Confessions Of A Doorbitch

So I blog about parties and what happens at them, but what about what happens right outside the door? The things I've witnessed and the stories I've heard over the years from doorstaff are often funnier than the gossip bubbling inside. My all time fave would have to be the loud lass who swore black and blue that she knew Tiffany "really, really well". I must admit I let her babble on a fair bit before I eventually let her know that I was in fact, Tiffany...

The Art of The Canape

I often joke that the reason I got into an event career was due to my long-running obession with canapes. Sometimes I don't think it's a joke at all...I suffer from a fear of commitment in various areas of my life so the humble canape represents the reverse: fast, fabulous and fulfilling! No commitment necessary. I would much prefer to graze on bite sized morsels of heaven than commit to a single main meal, and am sure that the rise of tapas bars confirms that many feel the same. Here are some catering tips & tricks and opinions I have formed over the years, from the PR perspective:

Just Don't Call It Networking

I was asked to MC at a great PRIA event this week, called "The Perfect Pitch" - and was asked to say a few words about networking. I pondered the subject and promptly realised the only problem I have with networking is the word itself. It sounds so...contrived. It suggests that when you 'network', that you're doing it for the express purpose of getting something out of it. I don't think I've ever talked to a stranger, at a work function or other, just to elevate my career. I simply genuinely enjoy talking to people - even the arseholes (more on that further down).

The Art of The Invitation

This blog topic came courtesy of Sarah Wilson who I shared several cups of rosebud & lemongrass tea with this week. (I'm a huge fan of Sarah's column in Sunday Life and reading her weekly hints on how to make life sweeter always does make my life sweeter, without fail.) So you think an invitation is just a piece of paper delivered to you in an envelope? Think again - like everything in PR world it can be ridiculously labour intensive, often fraught with glitches and can send us not just to the Post Office but screaming for the hills. Here's some tips I've learnt over the years, and why I would never send an invite to a celebrity via their agent.