Category Archives: Corporate Event Entertainment

We have the hottest acts

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Here at Red Masque we think we have some of the best acts for your party which will capture your imagination. So, what are the best of the best for corporate event entertainment for your next corporate event in 2019?

Red Masque directory have the hottest trends and acts for corporate, and company parties to ensure your VIPs are very impressed and your boss is very happy.

Aerialists use aerial circus and dance theatre with dynamic lighting and music to create evocative shows using trapeze, ropes and silks. Available as a solo artist for smaller venue, or as large a troupe as you wish, their show can be tailored to create the atmosphere you require, whether humorous, quirky, elegant. With a range of associated acts, including aerial champagne pouring, we are sure you will find your perfect act on our website.

Circus act entertainers have given the world of corporate entertainment a whole new generation of aerial artists, defying gravity to present unique. Even if you haven’t got a skyscraper to use as your stage, these circus-inspired artists can perform in almost any space, for any corporate event.
Add in some more celebrity lookalikes. Everybody wants to be pictured with the stars of today, especially if there is a hot female lookalike!!!

Bespoke dance groups provide a superb spectacle that transcends language, and can be precisely tailored to your corporate event theme. From ballet dancers to contemporary rock dancers, your guests can enjoy a show full of energy, passion, augmented by state of the lighting and sound systems.

Whatever the occasion, you’ll find a dance troupe to suit; that can offer themed events such as Arabian Nights, Argentine Tango, Burlesque, Flamenco, Irish Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, and Vegas Showgirls for example.

Get your guests excited

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As with most corporate events your venue needs to wow your guests from the moment they walk in, creating a special and uniquely defined space for your event. Two highly contrasting themes are high tech interactive and natural materials, enabling your company to show off its tech prowess, or boost its eco credentials.

You could extend the theme beyond décor and food into acoustic musical acts, for a more ‘natural’ sound.

Take lighting to the next level and illuminate your event to create spectacle and visual interest. Any venue can be transformed with clever and creative use of lighting even on the more limited of budgets. Use lighting to throw unusual shadows, to colour tables rather than using flowers, and use wireless technology to alter lighting states to reflect the various stages of your event. Look for party DJ’S with their own light shows, rock and pop function bands that provide their own lighting, and artists that use light in imaginative ways.

For larger events, book artists that have a strong visual impact enhanced by theatrical style lighting,
such as dance troupes, ballet dancers or aerial artists.

Choose musicians that blend performances with tech, such as our interactive VJ’S, or a live DJ. Get your guests interacting with each other playing giant games with your very own theme.

Find ways to make your event entertainment a pleasure for everyone by choosing acts that blend superb musicianship with accessible humour, such as a comedy string quartet. Or present musical acts with an international flavour, such as 1920s swing band just make people smile!

Raising a glass

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Toastmasters have served with distinction for many years at a variety of events, and are now most commonly associated with Weddings. The beginnings of the Toastmaster are, however more humble and a little cloudy.

Whilst documentary evidence is patchy, the origins of the Toastmaster have foundation in the middle ages, where the keeper of the wine in great houses was known as the Master of the Toast. As wine was not as cultivated as it is today, the Master of the Toast would take small pieces of bread, toast them over an open fire, and dip them into herbs and spices. Once coated, the Master of the Toast would then add the toast to the wine and mix in. This had the dual purpose of removing some unwanted flavours, whilst adding others which, it was hoped would make the wine more drinkable.

The practice of raising a glass in acknowledgment, or to wish good health is not new. It has been practised as far back as Roman times, but became an accepted custom in society terms during the 17th Century, particularly amongst VIP’s attending banquets. Once such occasion was being held at the Pump Rooms in Bath in 1649. Having wandered into the nearby spa two gentlemen from that banquet came upon a lady who was lounging in the water

One of the gentlemen wanted to join her but was prevented from doing so by his friend. The friend took up some water from the bath into his drinking vessel and passed it to his companion. Sitting in the bottom of the vessel was a piece of spiced toast, from his previous drink. Having taken a drink, the man is alleged to have said “Nay, though I likest not the beverage (pure spa water is an acquired taste) I will take the toast to the lady”. He then proceeded to drink the water, and joined the lady in the spa. The incident was subsequently reported in Tatler, in an article which identified it as being the first use of the word ‘toast’ to pledge the health of of a person i.e. ‘Toast to the Ladies’; and so it became accepted that this occurrence was the precursor of ‘toasting’

