The Office Christmas Tree

This year we got in nice and early to buy our office Christmas tree. Duncan and Piran lugged it all the way back for us. It looked so beautiful to begin with. Perfect shape, lovely colour, strong base. We were so happy…….

Within a few days we noticed he was looking a bit sickly. A little grey. By the next morning he was falling apart. Rapidly.

Our tree seemed to have a mysterious illness; sort of like tree leprosy. The more we tried to brighten him, the more he died. Now two weeks later our Office Christmas Tree is on life support. He has lost all of his weight (needles) and has a limp. We fear he won’t survive the winter. We’ve tried water, baubles, happy thoughts, kicking him – nothing’s worked.

Essex Road Christmas Tree Man – you sold us a crappy, leper tree for £45.00. But for some reason we love him J

Merry Christmas to all of our Islington neighbours who probably also have terminal trees.  
 

Santa releases Elf for Christmas Supper

Last night the LOLA office was filled with Christmas cheer as Santa released one of his elves from a night shift to cook us a wonderful Christmas dinner in the 3^rd round of our dining contest.

A crackling fire (thanks You Tube), fairy lights and holly painted the perfect picture for a cosy start to the dinner. Ably assisted by her helper, our little LOLA Elf (we’ll call her Frosty….) served up a delicious bruschetta starter followed by a perfectly presented chicken and mushroom risotto with a sprinkling of parmesan.

It was then time for some Secret Santa - and in the absence of the man himself Frosty the Elf filled in and handed out some fabulous pressies most of which came within the £5 budget. For the second year running, one particular Secret Santa even managed to come in WELL under budget. Thanks Secret Scrooge.

Special mention to the home baked cookies, the Pounland make up set and the ‘Happy Horse.’

Following a dessert of meringue, fruit and cream, Frosty’s helper finally got to let her hair down with her new karaoke machine. The rendition of ‘Say You’ll be There’ was moving.

Eventually the lights came on and we all left the building while some old man in an Anorak sang Fleetwood Mac to himself.

A worthy 3^rd round contender for the prize. All eyes are now on round 4 where the competition gets its first look at the favourite……….

 

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Employee of the Month

Anthony Ndow

BIG congratulations to Anthony Ndow who is our LOLA employee of the month for November.

Anthony has worked for LOLA for 7 months now and has done over 120 shifts for us so far! He is one of the favourite staff members for many of our clients. He has worked at plenty of different events and the variety of venues including hotels, museums, and racecourses. He has just recently completed a very successful Christmas run.

He has been invaluable at one of main Christmas venues – The Tower of London where he was a superstar on the beast shifts of over 17 hours!!! Not only a whizz in the floor he is now bar man of choice.

Anthony’s hard work and willingness have made him our November stand out star and we cannot thank him enough.

LOLA senior team describe Anthony as ‘always great to work with’ and ‘top performer every shift’. He is ‘one of everyone’s favourite… Doesn’t matter how tough the job is, doesn’t matter how tired he is, he always does everything he is asked to!’ Well done Anthony!

Also special mention to Rosie Chatwin who has been nominated as a ’LOLA Star’ this month and as a result we’re happy to offer a pay increase.

Thanks again guys, great job!

Arabian Nights - Round 2

1 month of decision making, 2 weeks of preparation, 3 days of sourcing ingredients, a weekend for mise en place, late for work a couple of times, half a days set up……..and finally……

John Michael gives us Arabian nights! And it was well worth the wait!

We entered the candlelit Bedouin to be greeted by Abu (aka Piran) the helper boy, offering a selection of delicious cocktails known as the LOLA Oasis and made with a special ingredient of Turkish vodka (an aniseed infused vodka). In the background we had desert imagery and JMR’s favourite soundtrack Arabesque creating the Persian vibe.

With guests that included Mustafa, Princess Jasmine, a belly dancer and the Ghost of Gaddafi it was sure to be a fancy affair.

