Tag Archives: hire

Event ideas to raise money

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Sports
Sports fundraising ideas provides a great way for coaches, parents, and schools to raise funds for new equipment, team uniforms, or travel funds for competitions. In addition, sports fundraising teaches children the importance of community service and being part of something larger than themselves. Sports fundraisers can also tie in values such as teamwork, sportsmanship and more.

Football fundraising
Fundraising is a great way for football teams, summer leagues and traveling teams to earn extra money for team uniforms, new equipment, training tools, entry fees and referee fees for traveling teams. Why not organise the event entertainment with a sponsored football kick about or a penalty shoot-out? Don’t forget to buy some medals for the winners.

Dance Team Fundraising
If you are a dance or cheerleading team, consider hosting a dance-a-thon. This type of fundraiser works just like any walk-a-thon, however instead of walking… participants are dancing! Pick a day where dance team members and teachers teach dance lessons to others in the community. Incorporate fun dance performances as well to keep attendees entertained. Bring on a local business to sponsor and give all participants a t-shirt.

Team-Building Events
Another interesting idea for teams with older participants is a “team-building” fundraising event, such as a fundraising treasure hunt or relay race. Teams must delegate about the most efficient route to take, assign team members roles, and work together to accomplish their goals. This could be a great fundraising idea for a debate team or chess team. Funds are raised through team registration fees, plus individual pledge donation requirements.

The top event themes for 2017

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For all 2017 corporate events and parties, décor will be key. 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.

By combining the hottest corporate event trends for 2017 and some very special party entertainment, you can create a corporate event entertainment that’s still talked about long after.

If you choose a high tech theme, your event entertainment must be 100% integrated to the whole tech ambience. Look for entertainers that offer a tech twist in their act, such as iPad illusionists, LED Light entertainers and street magicians that work with the latest phones and mobile gadgets.

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.

If you are thinking about a winter corporate event into a natural winter wonderland with ice sculptures and decorated living statues, walkabout characters, and seasonal winter menus. Welcome guests with the warming aromas of mulled wine, or entice people out into the crisp winter air with heated seating areas, piles of rugs and sweet chestnuts roasting on a real coal brazier.

You could extend the theme beyond décor and food into acoustic musical acts, for a more ‘natural’ sound. Entertain with a gospel singing Christmas songs, or a trendy a Capella groups, or guitar and sax soloists.

When you want your corporate party to finally hot up, keep the theme with classic tracks that really evoke the sights and sounds with top UK function and party bands who know their Adele’s and their Maroon 5’s.

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.

Your entertainment should be equally well lit! 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.

Find ways to make your 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!

Ideas for November the 5th

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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.

To many that haven’t grown up with this ‘holiday’, it might not seem an event worth celebrating but as many of us in the UK know, it’s become more of an excuse to watch some fireworks, wrap up in cosy clothing, eat hearty food and drink warming beverages, all whilst getting toasty by the bonfire.

Fireworks

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 them 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!

Bonfire

Another staple of any Fireworks Night is the bonfire. Although this was originally to burn the Guy, this is a great way to keep everyone toasty during the night and can even be used to cook some bonfire treats.

There are different options of sizes, form the huge centrepiece fire, to little ones, to the smoke-free burning log pictured. Whilst staring into fire can be mesmerising, why not add some colour to your flames to add something extra special to your event?

Guy Fawkes

As mentioned before, this is the traditional origins of the night. People would make Guy Fawkes, which we call ‘a Guy’. This would normally be made out of old clothes stuffed with newspaper, or hay and added on to the bonfire as the main event.

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?

Bonfire Night Food

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?

Decorative food

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 sparklers.

Conclusion

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!

Applying for a Temporary Event Notice

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Are you planning a small, one-off event at a venue that does not hold a full licence such as a school, village hall or outdoor space? Also planning to sell alcohol or have late night entertainment?

Then you’ll need to obtain permission from the local authority by applying for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN). It’s essential to obtain a TEN for all ‘licensable activity’ that is not on your venue’s licence – if you don’t get one, then you can be fined, sent to prison for up to six months, or both!

What is licensable activity?

Licensable activity includes the sale or supply of alcohol, the provision of late night hot food and drink (between 11pm-5am), opening a venue outside of its licensed hours, and the provision of ‘regulated entertainment’.