Within society and private members clubs in particular, they often used one of their members to act as a Toastmaster. Whilst an easy solution; if there were a number of toasts to be made, the speech of the Toastmaster became somewhat slurred as they continued to drink similar quantities of wine as other members. This resulted in a special glass for the Toastmaster, which was made from extra thick glass, and would only hold a small amount of wine, ensuring the Toastmaster was in a suitable state to adequately perform his duties; particularly important if special guests were in attendance. It is generally accepted today that Toastmasters do not drink whilst ‘on duty’.

The most obvious feature of a Toastmaster is the long red tailcoat. Accepted within the industry as having been introduced by Mr William Knight-Smith. William was commenting to his wife that he was concerned about looking like a butler whilst working in London at the Cafe Royal during the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Centuries. His wife then suggested that he should wear a red coat, and so the distinction was made, and a tradition born.

Today the Professional Toastmaster can be found at Weddings (of all faiths), civil partnerships, charity and corporate events, gala dinner nights, awards ceremonies, family celebrations, masonic knights, and any public occasion that demands dignity, style and a cutting edge.

Event team building

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More often than not, Corporate companies hold event team building days and it is an important part of the office world. There are various events from raft building to quiz games and strategies each will get teams working together, but have you ever wondered how the idea came about?

The emergence of the team idea can be traced back to the late 1920s and early 1930s. These involved a series of research activities designed to examine in-depth what happened to a group of workers under various conditions.

After much analysis, the researchers agreed that the most significant factor was the building of a sense of group identity, a feeling of social support and cohesion that came with increased worker interaction.

Elton Mayo (1933), one of the original researchers, pointed out certain critical conditions which were identified for developing an effective work team:

– The manager (chief observer) had a personal interest in each person’s achievements.
– He took pride in the record of the group.
– He helped the group work together to set its own conditions of work.
– He faithfully posted the feedback on performance.
– The group took pride in its own achievement and had the satisfaction of outsiders showing interest in what they did.
– The group did not feel they were being pressured to change.
– Before changes were made, the group was consulted.
– The group developed a sense of confidence and candour.
– These research findings spurred companies to seriously consider the idea of grouping their employees into effective work teams and to this day they are still important considerations for human resource developers.

Team building

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In the workplace good communication builds trust between colleagues in the corporate world and helps us to get the job done more efficiently- but it can be tricky to get it right. If your team is struggling with trust and communication problems, find out how team building events can save the day.

From the constant buzz of emails to our ever-growing to-do lists, office life is becoming increasingly fast-paced. When colleagues are stressed out or under pressure, good communication can go out of the window, leaving your team feeling unmotivated and resentful.

It’s easy to make a mistake but it’s not always as easy for colleagues to forgive and forget. In a fraught environment, even something as simple as a missed email or snappy response can cause colleagues to lose trust in each other. In some companies, you may find yourself with ‘more chiefs than indians’ or employees who would rather do everything themselves than delegate tasks. Personality clashes, poor communication, fallouts and office gossip can also damage relationships between colleagues, leading to lack of trust and poor working environments.

Team building events isn’t just about delivering company messages and building brand awareness, it’s also an opportunity to patch up relationships between colleagues and develop their communication skills.

Getting employees out of the office will encourage wallflowers out of their shells and give more outgoing employees the chance to blow off some steam. It also takes people away from day-to-day stresses so they can get to know each other on a personal level, relax, bond and have some fun.

Team building exercises throw people together and demand quick solutions. With no time for indecision or disagreements, teams learn the best ways to communicate to reach their shared goal most efficiently. All of this should be reflected in their work back in the office, leading to better procedures and working patterns.

Whether it’s staying calm under pressure when you’re lost in the middle of London or finding a secret talent for solving treasure hunt clues, team building has a way of unlocking people’s potential. Increasing self-confidence and boosting trust amongst employees, team activities are a great way to bring out the best in your colleagues.

Team events that push people out of their comfort zones, and encourage them to try something different. Allowing groups to engage with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, experimenting in a fun, pressure-free environment helps teams learn how they can combine their skills and support others.

