Tag Archives: guests

Throw a 50’s Party

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The ’50s were a time when America was finally recovering from the war, rock ‘n’ roll was emerging, Hollywood ruled, and screaming teenage girls were swooning over Elvis. Are there better reasons to throw a party? Ladies, break out your A-Line skirts, and guys, slick back your hair. It’s time for a 1950s Party!

Decorations and Costumes

Vintage diners can provide inspiration for a great backdrop for your ’50s party. Think black and white checkered floors, and bold, retro fonts on your invitations and signs. Pink, aqua, and black are also traditional “diner” colours but feel free to be creative!

Charity shops are a great place to find old records that can be re-purposed for all kinds of things. Create cupcake stands or mould them into serving bowls for crisps. You can also stick them on the wall for quick and easy decor! Look for old Coca Cola crates to use for serving drinks, or antique tin ad signs to use in your decoration.

You could also go more Hollywood glam, and decorate with silver, crystal beads, ostrich feathers, and red carpet. Fill martini glasses with crystals, or tall vases with white ostrich feathers for easy centrepieces. Leave feather boas or beaded necklaces on the tables for guests to try on. Old Marilyn Monroe movies are perfect for inspiration, or just surf the web for images from that era.

Wondering what to wear? Think Grease. For ladies, the ’50s look was longer skirts with collared blouses or T-shirts, a coordinating scarf tied around the neck or ponytail, and ankle socks with sandal shoes. High ponytails with tight curls are a classic girly hairstyle. For guys who want a tough look, pair a leather jacket with tight jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Don’t forget the greased pompadour! For a more conservative look, tuck a short-sleeved collared shirt into slacks and add a bow tie. Part your hair to the side and you’re set.

Old Hollywood costumes are all about the sparkle. Beads, sequins, glitter, and form-fitting dresses were “in” as women started embracing their curves. Throw on a feathered boa or sheer shawl to top it off. For guys, tuxedos are perfect. If not, a tailored suit will also work!

Food and Drink

Serve the classics! Hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and milkshakes are great for a retro menu. Toss some glass bottles in ice, and don’t forget the red and white striped straws! Fill old sweets jars with classic candy like gumballs or liquorice, and set up a ginger beer float station to complete the vintage vibe. Or just add a 50’s twist to classic desserts like cupcakes, cakes, or cookies.

Entertainment

Keep your guests talking about your party entertainment long after it’s over with a little 1950’s Entertainment. Celebrity Impersonators like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley will add excitement to the party, try a Big Band or hire a Tribute Band to get your guests up and dancing!

Hire a Photo Booth and provide some ’50s-themed props (cat-eye glasses, paper soda jerk hats, bow ties, scarves, boas, sunglasses, etc.), or set up your own. You could also provide photo ops with larger cut-outs, like convertibles, Hollywood premiers, or vintage signs.

Games like the limbo, hula-hooping contests, and hopscotch were all popular back then, so set up a space to hold some friendly competitions.

Have a 70’s night

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Some might argue that the ’70s were the decade for parties, and we just might agree. So break out your bell-bottoms and your best John Travolta wigs and throw the party of the century. We’ll show you the way!

Decorations and Party Favours

The ’70s were definitely a colourful decade, so feel free to have fun with your decorations. Bright colours like orange, yellow, lime green, and purple are a must! For a retro look, geometric shapes are a winner. Try concentric circles and squares, and patterns that have warped shapes and waves. Also include big, colourful daisies, peace signs, Volkswagen vans, and hearts. It’s all about the love.

For some retro party favours, try letting guests tie-dye their own T-shirts, or give away thick moustaches to add some fun. Think Burt Reynolds! Hit the lights and pass out glow necklaces and glow sticks to get the party started.

Want more “glam” than gaudy? Break out the silver and gold. Decorate with traditional silver disco balls on the ceiling and gold tablecloths. Create metallic backdrops with fabric from a local craft store, hang beaded curtains in the doorways, and feel free to go crazy with the glitter. Fill martini glasses with silver beads, or tall glass vases with mini disco balls. Pass out disco ball key chains, disco ball necklaces, or glitter sunglasses as flashy favours.

