Activity

In today’s corporate world it has become normal to have some form of entertainment at the majority of events. When hosting an award ceremony, trade show, opening ceremony or conference it is expected that there will be some kind of music, performance or activity to break up proceedings. There are multiple benefits to these breaks in every type of event.

They can:

– Help people rest their minds for a while so they don’t experience information overload at conferences or seminars

– Raise your companies profile when dealing with customers and potential clients by creating a positive image

– Improve morale and motivation in employees

– Make all those involved feel valued by your company

– Raise your profile through media mentions if your entertainment involves something unusual or someone famous

The benefits to corporate entertainment are many, but choosing the wrong type of entertainment can actually damage your reputation and leave you worse off than before, sometimes at significant financial cost. There are a number of factors to consider when deciding what kind of entertainment or activities to have at a corporate event, including the type of event, the amount of people in attendance and the kind of people attending.

hire corporate entertainment of Event

There are some corporate entertainment events without any formal agenda beyond allowing people to have fun, like corporate team building and employee parties. There are also many events that are primarily utilitarian with the potential for entertainment throughout the day. The choice of entertainment will be very dependent on the corporate event venue and general theme of the day. While a business dinner may well benefit from the appearance of a star singer, an educational seminar for employees would obviously be an inappropriate choice. A team building retreat might benefit from an activity like a joint cookery class, whereas a more formal client-centric event would probably be helped more by something like wine-tasting.

Events focusing on employees will generally require less of a financial investment, as most employees will be happy just to be out the office and to see that you’ve put some effort into enriching the day. It is worth spending more money on entertainment for clients, as you want to wow them and help foster positive relationships with them. Events with a lot to cover in a relatively small amount of time might want to avoid having a break and instead rely on background music provided by a live band, whereas relaxed events can take time out for a tour of the venue grounds or some clay-pigeon shooting.

Size of Event

The more people in attendance, the less choices you have when planning corporate entertainment events. While small groups can do relatively complex, interactive activities like archery or golf, larger events are generally limited to passive, performance based entertainment. Conference venues often have a stage or central area that can be seen from most locations in the room, and this is when the professional musician, magician or comedian could be great idea. They can provide entertainment for everyone in attendance, as long as they all fit in one room, for a fixed rate, and take up a scheduled, controlled length of time.

Type of People in Attendance

A small team of young, active employees might enjoy from an army-style assault course or an introduction to yoga or martial arts, but try the same activities with the directors of a company you’re hoping to do business with and you’re more likely to be met with angry scowls than spirited participation. Getting to know the people you’re hosting the event for is a vital part of deciding what activities or entertainment you provide.

Clients who are part of some kind of creative enterprise may be up for something a little "outside the box", but lawyers or accountants may not be quite so free spirited. With this kind of group, you might be better off hosting a couple of corporate golf days. Some groups of employees might respond well to traditional trust building exercises on a team building day and might get a kick out of co-operating on a task, while other groups might find the same activities cheesey and forced, potentially refusing to participate. Going on a team-building outing when there are managerial issues causing office tension is completely pointless. Finding out the kind of music favoured by a potential client before hiring a band to accompany a business dinner is a good idea too, as being bombarded by indie rock when you prefer jazz or classical music can be an unpleasant experience.

Bringing it All Together

While it seems that entertainment and activities would be a guaranteed way to add value to an event, it is clear that the type, size and demographic of an event are all vital considerations. Throwing money away on entertainment when no entertainment at all would be preferable is a nightmare situation for anyone organising a corporate event, but a bit of research and thought can turn a potential disaster into a day or night that people will remember fondly for years to come.