, so no party is ever the same and all are highly interactive and fun. At SEA LIFE London we’ve just opened Ocean Invaders, the UK’s largest jellyfish exhibit with hundreds of beautifully coloured jellies that create the most incredible entrance to any event. Talking of which there’s a SEA LIFE silent disco this Friday, how cool is that? (And there are still tickets too, check it out here: Silent Disco Tickets) Then we’ve got the new Jekyll and Hyde show at London Dungeon, which tells the tale of Richard Mansfield, the actor who was so convincing at playing Hyde, the police suspected him of the Ripper murders.
So, it’s important to offer something that no-one else has thought of, that elusive ‘WOW’ factor, which we have in spades at Merlin venues. In fact, we’ve just got in these uber cool edible cocktails, not vodka jellies, proper edible cocktails. Drinks are so passé darling!!!
We have wax hands too, so Rob is very welcome to pop down and get his other hand cast if he so wishes and we’ll give it to him for free. You can’t get bored at a Merlin venue, there’s just too much fun stuff to engage with!