The light selection of home made hummus, freshly marinated olives and flat bread to begin with was the perfect opener. That was followed by a delectable Moroccan chicken served with apricot cous cous. Rose wines, beer and a few more rounds of LOLA Oasis washed down the main before we topped it off with some Turkish delight.

Abu had a busy night with the Arabian ladies making good use of the servant bell and we all learnt more than we bargained for about our little belly dancer!

All in all a magnificent effort from JMR who has set the bar very high for Round 3.

 

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Feel Invited!

Employee of the Month

Benjamin Collard

BIG congratulations to Benjamin Collard who is our LOLA employee of the month for October. One of LOLA’s finest chefs, Ben gathered a wide range of culinary experience whilst working in France, Spain, Morocco and Mali. After eighteen months of independent overland travel on motorbike, from West Yorkshire through Western Europe, North Africa to Ivory Coast, Benjamin joined LOLA in the beginning of 2011. Since then he has worked at various types of events including barbeques, weddings and big corporate parties. He is also one of our regulars at Wembley Stadium. All of the LOLA clients love him! Ben does a great job both at the small private parties and the big events. Ben’s hard work and dedication make him a great asset for LOLA. In September he worked a record long shift of 23.5 hours! Woah! Well done Ben!

Also special mention to Sergio Velasquez who has been nominated as a ’LOLA Star’ this month and as a result we’re happy to offer a pay increase.

Thanks again guys, great job!

LOLA Dinner Winners - Round 1 - Poland

Round 1 – Dinner Winners – Paula (ably assisted by Madre) served up a delightful Polish feast of Pierogi, Krokiety, Golabki (pigeons?) and baby potatoes for our inaugural cooking contest.

Washed down with Polish beer and of the smoothest Vodka on earth it was a successful start to what is hotting up as a tight competition.

Special points for the tealights in the shape and colour of the Polish flag and the educational video (did you know Copernicus was Polish?). Lost points for the table cloth you set on fire.

Round 2 – John Michael and the Great American Fried coming up…….

Well done girls!  

 

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The Warm Up

Finally we convinced Carolina to go for a run!

 

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LOLA HQ House Warming Drinks....Thanks for Coming

Thanks for coming and lovely to see everyone that popped in for a drink to christen the new LOLA office.

For those that couldn’t make it this time, we look forward to having a drink at The North Star (our new local) soon.

Team LOLA

 

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

A very happy Halloween to all of our wonderful and very sporting clients who we visited for Halloween yesterday.

As we dressed our Halloween Hit Squad we did wonder – ‘Will they be arrested? Will people think they are being robbed? What if some big warehouse manager clobbers one of the girls as she runs out?’

Despite limited vision through their Morph Suits, the squad did an amazing job surprising some terrified receptionists and event managers. Along the way they even managed to distribute a load of treats and a few witches’ fingers.

Thankfully our Awesome Foursome made it back to HQ safely. Our liability insurance was intact and we had a few great stories of drive-by Halloween hits to share. Big thanks to Jack, Ivan and the two Rachels for being our brave little Halloween Guinea Pigs!

 

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LOLA Staffing at the M Kitchen pop-up restaurant

Morrisons has opened an unbranded central London pop-up kitchen restaurant to promote its ready meals. The Kitchen was open for 4 days (10^th-13^th October) in Great Marlborough Street as a part of London Restaurant Week. The restaurant was branded as ‘The Kitchen’ and the guests were not told that it was a Morrisons brand until after the event, when the guests found out that the meals they just had were all recipes from Morrisons' new M Kitchen ready meals range, which includes: a Bistro range, chef-created meals, Pan Asian, takeaway, sharing, everyday meals and fresh ideas. This way Morrisons wanted to win over the public, and to change their perception of ready meals. We bet they did as M Kitchen has the top culinary collaborations with the UK’s best chefs: Atul Kochtar, Aldo Zilli, Pierre Koffman, Nigel Haworth and Bryn Williams. Each of them created an exclusive recipe for M Kitchen in order to bring the restaurant quality experience to the customers’ houses. The hospitality staff from LOLA Events was serving the guests, a majority of which were food critics and journalists and a few lucky members of the public. The delicious 4 course meal was accompanied by the selection of vintage wines recommended by the sommelier. The successful concept of the M Kitchen pop-up restaurants will now hopefully go nationwide to promote their re-branded range of ready meals.

