Category Archives: Event

Top 10 Tips for a Charity Event

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Tip 1- The purpose – You should decide what the purpose of your charity event is and confirm this early to start initial planning. Is this a full on fundraising event? Or does it have other goals in mind such as gaining awareness, publicity and to reach out to a new network of people. Many charitable events have more than one goal and these need to be decided before any further action takes place. Confirming and planning the details for your charity event will depend on knowing what goals you are trying to achieve.

Tip 2- Date, Time & Venue – Give yourself plenty of time to organise any type of event. At least 3 months in advance. You don’t want this to be a rushed job so ensure that all aspects are planned to perfection. Your venue is also entirely up to you, yet should reflect your theme, your purpose and your charity. If you believe that your house can hold the demand, then feel free to do so but for a large event then a venue such as a hotel may be better suited. Ask the venue for some freebies, if you don’t ask then you will never know.

Tip 3 – Budget Plan – Every fundraising event plan should contain a detailed budget plan of all of the expenses that will be required to hold the event.

Your budget plan should include staff, invitations, venue, catering, entertainment, utilities, and anything else that will be required to make the event successful. Your budget should take into account your fundraising goal, ensuring that you raise that amount above and beyond all expenses. Top tip for your budget is to always have a spare amount, you just never know when an emergency will appear and that extra bit of cash could really help you out.

Tip 4 – Round up your troops –

For your charity event to be a true success you will need a strong workforce behind you. This could be family and friends, volunteers of the charity or even try and recruit some new volunteers to help. Your team could help you in so many different ways such as helping you with the planning, collecting money outside supermarkets, selling tickets for the charity event and also on the day of your event it is always great to have a spare pair of hands.

Tip 5 – Read All About It –

You have to let the public know about your charity event, or nobody will know anything about it. Ask the charity to help by putting up the information on their Facebook page, create some simple flyers and leave them in shops in your area, create an “event” on Facebook and invite people, go and speak to your newspapers and get them to interview you about the charity event and if possible ring your local radio station and get a small interview slot. The more people know about the charity event, the more of a success it will be.

Tip 6 – Entertainment is key –

Your entertainment has to be fresh, exciting and fun. Why not hire a fun casino which is great fun and also brilliant for fundraising? Or a magician who can walk about the room and make your guests “wow” in amazement. You could even hire out a crazy golf course; you may even have the next Rory McIlroy in your mists. The party entertainment needs to be organised quite early on in the planning process if you don’t want to be disappointed.

Tip 7 – Stick by the law –

We would advise anybody to always go and research the laws and regulation when organising any event, especially a charity event. There are certain guidelines which need to be put in place to surrounding fundraising in public areas; you would need to speak to the local council about these. They are only small regulations so should not be anything to serious to worry about, but always check and get support from your local council

Tip 8 – Collecting the money –

On the night of your event, you have to collect the money if it is a fund raiser. You could collect the money by walking around the room with a branded bucket, have a raffle and collect the money when selling tickets or you could place an envelope for each guest at their table where they place their desired amount into and you collect at a designated time of the night. There are so many options on how to do this, but these three seem to be the most effective.

Tip 9 – Mind your manners! –

Always remember to say Thank You both straight after the event and in the days that follow. Your guests, volunteers and sponsors need to be appreciated. They have taken time out of their lives to help with your charity event. Make a small speech simply thanking everybody for coming along, send a personal email again thanking them or even send them a momentum of the night. Take a group photograph of everybody who attended and print these out for each volunteer and sponsor. A simple thank you on the back is all that is need and it gives your event that personal touch.

Tip 10 – HAVE FUN –

You have done your event planning, you have done your research and you have everything in place. Now it’s time to have fun. Mingle with your guests and have a laugh, if they see you relaxed then they will also feel relaxed. And remember it’s for charity, so no matter what you do you are making a difference.

Solo Dancers and Dance Groups

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For entertainment that really gets your party started, it’s hard to beat a professional dancer for sheer energy, visual impact, and more than a touch of glamour.

Dancers and dance companies perform choreographed routines that combine music and movement into an energetic and elegant form of entertainment. Most dance groups for hire offer a range of traditional, classical and contemporary dance styles, including elegant ballroom dancing, street dance, Las Vegas style showgirls, traditional Irish dancing, Latin American tango, Spanish flamenco, and the more risqué charms of burlesque.

