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The Chinese Dragon

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Just like the Chinese lion dance, the Chinese dragon dance dates back well over a thousand years. Rather than having just two performers, the Chinese dragon dance requires many performers to manipulate the serpentine body of the mythical creature, ideally making the dragon appear quick, powerful and mysterious. Although it may look easy, the dragon dance requires an exceptional level of acrobatic skill and a lot of practice with those involved training for many years in the craft.

Although the Chinese dragon dance is an ancient tradition, you’re far more likely to watch a Chinese lion dance this New Year simply because of the sheer space that a dragon dance requires. Performed by a troupe of circus acrobats who lift the dragon above their heads on poles, movements are carefully coordinated so as to appear seamless, which makes sense when you consider just how long the dragons can be. The shortest are generally 80 feet long, the average length is 100 feet and the world record lists a dragon that spanned 3 whole miles – that’s a lot of acrobats! The Chinese dragon tends to follow a pearl of wisdom – held by one of the performers – which it ‘chases’ through the streets of the procession.

In Chinese culture, odd numbers are associated with good luck and being conducive to success, so you’ll never see a Chinese dragon dance performed with 8, 10 or 12 acrobats! Teams of 9, 11, 13 and 15 performers are the most common and if you’re wondering what the dragon symbolises, it’s similar to the lion; the longer the creature is, the more prosperity and good fortune will be attracted.

A Chinese dragon dance is a rarer sight than a lion but just as entertaining. Some would argue that it is the pinnacle of Chinese New Year entertainment with fireworks which adorn its segmented body throwing off sparks during the dance. Performers in both the Chinese lion dance and Chinese dragon dance are often martial arts students due to the stamina required for a performance, but by no means is it a requirement and anyone wanting to learn can get involved. Be warned though: the training regime is extensive, intensive and exhausting with a highly demanding schedule.

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.

The house of Wax

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Madame Tussauds Famous for its incredible wax works of celebrities and royalty from around the world, Madame Tussauds is also an award winning themed venue that has been hosting high-profile events for over fifty years.

Situated right in the heart of London, the venues offers five themed areas that can host events with up to 1,000 guests. Each event space can be adapted to suit your events exact requirements making it an ideal location for corporate events, private parties, presentations, gala events and press conferences.

The World Stage Ballroom was designed to impress with a grand stage, back projected screen, full lighting rig and plasma screens. LED lighting can be programmed to display specific colours to suit your corporate identity or theme. The largest space in Madame Tussauds, it is perfect for a whole host of corporate events and can even accommodate smaller events with adjustable and removable walls that can be used to create a more intimate space.

Not forgetting that this venue’s main attraction is its spectacular collection of wax works, guests can walk through over 200 years of history and with the museum-style ropes and poles gone they can also get up close and personal with historical icons, A-list celebrities and sporting legends. Not only is Madame Tussauds a great venue for corporate events but it also offers team building exercises and incentives: staff also have the chance to go behind the scenes and see how a waxwork is made at Madame Tussauds, ride through London’s history in a mini black cab and battle with Marvel Super Heroes in a 4D movie experience!

A popular choice for high-profile celebrity launches, Madame Tussauds is an impressive event space twice voted the UK’s number 1 favourite venue! No entertainment is more apt to accompany your event at this exclusive venue than one of our lookalike tribute bands. Alternatively why not invite 007 to entertain guests, as he poses for photos and suavely mingles with guests.

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!

Great London event venues

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With a rather ‘strange name’ this venue is one of London’s hottest new places to go called ‘The Mayor of Scaredy Cat’ This is located on Artillery Lane in central London guests have to enter this unusual event venue by walking through a Smeg fridge – all you have to do is ask to see ‘The Mayor’!

Before journeying down through the Smeg fridge to see the Mayor guests can enjoy a delicious meal in the restaurant. Of course it is the basement bar that is the main attraction; the interior is a mix between industrial chic with bare brick walls and exposed ceilings and light fixtures, and rustic charm with high wooden tables and stools and even a stuffed deer’s head on one of the walls! Their intriguing cocktail menu is just as novel with delights like ‘Basil-No-Faulty’ and ‘Rosie and Gin’ on offer. The menu also informs guests about some of the rules of this quirky venue, including the method of exiting the bar, which we are told, is just as entertaining as the entrance!

The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town can be hired exclusively for private events and makes a really unique party venue that will be sure to impress guests no end.

Another venue to consider is Café de Paris offers a great position by bustling Coventry Street. From the moment you step through the doorway you are transported into another world seemingly hundreds of miles away from the modernity of the city above.

Home of cabaret and fine dining since 1929 Café de Paris is still regarded as one of London’s best cabaret venues. Retaining many of its unique original features, it truly is a spectacular and opulent venue – sweeping staircases, ornate finishes, glittering chandeliers and an exquisite ‘Titanic’ ballroom all add to the club’s naughty but nice feel.

Despite the venue’s antique look it houses state of the art sound, light and staging facilities capable of catering to even the most demanding of shows. Its versatile event space can be used in a multitude of different ways: standing events, seated dinners, dinners and dances, and theatre style shows. With a capacity of 180 to 715 people, a mezzanine level and VIP room it is a unique location for product launches, award ceremonies, presentations, incentive events and champagne receptions.

