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Some organisations will go all out, providing the finest food and drinks for the staff. There will be open bars all night and the staff will eat food that some of them cannot pronounce. Other organisations provide token drinks and snacks and call it a year.

Whatever the case, many people confuse Christmas parties for no hold barred situations. You know, whatever happens at the Christmas party stays at the Christmas party. The truth is, as much as your boss tries to convince you to let loose and enjoy yourself, certain boundaries must be maintained if you intend to keep your job as well as the respect of your colleagues.

First the Dos:
• Carry enough money with you in case you need to buy your own drinks or take a cab home.
• Find out in advance if you can bring your significant other to the party.
• Be sure to dress appropriately. It’s a party, but no one needs to see your bits and pieces.
• Be social. Make a point to talk to your colleagues, their significant others and any clients or partners who may have been invited to the Christmas party.
• Prepare what you will talk about if you get the opportunity to speak with your boss. Don’t fumble!
• Remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas; so wish everyone you talk to happy holidays instead.
• Drink moderately. Everyone will respect you more for saying no to a drink than for taking that extra body shot.

The Don’ts:
• Do not drink too much. Know your limit. Once you get drunk, things can only get worse for you.
• Do not hit on your colleague or worse yet, your colleague’s significant other.
• Do not talk about work.
• Do not ask for a raise.
• Do not, under any circumstances, have office party sex! You’ll only regret it later on.
• Do not over eat. You will look messy and greedy.
• Do not drink and drive. It’s irresponsible and dangerous. Call a cab.

Now that you know what to do and what not to do at your office Christmas party, get out there and have fun. This only happens once a year!

What other dos and don’ts would you suggest for an office Christmas party?

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Here are a few things to consider when deciding which caterer to go with for your corporate event:

Event basics
You need to determine what the basics of your event are.
• Where will the event be held?
• What kind of occasion is it?
• How many people do you expect to attend the event?
• What kind of service do you need, that is, will you need service stations or buffet?
• What type of food do you want to serve and will you require any special dietary considerations?
• What is your budget for the event?

Once you have determined the basic requirements for your event, it will become easier to zero in on the kind of caterer you are looking for.

Type of caterer
Based on your type of event, you may choose to go with a specialist caterer, a restaurant or a grocer.

• Specialist caterer
If you need a special menu to cater for a diverse group of people and need specialized or personalized service to fit into the mood of your particular event then specialist catering is your best bet.

• Restaurant
Having a restaurant cater your function usually means that your food will be served buffet style. Restaurants usually come with set menus, although you may be lucky enough to find a restaurant willing to modify its menus for you.

• Grocery
If you are having a laid back function or just need to give people something simple to eat as they work or talk, or if you need something extremely cheap, this might be the best option for you. Many groceries offer cooked food or sandwich sections. These are also great for small functions, which do not require too much of a fuss. Pizzerias also fall under this category.

So you have now decided what kind of caterer you are going to need. The next thing you need to do is consider reputations of the caterers you are considering.

Reputation of caterer
There are several ways in which you can find out more about your potential caterers:

• If any of the caterers you are considering has a website, then visit it and look for testimonials.
• Check if any of your contacts have used the caterer you are considering and find out what they thought about the service.
• Consider the possibility of attending a function being catered by the caterer you hope to use.

Availability
Remember to find out if the caterer of your choice is available on the day of your function. If they have another function on the same day as yours, then you will need to be sure that you trust them to handle more than one event on one day.

Menus and tastings
Once you have zeroed in on a caterer or two, arrange a meeting with them during which you can go over the kind of menu you are looking for. A good caterer should be able to help you visualize the kind of menu you are thinking of for your event.

Also ask to have a tasting session during which you can sample the menu as it will be on the day. This will allow you to ensure that the final product from the caterer, from flavours to presentation, is what you envision for your event.

Make it official
Put together a contract between you and the caterer agreeing on deliverables and the mode of payment for the service.

Once you have picked a caterer, then the hardest bit of planning the catering for your event is over. But be sure to keep in touch with your caterer regularly in the days leading up to the event.

Here are some ideas to get you on your way to making your first anniversary celebrations memorable…in a good way.

Traditionally, in the US, first wedding anniversary gifts are paper, while in the UK first wedding anniversary gifts are cotton.

If you decide to go U.S traditional, consider getting a framed photo of you and your spouse, or you can get your spouse a book that you think they would love, or try your hand at writing some poetry or a love letter to your spouse.