Most dancers and dance troops offer either a standard show that can be adapted to your venue and event, or as bespoke option to create exactly the mood and feel you require for your event.

Whether you’re looking to hire a belly dancer to surprise guests at a birthday party, or classical ballerina to add grace and elegance to your product launch, dancers and dance groups provide an energetic, engaging, and ultimately highly entertaining show for your guests.

What to look for in a quality dancer/dance group

Dancers can be formally trained at dance schools, ballet schools and performance academies, or some may just be naturally good at dance. So, it’s not always a measure of quality to look at the training each dancer or members of a dance troupe have received. The exceptions are, of course, classical ballet and ballroom dancing, both of which involve many years of training, and there are definite advantages of years of training for dance forms such as jazz, tap and Latin American dance.

If they have performed at major venues, in professional dance shows, ballet companies or West End shows, or have performed for global brands, chances are they are of high quality, have relevant experience, and deliver a great show.

Most dancers and dance troupes are extremely versatile, often offering a wide variety of dance styles for your event. Chances are, if a dance troupe focuses exclusively on one or two dance styles or forms, they will have a high level of expertise in these forms and therefore put on a more authentic show.

Some of the dance companies featured at Red Masque Directory will create bespoke shows just for you, and bring in dancers and performers with the correct level of skills required. So, just because they don’t specialise in Street Dance for example, they can probably call on some very good performers if you require a bespoke urban style performance.

Take a little time to look at the Profiles of dancers and dance companies here on Red Masque Directory. All companies will feature photographs of their dancers, and some offer video, a great way to see what they look like in action.

Classical musician and what they do

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A classical musician plays an acoustic (unamplified) instrument usually found in an orchestra, such as a violin, flute, harp, cello, trumpet, and including other solo instruments such as piano, saxophone and classical guitar. Many people think of classical music as purely Western (i.e. from Western Europe), but almost every culture in the world has a ‘classical’ music tradition, from Japan to India, Indonesia to Bali.

While classical musicians do spend the majority of their time playing classical music such as you’d hear on Classic FM or at the BBC Proms, most also have a very wide repertoire (music they know). So, if you book a classical musician for a party or event, they can play music to suit all tastes, including arrangement of pop and rock classics, jazz, easy listening and musicals.

Hired Classical musicians can perform solo or as part of a group, such as a flute and harp duo, wind instrument trio or string quartet.

At Red Masque Directory, our classical musicians are in great demand for occasions where high quality music is required, such as weddings, dinners, receptions, product launches, society parties, VIP events, sporting occasions, etc.
* Opera Singers
* Classical guitarists
* Pianists
* String quartets
* Harpists

What to look for in a quality classical musician?

The best classical musicians will have trained at a music college or university and have a diploma or degree in music. Traditionally, graduates from the UK’s major music colleges such as the Royal College of Music, Trinity Laben, RSAMD, etc. are considered the elite performers, but this does a major injustice to the many excellent players who graduate from UK universities, or who train abroad. So, look for a qualification, yes, but don’t worry too much about the differences between them.

Experience counts for a lot in classical music, but like most professions it can be hard to get a foothold on the career ladder. So, if a player or a group has experience performing in concerts at famous venues or major festivals, great. However, that doesn’t necessarily automatically mean that they will be perfect to entertain at your wedding reception. Check your classical musician has experience performing at the type of event you’re holding.

Classical musicians study for years to perfect their playing; even top professional will often still have lessons with a teacher to keep polishing their skills. In addition, they will spend hours practicing to ensure they know their music well, and of course, also performing as often as possible! This doesn’t mean they will necessarily perform without sheet music in front of them, but it ensures they always sound the best regardless of what style of music they are playing.

Halloween party

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Although Halloween lands on a Monday this year, there’s no excuse not to make the most of it.

Set a creepy mood.

The trick to instantly creating a mood is to focus on overall effect rather than intricate decor details. Simply dimming the lights in favour of candlelight (electronic or flame) will immediately infuse the room with spooky ambiance. A quick draping of black netting over existing furnishings — tables, seating, etc. — provides instant spook factor with minimal effort, and a scattering of decorative masks will dress up everything from the food table to the bar. Finally, a scary film with a mask-related plot point (think Freddie Kruger or one of the Saw movies) playing on the TV surround sound is a clever, effortless way to emphasize the theme.

