Here at The HAC we like to look on the bright side of things. We’re a ‘glass is half-full’ kind of venue and let’s be honest, throughout the pandemic and the world’s subsequent attempts at recovery, it’s been a characteristic we’ve had to lean on rather heavily. As a corporate event venue in London, we’ve witnessed some remarkable resilience from our clients and suppliers alike and we want to take this opportunity to talk about one aspect of the industry’s New Normal that we really hope is here to stay. Hybrid, live, corporate events.
London's hybrid workforce
Hybrid working – where employees share their working hours between the office and home – has been one of the biggest shifts in the construction of the country’s New Normal. Businesses have reaped the benefits of a workforce that hasn’t had to endure the stress and cost of a daily commute. Members of staff have also enjoyed more time at home with their families which improves their wellbeing and as a result, boosts their productivity. And this trend looks like it’s here to stay. According to a recent analysis of LinkedIn roles, 64% of jobs listed in the City of London offered remote working.
While this seems like a positive change for everyone, it does mean that teams are spending less time together and as a consequence, business owners and managers are looking to optimise the face-to-face contact their staff has. Combined corporate events are on the rise to ensure that when staff do come to the City, their time is well spent.
Multifaceted corporate events
Getting people together seems to be more about quality rather than quantity these days. Our events team at The HAC is seeing more and more of our clients wanting bespoke events combining several different elements, for example, a summer party with meetings and conferences running alongside. Or a Christmas party incorporated with an awards ceremony. Or an AGM followed by an afternoon of team-building games and then a three-course, evening, sit-down meal with entertainment.
Often, our clients are introducing colleagues who work entirely remotely to the rest of the team for the first time, so events which might usually not have included a social element, are now taking on a dual purpose.
A flexible, London, corporate venue
For any planner considering a hybrid event, it’s imperative to choose a venue which has a range of varied spaces, every room or outside area being specifically designed for the individual aspects of your schedule. Every every part of the day needs to work as a standalone event in order for you to achieve all of your goals and to maintain delegate engagement throughout. At the HAC we have a varied selection of spaces including a large, versatile conference space with state-of-the-art AV which can host up to 480 seated in a theatre style, five acres of green space for sports matches or team building games plus a Georgian manor house with a spectacular dining space and smaller meeting rooms full of character and charm.
Attending a full day event with a packed schedule is exhausting for guests so the more distinct your spaces and varied your content, the better (a couple of little pockets of downtime are always appreciated too). Choosing a venue with outside space is one of the best ways to inject some extra energy into your delegates, particularly if this part of your day includes physical, team building games. Our green space is often used for It’s a Knockout style tournaments or funfair-themed summer parties.
AV at your combined corporate event
There are lots of ways a planner can use AV to help keep their audience engaged during a conference or event. Live polls connect your delegates to each other and your content, as do Q&A sessions with audience mics. Short videos displayed on 5K HD screens can also help keep your guests’ attention and lighting is always important at setting the right tone for every part of your agenda. As well as being able to offer all of the above for your combined event, The HAC also offers full AV support throughout the day so that you don’t have to worry about any technical hitches and can concentrate on your guests.
Clever catering
Guests at an all-day, corporate event are at an organiser’s whim as far as food and drink are concerned so there’s a responsibility to not only indulge, but also to fuel. Healthy, slow burn breakfasts, light lunches to avoid mid-afternoon crashes, plenty of small, high-energy snacks, strong and delicious tea and coffee, indulgent dinners… there are lots of ways you can help your delegates’ mood and energy with the food and drink you serve them throughout a varied day of activities.
The HAC’s in-house catering partner, Searcys, is expert at delivering delicious, seasonal dishes for our clients’ guests. Their menus of reimagined British classics never fail to impress, and they understand what delegates need at each point of a long day to help them perform their best and to enjoy themselves when it’s time for them to let their hair down.
Your next corporate event
If you think a combined event might right for your next team meeting or conference, please don’t hesitate to call our friendly event team on 020 7382 1533 or email them on
