Bike Safety Rodeo changes location

Head ‘em up and move ‘em out.

It’s time for Maryville’s 15th Annual Bike Safety Rodeo, which runs from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Maryville Fire House.

The event, which promotes bike safety for children from the Maryville area, is free and open to anyone between 4 and 12.

New helmets will be fitted and given to those who have outgrown theirs or need a new one.

Bikes will be registered with the police department for identification in case they are lost or stolen at the check-in station. At the bike safety and maintenance station, adjustments will be made for proper seat and handle bar height as well as mechanical safety adjustments.

An obstacle course directed by a Maryville Police officer will allow the children to test their riding skills.

This year will see a change, of sorts, as the rodeo is being moved from Maryville Elementary School to the fire house.

“We are actually moving the event back to it’s original location.  Maryville Grade School was a great spot but it was an outside venue, so if it rained or was  cold, we were left to the elements,” said Park and Rec Committee Chair Sharon Petty.

“There was also a large area for the kids to try the obstacle course, but the school is on West Main, which is not downtown.  So we are going to try having it right in the center of town inside the fire house.  The weather will no longer be a factor and there is still plenty of room for the obstacle course and they also get to see the fire trucks.”

Petty said there are four basic components to the rodeo and they haven’t changed over the years.

The first three are obvious.

“We register the bikes so that if they are lost or stolen, we have a record of them.  Second, we check the brakes, oil and adjust the chain, inflate the tires and do any other minor repairs that will help make their biking safer,” Petty said.” Third, we check their helmets.  If they have outgrown theirs or need a new one, we give them one at no charge.”

The presence of a member of the Maryville Police Department takes the event to a different level.

“We have a police officer on site, to talk to each youngster and instruct them through an obstacle course,” Petty said. “Often this is their first experience with  a police officer and we want to make it a positive experience. Also, talking to the police office is a big deal.  They seem to be very impressed with that personal experience.”

Petty said a point is made to get participants involved in the mechanical end of the rodeo so that they can learn a little bit about how tools work.

“One of the things we’ve tried to do the past couple of years is to include the kids in the tune-up.  Letting them help put air in the tires, turn a wrench or spray the lube on the chain,” Petty said. “It seems like a pretty simple thing, but there are not many things that people, let alone youngsters, can actually fix anymore.  So we include them in that process.  They are pretty amazed with themselves.”  

Another reason for the move to the fire house is to try to increase attendance.

Petty said it has varied over the years.

“We have had a range from over 40 youngsters to only 18 last year,” she said. ”We are hoping that by moving the site back in downtown, just off Route 159, we get back to the 40-plus youngsters we’ve seen in the past.”

With the help of  the event sponsors, two bicycles will be given away as attendance prizes.

Other attendance prizes will be given away and light refreshments served.

For more information, contact event coordinators Ryan at 558-0005 or Judy at 288-9232 or visit the village website at: www.vil.maryville.il.us.

Networking Your Startup

I’m the CEO of a company that’s based out of Northern Virginia, and my team and I aren’t strangers to the local investment and startup community events taking place in our region. We attend every show we can, and we compete on any stage that’s willing to have us. Big or small, there’s no audience too paltry, no crowd too intimate and no venue to tiny — we’re never reluctant. The only reason we ever turn down an invitation to a function that helps connect us to our community is if a customer requests our time, because they always win. Always.

The last three months have been hectic for us in the best way possible. We launched a new platform that’s a major pivot in our company, renewed our fundraising efforts and made an aggressive commitment to grow our user base. We’ve done each of these alongside locally and nationally networking our company at every available opportunity. One potential investor started a phone call with us like this, “Shame on me for not saying ‘hi’ before now, because I see you everywhere. Actually, we probably don’t need to do this screening, I already know all about you.” Success.

There isn’t much that’s more important in the business world than making your presence known, and the effects of this are long lasting and far reaching, whether that presence is negative or positive. (In fact, it’s unfortunately even more lasting when it’s negative.) Networking proves to be one of the most effective ways to grow a business. It’s rumored that Groupon grew to viral status because of the very social team that started it. Initially, before they spent zillions on marketing, the Groupon team told their friends about their service, who told their friends, who told their friends, who told their friends. We walked into a meeting recently with a possible partner, and they excitedly shared with us, “I was just out, and I saw your signs all over. I know you guys!” Again, success.

No matter the size of your business, but especially for startups, networking is instrumental to success. It makes sense to start in your own community, particularly if you’re a small business that caters specifically to a local market. But you can’t network only in your own neighborhood and expect the world to hear you. You have to venture out.

