Captivate your guests

As with most corporate events, décor will be key and 2018 is no exception. Your party venue needs to wow your guests from the moment they walk in, creating a special and uniquely defined space for your event. Two highly contrasting themes are high tech interactive and natural materials, enabling your company to show off its tech prowess, or boost its eco credentials.

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

Take lighting to the next level and illuminate your event to create spectacle and visual interest. Any event venue can be transformed with clever and creative use of lighting even on the more limited of budgets. Use lighting to throw unusual shadows, to colour tables rather than using flowers, and use wireless technology to alter lighting states to reflect the various stages of your event. Look for party bands and 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 corporate events, book artists that have a strong visual impact enhanced by theatrical style lighting, such as dance troupes, ballet dancers or aerial artists.

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

Find ways to make your 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!

Good old fashioned jugglers

Who doesn’t love a juggler? We’d all like to be good at juggling but unfortunately, some of us just aren’t very coordinated with our limbs. The balls go up, you’ll manage to catch two and the third will undoubtedly hit the ground. Want another go? Rather than your ability increasing, it’ll be the number of juggling balls on the ground. How do they do it? Thankfully, we don’t need to know because we can hire professional jugglers for parties and events and that’s where this blog comes in because amazingly, there are a whole host of different types of juggling entertainment.

Acro-Jugglers

What do you get if you combine acrobats with jugglers? As you might expect, the result is the wonderfully named Acro-Jugglers, a pair of entertainers who combine their sporty and athletic nature with the art of juggling. From juggling pins at one another a few metres apart to managing to swap juggling balls when one person is on the other’s shoulders, there is nothing these circus performers can’t do!

LED jugglers

LED jugglers combine the brilliance of juggling with the mesmerising beauty of LEDs! Available in a whole host of colours including a variety of shapes, patterns and even your company logo, you are sure to be impressed by this stunning walkabout act. Also available as a choreographed stage routine or static installation, up to 6 specialist performers are available and clients are given a choice of costuming to suit individual events.

Burlesque juggler

Burlesque juggler is inspired by the legendary actress Marlene Dietrich, a 1920-inspired act that will stun all audience members.

For those hosting a Great Gatsby-inspired corporate party or events with a vintage theme. A wonderful experience for those who love film nor or if you’re looking for something a little different. Not sure on the vintage look? This act is also available without the theming!

Contact Jugglers

A little bit different to juggling in the traditional sense of the word, contact jugglers have an incredible ability to make balls apparently levitate in the air. Well, not ‘levitate’ exactly, but making it appears as though a silver ball or two has a weightless quality. Very difficult to describe but just as hard to ever forget, hiring a contact juggler is one of the finest decision an event planner can make if they want an unforgettable experience for their guests!

Do you need some inspiration?

We at Red Masque entertainment have a limitless amount of options and inspiration. But what if you don’t have the time, will power or experience to trawl through the 17,500 female solo singers that Google throws up? Well, then it’s time to call in the professionals. And that’s where an entertainment agency can come in handy.

What’s the one thing you remember about a great party, above all else? As a guest, you’re there to have a good time. And if it’s a good time you want your own guests to have, then you need to put a little thought into the entertainment.

Gone are the days when you had to book a one-man DJ to play 70s floor-fillers all night. Now, you can find entertainment that keeps your diverse range of wedding guests happy, making the party start with a bang.

If you’re in the process of planning something big, using a party entertainment directory uses only the best out there that are reputable and highly acclaimed

The best musicians aren’t necessarily the best hype men; the most amazing magician won’t necessarily be the best web designer – one of the changes in entertainment since the internet has been the focus on promo material rather than word of mouth or reputation. That means the bands with the flashiest websites and the slickest videos often get more attention than their less media savvy counterparts. Consequently, there are plenty of hidden gems out there who, instead of improving their Search Engine Optimisation or video editing techniques, have focused on just being great performers.

We, like many entertainment directory’s, make it our business to know as much about our entertainment as possible. by reading up on new performers and much more. We know the best act for your event and 5 equally brilliant alternatives if the first choice isn’t available.

It just goes to show there’s only so far your own web searches will take you. If you want something a bit different, something to appeal to all the ages and tastes of your guests, something to get your party started as it means to go on, Red Masque is definitely a good way to avoid a headache. After all, it’s your party too.

Cheesy Party themes

What’s Cheese? This is probably one of the hardest questions party DJ’s has to answer as it can mean totally different things to different people. But here are a few cheesy songs we’ve come up with.

Top 10 Requested Cheesy Tunes

Dexys Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen

A British pop group with soul influences, Dexys are best remembered for their hits Geno and Come On Eileen which has become a “love-it-or-hate-it” yardstick defining the “Cheese” category! Jackie Wilson Said was another popular early 80s track by the group.

Abba- Dancing Queen

Possibly the most commercially successful act in the history of pop music, Abba have several “Cheese” tracks in their catalogue … arguably the most requested being 1976s Dancing Queen which can be heard at private parties across the land every weekend!

