Tag Archives: events

The year of the Pig

Posted on by

This is how to throw a Chinese New Year party for one night only

Crispy Duck, spring rolls, lettuce wraps, sweet and sour pork, crispy orange beef and chicken chow Mein are just a few dishes you can serve at Chinese New Year. If you’re not up for cooking, hire a Caterer to make up delicious traditional Chinese dishes for you and your guests. Your desserts should be orange based or otherwise relate to your Chinese New Year theme. When it comes to alcohol, you should talk to your Bartender about serving drinks that involve oranges. Do not serve anything with cream or that is white in colour, as white represents death and mourning.

Buy Chinese take-out boxes and fill them with party favours for each of your guests. Some great favours to celebrate Chinese New Year are chocolate gold coins, fortune cookies, oriental fans, Chinese opera masks, character bead bracelets, mini paper lanterns or dragons, and other traditional Chinese sweets or gifts. If your budget allows, you may also consider booking a Photobooth for your corporate event and laying out themed props. You and your guests can pose with paper dragons, red boas, and other fun props.

It’s customary to ask your guests to remove their shoes at the door. All of this is said to lead to good luck and a smooth transition into the new year. Once your home is spotless, it’s time to decorate.
Red and gold – that’s your colour scheme. In many Asian cultures, red envelopes symbolize a monetary gift for a special occasion. So, you may consider sending your invitations in red envelopes to go along with your theme (you can include chocolate coins to replace the money). You’ll want to hang beautiful Chinese lanterns throughout your home (and outside, too, so that new guests can easily identify your home). Cover your table with a rich, red table cloth and use gold-trimmed plates or gold napkins, placemats, or other finishing touches. Many choose to adorn their tables with Chinese dragons as centrepieces. However, you can also decorate by placing bowls of mandarin oranges (which represent wealth, luck, and happiness) out for your guests to enjoy.

You can also hire party suppliers and have some music playing, which adds to the ambiance. Consider instrumental, western, pop, or ethnic music to add to your event.

Chinese New Year is all about new beginnings, luck, and happiness. So celebrate with your loved ones and have a happy new year!

Get your guests excited

Posted on by

As with most corporate events your venue needs to wow your guests from the moment they walk in, creating a special and uniquely defined space for your event. Two highly contrasting themes are high tech interactive and natural materials, enabling your company to show off its tech prowess, or boost its eco credentials.

You could extend the theme beyond décor and food into acoustic musical acts, for a more ‘natural’ sound.

Take lighting to the next level and illuminate your event to create spectacle and visual interest. Any venue can be transformed with clever and creative use of lighting even on the more limited of budgets. Use lighting to throw unusual shadows, to colour tables rather than using flowers, and use wireless technology to alter lighting states to reflect the various stages of your event. Look for party DJ’S with their own light shows, rock and pop function bands that provide their own lighting, and artists that use light in imaginative ways.

For larger events, book artists that have a strong visual impact enhanced by theatrical style lighting,
such as dance troupes, ballet dancers or aerial artists.

Choose musicians that blend performances with tech, such as our interactive VJ’S, or a live DJ. Get your guests interacting with each other playing giant games with your very own theme.

Find ways to make your event entertainment a pleasure for everyone by choosing acts that blend superb musicianship with accessible humour, such as a comedy string quartet. Or present musical acts with an international flavour, such as 1920s swing band just make people smile!

Raising a glass

Posted on by

Toastmasters have served with distinction for many years at a variety of events, and are now most commonly associated with Weddings. The beginnings of the Toastmaster are, however more humble and a little cloudy.

Whilst documentary evidence is patchy, the origins of the Toastmaster have foundation in the middle ages, where the keeper of the wine in great houses was known as the Master of the Toast. As wine was not as cultivated as it is today, the Master of the Toast would take small pieces of bread, toast them over an open fire, and dip them into herbs and spices. Once coated, the Master of the Toast would then add the toast to the wine and mix in. This had the dual purpose of removing some unwanted flavours, whilst adding others which, it was hoped would make the wine more drinkable.

