Last week saw our members return to the iconic Grand, Brighton for the 3rd time in four years. This particular group though had not yet experienced all that the property had to offer and I know that they were pretty surprised not just by The Grand but by the way we showed the group a different Brighton on this trip.
We commenced our FAM with a site visit and full show round of all of the fabulous meeting and event spaces The Grand has to offer. The Grand is synonymous for being the prestige property on Brighton’s effervescent seafront but what a lot of people don’t’ know is that it has some pretty amazing event spaces an not just for private events.
Our favourite space would have to be The Empress Suite, a contemporary space for up to 900 which is sea facing – the light that comes through this space is breath-taking and combined with its very own entrance makes it perfect for gala dinners, conferences and everything in-between. The great thing about this space is that it has unlimed suspension points for to suit so many varying requirements and you can load in from the street right into your event space. It’s very unique.
Along with the Empress Suite, you have a variety of smaller meeting rooms all completely different and perfect for board meetings or breakout sessions combined with the suite. You can read all about the spaces here.
On this FAM, we had a very packed agenda however still allowed for that all-important leisure time which gives our members time to take everything in and explore the hotel in their own time. We think it is important to incorporate that into our FAM’s and as the next item on our agenda was afternoon tea, it was well-timed to head back to our rooms to moan in a piece about eating to much cake immediately after. The afternoon tea at The Grand is as iconic as its frontage and we loved it. In an attempt to showcase as much as The Grands offerings as we could in the 12 hours we had, we incorporated an element of the spa into the tea having mini hand massages as we ate and chatted and we loved it.
After our leisure time (nap) we all met up back in the foyer ready for a very special all pineapple cocktail carefully created by The Grand’s award-winning barmen followed by dinner in GB1.
GB1 is a 2Aa Rosette restaurant and combines a focus on seafood (quite rightly with its proximity to the sea!) with a contemporary vibe that just works within the properties historic structure. It has a lovely relaxed theme and you can see why it is a firm favourite amongst not just visitors to the property but Brighton locals as well. The food was outstanding as was the wine however with said packed agenda, it was time for a “semi” early night ready for our Saturday.
On Saturday morning, after an amazing sleep in our luxurious rooms, we all met for a fab breakfast (where some of us nursed slight hangovers) where we debated the merits of The Keto diet and other such high brow conversations before heading out for the first part of our day… a walk just 200 metres over the road to the British Airways i360. The i360 really is something so unique and is such a good option for your group whether you include some of its meeting and event spaces as part of your agenda or, you could take your group up either as part of your event (think canape reception or gala dinner) or, just as an activity option. The views from up there are truly stunning. The i360 opened in 2016 and is fast becoming an iconic part of the British Seafront. Our group loved it and I know those brains were churning on how to use it for what would be a very memorable gala dinner.
After our venture up the i360, we made the short walk back to The Grand where we met the lovely Cat from Brighton Food Tours whom then proceeded to take us on one of the best tours I have ever been on. Brighton Food Tours was born in 2016 and started to celebrate and showcase the city’s community of independent food and drink producers and vendors. Their ethos is that Brighton is so much more than the pier and the beach and you know what it is. This tour showcased so many amazing food and beverages outlets that you just wouldn’t find on your own and introduced our members to some of the best cheese we have ever eaten along with a vendor called BeFries that only produces Fries that are out of this world fantastic. We trecked through the cobbled streets and alleyways and hand on heart, this is one of the best walking tours I have been on. I loved it and so did the members and this as well would make an amazing ad on as an activity option for your groups.
So, my dear event managers, I have just done your job for you – no need for a site visit. You can hold your next offsite at The Gand Brighton. You can hold your meetings during the day at The Grand, take your group on a walking food tour of Brighton as your activity option and then, hold your gala dinner at the i360! Easy…. Email us for more information.
Thanks to our lovely Kirtsy at The Grand for hosting our group and being ever so supportive of Evenprofslive. We love The Grand and know how amazing it is for corporate events!
