AOK Events

For the third year running AOK Events have been placed in the Top 50 Great Places To Work in the UK, with us chalking up a remarkable 19th place in 2024 🎉 We are the only company of 50 employees or fewer from the hospitality industry to achieve this accolade. To say we are incredibly proud is an understatement. We have the best team! The last 12 months has been a ground-breaking one for the Company, with us becoming an employee-owned business after purchasing 65% of the company's shares from AOK Events shareholders through an Employee Ownership Trust. All of our staff are incredibly motivated to make unforgettable happen, day in day out, for our roster of wonderful clients. If you add in company trips to Morocco and Slovenia; 8 brilliant new members of staff; one of our best financial years on record; significant progress around improved employee wellbeing; becoming a more sustainable business; the launch of our new Destination Management Company, flexible working and countless nights out...you can see why we really are A Great Place To Work. #UKBestWorkplaces #bestworkplaces #gptwcertified

Thoroughly enjoyed my first AOK Events ‘Venue Safari’ yesterday around London, we certainly covered some ground! Kings Place Horizon 22 Mayfair Townhouse COYA Mayfair Jeru Nobu Portman Square Frameless L’Oscar Thank you so much again to all the venues for hosting, and for giving us such insightful tours of the different event spaces. We are proud to offer an award winning venue finding service here at AOK events. With 24 years industry experience, we have unrivalled venue finding expertise, and well established relationships with a huge selection of hotels and venues, ensuring we can negotiate the best possible rates.

Earlier this year I was approached by Alex Johns, an old school friend and cricketing mate of mine. He had recently bought Nicholson, one of the oldest English drinks brands (it dates back to 1736) and he was looking for some help finding a venue in the UK, where he could launch and showcase Nicholson's extensive range of delicious, high end, pre-batched cocktails, as he had already successfully done in Antigua and Majorca. Over the years AOK Events have forged outstanding relationships with literally thousands of venues - hotels, sports stadia, bars and restaurants, private members clubs, nightclubs, wedding/party venues and a myriad of bespoke venues. After 1 month of consultancy we introduced 5 potential venues, two of which we went to visit. I am very proud to say that at the end of July, Nicholson opened a stunning cocktail bar on Lusty Glaze Beach, Newquay, surely one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK. It was an incredibly proud moment on launch night when Tracey Griffiths, Lusty Glaze's entrepreneurial owner, said that one of the guests had said "my God, it's like Ibiza here". Cocktail sales are soaring too. Mission accomplished. Now to find venue number 2....

A fruit filled Nature Day at The Mole for innocent 🍓🍌🍉🥝🍇🍏 Our long time client innocent drinks asked us to help them with an off-site and overnight stay for all of their UK&I staff featuring a company update, breakout sessions, activities and a party in the evening. Their aim was for everyone to work together and interact while learning about innocent’s product updates. They also wanted the day to feel as at one with nature as possible (subject to our delightful English summer weather) and stressed the importance of making it sustainable and low impact. Together, we created an activity packed ‘Nature Day’ at the The Mole Resort, using local suppliers, low waste and low footprint food options with minimal transport emissions. For the evening, guests were encouraged to either wear fancy dress or dress fancy. A dress code designed to encourage everyone to re-wear old costumes or get creative with existing clothes to avoid unnecessary purchases. What we did: 🔍 Found the venue 📋 Full event management 🚃 Booked four exclusive train carriages and coaches from London to Devon and back 🎪 Set up a stretch tent for the presentations, dinner and evening entertainment 🪕 Booked all entertainment including a Sea shanty band, a DJ and fire walking 🧭 Organised outdoor breakout sessions along an event trail through the grounds of the Mole 🪩 Organised the event decor with branded flags and disco balls in the woods 🥕 Supplied local fruit and veg for the breakout sessions and snacks, with leftovers going to local farms for animal feed 🥪 Classic British catering including a Ploughmans station on arrival for lunch 🫖 An afternoon cream tea with clotted cream and jam – the Devon way of course! 🌮 Booked food traders for dinner by BristolEats, including a vegan Mexican, burgers and Sri Lankan cuisine 🔥 Lit a fire pit with marshmallows for a campfire experience 📸 Event photography and videography 🎤 Used a local AV and production supplier 🥁 Set up a grassy stage for the innocent band's evening performance 🏹 Arranged outdoor activities supplied by the Mole including axe throwing, ceramic painting, archery and lawn games 🎧 Used one of the Mole's indoor spaces for the afterparty hosted by our singing DJ 🍳 Breakfast baps followed by a BBQ for some hearty feasting before heading home Our clients and their guests really enjoyed the format which we refreshed this year. We now need to top it for next year! “Thanks so much again to you both for the immense event you created for us, everyone is over the moon with how it went.” #summeroffsite #natureday #corporateawayday #teambuilding

