Tag Archives: entertainers

Bonfire Night Event ideas

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The 5th November! Bonfire Night is the perfect time for wrapping up warm and getting together with friends. You may be going to one of the many firework displays across the country or planning a party at home. Here are a few ideas for hosting your Bonfire Night party outside

Wrap up warm with lots of layers and have plenty of extra gloves and scarves handy. If you are hosting the party at home, provide blankets for guests to spread across their knees if they are gathered outside around a bonfire.  Hand warmers in Knitted covers for coat pockets will be very welcome too – they’d work well too as a party favour for each of your guests.

As well as the focal point of the bonfire – complete with the Guy on top – delineate the party area with strings of outdoor lights, garden torches and lantern bags, so that people can easily see where they are going. If little ones will be in attendance, then LED candles or tealights are safe alternatives to normal candles. Torches and head torches will come in handy if you’re letting off fireworks. If you have a few tables and chairs in the heart of the action, light them using tealights; you can have lots of fun making homemade tealight holders with everyday household objects.

Keep guests insulated from the inside out, with flasks of hot drinks and tasty, comforting food. Bonfire Night is high time for a hot spiced cider punch, or simply a full-bodied red wine from bottles warmed by the fire.  Serve drinks in plastic glasses to avoid breakages.

When catering for a crowd, go for something easy to make ahead and in one pot. A bowl of rich, spicy chilli con carne with sour cream, cheese, guacamole, salsa and tortilla chips is easy to hold and eat with just a spoon or fork. Set up a buffet serving table inside, not far from the kitchen, so that people can help themselves. Another idea could be fish and chips in boxes or chips in cones with little forks. For something sweet you could make some homemade popcorn, serving from this adorable stall

As well as the all-important fireworks display and bonfire, have a few activities ready to keep everyone warm. Packets of sparklers are essential, and glow sticks and glow necklaces are also fun to distribute.  There’s little doubt that childhood favourites are still popular, so why not set up a sweetie bar for your guests to help themselves to. Be sure to include marshmallows for everyone to toast on sticks over the fire – perfect with a little hot chocolate laced with rum, cinnamon or chilli!

Top tips for organising an event

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Organising an event may seem like a scary and overwhelming task, but with good planning it needn’t be, and the rewards of a successful and memorable occasion will eclipse the efforts involved. Here are some basic top tips for organising a triumphant event.

Choose an Event that you will enjoy

Successful events are organised by people who believe in the occasion and who want to put a smile on everybody’s face. They are also run so smoothly that not only do the visitors want to repeat the experiences, but organisers too. 

When choosing an event, it therefore important something that you would enjoy attending. If you don’t like the occasion then the role will quickly become a chore and be evident to everybody.

Plan Carefully

Well organised parties and events leave people with positive experiences and make them want to come back for more. Events that are poorly organised will probably still be remembered, but for the wrong reasons. 

If an event is not carefully planned it will flounder. With event management it is not simply a case of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best – too much is at stake. One simple error regarding the organisation of such aspects as the toilet facilities or the catering might be secondary to the main event, but it could ruin the whole occasion for many people.

Consider drawing up an event manual or a calendar to chart let you and everybody involved know what needs to be done, by whom and when. This will also help you to chart your progress. It is useful to plan in reverse, by starting at the event date and working backwards.

Don’t take on too much work

Very few events are one-man missions, they are largely realised by people working together in a team headed by a manager or an active small committee. This is the most effective way because event organisation involves a great many different tasks, some occurring concurrently. The organisers should therefore not be afraid of getting as many people involved as they need. The less people have to multi-task and more they can focus on one job at a time, the less chance there is of something going wrong.

Budget Carefully

A key aspect of the event plan is the budget. The initial plan should be accompanied by an estimation of the total costs. This will enable you to firstly see whether the planned event is economically viable, and then whether you need to modify costs and plans, and how much funds need to be raised. 

The basic budget plan needs to include all the expenses and the all money coming in to pay for them. To avoid any damaging financial mishaps, it should be diligently followed. Records of what has been paid for and when should be maintained, and receipts and invoices kept. 