Serving Drinks.

The two most important things to remember about hiring party drinks are quality and presentation. A choice of excellent lagers offered in ice-filled black cauldrons is much more interesting than a bunch of average Fosters crammed in the fridge. Serve a single signature cocktail jazzed up with themed stirrers or glassware and made with a premium spirit to make it feel special. Margaritas on the rocks are super easy and don’t require a blender (plus the mix can be made in batches in advance for easy pouring over ice once guests arrive).

Food.

A spicy pot of chilli served with tortilla chips instead of bread works perfectly with lagers and tequila, and a buffet of toppings allows guests to personalize their bowls. For snacks, a sweet-and-savoury dipping bar of crisps, fruit, and dips provides visual impact as well as variety. Salsa, hummus, and sour cream-based dips are must-have classics, while melted chocolate on marshmallows are a must, as well as a chocolate fountain with toffee apples.

Playing DJ.

Soundtracks to scary movies are a quick and easy way to infuse the room with doom. Extra points for playing spooky sound effects at the front door or in the bathroom. If you have extra time, make a playlist of your favourite horror movie themes and make a game of guessing which film goes with each tune.

Keeping Guests Entertained.

Give the classic games you played as a child a slightly more sophisticated spin to keep guests happily occupied. Replace pumpkin carving with decorating lanterns with stickers, markers, and chalk that guests can take home with them, and trade bobbing for apples in water for bobbing for toffee apples ice. Pick up a horror-themed video game for bonus points.

Dressing Up.

Invite guests to simply add a decorative mask to whatever they’re wearing for the evening. Feel free to set a dress code if you like, but letting guests come as they are makes it easy to accept your invitation. You can also set out masks on tables and let undisguised guests know that they can put one on.

Event ideas for businesses

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There are many ways to create a unique experience for your employees, customers, and potential customers. Hosting a business event like a happy hour or networking event is a great way to get in front of people and more about them at the same time.

Set your budget – How much can you afford to spend for the event? What will you need? Some of the usual costs associated with events include the venue, food, drinks, decor, marketing (printing/postage), giveaways and labour.

Create a guest list – How many people and who will you invite? How many people do you expect to show up? These answers will help you with the rest of the items on this list. Start by looking at your customer base and work from there. Use other networking events that you attend to pass out info about your event, if appropriate.

Select a date – When is the best time for your event? Select a few dates that work for you your potential invitees. Most people won’t be able to take time out from work just for your event. Keep in mind that your date needs to coincide with your venue availability. The more flexible you are, the better your chance of getting a great location, and a good price.

Research locations – Should your event be held at your business, or do you need to check out other locations that might work? How much room do they have? What does the venue include (i.e., food, drinks, staff, audio equipment)? Can you use their venue in exchange for getting more people in their door or in trade for something from your business?

Pick a theme – Having a theme can help brand your entire event from invitations to decorations, food, and drink ideas. Remember, the holidays are right around the corner and people LOVE holidays. Use Pinterest to your advantage for finding inexpensive and fun ideas for your theme.

Questions to ask yourself: How are you going to promote your event? What’s the right way to reach your target attendee, email, social media, print invitation? What will you offer people to get them to attend?

Send invitations – Try using different methods (paper, email, social media) to send out your invitations. You know your audience, what will work best for them? You may want to use multiple methods.

Find a similar or complementary business to co-host an event with you. You can use their customer list to gain more attendees for your event and possibly more prospects for your business.
Get donations from other business that might benefit from your event. They can sponsor different aspects of your event or help with giveaways.
Have invitations available at your place of business (if you have one), and on you all times to pass out. You never know when you’ll need them.
Social media is free! Make sure to use it to your advantage. You can offer invitees a deal for sharing your event with their friends.

Last but not least, play the host/hostess. Make sure during the event that you work the room and keep the event, conversation, food and drinks flowing!

007 Party Ideas

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Here’s our guide to throwing the ultimate James Bond party to celebrate!

Asking guests to dress to fit the James Bond theme will really help give your party that special secret agent atmosphere. There is the obvious choice of the classic 007 look with the tuxedo but there are more options available. We have met many villains over the years including the infamous Dr No in his classic grey suit, so if your guests don’t have a tux tell them not to worry and remind them of the vast array of outfit choices!

