Potting Shed Event Academy

17/11/2023

Venues don't have to blow your budget.

Here are some other venues you might like to consider when looking for somewhere to hold your event:

Universities - If you are happy to hold your event during the academic holidays, universities are a great budget friendly option with large spaces available.

Wedding venues - A great option out of 'wedding season'. These venues are used to events and have versatile spaces. these venues will be looking for additional 'out of season' bookings and may be open to deals.

Restaurants - Some of these spaces have additional rooms, especially for events, so if you are looking for a no or low tech event space this could be a great option. If you want the whole restaurant, do check if the venue charges an exclusivity fee.

Village Hall - We appreciate this sounds like a strange option but, especially in the countryside, there tend to be a lot of lovely village halls that are empty more than they are full. They are generally very thankful for bookings and income and will do their best to help. They tend to be dry hire, which means you may have to hire everything in (tables, chairs etc) but what you can save on venue costs you can put towards these other items.

Coffee shops - If your first event really is a toe in the water event to get a few key people together and your budget is minimal, try approaching independent coffee shop owners. They may be happy to lay on tea, coffee and cakes for a couple of hours in the evening while you use their space. Small business owners tend to like to support other small business owners.

Events can take place anywhere that can support the requirements, so don't feel stuck by tradition, think outside the box!

13/11/2023

We are absolutely thrilled at the response we've had to our discounted 'A beginner's guide to planning an event'!

Thank you so much to everyone that has downloaded a copy, we love knowing that you're taking the first steps to organising your own events and taking your business to the next level.

We want to be there every step of the way, so do keep an eye on our social media channels for videos and guidance posts. If you need more, pick up the phone and have a chat with us, we would be happy to provide one to one consultation.

For those who couldn't make their minds up in time, we are excited to say that due to the response we have received, we are extending the offer until midnight tonight (13th November)!

Head to our website and use the code 50OFF before midnight.

12/11/2023

There are only 6 hours left of our half price discount for 'A beginner's guide to planning an event' so make sure you head over to our website (link in the bio) to take advantage of this great offer before it ends! Make sure you note 50OFF as the code for your discount.

Our beginners’ course will give you all the basic information you need to start running your own, successful events. It is broken down into sections and we cover:

* Venue
* Agenda
* Pricing
* Communication

Once you have completed the course you will be all set and ready to use events to make a positive impact in your business. Whether you want to hold an event to engage your audience, deliver some teaching or as a sales springboard into another programme, this course will make sure you are all set to hold an impactful and successful event.

11/11/2023

You still have until midnight, Sunday 12th November, to pick up your discounted 'A beginner's guide to planning an event'.

Don't miss your chance to download your copy half price and shine a light on how to plan your event.

Click through to our website to take advantage of this deal.

10/11/2023

Do you run a service based business and can't see how you would run an event?

Watch our video below to see how events can work for you.

If you run a products based business, keep an eye out next week for a video addressing how you can make events work for you.

You still have time to grab our 'A beginner's guide to planning an event' at half price until midnight Sunday 12th November.

09/11/2023

With many many years of experience running events for our clients, we are experts in how to guide you through how to run your own event.

Many small businesses don't have the need, or budget, for an event agency but do feel that events might be the next step for them. We can help.

All this week we are discounting our 'Beginner's guide to planning an event', down from £97.00 to just £48.50. Visit our website, link at the top of the page, to download your copy. Offer code 50OFF.

Offer ends midnight Sunday 12th November.

08/11/2023

Unsure as to whether an event would be right for your business?

Try some of the ideas outlined in the video below 'What is a good introduction to taking my business to events?'...

If you think now is the right time to plan for your first event, perhaps downloading our 'A beginner's guide to planning an event' would provide the support you need. Head to our website https://www.pottingshedacademy.co.uk/ where it is currently available half price until the end of the week. Offer code 50OFF.

07/11/2023

🎉Deal day!🎉

Today sees the beginning of our half price week for 'A beginners guide to planning an event'.

For this week only, you can walk away with a comprehensive guide on how to choose a venue, set your agenda, budget and get word out about your event.

Alternatively, you can purchase the guide for its full price and receive a free consultation call worth £240. This is a good option if you have particular areas of event planning that you need advice on.

Here's what one happy customer has to say about Potting Shed Academy...

"Julia's advice was invaluable in the lead up to my retreat. It was my first time running a retreat and having someone to bounce ideas off or tell me when to pull back and allow time to think was crucial in building the structure of the event. Her knowledge is incredible, from where to book, what to ask, what to include or not. She has the answers to the how, what, where, when and more. Julia is my go to events lady and I highly recommend her services."

To take advantage of this great deal, follow this link https://www.pottingshedacademy.co.uk/ and click on the beginner's guide. Offer code 50OFF.

We support ambitious business owners like you to plan and run their own successful events.  We offer a guiding hand, a listening ear and a structured plan to take you from overwhelm to clarity.  There are three ways you can work with us:

06/11/2023

Don't forget...

As of Tuesday we will be offering our 'A beginner's guide to planning an event' digital course at HALF PRICE (just £48.50)!

