Tag Archives: booking

It’s all about magic

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When someone suggests to hire a magician for an event, you might conjure up images of a cheesy magician from the eighties. Perhaps even a children’s magician who will produce an incomplete colouring book at a corporate event, waving a literal magic wand and suddenly showcasing the pages full of colour. When we talk about it hiring magicians for corporate events, we mean something a lot more cool and a lot more enjoyable.

Ice Breakers
When people arrive for a corporate event, it’s fair to say that even if they’re from the same company, they might not know anybody there. As such, a magician is a brilliant way to break the ice, encouraging others to form a group around where the trick is performed and ensuring that people can talk after being introduced. As the magician moves on to another group, these two, three or even four people can chat about the miracle they’ve just witnessed! Magicians are great for breaking the ice at parties and events and best of all, getting people talking!

Social Media
A great trick is sure to amaze and to that end, magicians are very likely to have their performance shared on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so that guests in attendance can share the magic with their friends online. This is brilliant for any corporate client because it means that not only is their event being shared but their company brand and logo might feature in the background of a photo or video, whilst they get the added benefit of looking like a fun company to work for who reward their employees with fantastic evenings out! How’s that for free advertising and PR?

It isn’t just magic…
When you book a magician for an event, you might be thinking only of card and coin tricks. Not so! We want you to think even further than that – magicians aren’t just able to pull of some incredible sleights of hand but are also able to provide some astonishing feats of mentalism as well. Think the most amazing tricks by Derren Brown! Combining familiar card tricks with displays of mind reading really does stun guests and are another great reason for having magic in attendance

Christening Party Ideas

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After the Christening ceremony many couples now opt for a family private party, complete with live music and children’s entertainers.

Christenings: A Brief History

The christening or baptism of a baby or child stems from the Christian religious practise of immersing oneself in water to wash away sins (The Greek word ‘baptizo’ literally means to immerse, plunge, dip, or bury in water) and in later years the ceremony became associated with the taking of a name to symbolize new life. Adults may choose to be baptised later in life but whatever the age of the participant, the naming ceremony whether religious or otherwise is usually followed by a family celebration.

Make It Musical

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

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

If you will have a good number of children attending then it pays to hire party entertainers to keep them occupied. Have a look on Red Masque’s Directory of Children’s entertainers, magicians and street entertainers. Also think about face paints & fancy dress costumes which are always a great way to keep them entertained.

Five Party Entertainment Ideas

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Red Masque has compiled a list of tips for planning the perfect party. Interestingly enough, each tip is affordable and easy to achieve, so there’s no excuse for putting off that next big celebration.

Choose A Great Event Venue That’s Easy To Access

If you choose a great event venue you won’t need to spend as much time dressing it up to look good. There are loads of interesting party venues out there to suit a wide variety of styles and themes. Check out the venues in your area and visit before you hire.

Remember that if guests are travelling from out of the area, it helps if the venue is easy to find. Consider how easy it is to find parking, and also how much accommodation is available near by.

Entertain Your Guests, Book A Live Band

Most people are happy to have a party DJ, but anyone who’s been to a party with a live band will tell you how much better the night was. We’ve even had brides tell us that the band ended up being the most crucial part of their whole wedding day, simply because they made the evening so unforgettable.

You need something to really get guests excited and live party bands do exactly that. They’re interactive, energetic and fun. Not everyone likes to dance, but with a great live band, performing the best classic and modern wedding party songs, even the most ardent anti-dancers will be rocking out, arm in arm, singing along on the dance floor with guests they only met a few hours ago.

Drinks On Arrival To Welcome Guests

It’s a small touch that really shows you care about welcoming your guests, and it ensures everyone feels positive as soon as they arrive. It’s your way to thank people for coming, and it gets people in the mood to party. In a practical sense, it also helps to alleviate the early queues at the bar, something which is sure to dampen spirits and cause frustration.

Some party event venues will arrange for a member of staff to personally serve drinks as your guests arrive, or you can choose to have a selection of drinks available on tables near the entrance.

Celebration time

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The celebration of becoming ‘Bar Mitzvah’ (or ‘Bat Mitzvah’ for girls) is the traditional Jewish coming of age ceremony usually observed at 13 years of age for boys and 12 for girls. It is the initiation into adulthood and is looked upon now as the equivalent of Western Christianity’s celebration of confirmation.

Traditionally however, becoming Bar Mitzvah meant that for the first time you could participate in community prayers known as mitzvot (commandments and laws.) Jewish custom requires a quorum of 10 people for public prayer so the traditional ceremony requires the child to call the congregation together by singing a prayer and reading a section from the Torah.

Bands Who Perform Jewish Music
Many celebrations now end with a party for friends, family and community members. No party is complete without live music entertainment. If you’re looking for a band who can provide exceptional music for a wide age range of guests, maybe performing a mixture of Jewish / Klezmer-style music as well as other styles such as classical, pop or swing, Red Masque has a selection of high quality bands for you.

Great entertainment you’ll remember

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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 entertainment is that you can go home and frame your silhouette later, with each individual creation being stuck onto a quality back lining.

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!

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 entertainment at corporate events, 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!

Get planning for Valentine’s day..

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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.

An Amazing 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 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.

Chocolate

Chocolate fountains are brilliant for 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!

Wonderful London Galleries

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If you’re looking to hire the venue for a reception or dinner then there a multitude of fabulous locations to pick from depending on the numbers of your party. To entertain guests of up to 160 then the aforementioned courtyard is a must, with pre-dinner drinks able to be enjoyed in the Drawing Rooms Suite on the first floor, allowing lucky attendees to enjoy a private viewing which includes the opportunity to see The Laughing Cavalier in person. The courtyard itself offers an exceptional space with which to enjoy background music from a harp to guitar, right through to a four-piece jazz band for maximum entertainment value! For those looking for a more intimate occasion, the Venetian Room caters to just 24, whilst the Dining Room can hold up to 40 guests.

