40 articles
Ideas, themes and event stories
Planning tips, theme guides and line-ups from real events. Filter by topic to find what you need.
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40 articles
Corporate eventsCorporate event entertainment ideas that people actually remember
The acts that work best at conferences, client receptions, awards and summer parties, and how to place them in your running order.
Oliver Bradshaw · Oct 2026 · 3 min read
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Themes & ideasGatsby party entertainment: how to plan a 1920s night
Hosts at the door, jazz through dinner and a champagne glass showpiece. A simple plan for a 1920s night.
Charlotte Pemberton · Oct 2026 · 3 min read
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Christmas & seasonalChristmas party entertainment ideas for companies
Nutcrackers at the door, a themed twist and when to book. Ideas for a Christmas party people talk about in January.
James Ashworth · Oct 2026 · 3 min read
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Event storiesHuman Wayfinding: Brand Ambassadors at a Major London Venue Launch
When a landmark London venue opened its new rooftop restaurants and bars, a team of brand ambassadors became the human face of the launch. Here is how the brief worked and what it teaches anyone planning an opening.
Hannah Whitfield · Jul 2026 · 4 min read
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Event storiesTurning a Property Launch Into a Guided Show: An East London VIP Opening
A new residential development in East London wanted its VIP opening to feel like a celebration, not a building tour. Each facility became a stage, with performers who nodded to the area's history.
Oliver Bradshaw · Apr 2026 · 4 min read
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Christmas & seasonalA Corporate Christmas Family Day: Entertainment That Worked Rain or Shine
One employer hired a Christmas market for the day and invited staff to bring their families. Here is the entertainment line-up that kept every age group busy from arrival to the last ride.
Charlotte Pemberton · Feb 2026 · 4 min read
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Planning tipsAutomation or Expertise? What to Expect From an Entertainment Booker
Automated quotes and chatbots are spreading across the events world. Here is where technology genuinely helps, where it falls short, and what good service from an entertainment booker should look like.
James Ashworth · Feb 2026 · 4 min read
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Corporate eventsFive Ways to Build Real Connection at Your Company Events
Staff events work best when they are planned around how you want people to feel. Five practical steps, from venue choice to a programme that builds through the evening.
Tom Hargreaves · Jul 2025 · 4 min read
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Christmas & seasonalApril Fools Party Ideas: A Stylish Take on Jesters, Tricks and Surprises
Pranks, jesters and a little mischief make April Fools a surprisingly good party theme. Ideas for colours, styling and acts that bring the fun without feeling childish.
Oliver Bradshaw · Mar 2025 · 3 min read
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Event storiesFrom Concept to Curtain: Producing an Under the Sea Themed Show
A venue wanted a run of under the sea shows that outdid everything it had staged before. Here is how the production came together, from costumes and casting to a single non-stop soundtrack.
Hannah Whitfield · Feb 2025 · 3 min read
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Themes & ideasFour Event Themes That Always Work, and How to Do Them Well
Stuck choosing a party theme? Four reliable favourites, with practical ideas on colours, styling and entertainment for each.
Charlotte Pemberton · Feb 2025 · 3 min read
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Weddings & partiesSummer Party Entertainment: A Simple Plan From Welcome to Finale
Garden marquee, office summer social or festival in a field, every summer party needs the same five building blocks. Here is how to choose entertainment for each.
James Ashworth · May 2024 · 3 min read
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Christmas & seasonalWinter Woodland Fantasy: Five Acts That Bring a Frozen Kingdom to Life
A snowy forest, a lone lamp post and a kingdom under a spell. Here are five characters that turn a winter woodland theme into something guests step inside.
Sophie Caldwell · Oct 2023 · 5 min read
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Corporate eventsPlanning Entertainment for a Summer Corporate Event
Long evenings and outdoor space open up options you cannot use in winter. Here is how to choose and schedule entertainment for a summer company event.
Tom Hargreaves · Jun 2023 · 4 min read
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Weddings & partiesHow to Plan a Marquee Party, From Site to Showstopper
A marquee lets you hold a party almost anywhere, but it means thinking about things a venue normally handles. Here is a practical plan from first idea to the final dance.
Hannah Whitfield · Feb 2023 · 4 min read
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Themes & ideasHosting a 1920s Speakeasy Party: Venue, Music, Drinks and Acts
Jazz, secret doors and cocktails in teacups. Here is how to plan a 1920s speakeasy party that feels authentic from the password at the door to the last dance.
Oliver Bradshaw · Feb 2023 · 4 min read
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Event storiesA 90th Birthday Dinner With a Live Painter and a Magician
For a mother's 90th, the family booked a close-up magician and a live event painter, who captured the whole dinner on canvas as a gift presented the next morning.
Sophie Caldwell · Mar 2022 · 3 min read
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Christmas & seasonalChristmas Party Planning: A Checklist From Date to Dance Floor
It may feel early, but autumn is the time to plan a Christmas party. Here is a checklist covering the date, venue, food and entertainment.
