Tag Archives: professional

Make your office party the greatest

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The office party can be looked upon with dread or with happiness. Of course it all depends on what the office party will include. Office parties have a few main principles; these include food, entertainment and drink. We are going to give you a couple of unique extra ideas on these areas and they are sure to keep you onto an office party winner.

Your party entertainment depends on your budget and also party style. In most cases office parties have quite refined budgets which can make it quite tricky to find top class entertainment.

Do not cut corners when it comes to your entertainment. Research what others office parties have and shop around your area for the best. You could hire a DJ to come into your office to really get the party going. Most DJ’s will also know various party games, so again this is an extra bonus.

Another unique idea would be to hire a fun casino. The fun casino will come into your office venue and set up various casino tables for you and your fellow employees to play. Games include Blackjack, Roulette and Poker. Each casino table will have a trained croupier dealing the cards who will also explain each game to your team. This is fun source of entertainment and also a great ice breaker.

Jazz your office party catering up by hiring outside catering. Your food should taste amazing and memorable so why not hire a fish and chip van. The fish and chip van could arrive at your venue and serve all your lovely team with scrumptious traditional fish and chip food. This is a fun twist on office party catering and nothing creates positive talk than good food.

Your drinks will depend on whether your office party is consuming alcohol or not. But whether your drinks or alcoholic or non-alcoholic a perfect source of beverages is to hire a cocktail artist. The artist will set up your personal bar in your venue and make fresh and unique drinks and even serve them to your guests. This is the perfect idea to make your drinks really stand out from the crowd.

Fundraising events

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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

Retirement Party

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For almost everyone, music is the key to many wonderful past memories. And it’s one of the easiest ways to host some retirement home entertainment! Take your residents on a walk down memory lane with a musical group.

1. Crooner
Crooners were king in the ’40s and ’50s, with their smooth voices and sultry songs. Some of the best artists in history came out of this era, including Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. Your residents are sure to feel some nostalgia with a performer like this! Whether you want an actual Rat Pack show or just a Frank Sinatra tribute, these performers love an older crowd that appreciates their act.

2. Beach Boys Tribute
Gaining popularity in the 1960’s, the Beach Boys launched a new type of musical sound with their “surf songs.” Their killer harmonies and clever lyrics helped them rise to the top of the music charts. Booking a Beach Boys tribute band is definitely one of our more energetic ideas for retirement home entertainment! If you want to see your residents groove to the music, you can’t go wrong with the Beach Boys.

3. Barbershop Quartet
With perfect pitch and harmony, a barbershop quartet can dazzle any crowd! They generally have a large repertoire of tunes from years past and love singing for older crowds. If your guests have a request, most groups are happy to oblige. And get ready to see the ladies swoon!

4.. Boogie Woogie Tribute
The Boogie Woogie is best known for those who lived through World War II. With lively patriotic songs, they entertained troops and kept their spirits up during a tough time in our history! Show your veteran retiree how much their service has meant with a Wartime tribute act. Songs like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Pistol Packin’ Mama” will keep the crowd swaying to the beat!

5. Gospel Group
Depending on the religious diversity of your guest, a Gospel group may be a meaningful performance for them. As people are nearing the end of their lives, faith begins to play a bigger part. Booking a Gospel group guarantees a great show!

Living statues

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In the late 19th century and early 20th century, living statues became ever more widely known thanks to the emergence of the art form known as tableaux vivants; a group of actors would pose and be lit in a particular way so as to appear like paintings. The resulting performance was often shot on camera (which meant the performers had to stand still in their chosen pose) or performed on stage to the amazement of spectators. Cleverly, by tagging these performances as art, nude actors and actresses were able to perform erotic entertainment on stage, flouting theatre censorship laws. As long as the girls didn’t move, it was deemed okay by the masses. The most notable instance of this was under the stewardship of the famous Mrs. Henderson at the Windmill Theatre in London in the 1930s and 40s

Many love the way they stand in situ for hours, whilst others loathe their art as a tourist trap in the busier parts of cities up and down the UK. But where did living statues begin? Where did living statues come from?

Put simply the history of the living statue – at least where it all began – is lost to time. Arguably the first living statue can be traced back to the ancient Greeks where members of the public would pose for famous sculptors looking to mould their marble. Realistically though, the living statue as we currently know it first appeared in the 19th century as a circus performance. PT Barnum displayed living statues as part of his circus tours, a peculiar curiosity to the minds of those in the 1840s.

Since that time, living statues have featured prominently in both art and film – The Phantom of the Opera and Hot Fuzz are two recent films that have shown living statues on screen, whilst revered duo Gilbert & George utilised living statues as part of their gallery installations in the 1960s. Moving from inside to out, street performances too have flourished in the intervening years as various living statues appeared near famous landmarks all over Europe. Though varying in quality from person to person, they are a magnet for tourists, only moving when money is placed in front of their plinth.

If no money is thrown in front of the living statue, either because they are unimpressive as a statue
or their costume doesn’t resonate with those walking by, the performer doesn’t get paid that day. With numbers still proliferating throughout London and the UK, it’s clear that the living statues are still well loved and make the perfect addition to your corporate event or private party. Despite their presence on the local high street, nobody will be expecting them in your back garden!

