Client: BAFTA

Overview:
A stand-out final performance from Brit-award winning Celeste, along with a powerful opener from breakthrough talent Joseph Lawrence, were two of the highlights from BAFTA’s biennial gala. The Coveted team was so delighted to work with BAFTA on this event for a fifth time, raising money for BAFTA’s learning and new talent initiatives in the lead up to the EE BAFTA Film Awards. Hosted by Edith Bowman and attended by stars from the film, games and television worlds, the Gala raised nearly £700,000.

What they ate and drank: Every menu at The Peninsula London is created after a consultation with their wonderful chef. Combining the best of British ingredients and the Peninsula’s Asian influences, guests enjoyed beautiful canapes, a perfectly cooked piece of beef followed by stunning dessert stations. We rounded off the night with Woodford Reserve Classic Old Fashioneds…

Partners: Bulgari, Champagne Taittinger, Hildon Water, Villa Maria Wines, Woodford Reserve

Photography (c) BAFTA / Marco Baehr

Client: Richard House Children’s Hospice

Overview:
The Rainbow Ball was a captivating fundraising dinner dedicated to supporting the noble cause of Richard House. Set against the glamorous backdrop of the Bloomsbury Ballroom, for the third time, and hosted by the charismatic Jim Carter, renowned for his role in Downton Abbey, the regal Imelda Staunton, and sponsored by Gucci; this enchanting evening promised a dazzling array of entertainment. With a lineup of extraordinary cabaret acts curated by The London Cabaret Club, guests were mesmerised by an array of dazzling performances, all in the spirit of giving. Attendees came together to celebrate and contribute to Richard House's mission, raising a net of over £820,000. The Coveted team has worked with Richard House since 2017, helping them to increase the event income from £150,000 to this year’s staggering total.

What they ate and drank: The evening commenced with a canapés and Champagne reception – sponsored by Idris Elba's champagne range, La Porte Noire. The evening continued with a delicious meal served in the Ballroom. The first course of Pan Fried Seabass was accompanied by fondant potato, pumpkin velouté, buttered spinach, and delicate baby onions. The grand finale was a Lemon and Lime Meringue.

How the money raised is making a difference: Richard House was London’s first purpose-built children’s hospice, providing specialist care and support to children with complex and life limiting conditions and their families. Their services include end-of-life care, symptom management, respite care and family support, including bereavement counselling. Their building and gardens are designed to create a relaxing non-hospital environment. Richard House is a place for living and a place where families can create positive memories today to hold onto tomorrow.  

Caring for a child with complex care needs places a massive strain on the child’s parents and often leads to siblings being neglected. The residential respite care provided by Richard House is usually the only opportunity most families have in a year to take a break from providing 24-hour care, recharge their batteries, and focus on their other children. Families can take a break confident that their child is getting the best possible care from the Richard House team. 

Photography (c) Richard House / Thomas Alexander

Client: Auditory Verbal UK

The brief: To support the hosts in delivering their third Wonder of Sound Gala, this time in London, raising funds and awareness for the work of Auditory Verbal UK, an organisation that has a very personal meaning to the family.

With pianist Reuben James opening the show, followed by flamenco from Karen Ruimy 💃
Over dinner, guests enjoyed a haunting version of Sound of Silence from the beautiful sophie-rose harper, with a standing ovation Khaya and his unbelievable opera performance.

As the evening drew to a close, Noella Wiyaala had the crowd singing along to her acoustic set before Roland Gift of the Fine Young Cannibals got us all on our feet. Guests didn't want to leave the dancefloor as Nan Richards took to the decks...

With thanks to all of the wonderful performers, our brilliant suppliers and our generous guests for making this a night to remember!

What they ate and drank: Guests enjoyed The Brando cocktail (and its non-alcoholic sister, The Grace) upon arrival with delicious canapes produced by 195 Piccadilly’s Exec Chef, Anton Manganaro. Two courses followed accompanied by wines chosen by the hosts, after which the espresso martinis were free-flowing as guests danced the night away.

