Event Entertainment Blog - Ideas And Inspiration
  • Login
  • Register
  • Add Act
  • Ideas
  • About Us
  • Plan Your Event
  • Wedding
  • Corporate Event
  • Party
  • Children's Party
  • ADD ACT
  • LOGIN
    LOGIN
    • Login
    • Register
Wedding Corporate Event Party Children's Party Trade Ideas Blog

Ideas

Ideas for you

  • Latest
  • Weddings
  • Party Planning
  • Corporate Events
  • Backstage
  • Find Entertainment

Find Entertainment

See what's available for your date instantly

Find Entertainment

Top 5 tips for booking a band

Top 5 tips for booking a band

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Top 5 tips for booking a band - Booking a band for any event can be tricky. What type of music, what size of band, what price should I pay? These are the most common questions a person asks themselves when they have been given the task of booking a band. Yes these are important questions but there are a few small things to look out for when booking a band.

1. Always sign a contract

More often than enough we hear the ever dreaded horror stories of bands. Whether it is the band hasn’t showed up at all, the band has double booked or the band has got a flat tyre and can’t make it to your event. Well this is why you need to sign a contract; if any of these unfortunate circumstances happen then at least you have the right to get your money back. So always ask for a contract and make sure that it covers you under all circumstances.

Every booking on BookEntertainment has a digital contract for your peace of mind.

2. Testimonials

These are the Holy Grail of bands and also for customers. You can look for testimonials on Facebook pages, the bands own website and even on online forums. Also ask friends and family if they have heard of any good bands in the local area. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful sources so use it, it is free!

3. Price Wisely 

This is where your budget comes into play. Please stop everything you are doing and read this part as this is extremely important... You are not going to get a fully live 4 piece band for £200! Many of our clients ring expecting the best band in all of the land with a budget of £200.

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. So be realistic with your budget. A live 6 piece band would cost you between £800 - £1200 so if this is the size you would like, then expect to pay the higher bracket of money. If you find a 6 piece band and they are charging less than this then as the saying goes, it is too good to be true!

4. Past Clients

Bands styles can change in various events. Music that perfectly suits a wedding ceremony may not be so well suited to an awards ceremony. Make sure that the band you are after fits your event and music style perfectly.

Therefore if you are a corporate event organiser ensure that your band have had vast experience playing at corporate gigs. Same goes for weddings, birthday parties, award ceremonies etc. So always research the bands past clients and this will be able to give you an insight into the bands history.

5. Local Bands v Further Afield Bands

This is a secret tip within the entertainment industry... if you have an event and need a band hire a band within a 30 mile radius. This means you are not paying extravagant amounts of money for extra travel and most entertainers will have the first 30 miles free. Some bands will even charge £2 a mile, after you already pay for your band I’m sure that £100 for travel alone will just not be worth it. So source out some great local bands that will play the exact music you like without the crazy travel costs! 
Read the full story

Team Building Entertainment Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Team Building Entertainment Ideas - Putting together a corporate team building day can be a real challenge. You have to get everyone in the office together, and plan an outing that not only keeps everyone happy, but makes them motivated and inspired to return to work.

There are a few easy ways to create a successful team building event: make sure you hold it on a normal work day so people aren’t losing out on their free time, and make sure it’s an event everyone’s capable of attending. Employees come in all ages and abilities, so don’t organise a paintballing day if you know half your colleagues aren’t going to be capable of making it through the whole day.

Everyone who works with you is different, so try not to go too aggressive or too laid back. This probably seems like a lot more stress than it’s worth – but don’t worry, there’s light at the end of the teambuilding tunnel.

Team Building Event Ideas

There is some debate over what a teambuilding day actually is – for some companies, a team building day means really getting down to the nitty-gritty of what makes their business work and how to improve it. For others, it’s an excuse to get all their employees out and enjoying the day together, building stronger interpersonal relationships. Most team building days fall somewhere between the two, as this makes the day a lot easier to organise, and much more likely to be a success.

An excellent idea for a teambuilding event is to hire a motivational speaker. Speakers can really breathe fresh air into a company, and a good speaker can really inspire your team. If you want to get some sort of positive business changes out of your teambuilding day, consider having your speaker kick off the event, and follow up their oration with a brain storming event. Let those ideas sink in with your team, then break for lunch, after which you can bring everyone back together to really hone their thoughts into decisive action for your business. The end product is your employees working as a cohesive team to produce business solutions that will be a boon for your company – and it all begins with your guest speaker.
For the more social aspect of your teambuilding day, a great way to get your employees mixing together is to hire a fun casino. A fun casino is a great way to unwind and mingle, so it works as an entertainment solution for your teambuilding day regardless of which style you choose. If you’ve spent your morning brainstorming after a motivational speaker providing your employees with a fun casino means they can relax and end their night in good spirits, creating a memorable day for every who attends, building stronger business and personal relationships and putting your employees and colleagues in a good position to move your company forward.

 A well put together teambuilding day or event can really gel your employees and colleagues together and produce clear and positive results for your business. A teambuilding day can increase the personal relationship people hold with their employers, strengthening the company both internally and externally. We here at BookEntertainment know that, and that’s why we’re dedicated to ensuring your corporate teambuilding day goes as smoothly and as successfully as possible. We’re only a click or a call away if you need any further advice, and if you’ve found something that seems right up your alley for your next teambuilding event, don’t hesitate to get in touch for pricing and availability information.
Read the full story
Organising a Wedding in UK or Ireland from abroad

Organising a Wedding from abroad

Sarah Doherty, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Organising a UK or Ireland Wedding from abroad - If you’re currently trying to organise a wedding in Ireland from abroad, chances are you’ve spent at least one evening cocooned on the sofa, surrounded by pages of notes, scrolling desperately through page after page of wedding venues, wedding bands, wedding DJS, and, during your darkest hours, tips on eloping.

Wedding organisation can be one of the most overwhelming tasks facing any prospective bride and groom – once the engagement celebrations have ended, the champagne bottles have run dry, and holding out your left hand so people can gasp has lost its novelty, the realisation that now you actually have to plan a wedding can hit you like a tonne of bricks. If you’re one of the thousands of Irish couples who have moved abroad and want to get married back in Ireland, double that figure.

Everyone seems to be getting married in exotic destinations these days – but what if your exotic destination choice is the town where you were born? Emigration rates have skyrocketed in recent years, and with that has come an increase in the number of couples who face the daunting task of planning and executing an entire wedding in Ireland from places as far away as Australia, Canada, or even the UAE.

If the thought of all this extra stress is leaving you swamped, worry not! Help has arrived in the form of our handy tip list for any couple trying to organise a wedding in Ireland from overseas.

Dates, dates, dates..

The first thing you need to decide on is a date for your wedding. Everything else you’re trying to plan hinges on this decision. Couples who are getting married three miles down the road can hum and haw over dates to their heart’s content, but plane tickets are expensive, and they need to be booked as early as possible. If you’re flying back to Ireland from Australia, Canada, the USA or even further to get married, flight prices mean last minute isn’t an option.

Whilst the bulk of organising your wedding will be handled in your new overseas home, try and come back to Ireland at least a week before your actual wedding date. It gives you time to deal with any last minute disasters, and get a dry run done of your hair and makeup into the bargain. After all your hard work organising from abroad, once your plane lands in Ireland you want life to be as stress-free as possible.

It’s likely that you’ve taken the sensible course of action, and your wedding is over a year away. It probably isn’t a good idea to send out your invitations just yet – unfortunately, your wedding isn’t as important to your cousin Gerry as it is to you, and he will definitely forget to RSVP – but spare a thought for your fellow ex pats. A quick save the date email this far in advance can do wonders for your guest list. It gives your friends who’ve also moved away time to save up enough to come and share your Irish big day with you. A good way to save money on postage is to send your invitations back to Ireland ahead of you, in a big box addressed to the most responsible person you know.

Whilst for some brides finding a wedding dress abroad before they come back to the UK or Ireland is a no-go (there aren’t many traditional Western dress shops dotted around the UAE), for most brides, gown shopping in their current country of residence is the safest option. Whilst it’s possible that you can get your gown once you’ve flown home to Ireland, trying to get all those fittings slotted into a few days is stress you don’t need. Many airlines have wardrobes in first class – even if you can’t, chances are an understanding steward will let your dress make the journey back to Ireland in the lap of luxury.

Organise, Utilise, Then Organise Some More

One of the easiest things to overlook when you’re organising a wedding in Ireland from abroad is actually getting married. Paperwork needs to be a priority, even if it is boring compared to those fancy table settings. You can start the process through the post, but the UK and Ireland both require prior warning of a wedding. Don’t worry, we’ve sorted that for you too:

In Ireland, you need to give a notice of marriage at least 3 months in advance, and attend an interview in person at least 5 days before the wedding. You’ll need to provide the registrar with your passports, birth certificates, and PSS numbers. They’ll give you a marriage registration form that has to be handed in a month before the wedding.