If you are going the U.K way, then be sure you’ve gotten your spouse’s clothes sizes and preferred colours right and then go and get them something nice. You could also consider getting some nice linen for your bed.

If you have cake left over from the wedding, take it out of the freezer and have a tasty celebration. If your wedding cake didn’t survive the year, then consider baking a cake with similar flavours for your first wedding anniversary.

Treat yourselves to dinner at your reception venue. If possible, choose from the same menu that you had at your wedding. Alternatively have a quite dinner at home and work together to create one of the items from your wedding menu.

You can never go wrong with a romantic getaway. Everyone wants to get away with a loved one and enjoy each other’s company with no distractions. Don’t leave it too late. Plan your getaway way in advance to make use of early bird discounts. Don’t forget to mention that you are celebrating your first wedding anniversary, it could get you a little extra something from the hotel.

By now, the photos in your wedding album although great may seem a bit old. Treat yourselves to a photo-shoot with a professional photographer. Pamper yourselves at the beauty salon and at the barber shop before the shoot. Don’t forget to carry your special wardrobe for the shoot. Alternatively, have the photographer come to your home where you can take photos in familiar surroundings.

Whatever you do and however you decide to celebrate, enjoy yourself because you deserve it. Getting married, living together and beginning to learn about each other for one year is no mean fit.

How do you plan on spending your first wedding anniversary?

Welcome to Inspire Harvest. We would love to work with you.

Father’s Day is a day to honour fathers and father figures so remember to include your grandfathers and fathers-in-law.

There are several ways that you can celebrate Father’s Day. Here are a few ideas:

• Take time to visit your father, or at least call him to catch up and wish him a happy Father’s Day.

• Take your children to visit their grand father, spend some time with him and give him gifts that they made themselves.

• Consider having the men in the family bond with their father and father figures doing something their wives and mothers would not otherwise let them do like having the unhealthiest barbeque!

• Send your father a Father’s Day card.

• Write you father a letter thanking him for bringing you up. Thank him for the lessons learnt.

• Buy your father dvds of some of his favourite movies. Watch at least one with him.

• Blow up a photo of your father, which you and your siblings can sign and frame.

• If you are a father with young children, take your children out for some daddy time.

• Buy your father a camcorder. The gift of memories.

• Buy some tickets for you and your father to watch the football game.

• Spare some time and send Father’s Day wishes to single fathers you know.

• If your father has since passed away, meet up with your siblings and share time speaking and thinking about him.

How will you celebrate this Fathers Day?

If you have your heart set on an out door wedding during the rainy season, consider booking a venue that has a room that can be set up so that you could move into it on short notice should there be a sudden downpour. Be sure to discuss this possibility with the venue manager to avoid disappointment and embarrassment on the day! Imagine the horror of having all your guests ran towards the room for shelter only to be turned back because the room is already in use or undergoing maintenance.

If you have an outdoor wedding, be sure to pay attention to the ground as you pick a venue. Look for a venue with good drainage. This way, even if it rains during your ceremony, rainwater will be absorbed and puddles will be at a minimum if at all.

Be sure to get tents complete with walls. You can have the tent walls rolled up and ready to come down should it begin to rain. If the weather is overcast, natural light may not be good enough and you will have to light the tent. Work to get the light evenly distributed as opposed to a bright spot light in one corner. That does not look pretty at all!

Think about your footwear. Because of the soft ground bridesmaids and brides should consider staying away from stilettos and perhaps get some good looking wedges or pretty flat shoes. If you are daring, get gumboots. These would make for a fun photo shoot!

Look at options for warmer wedding clothes like long sleeved gowns, or shawls, or boleros and shrugs. It is possible for the wedding party to keep warm and not look frumpy.

Be sure to have some umbrellas on hand for the wedding party and the guests in case it begins to rain. Ensure that the wedding party umbrella colours are within the wedding’s colour scheme.

Hiring a good photographer can make all the difference. Anyone can take a photograph, but extreme weather conditions can call for a professional photographer well versed with different settings for different light conditions. The weather may be miserable but a good photographer will still deliver photos that truly express what a memorable day you had.

Make your day memorable for all the right reasons. Don’t let a little rain put a damper on your celebrations! If you enjoy your special day, so will your guests. Remember what the day is all about; vowing to spend your life with the person that you love. And when you remember that, a blizzard couldn’t take away your happiness on your wedding day.

