Blair said the Dome would be “a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity” …we won’t comment further on that statement, except to say that the Dome had a political ambition too, which was to be the shiny new beacon of hope to re-elect the labour party in the new millenium.

It’s construction however, was riddled with problems and setbacks. Being built on reclaimed land, the previous ground was nothing more than a pile of toxic dirt, the remains of an earlier gas plant that operated some twelve years previously. This caused some problems setting the foundations, not to mention the massive and constant delays on inbound materials that were painfully highlighted on more than one occasion in documentaries about the Dome’s construction.

The Dome did finally open on the 31st of December 1999 (just in time), at a cost of approximately £789 Million, a mere £204 Million over budget. The contents were then revealed to the public; ‘The Millenium Experience’ which divided the interior of the dome into three categories and fourteen zones;

Who We Are: Body, Mind, Faith, Self Portrait
What We Do: Work, Learning, Rest, Play, Talk, Money, Journey
Where We Live: Shared Ground, Living Island, Home Planet

Each zone was sponsored by suitably corporate name, desperate to get a foot in the door along with some quick (yet pricey) exposure, though it could be quite easily argued that the zones lacked meaning and the categories failed to really encompass ‘the human being’ in the way they were attempting to.

The ‘experience’, which remained open for a mere 12 months was estimated to receive in the region of 12 million visitors, in reality however these estimates were wildly inaccurate and even though the Dome was 2000’s most popular tourist attraction, it still only received a rather meager 6.5 million visitors, and was branded by many tabloids as ‘a complete flop’.

The transition of the Millenium Dome began, and very nearly ended, in 2001. Following the closure of the Millenium Experience there was a lot of debate about what use would be made of the Dome in the future, a question which in my mind atleast, would have come up before spending £789 Million on building it. So the rumours spread and the theories blossomed, it would be “the world’s largest indoor go-kart track”, it was in fact “a government missile silo which is why they didn’t want to let anyone use it”, it would be “the world’s biggest shopping centre”, etc etc, and so it continued.

For 6 years.

Then, on the 31st of May 2005 The Dome was officially renamed, and became ‘The O2‘ (like the mobile phone company) and went back under the knife to have a complete facelift and take on its new purpose. A super-shopping centre, and concert venue in the heart of London.

Some thought this was a great idea, unsurprisingly some others didnt.

A design was passed for the centre of the dome to be transformed into a colosseum-esque venue, with a large floor area and 4 massive levels of seating, sloping down steeply towards the stage area in the very center. The surrounding area of the Dome would turn into a large never-ending highstreet that flowed smoothely around the outside of the dome, allowing strategically placed ‘crowd-control’ entrances and exits at various points around the edges. The Dome would become a new icon for london, where great sports, music, art, and history events would be held, and would be something that we could be proud to call British.

3 Years on and The O2 is now complete, and has hosted a large number of events in a relatively short space of time, including the likes of Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi, the American NHL Series Icehockey, American NBA Games, a boxing match featuring Amir Khan, and more recently the Tutan Khamun exhibition. An impressive starting point to say the least.

What the O2 has made up for in splendor though, it has lost in charm. The inside of the O2 feels very much like Disney Land, with very obviously fake walls, fountains, and buildings, all painted in that orange ‘fake-rock’ colour. Between the shops various flashy guitars are hung, most with famous name associated with them, and inside the shops and restaurants, as you might expect in Disney Land, the prices are triple that of anywhere else in London, which are already double the prices of anywhere else in England. To put it in perspective, I queued for half an hour and paid £14.00 for a small box of sushi, you know, the ones that are £3.99 in Tesco. You can imagine how pleased I was (seriously thinking that this was the cheapest place in the O2) when I went into the central arena area, past all the ‘no food and drink past this point’ signs, which one would think meant there was no food on sale past that point either, to find a chip stand, with a relatively short queue, selling large portions for about £3.00 - naturally though the chips are covered in salt, and the chip stand is conveniently located next to a bar where no drink costs less than £4.00 - but I think we’ve already established that its pretty much Disney World.

Admittedly though, the inside of the arena itself is very impressive. Apparently the capacity of the corporate venue is only 23,000 people, though it certainly feels like a hell of a lot more. Its not like Wembley arena, where the stairs going up and down the sloped seated areas are relatively manageable, and the head of the person in front of you is about level with your chest. At the O2, the seats go down so steeply it almost seems like a bit of a safety hazard, and when seated the head of the person in front of you barely reaches your knees. Other than from directly around the stage, its almost impossible to see all of the crowd from any one place in the Arena, but when all the lights go off and people start taking pictures its really an experience worth having at least once in this lifetime!

