Tom through to final

Chillisauce copywriter and stand up comedian Tom has made it though to the final of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition. He’ll to head-to-head and joke-to-joke against 12 other new comics with a £1000 on offer for the winner and paid gigs for a whole year for the runners up.

RWE go mad

RWE got in touch with us wanting a half day team building event for 27 staff in Swindon which would improve communication. Initially they were interested in a treasure hunt, but as Ian found out more about the young, dynamic team, he thought that the more energetic Go Mad in the Country would be more suitable.

Go Mad is a fully mobile, interactive five-in-one event, combining elements of a murder mystery, treasure hunt, scavenger hunt, photo mission and a 'Famous Five' adventure. Ian based the team at a top Wiltshire hotel and as expected they had a great time, even if they caught the staff at the hotel on a bad day!

‘As far as our team was concerned everyone had an absolutely fantastic day! It was really good fun, everyone got involved and thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything was really well organised, and Debbie (the event manager) and her team were great fun, and got really involved which made the day even better.

I believe that we're already looking in to organising another event with yourselves - and I think that we're going to be doing another event later in the year, so I'm sure you'll be hearing from us again.

Hope that gives you some useful feedback, we're quite happy to go on record to say that we had a great day in all! Thanks again for all the time and effort both yourself and your team put into to making the day as good as it was!’

You can go mad yourself by clicking on the link below:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/go-mad-in-the-country/

Chillisauce- the 4th emergency service

If you need to get to hospital in a hurry you call an ambulance. If you need a great corporate event, you call Chillisauce. The London Ambulance Service wanted a full day of activities, team building and a brief morning meeting for 60 of their staff in Hertfordshire, so Isabel organised a multi activity day where the group got to try their hands at a range of events.

The aim of the day was to get the group working together under pressure and have some fun whilst they were doing it. Good team work is important in all businesses, but when lives are at stake it’s crucial that team members trust each other. Team building activities play a key role in improving communication and decision making skills.

After a brief morning meeting, the London Ambulance crew headed outside and sped around in hovercrafts and rage buggies, shot crossbows and laser clays and worked together chariot building and human sheep herding.

As the feedback shows, the day was a huge success:

‘Just wanted to drop you and your team a MASSIVE THANK YOU from my whole team for the event that you arranged for us on Thursday.

I can safely say that the whole team thoroughly enjoyed themselves and managed to learn a lot about each other.

Your whole team were really great, as were the staff on site. I managed to thank everyone on the day but also wanted you to know how good it was.’

http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/activity-days/multi-activity-days/

NEC hit the treasure trail

Treasure hunts have come a long way since ‘X marks the spot’ maps in old bottles. Sadly, there’s no buried treasure to dig up, but a Chillisauce treasure hunt is an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience.

The electronics giant NEC wanted to get out of the office for the day and have some fun in London. Suzy organized a treasure hunt and the NEC team really got into the spirit of things. The streets of London aren’t paved with gold, but they’re full landmarks and attractions which make it a brilliant place for a treasure hunt.

To add to the fun, Suzy incorporated several central London pub stops along the route where the teams could refuel and socialise before getting on the scent of their next clue:

‘On behalf of NEC, I would like to say a massive thank you to yourself and the Chillisauce team for the event on Thursday. We all had an amazing time and were impressed with the organisation of the event. Debbie and Kirsty (the event managers on the day) were really helpful and made the day even more fun so please also pass our thanks onto them.

We will certainly be using and recommending Chillisauce again in the future.’

Take a look at our treasure hunts here:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/treasure-hunts/

The biggest brands choose Chillisauce

The list of the Britain’s top ten brands was published this week and they all have one thing in common- they have all enjoyed events with Chillisauce. Britain's biggest brands are, in order: Vodaphone, Tesco, HSBC, Marks and Spencer, Barclays, Standard Chartered, BP, Royal Bank of Scotland, Asda and NatWest.