LOLA Staffing at the HTC with Beats Audio Event

LOLA Events supplied their fantastic staff to one of the most exciting product launch parties of 2011! The party headlined by Will.i.am was held on 6^th October in the famous Roundhouse in Camden to celebrate the launch of HTC with Beats Audio - licensed from Dr. Dre.

The event was all about the style and sound. There was an outstanding list of talented DJs performing such as: Fedde Le Grand, Dirty South, Martin Solveig and Zedd.

Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole and of course Dr. Dre were among the celebrities who turned up to dance the night away. LOLA promo girls, hospitality staff and cloakroom attendants were there to make sure that over 1000 guests could enjoy the party to the full!

HTC Party is just one example of many outstanding parties LOLA regularly supplies fantastic staff too. Check out www.lolaevents.co.uk to find out more.

LOLA at the Kingston University Jobs Fair

Here is the picture of Eve and John recruiting new event staff for LOLA at the Jobs Fair in Kingston University. A lot of students were interested in working for LOLA Personnel Agency and we already saw a few familiar faces from Kingston Uni coming through our doors for LOLA recruiting and training sessions. As the Christmas season is just around the corner, and so are the Olympics, we are training and recruiting new fantastic event staff almost every day now! Let your friends know! We need more girls and boys who are just as awesome as you guys who already work for LOLA! ;) Tell your mates to register online: www.lolaevents.co.uk and hopefully they will get to work with you soon at some amazing events! Love, LOLA

Employee of the Month

Ivan Berger

BIG congratulations to Ivan Berger who is our LOLA employee of the month for September!

Friends of Ivan who had the pleasure to work with him at many events describe him as a ‘universally loved’ and ‘highly entertaining’ person that cannot spend a second in silence. One of his LOLA friends said: ‘I often laugh. I can only take him in small portions, otherwise it gets too much! ;) ’

Ivan has been working for LOLA for over a year now and is a great asset to the company, getting an outstanding feedback from both the private clients and corporate event organisers. He is one of LOLA’s fantastic catering staff and promotional staff. Samsung, Mulberry, Panasonic, Gap and VEVO are just a few organisations that have benefitted from Ivan’s great service. Some say he is ‘the very sparkle in every event’. Well, we’ve noticed that sparkle too, Ivan. Well done!

Also special mention to Sagar Nilesh Sheth who has been nominated as a ’LOLA Star’ this month and as a result we’re happy to offer a pay increase.

Thanks again guys, great job!

Great to see the market bouncing back

Seasonal staffing surge

As Christmas approaches, demand for seasonal staff has surged, according to procurer of temporary agency labour de Poel.

The research shows retailers have already started preparations for the Christmas rush with a 39% increase in the use of temporary staff in September, compared to the same month last year.

The findings also show that the business services (13.53%) and manufacturing (8.52%) sectors increased their reliance of temporary agency labour, whereas decreases emerged in care (-24.42%), facilities (-3.61%), logistics (-4.26%) and waste management (-3.03%) sectors.

Matthew Sanders, chief executive of de Poel, says: “For most retailers the final four months of the year are all about Christmas preparations, which is reflected in the September figures. Last month, also saw many end of season sales with a lot of high street retailers trying to clear space and make way for Christmas stock. Both of these elements will have had a profound effect on the use of temporary agency labour in this sector.”

That Kate she's SO HOT right now......

Staying fit whilst looking professional LOLA style.