So, is the O2 a success? Was its transition smooth and according to plan? Well to the first question there is no way in which I can really say no, yes the prices are high and the shopping centre is cheesy, but that doesn’t make it a failure, and so far it has hosted a multitude of events that may never have come to London but for the O2. So I would say it has certainly been a success from that point of view (though I wont even go into justifying the costs of building it in the first place). In terms of the transition, it certainly wasnt smooth, and it can’t have been according to plan given that there wasn’t really a plan. Six years sitting empty at a maintenance cost of £1 Million per month was an absolute sham, and the organisation so far throughout the life of the Dome has been extremely poor.

Nevertheless, The O2 Arena is doing very well now as a corporate venue, and in my opinion has a (relatively) bright future. Either way, its certainly worth a visit.

Recently we worked with one of our longest standing clients to deliver a highly succesful event which showcased the best of what London has to offer. Our client wanted a moving, changing, varied event to keep the guests’ interest throughout. We used a relay of two beautiful historic Thames Sailing Barges to transfer two groups of their top clients downstream from the Tower of London, through Tower Bridge - which opens especially to allow our tall masts through - whilst enjoying drinks on the decks and in the comfortable saloon.  The clients were then met by more of our Event Managers at Greenwich pier before being escorted a short distance along the historic waterfront in front of the world famous vista of the The National Maritime Museum, to a real Thames treasure: The Trafalgar Tavern.

Here, in the impressive ‘Nelson Room’ overlooking the ever-flowing Thames, guests were treated to traditional English fayre and the best that a historic London tavern on the river cuold possibly offer - delicious food and a stunning setting that in it’s tranquility somehow seems a lifetime away from London’s bustle. After the Greenwich ’section’ of the event, guests rejoined their Sailing Barge at Greenwich pier and cruised gently back into London for drinks, some alighting at Canary Wharf Pier, the others enjoying more drinks, back through Tower Bridge beofre disembarking at London Bridge City Pier outside Hays Galleria.

A truly special event all round!

The Spy Force Treasure Hunt combines web-based technology, Mission: Impossible, and team building as you have never seen it. It will take your company to new levels of creativity and cohesiveness with the next generation of team building activities.

Spy Force is an interactive corporate teambuilding mission delivered on-line to be played
anywhere. The objective of the game is to stop the teams’ online mission clock expiring by entering the correct solution code. This can only be achieved by actually going on the mission in a nearby location.

The game can be played anywhere. It starts with a whole group mission briefing and then teams of 4-6 delegates log-in online to activate the mission. Here we outline the scenario
and objectives, give clues, photos and advice on using the spy equipment - the rest is up to the team!

Teams then leave to physically take part in the mission in a town, city or a venue of your
choice. They will meet spies in the field, crack codes, undertake special missions and have a lot of fun.

A mission typically lasts from 3 to 4 hours but if you have more time our additional spy training activities will keep you busy for a whole day.

Click Click, you click and the mission becomes live.
Activate Activate, teams compete to crack codes, solve riddles and meet spies
Go! Upload solution codes to stop the clock
and move to the next phase. Your team will just go for it!

Your Christmas party may be the one time in the year when everybody gets together to let their hair down and have a boogie. Picking the perfect venue is essential to create the right atmosphere in the right place for your particular company.

Some groups prefer a formal, traditional Christmas party with a delicious seated festive banquet, crackers, Christmas tree, sparkly lights and a disco. Others want something a bit different; maybe some bowl food, themed food stations or elaborate canapes, a themed venue with fancy dress and stunning decor, mingling entertainers and wacky musicians.

However many guests you have and whatever you are looking for, we will have the perfect venue and party for your wow-factor Christmas event in London. Beautiful night-time river views can only complement Christmas decorations, or we can hide you away in a themed wonderland below ground and whisk you away to a different world for the evening…

If your chosen venue is that little bit further from the centre of London, we can transport you and your colleagues to your Christmas party aboard a fabulous river boat or traditional Sailing Barge; arrive in style after a Champagne reception or some warming mulled wine.

deWintons New Orleans / Mardi Gras Barbecue Menu

Jerk Chicken Brochettes with Smoked Tomato Sauce

Tangy Barbeque Pork Ribs
Or
Marinated Pork Kebabs with BBQ Sauce

Cajun Spiced Sausages with Homemade Condiments

Vegetarian options:
Jerk Marinated Sweet Pepper, Courgette & Aubergine Kebabs
Vegetarian Sausages
Portobello Mushrooms sizzled with Cajun Spices & Haloumi Cheese

***

Baby Potato Salad with Dijon Mint Crème Fraiche (V)

Mixed Leaf & Baby Herb Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (V)

Baskets of freshly baked baguettes

and for something sweet…

Pecan Caramel Pie with Soft Whipped Cream    

YUM!