Google, who have booked a number Chillisauce events, were named as the world’s top brand with a brand value of £43bn, which is roughly £43bn more than is currently sitting in the Chillisauce beer fund.

For a full list of the most powerful brands in the world click on this link:
http://www.millwardbrown.com/Sites/Optimor/Media/Pdfs/en/BrandZ/BrandZ-2008-Report.pdf

Spencer joins Chillisauce

The Chillisauce team is pleased to welcome Spencer Mason to the company. Spencer has just come back from Wellington, New Zealand, where he has been organising events for a corporate ten pin bowling lounge for the last 18 months.

For the six years prior to that, Spencer was based in Newcastle, teaching diving in the freezing North Sea and from there he went on to work in Italy, New Zealand and the Caribbean.

He's a massive water sports fan and also enjoys surfing, waterskiing and wakeboarding, so we hope we has a wet and wild time at Chillisauce.

E.on enter the Den

Have you had a brilliant idea that you think could make you a millionaire? Every great invention starts with a spark of inspiration and with our new Den of Dragons corporate event you can unlock the creativity in your team.

E.on wanted a half day team building event near their office in Coventry. They wanted a fun activity which encouraged learning and interaction but also had a business edge to it. Den of Dragons fitted the bill perfectly, so this is exactly what Ian suggested the group do at the mighty Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena.

E.on’s group were divided into teams and had to come up with ground-breaking inventions which would convince the Chillisauce dragons to part with their cash. The groups wracked their brains and came up with a range of the brilliant inventions, but the spoils went to the team who produced the prototype of the ‘Protectagent’, a stab-proof suit for business people who work in the inner city.

They’re busy people at Eon and were concerned about the event overrunning as they had to be out of the venue by 5. However with Ian at the helm, the event ran like clockwork as the short but sweet feedback shows. Why use 1000 words when you can use ten?

‘The guys were on time and we had a great event. Many thanks.’

If you dare enter the den, read more here:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/den-of-dragons/

April newsletter arrives in inboxes

Sneak a look at this month's Chilisauce newsletter to get the inside track on our Incognito Spy Mission and new Stunt Training days. You can also win the chance to donate £250 to a charity of your choice as well as catching up on all the usual Chiilisauce news.

Don't be an April fool, check out the newsletter by clicking the link below.

http://chillisauce.cmail5.com/e/388840/l/

(Almost) All you need to know about Shakespeare

April 23rd marks the 443rd anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare. The Bard was the bane of many a school child’s education, but if you want to make yourself sound clever at a dinner party it pays to have a basic knowledge of his most famous plays.

Professor Anthony Thimble from the University of the Isle of Man gives us a brief guide to the Bard's best work.

Othello:
Othello is a Muslim soldier who is tricked into killing his wife Desdemona by Iago, his trusted advisor. Iago shows Othello a copy of the Ye Olde News of the World which appears to show Desdemona snogging his lieutenant Cassio in a London tavern. However it turns out that the photos were fake and Othello commits suicide by taking a heroin overdose.

Famous quote: ‘Alas lawyer. I’m in proper strife.’ (Othello- Act V, Scene III)

King Lear:
King Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters- the evil Goneril and Regan and the delightful Cordelia, but Cordelia is disinherited after getting caught cheating in her university finals. Goneril and Regan throw Lear out and order his and Cordelia’s execution. However, there is uproar in Parliament and the decision is overturned, but not quickly enough to save Cordelia. In the play’s final scene, Lear, realising the error of his ways, appears on stage with Cordelia’s body before dying himself. King Lear is Shakespeare’s most famous comedy.

