E3 Group

The Dora Bryan musical spectacular was held yesterday at Her Majesty’s Theatre London, and was a huge success. After weeks of hard work organising the celebrity performances and musical production numbers, the E3 team had spent many an hour trying to get things just right on the night and all the dedication really paid off. This was the first West End show produced by E3 Group and there were a lot of new experiences involved including an army of fans camped outside the theatre awaiting the arrival of the likes of Brian Conley, Anita Harris Rosemary Ashe, Sir Cliff Richard and of course, the lovely Dora herself.

The show opened with Zoë Tyler leading the cast in their rendition of a classic from one of Dora’s many musical turns, Hello Dolly, before E3 Group CEO David Hill began his duties as compère for the night. Comedian Johnny Casson, West End Star Rosemary Ashe and new face of musical theatre Mark Joseph then took to the stage, followed by a fabulous performance form Anita Harris. Steve Hewlett, comedy ventriloquist added some variety to the evening leaving the audience in hysterics with his array of vocal skills. The lovely Linda Lusardi then introduced her husband and singer Sam Kane whose performance was as powerful as his voice. Stars of Last of the Summer Wine, Jean Ferguson, Juliette Kaplin and Liz Frazer then reminisced about their time on set with Dora before Bryan Conley dazzled the audience with a true variety act. Singing, comedy and even fire swallowing comprised the show performed by one of the true kings of cabaret. The E3 dancers brought the first act down with the number Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, one of Sondheim’s greatest shows.

The second act kicked off with Sir Cliff Richard performing an amazing, intimate solo set. Just Sir Cliff and his guitar filled the whole stage while he displayed that unquantifiable ability to get everyone singing along, no matter the situation. This was then followed by a sixties themed section recapturing the mood and feel of the decade which produced Dora’s iconic film A Taste of Honey. Dominic Halpin and The Honey B’s, a stylish combo, provided the music. Rita Tushingham appeared to reminisce on her staring role alongside Dora in the movie followed by the keyboardist Bobby Crush and comedienne Mia Carla. The students from GSA then dazzled the audience with their rendition of Coffee in a Carboard Cup, a performance worthy of any West End Stage. Dancing on Ice Judge Robin Cousins and electric comedy keys player Kev Orkian followed. Jill Martin then delivered a few anecdotes about her time working with Dora before the all star finale, Before the Parade Passes By, once again lead by Zoë Tyler, supported by the GSA students and the fantastic E3 dancers. Overall, the event was a fantastic success and a real demonstration of E3’s ability to adapt their skills to produce and manage any kind of event on the largest scale.

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Tickets are still available for E3 Group’s one-off West End musical spectacular, celebrating the career of BAFTA and Olivier award winning actress, Dora Bryan OBE. The show will feature songs from musical favourites including Hello, Dolly, Showboat and 70 Girls 70 together with exclusive performances from Sir Cliff Richard, Brian Conley, Rosemary Ashe, Zoe Tyler and many others. The show will also feature a full supporting cast and a live orchestra.

Tickets start at £25 and are available through See Tickets on 0844 4124 657. Ticket sales will raise money for two charities close to Dora’s heart; the Variety Club Children’s Charity and the Alzheimer’s Society. A special £20-off discount is available on the top two ticket price bands for readers of this blog; call See Tickets and quote “Dora31″.

Dora Bryan is one of the nation’s most beloved stars of stage and screen. As Aunt Ros Utterthwaite she endeared herself to fans of Last of the Summer Wine and picked up a BAFTA nomination for her role as Dolly in Absolutely Fabulous. Before these memorable roles, Dora picked up a BAFTA for her scene stealing performance in A Taste of Honey and an Olivier Award for her turn in Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. All these accolades lead to Dora receiving an OBE in the Queen’s honours list in 1996, recognising her stellar contribution to British film, television and theatre. Dora’s life has certainly been eventful and not exactly what you would call smooth sailing. This excellent article in the Daily Mail served to emphasise this while extolling what a true talent to be admired Dora really is. E3 Group entertainment agency CEO David Hill, who is also Dora’s manager and close personal friend, decided that at the very least, Dora deserved an evening of entertainment to celebrate all her achievements. And so Dora was born; a Gala Charity Show celebrating the career of Dora Bryan OBE. David Hill commented on the celebration, “It is a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to a very special lady and an incredible British talent.”