Red Masque directory is able to cater for cabaret style entertainment for Café de Paris where a burlesque dancer wouldn’t go amiss along with some authentic dancers to really wow your guests.

Staged photography

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When it comes to booking entertainment for events and parties around London, clients often opt for a photo booth. If you think back to any event that have attended over the past 12 months, we guarantee that there was at least one photo booth for use at one of these events. Everybody likes them and they’re great… But what if they could be improved? That’s where Staged Photography comes in!

Staged Photography will require a little more room than a photo booth. Most booths can take up a small space in the corner of your venue, while a Staged Photography takes up quite a bit more space than that. But here’s the thing, you won’t mind because you want people to notice this amazing form of entertainment. You want people to have an incredible photo taken against the backdrop that you have chosen for your event!

Yes, the backdrops. The backdrops are what this is all about. You can pretend you’re in a horror movie, a Venetian ball, a rainforest. Pretty much any photo is possible with these backdrops. All you have to do is book Staged Photography, state the background you’d love to see on your photo and… That’s it. Come the day of your event, the incredibly immersive – “Is it 3D?” – backdrop will be unfurled and you’ll be stunned at the realism. Even more so when you join the picture later on!

Just like a photo booth, photos are available almost immediately so you can take your home your entertaining snap for use however you please. Want it digitally? That’s not a problem either! A truly brilliant form of entertainment.

The Irish Harp

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We thought we’d provide a few ideas on Irish entertainment. When thinking about the Emerald Isle and the entertainment provided to the world, an obvious place to start is the harp.

But what is the history of the Irish harp? Unfortunately, the instrument’s origins are lost to time, but we are able to piece together a potted timeline from the past 1,000 years. The last High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, who died in 1014, was said to be an accomplished player whilst various documents state that the Celtic harp was the only music played during the Crusades in the 12th century. For those unaware, despite some minor differences, the Irish harp, Celtic harp and Gaelic harp are all terms used to describe the same instrument.

It is known that the harp was revered across Celtic culture and Europe in the 1100s with various leaders having their own resident harpist who enjoyed a high status and special privileges. What did they have to do? As one might expect, they were expected to play music in accompaniment to other forms of event entertainment – poetry recitations or reading of psalms, etc. Alas, no music for the harp is written down from this period.

As any lover of history may tell you, Celtic culture wasn’t as popular as it used to be and the social status of a harp player began to lessen as the years wore on. No longer retained amongst the higher echelons, they took to the streets, performing as travelling musicians to the delight of crowds. Perhaps they were enjoyed too much; although the Irish harp was a symbol of the country and embraced around the world, it was now see as an emblem of resistance against the Crown and England. It was henceforth banned from the end of the Middle Ages and in just a few centuries, the Irish harp had all but disappeared.

…Well, almost. In 1792, a group of harpists travelled to Belfast for a traditional harp festival. A passionate musician, Edward Bunting, noted down the music they played and it is thanks to him that traditional Gaelic music lasts to this day; it had never previously been written down on paper (presumably because nobody ever saw the point or most harpists couldn’t read or write sheet music.)

There are less than a dozen Celtic harps that have survived from the medieval period. The oldest one is also the most famous – the Trinity College Harp, upon which the official emblem of Ireland is now based. It can be seen if you decide to visit Trinity College in Dublin and no doubt, you’ll learn even more about this lovely instrument.

Ideas for local events

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Deciding what type of event you should hold will depend on your goals, as well as the size and demographic of your target audience. However, here are some tried and trusted ideas for community events that should help get everyone together.

Use a themed event day
There are a multitude of different themed days you could utilise; you only need to look at the internet to see how many “National’ days are out there.

A firm favourite, which will also help your local library, is World Book Day. The best way to get the community involved is by getting everyone to dress as their favourite character from any book they choose. This could mean dressing as Where’s Wally, The Cat in the Hat, Mr Darcy even! The possibilities are endless!

Invite local authors, or even famous authors who have ties to your community. You can organise a selection of readings with an open-mic night, and why not organise a poetry competition and get a local bookshop to donate prizes?

Organise a performance
Amateur dramatics has been a long standing part of the community, so why not gather some aspiring thespians together and organise a show?

This doesn’t have to be on a stage in the community hall, why not change things up and create a walking performance? Get the audience to follow a set course around town, where they can watch parts of the play in certain areas. Have your actors do scenes or interact with the audience in-between stops, making them part of the performance.

Food Festival/Farmer’s Market
Who can say no to delicious food? Especially when the town is filled with the most amazing smells!
Whether you get some local farmers, caterers or local food shops together, this is a great way to highlight the local produce and local sellers in the area. As well as getting to eat all the delicious food at an event, people will know they will be able to buy this produce locally on any other given day.

Why not think Great British Bake Off and ask the community to create their own showstopper cakes and raffle them off. No one can turn down cake, especially if you have a tea stand nearby!

Host a street party
Street parties are now being held at any time, for all ages, to build community spirit at the street level. They are a more relaxed affair with attendees asked to bring a dish to share or with a barbecue arranged.

