Category Archives: Snow Machine

Christmas Entertainment 2017

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Selfridges have already opened their Christmas shop for 2017, Christmas is already at the front of people’s thoughts. Are you looking book your office Christmas party this year? With dates already being booked up it pays to get in early – we thought we’d recommend a number of acts to hire for your corporate event!

Fluxo Acrobatics

A beautiful act and one that is very often the most popular piece of entertainment at parties where it features. The acrobats features two talented acrobats performing inside a giant dome, much like those many of us had as children. As sparkling snowflakes fall around them, the duo deliver a stunning performance that showcases their incredible flexibility, grace and strength. Sure to leave all entranced, this is a must see!

Human Statues

Is there an act that you love as much as Human Statues? We aren’t sure but this hilarious concept is one that causes huge amounts of laughter no matter where the Statues reside! Appearing to all and sundry as normal Statue decoration, the Statues ‘jump’ out at guests as they arrive at your Christmas party and some of the photos are absolutely hysterical. One for those looking to focus on the fun of Christmas!

Barbican Brass

Finally, what would a Christmas party be without any festive tunes? From Jingle Bells to I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day, The Barbican Brass can belt out both carols and classic festive hits alike, so why look anywhere else for your Christmas tunes? Thinking that your staff or colleagues may well prefer a break from yet another outing for Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade? No problem, The Barbican Brass can also deliver a set that simply focuses on pop songs everybody enjoys. Something for everybody then! The true spirit of Christmas.

If you’re looking to book your office Christmas party or corporate event– and we’re sorry that job has fallen to you – do not fear. If you like what you’ve read above or simply want a few more ideas,

Christmas party themes

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and it’s your turn to plan the annual holiday party. It’s a lot of pressure, we know—but don’t fret! Whether you’re planning a fun office party, a classy dinner, or a traditional yuletide soirée, we’ve got some great Christmas party themes to get the snowball rolling.

1. The Nutcracker
For the ballet dancers, theater lovers, little princesses, and sugar plum fairies – a Nutcracker-themed Christmas party is sure to be a hit.
colour Palette
Various hues of pink, silver, white, gold, and cream.
Special Touches
Mixed (shelled) nuts and statuesque nutcrackers, frills, tutus, petit fours, sparkling tinsel/garland, glitter, and ballet slipper decorations/cookies.
Entertainment
Ballet Dancers, String Quartet, Classical Ensemble, or hire a Choreographer to teach a simple routine!
Need a Hand?
Book a Caterer or Party Decorator to help set the stage!

2. Ugly Christmas Jumper
The ugly jumper party has been a popular theme for the several years and there’s no doubt why — it’s fun! It’s sort of like Halloween at Christmas, only everybody buys their costume at a pound shop and the more pompoms, the better. Ugly jumper parties can be a hit in any crowd, but we think they’re especially fun for office parties (and it’d make for an awesome office photo).

Colour Palette
Stick with your traditional Christmas colours like kelly green, bright red, gold, and silver. Don’t be afraid to create an abundance of mismatched plaid or other holiday prints; after all, it’s supposed to be ugly.
Special Touches
Hot chocolate or snowball bar, a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, a contest for the ugliest sweater, multicoloured string lights, and small Christmas stockings as party favors.
Entertainment
DJ, Karaoke DJ, Cover Band, or Corporate Magician.
Need a Hand?
Want to focus on judging the ugly sweater contest? Leave the rest of the work to a Bartender, Caterer, Photo Booth, or Photographer!

3. Winter Wonderland
A winter wonderland theme works for almost any holiday party. But, with such a majestic aesthetic, it works especially well for dinner parties!
colour Palette
White, blue, silver, and gold.
Special Touches
Frosted and/or clear crystal, white Christmas trees, polished silver, candles, snowflake confetti, metallic decorations, tinsel, fake snow, ice sculptures, and white string lights.
Entertainment
String Quartet, Jazz Band, Harpist, Acoustic Act, or Classical Ensemble.
Need a Hand?
Hire a Party Decorator, Caterer, Bartender, or delightful Waiters for an unforgettable dinner party.​

4. Christmas Around the World
Christmas is celebrated in a number of different ways around the world. Throwing a Christmas Around the World party is a great way to learn about other cultures! With so many various traditions, you’ll have plenty of options — mince pies and Guinness of Ireland, the Christmas Eve feast of KFC in Japan, the ‘mass’ rollerskating in Venezuela, French nativity scenes made of radishes, and the large straw goat of Gåvle, Sweden that gets burned to the ground almost annually.

colour Palette
Varies, but it may be best to stick to traditional Christmas colours: kelly green, bright red, silver, and gold. Leave the international flair to the food, entertainment, and special touches!
Special Touches
International Christmas party foods and beverages, flags and informational cards, and decorations made from world maps.
Entertainment
World Music Act, Father Christmas, Carolers, or any of our wonderful International-Inspired Acts.

