More than 350 buyers gathered at Dartmouth House, the home of the English Speaking Union, on Monday 6th July to celebrate the start of The Meetings Show with a showcase of high end catering and culinary expertise.
The annual hosted buyer reception, sponsored by Lime Venue Portfolio (LVP), featured a variety of suppliers, who came together to showcase their specialist skills and products. Whilst LVP provided the venue; food and drink was delivered by Levy Restaurants UK’s heritage brand Leith’s. Prue Leith was in attendance and enjoyed meeting guests and talking about her background, experiences and continued passion for food.
Event theming and entertainment was provided by Eventologists who brought Dartmouth House to life, allowing the visitors to experience all the venue had to offer. AV and production was delivered by EMS Events; Lick Me I’m Delicious provided experimental food installations; and Wildgoose the tech-inspired team building company , once again provided a truly inspiring team building challenge that was enjoyed by all who took part. Guests were even able to experience the potential future of meetings, by taking the opportunity to try the latest generation Oculus Rift virtual reality machine provided by Virtually Mine.
The evening took the guests on a journey through a variety of different event types, allowing them to experience event catering for any occasion. Themed rooms around the venue included; banquets and dinners; team building; summer parties; Christmas; meetings and conferences; receptions and parties.
Chefs across Levy Restaurant UK’s business joined culinary forces to create a unique menu. Guests enjoyed a choice of canapés on arrival including; quails egg and bloody Mary jelly tartlet; and grapefruit cured salmon and cucumber rolls. A selection of open Danish sandwiches provided a nod to day delegate meetings, whilst bowl food dishes included smoked duck breast with granny smith apple, lambs lettuce and wasabi nuts and turbot with blistered tomatoes, crushed jersey royals and burnt lemon butter. A modern take on the traditional black forest gateau provided a fun end to the culinary experience.
“Once again Lime Venue Portfolio and their partners have delivered a remarkable event,” comments The Meetings Show’s Event Director, Steve Knight. “The hosted buyer reception is a highlight of The Meetings Show week. It provides a respite from the serious business of education for those attending the highly successful Association Meetings Conference, whilst providing the perfect networking forum for those arriving ahead of the show. Last night balanced fantastic catering, creativity, fun and business in a venue that some will have been unaware of. Thanks to everyone involved.”
Jo Austin, Sales Director, at LVP commented: “We’re once again delighted to have been able to showcase the amazing culinary skill of our teams and had the opportunity to demonstrate to our guests our passion for delivering great food, no matter what type of event they are organising. It was a great night and excellent start to what we’re sure will be a great week.”
Highlights of The Meeting Show include corporate, healthcare, meetings design and technology education streams as well as extensive networking and new business opportunities.
Organised by Centaur Live (a division of Centaur Media Plc), The Meetings Show is the premier event for the UK inbound and outbound meetings industry, taking place 7-9 July 2015 and 14-16 June, 2016 at Olympia, London. Organised by meeting professionals for meeting professionals it is focused around a large exhibition, networking opportunities and professional education.