For the UK and Northern Ireland, you only need to give at least 8 weeks’ notice, along with your passports and long birth certificates. You may have to be interviewed, but not everyone gets called in. 2 weeks prior to your wedding you’ll get a marriage schedule (this has to be collected by either the bride or groom) which needs to go to the priest 3 days before your wedding, be signed at the wedding, and returned within 3 days of the big event. Yikes!

If you’re having a church ceremony, there’s even more to organise. Both Protestant and Catholic churches require your christening and confirmation certificates 6 months before the big day, along with a letter of freedom if necessary. Don’t forget the infamous Catholic wedding courses – contact the priest of the parish you’re marrying in: he’ll probably let you complete it abroad.

Factoring in the time difference is a huge factor when it comes to organisation. Chances are it’s at least five hours, which all but kills the possibility of any sort of verbal contact except on your days off. Stick to companies who are willing and able to communicate with you to the required level through email. Its cheaper, and it’s more reliable than trying to pull off repeated long distance phone calls.

A common approach taken by many couples is to fly back to Ireland for a week or so a few months before the wedding and block book everything: venue, band, photographers, right down to the place settings. Not everyone has the luxury of flying home however, and even if you do, booking your entire wedding in the space of a week is just flirting with disaster. Wedding decisions made on the hop are often blaringly obvious by the time the ceremony and reception roll around.

Utilise the internet when it comes to planning. There are thousands of apps and websites floating around out there, and a lot of them can be invaluable when you’re planning a wedding in Ireland from abroad. Use an online whiteboard tool to keep everything organised, and download a messaging program that means you can be contacted on the move.

Use these apps in conjunction with your ground recruits – that is, the friends and family back home you’ve roped into doing the jobs you can’t. Get them to inundate you with pictures. Cakes, settings, flowers, everything. When it comes to picking dresses for your bridesmaids back home, send them into town with a set budget, some ideas, and a strong internet connection. They can send you photos of themselves in the dresses they like for your approval.

It’s often hard to pick a hotel when you’re not there to see it in person – there’s no way they’re all as nice as they look in the photos. Once again, there’s a solution: due to the sheer volume of couples who are returning to Ireland from overseas to get married, many hotels are now offering services specifically tailored to this kind of client. Some offer dedicated concierge services, as well as a chance to have a live video call tour of the venue.
 
Of course, when you have everything else sorted and booked, you can start to focus on what’s really important: your entertainment for the evening

Taking the Pressures Out of Entertaining

Booking a wedding band is normally pretty straightforward: there’s a showcase, or you’ve seen them at another wedding, and you’ve liked them enough to have them play at your own wedding. However, when you’re planning your wedding in Ireland from abroad, chances are that isn’t going to be the case. Unless you’re lucky enough to be able to afford the flight home to see some bands play, it’s likely that your wedding may be the first time you’ve heard your band live, though if you do come home a week early you’ll have a chance to at least meet them first.

There are ways to get over this speed bump, however:
Send your family and friends in Ireland to hear them play live. When you enquire about bands they tend to send you a list of their upcoming live shows. A night of live music with a few drinks is a sacrifice your loved ones will most likely be willing to make.

It’s possible to gatecrash a wedding the band is playing at, though it’s only decent to get the bride and groom’s permission beforehand. This is useful because it allows whoever you’ve sent to see the band in a wedding atmosphere.

But there are some dangers when it comes to this system of finding a band: some bands play with different line ups depending on where they are in the country or what kind of event it is. The band that has come so highly recommended by family attending a show could be completely different from the band that shows up at your wedding. Another issue is that no matter how much the person you sent loved the band, that doesn’t mean you’ll love them quite so much. Sure, your Auntie Jean had a lovely night at the showcase and would wholeheartedly recommend them – but this is the same Auntie Jean who still listens to Dickie Rock.

Try to stick to wedding bands that have audio and video recordings of themselves playing live on their websites. Studio music is great and if a band has paid for studio time it proves that they’re both dedicated enough to want to record their music professionally, and talented enough to be able to afford to do it, but if you’re not going to have a chance to back up these recordings with a live experience of the band, it can be risky.

Research, research, research! Every band whose website you visit is trying to sell themselves to you. If you’ve already been searching you might have noticed that literally every band in Ireland is the most booked in Ireland, as well as being the number one party band. Something doesn’t add up. Search for mentions of the band on message board websites, and try and find a few couples who have previously booked them to get a real idea of what they’re like.

Price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality. Whilst it’s fair to say that a DJ charging forty quid for the night isn’t going to be up to much scratch, some of the more famous wedding bands who are working independently of any agencies will put their prices through the roof. Experience tends to be a better litmus test than price when it comes to wedding bands in The UK and Ireland.

When you’re booking an Irish wedding band from abroad, your safest bet is definitely to book through a professional entertainment agency. Agencies can hold the band accountable for their actions, and it adds an extra layer of protection from a band dropping out on you. Established agencies won’t work with flaky bands, and if worst comes to worst and a band drops out or isn’t available, using an agency means you won’t have to spend another month searching for a new band. They’ll know exactly what it is you’re looking for, and they’ll be more than happy to provide suggestions for you from their other bands. Even if you’d rather look for a new band yourself, any self respecting entertainment agency will have their wedding bands listed online with all the information you need.

It’s not just about the band, however. Most bands play for about two hours, three at the most. Your reception is going to last a lot longer than that – after all, this will be the first time you’ve seen some of these people in years, and it’s at one of the happiest occasions you’ll experience! A wedding DJ is a great option for after a band, and they tend to come in at a really reasonable price. You also, of course, have the option of an all-night DJ. Some wedding bands offer packages that are inclusive of a DJ, and some don’t. Regardless of whether your wedding DJ shows up with your wedding band, make sure they both set up together to stop any awkward silences.

Don’t be afraid of booking extra entertainment for your wedding. Bands are a huge part of a wedding, but they’re not the only factor in a great night. It may seem like a hassle, but if you’re booking through an entertainment company then they’re going to be able to advise you on all the acts they have available. A good entertainment company will know exactly what you’re looking for, and be able to recommend you extras that realistically fit your budget and style.

Booking all your acts through the one company also cuts down on the amount of paperwork and communication you’ll have to work through – something which, when you’re organising a wedding from overseas is a godsend. A lot of people are using quirky acts like magicians to keep their guests entertained during photos, or hiring photo booths to entertain guests at the reception. Don’t just sort the big ticket items and forget about the little details – they’re what will make journeying the whole way to Ireland worth all the stress.

That being said – be careful not to get too hung up on all the brilliant ideas splashed all over the internet. Handmade invites are cool... If you’re crafty enough to make them, and dressing your family dog up as a ring bearer will definitely end in disaster. Stay practical.

So all in all, yes, planning your wedding in the UK or Ireland from abroad is going to be rough going at times – but so is planning a wedding next door to your house. If you step back, take your time, leave yourself enough space for disaster, and follow our advice it’ll take a huge weight off your shoulders. It’s easy to get so caught up in the stresses and strains of planning a wedding that you forget that it’s supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life.

Nothing is ever as catastrophic as it’s going to feel during this stage of planning and chances are, it’ll all come together on the big day. Wedding venues and entertainment agencies exist solely to help you get exactly what you’re asking for, so don’t be afraid of enlisting their help. You survived moving your whole life to the other side of the world. Trust us: you can survive planning your wedding in Ireland from overseas too.
Read the full story
How to Plan your Wedding Ceremony Music

How to Plan your Wedding Ceremony Music

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

How to Plan your Wedding Ceremony Music - Your Wedding is one the most important days in your life. The Wedding Ceremony is the most important and special part of your Wedding and will be remembered all your life, especially if you are having a videographer as your ceremony will be watched every year by you and your partner "till death do you part"! This blog will help you understand how music is a huge part of your ceremony and give you ideas on what Wedding ceremony musicians to choose.

The most important rule for choosing the right ceremony music is that it reflects your interests, emotions and the feelings as a couple. You have to make sure that your music style and volume is in keeping with the intimacy of your ceremony. For example the entrance of the bride music shouldn’t be too loud or too fast, as you have to walk down the aisle slowly and this would be kinda awkward if you are coming down to Manic 2000!

Stages of your Wedding Ceremony

All wedding ceremonies have more or less the same format whether its a religious or a civil ceremony. Usually there are at least 5 stages to your wedding ceremony where music is appropriate:

The Prelude - The first is the prelude, which starts about 45 minutes to 20 minutes before the ceremony begins. Your ceremony musicians can play music while your Usher is hard at work getting all your guests seated. You can choose classical, traditional or you could try and do classical music with a modern twist for example a string quartet playing Ed Sheran or Coldplay.