The practice of raising a glass in acknowledgment, or to wish good health is not new. It has been practised as far back as Roman times, but became an accepted custom in society terms during the 17th Century, particularly amongst VIP’s attending banquets. Once such occasion was being held at the Pump Rooms in Bath in 1649. Having wandered into the nearby spa two gentlemen from that banquet came upon a lady who was lounging in the water

One of the gentlemen wanted to join her but was prevented from doing so by his friend. The friend took up some water from the bath into his drinking vessel and passed it to his companion. Sitting in the bottom of the vessel was a piece of spiced toast, from his previous drink. Having taken a drink, the man is alleged to have said “Nay, though I likest not the beverage (pure spa water is an acquired taste) I will take the toast to the lady”. He then proceeded to drink the water, and joined the lady in the spa. The incident was subsequently reported in Tatler, in an article which identified it as being the first use of the word ‘toast’ to pledge the health of of a person i.e. ‘Toast to the Ladies’; and so it became accepted that this occurrence was the precursor of ‘toasting’

Within society and private members clubs in particular, they often used one of their members to act as a Toastmaster. Whilst an easy solution; if there were a number of toasts to be made, the speech of the Toastmaster became somewhat slurred as they continued to drink similar quantities of wine as other members. This resulted in a special glass for the Toastmaster, which was made from extra thick glass, and would only hold a small amount of wine, ensuring the Toastmaster was in a suitable state to adequately perform his duties; particularly important if special guests were in attendance. It is generally accepted today that Toastmasters do not drink whilst ‘on duty’.

The most obvious feature of a Toastmaster is the long red tailcoat. Accepted within the industry as having been introduced by Mr William Knight-Smith. William was commenting to his wife that he was concerned about looking like a butler whilst working in London at the Cafe Royal during the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Centuries. His wife then suggested that he should wear a red coat, and so the distinction was made, and a tradition born.

Today the Professional Toastmaster can be found at Weddings (of all faiths), civil partnerships, charity and corporate events, gala dinner nights, awards ceremonies, family celebrations, masonic knights, and any public occasion that demands dignity, style and a cutting edge.

Street Dance

Posted on by

The history of street dance is said to be divided into two eras.These are Old school and New school. Almost all of roots of street dance is African American culture namely, hip hop culture. Keep your mind that hip hop dance is one part of hip hop culture. Hip hop dance is categorized into New school.

In Old school, there are B-boying, Locking, Popping etc.

B-boying is frequently called Break dance or Breaking but these names are not actually correct. B-boying was born in the South Bronx of New York in the early 1970’s. In the beginning, B-boying is called Good Foot (It is the name of James Brown’s hit tune.). Good Foot was different from B-boying in that Good foot didn’t include acrobatic move. The middle of 1970’s Good Foot became to called “boie-oie-oings”. It is the base of today’s B-boying, but it does not include acrobatic move too. The last 1970’s, Puerto Rican young dancers revolutionized B-boying. They started acrobatic move in B-boying like Windmill.

Locking was born in Los Angeles in 1960’s. It was perfected by “The Lockers”. The roots of Locking is said Robot dance. In 1969, an African American young man became famous with his dance. His name was Don Campbell, and his dance was Campbell Lock. Campbell Lock was new in all point, it’s move was unique and comical. In 1970, Don Campbell formed The Lockers. Their style was amusing and unique so many people were attracted by them.

Popping was born in Los Angeles in 1960’s. It was created by ELECTRIC BOOGALOO. The roots of Popping is said Robot dance. As you may recognize, Locking and Popping is like brothers. But Popping’s move is stranger than Locking’s one. I’ll give you the video of Popping. check it out.

Hip hop has roots in all street dances. It means that Hip hop is free and it is difficult to define hip hop. Hip hop dance history is with Hip hop culture. So, I cannot tell you who started Hip hop dance but certainly African Americans made it.

The major source in house dance movement streams directly from the music and the elements within the music such as Jazz, African, Latin, Soul, R&B, Funk, Hip Hop, etc. The other source is the people, the individuals and their characteristics, ethnicities, origin, etc. You have people of all walks of life partying under one roof. Thus you have exchanges of information (body language) house dance is a social dance before these competitions.

Team building

Posted on by

In the workplace good communication builds trust between colleagues in the corporate world and helps us to get the job done more efficiently- but it can be tricky to get it right. If your team is struggling with trust and communication problems, find out how team building events can save the day.

From the constant buzz of emails to our ever-growing to-do lists, office life is becoming increasingly fast-paced. When colleagues are stressed out or under pressure, good communication can go out of the window, leaving your team feeling unmotivated and resentful.