Glam Corporate Events

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The Oscars are a perfect occasion for a party, as the award show provides you with all the theme you’ll need. Why not put together such a great opportunity to party with your friends!

The Ceremony
Now, we bet you’re wondering how you can fit all of this into one party? Set up the show outside or rent a large venue big enough for all your party’s needs. Don’t forget to pass around a ballot for the awards. Whoever guesses the most winners can get–that’s right–an Oscar fun idea: create drinking games around multiple nominees. Every time they win, take a drink!

This prestigious event is a wonderfully elegant night, so make sure you take all these factors into consideration when you’re planning your party. You may not be attending the Oscars, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel like a winner!

The Glitz
You definitely need a red carpet, the paparazzi, the atmosphere of celebrity? Decorate your party with all the accoutrements of fame. We suggest a gold and black design, punctuated with red highlights. Hire caterers and party suppliers to treat your guests like stars. The point is to create the right environment, so your guests will feel as special and pampered as the yearly nominees!

The Glamour
Really, it’s the dresses. The Oscars have become known for the beautiful and strange outfits gracing the red carpet. Challenge your guests to either show up in one of the fame gowns or just wear their most elegant ensemble. It isn’t every day we get to get decked out in our best, so encourage your friends to go all out!

The Entertainment
Your party needs music! Hire a DJ or a Party Band to play nominated songs during commercials. If you really want to get into the fun, hire a stand-up comedian to entertain throughout and, at the end, to give out awards for Best Dressed! Maybe hire a few performers to mingle with guests to really add to the celebrity vibe.

Relive your School days

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Take yourself back in time by planning a school reunion where you and your colleagues can relive your memories. Getting a class together and pulling off a reunion party is no small feat.
There are always other school friends that you are still in contact with that will have school friends that you have forgotten about. Send everyone a paper invitation to get the initial word out and create a Facebook page or website for your event where you can post reminders, updates, and information for your invited guests. Take this opportunity to start getting your guests excited about the reunion!
You may have many school friends on facebook or such like, but if there are people you just can’t remember or if someone has disappeared off the radar then you old school should have a list with all this information.

Theme & Venue
Remember to consider your theme and potential decorations as you hunt for that perfect venue. Use Party suppliers and securing the venue makes planning decor that much easier, so you can begin creating your ideal atmosphere. Follow your general theme and have fun with it! Contact your classmates and request photos and keepsakes from the ‘good ole days’ to hang around the rooms or to create a nostalgia table!

Entertainment
You know the songs that just seem to recapture moments from your school experience? Have a DJ and the music bring you right back to those days with the perfect music to set the tone and liven up the party.
Keep the party going and conversation flowing with collages of old photos and videos. Everyone’s got those slightly embarrassing pictures of good friends they’d love to share. Stick with fun-inducing entertainment, give out prizes for games, or even have awards! Capture the new memories by booking a Photographer or even a photo booth!

We’re confident you’re ready to plan the best possible school reunion your classmates could have imagined!

Fire act events

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Fire acts know how to get a party going and instantly provide a warm atmosphere to proceedings. If you’re looking to hire fire acts for your corporate event or private party then you know where to come. You’ll see something that is entertaining, safe and perfect for all guests to enjoy. .

Way back in 1658, a nearby volcano erupted and laid siege to all in its wake. Incredibly, the town of Nejapa managed to avoid most of the destruction when the lava stopping just short of the local church. According to folklore – and it is a bit hazy – the town’s patron saint, San Jeronimo, wanted to douse the area in fire to get rid of the Devil or saved the town by stopping the lava from reaching the sacred building that bears his name. Whichever way you look at it, locals believe that San Jeronimo saved the town in some form so to celebrate they chuck fire at one another. That’s probably the only part of this festival that isn’t disputed.

So how do you set up the world’s most volatile festival? First, you soak rags in kerosene for a month before the matches and lighters are brought out. Wearing Halloween costumes – we know it’s starting to sound a lot like The Purge – participants then wear protective gloves and chuck fire at each other. That’s it. That’s the only rule. Even if you’re only watching, you’re still allowed to be hit so maybe observe from affair. Not only do people chuck the fire at each other, they even engage in hand to hand combat. It’s chaos. Utter chaos as you can see below.

As of 2016, ‘few serious injuries have been reported’, although what denotes serious is never explained. You can rest assured we’ll never advertise this form of entertainment for your event but it’s certainly a fascinating fact, isn’t it?!

Entertainment for team building

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Augmented Reality Treasure Hunt
AR or augmented reality is all the rage thanks to the launch of Pokémon Go. It’s a simple enough technology that even the most technophobic of guests will be able to understand. The virtual reality game makes use of your GPS and camera on your phone to create fun photos and make it appear as though you are not alone in the room. It’s not just Pokémon or solving clues that the technology is limited to either. As the photo shows, you could hold an entire band in your hand!