The Processional -  The next stage of your ceremony is when everybody is seated and you are ready to walk up the aisle. The song you pick for this will be something you will remember for the rest of you life so take your time and pick the song the you feel fits with your personality, wedding theme and life. Some Examples are Wedding March -Mendelssohn, Canon in D - Pachelbel, Thousand years – Christina Perri, Bellas Lullaby - Michael Silverman, River Flows In You - Yiruma, Make You Feel My Love – Adele

Hymns or Non Religious Music - You can book a singer to sing hymns or non religious music during your ceremony. You could play for example some of these songs: Examples - HYMNS: Praise my Soul the King of Heaven, The Lord's My Shepherd (Crimond tune), Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, Lord of All Hopefulness, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
CIVIL MUSIC: Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley, Flightless Bird American Mouth - Iron & Wine, All of me - John Legend , Fields Of Gold - Eva Cassidy, Wasn't Expecting That - Jamie Lawson

Signing of the Register - Depending on your venue, the signing of the register may take place in front of your guests or in a separate room. Music is often used to fill the time gap as you and your partner are signing the register. Some examples of tunes for this are: One Moment in Time - Whitney Houston, How Long Will I Love You - Ellie Goulding, I Do - Colbie Caillat

The Recessional - It’s played to finish off your ceremony . Choose a song to walk back down with your partner that is exciting and cheerful. Of course your musician can provide music whilst your guests are leaving. You could also have a Piper to pipe you down the aisle. These songs are cheerful and can create a great atmosphere to leave the ceremony as newlyweds: Rondeau – Jean-Joseph Mouret, Beautiful Day - U2, Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve, Viva La Vida - Coldplay, Oh Happy Day - Queen Latifah , Best Day Of My Life - American Authors

Choosing a Wedding Musician

You can choose singers, classical musicians, organists and pianists to keep with wedding tradition or you could try something a little different such as hiring a small to band to play or even a specialist wedding ceremony DJ to play your favourite music tracks as you say I DO!

6 Things you should consider

1. Venue - Did you know that a few venues don’t allow some kinds of music and musicians? So before you book your music, you should consult with your Priest / Minister / Celebrant on the type of music that is appropriate.

2. Space - Also check that your ceremony venue has got enough space for a band or a large group of musicians and take into consideration that your photographer / videographer have enough space.

3. Volume - Have you thought of the volume of the desired music? If you’ve got a harpist and your ceremony is outside, you may not be able to hear the sound of the instrument, because it’s too quiet. Make sure your Musician has amplification if you have a large or outdoor venue.

4. Weather - Outdoor Ceremonies and our weather - Having a wedding ceremony outside is a wonderful idea, and you have seen it in so many movies,but your in Britain! If you are planning on holding your ceremony outdoors, have a backup venue just in case and let your musicians know so that they are prepared.

5. Budget - A great way to save some money, is by hiring a local band or musician to play. This means that you will not have to pay large travel costs.
You want a vocalist? If you hire a solo singer, he/she shouldn’t start singing before all guests are seated. Its better to have instrumentals during the prelude so that ;your guests won’t feel forced to be quiet and listen to the vocalist.

6. Book a Professional -Be careful that the musician or singer you book are professional. Make sure you get a booking contract that ensures that they turn up and avoids stress on the Big Day. Verify your musician by reading reviews, watching some demo videos or listening to soundcloud samples. After this you can decide if you like them or not and whether you want to book them for your big day.
I hope these tips help you to find the right music for your big day!

This is your special day and you need to choose the best option for you and most of all you need to be happy with your decision. You’re going to remember this day forever!
Read the full story
Store Promotion Ideas

Store Promotion Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Store Promotion Ideas - If you’re trying to promote your brand, store, or product, creating a memorable marketing experience should be your first port of call. Experiential marketing, or “messaging you can touch” creates a tangible way for customers or clients to interact with your product or brand, pulling them in and creating a business-consumer relationship that will improve both your brand recognition and sales.

Many businesses now enjoy and thrive off store promotion. Whether its opening the store for the first time or your first year anniversary store promotions can attract new customers and keep existing customers. It can also help increase sales which is probably the most positive factor of all businesses. Store promotion entertainment can help with every of these aspects... if done properly.

Innovative, experiential marketing strategies are being employed by almost every business, big and small, as it ensures their branding spreads through social media, word of mouth, and even the free press if you’re really impressive – as many as 88% of customers will purchase a product after a positive experiential marketing encounter. There’s no doubt that the best way to promote your brand is to create a memorable in-store promotion, and that’s where we come in.

Memorable Events

Creating a memorable experiential event is the holy grail when it comes to in-store promotional marketing, so why not take all the stress out of putting together an event that will engage your customers and drive your profits by booking with us.
Hiring an experienced entertainment act is the perfect way to make sure your in-store promotional event goes off without a hitch. People remember good entertainment, and as such will remember your event. Creating a holistic marketing experience is a breeze when you book your entertainment with us. Hiring a musician or DJ creates an upbeat atmosphere and makes sure there’s always a tangible presence to fill the silence – most bands and DJs are used to creating an atmosphere and are happy to engage in some crowd interaction, so don’t be afraid to work closely with them to get the tone just right.

Non-musical options are essential when it comes to in-store promotional marketing. Consider hiring a photo booth, which can be customised to your store and means your customers and clients are heading home with a branded memento in their pocket. Mixologists can also create alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails with names reflecting your marketing and branding. If your in-store promotional event has a set guest list, a casino night is another fun, immersive, memorable way to get people engaging with your brand. Make sure you get your name or logo on the fun money, as well as ensuring the compère is promoting your brand.

Store Promotion Event Ideas

Music
Stores always have the same monotonous music playing in the background so why not switch it up a bit and hire a DJ. The public will hear different music and will also experience 
firsthand a DJ playing live in a store, now that’s not something you see every day. Get the DJ to play various styles of music to attract different types of customers but also make sure it suits your store. If you have a unique boutique then trance music would not exactly match the surroundings. Your store will have that wow factor compared to others around it so it is definitely worth a try!

Street Performers
Street performers are a great idea to entice people of the street and into your store. The performers will attract attention to the facade of the store and can even hand out leaflets to the public. Once your street performer starts performing and letting everybody know about the store, then how can the customers resist not going in for a little look. Various street performers could include stilt walkers, fire performers, dancers and even musicians. This is a very cost effective way to add excitement and positive chit chat around your store.

Food
Food is well known to be the way to anybody's heart.  So why not have some sort of unique catering outside your store to attract customers to your front doors. A few ideas which are very simple yet very effective include hiring a fish and chip van for the day. It could be packaged in a traditional box with your brand on it, so when your customers sit down to enjoy their food they are reminding on your company. During the summer months you could hire an ice cream van or cart and if they spend a certain amount in store then on their exit they get an ice cream. It may be a simple idea but this can be very effective.


To finish up, your store just needs to be jazzed up a bit. Make it fun and intriguing and do your research. As I said before, don’t hire entertainment which doesn’t match your stores style. And shop around and hire local artists of possible, this will reflect very positively on your store.
Read the full story
Office party ideas

Office party ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Office party ideas - It’s important to let your staff members know that all the hard work they put into the company is valued – and what better way to do that than to hold a staff party? Staff parties are the perfect way for employees to relieve the stress of the daily grind and come together to celebrate anything from closing a big deal to a fellow employee’s birthday.

Hosting a staff party can be a little bit more difficult than putting together something for friends and family, however. Not everyone is going to have a close relationship within the workplace, and you need to make sure your event retains at least an air of professionalism: everyone needs to be able to make it into work the next day, as well as look each other in the eye.

Office Party Entertainment

The way to ensure a successful staff party is all in the planning. Staff parties differ from private parties in the fact that you can’t just organise something and tell everyone to show up. You need to get everyone’s input, opinion, and availability before finalising your staff party details. If your party is based around congratulating your staff or celebrating a birthday, the most important thing to ensure is that everyone in attendance has fun.

When it comes to planning a staff party, entertainment can be the trickiest thing to put together. There are a seemingly endless amount of entertainment options available, some better than others. Keep your staff in mind when you’re picking the entertainment for your staff party – if you’re planning something interactive like a comedy hypnotist or murder mystery night, be aware that some guests probably won’t want to join in. Your best bet is to hire a mixture of entertainment. Keep any interactive entertainment optional and hire something that people can just kick back and watch, but still be entertained by, like a live band or motivational speaker.

Office party essentials

Food:

Jazz your office party catering up by hiring outside 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 food truck like 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.

Entertainment:

Your 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 entertainment and also a great ice breaker.
 

