Wedding Venue Open day 29 September 2019
Valverde Weddig Venue Open day
Date: 29 Sept 2019
Where: Valverde Eco Hotel
RSVP: brenda@valverde.co.za, 072 587 0361
2019 – 2020 Wedding Trends
Wedding Trends for 2019
We’re already half way through 2019. Can you believe it? It means that there are some exciting times coming for people. One of the big events that people will be having this year is their weddings. If you’re planning to say I do in 2019, you’re probably doing a lot of research on what will be in for weddings this coming year. We have written about some of the wedding trends for 2019. If you’re planning to say I do in 2019, you’re probably doing a lot of research on what will be in for weddings this coming year.
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Bringing the outdoors in
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Grasses
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Layering Textures. …
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Wearable Flowers. …
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Unique Lighting. …
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Ruffles in Fashion. …
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Rise of the Monoflower. …
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Celebrations in the Round. …
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Velvet Everything.
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Overgrown garden vibes
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Colorful groom Attire
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Color block decor
Joaquin Valverde
Conferences
#Green #Conference #Valverde #GoGreen, conference planning, conference venue, eco friendly conference center
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The comprehensive conference planner – Creating a budget
An online guide for conference planners and organisers
Having established what kind of conference you are setting out to plan (hopefully with a little input from the proposed delegates, so that they feel a part of it at the outset) …and decided whether you will be working on your own or with a committee, your next task as ‘Conference planner or organiser’ will be to establish a budget.
Just as when you plan a wedding or any other type of event, what you can ultimately achieve will depend on the extent of the budget you have allowed. This section gives you some advice on how to create a budget, with the assumption that you have some flexibility and there are some additional income streams – I.E. Sponsors and delegates fees etc.
If you don’t have that luxury and your boss has just handed you a fixed budget with no additional revenue sources, then your job may be a little harder. Conference budgets usually need to be reviewed as the expenses for the desired event are revealed, so try to get a little flexibility on that at the beginning! Try to create the budget for the expected costs and not the other way around!
OK, so let’s create that budget.
Step one – Firstly make a list of what your expenses will include. It’s important that you are thorough here and don’t leave anything out. You can use the ‘Committee planner’ from ‘Where to start’ which includes most of the aspects of the conference that will need to be planned I.E Venue, website, registration, conference proceedings, speakers, secretariat, insurance, audio-visual, marketing, food/beverage etc. A thorough check list can also be obtained from one of Johannesburg’s premier conference venues, Valverde Eco Hotel, by making contact regarding any conference requirements.
Step 2 – Identify what portion of the budget needs to be allocated to which expenses – this may take a bit of calling around to get a rough idea of costs of each item. Don’t go too cheap at this point – you need to work on realistic costs to produce the event that you want to achieve.
Step 3 – Identify fixed costs – I.E. Venue, equipment, entertainment/speakers etc – and variable costs – like the number of delegates and choice of menus etc – as these will be where you may be able to be flexible if you need to.
Step 4 – Now take sponsored income and deduct it from overall costs to assess the budget that the company needs to assign. If this is too much, then the company may decide to charge delegates to make up the shortfall, or you go back to the drawing board to reduce costs until you have a viable budget with which to make the event, as envisaged, a reality.
Step 5 – If you have created a committee to help you, ensure everyone has the budget and understands the responsibility they have to stick to it!
Valverde Eco hotel is the ultimate conference venue, offering everything a company needs to ensure a well planned, reasonably priced, seamless conference experience. Find these articles and ‘The comprehensive conference planner’ on our website – or contact us to allow us to assist you with the planning of your conference. Remember we are also experts at ‘Green’ conferencing and ways to assist our ecology are included in every aspect of a Valverde conference. Happy planning!
Conferences
affordable quality conferences, confere, Conference, conference budget, conference planning, conference venue, conferences, conferencing budgeting, eco hote, teambuilding
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The comprehensive conference planner – where to start
An online guide for conference planners and organisers
So your company or your client have made a decision to hold a conference. The organisation and correct planning of it is absolutely essential and as the designated organiser or planner, your future could depend on it! Fear not, this online comprehensive conference planner covers all the bases from start to finish. At the outset, as the organiser or planner, you will have a series of broad based aspects you need to consider before the actual planning even begins. These include, but are not limited to….
