The Entertainment by Charrisse Min Alliegro While flowers and food are undeniably key elements to any successful party, few would argue that it’s the entertainment that adds that ineffable fun quotient. The entertainment can serve many purposes. For example, a society band can be the main draw at a fundraising event; a comedian or magician can be a motivator at a sales gathering; a headline music performance or celebrity appearance a reward for top performers; or it can simply serve as a backdrop for socializing. Once again, don’t forget to consider your audience carefully and choose the right entertainment to fit your event’s particular goals. Spinning Tunes The most basic type of entertainment is music. After all, nothing kills conversation like awkward silences, and background music is a great social lubricant. Whether you choose live versus recorded music depends on the type of event you’re hosting as well as your budget. Keep in mind that while live performers do add glamour, their talents vary widely and can’t be predicted by their demo tapes alone, and they generally cost more and may be subject to union rules about breaks, overtime and rates. Therefore, if you are planning a party on a shoestring, it’s often safer and almost always more cost effective to play recorded music. Just be sure to do a thorough sound check and approve the play list beforehand, and to make sure you have more than enough tunes on reserve to last the evening rather than resorting to playing the same music over and over again. Depending on the event, you might simply assign someone to keep an eye on the existing sound system, or you could hire a professional disk jockey. DJ’s these days come not only with a huge array of music and state-of-the-art equipment, but they may also provide such extras as smoke machines, lighting effects, disco balls and personnel called “motivators” to mingle with the crowd or even a singer to perform with recorded music. Make sure you meet the DJ in person and are confident that he or she projects the appropriate image for your event. If you’re hiring a band or other live ensemble, your first consideration is how large of a group to book. The size is a function of both the number of guests (a jazz trio will be swallowed up in the conversational din of a 200-person cocktail party) and the type of music you’re seeking (since certain types of music require more instruments in order to achieve that sound - i.e., swing music necessitates a full horn section). The contract should specify not only the length of time the band will play and overtime rates, but also the number and length of breaks the musicians will take; continuous live music costs a bit more since the musicians will need to stagger their breaks to ensure that someone is playing at all times. Don’t forget to find out what kind of power requirements they need and whether the musicians expect a meal, and never skip doing a sound check. The configuration of the room and its building materials can all affect the sound quality, and the night of the event is not the time to find out about echoes and dead spots. Regardless of whether you hire a disk jockey or musicians, you should make it very clear to them what, if anything, you wish for them to announce. Steer clear of vendors who view the party as an opportunity to showcase themselves! Let them know who the on- site coordinator will be the day of the event, and that that person will be directing the flow of the day, not the musicians. You don’t want your event ruined by a megalomaniac lounge lizard. Conversely, if there is emceeing to be done, make sure you convey all the proper information well in advance. That means specifying exactly what needs to be said, when to say it, and how to pronounce difficult names. And the day of the party, review this information again with the emcee to ensure the instructions are fresh in his or her memory. Beyond Music Besides musicians, there are many other entertainers for hire such as fortune tellers, hypnotists, comedians and magicians, who might add the perfect exclamation point to your event. You can also hire professional performers to interact with your guests at themed extravaganzas such as murder mystery nights, cabarets, casinos, speakeasies, haunted houses and carnivals. And don’t stop there - why not investigate rental companies for other innovative activities? These days, you can get anything from instant photo booths to faux rockclimbing walls, laser tag equipment to virtual reality booths. Would you like Gen. Colin Powell to deliver a rousing speech at the national sales conference? Or does your Board of Directors dream of shooting hoops with Michael Jordan? Or perhaps you want to provide hot air balloon rides or a ride in the Batmobile? For a price, all of this can be arranged. So think big, think creatively, and think fun! back to ideas