A Traditional Christmas Party

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There are lots of ways to celebrate Christmas at the end of year office party. Many companies go for a themed occasion deciding that ‘Christmas’ doesn’t suffice. There’s Winter Wonderland, Narnia, Frozen, Nightmare Before Christmas… But you can also strip it back a little bit. Away from the electronic entertainment and acts that require a loud sound system. You can take it all the way back to traditional Christmas party ideas, perhaps highlighting the true values of the holiday.

Costumed Characters

The number one thing you need to do if your employees are going to really feel as though they’ve gone back in time is to hire costumed characters. They don’t have to be famous Victorians but one or two certainly look nice (Charles Dickens for example), whilst others can mingle with the crowds, adding to the atmosphere of the occasion. A Dickensian Christmas is actually another popular theme; why not add Scrooge to the festivities whilst you’re at it?

Christmas Carol Singers

What Victorian Christmas party is complete without some Christmas carol singers. The best thing about this form of musical entertainment is that the group can wander about the venue, singing as they go, or you can make their background music a centre piece to the party.
Christmas Brass Band

In the same sort of territory as Christmas carol singers, a Christmas brass band can provide all the Christmas classics your party requires. They can either stick to strictly Victorian carols or play a few more modern Christmas hits once the drinks start flowing (nobody will notice the change of era once they’ve downed yet another sherry). Perfect for evoking the spirit of Christmas, opting to hire a brass band for your Christmas party always goes down well.

Victorian Performers

When thinking back to Victorian times, you might find yourself wandering what they managed to do with themselves with no television or films. We know, it’s hard to imagine. Of course, it was the theatre that they loved to visit and no doubt they were entertained by street performers en route.

Parlour Games

With all this wonderful Christmas entertainment on display, you might be thinking of wanting to hire interactive entertainment! This doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice your Victorian theme and bring in loud noises and bright lights; we’re talking parlour games like quoits. If anyone is successful then they may just win a Christmas present from the company or maybe a little more time off. Go on, be generous, it’s Christmas!

Oh and don’t forget your Christmas tree. We recommend a living one to scare patrons as they arrive!

Christmas events to be planned

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Plan your next Christmas event as early as you can to avoid disappointment. If you want to create your own winter experience, either for a party, corporate event or business attraction, here are a few hints from Red Masque directory to make your Christmas event something special!

If you want a show as part of your Christmas party, you’ll need an inside space or warm, dry and well-appointed marquee to hold it in. Acts that look great in marquees include:

• Circus acts, especially aerialists, or silk acrobats!

• Dance groups who can fill the performance area with music, movement and style!

• Party bands that can play in all those cheesy pop hits we love at Xmas!

Make your event great by having sheer variety of entertainment on offer. So, offer lots of different acts to see, rather than one big attraction and people will enjoy the event more.

• Walkabout acts really are great and so are costumed characters, ice characters and stilt walkers.

• Generate a warm feeling with fire acts to light up the winter darkness

• Conjure up the magic of Christmas with street magicians performing close-up tricks and illusions

Food and Drink

• Hire a hog roast or BBQ for outside cooked goodies

• Offer traditional treats such as roasted chestnuts and mulled wine that fill the air with deliciously Christmas smells!

• Have a Christmas cocktail bar, decorated with ice sculptures serving frosted cocktails or frozen daiquiris (and non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers)

Visitors love interactive experiences. They don’t have to be very fancy, just lots of fun for any age.

• Turn traditional side stalls into Christmas fun, such as a snowball coconut shy.

• Book a winter or “Frozen” themed bouncy castle with integrated rain cover, so the weather doesn’t stop the fun

• Get your skates on and book an artificial ice rink – all the fun, none of the wet! Most ice rink suppliers offer a complete package with chalet, boot hire, and experienced staff trained in the required health and safety procedures.