- Deciding if you are able to do the planning on your own, or whether you will need help in the form of assistants or even some sort of committee, to whom the various members are assigned individual tasks
- Ensure you understand the company’s vision and purpose of the event. The planned outcome of the event depends only partially on how well it is planned. Is it feasible in terms of your budget, time restraints and availability of all the attendees? – In other words, you need to ascertain not only exactly what is expected of you, but is it actually do-able?
- Suggest to the guys at the top that you send out a mailer or social media post that asks potential delegates for a few ideas and suggestions. What kind of event would they like to have? Unless your bosses have already decided on a rigid format, ask if they want to do a lot of brainstorming, or should it be more teambuilding? – Or do they feel that good lectures would help them better understand their business? What about something totally different? – A green conference is topical and a great idea to educate delegates about the vital importance of preserving our ecology. This kind of feedback and involvement can start the conference on the right foot and get people more interested in it!
- Having done that, you can now make a firm decision on what ‘type’ of conference it will be …and later, once your dates and venue are set, you can start sending out mailers and social media posts to all delegates to start spreading the word – and get people really excited! …but we’ll get to that….
Committee planner
If you do decide to create a committee to plan the conference, then use this planner to keep track of who has been assigned what tasks …and to give to all as a contacts list so there is a line of communication between you….
Download the planner today!!
Valverde Eco hotel is the ultimate conference venue, offering everything a company needs to ensure a well planned, reasonably priced, seamless conference experience. Find these articles and ‘The comprehensive conference planner’ on our website – or contact us to allow us to assist you with the planning of your conference. Remember we are also experts at ‘Green’ conferencing and ways to assist our ecology are included in every aspect of a Valverde conference. Happy planning!
Tortilla de Patatas – Spanish Omelette
Ingredients
- 6 to 7 medium potatoes (peeled) and chopped into small cubes
- 1 yellow onion (whole)
- 5 to 6 large eggs (the better the eggs, the better the tortilla)
- 2 to 3 cups of olive oil (for pan frying) – can also use Sunflower oil
- 1/2 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
- Sometimes I add a little bit of Spanish Chorizo to spice it up a bit (optional)
Cooking Method
- Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise. Then, with the flat side on the cutting surface, slice the potato into pieces approximately 1/8″ thick. If you slice them thick, don’t worry—it will simply take a little longer for them to cook.
- Peel and chop the onion into 1/4″ pieces. Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Salt the mixture.
- In a large, heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading it evenly over the surface. The oil should almost cover the potatoes. You may need to turn down the heat slightly, so the potatoes do not burn. You want them to slowly fry, not becoming crisp like french fries, but rather tender and creamy. It is important to use good olive oil, as the potatoes will absorb quite a bit of the oil.
- Leave the mixture in the pan until the potatoes are cooked. If you can poke a piece of potato with a spatula and it easily breaks in two, your potatoes are done. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula that allows the oil to drain and let cool.
- Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a whisk or fork. Pour in the cooled potato onion mixture. Mix together with a large spoon. Let sit for about five minutes.
- Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a small, non-stick frying pan (approximately 9-10” in diameter) and heat on medium heat. Be careful not to get the pan too hot because the oil will burn—or the tortilla will! When hot, stir the potato onion mixture once more and “pour” into the pan and spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges. Then you can carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly “browned.” The inside of the mixture should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.
- When the mixture has browned on the bottom, you are ready to turn it over to cook the other side. Take the frying pan to a sink. Place a large dinner plate (12”) upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will “fall” onto the plate. Place the frying pan back on the range and put just enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Let the pan warm for 30 seconds or so. Now slide the omelet into the frying pan. Use the spatula to shape the sides of the omelet. Let the omelet cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the tortilla sit in the pan for 2 minutes.
