"We have all loved working with Smart! You all went the extra mile to make the night a success, so thank you."
ACCOUNT MANAGER, FUSE
TEAM GB BALL
An evening for over 800 guests to celebrate the extraordinary success of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Britain’s Olympic heroes were joined by stars of fashion and entertainment.
- Gold carpet VIP entrance
- Celebrity hosts and presenters
- Three course dinner featuring a shaved smoked duck salad and braised shin of beef
- Headline performance from Gary Barlow
- High-end production
THE WEWORK CREATOR AWARDS
A highly-anticipated awards ceremony and after-party for 1,300 like-minded entrepreneurs, start-ups and non-profits, offering over £1m in total on the night to competition winners.
- Awards ceremony hosted by Reggie Yates and Carly Wilford
- DJ set by Annie Mac
- Venue split into a masterclass area, pop-up market area, jobs fair section and workshop zone
- Food stations and food trucks offering NY Mac n Cheese with truffle crumble, Pan Asian-themed dishes and more
- Transformed into after-party with live DJ sets, more food stations and soft-seating area
THE TELEGRAPH SKI AND SNOWBOARD FESTIVAL
Celebrating all things snow sports, the Ski and Snowboard Festival is an exhibition that brings together 30,000 winter sports fans in the heart of Battersea Park each Autumn. With a combination of brands, tour operators, experts, athletes and more, this annual event offers an event for all ages.
- Around 140 brands exhibit in the main space, from resorts to tour operators or new season kit
- Mount Battersea, a 50ft kicker with real-snow, is constructed each year outside the venue, offering guests the opportunity to watch pro-rider stunt demos and international competitions
- In recent years, street food stalls and a vintage ferris wheel were constructed outside the venue
- For the last 2 years, a rock-climbing wall and ice rink have been inside the venue
- The mezzanine hosts a bar, a spectacular mix of live music, a chill-out area with views over Mount Battersea, and a comedy festival
“Our collaboration seems to get better and better with us working very well together on the evening. I want to extend a special thank you to Kim and Rory who helped to make the evening the success it was and to Charlotte for all your hard work in advance."
ENTERTEE, ON BEHALF ON WAITROSE
WAITROSE
A charity dinner for Waitrose and their suppliers to raise funds for Grocery Aid, held at Evolution London since 2012 for 1,500 guests.
- Outdoor dressed decking area
- Airstream photo booth
- Beautifully dressed reception area
- Decadent three course meal every year, including Aged Beef Fillet and Ox Cheek Bonbons in 2017 and Feather Blade of Slow-Cooked Beef in 2018
- Celebrity guests including Kylie, Jack Whitehall and Emeli Sandé
- High-end production
Annual Party
1,400 guests were welcomed to Evolution London in 2018 for their annual party, featuring ice skaters, podium dancers, silk aerialists and hair & make-up artists.
- An array of external branding, including entrance flags and banners
- Buffet tables set up around venue serving sweet & savoury bowl food, including sushi and white chocolate and coconut domes with pineapples
- Standard bars and a VIP bar open until early hours
- Musical performances from Afishal and DJ Maizner
- Multiple breakout spaces
"Evolution London was truly the perfect venue to showcase and celebrate our incredible industry. As a blank canvas, we were able to create our design and completely transform the space into an immersive experience for our guests, from the moment they arrived through to the after-party. I will definitely be recommending the venue to other clients."
RACHAEL HAMILTON, BRAND DIRECTOR
AV Awards
New to Evolution London for 2019, the AV Awards welcomed 1,350 guests for the ultimate celebration of innovation in the audio visual world.
- Three course-dinner by Smart Hospitality, featuring a pressed lamb shoulder with a honey and black garlic glazed fondant, squash cream, goats curd and mint oil, followed by a mango mousse for dessert
- High-end production provided by Hawthorn, showcasing an impressive line-up of the latest technology
- Kabuki-style grand reveal from the reception through to the ceremony space, featuring a 20m x 5m 3D hologram effect screen
- 8m ceiling height allowed for a huge LED backdrop (150sqm), with lighting suspended above and speakers hung at full height to ensure no obstructions to sight lines
- Live-steaming studio on the mezzanine throughout the awards
- Sean Lock was main host for the evening, with entertainment throughout the night
“We have had so much positive feedback and it has been hailed as the best Collars & Coats in terms of content, organisation and overall experience."
EVENTS MANAGER, BATTERSEA DOGS & CATS HOME
Battersea Collars and Coats Ball
A 24 hour residency with 700 guests for dinner. Each year Battersea Dogs & Cats Home hold a glamorous fundraising gala ball to increase awareness of the important work the home does, with a host of celebrities taking to the red carpet to show their support. This was the ninth year in a row that Evolution London and Hawthorn partnered for the ball.