Mmmmm delicious canapes from Create

LOLA Promo Girls at the 5th European Water & Wastewater Management Conference & Exhibition

A wide range of speakers, delegates and exhibitors were trying to find a solution to the problem with management of water and wastewater at the 5^th European Water & Wastewater Management Conference & Exhibition. The event was held at The Barbican Centre, in the heart of the City of London on 26th and 27th September.

For the duration of the 2 days conference LOLA promo girls spoke with delegates and distributed relevant literature. The promotional staff were expected to become familiar with the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water and its conditions before the event. Sounds serious? Well it was, but our promo girls were more than happy to oblige and according to the client’s feedback they were amazing! Check it out yourself:

‘Just wanted to let you know that both Hazel and Osberta were absolutely brilliant at the event last week. Both girls were very enthusiastic, they have excellent people skills and dealt with the delegates in a friendly, professional manner. Overall they were a great asset to the team and made my job much easier! Please pass on our thanks to them both.’ - Sarah

Well thank you very much Hazel and Osberta! You did a great job!

Our promo girls at The Lance Todd Trophy Gala Dinner in Manchester

Take a look at our gorgeous promo girls from Manchester! Helen and Alex worked for Centric Sports at The Lance Todd Trophy Gala Dinner. The trophy has been awarded every year since 1946 to the man of the match in Rugby Leagues Challenge Cup Final. This year it took place on 7^th September in the luxurious 5 star Lowry Hotel in Manchester.

LOLA promo girls were there, very excited to work at this prestigious gala. At the beginning of the event Helen and Alex were meeting and greeting the guests – including the greatest legends of the rugby league! Then they took part in organising the raffle collection, to finally assist with the silent auction. Smiley and helpful throughout the whole evening, LOLA promo girls did a great job!

LOLA - Promo & Event Models Portfolio Shots

For anyone that needs high quality portfolio shots for events and promotional work but can’t justify the costs – we have an answer…..at only £10!

LOLA is the events and promotional staffing agency that specialises in providing high quality hospitality and promotional staff to VIP events across the UK.

As we supply so many great brands, events and parties with our gorgeous staff, we’ve developed a need for a regular and cost-effective photography session.

For the total price of £10 you can visit our studio/office, have a few great snaps taken, and receive 5-10 professional portfolio photographs within 24 hours.

The photographs that we take are perfect for people who would like to pursue their career in the promotions and hospitality industry. Most staffing agencies will ask you for them before you can work on the best jobs.

You do not have to be a model or a prospective promo person to come and get the most of this experience! Anyone that would like to have beautiful professional pictures at the discounted price is welcome.

Please bear in mind these shots are designed specifically for the needs of staffing agencies and they will greatly assist you in getting work in this field (especially with LOLA if you are interested).

Check out some of the photographs that were taken on LOLA Staffing facebook page!

Email paula@lolaevents.co.uk to book a date and time slot for your photo shoot! Or call and speak with Paula on 020 7043 0652 for more information.

See you soon!

LOLA

LOLA promo girls at Defence & Security Equipment International event

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Here are Rachel and Polly our LOLA Promo Girls working at the DSEi (Defence & Security Equipment International) event. 

DSEi is the largest Arms, Defence and Security Exhibition in the world. This year it took place in ExCel London on 13^th – 16^th September. The LOLA promo girls were working for our client Security Cleared Jobs at this event, helping to create further awareness of the company and expand their client base.

Another pic of LOLA promo girls taken at VEVO summer party

LOLA Promotional Staff at the VEVO Summer Party 2011

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VEVO is an exciting partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment (SME), and the Abu Dhabi Media Company with offices in New York, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco.

Our promotional staff were asked to assist at the VEVO summer party and of course we were very happy to oblige. The team worked as hosts and hostesses and provided excellent service including giving technical support for the VEVO app that the guests were trialling.

