Week In Review - 21 March 2014

Jack & Max

Happy birthday to Jack & Max who have turned 2 today! How do cats normally celebrate their birthday? I've got no idea what to do for them! Maybe some extra snacks?? I am open to any suggestions!

Mayor & Mayoress of Havant

This week has been great for bookings and making some new contacts. On Wednesday, 19 March I had a meeting with the Mayor & Mayoress of Havant who contacted me a couple weeks ago about performing at their upcoming charity event. After a bit of shuffling my diary, arrangements were made to meet to discuss the event. Everything is now final and I will be providing the Cabaret Show for Councillor Paul Buckley and Mrs. Jackie Buckley's 'Finale Charity Dinner' on 25 April 2014 at the Newtown House Hotel on Hayling Island. Tickets are £32 per person and the evening is in aid of Stroke Association, Combat Stress & RELATE Portsmouth & District. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact: Anne Thurlow at 02392 446152 or annie.thurlow@havant.gov.uk.

Janey Howl

On Thursday, 20 March I attended the Portsmouth Business Expo at the Portsmouth Guildhall. I have to admit, when I first walked into the exhibitors' area after collecting my name badge and goody bag, I was a bit overwhelmed with so many people vying for my attention. I wasn't feeling all that social at 9:30 in the morning so I headed to the back of the hall where it felt a bit calmer. The first exhibitors I spoke to were the lovely ladies at Wight First Aid. After visiting a few more stalls, I needed to find somewhere to sit down and organize all the business cards and flyers I had accumulated in just 30 minutes ... LOL. I went into the seminar theatre and much to my delight ran into a good friend who I hadn't seen in ages, Janey Howl! I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant about going to the seminar, but after seeing Janey's delightful face, I instantly realized why I pressed through to be there ... in order to reconnect!  It's not surprising that Janey would be at this event, because she is a dynamic business coach and is now working with The Colour Works company who are dedicated to unlocking potential!

Janey ended up coming by the house for dinner and a much needed catch-up session, then she joined me at my show with 'Mayfield' at the Wine Vaults later that evening. 

During the Expo I did manage to attend two seminars. Debbie Huxton gave a great talk about 'Big Wisdom' and being a business success!  Ian Dickson, one of the UK's leading business coaches, was a delight with infectious enthusiasm and practical tips about Mindset, Knowledge & Action.

The highlight of the expo was the speed networking session hosted by '4Networking.' During this session, we were divided into two sections and each section was divided into two rows of people facing each other. At the sound of the whistle, each person in the left side of the facing rows was first to give a 1 minute pitch to the person sitting across from them. When the whistle blew a 2nd time, it was the other person's turn. When you heard two whistles, the people on the left side moved one seat to the left and the lucky people on the right side got to remain in their seats. And then the who thing started over again. Having never been to a speed networking session before, I made the mistake of sitting on the left side. That was the longest, most exhausting hour I've ever spent talking about GME, but by the time I got to the last person (about 40 people in the room in total) I had mastered my pitch and made some very viable contacts. 

The organizers of the Expo, Memo Events & Exhibitions, will also be hosting the West Sussex Business Expo 8 May at Butlins Conference Center. I'm looking forward to attending this expo as well, and I promise you I will make sure I'm sitting on the 'right' side for their speed networking session!!

I had a fantastic gig with Mayfield at the Wine Vaults last night and it was great to see so many familiar faces and loads of new ones too.  On Saturday, 22 March I'm singing at a wedding reception in Fareham in the afternoon and then finishing off the night rockin' it out with my party band, Move On Up at The Alma Arms in Portsmouth! Then on Sunday I'm heading to the Isle of Wight to visit the in-laws and have a lazy afternoon with the hubs!  I am soooooo looking forward to that!

Well, that's it for now. Have a great weekend!

Week In Review - 14 March 2014

Not much to report this week because I've only had a two-day work week! I spent Monday through Thursday on a little getaway to Spain with my god-daughter Kayla and my friends Marlene & Cate. We had a lovely few days in Murcia, mostly drinking sangria, eating and laughing! A fab way to unwind and regroup before heading into my very hectic time of year ... Spring & Summer!

