Incentive & Motivation

Following on from its hugely popular SnowGlobe design in 2010, complete with 28 real Christmas trees, The Deck at The National Theatre has announced that the theme to its 2011 Christmas parties will be; The Ice Cube.

Guests at the Southbank roof-top venue will be invited to step into an icy world, which has been created by The National Theatre’s in-house Design Associates. Everything, including the tables, chairs and even plates of food will have been frozen in time and the floor will also be covered with an ‘icy’ layer. In addition, there will be a display of the northern lights featuring on the ceiling.

Cocktails will be served in ice glasses, followed by hot-shots of warm beef consommé laced with vodka, Tabasco and Worcester sauce.

Kat Parker, Head of Sales and Hospitality Events at The Deck, added; “We have tried to tailor this  offering to remain in-line with the market trends that we are seeing for example, the standing reception style events, that have a bit more of a wow-factor!

“Last year’s Christmas party theme was very impressive, which meant this year, together with the National Theatre in-house designers, we had to really pull out all the stops to try and top it. Christmas is always a great challenge for us and a chance for us to really show off what we can do!”

The Ice Cube will run from the 21^st November – 23^rd December. The hire fee for an evening is £5,500+vat and the all-inclusive food and drinks package starts from £55 + VAT per person.

The Deck at The National Theatre is celebrating its best-ever performance since opening four years ago, hosting over 60 events at the exclusive rooftop venue during June and July alone.

The events have spanned a wide spectrum, from the launch of the Magners ‘Bee Aid’ campaign in June, a wine-tasting event for Sainsbury and a wrap party for the ITV programme, This Morning.

Kat Parker, head of sales and hospitality events at the National Theatre, comments: “The number of events we have held in The Deck in the last couple of months equates to more than one a day, which is a real coup for us. We have seen a really great summer so far, with a real range of events and plenty more in the diary for the rest of the year.”

The venue has also this month launched ‘Breakfast with a View’ a unique package that is designed to kickstart the working day through a series of lively breakfast theatre workshops.

The package, which begins with early morning hire of The Deck includes a nutritional breakfast followed by optional Theatre Bites; a series of interactive sessions, run by specialist trainers from the National Theatre. These sessions draw upon the techniques used by actors and directors in the rehearsal room to encourage confident and creative communication.

“The activities incorporated into Theatre Bites aim to stretch the voice, the body and the imagination” explains Kat. “Delegates can take part in standalone sessions, perhaps as a form of teambuilding or use them as warm ups or ice breakers ahead of a meeting or conference. Of course, being held at The Deck, there is the added benefit of being able to participate while watching the sunrise over the city – what better way to start the day!”

Clients and media flocked to attend a luncheon at The Deck at the National Theatre, which showcased the venue’s premium outdoor event space as well as its brand-new barbecue menus for summer 2011.

Guests were first to sample the delicious barbecue menus now available, which include a mouth-watering choice of Caribbean, Argentinean, Texan or Moroccan barbecues to create the perfect outdoor dining package for meetings and events. Guest’s were also offered the opportunity to sample a range of New Zealand Little Beauty wines along with a further selection of drinks to complement the dishes.

The event also gave guests the chance to admire The Deck’s recent make-over which has further enhanced the stunning contemporary feel for which it is renowned. The event space, including its outdoor terrace, now boasts a further selection of modern furniture – including feature chairs and modular seating units – from which to enjoy the panoramic views over the River Thames and the capital’s skyline.

The Deck is perfect for private daytime meetings, product launches and exclusive evening receptions and offers a capacity of up to 120.