Category Archives: Uk

Nothing beats a good fun day

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Whether it’s a small corporate event for 50 guests or a large scale event for up to 3,000 people, we can provide party and event entertainment for all ages to keep everyone entertained all day long.

There are key aspects you need to take into account when planning such event. From safety and insurance to risk assessments, it’s imperative to have all the necessary legislation in place.

To ensure your Corporate event or private party entertainment is a giant triumph and goes ahead without any hiccups, here are 6 key things to think about when planning a fun day…

1. Risk Assessment
Ensure when assign party supplier and its equipment it should have it’s own comprehensive risk assessment to ensure it is safe and secure to protect all those on the premises.

It is compulsory to carry out a risk assessment in order to comply with current UK safety regulations and laws. If you have never done this before, rest assured it isn’t as scary as it sounds.
Besides, once all the paperwork is out of the way, you can concentrate on organising a successful event!

Now there is the general risk assessment of the site plan, such as the routes in and out for cars and attendees, and you’ll obviously need a safety plan for any marquees etc you have, but here’s the complete list of all our products’ risk assessment and method statements.

2. Choose the date wisely
If you don’t want your fun day to be a wash out, choose the date carefully. Summertime is better for outdoor fun but as we all know with the great British weather, a contingency plan is always needed incase it rains!

Try to do your homework too and find out if any other big community events are taking place around the same time. If the date clashes it will affect how many people turn up.

3. Venue & Time
Where is the fun day going to take place and at what time?

You need to decide where the event will be held and book it well in advance. In terms of location, make sure there is plenty of room for large outdoor equipment set up.

What time will the event kick off? If it’s a family fun day, it needs to be early enough for children to attend but bear in mind you need to give yourself plenty of time to get everything up and running on the day.

Likewise, time should be taken into consideration for the clean up.

4. Read/shout all about it!
How will people know about your fun day? Promote the event through local businesses, press, radio, newsletters, emails, digital PR and posters.

Marketing is key, so shout about it through all possible platforms including online blog posts, paid search and social media.

What’s more, shout about it DURING the event. Get a hashtag going on Twitter, encourage spectators to share pictures on Facebook and Instagram and get lots of photos to give the press.

5. Legalities
Equipment
The main legal requirements that the equipment and equipment provider must adhere to are the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) and the provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).
In practice this is interpreted through ETIS 7 which is currently the HSE advice for best practice and is almost identical to BS EN 14960:2006.

Food and Drink
If you are selling food and drink at your fun day, make sure you look at the Food Standards Agency to follow their guidelines.

Raffles and Tombolas
There are strict and complex laws relating to larger raffles and lotteries which you’d need to check the Gambling Commission website for more details. We recommend selling raffle tickets on the day and drawing at the event to avoid needing a license.

Council licences
You’ll need to apply to your local council if you plan on providing any of the below:
– selling alcohol
– live entertainment
– holding a collection in a public place
Speak to the venue beforehand though as they’ll probably already hold a licence for you.

6. What happens after the event?
Too many people think about what will happen after the event, as they’re so caught up with planning it.

The follow up is just as important as the event itself.

Make sure you send a thank you email to all suppliers and providers that helped to make the event the great fun day that it was! Also, send out a press release to local media for print and online.

We all love a great success story and it can have a big impact on brand awareness! Who knows, you may be asked to organise the event again next year.

Organising an exhibition

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You’ve got your booth and your display, and you want everyone to stop and see what you have to offer. But how do you get them to stop? Make your exhibition booth unforgettable with some un-boring additions!

Food & Drink

Every human loves food. It’s just a fact. If there’s food at your booth, you’re practically guaranteed to have a swarm of people. So if you choose to have food or drinks, be prepared with large quantities! You can usually get an estimate of attendees from the convention’s website or the salesperson who sold you the booth.

Also, check the restrictions of the exhibition, because sometimes food isn’t allowed unless it’s pre-packaged. If that’s the case, try attaching your business card to the packages so your prospects will know where it came from later.

