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The best ways to hire a band

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Booking a band for any event can be tricky. What type of music, what size of band, and what price should you pay? These are the most common questions a person asks themselves when they have been given the task of hiring a band. Here are a few small things to look out for when booking a band so these are the 5 things to look out…

1. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. So be realistic with your budget. A live 6 piece band would cost you between £800 – £1200 so if this is the size you would like, and then expect to pay the higher bracket of money. If you find a 6 piece band and they are charging less than this then as the saying goes, it is too good to be true!

2. Make sure that the band you are after fits your event and music style perfectly. Therefore if you are a corporate event organiser ensure that your band have had vast experience playing at corporate gigs. Same goes for weddings, birthday parties, award ceremonies etc. So always research the band’s past clients and this will be able to give you an insight into the band’s history.

3. Always sign a contract, you must of heard dreaded horror stories of bands. Whether it is the band hasn’t showed up at all, the band has double booked or the band has got a flat tyre and can’t make it to your event. Well this is why you need to sign a contract; if any of these unfortunate circumstances happen then at least you have the right to get your money back. So always ask for a contract and make sure that it covers you under all circumstances.

4.You should look for testimonials on Facebook pages, the band’s own website and even on online forums. Also ask friends and family if they have heard of any good bands in the local area. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful sources so use it, it is free!

5. If you have an event and need to hire a band within a 30 mile radius. This means you are not paying extravagant amounts of money for extra travel and most entertainers will have the first 30 miles free. Some bands will even charge £2 a mile, after you already pay for your band I’m sure that £100 for travel alone will just not be worth it. So source out some great local bands that will play the exact music you like without the crazy travel costs!

Make your office party the greatest

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The office party can be looked upon with dread or with happiness. Of course it all depends on what the office party will include. Office parties have a few main principles; these include food, entertainment and drink. We are going to give you a couple of unique extra ideas on these areas and they are sure to keep you onto an office party winner.

Your party entertainment depends on your budget and also party style. In most cases office parties have quite refined budgets which can make it quite tricky to find top class entertainment.

Do not cut corners when it comes to your entertainment. Research what others office parties have and shop around your area for the best. You could hire a DJ to come into your office to really get the party going. Most DJ’s will also know various party games, so again this is an extra bonus.

Another unique idea would be to hire a fun casino. The fun casino will come into your office venue and set up various casino tables for you and your fellow employees to play. Games include Blackjack, Roulette and Poker. Each casino table will have a trained croupier dealing the cards who will also explain each game to your team. This is fun source of entertainment and also a great ice breaker.

Jazz your office party catering up by hiring outside catering. Your food should taste amazing and memorable so why not hire a fish and chip van. The fish and chip van could arrive at your venue and serve all your lovely team with scrumptious traditional fish and chip food. This is a fun twist on office party catering and nothing creates positive talk than good food.

Your drinks will depend on whether your office party is consuming alcohol or not. But whether your drinks or alcoholic or non-alcoholic a perfect source of beverages is to hire a cocktail artist. The artist will set up your personal bar in your venue and make fresh and unique drinks and even serve them to your guests. This is the perfect idea to make your drinks really stand out from the crowd.

Tower of London event venue

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For nearly 1,000 years, the Tower of London has stood as a landmark for visitors to the capital to enjoy. In service to the monarch, thousands of people flock to the Tower of London each year in order to experience a true feel of Britishness; from the ravens walking around the grounds to the colourful Yeoman Warders (that’s Beefeaters to you and I) waiting to greet you, there’s a lot to enjoy. And that’s even before we get to talking about the Crown Jewels!

When you hire an event venue like the Tower of London, it’s clear you’re going for the spectacular, looking to really impress your guests. What you might not know however is that the Tower of London has a whole host of rooms and spaces that are available when you decide to hold your party there. This event venue sits right on the bank of the River Thames. But what else can you expect from this fabulous venue?

Whether it be a reception, dinner or huge event, you can pick from a variety of different rooms that hold just 12 people right through to The Moat, which can hold up to 2000.

You might wish to dine in the White Tower or enjoy a drink or two in the New Armouries – whatever you desire, the Historic Royal Palaces team will seek to accommodate your request if it is at all viable. Do not worry about having a private view of the Crown Jewels either; this is all part of the experience when you hire such a famous venue! You can even experience a special Yeoman Warder and witness the ancient and world famous Ceremony of the Keys.

Hiring a venue like this is naturally an opportunity to hire the best entertainment for your evening as well. But what works at the Tower of London? You’ll be glad to know that pretty much everything does! Caricaturists, singing monks, classic function bands, string duos and even lutists play in this very special of events venues.

Glam Corporate Events

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The Oscars are a perfect occasion for a party, as the award show provides you with all the theme you’ll need. Why not put together such a great opportunity to party with your friends!