- Four 16ft by 9ft projection screens documenting the charity's success stories
- Battersea’s legendary Guard of Honour - a red carpet lined with the home’s dogs and their handlers
- Royal blue velvet drapes and fitted black and gold lurex drapes enhanced the venue
- A unique 24ft stage extension was constructed to allow performance space for the dogs
- The venue was transformed into a literary heaven with floral displays to suit the concept of 'A Night of New Beginnings'
- A delicious three course meal by Smart Hospitality, including Blackened Salmon Fillet and Feather Blade of Beef
- Incredible performances from Mica Paris and UB40
"The décor and ambience of the whole evening was wonderful. My whole party had an amazing time and have been telling our customers how amazing it was. Thank you so much."
LLOYDS BANKING GROUP
CHRISTMAS
During the Christmas period Smart Christmas Parties create and manage themed Christmas parties on an exclusive or shared party basis for over 2,000 people per night.
- Dramatic entrance with festoon bulbs, roaring gas flambeaux and LED colour wash
- Stunning theming and dressing, feature bars, VIP mezzanine area with projected content
- Main area features dynamic stage design, projection screens and powerful sound system
- Entertainment shows with dancers and specialist acrobatic acts
- Exceptional three course dinner including Cured Scottish Salmon and Butter-poached Breast of Cornish Chicken
"A real relationship has been built over the years. Nothing is too much trouble, they are always looking for ways to improve, and everything is always done incredibly efficiently and with a smile."
SENIOR EVENT PRODUCER, BENCHMARK SPORTS ON BEHALF OF SIA
Sport Industry Awards
A spectacular awards evening for companies within the Sports Business Sector, hosting around 1,700 guests including celebrities and sporting heroes from around the globe.
- 11 consecutive years at Evolution London
- Multiple branded entrance flags
- High impact 10m high venue façade, red carpet and press board
- Two drinks reception spaces, with customised raised VIP decking area built within the main bar area
- 50m wide stage complete with rigged relay screens to ensure superb views
- Atrium walls with floor to ceiling graphics
“Each year we receive praise from our guests about the outstanding food served on the night and the staff who serve it. It can’t be easy to serve three beautifully presented courses, hot and on time to 1200 guests but Evolution London make it look effortless.”
AWARDS DIRECTOR, BRITISH ARROWS
BRITISH ARROWS AWARDS
An awards dinner for 1,200 guests, honouring the very best talent the advertising industry has to offer. This was the 8th year that the event has been hosted at Evolution London.
- Three separate areas, providing an evolving guest journey throughout the evening
- Stylish dressing and colour palette throughout complimenting the British Arrows brand and visuals
- Three-course sit down meal, including Dark, Sticky Slow Roast Cornish Lamb Shoulder in 2018
- High-end production with 13m x 3m LED wall & five large projection screens
- Celebrity host & presenters
- Post awards after-party featuring raised decking area & dance floor
“The team worked closely with us from start to finish, combining their experience of the venue along with our experience of the clients, and helped us to adapt each event, to ensure the delegates had a truly memorable experience.”
MANAGING DIRECTOR, TAYLOR BENNETT ON BEHALF OF ADOBE
THE ADOBE DIGITAL SUMMIT
A conference and after-party for 1700 delegates, with a 6-day schedule to build additional structures and internal infrastructure. The existing kitchen was transformed into meeting pods and the main plenary space was designed theatre-style. AV featured an awe-inspiring projection screen that spanned across the venue.
- Multiple theatre-style breakout spaces
- Meeting pods created
- Fully branded atrium
- Main plenary space turned into a roving party space
- A special performance by Diversity closed the conference
- Projection screen spanning the whole venue
"WHAT A FANTASTIC NIGHT – THANK YOU!!!! Everyone had a brilliant time... so much so I have been flooded with requests to book for next year! Great to see so many people I hadn’t seen for ages – top night with top people."
GLOBAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, GLOBAL INFUSION GROUP
HOSPITALITY ROCKS
A Christmas party hosted by Smart Group for those working in the Hospitality and Events industry. This sensational night gave 1,300 of the nation’s party planners the party of a lifetime.
- Red carpet entrance
- Sensational Après theming, complete with real gondolas and falling snow
- Delicious canapés and a decadent three-course dinner
- Film première production
- Exhilarating entertainment, dodgems and casino tables
THE LONDON MOTOR SHOW
Evolution London welcomed the Confused.com London Motor Show for the second successive year, building upon the exceptional inaugural event.