Food and Drink

Fondue is a must at your ’70s party. It was all the rage back then, and who doesn’t love to dip things in melted cheese or chocolate? Make cake balls and dust them in edible glitter to keep things sparkly. Colourful cupcakes with swirled icing will match your retro decor, and martini bars will make everyone feel like they just stepped into Studio 54. Finger foods like vegetables with dip, small sandwiches, or meatballs are always great to have, too. They never go out of style!

Costumes

This is the fun part! Charity shops are a great place to find some great throwback clothes. Guys, look for loud V-neck collared shirts, bell bottoms, vests, and platform shoes. Girls, find some tall heeled boots, short dresses with long sleeves, and wrap dresses. The main thing is bright colours and patterns, and polyester always screams “retro.” Afro wigs, headbands, and bright eye makeup can complete the look. For the glam look, stick with draped metallic shirts or dresses for women, and V-neck metallic patterned shirts for men. For guys in a bind, a simple black dress shirt will do. Throw on a gold chain, show some chest hair, and you’re in business. Black winged eyeliner and nude lips are a must for the glam girl.

Entertainment

If you really want to take your ’70s party to the next level, live entertainment is a great option. Try hiring a Karaoke DJ to help you belt out some Aretha, or just have a Mobile DJ on hand to keep the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack on repeat. If you have the space, a Funk, Soul, or Disco Band can add some soul to your event. Adding an Elvis or Elton John Impersonator could throw some unexpected fun into the mix, too!

Another great way to get your guests interacting is to set up a Photo Booth. You can hire one that can print pictures onsite, or set up your own camera and share later. Use colourful wrapping paper or hang some bright streamers for a cheap and easy backdrop!

In short, if you’re looking for a funky way to celebrate a special occasion, try a ’70s party. It’s easy, fun, and bound to leave you with some great memories from the biggest party era of our time!

A murder mystery party

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Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick? Or was it your best friend in the kitchen with a lamp? There’s only one way to find out… Have a Murder Mystery Dinner Party!

If you and your friends like acting, dressing up in costumes, mysteries, and/or the classic board game Clue, a murder mystery party is the event for you! Even if these activities aren’t real hobbies of your friends, you’d be surprised at how much fun you can have at a murder mystery party. Here are a few helpful hints at turning your dinner party into a who-dun-it murder mystery…

Only invite your fun friends.

We all have that friend who gets a little moody when they aren’t choosing the group activity. We love them anyway, but if you don’t think they’ll play along and have fun, maybe don’t invite them this time. For this kind of party, you’ll want to your guests to be as involved as possible and excited to play along.

Decide on scripted vs. unscripted.

If your friends are quick on their feet and ready to improvise, a script might not be necessary. However, for some, roleplaying doesn’t come as naturally and you may want a script to fall back on. Either way, send out your invitations ideally 4-6 weeks in advance, complete with their new identity. If your party is scripted, this will give them plenty of time to learn their part. For unscripted events, it’s the perfect amount of time to develop their characters and get their costumes ready! Regardless of whether or not you opt for a script, each of your guests should have a complete background of their character so that they can play the part successfully to match your clues. No talking about your new found identity. It’s a secret!

Say yes..

The golden rule of improvisation is to never say no. To keep the plot and the conversation moving, you’ll want to always respond willingly to a situation and contribute to the conversation. Your role as the host is very important. You’ll be the only one who knows who everyone else is, and therefore, it is through your mixing, mingling, and question-asking that they will get to know each other.

Dinner is served.

When it comes to dinner, you’ll need to decide if you’d like a fancy, sit-down dinner or a buffet. For many hosts, a buffet is preferred, as it allows them to focus their attention on the guests. Whichever way you decide, we strongly suggest hiring a Caterer, Bartender, and a Waiter to help your event run smoothly. They’ll keep the food and drinks coming while you search for the killer!

Offer a prize.

In real-life murder mysteries, you may see that a reward of £25K is being issued. You probably don’t have £25k to hand out, but it adds to the fun to incentivize winning. Whoever cracks the case gets a trophy or another special prize! This will keep the competition lively. Alternatively, you can offer multiple prizes for not only the winner, but the best costume or the best performance.