Of course for the ladies, there are a fair few Bond Girls to dress up as. Most of your female guests will have a simple and elegant red or black dress which is ideal, or if anyone’s extra brave they can don the Ursula Andres bikini!

Party Decorations

Good decoration can really make a party. From a grand entrance and red carpet to flame lights lighting the way to the big event, your guests will enter the party ready to really embrace the night and have a great time.

The Bar

It goes without saying that the bar should be well stocked for vodka martinis, shaken not stirred but champagne / sparkling wine will also go very well with the James Bond theme.

Games

It wouldn’t be a James Bond movie without some suspect looks exchanged across a casino table, so the likes of Blackjack and Roulette are a must. Just remember not everyone will be clued up on the rules of card games so a Wheel of Fortune, Play Your Cards Right or Horse Racing are all great fun and a good laugh.

Music

Background music is vital at any party whatever the theme. There are of course some obvious choices for music including the classic theme song “A view to a Kill” or “Goldfinger”, but you’ll need more than two songs to play throughout the evening. Start thinking about a playlist well ahead of the party so that all you need to do on the night is plug in the speakers or PA system and press play!

It will be All Light on the night!!

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Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a major feature of most modern technology such as TVs, tablet computers, mobile phones and remote controls. Read this to find out why LEDs are so important to Red Masque’s artists, musicians and even their existence…

It’s one of those little things we take for granted, the glowing LED light that shows us that something is ON. Be it red or green, it’s a light that says, “Notice Me”, and it’s probably the one thing you can see at a gig when all the lights go out on stage.

LED’s everywhere and extremely cost effective nowadays. They can brighten a whole stage and make a dark and gloomy place look wonderful. The power of LED’s is almost evident everywhere you go, for example:

• Most of Red Masque party and event entertainment directory musicians use a PA system, and try finding one of those without LEDs on it.

• All of our artists have mobile phones, so they can contact us and clients about bookings, wherever they are in the country. What lights the screens? LEDs.

• And, of course, you wouldn’t be able to see our website in all its glory on your mobile or tablet without LED technology either.

There is one set of performers, however, who literally wouldn’t exist without LEDS; our LED light show performers. By whirling and twirling LED sights, these talented artists create intricate patterns and optical illusions in light for both inside and outdoor venues, without the concerns over fire regulations and health and safety of their ‘real’ fire and glow counterparts.

Equally, any artists using a mobile device in their act, from iPad magicians, artists and caricaturists to function bands offering iPod-based DJ services would quite literally be out of a job.

And DJ’s and rock band lighting would be heavier, more expensive and considerably less exciting, as LED lighting is lightweight, energy efficient, cool to the touch and can create a whole variety of colours without the need for coloured ‘gels’.

Dare we mention Christmas?

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It will soon be almost that time of year when you dig out your fluffy jumper, drink mulled wine and enjoy the holiday with friends and families.

Did you know that almost 11 million Brits will go to their works’ Christmas party this year? It is an annual event to let your hair down and have fun and what Christmas party would be complete without some embarrassing dancing?!?

If you haven’t yet started thinking about how you will celebrate this year, now is definitely the time to get brainstorming. Restaurants and venues will start getting booked up and before you know it will be just a few weeks away and you’ll have nothing planned.

So without further ado, here are 10 fun ideas for your work party in 2016:

1. Santa’s Grotto

This can be a truly magical way to bring some fun into the office! Why not get the boss to hand out everyone’s Secret Santa presents in a grotto whilst dressed like Father Christmas himself against a Winter Wonderland backdrop?

2.Snow Machine.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Add some festive spirit to your event with fake snow. Activate it to sprinkle soft snow drops over everyone as they arrive to the party. Everyone loves snow and it can transform the venue into a magical wonderland.

3. Rodeo Reindeer

Who can resist having a go on a bucking, spinning and twisting bronco reindeer? Everyone in the office will have a barrel of laughs trying to stay on as long as possible. The question is, who out of the team will win?

4. Santa and Elf hire

If you don’t want to dress up, why not hire a Santa and Elf characters? They are the perfect addition to your Christmas event and can help liven up the crowd to create a fun, memorable evening.

5. Santa’s Thrones

What better way to surprise the boss than hire an Elaborate Santa throne? Fit for a King (or Queen), these beauties would look amazing in your office and definitely create a festive feel to get everyone excited for the holidays.