- Slide the omelet onto a plate to serve. If eating as a main course, cut the omelet into 6 to 8 pieces like a pie. Serve sliced French bread on the side and open a bottle of your wine of choose.
Enjoy 🙂
Pesto Sauce Recipe
Our next recipe for the month of March is the famous Pesto Sauce. Salsa Verde restaurant means green sauce Restaurant and we love our Pesto on pretty much anything from Pasta, Fish, Meat and as a lovely salad dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts or any other nut you can find if pine nuts are too expensive. I like to use walnuts or almonds
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino or parmesan cheese
Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.
Weddings
garden wedding, wedding arrangements, wedding cake, wedding engagement, wedding party, wedding planning
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6 fatal wedding planning blunders
Sometimes the best way to know how to do something right, is to know exactly what not to do! Your wedding is possibly the most special day of your life and unfortunately to make it special it does take some fairy meticulous planning. You may have decided to plan it yourself, whether for financial reasons, or just because it something you want to do …well, good luck with it and let us try to help by pointing out just 6 fatal wedding planning blunders …there may be more, but we believe this is the most important half dozen …
- Not having a timeline – From the moment you choose the date of the big day, you are on a countdown of time. Try to make sure time is on your side by not making the big day too soon – the pressure of doing everything in limited time could ruin the occasion long before you get there. As any good wedding planner will tell you, create a timeline of everything that has to happen, working backwards from the big day to what has to be done right now.
- Not having a budget – This is another fatal error. You book a great wedding venue and then invite the whole World and their Aunty, only to find out you’re actually on a limited budget. Work out exactly what you can spend, then what fits into that budget and stick to it!
- Not knowing your service providers – It happens all the time, the caterer you booked told you he could produce dainty finger pastries for the arrival snacks and then produces messy mini-hamburgers because it’s all he really can do! Make sure you have good testimonials and personally interview all the service providers you book, to avoid tears on the carrot cake – which looks like a real carrot!
- Not paying attention to detail – We are not talking about just the little details of the flower arrangements and dinner settings – A good wedding venue can ensure these kinds of details are covered – We are talking about the important details of having your license documents in order and contracts with all your service providers. Many don’t even know, for example, that if you have been divorced you will have to present your ‘decree of divorce’ document to the priest or licensing officer preparing your wedding license. Also legal contracts can prevent service providers from mistakenly double booking and leaving you hanging for a more lucrative engagement!
- Not having fun – Whatever you do …and whoever does the planning – have fun doing it! This is a special and blessed period of your life and the planning of it should be a pleasurable experience. If the stress is too much for you, then get help – remember a wedding planner can save you as much as they cost you – or if you’d really rather do it yourself then just read on …
- Not having a plan at all –The biggest blunder is not having any plan at all – This day is way too important to risk messing it up, so even if you are planning it on your own, partner with a great wedding venue like Valverde Eco Hotel. We have a detailed online wedding planner to ensure you don’t make any of these common blunders and we are happy to give you all the help and advice you will need to ensure this important day is as special as it should be.
When a theme wedding becomes a dream wedding
Theme weddings are all the rage and as always we like to help with ideas for our Brides and Grooms to be. Some theme weddings are pretty bizarre, but unless you’re keen on tandem bungi-jumping or diving out of an aircraft with an instructor who delivers the nuptials in mid air (believe it or not these have been done) you might want to know about a few very popular themes that have proven to be great successes and could make your wedding pretty special. So let’s start with ABC (there will be more in articles to follow) …and look at three very popular ideas that could make your theme wedding a dream wedding!
A is for Antique
This is a popular wedding theme and is so picturesque and colourful, that it has fulfilled many a little girls dream on the big day. Starting with the romantic venue, make sure it fits the theme and is a venue that assists with your ideas. Everything is essentially ‘old world’ from the invites to the dress which should be the kind of thing Grandma might have worn at her wedding – or better still, Great Grandma! Many brides have actually worn their Great Grandma’s wedding dresses (with maybe a few modifications) at this type of wedding. Decor is maybe old ‘penny farthings’, or as the theme suggests, antiques of any kind. These should extend through from venue decor to table decor, which could be old books or lamps etc. It is a wonderful theme that lends itself to a sophisticated and romantic wedding …a great touch is for the Bride to arrive and be photographed in a vintage car. These are freely available for hire.