Entertainment for your next Christmas party

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Sorry. We really are sorry. We know it’s still only August, which is still more than 3 months away. More than a third of a year away. But personal assistants and office managers are already being asked to book Christmas entertainment for the office party and it’s our job to help them out. Plus, between just the two of us, choosing to hire a Christmas DJ in advance may keep your costs down. For those who are looking to book even more festive entertainment, here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

Wonderland

Who doesn’t love Christmas lights? You might not attend the Oxford Street Christmas lights switch on and yes, the Regent Street Christmas lights has turned into a weirdly commercial venture promoting some Hollywood film for the past few years, but people still love a good light show and Wonderland put on one of the best! As the photo shows, holly leaves appear in LEDs around the performers and you can also expect to see snowflakes, stars and reindeer.

Ballerina in a Snow Globe

In terms of visual acts, they don’t get much better than a full size snow globe with a dancing ballerina inside. A beautiful idea that has been executed perfectly, the ballerina performs amidst a flurry of snowflakes. A male and female dancer can also be hired for a short performance and you can rest assured that none of your guests will have seen anything like it. A wonderful idea for the office Christmas party!

Christmas Carol Choir

A Christmas carol choir is probably more up your street. We advertise choirs from just a few people right up ten or more and if you like, you can sing along with the performance! Christmas carols are a timeless form of entertainment and can you really call your event a Christmas event without one.

Ice Queen

We advertise a whole host of Christmas characters for your party but for the Scrooges amongst you, we thought we’d profile the Ice Queen. One of the best bits about the Ice Queen character is that it can be good on its own or as part of a Christmas party theme (like Narnia for instance). A perfect idea to ensure that your Christmas party will be talked about well into the New Year!

Who wants a bit of bubble, smoke or even snow?

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Bubble machines can be hired for any special effect that you had in mind, it maybe for the theatre, private party, Christmas magical make believe land or even a night club.

Children love bubbles and hiring these machines could be just what you are looking for. Children will play with bubbles for hours frantically trying to catch them, you can definitely can’t have too many bubbles where children are concerned.

Smoke and Snow machines can be hired for the same reasons as above. Smoke can make a dramatic entrance for a ‘baddy’ at a pantomime or a launch night at a new night club, or used in a magician’s trick to create ‘misdirection’.

Snow machines are great for creating that winter wonderland scene, you may need some snow in the middle of summer when filming or it could be for a Father Christmas grotto, where snow is very unpredictable in England and it would be worthwhile ‘hiring’ some artificial snow.

All these special effects can make your event even more spectacular and magical, bringing the whole scene you had in mind ‘come to life’. We at Red Masque entertainment directory have a wide range of all these machines for hire, which we are sure you will be happy with your selected choice.

Booking is very simple, you just need to decide whether you’d like, Bubbles, Smoke or Snow machines? It maybe all three!! You can enter you details on an online booking form situated within our website. The form goes straight to the hirer and they will be in contact with you direct. Red Masque will answer any questions regarding filling out your form if you need.

The Ultimate Winter Blues Party

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As winter is rolling in, lots of people want to organise the Ultimate Winter Blues Party. At Red Masque we like to give some great ideas to offer in our posts. Instead of using your own home, why not rent out private rooms from restaurants because they offer an economical alternative with certain party essentials (furniture and a great kitchen) already in place.

SIGHT and TOUCH: Smoke and Mirrors

If you want to create something wonderful for the ultimate winter blues party, think ‘smoke and mirrors’.

You see mirrors create the illusion of even more energy and action – you can literally see more people throughout the room but at the same time, the combination of clear and reflective materials instantly make the room feel more open. Even more importantly, they capture the striking beauty of the first chill of winter in clean, contemporary lines. Along with the ice-like surfaces and funky blue fabrics that would bring out the swing in this modernist vision of winter, spicy, flavourful tapas, and a hot sexy Latin soundtrack would raise the pulse and temperature of the space.

Capturing the smooth, glassy surfaces of icicles, and the shimmering icy blue hues of freshly fallen snow can be a difficult illusion to pull off; you don’t want to go overboard and end up with a truly cold hard and severe look. Instead you want to create a magical “FROZEN” castle of shimmering shapes and reflective surfaces that will make your guests feel as though they are surrounded by gorgeous crystal sculptures. .

SIGHT: Top Party Decorations

Table decorations for the ultimate winter party can be very classy with diamonds spread over the table sparkling with cut glass champagne glasses, if you wanted to go really overboard you could hire some ice sculptures to really capture the spirit of the winter month.