Drinks:

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/mocktail 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.
Read the full story
Restaurant Entertainment ideas

Restaurant Entertainment ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Restaurant Entertainment ideas can be a necessity when either opening a restaurant, having a themed night in a restaurant or to just attract new customers to your restaurant. So choosing the perfect entertainment is vital.

Restaurant Entertainment can be quite tricky as it has to create the right ambience. If you want a band or musician, be aware that the music can’t be too loud or your customers will not be able to speak amongst each other, and well that would be awkward. Also make sure your entertainment fits into your venue you don’t want to hire a big 6 piece live jazz band, to only squeeze them into a corner so ask the and how much space they need and work it into your restaurant layout.

If you want dancers outside the restaurant building as your entertainment firstly make sure you are allowed. There are some rules and regulations surrounding having dancers on a street, especially if you have hired fire dancers. So always just double check what you are and aren’t allowed. Better being safe than sorry.

Restaurant Entertainment Ideas

1. Live Band 

Whether your band range from a 2 piece to an 8 piece, live bands are a great source of entertainment. Your customers will love listening to some smooth jazz, or even some modern hits played live in the background. Having a live band may also keep your customers at the restaurant after they have had their dinner. Offer them a seat at the bar, where they can order more drinks and listen to the band, even dance to the band if they wish.

2. Solo Musicians

Give your restaurant that classical elegant and sophisticated feeling by having a solo musician play beautiful music in the corner of the restaurant. You could choose from a solo saxophonist, a solo classical guitarist or the beautiful sounds of the piano. All would suit any restaurant as this style of music is pleasing to most people.

3. Dancers

Dancers can really bring your restaurant to life with the vibrant colours, the fast paced music and of course the exciting dance moves. Have your dancers situated outside the restaurant building to make your customers experience start from when they literally walk in the door. Plus, think of the exposure you will get from the public taking photos with your restaurant logo behind.

4. Fun Casino

Attract your customers by hiring a fun casino in your restaurant. The Fun Casino is a great source of entertainment as it is interactive. The casino tables will be set up around your restaurant with professional croupiers explaining and dealing each game. The Fun Casino gives your guests the opportunity to mix and mingle and will also keep your customers inside your restaurant. Why not add in a live jazz band to really bring a Las Vegas theme together.

5. Magicians

Magicians are great restaurant entertainment as they can meet and greet your guests. The magician can also walk around and do some table magic which your customers would thoroughly enjoy. It also means they would not have to move about much and can enjoy the entertainment from the comfort of their own table with their family and friends.

If you choose Restaurant Entertainment you will most definitely see your customers happier and even your staff happier. It will bring a new lease of life into your restaurant and should attract some new customers. So give restaurant entertainment a go, you never know what it could do for your business.

Read the full story
How to entertain Children at your Wedding

7 Tips to keep children entertained at a Wedding

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

How to entertain Children at your Wedding - Your wedding day is fast approaching, you have everything organised and you are fully confident that you and your partner and all your guests will be happy and smiling throughout your joyous day. But have you thought about your little guests, sometimes weddings can be quite boring for the children, well until the music turns on and they all turn into mini Elvis Presleys. Underneath are a few tips on how to keep your little guests entertained.

Tip 1 - Your little guests will get bored sitting at a table full of grown ups having conversations. So make them feel as important and set up their own kids table. Have the table covered in crayons, drawing books, arts and crafts (nothing too messy). This will keep them amused for hours on end, and will give their parents a nice break as well.

Tip 2 - This is a great way to give the kids something to do. A simple game of I Spy with a disposable camera. They could work in teams or on their own and be kept amused for hours. Also just think of the very funny and amusing photos which they will capture.
A wedding day through the eyes of a child, now that is priceless !

Tip 3 - Hire a Children's entertainer - Add a touch of humour to your wedding day by entertaining your guests with a clown or magician. They could include the children in loads of games and keep them fascinated as they pull rabbits out of hats and make monkeys out of balloons. You will all be laughing at at your very own comedy show.

Tip 4 - Bring childhood games into an extra large version. Giant games are really popular at the minute. Yes, most people use them outdoors but there is no reason why you can’t have them indoors either. Giant Jenga, giant Connect 4 and Giant Snakes & Ladders are just a few giant games which you could have !

Tip 5 - Make your wedding day really stand out with a Mini Crazy Golf Course. The young guests will be entertained for hours on end and the adults can also get involved and have a mini golf tournament. You never know, you could have the next golf pro in your midst !

Tip 6 - A new trend which is occurring more and more on the wedding scene is the release of an object or an animal. Doves, fire lanterns and messages in a bottle are the most common. How about a large balloon release. Give each of your guests a balloon which they can write a message on. It could be a message to the newly married couple, or a personal message. Once everyone has done this let all your young guests collect the balloons and release them into the sky. It is truly a beautiful sight !

Final Tip - Overall, just enjoy your day. Take every moment in, laugh when you need to laugh, cry when you need to cry and love always. This is you and your partners day, it will be perfect and everybody else will see that !
I hope these tips on how to entertain your younger guests at your wedding has helped with your planning and good luck with the rest of your journey.

Read the full story
BBQ Party Entertainment Ideas

BBQ Party Entertainment Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

BBQ Party Entertainment Ideas - The sun is shining; the radio is turned up to full volume and the smell of BBQ’s start to fill the summer air.
 
The BBQ Party season has started. 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 BBQ Party Ideas in the form of entertainment and games throughout the day and evening.
 
Underneath are a few simple ideas to make your BBQ party the highlight of the summer.

BBQ Party Entertainment

Become a child again at your BBQ party by hiring 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, inflatable rodeo bull, bubble football and even archery.
Beverages at a BBQ party are of high importance. Here are some BBQ 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.
 

BBQ Party Music 


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.

BBQ Party Ideas - Extra Tips

  •  Send invites 2 weeks before the BBQ party
  •  Make a note of any special dietary requirements
  •  Ensure you have all necessary equipment (plates, cups, cutlery, BBQ !!)
  •  Purchase the food the day before the BBQ party and prep as much as you can.
  •  Overall, have fun, smile and enjoy your party!
 
So kick off the summer season in style with a fun and lively BBQ party. Take some inspiration from our 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.
Read the full story
Exhibition Stand Entertainment

Exhibition Stand Entertainment

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Exhibition Stand Entertainment - Having a stand at a trade show or exhibition is a fantastic way to expose your brand and company to more potential customers in an effective, meaningful way. When you attend an exhibition or trade show, your main goal is obviously to bring more customers to your business and increase brand awareness, and the best way to do that is to employ some sort of entertainment to first draw people in, and then to get them really interested in and excited about what you have to say.

In essence, exhibition and trade show marketing requires compressed, high-impact experiential marketing events, and as such hiring entertainment is a fantastic way for your marketing efforts to stand out from the usual customised pen or bottle opener that will probably end its life on the conference room floor.

Entertainmentment to attract attention 

Whilst it’s tempting to just go with the biggest, most impressive entertainment you could possibly find in order to bring people to your stand, if you really want people to become engaged with your brand or company, you need to take all the details of the event into account. Match your entertainment to the size and scope of your booth – a strong choice is a caricature artist who can use branded paper to sketch your booth attendees wearing branded shirts. This not only means your potential customers walk away with something they can hang up that will remind them of your brand, but have spent an extended amount of time in your booth. Hiring out a photo booth has the same basic principle, but also comes with the added bonus of having a customisable skin that can bear your company logo.
Another excellent option is to utilise food – nobody can resist ice cream, even in the middle of winter, so hiring in a cart with frozen treats can be a great way to drum up interest in your stand.

For something really outside the box you could have a close up magician performing tricks interwoven with product placement. The upside to having a magician working alongside your marketing team is that they can move throughout the crowd whilst performing, meaning people on the opposite side of the conference centre can be aware of your brand and actively seek you out.

If you approach your trade show or exhibition marketing with a clear-cut plan of action and an entertainment solution that can pull in the crowds, you’re guaranteed a successful event that allows you to grow your business and increase your customer base, but be careful: if all people can remember is your entertainment, and not the company behind it, you’ve wasted a lot of time and energy, so booking the right act should be top of the agenda. Successful marketing is all about making a lasting impression, not just a big one.

 

Once you’ve chosen the right entertainment option for your exhibition or trade show marketing, make sure you get in touch with us to check pricing and availability, and if you have any questions or need any entertainment advice, don’t forget we’re only a click or call away.
Read the full story
Awards Ceremony Entertainment

Awards Ceremony Entertainment

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Awards Ceremony Entertainment - If you’re organising an awards ceremony, you’ll want it to be a successful and memorable occasion.

There’s more to an awards ceremony than the awards themselves – you’ll need to plan an entire event to make the awards ceremony really worth attending. Awards create a buzz, and are a lovely way to acknowledge the success of individuals or a team within your organisation.