Virtual Reality Team Building
The VR stands for virtual reality, which is similar to augmented reality, but a lot more immersive. Anyone who is involved in the experience must wear a headset in order to take part, which instantly transports you to another building or world, where you have to work together in order to get ahead. Imagine being teleported inside a video game and that is a perfect way to explain the entertainment you’ll get from a virtual reality team building experience. The technology has already been hailed by Facebook and HTC and there have even been corporate events specially created where you get to defeat zombies as a team. What fun!

Interactive Tiles
Dancing is great fun but there are always a few guests at an event who don’t really fancy getting involved as everybody else does the Macarena. The solution? Some interactive tiles of course! Perfect for an enhanced dance mat experience or put in place as a competitive game, interactive dance tiles can be used to ensure that getting fit is a bonus at your party. The more feet the merrier (perhaps the more steps, the bigger the prize?); this is an event installation you won’t want to miss. And yes, you can totally recreate that scene from the Billie Jean music video.

Cycling Competition
This is a fab form of interactive entertainment that allows two guests at your event to compete and see who gets the best time. Wonderful for events or parties where you have a few prizes to give away and the best bit is that there are no bikes endlessly coursing in and around your event. These two pedal powered beasts are attached to a small plinth to take up a minimum of space at your venue. Just plug in and go!

Hosting events in Manchester

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If you’re interested in organising some corporate events in the city but want a venue with a difference, here are 10 unique places to choose from:

1. Rovers Return, Coronation Street
If you’re a big Corrie fan, take to the Manchester cobbled streets by hiring out the nation’s famous pub. The venue tour can hold up to 250 standing guests or 80 dining, and you get wine and dined in the main studio, surrounded by the iconic sets. So, who fancies a lock-in?

2. Zombie Shack
The Zombie Shack, near Oxford Road Station, is the loudest and wildest Tiki Cocktail Paradise in Manchester. Please note it’s only available to hire midweek.

3.2nd Floor At K2 Karaoke Nightclub
One might associate a nightclub with an evening of music, drink and dancing but it can be so much more with a cocktail bar on hand and a dance floor space that’s ready for you to throw out some shapes! The K2 Karaoke Nightclub, located in the heart of Manchester’s China Town, plays host to corporate events and private functions on a weekly basis.

4. The Palace Hotel, Oxford Road
What could be better for Christmas parties, wedding or charity events than an iconic, Grand Victorian luxury hotel? The Palace Hotel features a beautiful glass-domed lobby, stunning art deco interiors and 885 metres of space for up to 900 guests- so there’s plenty of room for entertainment equipment.

5. Audit Room, Chetham’s School of Music
Chetham’s School of Music is the largest specialist music school in the UK and the only music school based in the North of England. If you’re organising an event and looking for a vibrant atmosphere in a setting with gothic windows and 17th century doors, what better venue than a building that is nearly 600 years-old and truly magical.

6. Players Lounge, Hotel Football
Want to say that your event is in a building founded by the infamous Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville? The Football Hotel is a unique venue situated yards from the Old Trafford stadium. The Players Lounge is a great space that can accommodate up to 200 standing and 100 guests seated.

7. Main Gym, Evolve
Work up a sweat by hosting a fun, innovative event at Main Gym! The venue has the capacity for up to 200 people and the combat sports facility comes complete with boxing ring, trapeze, gloves, shin pads and more.

8. Chill Factore
The Chill Factore is home to the UK’s longest indoor skiing and snowboarding slope and is a brilliant family day out but it’s also a great place to hold an event whether that’s a team building experience with your business or a conference. It’s situated just off the M60 so it’s super accessible too!

9. The University of Manchester
It’s not just a place for learning! The University of Manchester offer fantastic conference and event facilities all year round. Its inspirational heritage and convenient location make it an excellent choice and some of their venues are suitable for up to 1000 delegates which is perfect if you’re planning a large scale event.

10. Museum of Science and Industry
Situated on Liverpool Road, the Museum of Science and Industry is a truly unique venue with gorgeous galleries and state-of-the-art function rooms. The historic building offers an amazing backdrop for events and conferences and it can accommodate a variety of event sizes from 50 to over 300.

So there you have 10 unique venues in Manchester if you’re looking to organise an event with a twist.

1159 Productions

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Lighting can cheer up the darkest of places, from pretty fairy lights, to strobes, glitter balls, to stage lights. Lighting technicians have it all for your event. You may have a marquee where you want it decorated all in lights, or a backdrop on a stage where the lights make a beautiful scene or to light up your house for Halloween.

Why not book 1159 Productions? This is a one stop shop for all your technical needs. Whether your requirements are lighting, sound, AV, staging or power they can organise it for your event.

Nowadays lighting can be as simple or as sophisticated as you like. You might want to have something spectacular on a bigger scale where a big space is filled with optical illusion lighting, projection lighting or strobe lights to create that dramatic entrance.

If you are hosting a Wedding, or a special intimate function then lights can brighten up the dullest of places, fairy lights can alter the appearance of a drab place quite significantly and make somewhere as romantic as possible.

We at Red Masque advertise only the best in their field who are training to know exactly where different types of lighting can make your event truly wonderful.

We guarantee that by having lights done professionally at your event will make for a wonderful and unforgettable ambiance to your party or event.