I was born in Northampton before moving to Medway and then shortly after, packed off to Southampton for University.  Here I developed my taste for events through nightlife functions and directing a charity fun run for the Barnados charity. I enjoyed the challenge, making clients ideas work to produce great nights, evenings and afternoons, rewards in themselves.

Already the River Centre has provided me with invaluable experience and knowledge in my career of choice with a wealth of different events, meetings and conferences. Being given a chance is a privilege and I am committed to help create and upkeep the professional positive atmosphere the River Centre contains.

Like most people at the River Centre in Tonbridge, I am a definite people person, which is partly what drew me to private functions and conferences.  Being event support I am on hand helping with the logistics and implication of the events held here whilst offering a helpful face easing any queries.

They are a part of the reason I enjoy events, but being a socially outgoing happy person, can be accredited to my outstanding friends, family and a loving girlfriend. These people mean a lot and I try to take up as much of their time as possible – to their dismay. Recently there has been a new addition, a few weeks ago I found a new baby brother, Toby, waiting for me one morning. Five weeks old and he is already larger than the two family dogs Hiro and Petal, but like most Chihuahuas they are bound to be physically challenged by anything larger than a large squirrel.

Anyway, I am hoping to be here until September so I look forward to meeting some of you face to face at your next event here at the River Centre!

I come from a 7 year career at the Kent County Council, where I did various roles including general admin and pa roles, moving to a project officer role within Adult Social Services where I got to meet lots of different service users which I enjoyed and the final role was as the Total Reward Adviser to the whole of the Council – this role was a really fun one as it was telling all the employees about the great benefits and rewards they received, it involved going across the County to different teams and doing presentations to them which I loved.

I am a real people person which is why I absolutely love working in events and conferences, a lot of my roles have involved the actual arranging of events so I feel it is good to have the experience from that side so I know what people are looking for in an events venue.

On a personal level I am a very social person, my boyfriend and friends are everything to me and I spend a lot of time with them as well as my family who I am very close to.  These last couple of years has brought me a neice and nephew which has been great fun!  I have a little dog Monty, he is a Patterdale Terrier (think Jack Russell but black and more crazy!!) and he keeps me fit and busy!!

I am passionate about the River Centre and I am completely committed to making it a success, I fell in love with the venue when I first saw it and I feel really privileged to be given the chance to run it – I am so excited about the future here and what new and different we will be running here… watch this space!

We have a fantastic caterer to work with the wedding party on creating the most amazing menu for the wedding breakfast.  The venue offers a wonderful foyer with a large fountain in the middle to have welcome drinks as the guests arrive.

We then have our spectacular auditorium as a setting for the wedding breakfast where there is lots of space for them to use their imagination and create the perfect setting for the meal, this will hold up to 300 in a sit down meal.  With a fantastic stage for the top table if wanted, and the technology to have background music and projectors playing photo albums or videos of whatever they like!

The guests can then move downstairs to enjoy a night of more celebrating, which will fit up to 500 guests!  We have a resident dj and entertainment band at your fingertips and work in partnership with a local hotel for excellent rates for guests who want to stay the night.  We can also put you in contact with anyone and everyone you need to know to make your wedding day perfect.

Our events team are really excited about working with couples to discuss specific requirements and to make sure the planning is stress free.  We can be as involved as couples would like us to be, we know that some people don’t want to have any of the worry of doing any planning etc so we are happy to take that on, we are also aware that some couples want to do everything themselves and we can just help to point them in the right direction!

We feel blessed to be able to make someone’s special day a dream come true.

We hope to open it from 7am to catch the traffic of people going to work or the station that may fancy a coffee on their way, and then maybe some mums and toddlers throughout the day, then from 3.30 onwards it will be all about the youth – lights dimmed, music a little louder and smoothies at the ready!

We really want it to be a social place where the community and youth will feel comfortable and at home and just a place for them to “be”.  We are still in the planning stages even though the roof is on and the walls are going up extremely quickly..!!

The café has two floors, the ground floor will be the café itself and then the first floor will be another venue facility.  We would love for this to be used by the community for things like small meetings, dance classes, regular clubs or socials/parties so keep that in mind when you are thinking of holding any smaller events in Tonbridge.

We are hoping for the Café to be up and running by the end of this year, but we are missing one vital thing… a name!  So if you have any ideas of a name for the café please let us know as we want it to be the communities, which means we want the community involved in it’s making – we would really love to hear from you about any ideas you may have about the running of the café, the name or the room upstairs – get involved!

Being right in the centre of Tonbridge, easy walking distance to the town centre and British Rail station, but also easily accessible from the M25. We also have a large car park on site accommodating 94 vehicles. This accessible location and convenience of our on site parking, made it a great venue for Nissan to gather their people from all over the region.

Not only was it convenient for the delegates to get to the venue but Nissan was also able to test drive the cars on surrounding quiet roads, only minutes away from the high street. This allowed them to become familiar with the vehicle and to get to grips with the car’s capabilities on the road.