Put on a film screening
Who doesn’t enjoy watching a great movie on a big screen with a tub of tasty popcorn? You can organise a film screening at a local school, church, community centre or even outside, under the stars. Choose to screen a recent blockbuster or go for an old classic and embrace a theme, like ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ with guests encouraged to come in fancy dress.

But don’t forget, under UK copyright law, if you are playing films outside your domestic or home circle, you will need to obtain a licence to do so (even for free of charge events and fundraisers).

Organise a pub quiz
A quiz night with general knowledge questions can appeal to a broad audience, or you can target particular groups by focusing on specialist subjects, such as football or music. Theming your quiz can also give it an extra edge; for example, how about holding one on Halloween with questions about horror films, along with spooky decorations to get everyone in the spirit!

The hardest part of holding a quiz night is inevitably writing the questions. If you research your own trivia on the internet, then be careful how you select the sites you choose to get the questions from. Do not just crib from the first list of horror movie facts you come across – your participants may well have been on the same website!

Gather a gardening gang
If there’s a green space in your community that has seen better days, why not organise a group of volunteers to restore it to its former glory? Digging out weeds, picking litter and planting flowers will transform it into something for all to enjoy and encourage people to take an active part in caring for their local area.

Or perhaps your child’s school has an area of unused playing field that could be put to better use? Approach the PTA about turning it into a vegetable patch with the help of parents and pupils, growing produce for school dinners while teaching the children about where food comes from.

Music for corporate events

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Music is an important element of any event, whether it’s in the form of a playlist, DJ or live performance. We’re not just talking about parties and product launches: conferences can benefit hugely from music.

It’s probably not the main type of event you associate with music, but entertainment during seminar breaks and background music played in exhibition areas are both popular choices.

To help you use music as effectively as possible at your next conference we have collated a list of the most popular songs, and will also talk you through how to use them to your advantage.

Using our pool of professional artists, we sent out a questionnaire to 1000 bands, DJs and acts asking if they had played at a conference in the last 18 months, which songs they played, and if any of the songs had been requested by the organisers.

Here are the Top 10 songs played at conferences

Happy – Pharrell Williams
Get Lucky – Daft Punk
Rather Be – Clean Bandit Ft. Jess Glynne
Treasure – Bruno Mars
You’ve Got the Love – Florence + the Machine
Forget You – Cee Lo Green
Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Locked Out of Heaven – Bruno Mars
Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder

So, how can you use them to create a great atmosphere at your conference?

Live entertainment during breaks can be a good energy booster for conference attendees. Chart toppers like the ones in our ‘most played’ list can work well in this environment, and can easily be played over an in-house speaker system at a reasonable level.

Hiring a live band or DJ can really add something to your event. Stay clear of big sounds and opt for a smaller set-up, as delegates still need to be able to network and recharge for their next seminar.

Using music in large exhibition halls can be a great way of creating a good vibe. At the same time the room is likely to be very noisy from all the delegates networking with each other and talking to exhibitors. The latter of course, is exactly what you want.

Out of all the areas of your conference where you might add music, this is definitely where your delegates will be most relaxed, and might even venture out on the dance floor.

After parties are all about networking and having a really good time. This is also where the ‘most played list’ will feel most appropriate. You can have a superb party band or DJ who incorporates them into their usual setlists, or you could go for a more tailored option.

Shop Promotions

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Most shops always have the same monotonous music playing in the background so why not switch it up a bit and hire a DJ. The public will hear different music and will also experience first-hand a DJ playing live in a shop, now that’s not something you see every day. Get the DJ to play various styles of music to attract different types of customers but also make sure it suits your shop. If you have a unique boutique then trance music would not exactly match the surroundings. Your shop will have that wow factor compared to others around it so it is definitely worth a try!

Many businesses now enjoy and thrive off shop promotion. Whether it’s opening the shop for the first time or your first year anniversary shop promotions can attract new customers and keep existing customers. It can also help increase sales which is probably the most positive factor of all businesses. Shop promotion entertainment can help with every of these aspects… if done properly.

Street performers are a great idea to entice people of the street and into your shop. The performers will attract attention to the facade of the shop and can even hand out leaflets to the public. Once your street performer starts performing and letting everybody know about the shop, then how can the customers resist not going in for a little look. Various street performers could include stilt walkers, fire performers, dancers and even musicians. This is a very cost effective way to add excitement and positive chit chat around your shop.

Food is well known to be the way to anybody’s heart. So why not have some sort of unique catering outside your shop to attract customers to your front doors. A few ideas which are very simple yet very effective include hiring a fish and chip van for the day.

It could be packaged in a traditional box with your brand on it, so when your customers sit down to enjoy their food they are reminding on your company. During the summer months you could hire an ice cream van or cart and if they spend a certain amount in shop then on their exit they get an ice cream. It may be a simple idea but this can be very effective. To finish up, your shop just needs to be jazzed up a bit. Make it fun and intriguing and do your research. Don’t hire entertainment which doesn’t match your shops style. And shop around and hire local artists of possible, this will reflect very positively on your shop.