Ideas for Corporate Events

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Planning a corporate event? One of the most challenging aspects of corporate event planning is coming up with an idea. The event theme is the driving force behind every other aspect of an event, from the invitation to the selection of entertainment and food. Before you get busy with any other part of the corporate event planning process, first find out the goal of the event.

The best corporate event ideas take that business objective — after all, corporate events have business objectives — and use it as the springboard for the event theme and the overall atmosphere of the event.

Corporate events can set the stage for presenting information regarding a company’s upcoming product launch, a new approach to corporate training, or simply for conducting team building exercises in a fun, engaging environment.

Is the purpose of this corporate event to reward a sales team for exceeding targets by providing a retreat focused on rest and relaxation? Is the goal to bring employees of two different companies together due to a merger, with the priority resting on connecting people and building relationships?

Whether the purpose of the event is business or pleasure or a combination of the two, the right corporate event idea can meet the objective and deliver a successful event.

For many employees, reporting to work every day at the same time, dressed in the same business attire, with the same people, becomes a bore.

While they may enjoy the work itself and their colleagues, the predictability of it all gets old quickly.
Why not mix it up?

Take a corporate meeting to another venue, away from the offices and cubicles. Even if employees must spend the day poring over reports or sitting in meetings, the change in surroundings can be refreshing.

A few suggestions:
Change the dress code for the event, allowing employees to dress comfortably
If weather and venue permit, schedule part of the event outdoors
Skip the standard meeting sandwich platter and offer an assortment of foods from local restaurants or made-to-order food service stations
Schedule a fun, interactive activity during the mid-afternoon slump
On the last day of the event, and earlier than the usual going home time; they will appreciate getting out of work early

The key to having a productive corporate event is to take employees out of their usual work routine. Changing the attire, location, and overall vibe can change their interactions and re-energise staff, even if they are staring at annual report figures all afternoon.

Corporate Event Christmas Songs

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When it comes to your works Christmas party, there can be a lot of heated debate over which songs to play. Do you want to play pop hits or simply whack out the Christmas classics from start to finish?

Of course these suggestions may not be in your top 5, but here a list of some very well known songs..

1. Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea
Nobody is doubting that it’s a fine Christmas ballad, but top nip into the top 5? Well done Mr. Rea! Perhaps this got extra votes due to its brilliant use in the very festive Gavin & Stacey Christmas special.

2. Last Christmas – Wham!
Wham!’s song managed to make it to number 9 in our poll, though it did take on a bit of a sad note last year when George Michael tragically died on Christmas Day. We’ll continue to listen to the song this Christmas and raise a glass to George in his absence.

3. The Fairytale of New York – The Pogues
The Fairytale of New York is a great tune but does it make you feel optimistic for the future and bring out the party atmosphere? Perhaps not!

4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Jackson 5
Many people wrote down only the name of the song and not the band as well. At least one guest might favour Bruce Springsteen’s effort but we’ve decided that the Jackson 5 version is perhaps the most Christmassy.

5. Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid
If The Fairytale of New York isn’t necessarily a party banger that is sure to fill the dancefloor, surely Do They Know It’s Christmas? isn’t either? Even so, Band Aid’s heartfelt plea to give money to charity is a Christmas staple and has pushed it to number 5 in our chart.

The right entertainment is Key

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Entertainment is hugely important in corporate events. Different calibres of individuals are usually invited for corporate meetings and occasions. They deserve to be entertained all through the event. If you’re hosting an important corporate event, you need to plan everything concerning entertainment very well. You need to keep your guests happy and satisfied.

If you don’t want to use an entertainment directory, you can go ahead to hire a band by yourself. You have to create time to locate a reliable band. You need a band that has the best musical instruments. Such a band should also have the best artists. You need a band that has experience in covering different kinds of corporate events. You can be sure of entertaining your guests when you find such a band. Of course Red Masque has done all the hard work for you and you will find excellent artists just waiting to be picked by you.

Again, you can decide to hire a DJ for the corporate event. The DJ will play popular recorded music at the event. You can choose the specific musical pieces that will suit your audience. You must sit down with the DJ to arrange all the songs. You have to avoid playing songs that will not be suited to certain guests.