If food & drink is allowed, try something a little more fun than a tray of quiches. Bringing in concessions like marshmallow machines or gourmet candy floss can add an adult twist on classic childhood favourites. If the exhibition allows alcohol, mini cocktails are another winner.

Party Entertainers

Want to create a buzz around your booth? Bring in a celebrity, of course. It starts with one person whispering to their friend, “Is that Lady Gaga?” and before you know it, everyone is checking out your booth. Celebrity Impersonators can pose with guests for pictures, sign autographs, and add an air of glamour to what can be a dry event. Whether you choose a blast from the past like Marilyn Monroe or Elvis or keep it newer with James Bond or Austin Powers, you won’t regret it. And neither will the attendees!

Live Entertainment

Another great way to draw attention is a live performance at your booth. Close-Up Magicians can snag passers-by and get them involved with card tricks or other quick sleights of hand. If sound restrictions allow, you could even have a music performance like a One-Man Band or String quartet. Send a walkabout artist into the crowd with your company to recruit attendees for your booth, or have an illusionist or magician for a more compact performance.

With a little creativity, you can have the best booth at the exhibition. Give people an experience that they won’t soon forget, and drum up some great relationships and potential new business.

Five brilliant ways to remember your event

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Eyecon Art

Okay so technically we’re breaking our own rule in that opening paragraph as Eyecon Art is essentially a photograph. But don’t go thinking that this is the same as hiring a photographer for an event. Rather than capture you standing awkwardly by the DJ as you ponder which canapés to chow down on, Eyecon Art will have you heading home with an incredibly close-up shot of your eye. Every iris is unique and dare we say it, look tremendous!

Caricaturist

If you’re looking to hire a caricaturist for an event, then you have got to make sure that you are fine with having your eyebrows accentuated and your nose looking a little larger than in real life. But that’s all part of the fun! A good caricaturist knows how to draw a cartoon-style representation of their subject without causing offence and the best part is that with modern technology being what it is, you can take home a paper or digital version.

Silhouette Artist

The heights of the vaudeville era are in full display in the form of a silhouette artist, who can snip your profile into a piece of black card in the space of a matter of minutes. The best bit about this incredible form of party entertainment is that you can go home and frame your silhouette later, with each individual creation being stuck onto a quality back lining.

Mash Machine

Why does everything that provides a memory of an event have to be visual? The answer is that they don’t, especially when you’re dealing with the Mash Machine, an fabulous box of audio delights which allows you to be the DJ! After moving around a few small squares (or even chocolates which you could take home!), you’ll be created your very own music track with drum beats, bass lines and a solid rhythm guitar section to impress your friends. If you make a particularly compelling piece of music then you can save your track and enjoy it on the way home on your iPod. Amazing.

Screen Printing

Whether you call it screen printing, letter pressing or something completely different, these fabulous contraptions can have you created your very own work of art in no time! Popular at Somerset House every summer, you too can discover the art of the print. Remember not to limit yourself to paper or card; should you so desire you can create your design on a T-shirt. Wear your creation and remember that party in style!

The History of the Living Statue

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This week we look into the history of the living statue, event entertainment form that divides opinion like no other. Many love the way they stand in situ for hours, whilst others loathe their art as a tourist trap in the busier parts of cities up and down the UK. But where did living statues begin? Where did living statues come from?

Put simply the history of the living statue – at least where it all began – is lost to time. Arguably the first living statue can be traced back to the ancient Greeks where members of the public would pose for famous sculptors looking to mould their marble. Realistically though, the living statue as we currently know it first appeared in the 19th century as a circus performance. PT Barnum displayed living statues as part of his circus tours, a peculiar curiosity to the minds of those in the 1840s.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, living statues became ever more widely known thanks to the emergence of the art form known as tableaux vivants; a group of actors would pose and be lit in a particular way so as to appear like paintings. The resulting performance was often shot on camera (which meant the performers had to stand still in their chosen pose) or performed on stage to the amazement of spectators. Cleverly, by tagging these performances as art, nude actors and actresses were able to perform erotic entertainment on stage, flouting theatre censorship laws. As long as the girls didn’t move, it was deemed okay by the masses. The most notable instance of this was under the stewardship of the famous Mrs. Henderson at the Windmill Theatre in London in the 1930s and 40s.

