Home Entertainment on a Budget

Home entertainment system means the things which are a complete entertainment package in any home today. Buying of home entertainment today has become a regular job and today most of the families can afford a home entertainment system.

In this world where people do not have time to relax by going out for a movie or just for the purpose of relaxing, the home entertainment system provides a wide range of relaxation for these people. Home entertainment includes a home theatre which is no less than a theatre screen. DVD players are also included in this home entertainment system. Plasma television has a great demand today. Home entertainment is now in the grip of most of the families as the price of this has come down a lot in the recent years. People today can enjoy the surround sound, digital picture quality just like the theatres sitting at home by paying only once while buying the home entertainment. But the home entertainment model has to be chosen very carefully so that the person buying it does not get cheated. Before purchasing a Home entertainment system one must decide which brand to buy, which brand is good. One should always consult a person who has knowledge about the Home entertainment system before buying one; this will help in choosing the right system and making the correct decision that too in budget.

To choose the model one must follow certain things. The Home theatre should be one which can be adapted to new technologies. This includes audio as well as video mediums. The stereo system is a nice choice. The speaker system allows having the sound in any part of the house. The power should also be checked before buying the thing. A Home entertainment must be chosen in such a way that it matches the person’s entertainment preferences. The Home entertainment system should be able to handle the old methods like tapes.

The most important thing which must be kept in mind before buying a Home entertainment package is that one must purchase the best he can afford; it is useless to buy a system which costs less and is of inferior quality, it is simply wastage of money. It is better to buy an expandable system and then the features can be added continuously and it can be updated with time. This will also serve the budget purpose. People with limited budget can try this method as it will be of great advantage. Cheap Home entertainment systems if purchased will incur loss. One part after the other will stop functioning and will require frequent service. Servicing will demand more money and it will cost even more than the price with which the whole system was purchased.

There are many such Home entertainment systems which come in low costs. Cinema-in-a-box is system which is available with DVD player and surrounds sound at an affordable cost. The cost of Plasma and LCD TV has gone down dramatically in recent years. Big systems should be avoided in small rooms. CRT TV’s are the most mature technology in television today but are often bulky although they are far cheap than other kind.

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Think Wood When Thinking Entertainment Centers

When looking into buying wood entertainment centers, whether you’re looking for a corner stand for your small TV or a huge center for your fantastic stereo, you have to ask yourself which type you would like to buy. In purchasing wood entertainment centers there are many types to choose from as there are wood entertainment centers which are cabinets, stands, wall mounts, armoires, and corner units. Wood entertainment centers can be small, such as stands and corner units or large ones, such as cabinets, armoires, or centers that take up the entire wall of a room. It all depends on what you want, what you’re willing to spend, and how you want the entertainment system to look.

There are many wood entertainment centers which are nicely built wooden cabinets with drawers and shelves meant to house your entertainment system and accessories such as CD’s and DVD’s. Some of these wood entertainment centers are armoires which open and close depending on if you are watching television or listening to your stereo. Wood entertainment centers with, hinged or slide doors are nice because they become a beautiful addition to your room.

Another important aspect is what you want your wood entertainment centers to be built out of. Wood entertainment centers can be selected out of dark or light wood and almost anything in between. Another option would be a system that you construct yourself which can be built in various styles and shapes to fit the spatial needs of your room.

There are also some types of stands which you can place other things besides your entertainment equipment on. Depending on how many shelves the unit has, pictures, plants, and books, among other things, can be put around your entertainment system making it multi purposeful as well as practical and decorative at the same time.

For more resources regarding entertainment centers or even about entertainment centers with free shipping and especially about home entertainment centers please review these pages.

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Entertainment Agencies – The Way To Avoid A Ruined Event

The Good, The Bad And The Indifferent (Entertainment)

Sounds like the title of a spaghetti western, and to be honest, it probably over the years has had as many casualties. So what am I talking about? The answer is bad entertainment.