Photography (c) Auditory Verbal UK / David Boulogne

Client: Oliver Bonas

The brief: To provide over 700 of Oliver Bonas’s staff with an unforgettable celebration of the brand’s 30th birthday, hosted by co-founders, Tim and Olly. Staff travelled from all across the UK to join us for a Sunday evening party, held at 180 Strand, which was transformed into the ultimate 90s party.

Alongside Mariokart on the big screen, glitter and tattoo station and Etch-a-Sketch corner, DJs Raven Mandella and Benny Blanco kept the 90s tunes coming all night - from old skool RnB and hip hop to classic Ibiza sounds.

What they ate and drank: Wine and fizz were free-flowing, with 180’s signature cocktails. Guests enjoyed charcuterie tables, salads and pastas, and what better pudding than the squidgiest of doughnuts?!

Photography (c) Oliver Bonas

Client: Right to Play UK

The brief: To work with the Right to Play UK team and committee to create a 360 degree experience to maximise the opportunities at the venue, Frameless London. The inaugural event of its kind for the charity, the Summer Soiree raised over £400,000, far exceeding the original target of £150,000 thanks to the generosity of supporters old and new.

How we worked together: This is the second time we’ve worked with Right to Play UK, this time focusing on the content and production elements. We started working on the project two months before the event, joining weekly production meetings and acting as the liaison between client, venue and production company. We’re looking forward to working together on their Annual Sports Quiz later this year!

What they ate and drank: Guests were greeted with fizz and mocktails, before a delicious meal from the in-house catering providers, Rhubarb.

Photography (c) Right to Play UK / Marc Sethi

Client: Bridges for Music

The brief: To support with the event plans for the 10th Anniversary Gala for Bridges for Music. We started working with Bridges in January, developing the plans and supporting with event administration in the lead up to the event, which took place in March at The Grand in Cape Town, on the eve of the Ultra Music Festival. This is one of a series of events delivered by Bridges for Music, leveraging the activity around largescale music festivals around the world to raise funds and awareness for Bridges’ work in South Africa.

How we worked together: The Coveted team provided support to the Bridges team, with a key focus on providing support with administration and the event delivery on the night. Moving forward, we’re delighted to be working with Bridges for Music across a wider calendar of events, including their London Gala in November.

Photography (c) Bridges for Music 2023

Client: BAFTA

The brief: To host an intimate dinner for BAFTA’s President Circle members, in the lead up to the BAFTA Film Awards. A special moment for BAFTA’s wonderful supporters to come together and celebrate the work of BAFTA and the incredible talent showcased through the awards. BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip spoke of the opportunities as BAFTA enters a new era.

How we worked together: Our longstanding client, we love working with the BAFTA team, each year delivering a series of events for their donors and supporters.

What they ate and drank: Beef wellington washed down with Champagne Taittinger

Photography (c) BAFTA

Client: The Royal Foundation for TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales

Overview: Together at Christmas with The Royal Foundation (TRF) saw a wonderful partnership grow between our team here at Coveted and TRF to deliver a very special carol service with HRH The Princess of Wales, which was filmed by BBC Studios and televised on ITV. In the presence of HM The King, nearly 1,700 guests attended the event at Westminster Abbey, with readings and performances from special guests including Samantha Barks, Alfie Boe, Hugh Bonneville, Melanie C, and Craig David.

How we worked together: The Coveted team supported with logistical and guestlist management, as well as having oversight of a series of 8 regional services organised across the UK in the lead up to the Westminster event. We slotted into the TRF team (and inboxes!) to help direct event enquires and understand processes

What they ate and drank: Mince pies were provided by the event partners, Tesco

Photography (c) The Royal Foundation

Client: London Children’s Ballet

The brief: To bring new people to the London Children’s Ballet and further engage existing supporters of the charity through a magical evening of ballet with stunning views across London from the Buffini Chao Deck at the National Theatre.

How we worked together: The Coveted team delivered the event from concept to completion, with a key focus on maximising funds raised and delivering a smooth event, working closely with the team at London Children’s Ballet and the National Theatre.