B is for Beach
An acoustic guitar softly strums ‘Here comes the bride’ (or maybe a more modern alternative) as the Bride skips through the sand to be welcomed by her Husband and the Vicar who stand in an arch of Sea shells. A soft sea breeze blows and the gulls above join the chorus – sounds idyllic? It is and it’s one of the most popular wedding themes. There are 2 words of caution though – WEATHER and BACKUP. Unfortunately these weddings are absolutely reliant on good weather so you need to choose your season (or even the exact day) very carefully and please do have a backup plan! You can also think about doing this inland (travel to the coast can be very costly for inlanders), just creating all the vibes of the beach in a versatile venue. There are so many things you can do to recreate the atmosphere of the beach, from shells and seaweed decor, to beach outfits …and even sand can be brought in for the adventurous. On or off the beach it is a fun, fashionable theme that can make a special day.
C is for Costume
There are basically 2 types of costume wedding. One is where a specific costume theme is chosen …and these can be just about anything from medieval to monster (A good one particularly if you get married on Valentine’s Day – another popular theme) and from Titanic to Transformers. You can have so much fun, providing you think everyone will really go along with it. Remember though that full costume can also be a costly business for your guests, so you can also do a ‘mixed costume’ theme, something like a ‘fancy dress’ party. This allows your guests to be creative and use the costuming they prefer or can afford.
We can help
Whichever of these, or something totally different, that you choose, make sure your theme wedding really does become your dream wedding by partnering with a reputable professional wedding venue like ValVerde eco hotel. We have an impressive wedding planner available for free online and can help with every aspect of your wedding, whatever your theme may be. Contact us for information, viewing appointments and bookings the minute you choose the big day!
Power packed presentations can make your conference click
As a conference venue proprietor I take great pride in what our venue Valverde Eco hotel offers and know that we have all the key elements to ensure that your business conference is seamless from from an operational point of view and a pleasurable experience.
What I, as a conference venue host, can’t guarantee is that it’s going to be a memorable experience for your delegates from a presentation point of view! Will it be another boring conference with presentations that just echo last year’s stats and the coming year’s projections, delivered badly utilising dull power point formats, by less than average presenters? …or will they be treated to power packed presentations that make your conference click?
Well, I can’t make it happen, but having had some presentation experience and written the E-book ‘Ten tips for effective presentations’, perhaps I can offer an abbreviated version to help you to make sure your presentations are the highlight of the event! Here are just 3 pillars of creating a power packed offering…
Do something different – Before you even start on creating a standard power point presentation – think about 2 ‘D’s – Deliberate on doing something Different! Power packed does not necessarily mean ‘power point’. If you can bring other elements into your presentation – music, visual aids …even dancers if you like – whatever is different and makes impact, can immediately alleviate he boredom of a normal power point presentation. In my E-book I refer to this as ‘getting off the grid.’ Think about it – try to come up with something creative – what will have those delegates on the edge of their seats and on their feet? Having considered that – if you are still using power point, then as I said in my E-book remember the elements of Design – Leonardo Da Vinci said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. You do not need to be a designer to make good power point slides – just think simply. Secondly, use more images and less words – we are by nature visual creatures and we remember images long after words. Words should be just ‘Keywords.’ Thirdly, relating to simplicity – keep fonts clearly legible and easy to read. Give any necessary lengthy information to delegates in handouts. Finally use powerful, effective imagery – A picture should paint a thousand words – ensure the ones you choose do!