Regulated entertainment is defined as any of the following activities that take place in the presence of an audience:

Recorded music i.e. Disco or DJ (between 11pm and 8am)
Karaoke (between 11pm and 8am)
Unamplified live music (between 11pm and 8am)
Amplified live music (between 11pm and 8am)
Play or dance performance (between 11pm and 8am)
Indoor sporting event (between 11pm and 8am)
Film screening
Boxing, wrestling or martial arts
Adult entertainment

Important note: A Temporary Event Notice covers you for gatherings of up to 499 people, for a duration of no longer than seven days. If your event does not meet these criteria you will need to apply for either a premises licence or a club premises certificate.

Who can apply for a Temporary Event Notice?

Any individual aged over 18 can apply for a TEN and you can obtain up to five TENs per year. If you already have a personal licence to sell alcohol, you can be given up to 50 TENs a year.

How to apply for a Temporary Event Notice

You must make the application to the local authority governing the borough or district into which your proposed venue falls. You may be able to complete the application online or otherwise download and print the necessary forms to be posted. You will have to pay a fee of £21.

Don’t forget you may be responsible for ensuring the police and Environmental Health also receive copies of the TEN within the notice period.

In your application it is important to be very accurate about exactly what will be taking place and the dates and times that your event is to cover. You could be fined if you make any false statements in your application, or face prosecution if you breach the terms of the notice.

If you are successful in your application and your event goes ahead, you must keep your TEN on the premises on the day and display a copy of the notice somewhere it can be easily seen.

In summary

Temporary Events Notices can be trickier than they look – give yourself plenty of time to make your application and if you’re in any doubt whether you need one or not talk to your local council.

Team building exercise

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One of the great benefits of team building is that it offers participants the opportunity to indulge their deepest desires and longstanding aspirations. Why not indulge in some film making activity which challenges teams to create their own unique commercial, which are then reviewed before a winner is announced.

Each team could be set the same creative challenge, while they are also equipped with an array of dazzling props, purposeful resources and even film production software. These teams then collaborate throughout the day to create their film, with a view to winning the grand prize in a ceremony.

With this in mind, what challenges will each team have to face through the course of the task? Consider the following: –

• Determining Roles and Responsibilities: While this is primarily a fun task, there are also a number of professional and leadership based challenges involved. Firstly, participants within each team must determine individual roles, with the selection of director, camera operator and actors particularly important!

• Creative Thinking and Visualization: The ability to think creatively and visualize concepts is crucial, especially when it comes to driving businesses forward. Your film making task will challenge team members to develop innovative themes and bring them to life, testing their judgement and ability to think outside of the box!

• The Correct Use of Props and Filming: The fact that each team has the same equipment is telling, and they are also given a single shot to film their commercial. This challenges the ability of each individual’s ability to work in harmony, while under intense pressure and strict time demands.

Once these challenges have been met, each participating team will present their adverts to their peers and judges. Appraised on the quality of their advert and a series of additional criteria that are set beforehand, the winners will receive their very own Oscar and experience the unadulterated excitement of a red carpet, silver screen experience.

A day at the races?

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There’s no need to take a gamble with your company party, with a race night you’ll be odds-on to have a great evening. Dust off your best top hat or poshest dress and have a flutter on the sport of kings.

Your event could be made complete with betting booths and white picket fences to add a more authentic feel to the event. All of the excitement and glamour of the races will be brought to your event by a charismatic host who’ll keep you updated with the latest odds, and the glamorous Tote girls who’ll circulate around the tables taking your bets. There’s no need to worry about blowing your life savings as you’ll be gambling with fun money, so take a punt, lady luck might smile on you.

A giant screen will show 8 races on the flat and over jumps and you’ll have to study the form and place bets on whichever steeds take your fancy. The race commentator will call the action ensuring maximum drama and edge-of-your-seat tension. The team with the highest winnings (or smallest loss!) at the end of the evening will be presented with champion tipster medals.

What you could hire/buy for your Races day:

· Costumed Host
· Costumed canape girls
· Fun money
· Betting Slips
· Projector and screen
· Bottle of bubbly and medals for the winning team.

Make sure all your guests dress to impress, after all, it is a day at the Races!

The Generation Game

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The Generation Game was part of British Saturday night television for many years, the Generation Game is a fun filled interactive event. This ultimate day of games, quizzes, and challenges will have your group in fits of riotous laughter and mayhem!

Imagine your colleagues competing to decorate their very own cake in the style of ‘The Great British Bake Off’ while others try to outdo each other in table cloth whipping! And for trivia boffins the events proceedings kick off with a quiz and rounds off with a memory challenge.

The Generation Game could be run during the day or for evenings (between courses of a meal or after-dinner entertainment.) Each round could be presented by a professional compere, all of whom come from a comedic background to make sure your event is filled with laughter. Groups of between 8 and 10 compete head-to-head, with each round designed to include every member of the team. After each round you will present the famous ‘scores on the doors’ so teams can see where they sit on the leader board.