What they ate and drank: a Nyetimber reception was followed by a delicious meal

Photography (c) London Children’s Ballet

Client: BAFTA

The brief: To celebrate the worlds of film and television and raise funds for BAFTA’s learning and new talent initiatives, in the lead up to the 2022 EE British Academy Film Awards.

What we did: We were so thrilled to work with the BAFTA team for a fourth time to deliver their biennial fundraising gala, raising over £600,000. The event was hosted by Edith Bowman, with entertainment from Reuben James, Max Harwood, Amazonica and Fabienne. Almost 400 people joined us for this incredible evening - one of the very first galas in the fabulous ballroom at the Londoner Hotel, in Leicester Square.

How we worked together: The Coveted team delivered the event from concept to completion, with a key focus on maximising funds raised and working with partners and stakeholders. We worked closely with the fundraising, partnerships and comms teams at BAFTA, as well as the event committee, to shape the evening’s proceedings and its guestlist, as well as securing £150,000 of prizes for the fundraising auctions.

What they ate and drank: seabass ceviche, beef fillet, mango panna cotta, all washed down with Champagne Taittinger. An Old Fashioned bar was hosted by our amazing friends at Woodford Reserve.

Photography (c) BAFTA

Client: Sadler’s Wells

How we worked together: With Sadler’s Wells’ 2020 Gala postponed, this long awaited live event offered a twist on the traditional gala format. The celebratory evening in support of Sadler’s Wells East began with a champagne and canapé reception and featured performances from some of the biggest names in contemporary dance. The gala concluded with a post-show party on the stage at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, with music from Soweto Kinch.  

What they ate and drank: Lobster rolls and moscow mules, courtesy of the amazing team at Alexander & Bjorck

Photography (c) Sadlers Wells / Thomas Alexander Photography

Client: Grassroot Soccer

How we worked together: We worked alongside the charity’s team to deliver the event, working with the Gala Committee Chair. The event had taken a pause in 2018 and was brought back with a new theme of female empowerment, with special guests Kristen Press and Tobin Heath, of the World Cup-winning US Women’s Soccer Team, along with performances from Miss Yankey and Bloem. Over $1m was raised for the charity’s life-changing work in Africa and the Global South.

What they ate and drank: Urban Caprice produced a stunning meal with delicious canapés, with amazing cocktails from Karo Brandy, Black Cow Vodka and Gem + Bolt Mezcal.

Photography (c) Grassroot Soccer/Wonderhatch

Client: Sohn Foundation London

How we worked together: The Sohn London Investment Conference is now in its 7th year, having The Sohn Conference Foundation was originally founded in 1995, in memory of Ira Sohn, a New York trader. His friends and family started the New York Conference to raise funds and awareness for paediatric cancer research and treatment. Here in London, the event is organised by a committee of incredible volunteers and we had the pleasure of working with them to deliver the event. Our end-to-end role included the coordination of the weekly committee calls and sales reports, marketing and guest communication, speaker and sponsor liaison, as well as all logistical elements of the event, both in the lead up to the event and the stage management/delivery on the day. In London, the event has raised nearly £2m since its inception.

What they ate and drank: Guests enjoyed the Marriott’s hospitality throughout the day, with lunch upon arrival, afternoon tea and canapés during cocktail hour, which was sponsored by Hinton Rose and featured their signature mojito. SA

All images (c) Thomas Alexander Photography for Sohn Foundation London

Client: Garfield Weston Foundation

What happened: The wonderful Garfield Weston Foundation celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2019 and hosted two incredibly special events as part of this. We were delighted to work with the Foundation to deliver these, including a reception at Banqueting House for 300 of the Foundation’s beneficiaries and fellow charitable Trusts and Foundations. Since its inception, the Foundation has given away over £1bn to organisations ranging from local churches in desperate need of funding, to the Natural History Museum’s Dippy On Tour campaign, through to life-changing projects for well-known charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Prince’s Trust. At Banqueting House, we brought together just some of the organisations who have benefitted from the Foundation for an evening to celebrate its incredible work.

What they ate and drank: Our favourites, Urban Caprice, produced beautiful canapés and crowdpleasers, along with delicious dessert stations. Guests took home bespoke biscuits celebrating the anniversary.