Famous quote: ‘I was cast into the night with a flask of Bovril to sustain the fight.’ (Lear- Act II, Scene II)

The Merchant of Venice:
Bassanio needs money to travel to Belmont to woo the beautiful and wealthy Portia. He asks his friend Antonio, but he’s just bought a speedboat, and NatWest won’t help him, so he’s forced to go to Shylock, a Jewish money lender. Shylock hates Antonio and only lends Bassanio the money on the condition that he can take a pound of Antonio’s flesh if he does not repay the loan. Antonio loses all of his money after the Wall Street Crash and Bassanio blows all of his cash on cigarettes and booze so Shylock insists on his pound of flesh. The matter goes to the High Court where a judge decides that the contract is illegal and makes Shylock convert to Christianity as a punishment.

Famous quote: ‘Ok, I’ll convert, but can I still wear the hat?’ (Shylock- Act V, Scene I)

Hamlet:
Prince Hamlet sees the ghost of his dead father, the King, who tells him that he was murdered by Hamlet’s uncle Claudius and demands Hamlet avenges him. Claudius hastily marries Hamlet’s mother and banishes Hamlet to Miami and orders his murder. Hamlet however returns to Denmark and, after getting fatally wounded during a poker match, he kills Claudius and names the Norwegian Prince Colin as the heir to the throne before dying.

Famous quote: ‘Alas poor Yorick….although he was a bit of an idiot.’ (Hamlet- Act III, Scene I)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
This fairy story is so mental I’m pretty sure Shakespeare was on drugs when he wrote it. I can’t really make head nor tale of what’s going on, and there’s a bloke prancing around with a donkey’s head on! I think they might all be having a dream or something and there’s a guy called Lysander, but apart from that I’m pretty stumped. I always throw a sickie the week I’m expected to lecture on this play.

Famous quote: ‘Oi, Robin Goodfellow you joker, get out of my sight before I iron you out!’ (Oberon- Act VIII, Scene I)

A laugh a minute

Chillisauce's resident stand up comedian Tom was on stage again at the weekend at The Watershed in Wimbledon in the semi-finals of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition.

With a £1000 and a year of paid gigs on offer for the overall winner, the competition is getting serious. Tom's material on charity, job hunting and hospital visits went down a storm with the sell out crowd and he was voted 2nd of the 13 acts competing.

With only the winner of the six semi-finals going through to the final automatically, Tom now faces an anxious wait to see whether he'll make it through as one of the best 2nd/3rd places.

'See you Chilli!'

It had been a while since the Chillisauce crew had been north of the border, so they packed their kilts, bagpipes and every other Scottish cliché they could think of and headed to Edinburgh.

Flying up on the Friday afternoon, they headed straight out on the town to sample some of the famous Scottish hospitality and enjoy a pint of heavy or two, before being up bright and early on Saturday morning to sample some of Scotland’s best activity suppliers.

The team put their shooting boots on and blasted the life out of everything that moved at our top clay shooting supplier where they also had a go at archery and rifle shooting. Greg and Mike set the standard on the clays with Suzy surprisingly taking the honours at rifle shooting- it must have been the years she spent in the army before joining Chillisauce! Several of the team looked a little rough whilst on the archery range- the word ‘archers’ bringing back bad memories from the previous night’s activities!

The sharpshooters also played Airsoft, similar to paintball but without the paint. Competition was as fierce as ever, especially after Isabel and Suzy unleashed several rounds of pellets when the boys had their backs turned!

In the afternoon, the team travelled our favourite motorised supplier, where they burned rubber over the brilliant quad track and went full throttle behind the wheel of powerful rage buggies. As ever, Account Manager Dylan displayed his usual heavy-handed approach to quad riding which resulted in him catapulting himself off his quad into the mud, much to the amusement of everyone else in the group.

After such a tiring day, the Chillisauce crew managed to summon enough energy to hit the city again firstly on the Edinburgh Party Bus and then at the bars of the pumping Princes Street to toast a top weekend.

Out of Town go out on the town

How much fun can you possibly fit into one day? Well, judging by the event Ian put together in Nottingham for Out of Town, the UK’s leading retail catering specialist, the answer is tons!

