Monthly Archives: April 2018

Conference tips from the Mouse House

Modern day conferences are certainly nothing like the past, where attendees expect so much more to keep them engaged for longer, and to inspire them from the get-go. Making sure that there is something for everyone is never easy, but if you choose to partner with Granny Mouse County House & Spa, your next conference will be an amazing success.

We recently chatted to the Granny Mouse banqueting team to get their inspiring insights into what makes a conference great, and here are their top 5 points to consider.

  1. Crowd Polling

Prior to your event, run an internal poll where staff can offer their ideas in regards to guest speaker option, topics of discussion and other such elements. If your staff feel that they are being asked their opinions in regards to the conference content, they are more likely to be engaged in the delivery of messages at the event.

  1. Time out

Ensure that the planned timetable allows for some personal downtime for your staff. An integral part of the conferencing plan, is to allow all people some time to ponder the proceedings of the day, whether it was about your company processes and how you can better these, or the message that was imparted from a guest speaker. You need your staff to return to work rearing to go, and a bit of “down time” out of the office, might be the best way to achieve this.

  1. Table teams

Seat like-minded staff together and get them to create a team name for themselves, and then run a series of competitions during your conference that the teams can compete for. You’d be amazed as how much more engaged your staff will be when they are competing against each other for prizes, big or small.

  1. Offsite events

Sure, conferencing is about work productivity, but it is also about team bonding, and what better way to achieve this than by adding some off-site activities for your teams. Games and team-building events are where memories are made as people break the ice and really get to know one another, which makes for a more cohesive overall team.

  1. Team tips

Post conference, allow team members to provide their feedback about the good and the bad of the conference, as this will allow you to better plan the next one, and to harvest ideas from the very market you are targeting.

With these valuable tips, you can be sure that your next conference will truly be a success.

Contact banqueting@grannymouse.co.za for the latest conference packages.

Basic tips for your garden this autumn!

Gardens

With the change in season, not only are we affected by the changing temperatures, but our gardens are as well.

Now is the time for avid gardeners to take extra care of their garden. If your current plants are sensitive to the colder weather, consider creating a mini greenhouse around them, however it may be more effective to spray these little beauties with an anti-transpirant spray that can be purchased from your hardware store or nursery. Granny Mouse Horticulturist, William Brown suggest purchasing “Wilt-pruf”. This will guard the plants by creating a layer on the leaves to act as protection against the elements.

He also suggests deadheading all the flowers – pinching/cutting off the stem below the flower and just above the healthy leaves. This will allow a new flower to germinate.

When it comes to April, planting bulbed plants is a must. These plants serve as food storage for other plants. They also contain the nutrients needed for plants to get through the colder months.

It is also beneficial for your garden to have all the dead vegetation, cut back. These draw unnecessary nutrients from the healthy plants and if removed, the nutrients are then absorbed more effectively by the plants that need it.

During the autumn season, make sure to give your garden enough water and fertilisation to ensure they are nourished.

Happy gardening this autumn!