Timing

Timing is another vital factor in successful event organisation. The occasion needs to be planned for a date that gives you plenty time to plan and action it, and save any last minute panicking. The day must also be appropriate for the event type and its audience – if it’s aimed at children then school day afternoon would for instance not be advisable. It should also not clash with any other occasions that might steal its thunder and its attendees, such as a major sporting event.

Contingency Planning

Even if your plans are very sensible and thorough, you cannot anticipate everything, there is always the ‘what if…?’ It is therefore important not to overlook contingency planning, and consider a wide range of potential problems during the planning stage.

How to become an Events Organiser

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Big events don’t just happen. Behind every successful promotional or corporate event, stands an exhausted but happy event organiser. If you’re looking for a career change and you’ve got good organisational skills and multi-tasking abilities, you might want to take a closer look at this job.

Job Role

An event entertainment organiser is responsible for putting together all the behind-the-scenes details connected with a large event, corporate meeting or exhibition. Work responsibilities will include initial meetings with the client to gather ideas and to determine budget and timings. Following that, as an event organiser you will usually investigate different venues and locate suppliers. 

The event organiser is also responsible for negotiating with various contractors, such as those who supply catering or security services. It will also be your job to coordinate the marketing of the event. Finally, when the big day arrives, you will do whatever is required to make sure that everything runs smoothly and within relevant regulations.

Qualifications and Skills

The good news for those seeking a career change to this type of job is that the role requires no particular qualifications. It would be extremely beneficial and a good opportunity to highlight your relevant experience and transferable skills. Several organisers already at work in the industry have pointed out that a degree is less important than personality. But bear in mind that you will have an edge over other candidates if you have college-level training in events management, marketing or public relations.

Prospective employers may look for practical experience in areas like hotel conferencing, travel or public relations. If you haven’t had the opportunity to do this sort of work for pay, you could build contacts through volunteering or organising events in your personal or social life. Also, learning a second European language would be a definite plus point. Apprenticeships are available in some areas.

To be a successful party and event entertainment organiser, you will need excellent communication and people skills, and have a knack for solving problems creatively. If working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines are a problem for you, you may want to reconsider. You will probably be working a lot on your own, but at times you may be part of a larger team. You should possess good attention to detail and be able to work within a budget.

Employment Routes

Possible employers include event management companies, conference and exhibition venues, hotels, leisure facilities or charities. Large companies, universities and local governments also need event organisers. Once you gain some experience and a good track record, you could also work as a Freelance Organiser. Although most of your work will be done in an office, you’ll undertake some travelling as you may often need to visit different venues, suppliers and clients. Most of the time you’ll be working normal hours, but as the deadlines for your events approach, you may be working round-the-clock. And remember, it’s possible you’ll be planning multiple events at one time, each with their own deadlines and schedules.

 

Networking

If you’re interested in a career change to the world of events organising, spend some time talking to people already in the profession. Perhaps you can arrange to shadow them as they work for a few days, which would allow for a much better feel for what the job is really like. This in turn would prove beneficial and noteworthy, as you’ll also be a much more knowledgeable job candidate if you choose to move ahead into this area. 

Being an event organiser is certainly not easy nor is it stress-free. But when an event comes together successfully, knowing that you’re the one who made it happen gives you an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.

Beatboxers

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Possibly the most common question we are asked at is what entertainment are we able to provide that is “different” or “out of the ordinary” for a wedding or corporate event? It could be you need something unusual for a big birthday, corporate night out or an anniversary party, but you’ve hit a stumbling block. Well, without doubt one of the most exciting and unusual acts we can offer is the outstanding Beatboxers. You probably want the lowdown but firstly we can safely say that this beatboxers provide sublime entertainment, ideal if you’re searching for totally original artists for your wedding or big event. So take a very worthy risk and wave goodbye to traditional entertainment, blow your guests away with Beatboxers! At Red Masque we suggest you embrace something so cool and modern that we really guarantee you will surprise and thrill your wedding party with something completely individual and extra-special. If you love Hip Hop then you have to check out Beatboxers – they don’t need any props and by that we mean no drums, no bass, no guitar and no piano because they are completely reliant on making music using their… mouths.

If you didn’t know, Beatbox is a phenomenon derived from Hip Hop that has been around for the past decade if not more and it continues to grow rapidly in popularity. It is an art, the ability to make music just using your mouth itself is pretty impressive – if you try it yourself you will see it’s very difficult! The performers can create the sounds of drum beats and other musical noises just using voice, lips and tongue. Famous Beatboxers include Schlomo, Beatfox, Beardy Man and Base 6 who are in good company with Doug E Fresh.