Bring in the pros.

If you aren’t feeling confident with your ability to create and assign characters, write a script, or successfully place the clues, get some help. A lot of details go into pulling off a murder mystery party, but luckily, there are companies who will handle these details for you. Plus, they’ll come to your party and interact with the guests to move the story in the right direction.

Most importantly, just have fun. Murder mystery parties are unforgettable and your guests will have a great time dressing up and mingling with the other characters at your party. So, just enjoy it… and watch your back!

How to get the word out

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Once you have all your event details set, you need to get the word out to potential attendees through various channels:

Email – A great place to start is your own list of email subscribers. Because they’re already engaged and invested in your brand, they may have a higher likelihood to attend an event you have. Send an event invitation via email far enough in advance that your subscribers can plan it into their calendars. Make sure you include all the necessary information in your email. If you’re hosting an event, include the full address of the venue, parking information, etc. If you’re inviting people to a demo, or new service, include full log in or sign up details. Also include a link back to your website, and contact info such as a phone number or email address for your business so someone can call with questions if need be. Always include a call to action to register or sign up to attend the event.

Plan to send a few email invitations and reminders as you get closer to your event. You can offer early bird discount pricing, or offer different level of tickets and benefits to in still a sense of urgency.

Mail Invitations – In the digital age we live in, some may pooh-pooh the notion of sending invitations by mail, but invitations are very effective to get the word out. If you use compelling imagery and messaging, your recipient has a good chance of reading it. Invitations also serve as easy reminders because they can be placed on a desk or fridge as a visual cue of the event.

Social – In addition to inviting potential attendees via email and postal invitations, you can also invite guests via Facebook by creating an event. It’s a great way to invite people that you don’t have email addresses for.

Make sure you cover your other social bases by sharing details and a link to register on your other social channels like Twitter and LinkedIn. Create a hashtag for your event and use it every time you share details about your event on any social network. Just be sure you research any hashtag prior to using it to ensure it isn’t being used for something else you might not want.

Multi-sensory party ideas

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Looking for inspiration? Look at these suggestions on how your event entertainment can be made to appeal to all of the five senses.

1. Lights on, for a visual spectacular

Think you’ve seen everything London has to offer? Think again. Give your event a whole new look by holding it in one of London’s iconic landmarks – but as you’ve never seen it before. Everyone knows Tower Bridge, but what if it has your logo or a hologram shining on it? It has been done before but what if it was for your event?

That’s exactly the high-impact visualexperience Harness the power of cutting edge projection mapping techniques to create visual illusions that will stay in your participants’ memory long after your event is over.

2. Get theatrical

Harness the talent of London’s abundant supply of performers to create an unforgettable, totally immersive corporate event. Why not turn your event into a Circus Event? On arrival, guests will walk through the mouth of a clown before being welcomed by a giant elephant, attached to a hot air balloon, floating above them, while a lone strange ring master played gypsy folk songs on the accordion. Very surreal or very entertaining? You decide!!

3. Switch off and boost the taste buds

For a truly unforgettable product launch, team building activity or food and beverage tasting, try depriving your participants of one of their dominant senses – eating in the dark heightens the focus on the food’s flavours and textures. The experience of specialist restaurants such as London’s Dans le Noir shows that events that include dining in the dark offer participants the opportunity to enhance creativity, break hierarchical barriers and interact more meaningfully with each other.

4. Add colour to create the right mood

Match the meeting room colour scheme with your meeting’s objectives. According to the findings of psychologists at the University of British Columbia, colour schemes really do make a difference to participants’ performance. Their research showed that people in a room painted red performed much better at skills that required accuracy and attention to detail, than people in a blue room. But those in the blue room outperformed the red group on creative tasks requiring imagination by twice as much.

Try a venue like 8 Northumberland Avenue, London’s most central venue, where its white walls mean that you can used coloured lighting to create exactly the mood that matches your meeting’s goals.

