Edition #3

What’s new in the world of events from the Powwow team.

Welcome to our first In The Know of 2024. Yes… it’s STILL January, so to help boost you into 2024 we’ve compiled a selection of inspiring spaces and forward facing trends to delight and inspire you. We suggest you take a well earned 5 minutes, prepare yourself a peppermint tea and check out our trends for ‘24.

Wilderness Reserve - Yoxford Road, Saxmundham

Back to Nature

One of our favourite places of all time is the Wilderness Reserve in Suffolk. The two estates, Sibton and Chapel Barn, are brimming with wildlife and you can relish the great outdoors with wild swimming, axe throwing, fire feasts, foraging and archery. Many of the venues at the Reserve have heated pools, hot tubs and treatment rooms. With flexible booking options, to takeover the whole place or pick and choose a few of the stunning venues, this is the perfect natural setting for your next event. We stayed there for a team retreat last year and it eclipsed the best of the best.

Connaught Bar / Club Soda

Driest of Jans and beyond!

Whether you’re a non-drinker, taking part in Dry Jan or being a little conscious after the holidays, we’ve lined up some of our favorite non-alcoholic drinks so you can still enjoy a tasty tipple or two.

For those missing the bubbles, Pale Fox Prosecco has a delightful alcohol-free prosecco, while Oddbird offers a French sparkling Rosé wine liberated from alcohol. Lucky Saint is here for all beer lovers with their award-winning non-alcoholic beer and if you’re looking for a pick me up, Three Spirit’s selection of non-alcoholic elixirs is perfect for every occasion. For those that prefer a low alcohol solution don’t miss Quarter’s range of quarter-proof spirits. Cheers to that!

In search of a dry drinking spot?

Stop off at the Connaught Bar to sample some of their exquisite non-alcoholic creations or check out Club Soda’s Tasting Room where you can explore a plethora of low and no drinks.

International Space Station

Events with zero atmosphere

There are several space tourism options for 2024 adventurous travellers with Virgin Galactic offering beyond zero gravity flights and NASA and Space X offering the chance to sleep over on the International Space Station (for a mere $35,000 pp/pn flights excluded). In April, SpaceX plans to launch Polaris Dawn and the mission will feature the first private spacewalk by two space tourists! We wonder how long it will be before there is a first meeting on the moon!

Noonah

Giveaway, not throw away!

We spend lots of time carefully considering the impact of giveaways – are they ‘worth it’ and if so, what would be universally loved and responsibly sourced.  So, we love Noonah’s innovate approach for delegates to select and design their very own branded keepsake onsite. From engraved lipstick cases, water bottles, coffee cups, tote bags or t-shirts are just a few of the products they can print on onsite with their pop-up live printing booth. Printing on demand reduces waste (take it or leave it), and personalising provides that added extra touch which ensures it becomes a prized possession. What’s not to love.

New to the market in 2024

Ever spent an event in a tent?

If you are looking for an outdoor venue, this brand new 20m timber structure with five open sides may be for you. Brought to us by Event in a Tent, this timber pavilion, built from Laminated Veneer Lumber known as ‘the wood of the future’ is an exceptional venue that will enrich your outdoor space beyond your expectations. Perfect for private parties, trade shows and corporate festivals, the dome can accommodate up to 50 seated.

Pantone

The cheeky shade of 2024

We love colour at Powwow and like to incorporate it as much as we can into events. The Pantone colour of the year for 2024 is Peach Fuzz; a light, delicate shade that sits between pink and orange and marks the 25th anniversary of Pantone’s Colour of the Year. This heartfelt hue expresses the desire to nurture kindness, compassion and connection, how lovely.

2024 Menu Trends

Back to the future

We like to stay on trend when choosing menus for our events. So here’s some familiar foods making a comeback in 2024:

Chick peas, butter, haricot and canellini beans – all low fat and high protein, are ticking boxes for 2024. Mexican tacos are taking on high fat burgers and The Martini is making a comeback for retro cocktails. And for pudding, it’s all about 70s and 80s cream-based deserts – who doesn’t love a trifle or a pile of profiteroles!

Keeping it Green

At Powwow we are well equipped to help our clients adopt sustainable practices to reshape event planning and reduce the environmental impact of their events. Here are few approaches we consider at the start of any project.

Zero-Waste Events: Striving for zero-waste by eliminating single-use plastics, implementing composting stations, and reusable dishware.

Green Venues: Prioritising eco-friendly features and technologies from energy-efficient lighting to water-saving technologies, with incorporated green spaces.

Digitalisation of Event Processes: Reducing paper usage through digital invitations, event apps, and online registration, enhancing the attendee experience.

Carbon Offsetting Programs: Investing in offsetting programs to compensate for the event’s footprint by supporting greenhouse gas reduction projects.

Local and Sustainable Sourcing: Focusing on sustainable catering with locally sourced, organic, and seasonal food, extending to event decor and materials.

Botanic Sanctury, Leopoldstraat 26, Antwerpen

Venue spotlight

We love the Botanic Sanctuary, Antwerp. Their mission is to create an environment that inspires feelings of freedom and luxury, born from nature, space and privacy. The hotel features a 200 year old botanical garden “Den Botaniek”, a 15th century chapel, a botanic health spa and the restaurant has an impressive 4 Michelin stars. The hotel has 108 bedrooms as well as 14 meeting spaces.

Thank you very much

Elvis has not left the building!

And he’s coming to London this year. Following in the footsteps of Abba Voyage, Elvis Evolution will premiere in the capital in November 2024, using AI and holographic projection to bring the star to life.  The show will also offer an after-party Elvis-themed bar and restaurant onsite at the central London location.

Fancy a chat about your next event?

Interested in discussing your next event? You can reach us by phone at

+44 (0)20 7228 9463 or by email at hello@powwowevents.co.uk. For a more interactive experience, schedule a video chat appointment by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you!