Wednesday 17 March 2010

Comedians stand-up for Great Ormond Street Hospital

On 30 March, the biggest comedy line-up in history is coming to the O2 to raise money for a truly amazing cause, the work of London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Channel 4’s Comedy Gala has seen an all-star cast of comedians volunteer their services for free. Monies raised will help to pay for two new anaesthetic rooms allowing parents to stay with their child right up until they enter the operating theatres.

If you’ve not been able to get a ticket to this one-off gig, it will be televised on Channel 4 over the Easter weekend. In the meantime here’s an exclusive interview with Michael McIntyre to whet the comedy whistle.

What do you do to stay fit?
Just standing up I’m out of breath, which is really unfortunate as when I’m on stage I have one of those mic things on my head where it is right in front of my mouth so you can hear how out of breath I am. It’s no secret.
I have actually got myself a personal trainer now, his name is Matt. I don’t know why I pay him. I do all the work and all he does is count. 1, 2, 3, 4… that’s all he does!
It seems all you need to be able to do to be a personal trainer is count. I could have got my accountant to do it – it would have been cheaper.

What are your top tips for looking and feeling good?
I like to look at the day as two days. You wake up, have three meals and then go back to bed. Then wake up in the afternoon, have three meals and then go back to bed. And that’s how you do it, that is how you become happy and fat.

Have you ever had to stay in hospital? How was it?
I was there when my wife was giving birth but I just sat there in stunned silence.
I was also in hospital myself when I dislocated my shoulder but I don’t remember it. I have been told about it, and apparently I was really arrogant. I was out of it on morphine and all I would talk about was my tour. I don’t remember a thing about it.

What is your advice to children and young people who have health problems?
Oh, no. I can’t give out advice. Not someone like me.

Would you have liked a health website written specifically for teenagers when you were younger?
It would have been lovely. All we had was the little red book under my mother’s bed. It can be dangerous to Google injuries so it’s good to have something like this to trust. You go on some sites and it’s terrifying.

Do you have any other health advice you’d like to share?
I’m not the one to be giving out health advice. I was told that if I exercised I would have loads of energy and look good but that’s not the case. I only still go because I paid in bulk. I exercise and now I look terrible AND feel terrible.

Monday 1 March 2010

Meet the Market introduces ISES members to event buyers

It was a busy few days last week as International Confex got underway at Earls Court. On the show’s first evening, I had the privilege of hosting and playing compere at a ‘Meet the Market’ event, which brought together more than 300 corporate buyers to meet with UK members of the International Special Events Society (ISES).

Meet the Market took place at the recently refurbished Wyndham Grand London hotel. More than 25 ISES UK member companies showcased their services from exhibition stands in the hotel’s new ballroom.

ISES UK members were able to spend the evening networking with client buyers after the trade association teamed up with Confex and Visit London hosted buyer programmes.

During the evening, corporate buyers were entertained by The Globe Girls and two West End theatre performers. Raffle hospitality prizes were donated by Sandown Park Racecourse and Lord’s Cricket Ground. Buyers who visited the ISES member stands were also given a passport stamp, which entered them into a competition to win a bottle of Dom Perignon 2000.

Meet the Market concluded with a discotheque and casino table entertainment supplied by Sharper Solutions.

Watch my video blog from the evening below and to see more photos, courtesy of Simon Lane Photography, click here. If you’re unable to view the video below, find it on YouTube by clicking here.