Rewarding those who work hard has been an important part of business and social organisation life since the beginning of time, and with good reason. Recognition motivates people, and makes them feel like their work is valued. It’s also a way to get the entire company or group together to showcase the best they have to offer – and encourage others to become part of that group in the following year.

Visuals

When we think about awards ceremonies, all the big, infamous ceremonies tend to come to mind – we’ve all stayed up a little bit too late watching the Academy Awards or BAFTAs. It’s unlikely that you’ll be holding an awards ceremony at this kind of scale, but it does make sense to set a good chunk of your budget away for your audio and visual requirements.

You’ll need something visually interesting to keep your crowd entertained, as well as to announce who is taking the stage, but don’t go too far with the flash and forget about the actual reason you’re having the event.

Music

You can’t have an awards show without music, and whilst it may be tempting to hook up Alan from accounting’s laptop and be done with it, it makes much more sense to hire in a professional. You need someone who knows how to host professional events, how to react to the unexpected, and who knows how to take a cue.

Hiring a live band is an excellent way to add a bit of life to an awards ceremony – nothing can create an atmosphere quite like a live band, and having them playing your intro/outro music is a great way to energise your award ceremony attendees. The most dangerous part of any awards ceremony is the actual award giving segment – this is where boredom is most likely to creep in amongst your guests, so having a live band here could really pay off.

Speakers

Most awards ceremonies are held after a formal sit down meal, so the night can drag along a bit if you put everything you’re planning into the space after the desserts are served. Before dinner is served, consider having a speaker take to the stage to get your crowd engaged and excited about the company and the upcoming event.

If you don’t feel charismatic enough to host the entire awards ceremony yourself, consider passing the responsibility on to a compère or emcee. They’re industry professionals, and they’ll know how to keep your event running smoothly and on time.

The after party

Few awards ceremonies end after the closing speeches, so if you’re putting a ceremony together you’ll need to remember to organise entertainment for afterwards as well. An awards ceremony after party is a great chance for the attendees to network in a relaxed environment. When you’re setting the table for the sit down dinner, make your placeholders double up as lanyards than can be worn during this networking party portion of the evening. If you’ve hired a live band or DJ to play at the awards ceremony, utilise them now, to keep your guests entertained and encourage them to mingle. At this stage of the evening you could even bring in a mixologist who can serve themed cocktails with flourish bartending.

When the big day of your awards ceremony rolls around, you should be ready and rearing to go – make sure you have all your preparatory work done before hand, so your event can run as smoothly as possible. Your attendees should feel entertained, and your award winners should feel honoured, which leaves no room for anyone to feel stressed!
Read the full story
Christmas Party Entertainment

Christmas Party Entertainment

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Christmas Party Entertainment - It’s important to let your staff members know that all the hard work they put into the company is valued – and what better way to do that than to hold a staff party? Staff parties are the perfect way for employees to relieve the stress of the daily grind and come together to celebrate anything from closing a big deal to a fellow employee’s birthday. Hosting a staff party can be a little bit more difficult than putting together something for friends and family, however. Not everyone is going to have a close relationship within the workplace, and you need to make sure your event retains at least an air of professionalism: everyone needs to be able to make it into work the next day, as well as look each other in the eye.

Entertainment for Christmas party

Far and away, the most important part of any Christmas staff party is the entertainment. If you’re organising a formal sit-down dinner during your celebrations, consider working the entertainment in with the food. You could hire in some singing waiters or even a murder mystery night to entertain your colleagues whilst they eat.

If the real entertainment focus of your party is in the after dinner portion of the evening, a great option is to hire in an experienced party DJ or live band. If you’re worried about pleasing everyone, these are sure fire ways to keep people entertained. If you want to offer something non-musical to your guests, try and find an option that still gets everyone up and mingling together, like a fun casino.

Entertainment Ideas for Christmas party

You could even hire a magician that specialises in close up magic to keep everyone entertained without the pressure to get up and dance.

Entertainment tends to be one of the most talked-about parts of any staff Christmas party: for both good and bad reasons. Consider the logistics of your event when you’re choosing your entertainment act – how many guests you have and the free space in the venue will play a huge role in choosing who you hire. Try and have a chat with everyone in the workplace about what kind of entertainment they’d be interested in having, and don’t be afraid to draw on previous staff Christmas parties for inspiration. If everyone loved it last year, chances are they’ll love it again this year.

If you need honest advice about putting together a staff Christmas party, we’re only a click or a call away, and don’t forget to check out our blog to find more in-depth information on putting together a memorable festive get together. If you’ve found exactly the right entertainment package for your party, make sure you use the search on BookEntertainment to check pricing and availability.
Read the full story
Launch Party Entertainment Ideas

Launch Party Entertainment Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Launch Party Entertainment Ideas - If you’re launching a new product, it makes sense from a marketing standpoint to organise a proper launch party. Successful product launch parties can improve your brand recognition and sales figures exponentially, and ensure your store or product is on the map the minute you break ground.

No doubt you’ve been working on your marketing for months – pouring over industry analysis, market research, blog posts, and samples. When it comes to your actual product launch, you need your event to go off without a hitch. A completely successful product launch is the only launch that’s going to get your business noticed – which can lead to a lot of stress in the planning stages. Rolling launches are the best bet for many new brands and products; however it makes sense to have one big event to mark an official launch date.

Product / Store Launch Entertainment

For a really successful product launch, hiring entertainment is the way forward. Hiring a corporate entertainment act is a great way to grab the attention of your potential clients and customers, as well as making the event as memorable as possible. When people remember your product, they’ll come back for more, so ensuring your launch party stands out with a quality entertainment act is the perfect way to ensure your product or company prospers.
 
Hiring an emcee or compère can take the stress off you as organiser by keeping your attendees entertained and the event running smoothly whilst you work behind the scenes. Musical entertainment is a no brainer when it comes to creating a buzz during your product launch. Match the music to the tone you want to set – DJs and live bands are perfect if you’re trying to create a party atmosphere, but if you’re looking for something more laid back you can still bring in a swing singer or even a harpist. Non-musical entertainment is also a strong choice: consider hiring a caricature artist to sketch clients wearing t-shirts with your branding, or even a photo booth where the skin, prints, and props are related to your product.
When it comes to planning a product launch, hiring entertainment is essential to creating a successful, memorable event. Take a look at our entertainment acts, available all over The UK and Ireland – you’re sure to find an act that’s perfect for your product launch.
Read the full story
Christening Party Ideas

Christening Party Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Christening Party Ideas - For parents who want to raise their child within the Christian faith, a christening is the first step in a lifelong relationship with the church. Whether it’s for religious or educational reasons, a christening is a celebration both of the child’s entrance into the faith and of two people entering into parenthood. All parents want their child’s christening day to be perfect, and we’re sure you’re no different! Have a look at our brilliant christening party planner to make sure your day runs smoothly from start to finish.

Godparents

Make sure you pick your godparents first – even before you decide on the date of the christening; make sure you’ve chosen the appropriate people to stand for the child. There can’t be a christening if you don’t have any godparents, so you need to pin them down and work your christening party schedule around them.

There’s a chance they’ll want to help organise the party too, and if so, make sure you let them. Include them in the whole day, not just the ceremony – in a way you’re welcoming them into your family too.

Dates

Once you’ve got an idea of when your godparents are free, contact your local church to see how their christening ceremonies are organised. Some integrate it into a Sunday service and do several baptisms at once, though some will allow you to have your own ceremony. Check what the church requires of you as a parent when you’re arranging these dates as well: some will want you to attend a few services before the date of the baptism. Remember when organising the christening to also double check if the church allows photography during the ceremony

Organise the ceremony and christening party for around a month away, to make it easier for your guests to take time off work and make travel arrangements.

Guest list & invites

Make sure you ask the priest (and their spouse, where applicable) to the party you’re holding after the christening. Another thing to remember is that generally people bring their children to a christening party, so you need to plan accordingly. Make sure you’re not counting a married couple as two guests if they’ll be bringing four children along with them.

When it comes to invitations, good etiquette is to send out paper invites with all the details already on it. Note on the invites that you want an RSVP, that kids are invited, and with what level of formality you want with your guests to dress. Semi-formal is the assumed attire for christening parties, but if you’re looking for anything in particular when it comes to dress code, specify it early.

The party

For your venue, the best choice is somewhere nearby the church. Match your choice to your number of guests: if your party will fit into your house then it’s as good a choice as any, but for something a little more special consider the church hall or a local club.

What food you serve also depends on the time of day, but another deciding factor when it comes to the difference between a sit down meal and a buffet is whether or not the christening party will serve as a mini family reunion. If you have relatives who you rarely see coming together, then having a buffet rather than a sit down dinner gives them more of a chance to mingle with each other throughout the christening party. The most important thing to remember when it comes to the food is that you’ll be expected to provide a cake.

