Being an experienced event planner means that even though it's the middle of August and the UK is having it's best summer in decades...you still need to be prepared!
So on the day we organised a small group to attend a race meeting at Sandown, followed by Nile Rodgers and Chic...of course it would be the first day of rain we had seen in nearly two months! We came prepared and so did our clients ready with our waterproofs ready for anything.
Thankfully, the weather turned and it was on the whole a beautiful evening in Surrey. We literally had a short storm hit right on the last scheduled race of the evening...but that just added to the excitement and drama of the race. It also threw the odds everywhere making it very profitable for some! ;)
Like most courses and venues, there are quite a range of hospitality options you can have here. All are very good standard and can be tailored for size of your group and budget. For this type of occasion though, I'm not sure you necessarily need to go for this route? There is nothing quite like a day at the races, and experiencing it from a private suite, or a hospitality area is something you should definately experience.
However, events such as this where it's late afternoon evening, followed by a concert. There is something to be said about treating this with a real festival feel. So get in with the Tic-Tac Bookies, stand by the fence and cheer your horse on, and certainly get involved on the floor with the concert.
Hospitality in our opinion works best over longer time periods. You can relax and take full advantage of the service, the viewing area and hold conversation. Events such as this depending on your group and what you want from the day/evening it may be a missed opportunity?
For example, as like our group we found the racing as a bit of fun and the main focus being the concert. Being up in a private section provided a great view and nice seats, but lacked the energy and environment to enjoy a good dance. So we took the group down and got in involved in it all...and a really good dance!
There are also a couple of "out of the box" options you could look at too. Like hiring out the Champagne and Cocktail London Bus in the outdoor food court. This provides a great base for viewing the racing and the concert afterwards. You can always find alternative unique opportunities at most venues...if you know or ask about them.
As we always say, before booking make sure you have all the information and costs. Therefore you can ensure making the right choices on location, entertainment and costs for your event.
Or...you could simply allow us the opportunity to provide an incredible occasion for you and your guests, planned perfectly and suiting all needs and within the budget!