The online course takes you through the planning stage and allows you to plan your event with confidence. It is suitable for business owners who want to run their own events but do not know where to start.

Normally priced £97.00 (inc VAT), this is a great opportunity to get ahead for your 2024 planning. Alternatively, pay the full price of £97.00 and get a free consultation call worth £240 for a more in-depth chat about your plans.

See you tomorrow!

05/11/2023

Remember, remember, the 6th November
The day for adventure to improve your turnover...

That is the day we are dropping the price of 'A beginner's guide to planning an event' from £97.00 to £48.50, for one week only.

Our beginners’ course will give you all the basic information you need to start running your own, successful events. It is broken down into sections and we cover Venue, Agenda, Pricing and Communication. Once you have completed the course you will be all set and ready to use events to make a positive impact in your business. Whether you want to hold an event to engage your audience, deliver some teaching or as a sales springboard into another programme, this course will make sure you are all set to hold an impactful and successful event.

Make sure you follow us so you don't miss the start of the deal on Tuesday. We promise you won't get your fingers burned with this offer...

31/10/2023

Potting Shed Event Academy supports business owners to run their own events.

For the last 30 years we have organised just about every type of event you can think of, but we appreciate that for small companies looking to expand their businesses and hold their first event, it can be a daunting prospect.

Events are a powerful way to connect with your audience and grow your business.

Through our series of videos, we will share valuable content on everything from; how to decide if an event is the right thing for your business to post event evaluation and everything in between.

So, if you are watching our videos for help with your first event or if you need guidance with something that you are already in the process of planning - we can help you. We offer a range of event planning tools and products to suit you, no matter where you are on your event journey.

We will be sharing a new video here each week on the following subjects:

❓ Why events
💰 Budget
📢 Marketing and communications
🤝 The look and feel of your event
🗺 Location and venues
📋 Logistics and organisation

We will get started this week by sharing the first in the series of our 'Why events?'. The first and most important question anyone should ask themselves before looking to hold their first event is 'do I have to hold my own event?'. Watch below to see our thoughts.

14/02/2023

We are now on YouTube! Catch up on the videos already posted and make sure to subscribe as we will be adding to the collection each week.

Potting Shed Academy supports business owners to run their events. For the last 30 years we have organised just about every type of event you can think of bu...

08/12/2022

Our very own YouTube Channel!

We are so excited to share with you the launch of our YouTube channel; .

We can share so much more content; quickly and effectively with videos and they are a great conversation starter.

Please head over to YouTube and have a look. We will aim to add a new video each week, so make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss any!

07/12/2022

We support business owners to run their events. Events are a powerful way to connect with your audience and grow your business, but we understand how running them can feel like a lottery and completely overwhelming.

At Potting Shed Academy we offer a range of event planning tools and products to suit you, no matter where you are on your event journey.

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16/11/2022

Our advice put into practice on an event! We love it!

11/11/2022

03/11/2022

Two considerations before you start planning your event...

31/10/2022

🌟 3 ways to pimp your venue 🌟

Unfortunately budget can dictate a lot about the main components of your event, but that doesn't mean that you can't create something special.

Here are 3 little ways that you can add extra charm to your event that won't cost much money:

💐 Little seasonal garden flower posies. These can be dotted around on buffet tables, meeting tables or evening drinks areas.

🕯Diffusers or pot pourri, a nice smelling touch especially in toilets.

🍏 If you don't have budget for table centres, request glass bowls from the venue and create colourful fruit selections. These can then be enjoyed by guests with dessert or perhaps a cheese course.

These may only seem like little things but they are often noticed and appreciated. If you need help with the 'little things' do get in touch.

21/10/2022

Top things to consider when choosing a location for your event...

06/10/2022

🥱 The post lunch slump 🥱

You'll definitely remember this from your school days... You've had your lunch, maybe some fresh air, you're full of energy...then you sit down and it's all over. Your mind starts to wander, you can't concentrate on what's being said, your eyes start to unfocus. You start to fidget on your seat, pour glasses of water trying to wake yourself up but nothing seems to help.

This is what we call 'The Post Lunch Slump' otherwise known as postprandial somnolence.

It is a completely natural reaction to the body digesting food but there are ways you can help your attendees stay alert, focused and listening to your meeting content.

Menus that are high in protein and carbohydrates can fill you up but they also take more effort from the body to process, therefore using quite a lot of energy and making the body feel sluggish.

We would recommend not only choosing menus with lighter dishes, such as lean protein, wholegrains and vegetables but also provide snacks throughout the day, like nuts and fruit (obviously ensuring you have no nut allergies attending), that realise energy slowly and keep blood sugar levels steady.

Other ideas you can consider to help fight the 'slump' are...

💡 Getting your attendees moving
💡 Take the meeting outside (weather dependent)
💡 Provide refreshment, water is best (see our post on hydration)
💡 Accessible healthy snacks, studies have found that chewing can help concentration

We hope this has given you food for thought, but do contact us if you would like further guidance on creating your event.