Cycle the Olympic Velodrome 🚲 As one of our most popular activities for team building and client engagement, cycling at the Olympic Lee Valley Velodrome is an exclusive experience not to be missed. Break down boundaries between you, your colleagues or clients and race it out on the world’s fastest 250m track! Ideal for groups of 10 and above, enjoy exclusive use of the track that made history during the London 2012 Games, with full instruction from qualified coaches and all relevant equipment provided onsite. Keep track of your times and race to be the winner on the day! Want to go the Extra Mile? ⚡ 1️⃣ Be joined by a British Olympic cyclist, giving your guests an incredible experience to interact with and be coached by one of the best! 2️⃣ Kit out your team in branded jerseys, and treat them to a branded goody bag on arrival. 3️⃣ Use branding on the big screen and the surrounding trackboards for maximum impact. 4️⃣ Enjoy branded podium photos and trophies for your winners. 5️⃣ Host your offsite meeting in one of Lee Valley’s meeting rooms onsite before enjoying the track, making the most of this unique venue Add a Dinner 🍴 Follow your cycling with a lovely dinner nearby in Stratford or Shoreditch. Some lovely venues to try: 📍 In Stratford: Allegra Restaurant at The Stratford or the Coupe Bar Terrace and Private Restaurant at The Gantry. 📍 In Shoreditch: The new Samba Room at Sushi Samba, Secret Garden at South Place Hotel or the Nami Bar at Nobu. Are you interested? Get in touch with our team who would be happy to help with your enquiry.

This time last week, I was lucky enough to attend Wembley Stadium to see the incredible Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (one of my absolute favourites!) 🎸🎤 Daniel Bull Charlie Tanner and I had the pleasure of hosting some of our terrific clients in the #BobbyMooreRoom, enjoying the lounge, being fed and watered, before taking our seats (which were fantastic) to watch the show. Bruce had us all up dancing and singing at the top of our lungs, and even the rain didn’t dampen our spirits! A thoroughly enjoyable time had by all, lovely opportunity to spend time with our guests and just another reminder of how valuable corporate hospitality is! 🥂 #wembley #corporatehospitality #borntorun

Our July recap 🍹 This month, we travelled to Cornwall and Paris, managed entertainment packed summer parties all across London, launched Quarterly Volume 7 and started looking ahead to exciting new events for 2025! Event Highlights ⚽️ Arranged several EURO 2024 screening events up and down the country, as well as pre-game networking drinks in Germany before guests headed off to the matches 🎷 Organised summer parties for clients, which included hot dog tricycles at Inner Temple Gardens, string quartets at Magazine London, as well as jazz bands onboard the Silver Sturgeon ☀️ Managed a summer party and hybrid conference for 300 guests at Between the Bridges for Tails.com 🍹 Organised interactive brand activations for Nicholson Gin at Lusty Glaze in Cornwall – luckily, the sun made an appearance! ✏️ Arranged an in-office academy event over 4 days for a tech client, including a welcome reception at The Standard Hotel in Townhouse 8, and travel support for international dignitaries Favourite venues booked ⭐️ Christmas Party for 2025 at the new venue Horizon 22 🏙️ Large Q4 conferences at Convene Bishopsgate and Sea Containers Hotel  🌳 Company party at Beaumont Estate in Windsor  🇵🇹 European Retreat at the Hilton Porto Gaia Favourite Entertainment booked: 🪩 An entertainment package for our client's conference after party at Magazine, booking a visual DJ, Acoustic Trio, two magicians, a 12 piece party band, pick & mix and a waffle tricycle ☀️ Great entertainment packages for our clients' summer parties at Inner Temple and Westminster Abbey Gardens, booking roaming bands, outdoor games, giant letters and a number of food and drink tricycles  🏀 DJ Elliot, a twin racing simulator, a twin basketball game, beat the buzzer and a Photopod for our clients in-office summer party Corporate Hospitality news 🇫🇷 We have been onsite with clients in Paris for the Olympics 🍓 Had another incredibly successful Wimbledon 🏏 Other July events included the England-West Indies Test Series, EURO 2024, the British Grand Prix and Henley Royal Regatta   🎾 For the first time ever, Queen’s Club will have two tournaments in June: WTA (Ladies’) event – 9-15 June 2025 LTA (Men’s) event – 16-22 June 2025  ⚽️ 24/25 Premier League football fixtures were announced  🎤 Dua Lipa announced two nights at Wembley Stadium in June 2025 Company news 📚 Launched Volume 7 of our Quarterly magazine 🎄 Talked to lots of people at the London Christmas Party Show 📈 Had our half year company off-site and Tom's 30th birthday celebration in Clapham Common 🧡 We welcomed Ana to the operations team 💥 We were recognised as one of the UK Best Workplaces for women for a third year running   Favourite Trustpilot review 💚 “AOK have been fantastic. We are often seeking last minute hospitality requirements and they go above and beyond for us every time, never disappointing on service and price. Dan and Elle in particular have made my Wimbledon ticket journey a delight.” #julyrecap #summerparty