We did just that. Last week our team packed our bags and headed to NYC. We arrived in the Big Apple, where we were met with an incredible, contagious energy. This is a place where investments, startups and networking opportunities are ingrained into the city’s fibers. We attended NYTechDay and pitched to Golden Seeds. We were honored and humbled to receive positive feedback, rave reviews and too many contacts to list here. We found NYC to be experienced, gracious and elegant. Egos exist everywhere, but this place was warm and welcoming, and in some ways it felt more like home than our native D.C.

Inevitably, we had to ask ourselves if it made more sense to attend more startup events like this or to focus our attention on industry events where the highlight is selling. While these technology events help give confidence and build community, customers are what drive our success. We decided that we want to tackle heightening our presence from multiple angles. In order to grow, we have to look at all markets and all ways to extend genuinely and productively into those markets. We want to reach our customers, but we also want to stay connected to our industry as a whole and continue to contribute positively in that arena.

Branching out and hiring sales people with a Rolodex in major regions, establishing a presence in new places and making friends with event coordinators and investors in the areas in which you want to grow your business is what sets apart national and international startups from small, local businesses. Being unafraid to put yourself out there and networking at every opportunity shows that you’ve rolled up your sleeves and are ready to get to work, that you’ve got big plans and big moves in your future and that you’re a startup worth noticing.

Follow Hulya Aksu on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/hulyaaksudc

Bella Elegante Hosts Easter Events

Houston, TX, April 19, 2013 –(PR.com)– Bella Elegante, a popular event venue in Houston, hosted several Easter events at the end of March. Unlike other holiday season events, Easter events typically occur in a tighter timespan, putting pressure on the event venue in Houston to execute at an even higher level. The event venue in Houston managed to host a record number of events over the long Easter weekend. Its event planners and event coordinators handled the increased number of events in its Fuzion Ballroom or Grand Ballroom through creative planning and innovative implementation.

Bella Elegante’s prime location in Downtown Houston consistently makes it a popular event venue in Houston for both religious and family Easter events. The elegance of the event venue in Houston surrounded by the gleaming skyscrapers of Downtown Houston is sure to enhance any Easter event for religious groups or families. Event planners and event coordinators have ballrooms both large and small for use to host Easter events.

Large Easter events for religious groups and events can be hosted in Bella Elegante’s Grand Ballroom, the largest ballroom at the event venue in Houston. The Grand Ballroom has capacity for up to 500 guests, so the Grand Ballroom will host all but the largest religious groups planning Easter events. Event planners and event coordinators can help businesses set up menus, drinks, and other amenities, such as music, and other entertainment for religious groups planning an Easter event at Bella Elegante.

The Fuzion Ballroom at Bella Elegante is more appropriate for smaller Easter events for religious groups as well as Easter events for family and friends. Its smaller size makes it a more intimate event venue and more appropriate for the smaller number of expected guests at an Easter event hosted by a family or a smaller religious group. The hosts can choose what kind of food and drinks is served at the holiday event, and the event venue can source most of the setup, decoration, and teardown work in-house, saving time and money for the event hosts.

Bella Elegante is already one of the premier event venues in Houston, and its ability to host a record number of Easter events has displayed the capabilities of the event planners and event coordinators. The iconic location in Downtown Houston surrounded by skyscrapers and outstanding event packages meant that all the Easter events were planned and event slots were full very early. The Grand Ballroom and Fuzion Ballroom are excellent backdrops for any Easter event, and Bella Elegante encourages anyone interested in hosting an Easter event to consider Bella Elegante.

For more information, please visit: http://www.bellaelegante.com/

Site Inspection Checklist: 11 Things Event Planners Should Never Forget to Ask

When planning an event or meeting, one of the most important tasks is the site inspection. Not only can examining a venue in person help determine the best space for an event, but also the advantages and limitations of what’s available. With a thorough site inspection, planning and production teams can avoid unexpected costs, last-minute changes to layouts, and even mishaps during an event.

1. What’s the legal capacity?
Unless it’s a private home or a temporary structure, the space will have a set maximum occupancy limit, which dictates the total number of guests that can be in a venue at any given time.

“When planning an event that is open to the public or has ticket sales involved, the max capacity of a venue is highly important. Knowing what works and what doesn’t work will ensure that your attendees have the best experience in the venue you selected and your planning skills can offer,” says Suzi Molak, the events director at Washington’s Long View Gallery.