Since that time, living statues have featured prominently in both art and film – The Phantom of the Opera and Hot Fuzz are two recent films that have shown living statues on screen, whilst revered duo Gilbert & George utilised living statues as part of their gallery installations in the 1960s. Moving from inside to out, street performances too have flourished in the intervening years as various living statues appeared near famous landmarks all over Europe. Though varying in quality from person to person, they are a magnet for tourists, only moving when money is placed in front of their plinth.

If no money is thrown in front of the living statue, either because they are unimpressive as a statue
or their costume doesn’t resonate with those walking by, the performer doesn’t get paid that day. With numbers still proliferating throughout London and the UK, it’s clear that the living statues are still well loved and make the perfect addition to your corporate event or private party entertainment. Despite their presence on the local high street, nobody will be expecting them in your back garden!

Corporate events made easy

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Red Masque party and event entertainment 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.

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 entertainment acts for your next corporate event in 2017?

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 their 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, Argentinean Tango, Burlesque, Flamenco, Irish Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, and Vegas Showgirls for example.

Wow your guests

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As with most corporate events, décor will be key and 2017 is no exception. 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 party 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!

Summer Garden Parties

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If the weather holds out this summer, you might be considering a traditional garden party. Red Masque has put together its top 5 list of summer garden party entertainment ideas for something with vocals and a touch of the familiar, how about a Swing Jazz band – often playing Rat Pack, Sinatra, Michael Bublé and Jamie Cullum. Unlike a Dixie band, they will need electricity for their amplification, but they can tone the volume to suit a garden party just fine.

Strapped for space? Try a duo, this is the easiest type of act to accommodate and makes more of a visual statement than a solo artist alone.

Steel drum band music stems from the Caribbean with a mixture of Calypso, Latin, Reggae, Pop, and Rock n’ Roll. Steel bands bring the Caribbean to your doorstep!

Traditionally, a string quartet gives recitals of works by the classical masters, but more recently has diversified into a more popular repertoire which includes pop, jazz, folk and ragtime. String quartets are ideal for summer garden parties. As they are generally acoustic (they require no amplification or electricity), they are portable and can change location during your event.

Whether it’s Giant Jenga, Giant Wii Sport, Giant Table Football or Giant Operation – Giant Games is the fun way to enhance your big event with a fantastic range of games for all ages!

For a lively garden party with plenty of dancing, a Salsa band is the ideal addition. Salsa encompasses a variety of rhythmic styles and musical forms. Think Rio Carnival, the Caribbean, South America and Latin Jazz. With Salsa music, the rhythm is infectious and the costumes colourful. Many acts can also include Salsa dance instruction as part of their package.

A few things to consider when organising entertainment for a summer garden party.

Electricity – some acts don’t need electricity as they play acoustic instruments, and are therefore easier to move around the garden. Any act with vocals, electric guitars or keyboards will need electricity and you’ll need to ensure a safe supply.

Cover – in case of bad weather (or even in case of full sun) most musical acts will need a provision of cover such as a gazebo or marquee.

Noise – make sure you warn the neighbours if you book a band later in the evening, as you won’t want the police turning up and dampening the mood.

Lawn Protection – as the musicians will likely be moving around on one small spot of garden, if the ground is at all damp it would be wise to cover the lawn in that area. A ground sheet would be fine, but even better, you can buy “ground protection mats” from places like Homebase. For a small band you’ll need to cover roughly 3 x 3 metres

All the fun of the fair

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Fairground rides are a firm favourite for old and young, they date back to the Victorian era where the carousels were a family favourite. Nowadays funfair rides can have a little bit more ‘thrill factor’ about them, whether it be whizzing around upside down that are not for the faint hearted – but even so lots of fun. Hired fairground rides can range from these white knuckle rides, ghost trains, dodgem cars, cup and saucers or the old favourite horse carrousels.