The event will be held at The Really Useful Group’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, London on the 31st May 2009. Dora herself will be the guest of honour at the gala show which will bring together many of her friends and fans for an evening of entertainment and reminiscence on the career of this highly renowned BAFTA and Olivier award winning actress. The evening will consist of performances and speeches from many of the famous friends Dora has made throughout her career which has now spanned seven decades. The show will be ticketed in order to raise money for a charity very close to Dora’s heart, the Variety Club Children’s Charity, whose dedication to helping sick and disabled children through variety entertainment has inspired the evening. The Variety Club’s Chief Barker, Kenneth R. Mustoe commented on Dora. “Dora Bryan is a true legend of the entertainment industry and has been a supporter of The Variety Club for over 30 years. We are extremely honoured that she has nominated us as the charity of choice for her well deserved tribute evening. This gift will make a true difference in the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.”

Tickets are available to purchase through See Tickets and ticket enquiries can be made on 0844 4124 657 or through www.seetickets.com. The full line up of the evening’s entertainment will be confirmed shortly. Please don’t hesitate to contact E3 Group for any information pertaining to the show.

For more information on the Variety Club Children’s Charity please visit www.varietyclub.org.uk

In recent months, E3 Group has been attending some of the top events related exhibitions in London’s capital. As I blogged before, these events are great networking opportunities and also a fantastic chance to see new talented entertainers and keep abreast of developments in this dynamic and vibrant industry. Looking back, I have spent some time thinking about how exhibitors effectively communicated their message to attendees. The conclusion I came to was that people are much more willing to hear what you have to say if you manage to grab their attention. This may seem like an obvious point but in the events industry, with thousands of professionals attending some of the most glamorous events the world has to offer, grabbing attention is easier said than done. The stands which grabbed my attention and encouraged me to engage with the exhibitor the most were those that provided entertainment. I was not alone in this viewpoint as many attendees flocked to those stands that had entertainment on offer. I found magicians in particular to be particularly effective in generating brand engagement.

Magicians, by their very nature, set out to confuse and beguile you; not really qualities you would associate with effective brand communication. However, when followed up with an effective sales patter or brand message, the magician’s worth is clearly emphasised. Their ability to transport their audience into a child-like state of wonderment makes that audience much more receptive and less cynical than they would be with their business hats on. Magicians are experts in dismantling barriers between groups and their skills translate to almost any event imaginable. E3 Artist clients who hire a magician for live events benefit from the increased audience engagement. Corporate functions with a magician in their midst create a relaxed atmosphere for attendees and help to generate talking points for people who may have been strangers five minutes ago. Nick Reade, one of E3 Artists’ own magicians, has performed in front of celebrities such as Kylie Minogue, Emma Bunton and even for Queen Elizabeth herself as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Nick can verify the same level of wonderment at his magic from them all, no matter the status. Any company exhibiting at a trade show, hosting an event designed to generate brand engagement or simply hosting a function in need of some adept ice breaking, should book a magician. They provide entertainment with a clear purpose and instantly measurable rewards.

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E3 Group attended the RSVP exhibition at the Business design centre in Islington today. On show were companies and services from the full spectrum of the events industry. Before attending, our delegates feared that the shadow of the G20 protests would loom heavily over the event, making potential attendees reluctant to travel through London. Fortunately, the atmosphere at the event was exceptional, with people totally unfazed by the potential for disruption attending in their thousands. E3 Group attended the event to determine exactly what kind of impact the current economic climate was having on the industry in general and to listen to the experiences of our suppliers and potential business partners. Although everyone admitted to the belt-tightening that is becoming compulsory for all businesses at the moment, no matter the sector, we were pleased to here that it is not all doom and gloom for the events industry, in fact, far from it.

The current downturn has become a common ground for the sector to unite over. Partnerships were springing up left, right and centre as business who previously may have been content to go it alone, looked to form new relationships and strengthen the old. Entertainers were out in force in an environment which truly represented the vibrant and exciting culture this industry enjoys. Walking down a typical aisle at RSVP you could expect to be serenaded by a crooner, baffled by a close up magician and relaxed by some ambient, classical strings, all the while being dazzled by the array of exhibiting styles the different stands had to offer. E3 Group found the event to be thoroughly enjoyable and beneficial as a networking opportunity, as a chance to promote your services and as an opportunity to have personal contact with the people who keep the industry fresh, innovative and successful. For your chance to get a glimpse of the event, stay tuned to Channel 4’s Ten Years Younger, hosted by the lovely Myleene Klass, as they were filming at RSVP today. If you watch closely, you may even catch a glimpse of E3’s own Callum Gill and Ryan Curtis who were asked by Myleene to pass judgement on one of the contestants, and were only too glad to oblige!

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As the UK dipped further into the recession at the start of this year, many analysts pointed to music festivals as an area of the events industry that would suffer excessively from the negative climate. There have been a few casualties so far, notably Reading’s Heavenly Planet festival. Much has been made of the decision to cancel this festival but when you consider that it was being organised by Reading Borough Council, it becomes more apparent why the event was under pressure to reduce spending. This festival was also being launched in direct competition to one of the UK’s largest and well known festival brands, the Reading and Leeds festival. It is now becoming apparent that festival organisers are ramping up the spend with interest in live music events defying the recession.