It’s also expected that one or both of the godparents give a short toast at the christening party. A few words will do, but if both are uncomfortable with the idea of speaking in front of a room full of people, don’t be afraid to buck tradition and invite someone else to speak, or even speak yourself!

You’re guests are likely going to bring presents for the baby being christened, so make sure you have an area of the party set aside to store them safely. When your party’s over and done with, it’s usually expected that you’ll send out thank you cards to those who attended and gave presents.

Entertainment

If you’re looking for a way to make your christening party stand out as a little different from the usual afternoon of standing around a buffet table, you can hire in some entertainment to really make it memorable.

When it comes to booking entertainment however bear in mind that you’re booking for children as well as adults. It might be a good idea to hire out entertainment specifically for them – children get bored a lot more quickly than the grownups, and they might grow restless during an evening of chatting and food. There are lots of entertainment options out there specifically designed with children in mind. 7

A magician is a great option – they specialise in holding children’s attention for long periods of time, and you can segment off an area of your venue that’s just for them. This gives the grownups time to mingle without any distractions, and gives the kids something fun to do to keep them occupied. If you really want to push the boat but keep things firmly kiddie-themed, consider hiring something like a Go Kart track. If you have the space and the budget this will definitely keep the kids at your christening party entertained. The adults are bound to love watching it too, and they’re definitely going to be impressed.

Finally

For entertainment that both the grownups and kids at your party can get involved with, you can’t go wrong with hiring a photo booth for the evening. Everyone will want to get in on the action, parent and child alike, and it doubles as the perfect way to memorialise your child’s christening party with the minimum of effort. Most photo booth companies include the option of double printing the photos and placing one set in a guest book for you to keep, which is a perfect way to remember your child’s big day forever.

If you’re looking for musical entertainment during the christening party, your best bet is to choose an instrumental act. Something like a string quartet, guitarist or even harpist is going to be understated and suit the occasion perfectly – as well as being quiet enough that it’s not going to hurt any little eardrums!
Read the full story
First Communion Party Ideas

First Communion Party Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

First Communion Party Ideas - A First Holy Communion or a confirmation is a huge event in both the religious and personal life of a young Christian.

These are landmarks in their journey as a believer, and as such many families choose the mark the occasion with a First Communion or Confirmation party attended by family and friends. First Communion and confirmation parties can range from intimate gatherings of the child’s close relatives to a huge community celebration with all the children who received their First Communion or confirmation rites that day.

Preparation and date

If your child is at a faith school they’ll be given all the education they need approaching their First Communion or confirmation, but if their school is non-denominational or non-religious, you need to contact your local church and ask what classes your child has to attend before the mass.

Choosing the date for your First Holy Communion or confirmation party is a little different than choosing a date for a christening or other non-religious party because the church decides when the First Communion and confirmation masses will be held. If this date is inappropriate for a party some families will have the party on a different day and just get the child all dressed up again, however you usually have weeks of advance notice for a First Communion or confirmation, so most families have enough time to plan for the day itself.

Venue

Remember that it’s not just your own child who is making their confirmation or First Communion. There’ll be big competition for the best venues throughout your city, so it could make sense to come together with a few other parents and have a joint confirmation or First Communion party.

Venue choice will depend on the type of First Communion or confirmation party you’ve decided to hold, but more often than not people end up choosing a venue other than your house due to the volume of people who want to visit your child to celebrate their First Communion or confirmation with them.

Catering

Your catering should be appropriate to the time of day – if you’re not serving food until the evening, a sit down meal may be more appropriate, whereas a lunch time First Communion or confirmation party could be catered with sandwiches. Remember that your child is either in a nice dress or their best suit, and the people attending will most likely be in their Sunday best, so messy food isn’t a good idea. If you’re having a sit-down meal this means nothing liable to spill disastrously or splash, and if you’re having a buffet meal, make sure everything is self contained, and try to avoid anything too sauce based.

Reception

A First Communion or confirmation party is different from most other types of event because it’s not focused around adults the way a wedding is, but it can’t be entirely kid-focused in the way a birthday party would be. When planning a First Communion or confirmation party you have to ensure that your party is going to be suitable for a whole mixture of age groups, as well as reflecting the religious nature of the event.

People will definitely be bringing presents and cards to this party, so it makes sense to have somewhere secured you can keep them. A lot of people opt for giving the child money over presents when it comes to their First Communion or confirmation, and as such a lot of First Communion outfits include a purse or wallet, whereas confirmation outfits tend to have a full bag or a suit with pockets. Discreetly take the money out of it a few times over the course of the night and put it in your secure area – we all know how easily children lose things!

Decor

When it comes to your decor, even though the party is about the child, it isn’t really appropriate to theme it to standard “kid’s themes” like cartoon characters. You can get plenty of specifically religious-themed decoration kits with paper plates and napkins online, but it you want you could just decorate with a mixture of white and the child’s favourite colour. The most important part is that you make sure the decorations are in keeping with the respectful nature of the rites themselves.

Entertainment

It makes sense when you’re organising a party that centres around children to also organise some sort of entertainment for them. A room full of seven to ten year olds who are excited about their big day can get out of hand quickly, so having an entertainment solution at your First Communion or confirmation party can be a real life saver when it comes to keeping the peace.

Consider some party games that can get all the children at the party involved without ruining their fancy clothes. You can get giant versions of a lot of board games from all over the internet, and if you get good weather lawn games can be an excellent choice. Setting up craft activities or even a big game of kid-friendly (i.e. small numbers) bingo can also keep large groups of children happy and occupied, but if you’re going down the craft route, remember to provide aprons to keep those fancy First Communion and confirmation outfits as pristine as possible.

Party games and craft activities also mean that the adults and children can mix together throughout the party, which means everyone gets to have fun together!
It’s a good idea however to have at least some time during the party where there’s entertainment that’s just for the kids present. It is after all their big day, so it could be a nice option to have something at the party that stands out as being designed purely for them. You can set up a special area just for the children at the First Communion or confirmation party and hire in some outside entertainment. A specialist kids’ magician is a strong choice. Hiring someone who specialises in kids’ magic shows means you’re getting an experienced children’s entertainer who’ll be able to hold the attention of a big group for an extended amount of time. Having entertainment that allows the children to be in their own space also means that adults can have some time to relax and regroup after a busy day of running around after all those children and getting from location to location!
 
When you’re organising a First Communion or confirmation party the most important thing to remember is that the day should be centred around the child and their relationship with both the church and God. It isn’t hard to put together a First Communion or confirmation party that is both lovely and memorable for everyone involved when you put our planner to good use!
Read the full story
Fundraising Event Ideas

Fundraising Event Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Fundraising Event Ideas - Putting together a successful charity event takes enthusiasm, dedication, and a lot of planning. For a lot of non-profit organisations, fundraising events provide important resources – but only if they’re successful. No matter what size or type of fundraising event you’re putting together, you’ll have the same objectives: to raise money, and to make people aware of your organisation.
 
The best way to encourage people to dig deep at your fundraising event is to make sure they’re relaxed and having fun – people are much more likely to donate if they feel like they’re getting something in return, so making sure they have a fun night means you’re likely to raise more money for your organisation.

Entertainment for charity night

There are lots of entertainment choices perfect for getting your fundraising guests excited and in the mood to donate. Having great entertainment organised takes the hassle out of advertising your fundraising event – people will buy tickets for an event that looks fantastic, so organising fantastic entertainment means major fundraising opportunities.

When it comes to the fundraiser itself, booking a band or DJ will keep people upbeat and active during the event, and hiring a brilliant emcee or compère will keep your guests engaged and involved with your fundraising efforts, helping you reach your financial goals. Organising set piece entertainment that people can feel involved in like a casino night is a brilliant way to make them feel personally involved in the organisation, and therefore more likely to donate generously.
At BookEntertainment, we’re well versed in the art of running a successful fundraiser. Once you’ve had a look through our specially chosen fundraising entertainment acts and picked the right entertainment package for you, don’t be afraid to message your suppliers or acts with any queries or for advice and support after you’ve booked. We’ve provided entertainment for hundreds of successful fundraising events, so we know how to make yours a hit.
Read the full story
School Formal Entertainment Ideas

School Formal Entertainment Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

School Formal Entertainment Ideas - The school formal is the night everyone looks forward to all year, so it’s definitely one you want to make memorable. The entertainment can make or break your formal, so you have to make sure you get it right.

The most important thing about organising a school formal is that it’s a chance for everyone to let loose and have fun after a year of hard work and exams, as well as a way for school leavers’ to say goodbye as they move into the next stage of their lives.

Putting together the perfect entertainment is a great way to make sure your guests celebrate their formal in style.