Rocky Horror Show – Time Warp

One of any cheese-fest’s top action dances, Time Warp is taken from the 1973 rock musical Rocky to this song and are first on the floor when the opening bars are played!

Village People – YMCA

This costumed disco group formed in 1977, quickly scoring a number of disco and dance hits many of which have action sequences, including party favourites YMCA, Macho Man, In The Navy and Go West. They tour even today and are a popular addition to any festival line-up!

The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men

Now comprising two daughters of one of the original band members, The Weather Girls tour today, singing early 80s hits including the dancefloor-polarising It’s Raining Men. Always a big hit with the ladies at any family party, this cheesy classic works well with any 80s set.

Whigfield – Saturday Night

The summer hit of 1994, Danish-born Whigfield’s Saturday Night is still a popular dance floor filler, with its easy-to-learn routine popular with ladies of all ages. Cue the blokes heading off to the bar!

Mud – Tiger Feet

The UK’s best-selling single of 1974, Mud’s Tiger Feet goes down a storm with party guests – perfect to follow a few jive classics, a twist, or in amongst a selection of 70s glam rock classics. Mud went on to have several minor hits throughout the 1970s.

MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This

Dancer-cum-rapper Stanley Burrell (aka MC Hammer) is as famous for his harem pants as he is for his music! U Can’t Touch This is a must-play classic in any 80s set, loved by the boys as well as the girls. The song featured Rick James’ Superfreak riff.

Aqua – Barbie Girl

Popular late 90s / early 2000s pop band Aqua are best remembered for their global hit Barbie Girl, popular with the younger age groups even today. Follow-up number one singles Doctor Jones and Turn Back Time helped them become the best-selling Danish band in history.

Chesney Hawkes – The One and Only

Chesney’s 1991 hit single The One and Only still results in a rousing anthemic sing-along today, if carefully judged and played amongst the right tracks for the specific audience. Although he did have a few minor chart successes, Chesney was a bit of a one-hit-wonder.

Abba Gold

Why not book from Red Masque entertainment Directory ‘Abba Gold’ for your event venue? A party wouldn’t be a party without a bit of Abba, so why not organise your party and add a bit of class. This featured act is above all the best out there, drawing in crowds and being booked time after time.

With acts as polished as this one you’ll find it hard to book better. They are able to sing a genre of music for all tastes in that era and will make sure that they sing all your favourite tracks.

They are most suited for Corporate events, private parties, Weddings or really anything you wanted; (just make sure you book a big venue, so you can invite lots of guests). This band is getting more and more popular they are even taking International bookings. This group really do have the ‘likeability factor’ and it clear to see that they really are close friends.

They are able to engage their crowd and make your guests smile.

So what else can this band offer?

This band is young and fun and as we mentioned is a tribute to the Motown music. The two beautiful female vocalists really go to town with their enthusiastic dance moves, and stunning harmonies.

All costumes in their tribute band have been meticulously recreated. The Abba Gold show includes a minimum of 8 costume changes

During their breaks, for no extra charge, the band provides a professionally mixed playlist, which can feature music along the same genre. They can also design you an ‘Ultimate Playlist’ of your favourite party tunes (they just would like to know beforehand so they can get it organised for you).

So don’t delay book Abba Gold before somebody else snaps them up!!

Hire some entertainment for your BBQ

The BBQ Party season is nearly here. That’s when you know it’s time to bring out the BBQ and host your own party. But why not make your BBQ party unique and fun by incorporating some Party Ideas in the form of party entertainment and games throughout the day and evening.

Underneath are a few simple ideas to make your BBQ party the highlight of the summer.

Hire some large outdoor games such as giant jenga, archery, giant connect 4 and even twister. This will keep your guests entertained throughout the BBQ party and will give them a chance to mix and mingle as well. Giant games are such an easy and effective style of entertainment that will definitely make your BBQ party the talk of the street. Other BBQ Party ideas could include bouncy castles, rodeo, or even bubble machines.

Beverages at a BBQ party are of high importance. Here are some party ideas to make your catering that little something different. To save you money and time ask your guests to bring their own drink. Or try out the new craze sweeping across the nation relating to beverage catering at BBQ parties, your very own Cocktail artist and bar. Hire a cocktail artist to greet your guests with some freshly made cocktails at your BBQ party. You could even name the cocktails to fit in with your summer BBQ. Trust me when I say this… you and your guests will love sipping on a cold cocktail in the warm sunshine.

Every BBQ party needs music. But sometimes a playlist being played on a MP3 player can be quite monotonous and played out. So why not put that extra spark (pun intended) into your BBQ party and hire a musician or a DJ. A classical guitarist would create the perfect atmosphere at your BBQ party and give it that extra wow factor… seriously, how many BBQ’s have you been to with a professional guitarist playing just for you. Not many, so get on it. Also hire a local DJ to provide the evening music, this gives you the chance to mingle with your guests knowing that the music is in safe hands.