There’s so many different ways Beatboxers can entertain your guests… you need to picture the scene but how about a dramatic wedding entrance to “Get Lucky”. They’re well practised too as their talent spans over years of performing. It’s a brilliant way to stop people in their tracks, and will delight children and adults alike, whatever age because the way they perform is remarkable, so much so, guests are left open mouthed. Their set is incredible, full of energy and tremendous fun. If you want to know what type of songs they cover, well, you can make special requests for example Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and “Talk Dirty” by Jason Derulo not to mention Pharrel’s “Happy” to name a couple of excellent tracks. 

How about surprising your Bride, Groom or other party member with a blast from a Beatboxers talent? Conveniently, sets range from 3 x 20 minute sets to one hour long set or 2 x half hour slots. Imagine the beatboxers bursting through the doors of your venue and striding through while beatboxing “The One” (Swedish House Mafia) on their way to the Bride to serenade her in their unique style – you can’t beat that for cool! Or before you introduce the Disco or band let them warm up the revellers – they may even teach you one or two of their ingenious techniques.

One thing’s for sure, Beatboxers add some extra entertainment to your wedding or special event and you’ll be beatboxing clever.

Plan your New Year’s Eve party now!!

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New Year’s Eve – a great excuse for you to invite the friends and family around, indulge in some more drinks and snacks, and celebrate a fresh start. Don’t worry if you haven’t sorted out any entertainment for the evening yet, there is still time to book and there are plenty of interesting acts for you. Take a look at our top 10 last minute ideas for your New Year’s Eve party entertainment.

1. Caricaturists

If you’re staging a party this New Year’s Eve, then a caricaturist can really help to break the ice between people that may not know each other. Generally a caricaturist can draw 10-15 caricatures in an hour, making this a good choice for crowd entertainment. Caricaturists are also great if you’re on a tight budget as they normally provide their own drawing materials and any drawings done on the night are free for your guests to take home, making your event personal and memorable.

2. Magicians

Magicians are another great ice-breaker for large events, but also very versatile and can perform at much smaller events for New Year’s Eve. Magic might look amazing on television, but there is nothing like seeing live magic being performed right in front of your eyes. Close-up magic is great to get guests actively involved and keep them amused during the quieter times of your event.

3. Balloon Modellers

I bet you never thought that would be on the list! Balloon modellers are great value for money and it is amazing the type of things they can produce for you! They can make balloons tailored to the theme of you event, and are even happy to teach guests how to twist balloons themselves. This is a unique form of entertainment that is suitable for all ages.

4. Pianists

Of course, New Year’s Eve events can be very classy, requiring some sophisticated entertainment. A Pianist is a really good option if that’s the type of event you have in mind this year. Most pianists are happy to discuss set lists with you in order to create the type of show you are after. Live music adds that extra spark to any event, especially New Year’s Eve when your guests are expecting to see the year out with a bang.

5. Rat Pack Singers

Rat Pack singers cover all the greats, from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennet, to more modern music from Michael Buble. This is a great entertainment option if you want to entertain all ages for New Year’s Eve, and Rat Pack singers can be hired as solo acts or with a band.

6. String Quartets

Another classical option for your New Year’s event, but still able to adapt to your theme! String quartets are a good option if you are on a tight budget but want that big band effect. Most quartet groups have options for trio, duo, or solo performances too, so it’s always worth asking for other options. Some quartets even boast electric instruments which can make the show even more impressive.

7. Harpists

From classical to contemporary music, jazz tunes or musical show favourites, a harpist is an extremely versatile act. If you think a harpist is just for a wedding, don’t be fooled! Harpists can play more modern music to incorporate into the theme of your New Year’s event. Although harps look like large instruments, a harpist will only need about 2 meters squared to perform, so even if your event is a bit smaller you could still hire a harpist. Take a look at Red Masques’ directory of harpists if you feel like a more sophisticated form of entertainment for your New Year’s bash!