It’s easy to make a mistake but it’s not always as easy for colleagues to forgive and forget. In a fraught environment, even something as simple as a missed email or snappy response can cause colleagues to lose trust in each other. In some companies, you may find yourself with ‘more chiefs than indians’ or employees who would rather do everything themselves than delegate tasks. Personality clashes, poor communication, fallouts and office gossip can also damage relationships between colleagues, leading to lack of trust and poor working environments.

Team building events isn’t just about delivering company messages and building brand awareness, it’s also an opportunity to patch up relationships between colleagues and develop their communication skills.

Getting employees out of the office will encourage wallflowers out of their shells and give more outgoing employees the chance to blow off some steam. It also takes people away from day-to-day stresses so they can get to know each other on a personal level, relax, bond and have some fun.

Team building exercises throw people together and demand quick solutions. With no time for indecision or disagreements, teams learn the best ways to communicate to reach their shared goal most efficiently. All of this should be reflected in their work back in the office, leading to better procedures and working patterns.

Whether it’s staying calm under pressure when you’re lost in the middle of London or finding a secret talent for solving treasure hunt clues, team building has a way of unlocking people’s potential. Increasing self-confidence and boosting trust amongst employees, team activities are a great way to bring out the best in your colleagues.

Team events that push people out of their comfort zones, and encourage them to try something different. Allowing groups to engage with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, experimenting in a fun, pressure-free environment helps teams learn how they can combine their skills and support others.

Ideas to surprise your guests

Posted on by

It’s fair to say that despite what we in the industry try to do, many people roll their eyes at having to go to certain events. The mind numbing drudgery of chatting to people you don’t know, the leaning in to read the name tag at a networking do, and the fact that the food can often be unappealing or cliche.

It’s time to change all that by sourcing some top notch entertainment for your event. Whether you’re organising a corporate event, an awards show, or a private party, event entertainment is a great way to keep your guests…entertained!

1. Event Walls

An event wall? If used correctly you will get great reactions by simply putting up an event wall that adds style and character to your event. Whether it’s used to promote your brand or simply look stylish, a bespoke event wall can help your event stand out as soon as your guests arrive. This could also be a great place for attendees to take selfies and ‘red carpet-like’ images of themselves.

2. Living Topiary

With a Living Topiary on hand, your event will really spring to life. What at first appears to be human-shaped hedges, are in fact hedge-shaped humans. They can happily walk around your venue, waving, hugging and generally putting a smile on the faces of your guests. A unique novelty act!

3. Silhouette Artist

Strolling acts are perfect for making sure that nobody misses the fun by coming to you! There are various types of wandering acts including magicians and caricaturists. Silhouette artists gets a great reaction as it’s generally something attendees have never experienced. A form of art extremely popular at the beginning of the twentieth century, guests have their profile cut into paper and stuck onto a card for them to take home. This is a perfect momento your guests can take to remember all the fun they had at your event!

4. Edible Mist Orbs

Many parties make do with basic nibbles, whilst catering companies serve up dishes that unfortunately we’ve all tried before. Change things up with edible mist orbs, allowing your guests to literally taste the air! Pop a straw in your mouth, breathe in the air from the orb, and see what flavour you get. Mint? Apple? Cheesecake? It could be one of many different flavours. The best bit thing about these are you can even put in a request for a bespoke flavour to be made!

Fun Corporate Event Ideas

Posted on by

Rewarding employees with a fun corporate event should be just that – fun! For these types of events, look for something more interesting and creative, a change from the standard “golf outing and dinner” routine. If your event is a company-wide event, then your venue will need to be large enough to accommodate all the employees and their mode of transport, if they are traveling individually. Some fun corporate event ideas include:

Company picnic with food produced from local farms, music, and games. Bring both blankets and chairs for seating.
Plan a trip to a sporting event for an early afternoon game, complete with scarfs, hats and hot dogs.
Wine tasting day out and winemaking demonstration followed by a picnic outdoors on the grounds for a real day away from the office.
A River Boat cruise complete with sightseeing commentary and lunch.
For a small group, a trip into a nearby major city for a live show and dinner.

