EVENERTAINMENT MASTERCLASS SNEAK PEEK OVERVIEW 

Planning some Wildcards is a way to surprise people & make the event more memorable. Make sure that they push the envelope of the comfort zone of the conservative element at least a little bit. Not too much to freak anyone out… but enough to make it feel Exciting when it happens. 

Be sure that if your taking an idea off of Pinterest or what have you- that you make sure to twist & spin & make it your own. Don’t just mimic an exact stunt you saw on the internet. But if it tickles you then use it as a starting point to find your idea. 

Our Party Animals are a great example of a Wildcard… you can have an animal make a sudden appearance & make some mayhem. 
You can dress someone from the office in an animal suit & send them around to be ridiculous for about 10 minutes. 
The duration of the wild card shouldn’t necessarily be long… it should just have the volume turned up Loud. It should feel like something just came in & made a big splash.

You can repurpose people who are already on site to make this happen. Like having a choreographer teach all the catering staff a few 8 counts of choreography that they suddenly do when they hear a music cue for example. 
If your working with an entertainment company or agency you can ask them to give you some wildcard options. You can ask the DJ or MC if they have any favorite ways to mix up the vibe. 

Well Hello there! 

Welcome to Lesson 2… this introduces a Menu Metaphor as a fun way to think about & plot your event in 3 tasty courses. 

APPETIZERS- MEAL- DESSERT
3 Categories that are better when done in correct order.

Appetizers are elements that are light & delightful.
They warm up the guests & help loosen things up & smooth out the sometimes awkwardness that can happen at the beginning of a social celebration.
This often includes greeting elements and ambient entertainment.
They can invite light interaction but never demand it.
These tend to be early in the night so are generally in the first 1-2 hours of the event including the cocktail hour. 

Some good Example of Appetizer Entertainment Elements:
– Costumed Greeters (in line with the theme)
– Stilt Walkers
-Small Musical group- solo, trio, string quartet
-Strolling closeup Magician
-Mime, Jester, or Juggler
-Greeting drinks service like Champagne Skirt or Strolling Table
-Living Statue

You want these elements to be interesting to watch, a little engaging, a photo opp (for those perpetually on the lookout for those) and to not demand people’s attention if they prefer to mingle. 

This is a good time to have some music and a live musical act that does not have words is the best choice so that people can talk if they want.
If a DJ is playing it is best to play more ambient or background music such as Lounge, Jazz, Classical, World Music, Instrumental, or Downtempo electronic.  

MEAL ELEMENTS are MORE SUBSTANTIAL.
They are best after people have a drink or two in them or they can run throughout the night. 

There are 2 categories for substantial entertainment:
1.) A Stage show or Featured Act
2.) Interactivities (I call them)- elements that are essentially Activities. (something to do!)

It often does not make sense to have a stage show either because the venue does not have a stage or because there is already a lot of focused look/listen here activities on the stage, such as at a Gala Auction or Awards Dinner.
If you want help getting the focus or want a surprise moment that gets everyone’s attention and holds it- then a stage show is a great option.

Some Featured Act Options Include:
– Magician or Illusionist
– High energy choreographed dance group
– Acrobat such as a contortionist or Hand to Hand Partner Acrobatic duo
– Live Band
– Comedian or other vocalist/speaker with short high impact act
– Shadow Screen or Projection related Act
– Aerialist Act especially a duet
– Cyr Wheel performance

If you really just want to give people some fun things to do to keep the party going & engaging then you will get more from your entertainment budget by choosing interactive elements that become activities.

Some Good Activity Options Include:
– Temporary Body Art Stations such as Henna, Beauty Bar, Face Paint, Flash tats or Airbrush Tattoos. 
– Photo Booth & all the fun variations of photo experiences such as flipbooks, video booths, slow motion, light play, gif booths, etc…
– Caricature Artists & Digital Caricature Artists or Fashion sketch Artists
– Tarot Card Readers & other oracle type talent 
– Carnie type Games of all kinds– to suit your theme
– Interactive Installations such as a graffiti wall or a coloring wall or a ____________ (mor examples)
– Pamper services such as massage chairs or mini massage stations like just hands or just feet 
– Casino Gaming Tables or a Game Show (we are starting to offer pop up game shows as well as stage ones) 

* Keep in Mind that Interactivities are Popular & will in most cases create a line.
No one loves a line so get as many providers as your budget will allow so long lines can be avoided.

Lastly we have the DESSERT category of entertainment elements. As the name would suggest this is the Eye Candy.
The sweet & pretty & not necessarily wholesome.
This is purely for the amusement, impact, photo, or to get people talking.

Examples of Dessert Entertainment Elements:
– Go Go Dancers
– Samba Dancers or other Showgirl type acts
– Roller Skaters with light up props such as poi or hoops 
– Mirror or LED Illuminated Dancers 
– Fully Body Painted Models
– Celebrity appearance or Drag Queen
– Some wildcard element that appears on the dancefloor (a gorilla or other full suit mascot can be pretty fun for this) 
– A Flash Mob
– Breakdancers or Tumbling Acrobats 
– Beautiful hostesses going around with drinks (water or dessert wine perhaps) or assorted dessert 
– Silly elements like our Party Animals or another Wildcard Surprise 

Important Note for Planning: Be careful about placing ‘Dessert like’ elements at the beginning of the night.
What feels fun & exciting later in the night can feel forced, gaudy, or just plain intimidating early on in the night.
Appetizers are the best time to stack the entertainment to get people warmed up & in the spirit of the event.