8. Saxophonists

The saxophonist is one of the most vibrant acts you could hire for your New Year’s event. They can play along to high quality backing tracks or as a soloist. Often concentrating on jazz, funk, and soul, our saxophonists are also keen to discuss more modern song choices with you to help make your New Year’s Eve event a hit. A saxophonist can also be a really good accompaniment if you plan to have a sit-down meal at your event.

9. Dancers

There are numerous dance groups across the UK who can perform for New Year’s Eve parties. Dancers can perform meet and greet sets, or produce a choreographed show to wow your New Year’s Eve guests! Various themes are available such as; Can-can, Moulin Rouge, Cheerleading, 1920s, Las Vegas, Bollywood, Street dance, Hula, Hawaiian, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Broadway, Arabian Nights, Wild West, James Bond, and burlesque. Most dance groups will perform along to music from a CD, so all you would need to do is provide the sound system and you have the perfect New Year’s Eve entertainment!

10. Vintage Singers

If you fancy a singer but you are looking for something a little bit different for your spectacular New Year’s Eve event, look no further. A vintage singer could be the right act for you!  has many solo vintage singers, duos, trios and bands. Vintage acts can perform traditional vintage songs, wartime songs, or more modern songs in a vintage jazzy style – it’s entirely up to you! Most vintage acts will also have a range of themed costumes available to wear if you are going for a full-on themed party.

From caricaturists, to burlesque dancers, to classical pianists, there are plenty of entertainment options for New Year’s Eve that you may not have already thought of. Just remember to book quick as time is running out!

Wedding Entertainment Planning

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Choosing wedding entertainment is a very important part of your wedding planning process. Your guests may not remember the theme of your wedding centrepieces, the type of cars or even the design of the cake. The last memory of your wedding for you and your guests is having the most important people in your life having fun and dancing with all the new friends that they have made. If you don’t plan your wedding entertainment properly, your guest’s last memory will be how the wedding ended at 9pm!

Band or DJ?

There are advantages and disadvantages of having both. The pure sound of Live music with a wedding band can really bring a great buzz to your reception but will be more expensive than a DJ, and most bands stick to a set list.

A Wedding DJ can only play pre-recorded tracks which means that their sound isn’t as good as a live acoustic band, but the DJ can play any type of music, take requests and works out less expensive than a band.

Band & DJ package

You can have the best of both worlds with live music from the band and disco music with requests for your wedding. The live band can play the first half of the evening (from after dinner until the evening buffet), and the DJ can play the final half of the evening (from the evening buffet to the close of the bar).

Once you have decided this, there are so many questions: A swing band? A cover band? What type of DJ?

Vision & Theme

To avoid becoming overwhelmed consider your vision and theme for your wedding reception.

Close your eyes & imagine it. Talk it out. Different visions and themes call for different music: a swing band would be perfect for a Vintage themed reception, while a great cover band has something for everyone and Ceilidh band would be great for a Traditional Irish / Scottish themed reception.

Make sure that your wedding DJ has had experience, can take requests and has a good quality sound and light show. As with every industry there are good ones and bad ones… The bad ones are cheap and you certainly get what you pay for. So make sure the last thing that your family and friends remember is that great DJ that finished off your day with a bang!

Food for thought

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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 Tombola’s

There are strict and complex laws relating to larger raffles and lotteries which you’d need to check the Gambling Commissions 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. 

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. 

Nothing beats a good fun day.

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Here at Red Masque, we offer a wide selection of fun and exciting equipment to help make your event a huge success.

Whether it’s a small corporate fun day for 50 guests or a large scale event for up to 3,000 people, we advertise 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 Family Fun Day is a giant triumph and goes ahead without any hiccups, here are 6 key things to think about when planning a fun day…

Whatever equipment you’re hiring be it the side stalls and rodeo bulls or deck chairs and inflatable slides, each piece of equipment will have its 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.

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 in case 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. 

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.

 

Top Tips on Getting the Best Out Of Your Wedding Entertainment

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After the wedding dress, your wedding entertainment is the next thing your guests will remember about your wedding, so make sure their memories are good ones!

Don’t go cheap! Professional entertainment is like any other service… you get what you pay for. Remember if you pay peanuts you will get monkeys.