Whatever the choice, keep the staff in mind when planning event entertainment. If employees consider this outing just “one more work event” they have to attend, you will have missed the mark.
Keep the employee demographics and the office atmosphere in mind when planning a corporate event of this type.

Plan a Fireworks event

Posted on by

Fireworks Night, otherwise known as Guy Fawkes’ Night or Bonfire Night, is a quintessentially UK celebration, marking the time that Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators didn’t blow up the Houses of Parliament on the 5th November.

It’s an obvious one of course, but if you’re hosting a Fireworks Night event, fireworks are a must! If
you don’t think you’ll feel safe running the display yourself, you could hire a company to come in and do it for you.

If you do tackle the display yourself, make sure you do so responsibly and safely, and adhere to Government safety rules. And with fireworks, must come sparklers too, so make sure you get plenty of these, as people do love them!

If you’re not looking to be as traditional as this, you could always have some of the masks of Guy Fawkes, that feature in the film V for Vendetta, or why not make a bonfire cake with a little Guy Fawkes on top?

Catering at events is important; mainly because it’s a great way of warming up the crowds with some hearty food. Serving jacket potatoes has always been a classic, but why not take this further with these shepherd’s pies, cooked in a baked potato shell?

Cooking a large dish of chilli is always a crowd pleaser and is easy to make in a big batch. Or why not consider cooking up some bangers with a bit of fire (keeping it on theme) by adding some chilli for chilli sausages?

Whilst hearty food may keep everyone warm, it’s worth making some visually pleasing treats that fit in with the theme of the night, like bonfire cakes, firework cookies and chocolate sparkle

There are different ways to approach Fireworks Night, whether you decide to go for something traditional, with traditional food and drink; or decide to go all-out and add a few twists and turns to surprise your guests, creating more of a spectacle. Whatever you do, make sure everyone is warm, cosy, safe and enjoying some of that autumnal fresh air!

Fundraising events

Posted on by

Individual fundraising efforts can bring in substantial amounts of money. The publicity they attract can also help to boost a charity group’s profile.

This type of trial seems to really suit certain people. Sports enthusiasts, adrenaline junkies and others. None of whom seem happy unless they are taking it to the max!

The trick for your charity is to offer them a way to raise funds for you that matches their interests. This might include encouraging individuals or working with an existing club or corporate events to raise awareness.

There are also a large number of unlikely candidates for even some of the most extreme sports challenges and sponsored events. Of course it is this that helps attract money and publicity.

So if you are looking to bring a test of endurance or stamina into your life. Or fancy yourself as an all action hero. Or if you work for a charity and want to encourage others to raise funds for your group check out the great event ideas below.

Charity Abseil

Charity Bungee Jump

Charity Parachute Jump

Firewalking

Run A Charity Marathon

Musical events

Posted on by

We all love musicals. Even those people who say that they don’t can be found screaming Grease Lightning at the top of their lungs at private parties every summer. It makes sense then that musicals from the West End and Broadway are therefore commandeered for corporate events and private parties. They’re generally happy, always fun and are perfect for getting the party started. But what’s possible?

Mary Poppins
Famous for dancing penguins, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Dick Van Dyke’s horrendous cockney accent, this is a musical that combines animation and live action to great effect. A family classic for all the family. But how does that translate to events? How about hiring some costumes and umbrellas and create a wonderful Poppins medley in any Event Venue. Incredible, vibrant and a really great theme.

Phantom of the Opera
Why not assemble cast members from the West End to reprise their leading roles as Christine and the Phantom respectively, put them in the world famous costumes and perform a few classic songs from the smash hit musical to a hugely appreciative corporate events crowd.

Sound of Music
How about a corporate event put together singers are decked in full lederhosen for a merry West End sing-song of all the hits from the Sound of Music. Do-Re-Me, So Long Farewell, 16 Going on 17, Climb Every Mountain and My Favourite Things can all be belted out to a costumed audience, who absolutely adored it. Such an idea won’t be perfect for every corporate gathering but it certainly shows what one can do!

Mamma Mia
Ah, Abba. Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dancing Queen, Waterloo… The hits are endless and as a result, we’ve had a hit show in the West End for more than a decade (and a film where Pierce Brosnan reveals his god awful singing voice) For this particular event, you can combine the mega hit Glee with songs from everybody’s favourite Swedish pop quartet. The result will be fabulously fun and entertaining party that everyone will enjoy.