6. Christmas Prop Hire

If you just plan on throwing the work’s do at the office during work hours, go to town with Christmas decorations! We have a fabulous range of props that you can hire including a cute frosty snowman, beautifully decorated presents to put under the Christmas tree, reindeer ornaments and much more.

7. Christmas Cash Grabber

Take your mind back to The Crystal Maze and ever wondered how you would do in the final trying to grab all that cash quickly? Well you could find out for real with our fun Christmas Cash Cube Grabber. And you decide what the flying paper targets are be it vouchers, funny money or stickers! They can be perfect for office promotions.

8. Photo Booth

A better way to get all the staff together and have fun than in front of a festive background, wearing funny props and making fools of themselves? Hiring a photo booth can be the perfect entertainment idea and the staff can even record their own holiday cheer messages to each other with a video option.

9. Casino Tables

From poker to blackjack to enthralling roulette, casino tables offer a thrilling and addictive experience that will leave the entire office wanting more! Even if gambling isn’t your forte, we guarantee everyone will have an amazing time and our authentic casino tables will definitely impress.

10. Christmas Tree Buzz Wire

Have you got nerves of steel to take on the Christmas Tree Buzz Wire challenge? Who in the office has the steadiest hand and who will crack under pressure? This simple but fun entertainment idea will have everyone biting their fingernails in anticipation. With the timer counting down and your heart beating out of your chest, will you be able to withstand the tension to come out victorious?

So there you have it; 10 sure-fire ways to make your office Christmas party that little bit different this year! After all, who wants just boring party with a DJ and food when you can have a bucking bronco reindeer and a photo booth.

Sugar and Spice and all things nice

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Cotton Candy, also known as Candy Floss, Fairy Floss, Papa’s beard and even Old Woman’s Hair is made by spinning flossine sugar. The first records of Candy Floss in Europe date back to the 18th century, with it becoming popular in 1904 after the invention of the candy floss spinning machine we are all now familiar with. It was in April of that year that Candy Floss was taken to the World’s Fair where over 68,000 boxes were sold for 25 cents each (approx. £4 today), which was half the cost of admission! It was clear from this day onwards that candy floss would be extremely popular for people of all ages.

If this has got you craving some of the fluffy goodness, we can certainly help! At Red Masque, we have a great selection of Candy Floss options for your event amongst lots of other sweet treats.

Candy floss carts are a great feature at any event. Your guests can grab a stick (or bag) of the sugary stuff from our friendly fun experts, or see a demonstration on how to make the Candy Floss, before having a go themselves.

If popcorn is more your thing, then a popcorn machine is just the thing for your event, whether it be a birthday party, wedding or corporate event entertainment you’re after. That sweet smell of popcorn will draw all of your guests in and have them coming back for more and more!

If you really want to be taken back to those childhood days of filling up a paper bag with your favourite sweet treats, then why not hire a Pick N Mix cart to sweeten your guests taste buds. If your event has a specific colour scheme or theme, then why not choose a range of sweets that tie in with theme or personalised rock which will be a special touch.

Sweet treats don’t stop there though, if you are planning an event for next summer and would like a sweet treat to cool your guests down, Ice cream bike hire will do just that! Alternatively, if you would like a healthier treat, fruit selection carts would be great.

Christening party ideas

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The christening or baptism of a baby or child stems from the Christian religious practise of immersing oneself in water to wash away sins (The Greek word ‘baptizo’ literally means to immerse, plunge, dip, or bury in water) and in later years the ceremony became associated with the taking of a name to symbolize new life.

Adults may choose to be baptised later in life but whatever the age of the participant, the naming ceremony whether religious or otherwise is usually followed by a family celebration.

Why not make it musical?

Regardless of the size of your christening or naming-ceremony, musical accompaniment will both enhance the atmosphere and entertain your guests throughout the day.

Classical music such as string quartets, harpists or solo singers are popular choices for the ceremony, with jazz bands, soul bands and pianists proving good choices for the drinks reception afterwards.

Many Christenings now also run on into the night with a party function band or DJ.

If you will have a good number of children attending, then it pays to hire children’s entertainers to keep them occupied. Check out Red Masque’s directory of great children’s entertainers, magicians & street entertainers. Also think about face painting & fancy dress costumes which are always a great way to keep them entertained.