The first step you can take is to engage a reliable entertainment directory. Such as Red Masque our website will help you organize every aspect of the entertainment required for the event. Our portfolio can help you choose the best music band to entertain your guests. They will save you the headache of making choices by trailing through the internet as we have the best entertainment in one place. They will also save you time since we understand exactly what you need.

It’s important you decide on the best attire for the DJ or the band you’re hiring. Corporate event requires corporate attires. The band or the DJ must appear cute on the very day of the event. They have to entice the audience by their appearance.

Meanwhile, you need a good MC for the corporate events. You can hire a professional MC that renders quality services. You can also engage a DJ that also serves as an MC. This saves you some cash in the process.

Beach Blanket Babylon

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Is a decadent venue in trendy Shoreditch perfect for exclusive events and celebrations with an impressive capacity of up to 800 people. The venue has a number of opulent event spaces on offer that lend themselves perfectly to stylish corporate networking events, cocktail receptions, corporate event dinners, gala events, conferences and fashion shows.

The Champagne Lounge is ideal for private parties of up to 300 guests with rich wooden surrounds, decadent mood lighting and unique decorations. The Gallery offers a versatile self-contained space, with rustic wooden floors and white walls it is the perfect blank canvas for conferences and exhibitions and can hold up to 175 guests. The Mezzanine and The Bar are both gorgeous spaces; The Mezzanine elegantly holds up to 70 guests while the vibrant cosmopolitan bar holds up to 250 guests.

To complete the look and enhance the atmosphere Red Masque entertainment have a few Swing and Jazz bands on our books from London provide standout musical entertainment that will.

The Floating Cinema
This is one of London’s top 8 coolest art venues in 2013, the floating cinema is now available for private hire offering a unique event space for product launches, corporate away days, film shoots and special occasions.

This intimate venue has a capacity of 12 passengers when cruising and 20 people standing while static. The Floating Cinema is a purpose-built wide beam barge with a flexible ‘whitespace’ auditorium that offers a unique and original experience for guests. The space can be easily reconfigured to accommodate meetings and team building sessions. As a cinema it offers state of the art high-spec lighting and surround-sound facilities, a fully equipped cinema auditorium space and a stunning central viewing deck from which guests can enjoy a new perspective of London’s most iconic views.

The Warner Bros Studio in London
Home to Harry Potter film sets – offers an exciting event space not just for fans of the Harry Potter franchise. Corporate event organisers can choose to host exclusive dinners and award ceremonies in the Great Hall, sip cocktails and tankards of butter beer in the Three Broomsticks, and host networking events in Dagon Alley.

What better entertainment to accompany a corporate event in the place where Harry Potter was filmed than a string quartet that will create an atmospheric setting fit for the Harry Potter films and could even play the film franchise’s iconic theme tune!

Intimate dinner party acts

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Cello

The cello is the perfect sound for a classy dinner private party amongst a few choice guests. It has a sound that many people absolutely adore, its low timbre fitting perfectly with a number of other instruments or in a solo setting.

Violin

The Violin is popular entertainment for private parties and corporate events, no matter intimate or otherwise. Mixing a Cello and a Violin are extremely popular which fits for virtually any occasion. Another act combination that people enjoy for intimate dinner parties is violin and…

Harp

The harp is a gorgeous, gentle instrument that many adore but rather interestingly, rarely get to experience live. It could be because it’s a rather bulky instrument for a child to play, so many performers actually learn when they’re adults. Perfect as an accompaniment to dinner, the harp is also great in combination with strings or woodwind.

Pianists

Pianists are fantastic for creating mood and providing a soundtrack to your evening, no matter the function. Providing a repertoire of modern and classic hits, they tend to provide a fun and informal atmosphere for a whole host of events including dinner, drinks receptions or a small networking function.

Classical Guitarist

What is there to say about classical guitarists that hasn’t already been said (or assumed)? Well, for starters it’s not only western styles of music that are often booked; flamenco is extremely popular whilst many prefer a slightly different sound to what they ordinarily listen to as it promotes a sense of occasion for the evening.

Magician

Now you may be thinking that a magician wouldn’t fit in at all at your intimate soiree but they can be extremely effective for engaging a room and have been proven to be great for informal networking events. For dinner parties, there are some brilliantly parlour magicians that can sit with you at the tables.

As ever with these things, it’s all about finding the right entertainment for you.