The River Centre at the heart of South East England

Tonbridge is at the heart of South East England, which makes it the ideal location to gather clients and colleagues from all over the region. Because the River Centre is one of a kind, a modern and versatile conferencing facility, we are fully capable of adapting our venue to meet most client requirements. This was confirmed by the Nissan team, who organise these events on a regular basis, in their feedback to us.

They valued the fact that the staff at the River Centre were all professional and easy to work with and flexible to the customers requirements. As a venue, we do our best to make our clients feel welcome and to meet the needs that can arise during the event. Needless to say with a professional, flexible team who love hosting our clients in our state of the art conferencing venue, guarantees your event will be a great success.

Prospective delegates were booking right up to the last minute on line and those who missed the deadline registered on Friday morning. We were hoping Paul Carter, (Leader of Kent County Council) might be able to attend but at the last moment this wasn’t possible, however we were pleased to welcome Greg Clark MP back to The River Centre.

Fast Broadband Connections Essential for Growth

Following a brief BBC Radio Kent interview, the morning kicked off at a fast pace with Kevin Lynes, who highlighted the importance of fast internet connection which has left some individuals without a speedy broadband connection feeling isolated. It is felt the lack of fast broadband connection can lead to a two tier society, particularly in schools, where online teaching tools are now so vital to the education of children and teenagers.

During the morning all delegates met in our Grand Meeting Room, during lunch, this room had been swiftly subdivided such that delegates could meet in two separate rooms. This fulfilled the requirement of the Roadshow perfectly as workshops met the needs for business delegates to discuss how their companies are able to get involved in rolling out the next generation of internet access. While the other half of the group was consumer-based, identifying the ways in which local people might be able to benefit from the technological developments.

Intensive Q and A Panel Session

The last session of the day, the whole group was brought back together again by sliding the centre partition into the recess bringing the room to the initial footprint of the day, this enabled the speakers to bring the day to a close with a Q & A panel session – some rather intense grilling took place by the audience to the panel.

It was a pleasure to partner with Andrew and Marit working with them in developing the plans for the day and also on the day to see expectations for the roadshow completely fulfilled and seamlessly executed. We recommend that you attend one of the other dates local to you on the roadshow, and we look forward to seeing them again next year for another fantastic day.

For more information on the Next Gen Events go to: www.nextgenevents.co.uk

How do you entice visitors to attend your Product Launch in Kent?

Unfortunately, the whole world is not on the edge of their seats waiting for you to tell them about your new product. However, there are some people who will find your product of great interest and value. These people will become fans of your product and help you to spread the word. So, how can you create fans of your new product? One way is to invite the right people to a Product Launch.

Who are the right people?

That is a difficult question. Before we address that question, let’s get down to basics. You are holding a product launch, because you want sales. Get this into focus. Do you expect to make sales at the event? Is your aim to get media coverage to help spread the word about your new product, or are you looking to impress retailers who may want to sell your product? Get clear about your Product Launch purpose. Invite the right type of people for that purpose.

Kent – Product Launch Motivation

Once you have established the purpose of your product launch and the type of people you want to invite, you need to give them a compelling reason to attend. A celebrity may catch the attention of the media. If you are targeting consumers, you may want to offer a reduced rate if they purchase the product at the event. Get creative and consider a compelling reason for guests to attend your Product Launch.

Post-Product Launch Follow Up

Get the most out of your contacts from the product launch. Be sure to capture their contact details and permission to add them to your email marketing list. Connect with them on Social Media. Send them a survey to get feedback on the product. Keep communicating with them. Think of reasons to remind them about your product. For example, you can follow up the initial Product Launch with a mini-launch of a Facebook Fan page. The day you launch the Facebook Fan page, you can have a member of staff available to answer questions about the product posted on the page.

Product Launch Venue in Kent, South East England

We welcome interested parties to book a visit to inspect our technologically advanced Product Launch venue and facilities here in Tonbridge, Kent in South East England.

Impressive Technology at the River Centre in Kent

At The River Centre we have some impressive technology!! For example, you can welcome your guests with our large LCD screen in the Foyer. We have a portable PA system that will allow you to build a sense of excitement around your event or exhibition. Our auditorium has an amazing mixing desk and twin projectors, so you can stage an impressive audio visual display that your attendees will be sure to remember.

WiFi FREE for all at the River Centre Events Venue

We offer Wi-Fi throughout the building, so your exhibitors and guests will be able to use their computers, ipads and smartphones to capture those leads direct in their CRM database or email marketing system.

3 Innovative ways exhibitors can use technology

1. Use QR Codes
QR codes are square codes (think barcodes) that smartphones with a QR code reader can scan. Scanning the QR code will pass information onto their mobile device. You can use your QR code to direct customers to a specific page of your website or your contact details. It’s useful to print a QR code on your roller banner. If you are busy speaking to someone on your stand, an interested delegate can just scan the code of your roller banner and still get information about your business without speaking to you or taking any printed material.