I think most of us can relate to either a personal experience or the experience of a friend, to how the focal point of an event ruined it. The entertainment at an event is probably the most crucial part, if you don’t include inviting the guests, and when it goes wrong everyone notices. Just the other day I was in a conversation and was told about how a DJ failed to turn up at an event, that event being a wedding, and how despite repeated phone calls no one could contact the party involved. This basically ruined what should have been the best day of two peoples lives, a real shame as everything else had gone so smoothly. This is something not just confined to private events, it can also effect corporate ones too. Imagine planning a corporate event, your colleagues will be there, perhaps someone high up within the company is flying in from abroad, or you are trying to make a good impression on future clients and seal a deal worth a lot of money. Everything is in place, or so you think, then out of the blue….. nothing, no entertainment. Panic sets in, but in the end there is little you can do, it is too late. Of course the entertainment can arrive, but still let you down. A band in jeans and T shirts at a black tie corporate event, the wrong music, there are so many aspects that to list them all would become boring for those of you reading this.

So what is the solution you ask? The best solution is to use an entertainment agency. Allow me to explain. At one time all UK entertainment agencies had to be licensed, which is no longer the case, however all entertainment agencies are required to comply with the employment agencies act and it’s amendments. This gives you, the client, legal recourse, which you can exercise if, need be. Some entertainment agencies are members of professional bodies such as The Agents Association or the NEAC (National Entertainment Agents Council), if they are then these should be your first point of contact if you have a problem, which you cannot resolve. Both organisations have a code of conduct for members and also have a disciplinary process available. If an agency is not a member of either, and the complaint is serious enough, then you can make a complaint to the DBERR, formally the DTI, who have powers to act against and impose severe sanctions on rogue agencies.

I am sure there are people reading this who are saying to themselves, is this just a plug to get business, the answer is no. Although I run an entertainment agency, I am not saying that everyone should use our services, people should and do have a choice. I am saying make sure you use a reputable entertainment agency, of which there are many. So what can you expect from a reputable entertainment agency, the first is a high level of service, professional people to source entertainment to your needs. The second, if something goes wrong, a reputable agency will do its best to put it right. Third, legally binding contracts between the parties involved.

Now I am sure there are some people saying, I have a contract for my DJ/Band, he/they sent me one, or I always use an agency and have a contract. My question to those people is “IS IT LEGAL”? Just because you have a contract doesn’t mean that it is legal or that in a dispute it will hold up in court. Always make sure that any contract you have complies with the law. If in doubt always ask the person issuing it, or take independent legal advice. The good news is that a legal contract is everybody’s safeguard, and it will detail all the requirements, so you can rest easy knowing that everything is covered.

So in conclusion, to make your event memorable for all the right reasons:
Always use a reputable agency, to avoid the bad or the indifferent, and just enjoy the good.

Good luck with your next event.

© Paul Sims 2008

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Live Entertainment With L & P Entertainments

If you need live entertainment that has a flair for the fantastic and the ability to blur the lines of reality, then you need to call us at L&P Entertainments. Our company can provide you with the ultimate night of fancy and fantasy, whatever the occasion.

When you are being entertained by our performers you have the enjoyment of walking on the wild side .Whatever your particular event, we can give you exciting and dazzling performances that will have you and your guests standing and cheering for more.. If it’s unique and quality entertainment you’re wishing to provide , you can depend on L & P Entertainments to fulfill your every dream. We not only provide you with the most daring and unusual shows, you can be sure that each of our performers is determined to make sure you experience a true night to remember.

If you’ve been trying to fill your entertainment needs on a regular basis, then you know the problems encountered in trying to find an agency which is not only reliable, but is also able to provide you with the quality and variety acts that are required.. Unlike some agencies that charge additional fees, L&P Entertainments quote you an all -inclusive price and does not have a booking fee. We are simply proud to have a chance to introduce all of our talented performers to the world.

Call us for a complete listing of all available acts and performers.

L & P Entertainments is a company that knows how to be different and enjoys the thrill of dancing to a different drummer. Enjoy this thrill for yourself when you book any of our acts, from vocalists and provocative strippers to our world famous drag queens.

If you need entertainers on a regular basis, L & P Entertainments can dependably provide you with the perfect performers that will keep the house packed..

If you’re planning a special event and you need live entertainment that is anything but ordinary, L&P Entertainments will provide you with acts that will make your event the talk of the town.