The VEVO Summer Party 2011 took place at Altitude 360 at Millbank Tower on Wednesday 7^th September. It was a corporate music event with a host of celebrities and key media in attendance. Celebrities on the red carpet included: Pixie Lott, Talay Riley, Eliza Doolittle, Loick Essien & Chantelle from Six D, Matt Cardle, Idris Elba, Chipmunk, Emeli Sandé and The World Famous Dixon Brothers. Jessie J was also a hit and took the opportunity to sing her brand new single “Domino” live for the very first time.

Our LOLA promo girls looked stunning in their red dresses from American Apparel and we hear that our promo guys, wearing the red t-shirts, made a great impression on the ladies too! LOLA promotions models were not only the hosts and hostesses for the night, but they supported and advised the guests on a number of products throughout the evening. Primarily our promotional staff worked in the ‘App World’ where they were helping the guests to use the VEVO application on iPads and iPhones.

Many thanks to VEVO United Kingdom for the booking and for a great night to remember!

Promotional Activity at Kingston Carnival

Here is a picture of 3 of our gorgeous promo girls that took part in the promotional activity for Harlequins Football Club in Kingston Carnival last Sunday!

The theme of the event was: ‘One Kingston. One World. Celebrating Diverse Cultures!’ and LOLA promo girls definitely could feel the spirit! Their colourful uniforms and huge smiles matched well to the overall atmosphere of the Carnival.

Chilly weather and occasional showers did not stop our lovely promo girls from doing a great job even for a minute!

As you can see, LOLA promotional staff brightens up even a rainy day!

 

 

Employee of the Month

Paula Juskiewicz

We are very proud to announce that our Employee of the Month of August is our intern-turned-Office Manager Paula Juskiewicz.

Paula started as a Core Team member being a part of both LOLA catering staff and promotional staff and jumped at the opportunity to do our Summer 2011 Internship. After doing a great job for 3 months we just couldn’t let her go!

She is now the first point of contact between the LOLA office and the LOLA team and has been absolutely brilliant at handling client enquires and quotes. Plus, she already has a big Wembley signing in session under her belt!

Well done, Paula!

Also special mention to Tatiana Arakaki, one of our fabulous event staff members who has been nominated as a ‘LOLA Star’ this month and as a result we are happy to offer a pay increase.

Thanks again guys, great job!

Selfridges Air Hostess and Pilot

Here’s a coupe of the LOLA promotional staff about to take off for Selfridges.

Great job guys.

Employee of the Month

Sam Odotei

A BIG congratulations to Samantha Odotei who is our LOLA employee of the month for June.

Sam has just recently completed a very successful Summer run as an Ambassador where she was keeping an eye on some of our newer staff at our key venues.

This year Sam has worked across a huge variety of roles from providing Silver Service for one of the city’s premier law firms to VIP Livery Hall dinners across some of the Livery Halls we work in such as Plaisterers Hall.

Saracens Rugby Club, Zurich, The Jamaican High Commission and KPMG are just a few organisations that have benefitted from Sam’s great service.

Also special mention to Tomas Zalimas  who has been nominated as a ’LOLA Star’ this month and as a result we’re happy to offer a pay increase.

Thanks again guys, great job!

Employee of the Month

Andres Echeverri

A BIG congratulations to Andres Echeverri who is our LOLA employee of the month for May.

Andres has been a long serving member of the LOLA team for some time now and has recently started to take on responsibilities as a Supervisor.  

Currently Andres is the main man directing the team behind the bars at one of our biggest Summer projects – The Honourable Artillery Club. This involves managing up to a team of 20 staff on events that range anywhere from 300-1200 guests.

So far we’ve heard nothing but praise from our clients and staff about the job Andres has been doing onsite.

Thanks very much Andres for a great start to Summer and your fantastic contribution over the years!

Also special mention to Sade Ogunade who has been nominated as a ’LOLA Star’ this month and as a result we’re happy to offer a pay increase.

Thanks again guys, great job!