2. Make the most of mobile devices
Send one of your exhibitors to walk around with an ipad to show off your website to delegates. You can also then capture email addresses and sign them up to your email marketing mailing list or enter them in a prize draw. By inputting email addresses on the ipad at the event, you save yourself on administrative tasks after the event, making follow up communications fast and efficient.

3. Love LCD
Using LCD monitors at your stand adds visual interest and draws delegates in. You can use your LCD screen to show presentations, video clips or even your website.

At The River Centre, we have the Wi-Fi, conveniently located power points and state of the art Audio Visual equipment. We have everything you, your exhibitors and delegates need to have an exciting exhibition that makes the most of today’s technology.

Technologically Advanced Exhibition Centre in Kent, South East England

You really do have to see it to believe it, The River Centre is a new modern building strategically located near all major arterial roads in Kent, South East England. We welcome visitors who may be interested in using our Exhibitions and Conference or Meetings facilities in the future, simply call us or fill out the form to book a visit and we will give you the VIP guided tour of the River Centre.

Regardless of the size or your event, from six people in a closed meeting to an High-Profile Exhibition for hundreds of delegates we can cater for your needs with a technologically advance venue.

1. Decide

The success of your event hinges on the initial decisions you make. Clear decisions about the purpose of your event and the roles and responsibilities of your event team will help your event planning process run smoothly.

You need to decide
Who:
Who will be on your events team and what will be each person’s role?
Who will you invite to the event?
Who will be invited to the event from your organisation?
Who will be VIP guests or speakers?

What:
What do you want your guests to gain by attending?
What will your guests do on arrival?
What content will you provide your guests?
What food and drinks will you serve?

When:
When is the best time of year to host the event?
When is the most convenient time of day to host the event?
When are all of your key attendees available?
When will the event start and finish?

Where:
Where will you hold your event? (That’s easy. The River Centre is conveniently located in Tonbridge, Kent.)
Where will your guests park? (That’s also easy. The River Centre has ample parking spaces.)
Where will your guests be travelling from?
Where will your guests need to sit, listen, network, view displays, etc within the venue?

Why:
Why will your invited guests attend?
Why are you hosting the event?

Once you have made decisions about your event, you are ready to start event planning.

2. Schedule

Schedule a convenient date and hire The River Centre as far in advance as possible. This leaves you plenty of time to schedule every detail. Once you have the date decided, you should create an event plan that details every last details from how you will market the event to what time refreshments will be served.

3. Implement

Use your detailed schedule to start implementing you event action plan. A details schedule will make it easy to implement the right actions to make your event happen.

4. Monitor

During the event, monitor the satisfaction of your guests. Your Events Team should monitor that speakers and guests have everything they need to enjoy the evening.

5. Evaluate

Be sure to get feedback and testimonials from your guests. Use this feedback and your own assessment of the event to evaluate the effectiveness of the event against the aims you set out in the decision making process.

These 5 event planning tips will help ensure you host a successful event. The River Centre will be happy to assist the smooth running of your event.

So, what’s the secret to running a successful Roadshow?

Let’s look at one of the most widely recognised Roadshow in the UK for help. The Antiques Roadshow first hit our television screens in 1977 and is probably one of the most well known Roadshows. So, how has it managed to keep guests interest for more than three decades? The answer is simple.

The purpose of the Antiques Roadshow is clear.
Roadshow attendees can get advice and a valuation from antique specialists.

The target audience of the Antiques Roadshow is clear.
The target audience is people who are interested in antiques.

In the television programme, they also include a video clip about the history of the venue they are visiting, but they keep this segment relevant to their overall purpose by discussing some of the antique historical objects. Consistently ensuring all of the content of the Roadshow meets the audiences’ expectations and interests is the secret to the show’s success.

Applying a bit of Antiques Roadshow magic to your Roadshow

Before planning the content of your Roadshow, answer the following questions.
1. Who will attend your Roadshow? (Who is your target audience?)
2. What is the purpose of the Roadshow?
3. Will your purpose for holding the Roadshow meet the expectations of your visitors?

People planning Roadshows often fall into the trap of focussing too much on their purpose instead of thinking of the expectations and of their visitors. The Antiques Roadshow works, because the Roadshow fills a need by providing antique experts to people who want the chance to have their antiques valued. If your purpose is to raise more awareness of your brand or gain new customers, your purpose might be out of alignment with the expectations of your visitors. If that is the case, you must get creative when you plan the content of your Roadshow, but don’t get too carried away. Keep your content relevant and focussed. Clearly define the purpose and target audience for your Roadshow.

Roadshow Venues in Kent, South East England

The River Centre in Tonbridge, Kent really is a first rate Roadshow venue. If your organisation is seeking a modern, high profile, technologically advanced Roadshow venue we invite you to visit us and inspect our facilities and to discuss your requirements. We believe, as do our clients that the River Centre can help you to stage your Roadshow in style with no fuss at a bufget that makes sense!