The Ceremony
Now, we bet you’re wondering how you can fit all of this into one party? Set up the show outside or rent a large venue big enough for all your party’s needs. Don’t forget to pass around a ballot for the awards. Whoever guesses the most winners can get–that’s right–an Oscar fun idea: create drinking games around multiple nominees. Every time they win, take a drink!

This prestigious event is a wonderfully elegant night, so make sure you take all these factors into consideration when you’re planning your party. You may not be attending the Oscars, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel like a winner!

The Glitz
You definitely need a red carpet, the paparazzi, the atmosphere of celebrity? Decorate your party with all the accoutrements of fame. We suggest a gold and black design, punctuated with red highlights. Hire caterers and party suppliers to treat your guests like stars. The point is to create the right environment, so your guests will feel as special and pampered as the yearly nominees!

The Glamour
Really, it’s the dresses. The Oscars have become known for the beautiful and strange outfits gracing the red carpet. Challenge your guests to either show up in one of the fame gowns or just wear their most elegant ensemble. It isn’t every day we get to get decked out in our best, so encourage your friends to go all out!

The Entertainment
Your party needs music! Hire a DJ or a Party Band to play nominated songs during commercials. If you really want to get into the fun, hire a stand-up comedian to entertain throughout and, at the end, to give out awards for Best Dressed! Maybe hire a few performers to mingle with guests to really add to the celebrity vibe.

Great exhibition ideas

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You’ve got your exhibition sorted, 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!

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 like Fake Faces 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 famous couple David and Victoria Beckham or fictional characters like 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.

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.

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.

Planning the next Christmas…

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We are now into 2018 and have left the festivities behind us; but, now you can start organising the next office Christmas party!!!

Whether you are looking for some tips to complete the perfect party or having trouble where to start, we have put together some top considerations to make sure your party is remembered all year long.

Entertainment
The heart of any party is truly memorable entertainment and without it, you are going to have a long awkward night relying on the mood of the attendees to carry you through.

There are many reasons that entertainment is important but the simplest is to keep the attendees engaged. By having great bands or comedians perform to break up the evening, it allows the attendees to relax and laugh while stimulating everyone for the evening ahead. It also has the added benefits of providing a central talking point for those who may be a little shy or for those looking to use the event to network with some senior members of staff.

There is such a vast range of options available currently, so it vitally important to choose the event entertainment wisely. If possible, see the act live in action or on video before fully committing to their services.

Budget and venue will have a major bearing on your decision-making process. Bands who specialise in covers often work very well as they can cater for everyone’s tastes. Alternatively, if your budget allows for the spectacular, why not consider booking street performers or even a live circus act.

Catering
Food has come to be expected at any event but it can be easy to not give thought or consideration to what food exactly will be served at the party. Often it will be a secondary concern, just something for people to nibble on as nobody is really expecting anything spectacular.

However, as experts in corporate event planning ourselves, we know that food can be so much more than that, in fact it can be a showstopper. Beautiful food that is delicious will get guests talking to each other, while also remembering it long after the event had finished.

Also consider that there is likely to be many intolerances and special diets within the attendees to take into consideration. It will be important to offer options that are not only delightful in taste and presentation but diverse enough to ensure that no one leaves the event feeling though they were an afterthought or missed out.

No matter how great the party is, if attendees are hungry they likely won’t be enjoying themselves and this can cast a shadow over the whole event. It is therefore important to take into consideration the length of your event, as longer events will require guests to be fed throughout it. We suggest small strategic canapes to do this without breaking the rhythm.

Venue
As important as the entertainment and food, a venue can really set the tone for the whole event. Too formal and it is unlikely the guests will fully relax or too quirky and some people are just going to feel uncomfortable all-night long.

Your choice of venue is going to have a significant impact on your budget, so it needs careful consideration of your specific needs, such as the number of attendees.

If your space is too small it will likely feel cramped, hot and stuffy. Equally if the venue has too much space it will feel empty and lacking in atmosphere as the guests will be too spread out to mingle. No matter the size of the venue makes sure that the location is conveniently close to transportation links.

Our personal recommendation is to always find a venue that offers that little bit of a wow factor. Places that have a view or a behind the scenes look at well-known landmark work the best as they serve as another memorable conversation starter beside the food and entertainment. Oh, and make sure there is enough toilet facilities… Nobody wants to be queuing.

The resonance of the Cello

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The sound of the Cello is very familiar with its deep tones and haunting sound, perfect for classical corporate events and private parties.

Not only is the cello a small version of the violone, but a violone is also a large type of viola. Hence ‘little big viola’. We admit they could have just gone with ‘small violone’ but where’s the fun in that? With the ‘violoncello’ all too often truncated down to ‘cello’ in modern times, the name of the instrument often had an apostrophe sitting in front of the ‘c’. This abbreviation has fallen by the wayside in recent years – much like the Waterstones apostrophe – and as such, we’re left with the cello being called the cello!