Looking to hire the perfect strippers for your stag or hen party? L & P Entertainment is the only call you should make. Our performers will have your party running into overtime and the only way to get your partygoers to stop watching our gorgeous exotic dancers is to blindfold them. If drag queens are at the top of your wish list , the L& P Entertainments performers are gorgeous and talented and each has their own keen sense of humor. These lovely divas will have an entire crowd in the palms of their hands in a matter of seconds.

Whatever your particular entertainment need from vocalists and strippers to our daring and dazzling diva queens, we will match the best performer to your events requirements. Call us now on 01233 335894 or visit our site www.lpentertainments.co.uk

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Is the Age of Entertainment Upon Us?

Are we no longer in the Information Age?
Are we destined to be “gamers”?
Whether you’re in marketing — particularly the digital side — or just looking for a job in marketing and related fields, you may have noticed the growing emphasis on entertainment. Entertainment activities becoming more the focus of our digital and offline lives.

And, as you’d expect, entertainment marketing seems to be following that growth. I don’t mean entertainment marketing as in promoting movies, actors and actresses. I’m talking about entertainment marketing for the sake of having fun with a brand wrapped around that fun.

The traditional, age-old tactics of marketing to customers and prospects via one-way communications is falling by the wayside. Ads of all type. Direct mail. Mass-distributed news releases. Yes, they will always have a place – some place – but those tactics of marketing communications are becoming a smaller part of the total marketing effort. Today’s successful marketing is individually-focused and better targeted to people’s own interests. Mass marketing is slowing going the way of the dinosaur.

The strong potential of wrapping marketing around entertainment first hit me a couple years ago after reading an article in BusinessWeek. Here is an excerpt:
 

“Plenty of advertisers…have been putting their products in video games for several years now. But marketers and game-makers successfully pushed Nielsen Entertainment last year (2005) to start measuring the impact of in-game product placement, where there had been none before. This in turn is drawing more ad dollars and making game-makers as eager as TV networks, perhaps more so, to open up their stories to the highest bidders.” In-game product placement is targeted and part of the users’ activities. It’s immersed in what the marketplace members do. It involves marketers in prospects and customers’ lifestyle and interests.

We’ve all read a lot about viral videos and how to create them. Of course, the main aspect of viral videos is their entertainment value. No one will share a commercial with friends and family – unless they see it as entertaining first and foremost. Any marketing push in the video must be secondary and indirect.

But, a successful viral video is not easy to develop and is not right for marketing every company, product or service.

The trick in the entertainment and marketing combination is to develop some level of connection with your audience. Create tools, services and experiences that complement your company, products or services while being part of your customers and prospects’ entertainment habits and interests.

One good example of this approach is Southwest Airlines. According to a June 26, 2008, MediaPost Marketing Daily story, Southwest Airlines “has signed on to sponsor the Midnight Gaming Championship (MGC) 2008 video gaming season to capture mindshare from tomorrow’s professionals, now ages 16 through 25….The marketing message tied to the sponsorship focuses on educating consumers about several Southwest services such as the downloadable computer desktop widget ‘Ding’ that offers exclusive fares on flights; along with the company’s weekly email, Click ‘n’ Save, that reaches 6.9 million subscribers; and Rapid Rewards.”

Southwest Airlines is marketing its services that are tied to the interests and habits of its targeted 16-25 years of age demographics. There’s a connection between what Southwest is pushing and its audiences’ habits.

There are other ways to connect marketing messages with customers and prospects’ lifestyle. One is video – and not on TV. The use of online video is becoming more and more popular. And, video is being used for entertainment purposes more and more, according to a June 25, 2008, eMarketer article. Based on a study it conducted, Solutions Research Group “predicted that total hours with video-based entertainment would grow by nearly one-third to an average of about eight hours per day by early 2013.”

Another key stat from the eMarketer article is the trend to online rather than offline video:

“Key research from Deloitte Development signifies the shift away from TV to the Internet, with 69% of respondents in the firm’s second annual ‘The State of the Media Democracy’ survey saying their computer has become more of an entertainment device than their TV.” That same Deloitte study also found that 36% of all respondents use their “cellphone as an entertainment device.” That percentage soared to 62% for the Millenials (13-24 age group) – who will be the future targeted prospects for many of us as they age.