5. Use music to generate emotions

Add music to your event strategically, to generate the emotions you want your audience to feel at specific times during their meeting. A recent report suggests that well-chosen entrance music can set the right mood for the meeting. During brainstorming or problem-solving sessions, light classical music speeds up thought, while music related to the conference topic can also be used to introduce activities or illustrate key points, creating immediate recognition and adding to the meaning of the event.

Finding the right type of musicians is made easy by looking on Red Masque directory where you will find London’s most requested professional musicians, from classical to jazz and swing – and beyond!

How to entertain the simple way

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Universal Party Truths: The first guest will arrive early. The pots and pans won’t be washed. And a half-dozen people will squeeze into the kitchen while you’re still slicing and dicing. Instead of fighting the facts, finesse your game plan. With these clever tips, you can keep your guests happy and occupied—and make yourself less stressed, from hello to good-bye.

For the smoothest entry, give arriving guests a clear destination. A small table done up with essentials is a friendly gesture, and it frees you to get back to the kitchen if needed. Try to offer bar access from more than one side, to prevent a cue. Stock generously and make sure you chill white wine for two hours in advance so guests won’t need to come looking for anything—ice, glassware, bottle opener, condiments—but reserve some surface area for mixing drinks. Nobody wants to mix up a Manhattan in mid-air.

Guests go where the action is—besides, they want to socialise with the host. Be ready to make them feel welcome.

Give over the far end of your kitchen counter or island to appetizers, so people know exactly where they can linger without being too in-your-face.

Welcome help. Reserve certain small jobs for early birds and those who shy away from being chatty. Offer the sorts of tasks you could give to an older child: setting out dishes and cutlery, plating hors d’oeuvres, filling the water jugs, or putting bread rolls in a basket.

Hide signs of stress. If anything makes a guest feel guiltier than watching the host do dishes after the meal, it’s watching her do them before the meal. Use the dishwasher as a hiding spot for dirty dishes even those you’ll ultimately wash by hand.

Go with the sort of low-key nibbles you would find in a classy bar: small bowls of nuts, Bombay mix, and olives.

Spirited conversation is a dinner party’s bread and butter, but sometimes it needs a nudge.

Manage moods. At holiday time, people tend to arrive hungry (and ready to indulge), so don’t make them wait too long for the main event.

Use a white tablecloth, white dishes, and just one or two rich accent colours and centrepieces should be tall enough to talk under or short enough to talk over.

A place card for everyone. Seating plans may seem formal, but they actually make guests more comfortable. Think about who would benefit from particular placement: small children (seat near a parent), couples (split them up to encourage mixing), and hearing-impaired guests (reserve a quiet corner chair or seat them front and centre, depending on personality). Then fill in the blanks.

Turn a table into a convenient, arm’s reach refilling station. Load it with wine, jugs of water, and spare utensils to eliminate supply runs.  

Be present. Each time you get up to fetch something, you essentially abandon your guests. A host’s primary duty isn’t to feed people but to spend time with them. Serve family-style, and forget cleaning up mid-event. Carrying plates to the kitchen is one thing; but once you turn on a tap, you’ve dissolved the festivity.

Relocating for sweets and coffee lets guests stretch their legs and switch up conversation partners.

Cheer at the finish line. Champagne after the meal is a nice surprise. It’s one of those delightful little touches that people remember.

To really spoil guests, set out the dessert —fancy chocolates or salted caramels—while you ready the baked goods. (Don’t forget the desserts that guests brought!) Sweet cheeses and nuts with a dessert wine provide the right coda for the sugar-averse.

Alcohol & The Event Industry

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Serving absurd amounts of alcohol at an event is not good for our Guests. Alcohol companies themselves invite you to ‘drink responsibly’

We need to erase for good the equation lots of alcohol = great event. If that was the case this post should not exist. What’s the point of giving you pointers on making events better if all that counts is getting drunk?

So what does change look like? We think we should give options to your Guests, and also think we can make a big difference with small changes.

Here are 5 ways to preserve your Guests wellbeing while giving them the choice to ‘let go’.

Low Alcohol

The line is very fine, but it can make a giant difference. If you have to proactively ask for alcohol, you will undeniably drink less than if someone constantly pours it into your glass.