The first thing to note about The Wallace Collection is that it is contained within 25 glamorous galleries as well as a contemporary glazed courtyard that has to be seen to be believed. All of these areas are available to be hired for your corporate event, private party or wedding a beautiful setting in central London for somebody who is a huge fan of the ‘hidden gem’.

Although located near one of the most famous roads in the world, The Wallace Collection somehow manages to retain its status as a location only the most informed local or tourist knows about. You and your guests are able to enjoy masterpieces in virtually every room and when you hire the venue, the money goes straight back into preserving the collection for future generations to enjoy.

But perhaps your guests aren’t attending with dinner on the brain? If this is the case, then perhaps they are here to enjoy your wedding day! There are a number of incredible venues in which to exchange vows throughout the capital, so The Wallace Collection focuses on the most important part – the evening wedding reception! Naturally as an event entertainment supplier, we would say this, but we must stress just how gorgeous a reception one can enjoy in the Drawing Room Suite. Decorated with French silk, you will be able to delight friends and family amongst treasures that previously belonged to Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour, to name but two. Guests can then enjoy speeches, live music or a dance to a DJ in the courtyard.

The Wallace Collection really is a stunning space in which to enjoy party entertainment and is truly beautiful in the way it blends different styles of the old and the new.

Book through a reliable directory

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With a reliable entertainment directory, you can get suitable price for hiring a band. You can also get the right price for other artists you may want to hire.

To locate us, you have to come online; which is the first step. There are several agencies offering unique services on the internet, but you need to consider some factors when looking for the right agency. You have to compare several agencies before making your choice. You can ask the manager some questions. Or you can also arrange a private interview with each artist. This will help you make the right choice.

You can save enough time and energy when you engage a good entertainment directory in most cases, we have taken care of the brain work you would have carried out, and have the best unique and highly acclaimed artists in the business.

Red Masque will help you filter available options. You can get several options when thinking of hiring bands, singers, musicians, comedians and other artists. You may be confused especially when you don’t know any of the artists in person. You can save yourself the trouble by ensuring that Red Masque only advertises the very best and whatever choice you make will always be the right one.

We understand exactly what you want. You are able to contact various artists of your choosing and meet if you so wish to choose suitable music or songs for your event.

Who doesn’t love a juggler?

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Spark Fire Dance

What do you get if you combine acrobats with jugglers? As you might expect, the result is the wonderfully named Spark Fire dance, a pair of party entertainers who combine their sporty and athletic nature with the art of juggling. Juggling fire at one another a few metres apart to managing to swap when one person is on the other’s shoulders, there is nothing these circus performers can’t do!

Arron Sparks

A brand new act, Arron loves sharing and discovering new ideas. Many of which are connected by his interest in Yo-Yo, juggling, circus, skeptical thinking and performance.

He has set a few records juggling (yet to be beaten). Arron performs in lots of different shows all over the place, suitable for different party venues and occasions. Arron is sure to be a crowd pleaser for any occasion.

Chris Marley

When you think of booking a juggler for your event, you’re probably thinking of something very similar to Chris Marley. Able to juggle with a whole host of props from juggling balls to cubes and axes, you’re sure to be impressed by his ability! Having trained at the National Centre of Circus Arts, you can be safe in the knowledge that you have booked a true master for your event. A gentleman juggler with a contemporary twist, you can’t go wrong with Chris!

Contact jugglers

A little bit different to juggling in the traditional sense of the word, contact jugglers have an incredible ability to make balls apparently levitate in the air. Well, not ‘levitate’ exactly, but making it appears as though a silver ball or two has a weightless quality. Very difficult to describe but just as hard to ever forget, hiring a juggler is one of the finest decision an event planner can make if they want an unforgettable experience for their guests!

Tips for a smooth event

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Whether you’re planning a private party or a corporate event, you’ll want to achieve an incredible atmosphere. Here’s 8 quick tips to help you plan your day as smoothly as possible, and ensure everyone has a great time!

1. Book a suitable space

Decide where your fun day will be held and book it well in advance. A local pub garden, school field or community hall are all good places to hold a fun day. You need to make sure there is adequate room for everything you have planned. Also check if there are toilets and power available. You can add some little touches, such as bunting to bring the place to life, or choose a theme for throughout the fun day.

2. Logistics

The chances are, your chosen location, will not have insurance for all the activities you have planned. You will need to make sure you have suitable insurance for everything you have planned and ensure all electrical equipment is tested by relevant inspectors.

You will also need to ensure risk assessments are completed to make sure everyone is safe.

3. Choosing a date and time

Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to organise the day. You’ll be much more relaxed when the day comes along if you know you’ve spent time planning all the details.

Choose a date that doesn’t clash with anything such as big sporting events like football cup finals, of Wimbledon finals. Create a realistic timeline for the day and take into consideration the time needed to set and clean up.

4. Something for the kids

A good variety of stalls and activities ensures kids will have a great time and never want to leave. Children of all ages enjoy face painting and inflatable slides. Play zones are a great option for little ones, and for those a bit older, hire circus workshops and acrobats are great opportunities to show off their skills.

5. Refreshments

Kids of all ages will be needing some food and drink caterers to give them energy to keep on having fun.

6. Shelter in case of rain

As we all know, the British weather cannot be trusted! It is worth thinking about having canopies and / or marquees for shelter, should it rain.