Actividades: When a person has attended different events over time, be it a meeting, an official opening of a venue, a product presentation.. it is normal he ends up knowing what to expect during events. Why not give a different touch and bring your event out of context and really surprise your guests? Feeling at home… Cocktail events are generally held in the late afternoon-evening after working hours. No doubt it is more practical but then, the guests will also be very tired after a long day of work and might just be thinking of going home and slouching on the sofa; a difficult state to stimulate the five senses in the event. The question is if that’s what they really want, why not give them what want? Instead of a standing cocktail, balancing a glass and a plate at hand while smiling and talking at the same time, offer them sofas and armchairs, benches for their feet… and a good afternoon tea with a selection of coffee, teas, sweet and salted canapes, a relaxing and informal ambience, but above all, a lifestyle-based event. Your guests will not only feel relaxed and comfortable but definitely appreciate the details and voila! You have won them over! Change the hour Surely, the first thing that the guests look at an invitation is the time and place of the event. Surprise them with an invitation at an “unusual” time , say 10:00h, when most people would have been used to attending events in the evening. With that, you can organise a coffee meeting, for example. People can be more receptive in the morning. Offer them a good coffee and an appetising breakfast. Ensure that the event is not too long as if you exceed the time, the interest in the event will decline. The coffee, though can be very exquisite is not miraculous! Consider organising an event like this on Thursday where the guests are more settled in the office and to get out to attend the event. Open air When you organise a meeting in a hotel, you can imagine a sitting in a closed meeting room for hours. What about welcoming the guests on a roof top terrace? A crazy idea?? Not at all, the guests will be pleasantly surprised. Set up a large round table, soft, springy armchairs, umbrellas, a cart with fruits skewers, juices, cafes and infusions,… A simple open air meeting, something that is very well appreciated in autumn and spring when the weather allows. Play with the seasons Summer. Heat. Invite your guests to a themed event. Instead of a typical Hawaiian theme, why not receive your guests in an igloo? In fact, ice is one of the most used decoration element these days. It is not only used for sculptures of logos and art to decorate a table or a corner, but as tables, chairs, bars, floral centrepieces, all carved out of ice. You can put in “cold” lights, such as blue or acid green in its interior for an even refreshing effect. In the warm nights, get your guests to bring on a coat without telling them the theme… make the theme a mystery and raise the expectation…