Themed events are always great for Christmas Parties and now is the right time to start looking for the perfect party for your company Christmas do. Dates get booked up so fast for the festive season - especially Thursdays! - that party organisers need to get their skates on to secure their preferred date and top London venue.

Classic Xmas Party themes include Winter Wonderland, James Bond Night, Roaring Twenties, Big Freeze, Traditional Christmas and Mask Parties. The possibilities are endless though - see our themes page for more ideas - imagination is the only barrier for your themed Christmas bash!

Give us a call here at Riverside Events to discuss your party requirements for Christmas in more detail. Let this year’s party be one that will never be forgotten…

It is with great pride then that we would like to congratulate Topsail Events on winning the rights to run the hospitality on board the visiting Tall Ships in Liverpool for the tall Ships Race 2008. Over 100 ships will be visiting the Liverpool waterfront - a UNESCO world heritage site - over the weekend of the 18th - 21st July 2008. Hospitality will take place on beautiful square-riggers,  schooners and other ships in Liverpool’s impressive docks: parties, receptions, lunches and dinners will add to the party atmosphere and help Liverpool celebrate it’s City of Culture status in this important year. Perhaps you have a company link with Liverpool, maybe you have clients who you need to entertain there…or maybe you just want a great party in the great party town! Whatever the reason, the Riverside team and the Topsail team will be working together to make Liverpool 2008 a great time for entertaining!

From a crumbling 19th Century theatre hall full of atmosphere - perfect for murder mystery dinners, Champagne or cocktail parties and even weddings for the couple who want something different; hung with lanterns, drapes and copious flowers it is a place to let your imagination run wild - to an immense 1930s art deco venue holding up to 2,600 guests; the ideal venue for conferences, themed events and gala dinners. 

I have also visited a ‘country manor in the city’ with several beautiful courtyards and a gorgeous roof terrace for summer barbecues and soirees accompanied by an alfresco band. Not forgetting the sparkling chandeliers, circular balcony and luxurious decor inside!

In Greenwich - where we can drop you off at Greenwich pier aboard one of Topsail Events & Charters’ Thames Sailing Barges or other larger boats - I have discovered some fab venues; modern designer bars and private rooms, Victorian attic rooms and pretty muralled walls overlooking the greenery of the park - these little-known event spaces in this charming and historic area of London make the perfect venue for your party, dinner or meeting.

 After showing our client a selection of handpicked and interesting venues as well as a number of lovely river cruisers and Thames Sailing Barges, we settled on a plan to split two evenings into two parts each, transporting 50 clients at a time down the Thames on beautiful historic Thames Sailing Barges from just outside the Tower of London, through an opening Tower Bridge all the way down to Greenwich. After taking in the sights of the river with a drinks reception, our clients and their guests will be escorted by our Event Managers to a beautiful historic venue - something of a a hidden gem and a venue which ties in really well with their river journey - for the workshops and entertaining that are so important to achieving their aims. The groups will be returned by river into central London by the same charming river transport. I think that is a much better way to entertain and impress than any mundane or run-of-the-mill hotel meeting room.

We’ve got loads of ideas for mixing great London venues with the river thames to make events stimulating, different, memorable and effective. We just need a brief and we’ll pu it together for you. I really think Riverland events are the next big thing in the London events scene - get in touch and test us with your ideas.

Many of Riverside’s venues in London offer fantastic outdoor spaces ideal for summer entertaining; terraces with stunning views of the river Thames; lush roof gardens; historic courtyards; secret English gardens; expansive sun decks; acres of lawn…perfect spaces in which to create your dream event.

As well as ready-made gardens and terraces, here at Riverside Events we have the contacts and know-how to source top locations where we can erect a bespoke marquee to your exact specification. Event marquees now come in all shapes and sizes and can hold seated dinners, team building events, weddings, parties, Champagne receptions; in fact anything you want!

Lets take advantage of this year’s clement weather and hold a wow-factor event for you in the great outdoors…

We are busy creating and compiling new events with our local Brighton DJ friends that we hope to launch to our Riverside and Topsail clients too. We’re also bringing in other suppliers for expanding these events even more to include cooking skills, and cocktail making skills too…we’re not quite ready to go yet but nearly, so watch this space! What we are making sure of is that these events are going to be lots of fun and will be able to achieve lots of various goals for our clients, all done with a party atmosphere and with the aim of creating great long-lasting memories.

Finally, we like to work with our clients so if any of you out there have any particular ideas or themes that you’d like to work with then just get in touch. We like a challenge and we’ve got the will and the ability to make your ideas work. We believe events should be exciting and stimulating, whether they are on boats or on the land - we want our creativity tested!

By the way, our brand new suppliers who we are now building these new events with - we met them all at networking events recently…so don’t slack, get out there and talk to people!