All images (c) Thomas Alexander Photography for Garfield Weston Foundation

Client: BAFTA

How we worked together: Two years in the making, one of our longest term clients, BAFTA hosted a private screening ahead of the official launch of the much-anticipated James Bond film, No Time to Die. Hosted at White City House, our guests enjoyed exclusive access to this special viewing.

What they ate and drank: Popcorn and champagne

Photography (c) BAFTA/Agne Bekeraityte

Client: Ark, an education organisation and multi academy trust

Brief: To bring existing and prospective supporters closer to Ark's work by bringing it to life through an engaging and immersive evening. Taking place at one of Ark's south London schools, the building was transformed into a multi-functional yet creative events space, including turning the school hall into an informal restaurant-style dining room.

Guest feedback:

“Congratulations on a wonderful and inspiring event yesterday evening. My brain is still whirring with thoughts and challenges presented by the experiences. Wonderful ideas and a great way of show casing the important work you guys do, and how you do it.”

“I genuinely loved tonight. Very bold and brave to create such a departure for Ark and very thought provoking. Feel free to connect me up with anyone who didn't get to ask their asks!”

“Just a quick note to thank you for last night. It was a very engaging evening in a very impressive school. I thought the new format was brilliant and obviously reflected a huge amount of work and planning behind the scenes for you and your staff.”

Client: Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation at the University of Washington

How we worked together: The prestigious Roux Prize Dinner is now in its 6th year and has previously always taken place in Washington DC. This year, nearly 200 guests came together to celebrate the work of this year’s deserving winner, Dr. Richard Horton, with a champagne reception, prizegiving and four-course dinner, interspersed with toasts. With less than two months to plan the event, Coveted Events liaised with the IHME team to provide advice and local knowledge, as well as acting as an on-the-ground team both in the lead up to and on the the night of the event. We worked with the team at Light Motif, with stunning florals by Mary Jane Vaughan.

What they ate and drank: Our friends at Rhubarb catered for the sumptuous dinner followed by delicious dessert stations featuring bespoke Roux Prize Dinner branded miniatures

Client: Holocaust Memorial Day Trust

Brief: In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Holocaust Memorial Day 2015 hosted over 1,000 guests at Central Hall Westminster for a memorial service in the presence of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister David Cameron and 200 survivors of the Holocaust. The event included high tea for 200 guests, readings and musical performances for leading actors and musicians, followed by a drinks reception. The commemoration was broadcast on BBC2.

Client: Ark Education Partnerships Group

Brief: Education statistics in Liberia are among the worst in the world. By age 18, girls in Liberia are more likely to be married than literate. Across the country, 25% of 15-24 year olds cannot read a single sentence. Partnership Schools for Liberia (PSL) is a public private partnership (PPP) for education which launched in September 2016, with 93 primary schools managed by eight operators, reaching 27,000 children. It is Africa’s first fee-free national PPP for basic education. This conference brought together school operators, funders and government to reflect on lessons learnt and plan for year two of the pilot programme. With proceedings led by Minister George K. Werner, Day 1 of the conference saw delegates having breakfast with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Day 2 featured school visits to see the programme in action and Day 3 brought guests back together for presentations and panel discussions.  

Client: BAFTA

How we worked together: For the third time, we were thrilled to deliver BAFTA’s Film Gala, in the lead up to the EE British Academy Film Awards. A highlight of our calendar, this event brings together a host of acting talent from film and television, raising money towards BAFTA initiatives, including the BAFTA Kids programme. The event featured entertainment from The London Cabaret Club, an incredible performance of Shallow by Natalie Rushdie, DJs Star.One and musical sets from singers Grace Carter and Samm Henshaw.

The Coveted Events team project-managed the event, coordinating the fundraising and logistical elements from concept to evaluation.