The cello is a relatively large instrument – one might even think of it as a massive violin – but did you know that the cello isn’t even its full name? The word ‘cello’ is merely an abbreviation of the word ‘violoncello’. If you don’t speak Italian then at a stretch, you might think the name means ‘violin cello’ but you’d be wrong.

When translated literally, it means ‘little big viola’. Confused? You see, the cello (or maybe we should call it a violoncello to be true to its full name?) is in fact a small version of another instrument, which is known as a violone. If you’ve never heard one of those then you’re not alone; only a few players around the world specialise in this instrument and the closest you’re going to get hear one in an ordinary setting is by listening to a double bass (which combines features of both the viol and the violin families).

So although you might think The Massive Violins have a hilarious name it’s actually rooted in history.

Entertainment for team building

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Augmented Reality Treasure Hunt
AR or augmented reality is all the rage thanks to the launch of Pokémon Go. It’s a simple enough technology that even the most technophobic of guests will be able to understand. The virtual reality game makes use of your GPS and camera on your phone to create fun photos and make it appear as though you are not alone in the room. It’s not just Pokémon or solving clues that the technology is limited to either. As the photo shows, you could hold an entire band in your hand!

Virtual Reality Team Building
The VR stands for virtual reality, which is similar to augmented reality, but a lot more immersive. Anyone who is involved in the experience must wear a headset in order to take part, which instantly transports you to another building or world, where you have to work together in order to get ahead. Imagine being teleported inside a video game and that is a perfect way to explain the entertainment you’ll get from a virtual reality team building experience. The technology has already been hailed by Facebook and HTC and there have even been corporate events specially created where you get to defeat zombies as a team. What fun!

Interactive Tiles
Dancing is great fun but there are always a few guests at an event who don’t really fancy getting involved as everybody else does the Macarena. The solution? Some interactive tiles of course! Perfect for an enhanced dance mat experience or put in place as a competitive game, interactive dance tiles can be used to ensure that getting fit is a bonus at your party. The more feet the merrier (perhaps the more steps, the bigger the prize?); this is an event installation you won’t want to miss. And yes, you can totally recreate that scene from the Billie Jean music video.

Cycling Competition
This is a fab form of interactive entertainment that allows two guests at your event to compete and see who gets the best time. Wonderful for events or parties where you have a few prizes to give away and the best bit is that there are no bikes endlessly coursing in and around your event. These two pedal powered beasts are attached to a small plinth to take up a minimum of space at your venue. Just plug in and go!

Brilliant ways to remember your event

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Eyecon Art
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.

Duke Box
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 a Duke Box, a fabulous box of audio delights which allows you to be the DJ! Selecting your favourite hits and making a party to remember from nostalgic tunes to more up-to-date current hits. A duke box not only looks good but sounds great too. Your guests will be gathered around remembering their favourite tunes of yesteryear.

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!

Valentine’s day entertainment

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Whether you’re planning a private party where you get to play Cupid or perhaps a romantic offering for those already coupled up, Valentine’s Day can be a great party theme and here are some brilliant ideas (and one novelty one) to get you thinking and keep the fun flowing throughout the night.

If you missed out on valentines this year, why not think about planning something amazing for next. Like it or not, and if you’re single then it’s probably a day you loathe, Valentine’s Day will be on again next year and numerous love hearts adorn the shelves at pretty much every shop you walk into.

Chocolate
Chocolate fountains are brilliant for corporate or private parties as the melted chocolate just keeps coming and an assortment of fruit and marshmallows are always available to dip into the goodness. And when you’re done with that, why not wash it all down with some carefully selected wines, learning about what to look for in a good bottle of plonk? Your partner or future partner is sure to be impressed!

Colour Profiler, Numerologist and Graphologist
Let’s say you’re flying solo at a Valentine’s Day party and thinking to yourself that maybe you should update your dating profiles as you swipe over yet another questionable person on Tinder. A colour profiler and numerologist can help narrow down exactly who you’re after by telling you a little about you! Determining your aura and discovering which numbers are important to you could well help you out en route to a satisfying relationship. A graphologist is also able to be booked; often used in criminal cases, a graphologist also has a capacity for romance – they might even be able to tell you who else at the party has handwriting that suggests a perfect match with you!

An Amazing Party Band!
Come on! If you’re wallowing in the corner watching a couple dance a slow waltz around the room, then it’s time to get on up for the next song because the music is set to rock! Hiring a party band for your party is an absolute must and we have a whole host of amazing bands perfect for weddings and parties who know how to combine the romantic ballads with something a little heavier for those just wanting a good dance. No party is complete without one.