04/10/2022

Guidance for how many refreshment breaks to offer during your event.

If you find this video helpful, please like and share.

04/10/2022

* Exciting new video content *

Based on the questions we have been receiving to our Instagram account on our various posts, we have done some videos to provide further information.

The most questions we are getting at the moment are following our hydration and food trends posts so a video will be posted later this evening on how many refreshment breaks to have during your event. If you find the video useful, please do comment, like or share it. We will take that as encouragement to provide more videos!

If you don't follow us on Instagram, please do , every follow, like and comment helps us reach a bigger audience. Small businesses need help and it costs you nothing!

04/10/2022

🥕🍅🌾 Food Trends and Dietaries 🌾🍅🥕

We are all aware of the need to eat a healthy and balanced diet and we are seeing this change appearing on event menus too.

Creating an inclusive menu for all your attendees can be a challenge with so many dietary requirements to take into consideration, but it can be achieved.

The easiest option, if you have a lot of different requirements to accommodate, is to offer a buffet. This allows your guests to choose the elements of their own meal. This option relys on a venue/caterer that is able to offer a great range of ingredients and dishes to suit all. Insist on clear and plentiful labelling across all dishes to make it easy for your guests to see what is suitable for them. The most common labelling we see is for vegetarians and vegans but please remember more medical based dietaries too, such as dairy, gluten and nut intolerances or allergies. There are other allergies etc that you may need to consider but they should be captured on registration for the event and passed to the venue/caterers as early as possible.

Sometimes buffets are not an option. You can still accommodate dietaries for a sit down meal but as mentioned above, the key thing, is to get the information early and work with your venue to ensure the menu is as inclusive as possible.

Choosing a non meat based starter will already be suitable for meat eaters, vegetarians and pescatarians. It then may only take a tweak on some of the ingredients to make it vegan friendly. It is all doable, it just takes some thought and care, and good communication with your venue/caterer.

Mains can be a little more tricky as meat eaters, who tend to be in the majority, will expect a meat course. There are no rules though that says there has to be one. If you are in an accepting culture of people, perhaps offer a vegetarian main course.

Puddings are reasonably safe territory except for vegans, intolerance and allergy sufferers.

Just a little note for the tea and coffee break, ask the venue/caterers to offer a selection of milks, it will be appreciated.

If this feels a little overwhelming, get in touch and we will be happy to help.

28/09/2022

If you are able to contribute anything to Gill's fantastic charity, we would be very grateful. Thank you.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/juliaphillips13_gills-page-activity-6980815532757282816-rQpL?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Sharing for my network - if you can spare a few pennies this is a very worthy cause. Good luck on Sunday Gill, we will be cheering you on! ...

28/09/2022

💦 The Importance of hydration 💦

We all know our bodies need water, but how often do we consider what it does for our brains?

At an event, or in a meeting, your brain needs to be functioning at a high level, whereas the body can relax a little. Enjoy the following facts to see what keeping hydrated can do for this important muscle...

💦 Improved concentration
💦 Enhanced short term memory
💦 Faster decision making
💦 Improved focus
💦 Decreased mental fatigue
💦 Stronger cognitive functioning

When planning an event, it is easy to factor in tea, coffee and lunch (even the pre dinner drinks!) but not as much consideration goes into water outside of those times.

Ensure in all meeting rooms or any times people are gathered together that there is easy access to plenty of water, your guests and their brains will thank you for it!

Please follow us for more tips and guidance or contact us to see how we can help you make the best of your event.

14/09/2022

💬When to plan for 2023💬

When should you be planning your events for 2023?

Well the answer is, now. 🗓

We all needed a well earned break over the summer but that is also the perfect time to start planning for the next year, especially for business owners. If you are looking to attract B2B, now is the time to be contacting them and getting time in their diaries for your events.

If you need help with how to do that, head over to our website and I'll be happy to help.👩‍💻

09/09/2022

Today we remember and the celebrate the life of an incredible woman, not only as our Queen, but as a human with a grieving family.

Together once again. Our dearest Queen Elizabeth, thank you. There are not the words on this darkest day, one that we all hoped would never come. You have left the biggest and brightest mark on all our lives as you pass on to the next life to join your beloved Prince Philip.

The world will be a different place without your presence. Rest in peace and God bless.💔

“Grief is the price we pay for love.” - HM Queen Elizabeth

22/07/2022

Friday’s Big Question!

How to mitigate your liability when there are cancellations?

20/07/2022

Let’s talk name badges!

The main function is to let people know each other’s names but they can be so much more!

But why not ‘Pimp’ your name badges - to make them more personal and a conversation starter.

Include the agenda for the day as a quick easy reference. And ALWAYS try and consider the impact on the environment.

18/07/2022

MONDAY MINDSET

We often hear events described as “easy work”, “a fun task” and something that “won’t take long to organise”… but sadly far too many discover that these kind of comments simply aren’t true.

🔵Clear Objectives
🔵Detailed Planning
🔵Good Communication
🔵Sufficient Lead-In Time
Will make organising an event look “easy and fun”!