What they ate and drank: Guests enjoyed The Savoy’s incredible food and service, including a three-course meal and delicious dessert stations; Champagne Taittinger and Villa Maria were served throughout, along with cocktails from Sapling

All images (c) Thomas Alexander Photography / Jonathan Birch for BAFTA

Client: BAFTA

What happened: We started in June with our first Summer Party at our home at 195 Piccadilly, with Champagne Taittinger flowing and Veevers Carter creating a tropical flower wall, featuring BAFTA masks and lush green foliage. Campaign ambassador Tom Hiddleston led the evening's proceedings with music from DJs and a Cuban trio, provided by GS Live. Later in the month, our Academy Circle with Hugh Bonneville saw us returning to Fortnum & Mason, this time in their cosy Three and Six Bar. Guests loved hearing from the Downton Abbey and Paddington star and much laughter could be heard throughout the evening. The season closed with a further Academy Circle event, this time with Dominic West, star of The Wire and The Affair. Held in the fantastic Garden Courtyard at Coutts, guests heard about West's upcoming role in the latest adaptation of Les Miserables before enjoying further drinks and a private dinner. 

What they ate and drank: From Fortnum & Mason's delicious canapes, food stations designed by BAFTA 195 Piccadilly's Anton Manganaro, to the first-class hospitality at Coutts, our guests have enjoyed incredible food and drink throughout the summer! 

All images (c) Jonathan Birch for BAFTA

Client: if25 Forum

How we worked together: Our Director, Rebecca, is one of the Founders of the Forum and Coveted became one of the partner organisations for the event. We managed the logistics and delivery of the event, working with the project team who curated the event’s content.

Format: Over two days, our 40 guests (each of them individual philanthropists or Founders/CEOs of grant-making organisations) discussed the world around us, looking at how it may evolve over the next 25 years, through the lenses of politics, the economy, women, business, technology and the environment, with speakers from outside of the grant-making community sharing their insight. Alongside talking about the role of philanthropy in this changing world, we tackled our day-to-day challenges as leaders and founders - from working with Boards, to identifying opportunities for collaboration, to core funding. The intimate nature of the event - hosted in the relaxed surroundings of The Fish in the Cotswolds, allowed us to provide an open platform for the group to share and learn from one another. As well as our existing CEOs, our Future Leaders programme saw six aspiring leaders joining us for the event, to share their experiences and insights and to help to provide a broader view for our discussion.

Outcomes: We look forward to hosting a second event in Spring 2021

What they ate and drank: Organic, locally-sourced ingredients were the focus of our largely vegetarian menu, delicious wines and Cotswolds Gin

Further information: www.if25.org

Client: The Resource Alliance

Background: The flagship IFC conference has been running for over 30 years in Amsterdam. In 2017, they launched IFC Asia in Bangkok and this year we worked with the team to pull together the plans and deliver logistics. 

What happened: 300 fundraising professionals joined us at the 5* Marriott Marquis Queen's Park for three days of masterclasses (a full-day deep dive into specialist areas), workshops (90 minute interactive sessions) and Big Room sessions (theatre-style presentations). Storms meant we had to move our poolside dinner on the first night but spirits remained high as delegates got to know their peers, representing over 30 countries from across the globe. 

What they ate and drank: A breakfast buffet unlike anything we'd seen before - from a bagel station to fresh dim sum! A combination of Asian and Western meals throughout the week. And Chang beers of course. 

All images (c) Julian Preece Photography 

Client: Ark Schools

How we worked together: A longstanding client, the team worked with the in-house content leads to produce an afternoon of inspirational talks, including keynote from Julie Jackson of Uncommon Schools, and an awards ceremony to celebrate excellence and achievements across the Ark network. Over 2,000 attendees from 39 schools from across Ark’s network were in attendance.

Format: Arrival and registration, welcome and scene-setting, lunch, keynote session, Q&A discussion, awards ceremony.

Highlight: Students past and present came together to sing a rousing medley ahead of the 2019

Client: BAFTA

Brief: BAFTA's Academy Circle members attend quarterly events featuring exclusive Q&As with producers, directors and actors from the worlds of film and television. With previous guests including Jenna Coleman, Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, Toby Jones and Joanna Lumley, we were thrilled to host this event with Chiwetel Ejiofor, who won a BAFTA in 2014 for the brilliant 12 Years a Slave. The evening featured drinks and canapes, followed by a discussion hosted by BAFTA's Mariayah Kaderbhai, and a private dinner for BAFTA's top donors.  