After a morning meeting at a top Nottingham hotel, the 30 person OOT team wanted an activity which would allow them to get out and see the city. Ian suggested an Incognito Spy Mission and after an exchange of confidential information between the two parties, OOT decided that was a great idea. But they weren’t finished there. They also wanted a themed activity in the evening and Ian suggested that old favourite, a Murder Mystery, followed by a disco at their hotel.

It was a packed day, but the more you put in the more you get out, and the Out of Town team really enjoyed themselves:

'Everything was fab! It was the simplest and most hassle free event we’ve ever done! Both the treasure hunt and the murder mystery were professionally run with a massive sense of fun.

The Hotel was great with a fantastic attitude of fulfilling our needs! Thanks for your help!'

Check out our Incognito Spy Mission here:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/team-building-days/spy-days/productid_3975/

and our Murder Mysteries here:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/murder-mystery-evenings/

Magnox back a winner

Different companies suit different events. It's finding the right combination of activities to best suit your team that is the tricky part. Luckily with our extensive experience and range of activities we can guide you in the right direction.

Magnox wanted a full day of activities and an evening event which would be fun, varied and help staff members bond.

Ali put together a morning of teambuilding activities, an afternoon of motorised events and a race night in the evening, which struck just the right balance. After events including human sheep herding, bomb diffusing and digger driving, and despite several members of the group losing several hundred pounds (of fun money) at the race night, everyone enjoyed a great day:

'I'll start with the negatives.........there weren't any!! (Apart from the weather, but we can't really hold you guys responsible for that!).

Everyone who attended (we had a full turnout for the day), said that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and all the activities were really good fun.

It was a good way to get to know some of the other team members in our department that we don't get to talk to very often, especially the human sheep herding. The morning activities were actually much better for team building as you all had to work together.

The guys who came down to organise it all were very professional, approachable, knowledgeable and made the day run very smoothly and fun. So thank you very much for organising at your end. If I can persuade the boss to stump up the cash to do it again next year, I'll contact you straight away.'

Take a look at our Multi Activity Days here:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/activity-days/multi-activity-days/

and our Race Nights here:
http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/race-nights/

Flagship salute Chillisauce

Flagship are a leading provider of military and maritime training solutions worldwide and are an official partner of the Royal Navy. They have exceptional standards when it comes to training and development programmes and expected nothing less from Chillisauce when they got in touch wanting an activity day in Scotland.

Ian was charged with organising the event and sent the 30-strong Flagship team to an activity centre in Ayrshire to take part in a full day of motorised and shooting activities. Flagship wanted some high-octane activities which would get their competitive juices flowing. With a day of quad biking, rage buggy racing, 4x4 off road driving, clay pigeon shooting and archery, this was exactly what they got.

Like Flagship, we pride ourselves on our professionalism and our ability to bring the best out of teams on our events so we were interested to find out what they made of the Chillisauce experience. As we had expected the event was a roaring success and will even be featured in the next copy of the Flagship company magazine:

‘It was a fantastic day, well organised and I am currently getting an article published for our company magazine. As soon as it is published I will mail you a copy.

The staff at the farm at were so friendly and considering there were 30 people traipsing in and out of their house they made us feel so welcome.

Yes, a great day out had by all. Many thanks for organising the event for Flagship.’

http://www.chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/activity-days/multi-activity-days/

Claire joins Chillisauce

Claire Johnson has joined Chillisauce from MotivAction to head the Corporate Events team and help expand Chillisauce's corporate business.

Claire has organised a plethora of big events in the past including a two day festival for 8000 corporate guests, the international press conference for the last Harry Potter film, the pre and post show party for Australian Pop Idol and even created an open air drive-in cinema.

Away from the office, Claire hails from St Albans and enjoys playing hockey, snowboarding, sailing and going to the gym. Last year she ran in a 50km race for charity and plans to take part in a 100km race in 2010! Claire also enjoys travelling and is planning to trek to see gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda next year.