2. What permits are required for events?
Whether it’s a permit for street activity (such as closing a street or creating a lane for drop-offs), temporary place of assembly, or building a structure inside a venue, you need to know what’s required for your event. A venue will likely know the answer as well as how to procure such permits and what they typically cost.

“We once worked with a venue that needed to have a T.C.O. (temporary certificate of occupancy) for each event that was done there, and that added time and money to the equation,” says Jason Harder, event director for Shiraz Events Los Angeles. Similarly, Harder suggests asking a site if it has a liquor license. “Some venues have their own, but you need to ask to make sure—especially when working on liquor marketing events.”

3. Do you have exclusive or preferred vendors?
“The venue is often the first step in a search because that influences which vendors are used,” says Jennifer Blumin, president of the Skylight Group, a collection of New York event venues. “At the site visit, it’s important to develop a sense of the event as a totality, so it’s necessary to ask questions about exclusive vendors and perhaps sample pricing from those vendors.”

Caterers, lighting companies, designers, and other vendors who have experience working in a space can also help with permits and layouts, knowing what might work best, how spaces have been used before, and what issues might come up. 

4. What equipment is available on site?
Just as exclusive vendors can impact the budget, so too can the availability of in-house lighting, sound, and audiovisual gear as well as stage equipment and even furniture. Samantha Newman, event marketing manager at Univision, says to also ask about rigging points, which can be important in raw spaces or events that require extensive lighting or projection elements. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to ask if there are backup generators, especially if you want to avoid a blackout like the Super Bowl experienced this year.

5. Are there areas for storage or back-of-house operations?
Don’t forget that production and planning crews will need somewhere to store equipment or set up a remote office or control room. If separate rooms for back-of-house operations aren’t available, think about setting aside an area within the main space and how that might affect the layout.

6. Is there an on-site kitchen?
Not every venue has a dedicated kitchen or catering prep space, which can complicate set up for an event’s caterer. Knowing what kind of area will be available for food prep—and letting the catering company know ahead of time—can limit unforeseen costs later.

7. What time can we set up and break down, and what are the rates for this time slot?
“People often forget to ask how many hours are included in the price and whether those are enough to accommodate their load-in,” says Blumin. Allocating time (and a budget) can make setting up and breaking down an event faster and more efficient. Harder also suggests asking about the availability of a service or freight elevator, which can be crucial if the venue is located in a building with other tenants.

8. Is there Wi-Fi available, and how much does it cost?
Most attendees expect free Internet access at events, allowing them to post commentary to social media platforms or check emails. However, such a service is not necessarily included in a venue’s rental fee, so asking about this in advance can save time and money later. (Here are six things to consider when setting up Wi-Fi.)

9. Where can vendors and attendees park?
“Parking is not often included in a venue located within D.C. proper,” Molak says. Even in cities like New York, where guests are more likely to show up on foot or be dropped off by a cab, vendors and V.I.P.s still might need a place to park near the event venue.

If attendees expect parking space, Molak advises to “allocate for valet almost anywhere you go—it is a perk your guests will truly appreciate, especially at 5 p.m. on a Friday night with most female attendees wearing high heels.” (Here are tips to improve the parking experience for event guests.)

10. What branding opportunities are available inside and outside the venue?
Looking to call attention to the location of an event? Ask the venue if banners, flags, decals, and other signage can be placed on the exterior or if existing structures, like a marquee or billboard, can be branded. Similarly, a venue may have access to elevator video displays, screens, and other indoor spots that can be customized for events.

11. How late can events run?
“Often the neighborhood or a noise ordinance will make this decision for the venue—it is not up to the venue itself. These factors will make the end time nonnegotiable, so if it is a deal breaker, make sure to ask before booking,” Molak says.

Sandra Bertsch Weighs in on 2013 Event Planning Trends

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 13, 2013

Parties and social events have remained one of the greatest unifying components of society throughout history. However, these traditional gatherings and celebrations are not immune to the waves of change brought on by technology and social trends. In fact, a recent article from Bedouk.com highlights a new survey conducted by Destination Hotels Resorts that reveals the many changing trends that event planners expect to see in 2013. As the founder and owner of leading San Francisco event-planning business, Sandra B. Events, Sandra Bertsch comments on the importance of paying attention to some of these trends and involving them in this year’s parties.