The NME reported last week that music buyers in the UK are much happier spending their money on live performances, rather than recorded music, and with recent ticket sales for Take That and more prominently, Michael Jackson, reaching seven figures in a matter of minutes, it is clear to see that live music events are still extremely viable for organisers. With news that Bestival and the mighty Glastonbury have maintained spending rather than cutting the budget in this time speaks volumes. Here at E3 Group we have been facilitating requests for numerous live music events with clients looking to hire a band for both festival style events and one off performance. The cost to book a famous band in the current climate is obviously more negotiable than it has ever been while savvy organisers are aware that ticket sales and public interest for live music events are maintaining pre-recession levels.

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Celebrity chefs have come under fire this week for the amount of saturated fat contained in a number of their recipes. Some dishes were identified as containing as much as 216 per cent of an average person’s daily allowance of saturated fat. Some chefs were singled out as being more health conscious when it comes to their recipes. Unsurprisingly, Jamie Oliver was commended for his balanced view towards healthy eating and Lesley Waters, a recent edition to E3 Artists’ roster, was applauded for her use of ‘good fats’, such as olive oil, in her cooking. Concerns were raised due to the increasing trend of people choosing to cook at home to avoid expensive restaurant bills.

I think that celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver have increasingly tried to make people aware of the fat content in their food and exactly what foods we need to avoid or eat less of. If you see a recipe chocked full of butter, sugar and cream, it’s hardly surprising to find that it exceeds your daily fat allowance. When E3 Group clients hire a celebrity chef for their event, their waistlines aren’t exactly a big concern. What’s more important is the knowledge that they will be eating truly exceptional food and that the chef they book provides a real treat for their attendees. There are thousands of healthy eating cook books on the market these days, often written by celebrity chefs themselves and ultimately, we are all entitled to a treat sometimes aren’t we?

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Julian Clary was on top form last Friday as he presented the Be Inspired Business Awards in Blackpool. The North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce chose to book Julian Clary for this event and they approached E3 Artists with him at the top of their wish list. E3 Artists has worked with Julian in the past and he is extremely popular with corporate event organisers looking to add his trade mark charm and rapier like wit to proceedings. The BIBA’s are hailed as the ‘one they all want to win in the North West’ and, as such, only a presenter of Julian’s calibre could do the event justice. This tag was not undeserved as the ceremony got into full swing, with live performances and music emphasising the scale and importance of this event to the North Western business community. Overseeing and co-ordinating Julian’s appearance was Dan Kujawski, E3’s senior entertainment agent.

Babs Murphy, Chief Executive of North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, looked at ease alongside Julian presenting the ceremony. The two sometimes appearing as if they were a seasoned comedy double act. All in all, Babs was delighted with the decision to hire Julian Clary and the event was a great success, complimented by the host’s ability to adapt any situation to his own undeniably unique style.

Colin Coulter photographed the event producing the great image above.

Last Week, a few members of the E3 team attended the International Confex exhibition at Earls Court. The event turned out to be a great networking opportunity, a chance to evaluate the current climate of the events industry and a great forum for assessing potential suppliers. The event was complimented by a useful and informative seminar programme bringing together leading figures from the conference and event industry. The seminar entitled Generating New Business in the Recession had a queue stretching the length of the exhibition centre, painting a pretty clear picture of the concerns of industry professionals during this difficult time.

The exhibition was able to capture the kinetic and dynamic nature of the events industry while keeping the professionalism necessary for networking on this scale. Events industry media outlets sat in amongst exhibition stand designers and conference support service stands bobbed happily along to live performances from corporate event entertainers. The full picture of the events industry was painted at Confex this year; the worries that the economic downturn is provoking, the ability of the industry to adapt and change and the similar experiences that industry professionals have been sharing over the past year. Get down to Confex next year and use the tools on offer to energise your outlook for 2010.

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The E3 Artists and E3 Events team recently put together an evening’s entertainment for business, technology and outsourcing giants Capgemini. The company held a belated Christmas Party at the China Palace in Worthing and the E3 Group provided vocal duo Silhouette and comedy ventriloquist Gareth Oliver to supply the entertainment culminating in a successful evening overall.

Ryan Curtis, E3 Entertainment Agent, was on hand to provide event management with some unexpected results. Ryan had a hectic night, leaving the event to pick up a mike stand from Brighton, before travelling back to the Worthing in the nick of time! This ensured that the celebration went without a hitch, so much so that all those dancing at the end of Silhouette’s final set were left clamouring for more.

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