Spring Summer Tickets With Liaise.Live

For work or play, sometimes you need to get out of the office…

Away days and team building exercises dont have to be a cringe-worthy day of catching Robert from Accounts as he falls into your arms, or ’showing your mettle’ on a terrifying assault course. There are so many options across the UK and with more people doing it, we thought we’d send some helpful tips your way.

How to Plan an Effective Team Away Day

Tip 1: Think – what do you want to achieve?

Is there a project that needs to be brainstormed and brought to the next stage? Is it more about building better relations within the team? Or purely about getting out and having some fun? The most effective away days keep their focus front and centre.

Tip 2: Pick your location carefully.

The perfect country manor might have all the bedrooms you need and a lake with a boat that your CEO would love, but if it’s 4 hours drive and far from a train station, your team will be tired and frustrated before the event event starts (not to mention the cost of getting everyone there.)

Tip 3: Find the right balance between corporate and fun

Yes, you need to get the job done, but the whole point of leaving the office is to not be in the office! Your staff want to feel considered and valued, and everyone knows that happy staff are more productive.

Tip 4: Set a sustainable pace.

There might be 8 working hours in a day, but remember, you’re not in the office for a reason. So plan that seminar in the morning and a brainstorming session that afternoon, but don’t fill every last minute with mentally draining or physically demanding activities. Again, happy staff are more productive, so remember to include down time, bathroom breaks and refreshments to keep up the energy. And if you’ve gone to the countryside, get out into nature! Perhaps try an activity you haven’t before, like foraging or archery, and better still, make these extra-curricular activities multi-choice, so nobody has to do anything they will dread.

Tip 5: Follow up on the day.

Whether it’s an email to everyone who attended with information on the outcomes and objectives achieved, a voucher for them to enjoy that new skill they learnt again, or perhaps a photo book gift to remember the black tie dinner or the time Emily won the best cake contest, it’s something for your team to remember the day by and hopefully build lasting connections.

Away Day Inspiration

If the day truly is ‘away’ from the office with no work involved, perhaps one of the following might be just the ticket…

Set Sail With Sunseeker

Sunseeker offer wonderful day trip options around the Solent and beyond, so with Summer months approaching, what could be better than a day charter with a stop off for lunch on the Isle of Wight. A range of boats and routes can be organised for small and larger groups. When the options are as bespoke as the client, it’s time to set sail!

The Ambassador Theatre Group

Ambassador VIP is the new hospitality service from the Ambassador Theatre Group, bringing the finest experiences that theatre has to offer. Their repertoire currently includes Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, hotly anticipated Mean Girls, Tom Holland in Romeo & Juliet, Wicked and Olivier award winning Stranger Things, which quite frankly has to be seen to be believed! With Ambassador VIP you can expect a private suite with drinks and luxury food, private bathrooms, your own cloakroom, a brochure for the show, the best seats in the house and dedicated VIP hosts to look after you all night.

Hospitality at Tottenham Stadium

If sport is more your game, how about a hospitality package at Tottenham Stadium? The private boxes are perfect for enjoying the match or show with your team or clients. Offering unrivalled views of the pitch from premium matchday seats, or indeed the stage, if it’s one of their world-class concerts, a Tottenham Hotspur hospitality box promises a truly exceptional experience. With delicious dining options, your own private bar, access from 3 hours before show time, car parking, heated seats and a screen inside, the box has everything you need to make it a great time.

If you’d like to discuss ideas for an away day or would like contacts for any private house or estate rentals across the UK and beyond, contact Alex.

The art of designing a statement exhibition

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is back again this May for its annual floral extravaganza. For 2024, global design brand Andrew Martin is set to make a triumphant return to the prestigious event, in partnership with Pinewood Studios, captivating visitors with a spectacular stand showcasing the latest outdoor furniture, fabrics, and cushions.

Bringing theatrical drama to the design landscape

Located at stand RBG113, the Andrew Martin exhibit is inspired by Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stephenson’s and French painter, Paul Gauguin’s journeys to the South Seas. The design conjures up that 19th century fantasy for an idyllic desert island. Both men, when at the height of their creative powers, took the enormous risk of travelling halfway around the world – exiling themselves from their homelands and setting up in the South Seas. They had set out in search of restorative conditions, exotic inspiration, and a healthier place to live. Both banked on the receptivity of their established audiences, who appreciated the novelty of the work they delivered from such remote shores.

Designed and built in collaboration with Pinewood Studios, renowned for their movie-making magic, Andrew Martin brings cinematic enchantment to the world’s most prestigious flower show with its spectacular display which will feature a waterfall with over 12,000 litres of water and an ancient wooden rice barn at its centre, promising to be one of the most theatrical and immersive stands at this year’s show.

Immersive Experiences

Since 1978, Andrew Martin has been at the forefront of global interior design, shaping furniture, fabric, and wallpaper trends through the decades. Founder Martin Waller is often described as ‘the Indiana Jones’ of interior design, known for his adventurous spirit, endless curiosity, and innovative approach. A trip to the brand’s showrooms in London has been likened to ‘stepping into Aladdin’s Cave’, offering a beautiful mix of new furniture designs, exotic objects, and antiques that create a memorable shopping experience.

Andrew Martin’s impressive stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show promises to deliver the same sense of adventure – celebrating creativity, global influences, and the effortless integration of interior-inspired design into outdoor living spaces. Visitors are invited to embark on a sensory journey, where imagination knows no bounds and every corner reveals a new world of possibilities.

New Collections

The stand will showcase Andrew Martin’s newest fabric and cushion collection, Argonaut, alongside the brand’s best-selling outdoor range. Inspired by legendary tales and faraway lands, Argonaut comprises three outdoor fabric designs available in a variety of colours.

Argo: Named after the ship from Greek mythology, built by the gods to help Jason and the Argonauts sail from Lolcos to Cochis, Argo features a vertical stripe design with an irregular stitch effect in rich spice colours, fresh denim blues, and smart faded greys.

Trojan: Drawing inspiration from the ancient city of Troy, Trojan boasts an ornate geometric pattern and highlighted stitch. Available in warm colours, fresh white with denim blues, and neutral greys, Trojan adds a touch of timeless elegance to any outdoor setting.

Azorus: Transporting you to the beautiful beaches of North Africa, Azorus is a Moroccan-inspired textile with a faded ground and intricate printed stitch motifs. Available in faded denim and grey, Azorus evokes a sense of exotic charm and sophistication.