According to Sandra Bertsch, one of the most important aspects emerging in event planning is that of sustainability. The article states, “In this planner’s survey, 45 percent voted eco-friendly practices as ‘somewhat important’ while selecting the venue whereas 18 percent said it is ‘extremely important’.” Bertsch comments, “Although eco-friendliness is not something that is new to the industry, it is something that clients are going to be looking for in the years to come. Given the sizable nature of many events, it is important for planners to find ways to reduce carbon footprints. In addition, it is a great opportunity to spread the message of sustainability, as event attendees will likely take notice to and become influenced by considerations given to the environment during a party.”

While protecting the planet has become a main concern across all industries, technology has also impacted the direction of event planning trends. According to the article, “Nearly 50 percent of the planners responded that social media as an integral part of their event planning. Most of them also go through reviews available in the Internet before deciding on a hotel or resort for their events.” Although Sandra Bertsch is a supporter of social networking and review sites, she cautions, “Event planners cannot become lazy when it comes to utilizing it as a tool to judge locations and services. It is still recommended that planners visit locations and meet with service providers in person in order to ensure that the gathering goes off with no problems.”

With technology in mind, the article also mentions that many events—particularly corporate ones—want to utilize unique components and resources, such as cloud computing and web conferencing at events. While these elements are certainly a draw, Sandra Bertsch concludes by encouraging all planners to invest in these services widely, “If a client is hosting a corporate event with web-based features, such as video conferencing, it is important to have all these factors aligned ahead of time. Although technology can greatly boost an event’s impact, poor delivery—as a result of equipment errors and connectivity issues—can also diminish the power of a message.”

ABOUT:

Sandra Bertsch is a Public Relations graduate from James Madison University who has become a formidable event planner in San Francisco, California. As the founder and owner of Sandra B. Events, Sandra Bertsch has provided over 10 years’ of service—along with her colleagues—in planning a wide range of social events and parties. With extensive industry connections in the PR world and a keen sense of style, Sandra Bertsch is a leader when it comes to planning weddings, graduation parties, anniversary celebrations, company picnics, retirement parties, baby showers, bridal showers and more.

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Sandra Bertsch Weighs in on 2013 Event Planning Trends – Virtual

A recent “Destination Hotels Resorts” survey conducted among event planners’ reveals some of the trends to be expected in the industry this year. Sandra Bertsch of Sandra B. Events comments on some of the most prevalent topics.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 13, 2013

Parties and social events have remained one of the greatest unifying components of society throughout history. However, these traditional gatherings and celebrations are not immune to the waves of change brought on by technology and social trends. In fact, a recent article from Bedouk.com highlights a new survey conducted by Destination Hotels Resorts that reveals the many changing trends that event planners expect to see in 2013. As the founder and owner of leading San Francisco event-planning business, Sandra B. Events, Sandra Bertsch comments on the importance of paying attention to some of these trends and involving them in this year’s parties.

According to Sandra Bertsch, one of the most important aspects emerging in event planning is that of sustainability. The article states, “In this planner’s survey, 45 percent voted eco-friendly practices as ‘somewhat important’ while selecting the venue whereas 18 percent said it is ‘extremely important’.” Bertsch comments, “Although eco-friendliness is not something that is new to the industry, it is something that clients are going to be looking for in the years to come. Given the sizable nature of many events, it is important for planners to find ways to reduce carbon footprints. In addition, it is a great opportunity to spread the message of sustainability, as event attendees will likely take notice to and become influenced by considerations given to the environment during a party.”

While protecting the planet has become a main concern across all industries, technology has also impacted the direction of event planning trends. According to the article, “Nearly 50 percent of the planners responded that social media as an integral part of their event planning. Most of them also go through reviews available in the Internet before deciding on a hotel or resort for their events.” Although Sandra Bertsch is a supporter of social networking and review sites, she cautions, “Event planners cannot become lazy when it comes to utilizing it as a tool to judge locations and services. It is still recommended that planners visit locations and meet with service providers in person in order to ensure that the gathering goes off with no problems.”

With technology in mind, the article also mentions that many events—particularly corporate ones—want to utilize unique components and resources, such as cloud computing and web conferencing at events. While these elements are certainly a draw, Sandra Bertsch concludes by encouraging all planners to invest in these services widely, “If a client is hosting a corporate event with web-based features, such as video conferencing, it is important to have all these factors aligned ahead of time. Although technology can greatly boost an event’s impact, poor delivery—as a result of equipment errors and connectivity issues—can also diminish the power of a message.”