- 41 dealerships and manufacturers showcased over 130 new vehicles – including concept cars and UK debuts from McLaren, Mitsuoka, MG, Volkswagen, Infiniti, Vhul, Riversimple and Lightening (plus a teaser from TVR)
- Hundreds of visitors took test drives in the latest models from MG, Tesla, Ford, Volkswagen, Volvo, Nissan and Hyundai
- Several of the Show’s exhibitors reported multiple new car sales over the course of the event, demonstrating the increasing buoyancy of the automotive industry in the UK
- Fun for all the family with the Top Gear Experience and other experiential activities.
Go! Organic Festival
A 2-day festival that made use of both Evolution London and Battersea Park, with more than 100 food, drink and lifestyle brands with tasty organic treats, live music, celebrity chefs, inspiring talks and entertainment for the whole family.
- Event featured workshops, musical entertainment on external main stage, funfair, petting zoo, pop-up restaurants
- Marketplaces located outside and inside the venue
- 82 stalls around venue found on main space and atrium
- Breakout spaces in main space of venue for Natural Talks and Organic Kitchen
- Almost 15,000 were expected to attend
"We worked with Smart on our annual Emeralds & Ivy Ball back in February 2017 and were thrilled with their service from start to finish. Evolution London was the perfect venue for our event – a blank canvas that allowed us to be incredibly creative and give our guests a night to remember. Everyone we worked with at Smart was flexible and gave great customer service. And most importantly the food on the night was delicious!"
SUPPORTER PARTNERSHIPS SPECIALIST AT CANCER RESEARCH UK
EMERALDS AND IVY BALL
The Emeralds & Ivy Ball is the flagship fundraising gala dinner, hosted by Ronan Keating. The ball celebrates the partnership between Cancer Research UK and the Marie Keating Foundation, raising funds for the Cancer Awareness Roadshow Units.
- Champagne reception
- Luxury three course meal
- Celebrity musical performances
- Live entertainment
- Both silent and live auctions
- Carnival-themed surprises
"Huge thanks to you and your wonderful team for supporting us at such a fantastic event this year. The need for it to look effortless and smooth is critical to its success, and each year we seem to blow our supporters away and make the next event harder! The food is critical to that and you surpassed yourselves as the menu was divine. It is such an important occasion for us seeing the majority of our supporters come together to hear about our work and have a great night of fundraising, so please pass on our thanks to David, the chefs and the waiting staff for all of their hard work in making it happen. You’re a joy to work with, and making everything very easy for us! We very much look forward to working with you again next year."
CEO, DALLAGLIO FOUNDATION
8 ROCKS - THE DALLAGLIO FOUNDATION BALL
A charity gala event held annually at Evolution London in support of the Dallaglio Foundation, welcoming around 500 guests each year.
- Held at Evolution London since 2009
- Glamorous and stylish event with different themes each year, including Supper Club and Great Gatsby
- High quality catering by Smart Hospitality, with menus tailored around the event and theme
- In 2017, guests enjoyed a three course dinner with lobster tortelloni to start, followed by roast cutlet and slow-cooked shoulder of lamb for main and milk chocolate and salted caramel ganache for dessert
- Always big names for entertainment: headline performance by Jersey Boys in 2017, Kaiser Chiefs in 2016, Keane in 2015, Duran Duran in 2014 and James Blunt in 2013
- Raises money for Rugbyworks
"Smart go above and beyond our expectations every year, delivering flawless events from start to finish. The attention to detail and care taken along every step of the planning process is second to none. It is a pleasure to work with the team and you always know your event is in safe hands. No idea, big or small, is unachievable and it is great to work alongside such creative and passionate individuals. Battersea is such a wonderful venue to work with because it is a blank canvas. Each year the venue feels like a different space and our guests are excited to return year on year. Already looking forward to planning our next event!"
SENIOR EVENT MANAGER, INCISIVE MEDIA
UK IT Industry Awards & CRN Channel Awards
Back to back events held at Evolution London for over 6 years. The UK IT Industry Awards are the benchmark for excellence throughout the computer industry, whilst the CRN Channel Awards recognise and reward outstanding performance in the IT channel.
- Seated dinner for 1,200 guests at the UK IT Industry Awards and 1,400 at the CRN Channel Awards
- Delicious catering by Smart Hospitality with canapé receptions including Beef Short Rib Croquettes and Spicy Crab Doughnuts
- Three course dinners featuring Twice Baked Parsnip Soufflé and Roast Hake Fillet for the CRN Awards in 2017 and a Slow-Cooked Feather Blade of Beef for the UK IT Awards
- UK IT Awards hosted by Rob Beckett in 2017; other entertainment included dodgems, a Taxi Photobooth, gospel choir, air hockey table, motorbike simulator, and a horse racing game
KARMAPA UK
A two day Buddhist conference centred around the profound teachings of the Dalai Lama, performed by His Holiness, Gyalwang Karmapa.
