The Top Three London Summer Party Themes For 2012

As the frost begins to disappear from London parks and people’s choice of clothing becomes a little more liberal once again, the signs are all around that the deep freeze of the past few weeks is coming to an end and summer is on the way.

More and more of the capital’s organisations, large and small, are exploring the possibility of throwing some kind of party for their employees in the warmer months. The form which these take usually revolves around a good venue with a large outdoor space (see: the garden at Gray’s Inn), a barbecue or buffet and lots of Pimms! They’ve started to evolve from simple get-togethers outside of work to full blown themed bashes, just as corporate Christmas parties across the capital have done the same.

One particular multinational organisation based in the capital gathered their 800 central London staff at Ascot racecourse last summer for an Alice In Wonderland event, complete with ‘eat me’ cupcakes and various characters from the book and film making an appearance.

We are already starting to hear of some superb corporate summer events being planned for 2012 and a number of themes are being mooted, including a school sports day-type do and traditional British garden party. However, we think that the following would constitute our top three ideas for a summer event:

The Olympics Awards Ceremony

The capital and indeed the country’s defining moment of the year will be the London Olympics, therefore games-themed summer parties are high up on the agenda for organisations who want to show to their employees that they are in tune with popular current events. A party could involve things such as mini games of curling, table tennis and archery followed by an awards ceremony with medals and finally a barbeque and Pimms reception. This could also be applied to a team building day with employees arranged into teams, with country flags for each team.

For a special touch party organisers could add Ancient Greek human statues, fighting gladiators and props such as flaming torches. Obviously this event would only really be viable in an outdoor setting, so reserved areas in the royal parks or in venues just outside of London such as the walled garden at Luton Hoo would be ideal.

Masquerade Ball

A classic Venetian ball brings to mind images of an Italian summer on the lawns yet this is a summer party that works just as well in a palatial setting, such as Dartmouth House in Mayfair. A bit of spice is added with burlesque girls meeting and greeting guests and a masked magician performing during a drinks reception. Guests are encouraged to don masks yet these could be provided by the venue on the night. This kind of party demands a sit down meal after an elegant Champagne reception to really give the feeling of a royal masked ball.

Arabian Nights

This one transfers you from a London events venue to the intoxicating mix of sights, sounds and smells of a Bedouin tent, the essential starting point for this particular theme. Authentic Moroccan sofas, rugs, lanterns and palm trees could adorn the space. A flame torch-lined entranceway is a must! An exotic cocktail reception follows and a snake charmer wows guests whilst they enjoy their drinks. An African-themed buffet with belly dancers and of course music to back it up provides the focal point. An extra touch would be to add a bed of nails performer and fire artist.

The three themes discussed above are just the tip of the iceberg really. There is also a big demand now for team building days as companies look to retain their best employees in difficult economic times. The aforementioned school sports day theme seems to be a popular one in this respect as it provides a rare opportunity for people to revisit their childhood in a relaxed environment and having to rely on each other in events such as the sack race can really help to strengthen bonds between employees.

Brighton based Eventa are set to launch their summer parties offering over the coming weeks as a progression of their current Christmas business. London is going to be the main focus as this is where the demand lies. Summer parties are admittedly something which larger organisations with more relaxed budgets tend to invest in but with the option of shared parties now beginning to emerge smaller players are starting to see the importance of these for keeping their employees engaged throughout the whole year.

Landline contact number: 01273 225078

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Author: Oliver Robertson ('Oli') is web content editor at Eventa, the UK’s leading corporate Christmas and summer parties agency, organising events in every major town and city in England, Scotland and Wales with a major focus on London. They were established in 2009 and are based in Brighton, Sussex.

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