Party Game ideas.

How well can you guestimate?
21 second challenges
Great British Bake Off – Cake decorating
Whippit- whip the table cloth away from a set dining table
Conveyer belt
What are the benefits of this team building exercise?

Laughter Guaranteed
Professional comedic host
Rounds to appeal to everyone
Real back to school childish fun
Can run during the day or evening
Something completely crazy and different
Prizes for the winning team

This event will please the most serious of people and get them to show their true fun side!

It’s the Knockout

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For years, It’s a Knockout – Undoubtedly the wettest, wildest, and wackiest competition on TV in it’s day. It combines the game’s traditional format with our own unique sense of fun to create the ultimate example of a motivational team-building event.

This is a great idea for team building because it’s:

BIG, bright and crazy fun
Something completely different
Everyone involved
Great head-to-head team competition
Amazing inflatables in a huge arena
A chance to be big kids again

So what could happen?

With everyone in the right frame of mind, teams of 8 to 12 people will be established, and the games can commence in earnest! Competing against each other for points and to avoid the dreaded booby prize, players will accept a range of unusual challenges to a relentless varied soundtrack.

Party Games ideas.

PENGUIN PURSUIT – Wearing giant penguin costumes you’ll race against other teams to catch the most fish!
THE SWEEPER – Taken from the famous Total Wipe-out TV show, teams must be quick to jump and avoid the rotating sweeper arm.
TROPICAL SCRABBLE – Teams race through an inflatable obstacle course collecting letters, the quickest team to spell a word wins!
BUNGEE RUN – Run as far as you can down an inflatable bungee runway with a large elastic cord tied to your waist. See who can get the furthest.
GLADIATOR DUEL – Knock your opponent off of their podium before they knock you off of yours!

So there you have it, fuel for thought. Amazing fun and will see your staff in a different light!

Crime Scene Investigation

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Are you looking for some team building exercises? How about putting yourself on the other side of the crime scene tape? Under the guidance of experienced professionals teams will become Crime Scene Investigators for a day. Participants will learn actual forensic science and detection techniques, and use authentic Crime Scene Investigation equipment to locate and extract evidence, interpret findings and “solve a case.”

You could have a variety of crime events with different scenarios, and the techniques you will learn are based on your choice of event. These are great ideas for corporate event entertainment and help to get that team spirit ignited.

Crime Scene Investigation events are engaging and practical – teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving skills will be put to the test. They are specifically structured to improve communication and relationships between participants, and in a way that encourages full participation by everyone. Teams must manage themselves to ensure they come to a conclusion and solve the crime.

For an engaging, challenging and special event, beneficial to everyone involved, a Crime Scene event is exactly what you are looking for.

So next time you want to hold a corporate event, think about this idea, we sure it will be very popular.

Entertainment for your next Christmas party

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Sorry. We really are sorry. We know it’s still only August, which is still more than 3 months away. More than a third of a year away. But personal assistants and office managers are already being asked to book Christmas entertainment for the office party and it’s our job to help them out. Plus, between just the two of us, choosing to hire a Christmas DJ in advance may keep your costs down. For those who are looking to book even more festive entertainment, here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

Wonderland

Who doesn’t love Christmas lights? You might not attend the Oxford Street Christmas lights switch on and yes, the Regent Street Christmas lights has turned into a weirdly commercial venture promoting some Hollywood film for the past few years, but people still love a good light show and Wonderland put on one of the best! As the photo shows, holly leaves appear in LEDs around the performers and you can also expect to see snowflakes, stars and reindeer.

Ballerina in a Snow Globe

In terms of visual acts, they don’t get much better than a full size snow globe with a dancing ballerina inside. A beautiful idea that has been executed perfectly, the ballerina performs amidst a flurry of snowflakes. A male and female dancer can also be hired for a short performance and you can rest assured that none of your guests will have seen anything like it. A wonderful idea for the office Christmas party!

Christmas Carol Choir

A Christmas carol choir is probably more up your street. We advertise choirs from just a few people right up ten or more and if you like, you can sing along with the performance! Christmas carols are a timeless form of entertainment and can you really call your event a Christmas event without one.

Ice Queen

We advertise a whole host of Christmas characters for your party but for the Scrooges amongst you, we thought we’d profile the Ice Queen. One of the best bits about the Ice Queen character is that it can be good on its own or as part of a Christmas party theme (like Narnia for instance). A perfect idea to ensure that your Christmas party will be talked about well into the New Year!