Friday was spent finalizing bookings for the upcoming five Foodies Event for which GME is managing the entertainment stage. My immediate attention is on filling all the slots for the Brighton event on 3-5 May! Here's a sneak preview of some of the fantastic performers I've already got lined up:

Tiger Lilly
Kyle Parry
Half Crown

Watch this space for more performer announcements. If you would like tickets for any of the forthcoming events, visit the Foodies Festival website!

Friday night I performed a short 'Supremely, Diana Ross' set at a charity event for Jack's Wishes at the Hilton in Portsmouth. It was great to invest my time for such a worthy cause.  Click here to learn more about this event. A special shout out to Stuart Ives of 'Entertainment Scene' for booking me and all the other fantastic performers on this event!

Next week Thursday, 'Mayfield' will be making our first appearance at The Wine Vaults and we've got some fantastic new music to share with our fans. If you are in the Southsea/Portsmouth area next week we would love to see you at The Vaults!

I don't normally do office work on a Saturday, but today I am playing catch up which is always the down side from having a few days off :)!  The sun is shining in the UK for a change so I think I'll work in the conservatory today. But first, I've got to work off some of that sangria and yummy food so I'm hitting the gym. Then tonight I'm off to Mike Preswell's Portsmouth Soul Club at Moneyfields in Portsmouth!

A special happy birthday to the love of my life, my hubby Neal!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Week In Review - 17 January 2014

This has been a not-so-typical work week because I spent the entire week working in the office.  This has allowed me to catch up on paperwork and my accounts. 

Supremely, Diana Ross

A big project for this week was putting together a short promotional video and setting up a website for my tribute show, Supremely Diana Ross.  Take a look at the site and let me know what you think!  Also, I booked Supremely, Diana Ross at the Piranha Bar for 5 April, which promises to be a fantastic evening of music. The first set will be me doing a fun party set followed by a guest appearance by Miss Ross!  

On Thursday, 16 January my band Mayfield had our first rehearsal of the year as we prep for our first gig of the year on 1 February at The Legion in Swanage. We hadn't performed or rehearsed since 16 November last year, but it was like no time had passed because we were all on top form!  We even started work on two new songs, one of which we hope to debut in Swanage!

On Sunday, 19 January Chloe Dixon will be making her debut appearance at The Jolly Sailor. If you will be in the Portsmouth/Southsea area on Sunday, please stop by and experience the dynamic vocals of this incredibly talented young singer.

Chloe Dixon

The first emails have gone out as I begin the task of booking performers for seven Foodies Festival events. I am looking for solo performers, duos & bands who perform cover & original soul, jazz, blues, folk, pop or reggae music. Email me at gloria@gloriamillermusic.com if you are interested in performing and I will send you all the details of participation.

That's it for now ... have a fabulous weekend!!

GME Band of the Week ... Lui Matthews Band!

Lui Matthews

When I started GME just over a year ago, I didn’t know at the time the calibre of performer that I would be blessed to work with. My keyboard player, Dennis Elvie, recommend Lui Matthews to me and when I heard him perform on a festival that I was running the entertainment stage for, that performance was a game changer for me and the agency. Lui Matthews is a dynamic performer, amazing singer and an absolute crowd favourite! After experiencing the Lui Matthews Band live, I started thinking much bigger in terms of what GME is going to be as a provider of entertainment.

Lui Matthews Band are a 4-piece band with a huge sound that electrifies from start to finish. They are professional in every way, easy to work with and will bring sizzle and heat to any venue, event or festival.  Lui studied at the Academy of Contemporary Music and has been singing professionally since 2004. He’s got a rich, soulful voice and the band lends their unique flavour to the biggest hits from your favourite artists including Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, Jamiroquai, and even Aretha Franklin!

Lui Matthews Band

The start-up phase of any business is tough, but it’s artists like Lui Matthews Band that motivate me to work hard to keep them working! I look forward to 2014 and presenting this fantastic band to venues, events and festivals across the UK.

If you are planning an event and thinking about entertainment, then I encourage you to get in touch to discuss booking the Lui Matthews Band! I guarantee that they will give you and your guests a fantastic show.  Call me today … 02392 280829.