ABOUT:

Sandra Bertsch is a Public Relations graduate from James Madison University who has become a formidable event planner in San Francisco, California. As the founder and owner of Sandra B. Events, Sandra Bertsch has provided over 10 years’ of service—along with her colleagues—in planning a wide range of social events and parties. With extensive industry connections in the PR world and a keen sense of style, Sandra Bertsch is a leader when it comes to planning weddings, graduation parties, anniversary celebrations, company picnics, retirement parties, baby showers, bridal showers and more.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/2/prweb10425163.htm

Oceana nightclub in Kingston has licence revoked

22 November 2012
Last updated at 12:19 ET

There have been 15 assaults associated with Oceana nightclub since August, say police

A nightclub in south-west London where a man was stabbed to death has had its licence revoked because of a “culture of criminality”, police said.

Jamie Sanderson, 20, was killed at Oceana in Clarence Street, Kingston, in October, and since 15 August assaults have taken place in and near the club.

The Met says Oceana has the highest associated crime levels in London.

Luminar, which runs the club, said “sophisticated search and security procedures” are in place at the venue.

The company has 21 days to lodge an appeal against the loss of the licence.

Popular venue

Martin Greenslade, Kingston Borough commander, said: “A culture of criminality has built up around the club, which has been unable to bring the level of crime down to a comparable level with other clubs in London.

“This is despite the ongoing support and advice from officers. The continuing high volume of crime has formed the basis of our argument for the revocation.”

Three people have been charged with the murder of Mr Sanderson, from Southall, west London, who was found with stab wounds in the early hours of 25 October.

In a statement, Luminar said the decision to revoke the licence was disappointing.

It said: “The death of a customer in our club was tragic, but the safety and security of our customers is and always has been our main priority.

“We would like to stress that the club has one of the most sophisticated search and security procedures in the UK, which proved invaluable to the police investigation and led to the arrest and charging of three people.

“Over 300,000 people visit Oceana every year, making it one of the most popular venues in the UK. It’s so sad that the few spoil it for the majority.”

The Vault Night Club and Lounge Is the Hottest Night Club in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA — (SBWIRE) — 10/31/2012 — The Vault Night Club and Lounge, a Los Angeles based night club, has risen rapidly to become one of the hottest night clubs in the competitive Los Angeles scene, boasting jam packed Friday and Saturday nights year round. Located in rejuvenated Downtown LA, the venue has a revolutionary audio visual system, complete with lights, lasers, state of the art sound, and video, which has made it one of the best club scenes in all of southern California. Click on the link for more information on vault lounge.

The unique venue was once a bank, as the name would suggest, and boasts an open floor plan that can fit 900+ people, making it perfect for a raucous birthday, bachelor, or bachelorette party. As one of the hottest venues in LA, the Vault also provides VIP services, bottle service, party buses to make transportation easier, and custom mixed drink concoctions.

To check out more information about the Vault, visit http://www.thevaultnightclubla.com. Because the Vault has become such a hot spot for LA club goers, you can ensure your spot and avoid waiting in line by putting your name on the guest list online.

About The Vault
Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the Vault Night Club and Lounge has become one of the hottest, most popular spots in LA. With a state of the art sound system and world class DJs, the Vault is poised to dominate the club scene in Los Angeles for many years to come.

Technology in Events: Using it Effectively

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Hannah Luffman is an Account Manager at WO Event Management who manage projects all over the world, from South Africa and Hong Kong to Europe and the Middle East.

As an advocate and self proclaimed lover of the IPad it is easy for me to understand why event planners are desperate to use them on their events in any capacity. As an equally self proclaimed super user of Twitter and Linked In I also wholly understand why people volunteer themselves to run the social media for an event; and as a great believer in the power of production to immerse your audience I appreciate the aspiration for large stage sets and elaborate lights to really make the show go off with a bang.

Having a passion for the above is however very different to knowing how to use it effectively and there is a worryingly increasing theme of using technology on events without understanding why we are doing it. Production is only effective when it is executed properly, and by properly I mean specified and in line with the brand and meeting objectives.

Let’s start with the IPad. Yes it is brilliant, yes it is very shiny, yes it can do many more things than the standard hotel flipchart and yes everyone else is using it. It is a very powerful tool particularly when partnered with audience engagement tools and software. The process however should not be to decide to use the IPad as a tool and then decide its purpose. The meeting design should open a window of opportunity for using the IPad that compliments the objectives and will engage your delegates. Social media use is the same; don’t bring Twitter into play just because everyone else is. Use it because it fits your audience, use it because you have a message to get across, and most importantly; use it because you understand it.