Marketing is evolving to have companies become connected with their audience much more so than just communicating to them. And, as more of the audience members are focusing on entertainment, it’s up to the marketers and communicators for companies to develop ways to connect brands with their audience around their entertainment preferences.

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Magic Shows-to Add Excitement to Children Entertainment Parties

When it comes to children entertainment parties, there are a plethora of options available, such as theme parties, musical chair game parties and flip-flop fun parties. As being parents you are the host of your kids’ parties and to make it a memorable one, you can hire professionals who would ensure kid entertainment to the fullest.

These professionals organize kids live shows that are the most enjoyable and rewarding branch of entertainment among kids especially magic shows. Kids of almost of every age loves magic and the children entertainment parties with the theme of magic is one of the nicest ways to celebrate and add fun and pleasure at your kid’s birthday party.

Kid’s magic shows are very much different from the close up magic or the sleigh of hand, and it is nearer to the stage magic with loads of illusions for keeping the kids attentive. The professionals who perform magic shows at children entertainment parties are often the stage shows where the kids sit as an audience. The magician performs using colorful and visual magic props such as wands in addition to animals like the giant white rabbit coming out of a collapsible illusions or the magical entry of a white colored bird from a plain flat book catching the children attention to the fullest. The kids feel simply elated when they see small little animals popping out and jumps forward to touch those animals. It is an amazing illusion that the children along with the adults enjoy a lot.

The kids live show professionals during the event make all the efforts to raise the level of thrill and excitement among kids to make it an exhilarating memorable experience. There are numerous skills required on the part of professionals so as to capture child’s attention that include expressions, dynamics of the body language and voice and selecting the words, which connect in a manner that delivers an overwhelming response from the kids.

The entertainer or professional magician shows mind boggling and exciting magic tricks during children entertainment parties. Generally, the magician begins the magic games showing tricks using a hat, card or several other props and the excitement gets multiplied when the magician involves kids as well. The volunteered kid helps the professional in performing a specific magic trick that further excites other fellow kids too. As the shows move on, the tricks get smarter making the kids to enjoy every moment of the entertainment.

The professional magician performing at kids live shows holds expertise of many years and is recognized in the industry of offering best entertainment in parties for kids. The best part about calling magician for kids live shows is that it allows the parents to host children party where there is no chaos and no messing up of things even it is a kid’s party as every child attention is captured with the exciting magic shows so there is less of worry for parents. These fast-paced shows are designed to capture children’s attention and entertain them in the most memorable way.

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New Style Entertainment Centers for New Style Tv?s

Last year we had a new dilemma. Our old TV died, and we had to get a new one. In a way, with the new digital conversion to take place this year, this was good. But a new TV was not the dilemma, the dilemma was a new entertainment center. In the past, a new TV did not mean that you had to change the large pieces of furniture in your house, but with the new style flat TV, this time it was necessary.

Now, I love our new TV, and so do all the men in the house who have to carry it. Our old 27” TV must have weighed around 200 lbs., but our new and larger TV weighs less than 50 lbs, so change is good. But the TV would not fit into our entertainment center, so shopping for a new one and finding the perfect one for our family room was our quest.

When it comes to entertainment centers, people have different requirements. The main requirement of my old entertainment center was one that could completely shut away the television. But that was when we lived in our old house and we only had a living room. With a separate family room now, that was not such an important feature. The main feature I was interested in this time was one that saved space. Our old entertainment center was very deep to close away the TV and took up a lot of floor space. We definitely did not need this anymore, so I was happy for the extra room. Our family room is narrow, so I only wanted something to hold the TV and the extra components.

Shopping for entertainment centers was fun, and the variety was larger than I expected. The new style TV has spawned a new style of entertainment centers, and old styles are available also. The main styles available included:

Entertainment wall units, these are the style that take up an entire wall and often include cupboards and shelves, which are great for books or display.

Entertainment armoires, which is the style I previously owned. You can close off the TV with doors.

TV lift cabinets, a style of entertainment centers that I was not familiar with, but very cool! These are only for the new TV designs. The back 9 or 10 inches of the cabinet top opens and the TV lifts up from down below. Since the TV takes up so little room, the cupboards below are fully functional for storage.

Corner entertainment centers.

Last buy not least, basic TV stands. TV stand styles have changed drastically with flat panel televisions, and they are often very modern and chic. Most have plenty of room for components on shelves underneath, and many offer matching shelving or audio towers.