- Part of His Holiness The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s first visit to the UK.
- His Holiness' visit included meeting HRH The Prince of Wales at Highgrove and Lord Rowen Williams at Cambridge University.
- Focused upon the 8 verses for training the mind and Chenrezig Empowerment
- Two-course Indian style buffet available for the first day.
- Two-course Chinese style buffet available for the final day.
- Opportunity to participate in private blessings with His Holiness.
- Live Choir performances.
- Theatre seating for conference.
- High quality production provided by Smart Group's production partner, Hawthorn.
HUAWEI
A product launch and press conference for 1,000 delegates with catering by Smart Hospitality. The worldwide launch showcased its new phone, the Huawei P9. Evolution London was heavily branded and the whole venue, including the mezzanine, was used to its full potential.
- Multiple theatre-style breakout spaces
- Registration desks lined the atrium
- Area dedicated to Product Demo Sessions and Media Interview Sessions
- VIP reception took place on the front mezzanine
- Special guests included Henry Cavill and Leica CEO Oliver Kilter
- Infinity booth area and LED tunnel
M&IT AWARDS
This annual awards ceremony and after-party celebrates events industry professionals. The M&IT Awards is recognised as the industry’s biggest and most prestigious recognition programme, and welcomed over 1,200 guests to Evolution London in March this year.
- Separate VIP bar during reception
- 3-course dinner featuring slow-cooked feather blade of beef, cooked in a rich bourguignon sauce, with roast swede and herb-creamed potato for main course
- Performances by Boogie Storm and Beatvox
- Two 7m x 4m red carpets leading to main stage
- Gin Bar, serving a variety of gin cocktails, constructed post-dinner
- High-end production
"As one of the longest standing events at Evolution London, we can definitely say we love it here. With a professional and friendly team, plus a location to rival any in London, we feel Evolution London is THE place for the UK's best events. We always look forward to our next event."
THE DECORATIVE ANTIQUES AND TEXTILES FAIR
The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair is held annually in winter, spring and autumn at Battersea Evolution. The event showcases the quintessential mix of unusual finds and genuine antiques.
- Exhibition makes use of whole venue
- Stands are erected in atrium and main space
- Café on the mezzanine
- Drinks reception before the event
- All open and beautifully decorated stands
"Stephen, Charlotte, Lily & their team were instrumental in ensuring that our event, which attracted in excess of 800 guests, was a huge success. They made the unenviable task of a venue change, on just 3 weeks’ notice, possible. Their support behind the scenes and that of their highly professional team allowed us to concentrate on the finer details of an event that incorporated multiple partners & suppliers. Simply put, we could not have done it without them!"
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, RAFFLES CHELSEA
THE RAFFLES RUMBLE
A charity boxing event held at Evolution London, for Raffles night club members as well as affluent Chelsea residents to raise money for the British Heart Foundation - aiming to stop others going through the pain of losing loved ones to deadly heart conditions like HCM.
- Professional 16ft Boxing Ring
- Features 10 boxing bouts, including special celebrity fighters
- 2 street food vendors outside
- Auction for The Miles Frost Fund
- Partnered with Grey Goose
- DJ and photographer
The 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Conference
The 2-day conference welcomed 1,500 VIPs in the day and 1,200 for an evening reception on day 1. Day 2 welcomed 1,000 stakeholders.
- Accommodated an exhibition area, conference, evening reception, different catering areas, security areas, VIP spaces, and many more breakout spaces
- Famous faces in attendance included Prince William and Ellie Goulding
- Delicious catering by Smart Hospitality including tarragon roast breast of chicken on a bed of potato, apple and mustard salad
- The mezzanine was where VIPs could network and enjoy delicious catering
- The main area was split into an exhibition area, different plenary sessions, a theatre and catering stations
- The kitchen/BOH area was used as a seating and speech area
The Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For Awards
A prestigious awards ceremony and after-party across two nights for around 1,200 guests each night.
- A champagne reception, 3-course dinner by Smart Hospitality, stunning entertainment and a DJ and disco
- Dramatic kabuki drop revealed main space for dinner
- Atrium used for reception area, complete with red carpet, lounge furniture, central bar, Selfie Wall and free cloakroom
- Bespoke dance floor crafted especially for the event
- High-end AV production and light show throughout the evening