Entertainment for school formal

If there’s one thing a school formal can’t go ahead without, it’s music. It’s the most famous piece of formal entertainment, and for good reason. Proper music choices can really set the mood when it comes to entertaining your formal guests. It’s possible to integrate music into the entirety of your formal evening, from beginning to end – when your guests are arriving, have a string quartet in your entrance hall to meet them.

It’s an extra touch that will make their night really special, as well as fill any awkward silences when you’re waiting for your venue to fill. After dinner is when the big entertainment pieces tend to come out, and you’ll want to employ a live band or a DJ to get everyone out and enjoying themselves on the dance floor. A formal is a big party, so make it feel like one!
Don’t get so caught up in finding the perfect band or DJ for your school formal that you forget that music isn’t everything. Photo booths and selfie mirrors are a fantastic option for a school formal, as it means everyone gets a cute memento to take home with them. You can even get the prints customised with the name of your school and the date of your formal for the added nostalgia factor. If you want to make the evening really special, you could even hire an LED dance floor so your formal guests can really party in style.

If you’re looking for the perfect way to make your formal really memorable, make sure you hire your entertainment from our roster of brilliant acts and event services. We’re here to provide you with both the entertainment solutions and support you need to make your school, college, or university formal brilliant.
Read the full story
Mix and Mingle Entertainment Ideas

Mix and Mingle Entertainment Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Mix and Mingle Entertainment Ideas - We all know that a first meeting can be an awkward affair, so putting together entertainment that can get your guests to mix and mingle easily during an event is a top priority for most organisers. You want to put people at ease in their surroundings and create something to talk about – so why not do it with some high quality entertainment?

Creating a buzz at a mix and mingle event is a sure fire way to get people chatting, so strolling acts are often a first port of call for organisers. A magician who specialises in close-up magic is a brilliant option – they can stroll through the crowd performing with willing participants, naturally creating groups that will continue to socialise long after they’ve moved on.

Mix and mingle entertainment ideas

Background music is a great way to ensure your mix and mingle guests never notice a silence. Jazz singers and vocalists are excellent acts to fill out the background without overpowering your guests, as well as creating a professional, classy atmosphere. You’ll need an act talented enough to draw attention, but understated enough not to steal it.

If set piece mix and mingle entertainment is more your style, a great way to get your guests mixing is a fun casino. Your guests will be naturally drawn to the tables, and each one is manned by a croupier who can get guests interacting with both the games and each other. You can also make your food an interactive experience with an ice cream van. If you want a musical set piece that’ll get your guests talking, our singing waiters are sure to fit the bill – with everyone caught up in the surprise, you’re guaranteed to bring people together.

If you need a great way to break the ice at your ice breaker, you can’t beat our mix and mingle acts and event suppliers. Once you’ve found the perfect act for you, make sure you use BookEntertainment to check pricing and availability.
Read the full story
House Party Entertainment Ideas

House Party Entertainment Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

House Party Entertainment Ideas - Everybody loves a good house party, they combine all the fun and games of a great night out with all the relaxation of a few drinks on the sofa after a long day.

Because of the relaxed, sociable atmosphere of a house party, it can be tempting to take the same approach to planning your night. Whilst planning a house party is definitely less stressful than organising an event (there’s no venue to book, for one), you still need to put a bit of work into the planning if you want your night to be really memorable.

Date and time

Just because you’re not organising a venue, don’t think you don’t need to stamp down a definite date and time for your party. Telling your guests to show up any time after dinner on Saturday evening is definitely a recipe for disaster.

House parties tend to go on a bit longer than a normal night on the town because there’re no bouncers to gruffly usher you out the doors at closing time, so planning a house party for a week night is probably a bad move for those who have work or university the next morning. When it comes to timing, no one’s going to show up on the time you tell them.

Pick a time that’s intentionally a little too early, and people will roll up around an hour later than you told them to arrive.

Guest list

When it comes to a guest list, there’s no real reason to send out formal invites for a house party. Consider putting together an event on Facebook, but if you go down this route make sure you make the event private so only the people you want to invite can come. If you’re not technologically minded, a group text message to your future attendees will do.

It might be tempting to just do a ring round, but you’ll end up having to text people anyway to remind them. Life gets in the way, even when it comes to attending the amazing house party you’re putting together. Contact people to tell them about the party about two weeks in advance, then around three or four days before double check their RSVPs.

Once again, the relaxed nature of a house party can sprout some dangers here – you’ll get people asking if their friends can come along, and whilst there’s no real issue in this, keep a check on who’s bringing extra people along with them in case your numbers spiral past what you were expecting.

Entertainment

When it comes to planning your house party entertainment, it’s an easy option to just plug someone’s iPod in and let the music take care of itself. There’s nothing wrong with doing this in and of itself, but if you want something a little bit more upmarket, or if you want your musical choice to set a tone for the evening, a great option is to bring in a jazz or swing singer. Since the party’s being held in your house, chances are you won’t have the room to facilitate a big live band. Jazz and swing singers tend to come alone with an amp, so you can have live music without stacking all your furniture against the wall.

If you do go down the iPod disco route and still want something special for your guests, it’s not hard to find great entertainment options that are perfect for a house party setting. A magician capable of close-up magic is going to go down a storm, and hiring a cocktail artist means your guests get their drinks with a little bit of panache.

If you want to get everyone up and involved, a brilliant activity to encourage your guests to really engage with each other is a fun casino night. These come in a variety of sizes and packages can be customised to suit the amount of people you’re bringing. There’s even a DIY option that’s perfect for house parties, and renting it means you don’t have to clear out a room to fit the tables in. Guests can take turns playing dealer, which is guaranteed to really get everyone involved.

Finally

The most important thing to remember when you’re planning a house party is that you don’t need to run yourself ragged to make it a good night.

Hiring in entertainment means you’re not under pressure to keep your guests happy, and can kick back and enjoy the party yourself. Your friends are there because they want to have a relaxing good time at your house, so make sure you’re giving them (and yourself) the kind of night you’d expect from a house party.

As long as you provide something like a fun casino, cocktail artist, musician or magician to keep everyone entertained you’re sure to have a good night – just try not to think about all the glasses you’ll have to clear up tomorrow.
 
Read the full story
Engagement Party Ideas

Engagement Party Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Engagement Party Ideas - Getting engaged is without a doubt one of the happiest times of your life. You’ve just taken a big step with someone you love, so it’s natural to want to share your joy with your family and friends and host an engagement party!

We know planning any party can be a stressful experience, but when you’ve got one foot in the blissful clouds of love and the other in the full plate of putting together your wedding, you want planning your engagement party to be as simple as possible. That’s why we’ve put together this engagement party planner, full of practical help you can utilise to make putting together your engagement party a breeze!

Hosting

An engagement party was originally a wedding-themed surprise party: guests would attend, and only once they were there would the happy couple’s engagement be announced. Traditionally, the bride’s parents host the engagement party, but as times have changed, so has this role.

It’s truly anyone’s game – though it’s seen as polite to exclude the maid of honour and best man as possible hosts, as they’ll have other parties to organise.Sometimes people close to the twosome will volunteer themselves as hosts, but more often than not the couple take on the role of hosts themselves.

As times have moved on, and social media has become increasingly popular, most couples announce their engagement almost immediately, and the engagement party is more of a way to celebrate with their family and friends than to actually formally announce their intentions to marry. This means that the future newlyweds can plan and execute the party on their own terms.

Dates

There’s no one date that’s perfect for an engagement party, and when the party is held is often indicative of the length of the engagement. A general rule of thumb is to make sure your engagement party is held more than six months before the actual wedding.

Be careful not to go too far in the opposite direction, though. Let yourself be engaged for a while before throwing the big party. Bask in the glow of just being in love and being together, and let yourself get used to the idea of being a married couple. Standard engagement periods are around a year to a year and a half, so three or four months in is generally a good benchmark that means you get a break from wedding planning, but still have plenty of time afterwards to hit the ground running.

Guest list and invites

How early you send out your invites depends on how far your guests are going to travel to get there. Generally, a month in advance should do the trick, but if you’re holding your engagement party a good distance from your hometown and family will have to travel to get there, drop them a line a little earlier.

Your guest list shouldn’t be too hard to lay out, but make sure you don’t end up inviting the same amount of people to your engagement party as to your wedding (unless you’re having a small wedding!) – do however make sure that everyone who attends the engagement party is going to be a guest to at least the wedding reception. An engagement party is viewed by many as being part of the wedding celebrations, so if they’re in attendance they’ll probably be expecting an invite to the big day as well.

Budget

Set a budget right from the beginning of planning, and stick to it. If you’re the happy couple and you’re planning your own engagement party, consider this a practice run for your big day. Stick to your budget closely, and if not, implement what you’ve learned when it comes to your wedding.

Style

There are no hard and fast rules as to what an engagement party should actually be – they can range from sit down dinners to backyard BBQs, held anywhere from a local bar to a big venue. As long as there are two people who’ve promised to be together forever at the celebration, it’s an engagement party.