Rides such as these could be booked for a charity event, launch party, corporate party, private party or maybe a wedding with a difference if you were inviting a lot of ‘young at heart’ guests.
Fairground stalls and games

Fairground stalls for hire are great fun; it may be a candy floss stall, hotdog stall or a skill game where you win a prize at the end or not forgetting ‘hook a duck’. These fairground stalls would be perfect for that something different for your event. These stalls could be just for fun or for profit.

You may be organising a fete, charity event, corporate event or just a private party where you want to impress your guests with a few stalls and games. The smell of hotdogs and candyfloss will tempt your guests and then they can play a few games!!

This would be great for an older child’s party or a teenager. You would also probably get a lot of respect for organising such an event too!!

If you need a dancer…

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Dancers are very entertaining, and if you had an event that demanded some dancers then why not consider hiring some great dancers from Red Masque entertainment directory.

Hire a Dance Group to dance in sync where the choreography would be done to perfection, it could be any style of dance that your taste desires from Street Dance to River Dance, Male to Female Dancers. We think we have just about all Dance groups covered advertised within our Red Masque entertainment directory.

If you having a launch party that would require some eye candy of the female variety? If so, why don’t you hire some Podium dancers, a risqué burlesque dancer or some showgirls that would be quite a classy type of Le Lido but here in the UK.

These girls are professional, classy and have trained for hours to put on the perfect show for you.

You will be dazzled by the splendid costumes which will be worn by the Showgirls and Podium Dancers even though they’re maybe little of them!!! The burlesque will titillate and tease but done in the best possible taste!!

Salsa and Tango dancers are very now, most people want to learn the art of these sexy, sensual dances. You could hire some dancers to teach. Or if you are quite familiar of these dances you could simply hire to put on a quite splendid show that would be breath-taking and remarkable, leaving you wishing you were indeed as talented as these dancers.

Snake and Belly dancers of course seem to go hand in hand, these amazing creatures – love them or hate them have something mesmerising about them that you cannot fail to be intrigued to watch or even (if you dare) handle them.

Belly dancers have been around for centuries and it’s also a great way to keep fit. If you ever wanted to master the art of Belly Dancing, then why not hire a Belly Dancer to teach you. You will have great fun, and if your tummy is not your most favourite part of your body – well rest assured a rounded belly is considered sexy in some parts of the world!!

Or, if you wanted some themed dance acts for your special event, then why not look on our gallery of special dance acts that will enlighten your guests and create that nostalgia needed for your themed evening.

They will be dressed in the most appropriate costumes and do all the dance moves from that era it will be truly like stepping back in time and feeling the past again.

Have a look on our directory to see which dance act you could hire for your next party!

Take the headache out of searching

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We at Red Masque entertainment have a limitless amount of options and inspiration. But what if you don’t have the time, will power or experience to trawl through the 17,500 female solo singers that Google throws up? Well, then it’s time to call in the professionals. And that’s where an entertainment directory can come in handy.

If you’re in the process of planning something big, using an entertainment directory uses only the best out there that are reputable and highly acclaimed

What’s the one thing you remember about a great party, above all else? As a guest, you’re there to have a good time. And if it’s a good time you want your own guests to have, then you need to put a little thought into the entertainment.

Gone are the days when you had to book a one-man DJ to play 70s floor-fillers all night. Now, you can find party entertainment that keeps your diverse range of wedding guests happy, making the party start with a bang.

The best musicians aren’t necessarily the best hype men; the most amazing magician won’t necessarily be the best web designer – one of the changes in entertainment since the internet has been the focus on promo material rather than word of mouth or reputation. That means the bands with the flashiest websites and the slickest videos often get more attention than their less media savvy counterparts. Consequently, there are plenty of hidden gems out there who, instead of improving their Search Engine Optimisation or video editing techniques, have focused on just being great performers.

We, like many entertainment directory’s, make it our business to know as much about our party and corporate event entertainment as possible. by reading up on new performers and much more. We know the best act for your event and 5 equally brilliant alternatives if the first choice isn’t available.

It just goes to show there’s only so far your own web searches will take you. If you want something a bit different, something to appeal to all the ages and tastes of your guests, something to get your party started as it means to go on, Red Masque is definitely a good way to avoid a headache. After all, it’s your party too.