The atmosphere of Thirty Six is quiet and reserved: one that indicates the evening is going to be wholly about the food, writes Nicole Holgate. Having opted for the à la carte three courses as opposed to the tasting menu, staff are more than happy to recommend a wine to go with our diverse food […]

As the name suggests, 1776 is a restaurant redolent of history. The date harks back to this Grade II-listed building’s days as a bank, and the imposing, vaulted ceilings are testimony to its previous incarnation as a financial institution, writes Colette Doyle. Nowadays, though, in place of tellers’ counters you’ll find an impressive-looking and well-stocked […]

If you have to chart your boss’s business travel spending down to the smallest detail, you’ll be aware of how difficult it can be to keep track of distances driven and monitor the costs involved. The AA’s route planner has launched a new online tool to overcome this problem: a calculator that can help PAs […]

If your boss has tasked you with testing your colleagues’ mettle on the company’s next team-building excursion, you may want to consider the activities on offer at the O2 centre.The iconic London landmark has launched a number of team-building packages for one of its newest activities, entitled ‘Up at the O2’. Opened to the public […]

If you regularly check out job sites while you’re supposed to be working then you’re not alone, as a new survey reveals that almost a quarter (23%) of office workers do the same. The poll by Safetica, a provider of employee monitoring and data protection software, also shows that nearly a third (33%) of employees […]

As the boundaries between science fiction and modern technology blur, how long will it be until personal assistants find themselves replaced by a machine? There is an increasing number of digital personal assistants now available, with companies committing their efforts to voice-recognition technology and creating as ‘human’ an interface as possible. Siri is Apple’s personal […]

Michelle Porter is PA to three directors at Young & Rubicam group; this summer she is taking part in the challenging Clipper round-the-world yacht race. “If anyone had said to me when I signed up for the Clipper round-the-world yacht race that I would be living and breathing it so many months before we set off, […]

Many companies would benefit from making a commitment to the environment. Nicole Holgate looks at the best ways to get started Making a company environmentally friendly can appear to be a mammoth task, but showing willingness and commitment within your own office is the first simple step on a rewarding journey. In terms of accreditation, […]

PAs who are responsible for booking business travel will need effective communication to help achieve their travel programme objectives in 2013, according to findings from Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s latest survey. The research shows that communication is vital whether the goal is to improve travel policy compliance, mandate the use of preferred hotels, or provide critical […]

If you’re planning a coporate event at a sporting venue, you might be interested to hear that Chelsea Football Club has launched the smallest delegate sandwich ahead of British Sandwich Week. Taking place between 12-19 May, British Sandwich Week celebrates Britain’s best loved lunchtime food and is run by the British Sandwich Association. In celebration […]

A survey reveals that the biggest motivator for a corporate day out is to have fun with colleagues. Contrary to what many business leaders may want to believe, an overarching 67% of employees feel that the main purpose of a corporate day is to have a genuinely good day out with colleagues, doing an activity that […]

I had a really interesting, if a little unexpected, experience while coaching recently. I was starting an Executive PA Performance Coaching programme with a new client; she’s the EA to the Chief Executive of a large global corporate organisation and I was due to meet her at their glitzy and impressive central London offices. I’d spoken […]

The Sloane Club in London’s upmarket Chelsea is already an established institution and now it has taken its ethos of refined elegance and branched out into the serviced apartments sector. Located in the fashionable Sloane Square neighbourhood, The Apartments by The Sloane Club are designed to offer guests a home-from-home ambience for stays of seven […]

Even in these penny-pinching times, events are still proving their worth as a vital means of communication, with suppliers devising ever more creative and interesting solutions. Nicole Holgate reports.   The strongest influence on an event organiser’s decision-making is their budget, states Denise Ellis, Chairman and MD at Conference Contacts. Companies are being careful with spending […]

Nearly half of all office workers (46%) feel pressurised to come into work by their immediate managers and more than half of these again (53%) are female employees. The “Under Pressure” study, conducted by Adecco Retail, reveals a large difference between younger and older workers: three-quarters (78%) of 16-24 year olds feel obliged to come […]

Alison Boler, currently a legal PA at ITV, always knew she wanted to work in entertainment. Once she had decided her path, nothing could dissuade her. She gained a certificate in secretarial training at 18, and immediately upon leaving university bought 100 second class stamps and sent her CV to every film and entertainment company […]

The world of organising corporate events can be fraught with pitfalls. Peter Manning offers a step-by-step guide to delivering successful company gatherings that provide a measurable return on your investment. BE COMPLIANT Companies are beginning to introduce more and more compliance measures into meetings management in order to help control cost and policy adherence. It […]

In the first of an occasional series about continuing education for PAs, we review two training courses – one designed to improve core skills and the other focused on helping to boost your confidence in the workplace. Course: The new PA Provider: Reed Learning “My current job is my first PA position after several years […]