Production works on the same theory. Make sure it fits, make it part of the meeting design process; and make the venue fit with the message, not the other way round.  Good event production can completely transform a meeting and considering it is quite an investment to do it properly; it does always need to be well planned and valuable. There are more and more business conferences having full production just for the sake of it and because “that is what they always do” but production should help to strengthen the feeling you want the delegates to take out of that room and immerse them in the feeling of the meeting .Mixing production and branding helps to achieve this, get your message on the stage set, use the plenary screen to display that message again during the breaks, and make sure the technical team understand the purpose of the meeting.

Remember selecting a production plan is the same as choosing your buffet menu. Consider what is best for the event as a whole and then what your delegates would want to see the most. Don’t have full production if there is a better opportunity for delegate immersion and message promotion. This year EIBTM will host a “technology lounge” showcasing the best in event technology and production and will provide a great opportunity to see what is available for the industry when looking forward into 2013. The key to using this opportunity is not to get carried away by what looks appealing and shiny. The key is to go in thinking – OK, so this is the message I want to get across; how does this technology enhance that message?

Event Technology and production is one of the most effective tools for creating the WOW factor at events, and if done properly can be a great allocation of event budget. It simply requires some thought to make sure it is being used effectively and to make sure it fits with the event type.  Incorporating event technology for the right reasons completely changes the delegate experience.  Incorporating event technology for the sake of it means the message gets lost and the budget gets spent with no tangible return.

Tags: Technology in Events

Category: Event Industry News

About the Author (Author Profile)

Adam Parry is the Publisher.

If you would like to get in touch and learn more about Event Industry News email editor@eventindustrynews.co.uk.

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‘Freshers Week is revolting: that’s why we should keep it’

Freshers Week is over for another year – and not a day too soon. I am not the biggest fan.

However, I would not go so far as to say that it is a waste of time either. Let me explain. I am a second-year student, a Muslim from one of the Gulf states. I did Freshers Week last year, embracing something of a go-hard-or-go-home strategy that would probably have landed me in deep, deep trouble back home.

If I had to summarise that week in a sentence? Alcohol-fuelled sweat-fest of over-sexualised teenagers.

One year on, I still cringe at having gone to one of the dodgy student clubs in London’s Piccadilly the first night (note: never again). I was sober: the crush of glistening bodies and the wandering hands of strangers were completely revolting – but this, apparently, was “freshers”, and I was determined to enjoy it.

I had started the week with admittedly unrealistic ideas of meeting lots of new people and dancing the night away. Oh, how those hopes were dashed. From (not taking part in) pre-lashing to telling the guy I’d danced with all night that I was going home now, without him, Freshers Week was disgusting. Having done it once, I would not do (and have not done) anything like it again. It purports to help new students make friends and have fun; it grossly under-delivers.

To me, it felt like Freshers Week catered to a very specific group of students: you needed to be very drunk, you needed to be willing to let (very) loose and you needed to accept the fact that it was the company around you (rather than whatever dump of a venue had been chosen) that made your night fun. Never mind that said company were so intoxicated that there was no way they would remember you, or themselves, or any part of the night, the next morning.

So why would I argue that these events are worth keeping?

Freshers Week brought my first-ever clubbing experience. I had never been around so much alcohol – or so many cute guys before. I was presented with a flood of morally challenging temptations. Freshers Week tested my beliefs: by choosing to do certain things and refrain from others, I began to clarify what I really believed in – and, because of that, I have become a more mature person.

Somewhere along the way, for example, I decided that I was not a fan of drinking. To me, the “I-don’t-drink-because-I’m-Muslim” argument was weak. Let’s face it, being in a club and dancing with an attractive guy were not exactly sanctioned by my religion either, but I was doing (and enjoying) them both.

Freshers Week forced me to consider the underlying reasons for my sobriety: I did not like the taste of alcohol, it was a calorific investment I was not willing to make, and I did not need to drink to relax and have fun.

Freshers Week also forced me to consider, defend to others and justify to myself, such standpoints as why I think it is okay to go out clubbing but not okay to sleep with a stranger (no matter how fit he is).

So, while I wouldn’t take part in such a thing ever again, I am glad I did it the first time around. Thrust into an environment that was beyond wild, I learned quickly what my boundaries were, what I believed in and why, and how to defend my beliefs.

Could there have been other, less messy ways of learning those lessons? Probably. But at least this way, I could also show off to my friends back home, most of whom had chosen to study in North America, that I truly had experienced “the London life”.

• Alia Malouf (not her real name) is a law student at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She moved to London after living in the Gulf for 18 years.