For our needs, the two best style of entertainment centers were the basic TV stand and the TV lift cabinet. Some of the lift cabinets were very nice, they looked like fine pieces of furniture and were offered in many styles. If our TV was in the living room, I would definitely go for this option. But we settled for a basic pine TV stand. It is the perfect size, does not take up any excess room, and has enough shelves underneath for components. It is also only about half the width of our previous entertainment center, so the room now seems bigger. Yes, we are very happy with our new entertainment center and TV, plus, it is nice not to worry about getting a digital conversion box!

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Jewel of the Seas ? That?s Entertainment

One of the things that tend to stick in cruisers’ minds is the onboard entertainment. Gone are the days of second-rate entertainers and the same old shows. Today, a lot of effort is put in to organising entertainment on cruise ships and the entertainers could well be stars of the future. Who remembers Jane McDonald appearing on the documentary The Cruise? Also, Claire Sweeney, who appeared in Brookside, started off her career singing on cruise ships. You could also be wowed by stars from the present and past – I was pleased to see that Kelly Monteith (the American equivalent of Dave Allen) is going strong and can be seen on some Royal Caribbean cruises.

Inspired by my recent trip to see Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, I decided to find out more about the entertainment onboard having heard so much about it. Royal Caribbean prides itself on its entertainment programme. You could be forgiven for thinking you’re actually in the West End rather than in the Coral Theatre onboard Jewel of the Seas. Shows include “From West End to Broadway” featuring musical numbers from Cole Porter to Les Miserable, “City of Dreams” with music from artists such as Elton John and Celine Dion, and “Tango Buenos Aires” starring Argentine dancers and musicians. Shows are put on twice each night to tie in with the two dinner sittings, so you won’t miss out, and are not repeated during the cruise – just the thing for theatre lovers.

As well as being wowed in the Coral Theatre onboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, you can take part in numerous activities throughout the day, including gaming lessons (perfect for trying to make your fortune in the casino), game shows and piano lessons.

I went behind the scenes to ask Bobby Brown, the Cruise Director on Jewel of the Seas, a few questions about the entertainment onboard the ship. Born in Scotland, Bobby started his entertainment career at a very young 5 years old, competing in ballroom dancing competitions around the world. In 1998 he moved to London where he met his wife and together they competed professionally in ballroom dancing, reaching the rank of 19th in the world (a future dancer on Strictly Come Dancing perhaps). Bobby first started working in the cruise industry when he joined Sun Line Cruises in 1993 before moving to Royal Caribbean in 1995.

How long have you been in charge of entertainment on Jewel of the Seas?

Since November 2006, but I have been with Royal Caribbean International since 1995, when I started as cruise activities staff on Legend of the Seas. I moved to assistant cruise director in 1996 on Majesty of the Seas and was then promoted to Cruise Director in 1997. I have served on Legend of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas.

How far ahead do you plan the entertainment itinerary?

Guest entertainers can be booked as much as one year in advance, although we do have changes in the entertainment schedule sometimes just days before the start of the cruise. Guest activities are finalized only days before a cruise starts as we keep up to date with the final figures for guest demographics.

What is your favourite part of being in charge of entertainment?

Seeing smiles on the guests’ faces and hearing their comments about how much they enjoyed the entertainer.

Which show has been your favourite so far?

Ben Vereen (US star of stage and TV), Gordy Brown (singer impersonator who is big in Las Vegas) and Scott Record (US singing comedy impressionist).

Who is the most famous person you have had onboard providing entertainment?

Ben Vereen.

Inside Cruise: For those of you haven’t heard of Ben Vereen, he started his career in Broadway during the 1960s and has also appeared on TV (including Star Trek: The Next Generation and Grey’s Anatomy) and in films (including Funny Lady and All That Jazz).

Who would you like to have as part of the entertainment?

Scott Record, an incredible act. His show is unbelievable and I have seen him get a standing ovation in the first 10 minutes of his show. He is the only act I know that sings New York, New York as if it was skipping on an old juke box!

How many entertainment staff are onboard?

In all there are 71 onboard made up of 4 singers, 8 dancers, 25 musicians,11 technicians, 10 youth staff, 2 sports staff and 11 activities staff.