Plan and practice – However different and dynamic your presentation may be, you will be restricted to a certain time span to deliver it. Work out all its elements IE. Beginning, body and possible ending – is there question or discussion time? – Get the stop watch out and plan it to perfection. If the last 5 minutes of your presentation has delegates checking their watches because they want to go to lunch, you have failed to plan it well …and to keep their attention! Secondly practice, practice and practice some more. A power packed presentation should run like a well oiled machine. This is show business – you are entertaining as well as educating. The late Michael Jackson and Steve jobs had one thing in common; they practiced their respective shows meticulously and for hours on end. If possible, perform it to a few people using all your material …like having a dress rehearsal for a show …and ultimately this will lead to…
A slick presentation – Because your material is well chosen, dynamic, well designed and well practiced, you now just need to present it well for it to be a great presentation. Let’s face it, we’re not all showmen, but we can follow a few rules that make us look good. Firstly, don’t read anything – especially not off the board …this is the ultimate insult to your audience, it suggests that you have not had the time to learn your own presentation and makes for a very boring experience. Secondly as I say in my E-book, use black slides – the essence of this is to just ensure the material around and behind you place you firmly in the spotlight …and finally engage with your audience. Have eye contact and wherever possible interact with them. For any audience, their participation makes a presentation far more interesting and fun!
I hope this has been of some use to you and will help you to create power packed presentations that make your conference click. To ensure that everything else about your conference is as well planned, rehearsed, interesting and pleasurable, I invite you to book Valverde Eco hotel for a perfect conference experience. Engage with me here or contact us to talk about every aspect of this vital part of your business calendar.
Go green for a conference with a conscience!
I have in the past written much advice on ensuring that you and your company have a pleasurable and useful experience when carrying out your next conference. A good conference venue is so essential …what it offers you to ensure the running of the event is seamless, your business objectives achieved and all of this within an environment that is relaxed and enjoyable. Much has to be considered when booking a conference – as a successful conference venue proprietor I should know, I wrote an E-book on it …and these things include many factors, like assessing the accessibility of the venue, the capacity of the meeting rooms, the functionality of the presentation equipment, good accommodation and great catering ….to name just a few. The one I would like to make a point of in this article however is the one I believe to be so important – it has been a personal passion and an added extra that Valverde conference venue offers, so I would like to point out a few good reasons that you should think about going green for a conference with a conscience!
Firstly though, why even hold a ‘green’ conference? You can argue that your company have other ‘green’ initiatives …and I hope that you do, but that’s all the more reason to extend this carbon free footprint into your conference choice …and here are a handful of great reasons to do so…
- It shows a moral commitment – For the sake of the next generation, we can no longer, in good conscience, ignore our personal or corporate responsibility to act on behalf of our planet, when we have alternatives at our disposal. Every business has a moral responsibility to make the effort to ‘go green’ and show themselves to be doing so …which leads to my next point…
- It is good PR – The attitude of the public toward the environment is changing, particularly now, since the effect of Global warming is being so tangibly felt and research shows that today’s socially aware younger generation, your future customers, will insist on only doing business with environmentally conscious companies. Even your current customers will no doubt warm to a business with a social conscience – which you even extend to utilising a ‘green’ conference venue! Include it in your newsletters and advertising – it’s very good PR!
- It’s potentially good for business – Don’t underestimate the influence of the young on their parent’s purchase decisions. Without even looking to the future though, right now, through acting with a social conscience (and how more blatantly can you do so than by having a green conference?) you will endear many new customers to you who will think and talk differently about your business and ultimately this ‘word of mouth’ is your greatest referral.
- It shows employees your commitment – If the ‘green’ initiative is important to you then make it important to your Employees too. Let them see that by choosing a ‘green’ conference your company’s commitment is solid.
- It’s different and fun – We, at Valverde conference venue, have a number of ways to bring the ‘green’ theme into the conference – apart from the fact that you are supporting a venue where we use only solar water heating and re-cycled water, we have a really interesting tour of our composting/worm farm, onsite veggie garden and water saving programs.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you that it’s a great idea to go green for a conference with a conscience …if so, please engage with me here, or contact us and let’s talk about how we can partner in extending our mutual environmental awareness programs and ensure your next conference is not only expertly handled at a beautiful venue, but one that can benefit your business …and our planet!