Be as imaginative as you like, blue tablecloths, and a sprinkling of fake snow and don’t forget vodka on ice!!!

SMELL: Engage the Senses

For winter, go nuts, literally, roasted pistachios, coconut and sizzle chorizo in the kitchen to create a wonderful tangy and nutty aroma for the room. What is more sexy than a few shapely ice cubes jostling in a glass tumbler or the pristine gloss of a newly frozen lake.

TASTE: The best Party Food

You could just put out some cured meats and cheeses but for larger and more elaborate appetites and we love the sociability of tapas. Tapas, also provide a variety of flavours. As a winter party, the emphasis needs to be a little more on food to quiet the hibernating impulse we have and avoid the urge to stay home, watch Netflix and chill.

When creating your own menu, think about what would tantalise the guests, think of exciting colours and combinations of sweet and smoky spices. Serve the food every hour or so and start with simple foods while gradually adding new and more complex flavours

TASTE: The best Party Drinks

Drinks it would be a selection of Martini opportunities, why not try my Winter Blues Martini:

Winter Blues Martini
1 ounce Vodka
1/2 ounce Blue Curacao
1/2 ounce crème de cassis
a splash of fresh lime juice and blueberries for garnish.

Rim the martini glass with white sugar. Shake, strain, and pour liquid ingredients into a martini glass. Garnish with blueberry kebob.

Display bottles of frozen vodka inside decorative ice blocks: cut off the top section of an orange juice container and fill it two thirds full with distilled water and sliced lemons, limes and oranges. Insert a bottle of Citrus Vodka and put it in your freezer overnight. In the morning, remove the orange juice carton and you’ve got yourself a stunning citrus ice sculpture that doubles as a “cooler” for your vodka.

To create a surprise kick, for your Martini who not rub the rim of the glass with a slice of hot jalapeño pepper and then dip the glass in sugar?

SOUND

Think about some chill out tunes, a bit of funk and soul that will cater to most tastes.  Whatever you choose we are sure you will definitely have the Ultimate Winter Blues party!!!

We look forward to joining you each year

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New Year is upon us. Parties and events are starting to fill our calendars, but often times these outings become so routine that we dread attending them. Try out these 10 tips to add a little flare into your holiday season.

Use New Technology

New technology can be daunting, but the holiday season presents an exciting time to try out a new tool or program. Perhaps you have been waiting to purchase a certain software or learn a new technique. The end of the year presents a great opportunity to prep for next year and try out something new.

Provide Festive Favours

Event favours and giveaways can range from wonderful, useful gifts to items you may throw away once you leave the door. Try to spice up your holiday event by providing a themed gift such as seasonal treats or candies, decorative items themed for the season or a candle with a holiday scent. Favours like these will go to good use and leave your event fresh in the minds of your guests.

Get creative with your Holiday Food

Creating NYE menus can pose a challenge because everyone expects different items depending on their culture or upbringing. Try sticking with seasonal flavours. These will help to keep you on trend during the seasons.

Make the Most of Social Media

Social media has a presence at every event these days, so why not include it in your NYE party? You can create a hashtag to gather the pictures from your event, no matter how large your group! Even smaller family or office gatherings can engage through the use of social media.

Build your own photo booth and have your family, friends or co-workers share the photos using your hashtag. Following the event, you will have all of your wonderful photos linked together! Little ideas like this can go a long way in providing group entertainment and increase interaction.

Change Up the Seating

Try out a new seating style at your party! Open seating or a long family style table, might be just the right fit for your event. The holidays are about bringing people together and having fun. Make sure your space and layout reflect the vibe of the season and celebration.

Add Signature Holiday Cocktails

Play around with fun flavours in your drink selection as well. Use mint, cranberry juice, or cider. Drinks can be with or without the alcohol depending on the time or day or group of people. Either way, signature cocktails can be fun and add some excitement to your event.

Surprise Your Guests

Use the holiday season to add some fun and anticipation to your events! Perhaps you bring in a special surprise guest or send them home with an unexpected holiday gift. If you are planning a party for your staff or family, you could even keep the event location a surprise and host a scavenger hunt to the big reveal! A little mystery can go a long way in bringing energy to your holiday event.

Provide an Opportunity to Give Back

The season brings out the best in most people. We all want to give a little more and celebrate the wonderful blessings around us. At your event, you could provide a chance for guests to donate to a good cause or host a silent auction where the proceeds benefit a local charity.