Phew! With such a range of quality entertainers and acts onboard you’ll be hard pushed to be bored on Jewel of the Seas.

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The Challenges and Benefits Associated With Entertainment Credit Cards

Entertainment charge cards are cards that are typically reserved for high earners with impeccable charge and a history of high charge card use. Far from the run of the mill credit cards that most consumers carry, entertainment charge cards typically have no credit limits and offer perks and benefits overly other charge cards can not hope to match. The negative aspect of entertainment credit cards is that they typically punish consumers severely if they do not pay the balance of their entertainment credit cards on time, and entertainment charge cards can be incredibly difficult to obtain.

The application process for entertainment credit cards can be relatively rigorous. While a multitude of regular consumer credit cards require just a basic charge review and a limited amount of personal information, entertainment credit cards typically require much more detailed guidelines regarding purchasing power, credit history, and previous charge use. Generally it is very difficult to obtain entertainment credit cards if the consumers do not have flawless charge and incomes in excess of the low six figures.

Entertainment credit cards are meant to be used by those who have the signals to pay their balances off in full, regardless of balance amount. Typically the one and only consumers who fall to this category are those who have central incomes. Entertainment charge cards often charge rather steep annual fees and also charge interest rates that are not really competitive with additionally types of credit cards. With all this making said, the reader may wonder why anyone would want to use entertainment credit cards for anything other than a status symbol.

The reason for now is that entertainment credit cards let consideration holders make large objections for any event, at any time, without worrying just about a credit limit. Entertainment charge cards are often used for outstandingly costly dinging engagements, pricey parties, and large ticket purchases. Those who use entertainment credit cards can make these purchases without having to worry about carrying large amounts of cash or running to the bank every time they want to make a considerable purchase. They simply use their entertainment credit cards when the need arises and at that time pay off their meet in full when their statement arrives.

Entertainment credit cards are usually reserved for the elite top money earners. Trust fund babies, corporate executives, and famous entertainers frequently use entertainment credit cards. The rest of us ought to be content through ordinary charge cards and their spending limits.

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Music for Corporate Entertainment

For many years I have supplied music for and played in bands that
provide music for corporate entertainment. Clients have included Audi,
The Evening Standard, Sainsburys, P.C. World, Safeways, Large corporate
clients at Henley and Ascot, I.T.V. and H.M. Treasury. Because of this
experience I felt it would be relevant in putting down some pointers in
helping clients choose the right kind of music for their particular
corporate entertainment.

Interestingly enough, most corporate hospitality entertainment work
tends to require music as an ingredient to a larger recipe. What I mean
by this is a great deal of corporate events are offering a multi
service package. Typically an organization may be putting on an
evenings entertainment to thank its workforce for a particularly
successful year. They may be offering music, food, comedy, a close up
magician, a casino and a caricaturist. The corporate client organizing
needs to decide what part the music has to play in the days/evenings
entertainment.

Questions he or she needs to ask are:

Is the music specifically for entertainment or is the music for background listening?

Do we need one style of music early on in the proceedings and then a change of style later in the days/ evenings entertainment?

Do you expect the corporate clients to be networking and discussing business or are they just there for a good time?

What overall atmosphere do you want to project with the event?

Is there going to be a change of location for the music as the entertainment event unfolds?

Different styles of music bands lend themselves to different
corporate hospitality situations. Below are a number of typical
corporate hospitality events with music suggestions for suitable music
entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 1.
Evening reception with dinner and speeches.

In a situation such as this you will typically need music from the
outset as part of the meet and greet of the corporate evening. A
four-piece swing or Latin group is ideal with a larger ensemble for
particularly large gatherings. A professional outfit can pitch the
music at just the right decibel level so your guests can talk and enjoy
the entertainment without it encroaching on conversations. The
musicians would typically be dressed in Lounge Suits or Tuxedos (or the
female equivalent) to mirror what the guests are wearing themselves.
The music portrays an atmosphere of sophistication, which again
hopefully reflects the evenings overall ambience.