We found these awesome photos of Kate and Dave and this heart warming video of a rainy day wedding from Jensen Films.

Coloma Country Inn Wedding – Singing in the Rain from Jensen Films on Vimeo.

What have your experiences been with rainy weddings?

Awesome view at the pool - Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski Hotel

However, many people use this day the same way they use any other holiday; an excuse not to go to work and instead relax and have fun.

Here are some great ways to spend your Labour Day:

Trip with the family

Take your family on a vacation. Road trips are often cheap and more fun. Take the time to catch up on what is going on with everyone’s school or work. Be sure to check that your car can handle the trip. Also, make sure that everyone packs appropriately for the trip depending on how long you will be there.

If you are travelling with children be sure to give them activities that can keep them busy if the trip is long.

Be sure to confirm any reservations before you set off.

Romantic weekend getaway

If you and your spouse have been bogged down with work, then you have not had quality time together in a while. This Labour Day, get away from all the paper work and go off on a romantic getaway.

Take time to plan the trip together; everything from who will drive to where you’ll stay and what you will do while there. Let your agenda be to fall in love all over again.

Because of all the fun associated with romantic getaways, you are sure to get exhausted so be sure to include in your plans, time to relax!

Have family over for lunch

Family get-togethers are always fun, especially when people have not seen each other in a while. But such get togethers call for a lot of preparations. You not only have to make sure that there are enough food and drinks, you also have to be sure to cater to any special dietary needs.

Consider asking family to help you with the menu. You could offer to take care of getting the meat and grilling or roasting it if someone else brings the salad, drinks and any other accompaniments.

Do not forget to take lots of photos because family get-togethers do not happen often enough and you want to remember those moments twenty years from now.

Take time to relax

Another option for Labour Day is to sit back and relax and enjoy doing absolutely nothing. Put away you laptop, ipad and smartphone. You can update your Facebook another day!

Watch a good movie, or read a good book and spoil yourself with some good food.

You could also take the time to get that massage or do your nails!

What are you doing this Labour Day?

Collins Injera in try-scoring action for Kenya at the NZI Sevens in Wellington, the third leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series. Photo: IRB/Martin Seras Lima

No matter what kind of sports event you are planning, it is important to have a check list. But first, you must ensure that you have met the basic requirements to plan a sports event.

As you plan your check list, always remember that there are three phases of an event; pre-event, event and post-event.

To have a successful sports event you must consider the following during your pre-event planning:
1. Sports venue
• Ensure that you have found a sports venue
• Ensure that you have firmed up a date and confirmed that the venue will be available on this date
• If the event is running for more than one day, ensure that the venue is available for all the required dates.
• Ensure that the venue has a good water and electricity supply
• Ensure that the venue has adequate car parking space
• Ensure that the venue has changing rooms and where necessary, a drug testing area
• Inquire about the noise policy in the area
• Ensure that there is adequate sitting space for fans
• Ensure that the venue can accommodate disabled people if need be or that you are allowed to make alterations to accommodate disabled people.
• For international sports events, ensure that there are flag polls for all your visitors flags as well as your own.
• Ensure that the venue has adequate facilities for the expected crowds. If not, hire extra loos and hand-wash points

2. Accommodation
• Ensure that the rooms you book will be enough for the expected guests
• If you have to host your guests in different hotels, ensure that all the hotels are of equal standard.
• Consider proximity and traffic to your event venue when booking the hotel
• Ensure that you get the best possible deal with the hotel putting into consideration the number of rooms you are booking
• Ensure that you have your booking documented in a contract to ensure that the correct number of rooms is booked for the correct number of days.

3. Catering
• Ensure that you consult your participants about any specific dietary requirements
• Ensure that the hotel you book is able to deliver on any special dietary requirements
• Ensure that your venue has ample space to set up a catering area
• Take time to select the right food and beverages for your event and where possible, taste the menu you are considering

4. Administration
• Ensure that you have space at or near the venue where planning meetings can be held
• Ensure that you have a name for your event
• Ensure that proper preparations have been made for any activities surrounding the sports event like press conferences or tournament launches
• Ensure that there are adequate office supplies for the entire event
• Ensure that you have printed all the required accreditation passes
• Ensure that detailed run sheets have been developed for each day of the sports event for proper time management
• The budget for this event must be prepared and approved and must include a contingency fund
• Ensure that participants registration forms are ready