If you have a family event, perhaps a portion of your day is spent volunteering together in your community. Think of causes that you or your guests might have a connection to and find a way to integrate this into your holiday festivities.

Include Festive Kids Activities

Kids love the holidays! The fun-filled atmosphere and extra special magic that the season brings is beautiful through the eyes of a child. If you are hosting an event where children are welcomed, be sure to provide a holiday craft or activity that is geared towards them. Who knows, if they are extra well behaved, perhaps the jolly man in red could make an appearance and hand out a few gifts.

Up the Customer Service

When everyone is in the holiday spirit the world just seems a bit brighter, but the long hours and stressful work of an event mean staff can be run ragged during these months of the year. Make customer service the focus for you and your staff during these holiday parties.

Try to start and end each day on a positive note and make sure your team feels appreciate for planning wonderful holiday events. The extra special feeling you provide with customer service will keep your guests coming back and have them asking you to plan many more events.

What does Christmas mean to you?

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What does Christmas mean to you? From the first day in January to the last day in December, not a single day goes by where you’re not dreaming of mince pies, planning your festive wrapping paper or writing your wish list to Santa. So it’s pretty safe to say we at Red Masque are passionate about what we do! Because here at Red Masque we love Christmas, which is why your party ideas are here on our website.

The office Christmas party is a tradition looked forward to by many and is a great way to say thank you to your staff for all their hard work over the year. Whether you’re looking for an exclusive fully themed extravaganza, a table at an awe inspiring shared party where you can mingle with other groups or a selection of Christmas party venues where your staff can enjoy nibbles and a few drinks! We only advertise the most trusted and respected acts and suppliers, you’re safe in the knowledge that your party is going to be one to remember. 

Throughout the year we always keep abreast of any new event industry trends and we take great care in making sure that current acts, and suppliers always are rated with the level of excellence that we believe clients deserve. We’re continuously looking to source new suppliers, entertainers and venues for our website; ensuring that our themes and offerings are new, fun and fresh every year.

Exclusive events give your employees a chance to really bond with each other. Think about organising a bespoke party which can see personal touches and your own branding brought to life in an event just for you. 

Best time to book a Christmas party

If you want to book the perfect Christmas party then it really is best to book early, particularly if you plan to go bespoke. We recommend booking in the summer months.  Now we know that sounds early, especially when it’s BBQ season and sunny, and we know that during the summer, Christmas events are the last thing most people think about but it really is the best time to book: you get first pick of all the new packages and themes. Long story short, the sooner you book, the more choice you’ll have and the more perfect your party will be!

Plan your very own winter wonderland

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Decorations

Decorations make a bland place into something magical.  Professional party decorations would do your winter wonderland justice, however big or small have the perfect event decorators advertised that will transform any room into something special.

You will be amazed at just how the right decorations can transform your venue and really make believe the theme in which you want to create. 

Fairground rides

Everybody loves fairground rides, and this would be perfect for a winter wonderland theme, you could hire a horse carrousel, dodgems or the ghost train. Traditional fairground rides were usual at Easter, but now people are now hiring for Christmas too.

If your garden is big enough then you and your guests will be very privileged to have all the rides for yourself, but if organising for the public or for a large corporate event you may have to think about designated queuing area.

You will be safe in the knowledge that all the fairground rides are of excellent quality and condition and you will have somebody on hand to check the rides safety under the health and safety.

Fairground stalls and games

If you have booked some fairground rides, then you need a few stalls and games to go with them.   Imagine the aroma of candyfloss, hotdogs and toasted chestnuts smelling which will definitely bring in a crowd!

The ambiance that comes from these stalls are second to none and your guests will very much enjoy the ‘fairground’ scene with sights and sounds familiar to their childhood. 

Fantasy photos and booths

These are very fashionable at the moment, so how about your guests making up their own photo dressed in a Santa suit, Rudolf the red nose reindeer or a little elf? These photos will last forever and you’ll always know it was taken at Christmas!!

Great fun and very popular, these booths will be well received.

Giant games

A winter wonderland garden party with giant snakes and ladders, or chess – how perfect and what fun!  We are sure you will find the perfect giant game to compliment your event.

Dressing up nice and warm with some mulled wine handy, this party would be great fun for adult and something a bit different.

So now we have given you some food for thought for ideas and inspiration for your winter wonderland Christmas party, we are sure you have some other ideas that can be found on the Red Masque directory.