Tell Your Guests

Low alcohol events translate in high communication requirements. Several Guests may in fact be disappointed by the lack of a basic pillar of so many events.

After a long day at the conference, guests feel they ‘earned’ their booze. But and experience without alcohol means they can actually talk to people, and people truly listen to what they had to say, enjoy the food, feel healthy the day after. Your experience of the event will be incredible.

The communication part is such an important piece of the puzzle. Let your Guests know what you are up to. Don’t let them get the wrong impression, tell them you want them to have fun rather than feel sick. Some won’t like it, but the majority won’t even remember this was a low alcohol event. The amount of positivity coming from a true social experience cannot be compared to a bottle of wine.

Pump Down the Volume

In a networking or social environment, loud music is the strongest ally of binge drinking. There is a correlation between high music levels and alcohol consumption.

We tend to lose control when the music levels are high. Speaking with our counterparts becomes more difficult.

Close the Bar

An open bar is never going to play nice with the objective of limiting alcohol. Opening a bar in a social environment is very similar to throwing a huge piece of cheese to hungry mice.

You can use a ticket system to allow a certain number of drinks on the house and then make Guests pay for their own drink. Money seems to be one of the strongest deterrent humans react to.

Once again communicate your plan to Guests, tell them you are not trying to be cheap but you are just looking after them. Try to discourage as much as possible the link between alcohol abundance and success of the event.

Give Them Distractions

Stimulate networking, playing, interacting among Guests. Technology is the strongest ally in your quest to take the focus away from getting drunk. Put up social media walls, have networking apps, gamify the event, give away prizes, have event entertainment performers, offer content. The options are endless.

If you only put up a sign with ‘open bar’ on it, do not expect Guests to achieve any of their networking, entertainment or education objectives.

Step back in time

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A great way to have a party with different genres of music is to hire some tribute bands. They can go all the way back to the 60’s up until the 90’s.  It would be fun to dress up to really make the evening really authentic. You may have a television company that need some by gone music to set your scene for your particular programme.

Music can be used to create nostalgia and to create the ambiance that you have been searching for, for whatever event you have lined up. Why not hire all types of music from all era’s and dance the night away to different decades, this is a great way to include all ages in your special event?

Tribute bands can also be hired which would be another great choice for your event again they can be tributes to the 60’s 70’s 80’s or 90’s or why not book all four!!!  

There is nothing better than the sound of a ‘big band’ where a crooner could be crooning along to some of your all-time favourites.

The thrill of the ‘big band sound’ wowing your guests being an altogether great event and just takes the edge of just about everybody else.  Why not be a talking point within your circle of friends and show your corporate guests a really good time.

Big Band and Swing are known for class and will be a firm favourite for young and old alike.

When you think of Brass musicians you think of the dulcet tones of the Salvation Army playing thought-provoking tunes and raising a bit of charity for the needy, or you could be thinking of a Marching band, whatever your memories or thoughts of Brass musicians, you cannot fail to love the sound.

If you needed some brass musicians at your event for a focal point or to raise some cash for a good cause then why not hire these great musicians, that are truly unforgettable and sheer joy to listen to. 

Character musicians bring a little bit of personality into their performance whilst playing an instrument or a number of instruments.  For example, it could be a ‘one-man band’ entertaining your guests at your corporate event.

It could be a comedian playing a piano very badly or a group of character musicians having a big of professional fun.

Be safe in the knowledge that all the musicians you see advertised on the Red Masque directory are of the most highest quality and are truly very professional and one of a kind.

Singer waiter surprise

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All you need to know about booking the ultimate ‘surprise’ act for your charity dinner, wedding breakfast, or celebration lunch. Waiter…

What are singing waiters and what do they do?

Singing waiters are fake serving staff who suddenly decide they want to sing rather than serve, only to be joined by two or more other serving staff who want to do just the same! The ‘staff’ are actually professional opera singers or West End musical theatre singers in disguise, who then present a cabaret-style spot of favourite opera extracts and musical numbers to delight and entertain guests.