It is rare for corporate clients to want to dance especially as
clients there relationship is business not pleasure! In most cases it
is more important that the band is flexible in when it is needed over
the course of the evening i.e. At the top of the night for the
reception, a smaller version of the band (The pianist maybe for the
dinner), stopping for speeches and then after the speeches to play
until other entertainment is put on for the corporate clients. In this
situation give the band a clear idea of how you expect the evening to
go. What to wear, when they will be needed, when they need to get their
instruments in the building and be set up, when breaks will be
required, let them know if it is convenient or not to feed them and
then finally how they can leave when finished so as not to disrupt the
rest of the entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 2.
Company Party.

Still corporate entertainment, still corporate hospitality but a
totally different set of requirements for the music. Ask yourself these
questions: Are your work force the type of workforce who will want to
dance at some point in the proceedings? If they are, then a
professional band with flexibility is essential. My experience is that
people of all ages will join together to dance to music from the
sixties and seventies. Whatever background music you require earlier in
the day/evening be it Latin, Swing, Rat Pack or Lounge, if you are
hoping to provide entertainment that will get people dancing remember
this fact. Sixties and Seventies. For some inexplicable reason this is
the music that gets people up on their feet.

When choosing your music ask the band if they can cover this part of
the corporate entertainment requirement. Get samples of their music if
need be. There is nothing worse than an ill equipped band struggling
through alien repertoire. However good the band is, if they do not play
the right repertoire, the right style of music then the corporate
entertainment will fall on deaf ears.

Let me at this point provide a caveat. Your workforce work together
They are not always going to be the best of friends however
professional their relationships are at work. Answer truthfully, will
they really want to dance together or is it asking too much? I would
say that in all the years of providing music for this kind of corporate
entertainment / hospitality , as long as the music is right, the
workforce tended to dance 30 or 40% of the time. It could be said that
a workforce who will enjoy each others company in this way is a
reflection on the talent of senior management to create a happy team!

Corporate entertainment model 3.
Company Fun Day.

These come in two types. The type to entertain your own workforce or
the type to entertain prospective clients. Both types of corporate
entertainment require music that is fun. This means that the music must
be perceived as fun and the band must be perceived as fun. In both
cases Jolly Dixieland Jazz or the summer sounds of Latin music are most
suitable.

Ask yourself these questions: does the band need to be mobile?
Meaning do you want the music to move around the site at various points
in the proceedings? If so then the jolly jazz route is most suitable. A
good professional outfit of four or five players can play acoustically
and move around a site as directed.

If the band can be static and close to electrical power then either Jolly Jazz or Latin Music is suitable.

Is the event outdoors or indoors and do you have provision for bad
weather? This is England, never trust to luck, assume the worst! Any
band that needs power cannot play in the rain for health and safety
reasons. At the first hint of inclement weather a band will have to
breakdown their equipment. Build this situation into your corporate
entertainment music decisions.

How do you want the band to dress? It is a fun day after all! In the
past I and my musicians have dressed as Elvis, Cavemen, Circus Clowns,
in fact all manner of characters in the name of corporate entertainment
and corporate hospitality. Good bands will have suitable outfits for
most situations but don`t hesitate in providing something off the wall
for a special event. Most professional players have a strange urge to
jump into such costumes at the earliest possibility! As someone who has
played at a nudist camp and for a toga party, both dressed accordingly,
take my word for it!

To draw this article together let me say this. Choose the right kind
of music for the event. Brief the band accordingly but make sure you
have a professional and flexible outfit, things can change over the
course of the event and you want to make sure the band are both
co-operative and able to fulfill your needs. Don`t hesitate to ask the
band for any special requirements you have. Do it in plenty of time so
they have time to prepare.

The corporate entertainment and hospitality you offer to your guests
reflects directly onto your company. The music and musicians must be
the type who are aware of this. Dont go for second best just to save a
small amount of money. You need a well prepared, well dressed band who
are both polite and charming to your guests. They need to play the
right kind of music for the event in order to help make the day or
evenings corporate entertainment a resounding success!

About the author

Jeff Williams is a London based trombonist and vocalist who has worked
all over the world in most areas of the business. He also runs a
successful, specialist, live music agency using the best of London
musicians, servicing both private and corporate clients playing all
over the country. He would be happy to advise you with your own event
or party and offers bespoke solutions for the perfect occasion.

Article source:Article source:Entertainment Blog