If you haven’t decided on your wedding theme yet, don’t despair, because your engagement party doesn’t have to match up completely. Try and create the tone you want for your wedding, however, when you’re planning your engagement party. It’ll give people an idea of what to expect.

Food

Once again, there are no hard and fast rules as to what kind of food to provide at an engagement party, but you generally do have to provide food. If you’re planning an engagement party that’s outdoors, hiring a chip van is a cute and vintage option your guests are sure to love.

If you have other plans for food however, but want a showpiece for dessert, it’s also possible to hire traditional ice cream vans or vintage ice cream carts, depending on your tone. See our catering options here

Entertainment

Most engagement parties are held during the day, and if that’s the option you’ve gone for, you’re probably going to want to keep things pretty casual. Fun activities like mini golf, or even archery, will get your guests involved and having fun while still maintaining a relaxed atmosphere.

This is a get together for a big chunk of your friends and family, so naturally, a huge amount of talking and laughing and introductions going on. Because of this, if you’re having musical accompaniment at your engagement it makes sense to have something simple, such as a soloist, jazz singer, or even a harpist or string quartet. [See all Music options] More understated music means that your guests can choose whether they listen to the performance or socialise.

 
On the flip side however, if you’re planning the kind of engagement party that will have your guests ringing in sick to work the next morning, you’re going to need something a little bigger and bolder. If you and your future spouse are night-owls, then hold an evening party that goes on into the wee hours – don’t feel pressured into doing what’s conventional if it doesn’t fit with you as a couple! For these kinds of bigger parties, you can’t go wrong with a DJ or live band to get your guests in the party spirit. If you want to make the night really special, consider hiring in a professional mixologist, who can work with you to create a signature cocktail that sums you up as a couple!

No matter what kind of engagement party you’re throwing, the newly engaged couple are going to love the idea of a photo booth to commemorate their engagement celebrations. You can even order double prints, so that your guests can go home with their own copies as party favours, whilst the happy couple receive a guest book with all the photos inside, along with messages from their friends – a perfect memento!

For a lot of couples, an engagement party is the first time that all their family and friends will be meeting en masse, getting to know each other, and preparing to become one big group. No matter what kind of engagement party you’re planning, make sure it’s as fun and as inclusive as you can. Encourage your guests to mix and mingle with each other, and put some personal touches throughout the party to really make it special. Most importantly, remember that this party is about you and your guests celebrating together – get swept up in the happiness, relax, and get involved in the festivities!
Read the full story
60th Birthday party ideas

60th Birthday party ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

60th Birthday party ideas - When it comes to planning a 60th birthday party, it’s usually an occasion that the whole family attends. Everyone wants to come and wish their loved one well, and enjoy some fun and quality time with them on this landmark in the world of birthdays.

Chances are a 60th birthday party is going to have guests of all ages in attendance, so putting together entertainment can seem like a bit of a challenge, but if you’re clever about it, getting everyone in the party spirit isn’t too hard.

Entertainment for 60th birthday

If you’ve got multiple age groups at your 60th birthday party, you’ll want entertainment that suits particular groups, as well as entertainment that brings everyone together. If there are a lot of children at the party, hire a children’s magician who can tailor their show to younger audiences.

This keeps the kids occupied, which frees up some time for the adults at the party to socialise. If you want to bring everyone together, consider turning hosting a dinner party which you can turn into a surprise murder mystery night – everyone gets a role to play, and it keeps bums on seats during dinner.
A 60th birthday is a significant landmark in the celebrant’s life, so make sure that’s felt when it comes to the party. A 60th birthday party should be respectful and positive – poking fun at the guest of honour’s age can go wrong very quickly, and there are better ways to put an event together. If you want to theme your event, consider picking a decade and sticking to it. Pick the decade your guest of honour did their growing up in rather than the decade they were born in, and throw yourself into the planning.


If you have any queries or concerns about putting on a brilliant 60th birthday party, don’t hesitate to contact us for some industry insider advice. Once you’ve found the perfect entertainment solution for your big day, message the act or book instantly. 
Read the full story
50th Birthday Party Ideas

50th Birthday Party Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

50th Birthday Party Ideas - A 50th birthday party differs from those milestone birthdays that come before it in that it’s definitely going to have a sophisticated edge to it – most 50 year olds are past the part of their lives where a DJ and three litres of spirits are what constitutes a great night out.

That doesn’t mean, however, that a 50th birthday party has to be all tea and crumpets and not offending your Great Aunt Jean. You’ll still want to put on something your birthday boy or girl will enjoy, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to putting together a 50th birthday party.

Think about what kind of music the birthday girl or guy enjoys – if they’re more into traditional music, hire in some traditional musicians. Chances are they’ll want something a bit more laidback than your traditional party bands or DJs, so consider hiring in a band that has a more country or jazz sound.

Entertainment for 50th birthday

Another brilliant way to keep guests entertained at a 50th birthday party is to hire an entertainer such as a magician or a comedy hypnotist. Most magicians can give you the choice of a stage show or close up magic, and both are great ways to keep your party guests entertained without creating a crazy party atmosphere.

Hiring a food truck is another way to bring a touch of class to your event, as well as saving you time and allowing you to really get involved in the party.

The most important thing to remember when you’re putting together a 50th birthday party is to remember to turn your focus on the guest of honour – if you make sure the party is all about them, you’re sure to create a successful event.

If you have any queries or questions about putting on a brilliant party for your loved one’s 50th birthday, don’t be afraid to get in touch with us for advice. If you’ve found exactly what you want however, book instantly or chat using our built in secure messenger.
Read the full story
40th Birthday Ideas

40th Birthday Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

40th Birthday Ideas - There’s no doubt about it: turning 40 is a big deal. A 40th birthday is a huge milestone, as well as a celebration of having made it this far – you’re a real adult now, and all the uncertainties of the past 20 years have melted away to leave you confident, comfortable, and happy in life.

But turning 40 doesn’t mean you say goodbye to fun - planning a 40th birthday party is a great way to show your friends and family that you can still throw one hell of a party, no matter what age comes before the word “birthday” on the banners.

If the person turning 40 loves to party or is a big music fan, it makes sense to hire in a live band or DJ. It’s a great way to really get the party going, and chances are a lot of the guests at a 40th birthday party have families and jobs, so they’ll want to cut loose and blow off some steam.

Hiring in a mixologist could be a brilliant choice, too. Have a chat with them beforehand, and get some signature cocktails put together. You could go upmarket and have classy, sophisticated cocktails, or even blast from the past with something garish from the 70s or 80s that you no doubt sipped on your big nights out growing up!

Entertainment for 40th birthday

If you want a keepsake of all the memories you’ll no doubt be creating at your 40th birthday party, hiring a photo booth is a simple and easy way to make lasting memories. Just set up the booth and wait, and you’re guaranteed to have a host of hilarious photos of your party guests, all presented in a scrap book.

Whether your 40th birthday party is going to be a crazy party or a more sophisticated soirée, if you have any queries or concerns about putting together something brilliant, don’t forget that we’re only a click or a call away. If you know exactly what you want, and now you just need to find out how to get it, make sure you use the search bar on book entertainment to check prices and availability.
Read the full story
30th Birthday Party Entertainment Ideas

30th Birthday Party Entertainment Ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021

30th Birthday Party Entertainment Ideas - Waving goodbye to your 20s doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom – you’re entering the most interesting decade of your life! Long gone are the muddy waters of your twenties, and now you’re ready to really embrace the date and celebrate 30 years of being you.

Parties are a great excuse to really cut loose, an excuse that’s no doubt become less frequent as your 20’s passed, so why not enter into your third decade in style?

Everyone expects a 30th birthday party to be a big event – so why not show them your party chops by hiring in a live band or DJ? Have a chat with them about set lists and see if they can stick to all the classics that’ll have your fellow 30-somethings filling up the dance floor and fist pumping ‘til dawn.

If you want something a little more demure for your party however, bringing in a swing or jazz singer will really set a grown up tone and allow you to kick back and greet your 30s with a relaxed smile on your face.

Entertainment for 30th birthday

If you want something really special, why not theme your night? You could put together an entertainment package containing a fun casino, jazz singer, and mixologist – a perfect way to recreate Las Vegas no matter where you are in the world.

Whether it’s a quiet family affair or you’re looking for a way to paint the town red, we’re sure to have something for you in our hand selected list of birthday party entertainment. If you have any queries or even want some advice on putting together a brilliant birthday bash, remember to check out our blog, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

We’re here to put your mind at ease and make sure your night is as fun, stress-free, and successful as possible!
Read the full story
21st birthday party ideas

21st birthday party ideas

Keith Donaghy, 09-08-2021
*|MC:SUBJECT|*