5. Officials, players and VIPs.
• Ensure that you have enough capable people to officiate the tournament. Skill required and number will depend on individual events
• Ensure that you have invited and received confirmations from expected participants
• Where necessary ensure that a VIP guest list has been put together and invitations have been sent out.
• Where necessary, ensure that you have bought all required kit for participants and officials

6. Print and promotion
• Ensure that you have printed enough tickets including complimentary tickets for the event
• Ensure that all accreditation passes have been printed
• Ensure that all posters and flyers have been printed and distributed
• Where used, ensure that all radio and television ads are ready and running
• Ensure that all merchandise is ready for sale

7. Transport
• Ensure that transport arrangements are in place for all participants
• Where working with teams, it is preferable that each team has its own vehicle
• Ensure that vehicles hired can accommodated the number of people you need to transport
• Be sure to use reputable companies when hiring transport
• Where participants are flying in, ensure that you have their detailed itinerary and make arrangements for their transportation from the airport.

8. Waste disposal
• Ensure that you have made arrangements for proper waste disposal all around the venue
• Encourage caterers to use materials that are recyclable

9. Security
• Ensure that you hire the services of a reputable security firm
• Ensure that the venue has secure and adequate number of entrance and exit points especially if you expect large crowds to attend the event
• Ensure that a risk assessment test is carried out on the venue prior to signing a contract to use it
• Ensure that all tickets made comply with the security requirements of your security company

10. Medical
• Ensure that all participants have medical insurance or that you have gotten medical cover for everyone taking part
• Ensure that you have arranged to have at least one ambulance on site
• Ensure that the ambulance provider is aware of your events preferred hospital in the event that someone has to be rushed to hospital
• Ensure that your ambulance provider makes arrangements for a second ambulance to be on standby in the event that the ambulance on site has to transport someone to hospital

What other factors do you think we need to consider when planning sports events?

In our next sports post, we will look at different things you need to consider on the day of the event

1. Plan a Valentine’s Day brunch for your employees. Why wait until the end of year party to let your staff know how much you appreciate them? Simply organise to have a lovely spread laid out in the board room. Include things like fruit, sandwiches, sausages, pancakes, fresh juices and so on to let your staff know that you made an extra effort for them.

2. Give your employees time off! If you are a big softy, let your employees leave work one hour early to begin preparations for Valentine’s Day with their loved ones. Be sure to let them know that this is optional because some employees will prefer to stay behind and clear their desks.

3. Have a tea party. Buy a cake for the office, which everyone can share during 4 o’clock tea. Alternatively, get enough cupcakes to feed all the members of staff and personally dish them out.

4. Distribute cool gifts. Give all the employees a little token of appreciation on the day. It could be bars of chocolate, company pens, t shirts, note books, shopping vouchers. Remember, it’s the thought that counts!

5. Spread the love. Valentine’s Day is fast morphing into a day to show love to everyone not just spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends. Take time out as a company and visit the less fortunate. Visit children’s homes or patients in hospital and spend time with them. Give them some gifts too, if possible.

Whatever you decide to do this Valentine’s Day, remember that it is a time to spread cheer to others. Spread some cheer in your office and help to boost the office morale. Give everyone a little juice to last them till Labour Day!

We can help you execute these ideas! Contact us.

• An organising committee must be set up for sole purpose of executing this event. Many times organisations or clubs opt to add the responsibility of putting together an event onto someone’s docket. As a result, planning of the sports event becomes one more chore and does not have due attention given to it.
• The organising committee has to be clear about what the objectives of the sports event are.
• All members of the committee must have their terms of reference clearly spelt out to avoid duplication of roles.
• The chain of command must be clear to ensure that everyone knows who to report to and who makes the final decisions.
• For bigger events, it may be necessary to form sub committees to ensure that nothing falls in between the cracks.
• A detailed plan with timelines must be set out for the entire event, which includes goals and roles. This plan must be available to everyone and must be the point of reference to ensure that all objectives are met. This plan must include a communication plan.
• Documenting is important. All decisions must be well documented in minutes, and all minutes, contracts, receipts, score cards and other documents relating to the event must be well kept for future reference.
• Numbers of volunteers required must be determined and recruitment should start as early as possible

These are basic requirements, which ensure a proper foundation for a good sports event. In our next post on sports event management we will talk about the itemised check list for a successful sport event.