We are delighted and proud to be named one of the UK's Best Workplaces for Women for the third year running 💕 At our mid-year off-site this week, we took a moment to reflect on our success this year and how we plan to continue to thrive into 2025. We would not be able to do that without the initiative and engagement of our ever-growing and truly brilliant team which we are proud to support in life and at work. #gptw #ukbestworkplaces

Women's sporting events we are excited about 🏃♀️ With a surge in popularity and unprecedented investment, women’s sport has reached new heights, captivating audiences worldwide. From football to tennis, to golf and cricket, this summer marks the beginning of a game-changing time for female athletes. Let’s get into the key events and milestones that will shape the rest of the year, making 2024 an unforgettable season for women’s professional sports. 🏊♀️ OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024 - 26 July - 11 August 2024 The tournament, lasting just over two weeks, offers the best opportunity to see the world’s biggest superstars, such as Simone Biles, Sky Brown and Dina Asher-Smith competing at the top of their fields. 🏏 THE HUNDRED: Revolutionising Women’s Cricket Cricket enthusiasts are in for a treat as the summer of 2024 brings forth a revolutionary tournament in women’s cricket - The Hundred. This innovative format, featuring fast-paced matches with 100 balls per innings, promises to attract fans and take the sport to new heights. THE ELIMINATOR AT KIA OVAL - 17 AUGUST 2024 THE FINAL AT LORD’S - 18 AUGUST 2024 🏌️♀️ AIG WOMEN’S OPEN AT ST ANDREWS - 21 - 25 AUGUST 2024 The final women's major of the year will be hosted at the iconic home of golf. As the summer comes to an end, the LPGA Tour will continue to captivate audiences, leaving a lasting impact on women’s golf. 🎾 QUEENS CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS - 9 - 15 JUNE 2025 In 2025, we will see a first for The Queen’s Club Championships, with the tournament set to extend to a second week for the ladies to have a chance to prepare for the grass court season. 🏇 AYR GOLD CUP - 12 SEPTEMBER 2024 Over the last few years, the racing world has seen names such as Rachael Blackmore and Hollie Doyle develop into the next superstar jockeys, and personalities across the circuit. Cheltenham, Aintree and Royal Ascot have all become accustomed to watching female jockeys lead the way in some of the biggest races on the circuit, including the Gold Cup, Grand National and King Charles III Stakes. ⚽️ BARCLAYS WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE 24/25 STARTING ON 21 SEPTEMBER 2024 The Lionesses have lead the way for increased popularity for women’s football, with over 12 million fans in the UK tuning in to watch the World Cup Final in 2023 following the European Championship win the previous year. This has seen an amazing change in club football with Arsenal noting an increase in fans of over 300%, selling out the Emirates Stadium. In the next few years, we can only see this increasing with clubs such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal boasting the biggest names in the sport - inspiring the next generation. Whether it is an England or Club game, the growth of women’s football will offer great hospitality options to entertain guests. Which events will you tune in to this year? #womeninsport #corporatehospitality

☀ On Sunday I was lucky enough to be hosted by the beautiful The Gallivant - a day full of relaxation, beach air and lots of English Sparkling wine! 🍷 After a yummy lunch on the terrace, we were whisked off to Gusbourne winery only a short 20 mins away, for an informative wine tasting session where we got to sample lots of their beautifully made sparkling wine (which The Gallivant serve) 🏖 Upon our return, we took a short walk over the road to the beach for the hotels 'Drinks in the Dunes' concept, where the bar had made us a takeaway cocktail to enjoy overlooking the beach 🍴 Dinner was a beautiful 3 course meal, explained by the talent head chef Dylan, with lots of local produce featuring - and of course accompanied by some more Gusbourne wine! 🛌 After a very comfortable nights sleep, the morning started with a session of yoga which is offered complimentary to all guests. The perfect way to kick off your day (although I used muscles I haven't used for a very long time!) A huge thank you Elise Roberts and Victoria Ryznar for putting together such a lovely itinerary to allow us to fully experience the beauty and uniqueness of the hotel. If you are looking for a coastal retreat for small groups of up to 20 people then I would highly recommend The Gallivant. 👏 AOK Events