Booking a Band, DJ or Photo Booth just because they give you the cheapest quote, very rarely has a happy ending. Red Masque receive calls regularly from brides who have been let down by their entertainment supplier, often this is less than a week before the big day. You don’t want that worry for the sake of sometimes only a couple of hundred pounds.

Make sure you have a contract, which clearly states what their price includes. This contract should clearly state: arrival, start, performance and finish times and if you are booking a musical entertainer, make sure you know if they will be supplying the speakers and lights and any other necessary equipment for the performance.

Insurance! Anyone you book (even a non-musical entertainer should have public liability insurance. If they don’t, you run the risk of the venue not allowing them to perform. Check with your venue how much cover they will need, most venues will ask for cover between £2,000,000 – £5,000,000 some larger more prestigious venues will ask for cover up to £10,000,000.  This we may add is very important.

Find out what system they have in place if a member of the act is unable to perform. We all get ill from time to time and are unable to do our job. Most professional acts have ‘substitute’ performers in place can step in at short notice to replace the missing performer.

If you’re booking a band, choose one that will try and suit everybody’s musical tastes. You may be the biggest fan of heavy metal and plan to mosh on the dance floor all night long, but the chances of older guests wanting to listen to this is slim! By just choosing a band according to your own tastes, you may end up with a very quiet dance floor. Instead you may want to consider choosing entertainers who can play some of the music you love but also a mixture of classic floor fillers. We like to call these bands ‘Versatile Function Bands’.

Do look after your entertainer(s) to enable them to put on a better show. For an evening performance a band will typically arrive at around 5.30pm to set up and are not usually on the road again until after 1.00am. That’s a minimum of 7 ½ hours at your venue, not to mention the time it took them to get there and the time it will take them to get home.

A basic hot meal, soft drinks and a room to get changed in and chill-out in when they are not performing can make the world of difference to any hard working performer. No one can work to their full potential on an empty stomach or look their best by getting changed in their car. If you want to get the best out of your entertainers, treat them (almost) like they are a guest.

Check the minimum stage size that the entertainer(s) needs to perform. Stage areas that are the wrong size can cause problems for many performers and can sometime mean they cannot perform to their full potential.

Plan your Christmas event well in advance

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Even though summer is in full swing, Christmas is never too far away and in fact its heading close to five months until the big day which means that now is the time to begin thinking about the Christmas party and how to make it better than ever before. Chosen Events know exactly how to organise a first class event and we understand what it takes to make a memorable party.

If you are in charge of organising the Christmas Party, then now is the time to begin booking your entertainment to avoid disappointment simply because entertainment is often booked months in advance.

You may have a theme in mind or you may have been told that it has to follow a theme, but do not worry because Chosen Events will have something that will meet your requirements whilst also catering to the needs of those who will be attending – we can promise that your Christmas Party will be one that will be remembered forever!

We appreciate that it can be difficult to choose the right entertainment but this is exactly why we ensure that we have lots to offer so that you can find exactly what you want. You may want to follow orders and book what everyone wants or you could go ahead and book something that is completely different, either way we want to make it easy for you. 

So where do you start?

We have put together a list of entertainment acts that we believe can turn your Christmas party into something spectacular.

The snow globe acrobats is a show that is full of visuals and excitement – a truly unforgettable experience

The act involves two acrobats and it takes place in a stunning snow globe where they carry out an amazing balancing routine whilst they are showered in glitter. This act is enchanting and breath taking and we can guarantee the whole thing will leave your guests amazed. The perfect show, set in a winter wonderland theme it is clear so see why it is so popular

This is the perfect way for your guests to really remember a magnificent event by having their photo taken so that they have something to take home with them. Professional photographers will be snapping away while your guests are in the snow globe and with free unlimited prints, print customisation and a props box, there is lots of fun to be had. The snow globe photo booth comes in a number of sizes but this is the perfect addition. Immediate prints, ready to take away- your guests are guaranteed to remember every moment of your Christmas Party! 

If you want your event to offer something different then the Photo wall is certainly unique.  It may be Christmas but your guests will be able to choose from many backgrounds making their Christmas Party experience one that is full of excitement and fun

It has never been so much fun having your photo taken, but grabbing a friend and choosing a whacky backdrop or film scene will have your guests coming back for more. The whole thing from start to finish takes 30 seconds with your guests being able to take immediate prints, ready to take away.