What they ate and drank: Guests enjoyed smoked salmon blinis with Fortnum's Brut Reserve

All images (c) Alecsandra Dragoi for BAFTA

Client: Ark

Brief: Back in 2014, we worked with Ark to deliver Ark by Night, an immersive event designed to challenge the traditional fundraising gala format. Having run the event again in 2015, we were at risk of guest fatigue and therefore came up with the idea of a pop up event, allowing us to reach numerous audiences, including the general public, to talk about Ark's work. 

What we did: Ark Pop Up took over four floors of Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf, without drinking water, a kitchen or any heating for two weeks in December. From a student art gallery to a bespoke Escape Room experience, we produced interesting content and created a space that could host activities and events including drinks receptions, information evenings, Christmas Parties and a fundraising dinner. Over 1,000 visitors and guests came through our doors to experience #ArkPopUp. 

All photos (c) Andy J Ryan Photography

Client: Ark and Now Teach

Brief: Hosted by Ark's partners, Bloomberg, this event focused on the changing shape of career, bringing together those from the worlds of education, politics and media for an evening of networking and discussion. Our aim was to highlight the newly launched Now Teach, a teacher training programme aimed for experienced career changers looking for a new challenge. Kellaway and Balls worked together a number of years ago at the FT. 

Photos (c) Andy J Ryan Photography

Client: BAFTA

Brief: With the aim of bringing BAFTA's charitable initiatives to life, Behind the Mask invited guests to walk the red carpet and meet finalists in the BAFTA Kids Young Presenters competition, Young Games Designers and BAFTA Scholars and Breakthrough Brits. Over the next year, BAFTA hopes to redevelop its home at 195 Piccadilly to enable them to deliver more programmes like this and to provide more opportunities to new talent regardless of their background. 

Photos (c) Hannah Taylor, The Lens Box and Danny Cozens

Client: BAFTA

Brief: BAFTA's Film Gala is their annual fundraising event, bringing together a host of renowned and breakthrough acting talent, along with leading names from the film industry. We have delivered the Gala for two years, with 180 guests enjoying a Champagne Taittinger reception, a delicious meal designed by BAFTA 195 Piccadilly's Anton Manganaro, along with entertainment, cocktails by BULLDOG Gin, after dinner coffee by Nespresso and a DJ set by Bella Freud.

Client: Education Partnerships Group, in partnership with UBS Optimus Foundation

Brief: To raise funds and awareness for the work of Education Partnerships Group (EPG), using the Partnership Schools for Liberia programme as a case study. Bringing Liberia to London, we created a gallery of individuals who are breaking the mould within the world of education, ran immersive activities to place guests in the shoes of those in the Ministry of Education to understand the challenges that they face, before a sit-down dinner and the opportunity to pledge support of EPG's work. 

Photos (c) Andy J Ryan Photography

Client: BAFTA

Brief: To launch BAFTA's fundraising campaign for the redevelopment of their home at 195 Piccadilly, specifically to leading industry execs from the worlds of film, tv and games. The event included an exhibition to highlight BAFTA's charitable activities to date, as well as the building plans themselves and a demonstration of the impact that the new space will have on both the industry and the public. 80 guests were welcomed by BAFTA supporter, Eddie Redmayne, and enjoyed BULLDOG gin cocktails and canapes. 

Photos (c) Laura Palmer Photography

Client: BAFTA, in partnership with Chelsea Football Club

Brief: To bring together the worlds of sport and entertainment to celebrate the life of actor, director and producer, Lord Attenborough. As President of both Chelsea Football Club and BAFTA, the two organisations worked together to produce the gala at Stamford Bridge, with appearances and messages from Chelsea stars Frank Lampard and John Terry, and actors Dame Penelope Wilton, Samantha Bond, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Jim Carter. Attended by 450 guests, the event additionally provided a platform to raise funds for the Richard Attenborough Charitable Trust.