So kick off the summer season in style with a fun and lively BBQ party. Take some inspiration from the above BBQ Party Ideas and enjoy the long evenings with your closest friends and family. Summer won’t last forever so if you’re going to have a BBQ party, have it in style.

Origin of National Playday

National Playday started way back in the UK in 1986 when money was tight and adventure playgrounds were under fire to have budget cuts. The idea arose for the great British public to have one day a year, usually the first Wednesday every August, in which they could enjoy the playground activities and highlight how important they are to society.

Well 27 years later the national day is still going strong and it is bigger and better than ever before! It is coordinated by Play England, Play Wales, Play Scotland and PlayBoard Northern Ireland.
Why is playing so important?
Playing is essential to a child’s learning and development. It teaches sharing, it encourages confidence and more importantly, it allows them to have an enjoyable childhood.
It is vital for the emotional, intellectual and physical development and it offers children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to play together.

But that doesn’t mean that adults can’t get involved and be ‘big’ kids for the day.

Whether it is a low-key get together private party with family and friends or a big party full or entertainment in your street, get involved and play games.
Not sure what to do? Here are 6 funtastic ideas for all the family:
Walkabout artists for hire
Party Bands
Magicians for hire
Acrobats for hire
Party Entertainers
Games

Just let your imagination run wild and use as many party suppliers as you can to make your event run as smoothly as possible.

Joker in the pack

We have all shuffled a pack of cards. Most probably own at least one, just in case we want to practice a couple of magic tricks to entertain guests. You normally take the playing cards from the pack, take out the Jokers and start dealing the cards. But have you ever stopped to wonder where the Joker comes from and why it is there? Well we have the information that you require!

The Joker itself was invented sometime around 1860 by players of the card game Euchre, a trick-taking trump card game for four players. Relying on memory, tactics and good communication, you don’t use the entire deck but somewhere between 24 and 32 cards. It was believed to be introduced to the US by German settlers, though this is in dispute and it may also have been introduced to the American mainland by immigrants from Cornwall and Devon.

In the 1860s, some American card players of Euchre devised some new rules for their beloved game. The problem? It required an extra card. Sure, they could have used one of the spare cards from the deck, but since all the face cards are part of the game, this wouldn’t have been a ‘good fit’. They referred to the new card they came up with as the Best Bower, adding it to the game where it became the highest trump card available.

Looking to make a quick buck from these variation rules, American card manufacturers quickly jumped on the trend by including a couple of extra cards in their decks. The British were a little slower to catch on though, only adding them in during the 1880s.

The Best Bower card was slowly phased out to become the Joker or Jolly Joker that we all know and love today. Like the Ace of Spades, it was typically branded with the company logo or with a unique floral motif that connected it to the manufacturer. It wasn’t until the Joker title for the card became more common that it was almost always represented by a performing jester.

Despite the fact you may think the Joker is connected in some way to the Fool in Tarot cards, you might be interested to know that there is no connection at all. Tarot cards have been around since the 15th century when jesters were still a possible career option and there is no link to the Jokers in a pack of cards.

Corporate events made easy

Red Masque party and event entertainment directory have the hottest trends and acts for corporate, and company parties to ensure your VIPs are very impressed and your boss is very happy.

Here at Red Masque we think we have some of the best acts for your party which will capture your imagination. So, what are the best of the best for corporate entertainment acts for your next corporate event in 2017?

Aerialists use aerial circus and dance theatre with dynamic lighting and music to create evocative shows using trapeze, ropes and silks. Available as a solo artist for smaller venue, or as large a troupe as you wish, their show can be tailored to create the atmosphere you require, whether humorous, quirky, elegant. With a range of associated acts, including aerial champagne pouring, we are sure you will find your perfect act on our website.

Circus act entertainers have given the world of corporate entertainment a whole new generation of aerial artists, defying gravity to present unique. Even if you haven’t got a skyscraper to use as your stage, these circus-inspired artists can perform in almost any space, for any corporate event.

Add in some more celebrity lookalikes. Everybody wants to be pictured with the stars of today, especially if their is a hot female lookalike!!!

Bespoke dance groups provide a superb spectacle that transcends language, and can be precisely tailored to your corporate event theme. From ballet dancers to contemporary rock dancers, your guests can enjoy a show full of energy, passion, augmented by state of the lighting and sound systems.

Whatever the occasion, you’ll find a dance troupe to suit; that can offer themed events such as Arabian Nights, Argentinean Tango, Burlesque, Flamenco, Irish Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, and Vegas Showgirls for example.

Was this year’s office party one to remember?

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. This blog is to give you a couple of unique extra ideas on these areas and they are sure to keep you onto an office party winner.

Jazz your office party by hiring professional party catering. Yes sandwiches and tea cakes are perfectly fine, but don’t you think they are quite mundane and well… boring? 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 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. But please, from my own experience… do not cut corners when it comes to your entertainment. This will only end in heartbreak, and nobody wants that. 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 party and event entertainment and also a great ice breaker

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.