What to look for in quality singing waiters

Quality singing waiters acts combine superb singing, excellent comedy acting skills and the ability to blend into your event so nobody suspects a thing before they sing! The key to a successful singing waiters act is the element of surprise – no guests must have the slightest clue that the person serving their drinks or dinner is actually a performer in disguise. The best groups therefore spend some considerable time liaising with you beforehand to ensure they can become part of your event without raising suspicion.

This includes making sure their performers wear the same uniform as your venue’s waiting staff, and may work as waiters and waitresses for part of the event. Most singers will not actually work all evening as waiting staff, but just enough to appear to be the real thing just before their act. Some acts include a ‘chef’ or ‘maitre d’ according to their act format, and again they will ensure these performers appears to be the real deal. They will also liaise with the venue to make sure all their staff know what is going to happen, and that real staff are fully briefed on what’s about to happen!

Bear in mind that after the initial surprise, all singing waiters acts turn into, essentially, cabaret acts. So, look for groups who include experienced singers in either opera or musicals, so when they do start to sing, it’s both impressive and entertaining. 

What formats do singing waiter acts offer?

The original and most popular format is that during the meal (and usually between courses), a ‘scene’ starts to happen where a waiter wants to sing, or there is a problem with the food. Perhaps the chef emerges from the kitchen to sort it, and a young waitress intervenes. Before you know it, they are all up and singing anything from opera arias to Robbie Williams hits! Most groups are very flexible about what the ‘scene’ is, and make it suitable to your event, be it a corporate dinner or a family party.

The idea of singing waiters has now expanded to include other characters that can ‘interrupt’ your event. Singers in disguise can be singing firemen or anything you want really. But, imagine the scene, two hunky male singers who need to check the safety equipment, or who come to the rescue of a ‘chef’ who has set the pudding on fire!

How about a Ronald Dahl themed party?

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Many private parties and corporate events love theming parties around two staples in particular – a Midsummer Night’s dream and Alice in Wonderlands (Madhatters tea party). But with many other books available. We’re looking into the wonderful world of Roald Dahl party ideas.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

What a wonderful party this would be! There is no doubt a brilliant opportunity for caterers to get imaginative and conjure up all sorts of delicious treats for guests it also presents a brilliant theme for entertainment as well. Why not hire dancers to be oompa loompas and you could also hire a magical act to truly make you feel as though you’ve stepped into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Matilda

The Natural History Museum’s Hinze Hall would be a wonderful setting for a Roald Dahl themed party, certainly a large enough room for some of the magic that will undoubtedly take place as a Matilda event reaches its peak. A graffiti artist would be a wonderful addition (referencing the chalk-on-blackboard scene) whilst magicians would be an obvious addition to the occasion. Illusions on the stairs amongst Dippy the Dinosaur will surely be a must see! Just make sure you avoid Miss Trunchbull, the scariest of all costumed characters!!

The BFG

Imagine attending a party where everything is giant-sized! That’d certainly make Roald Dahl party games more fun! From the chairs made out of cotton reels to a scone the size of a table, this is sure to be a 2016 party theme to celebrate the release of the Steven Spielberg film! Wouldn’t that be fun? Giant pencils and mugs can function as theming props whilst the BFG himself can lurk outside a window. But what of the entertainment? With some sneaky production, it’d be possible to magnify the image of a band or circus act so that giants are really performing at your event!

James and the Giant Peach

Ok, perhaps not a real peach but for a James and the Giant Peach party, we think repurposing a circular venue such as the Royal Albert Hall, the London Planetarium or the Round House will be perfect. After that, we can then work on the entertainment. If it’s fruit-themed ideas you’re after, what about hiring a cocktail waiter that can shake up some alcoholic or non-alcoholic fruit cocktails?

The Twits

As any fan of The Twits will tell you, there are a number of moments in the story that stick out to a reader, not least the finale where The Twits believe they’re upside down. As such, how about sticking everything to the ceiling of your venue and having an ‘upside down’ party? With bird pie on the menu (or not, as the case may be), various practical jokes provided by top comedians and magicians and a few costumed characters to play the titular characters, there is more than enough here to create a brilliant (albeit highly expensive and unsafe) event. But hey, The Twits themselves would probably enjoy it!