Tom Hargreaves · Sept 2021 · 3 min read
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Themes & ideasThe Floral Giant Champagne Glass: A Garden Party Showpiece
A giant champagne glass wrapped in floral garlands, with a dancer pouring drinks and colour-changing lights for after dark. Here is how it works.
Sophie Caldwell · Aug 2021 · 3 min read
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Planning tipsBooking a Fire Show for a Summer Party: What to Know
A fire show gives a summer party a clear high point. Here is how to plan timing, space and safety so it goes off without a hitch.
James Ashworth · Jun 2021 · 3 min read
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Themes & ideasFive Party Themes That Never Go Out of Style
Some themes keep returning year after year because they suit almost any crowd. Here are five reliable favourites and the acts that bring them to life.
Charlotte Pemberton · Apr 2020 · 3 min read
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Themes & ideasHow to Plan a Circus Themed Party Guests Will Talk About for Years
From a traditional big top to a darker, after-hours twisted circus, here is a practical guide to planning a circus party, covering venue, decor, catering, acts and photography.
Sophie Caldwell · Jan 2019 · 4 min read
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Themes & ideasCarnival Party Ideas: Entertainment for Five Carnival Styles
Carnival is one of the most colourful party themes you can choose. Here is how to pick your style, plan for British weather and book the right acts.
Oliver Bradshaw · Jul 2018 · 3 min read
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Weddings & partiesPlanning a Wedding on a Budget Without It Feeling Cheap
Saving money on a wedding is about spending in the right places. Here is where to cut back and where a little extra makes the day.
Hannah Whitfield · Apr 2018 · 3 min read
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Christmas & seasonalChoosing Christmas Party Entertainment: A Practical Booking Guide
Venue, decor and catering sorted? Here is how to choose entertainment that guests will actually remember, and how to pick a supplier you can trust.
Tom Hargreaves · Sept 2017 · 3 min read
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Planning tipsHow to Stage a Murder Mystery Dinner That Doesn't Feel Dated
Murder mystery nights have a reputation for being cheesy. A bespoke script, a properly paid cast and a venue with character change all of that.
Sophie Caldwell · Jun 2017 · 3 min read
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Themes & ideasFive Ways to Make a Masquerade Ball Work
Masks add mystery, but they can also make guests a little shy. These five tips help a masquerade ball feel lively from the first drink.
Sophie Caldwell · May 2017 · 4 min read
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Event storiesAn Arabian Nights Birthday at a Country Mansion
Lantern light, camels at the gate and a dance show that launched the party. Here is how one Arabian nights birthday came together at a private house in Kent.
Tom Hargreaves · Mar 2017 · 4 min read
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Event storiesStars and Stripes: An All-American Staff Awards Night
A travel company's annual staff awards on the south coast went full USA. Here is how the theme ran from a red carpet arrival to a glowing eagle ice luge.
Hannah Whitfield · Feb 2017 · 3 min read
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Event storiesA Parisian Cabaret Christmas on a Sea Fort
A boat ride, a Victorian fort and a run of Christmas parties in full Parisian cabaret style. Here is how the entertainment was built around an unusual venue.
Oliver Bradshaw · Dec 2016 · 3 min read
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Christmas & seasonalHalloween Horror Night: Entertainment Ideas With Real Bite
How a south coast nightclub built a classic horror film night around aerial spiders, fire-breathing reapers and a face painter armed with fake blood.
Charlotte Pemberton · Nov 2016 · 4 min read
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Themes & ideasPlanning a Nature-Themed Outdoor Summer Party for a Values-Led Brand
How to plan an open-air summer party that celebrates nature, with green walkabout characters, a multi-day marquee schedule and entertainment that matches your company's values.
Oliver Bradshaw · Sept 2016 · 3 min read
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Corporate eventsFive Live Music Options That Suit Corporate Events
Jazz for the drinks reception, swing for a vintage feel, samba drummers for energy and more. Five live music options for corporate events and when each one works best.
James Ashworth · Jul 2016 · 3 min read
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Event storiesA Circus Marquee Summer Ball in the Gloucestershire Countryside
An annual summer ball in a vintage circus-style marquee, with a burlesque surprise, a contortionist on a spinning mirrorball and a fire finale at dusk.
James Ashworth · Jun 2016 · 3 min read
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Event storiesAn 18th Birthday Party on a Private Sea Fort
A family 18th on a private fort in the Solent, with a bespoke crown ice luge, a caricaturist by the sea wall and hosts who kept every age group on the dance floor.
Hannah Whitfield · Jun 2016 · 4 min read
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Event storiesA Secret Agent Casino Night for a 60th on a Solent Fort
Eighteen guests, a private sea fort and a spy movie theme. A 60th birthday with dinner music, a theatrical villain entrance, showgirls and a casino played with personalised money.
Tom Hargreaves · May 2016 · 3 min read
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Event storiesBespoke Burlesque Shows for a Birmingham Cabaret Bar Weekend
A Birmingham cabaret bar wanted a weekend of burlesque. The answer was two custom routines, one with feather fans and confetti balloons, the other in a giant illuminated martini glass.
Charlotte Pemberton · Apr 2016 · 3 min read
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Event storiesSwapping a Stuffy Ceremony for the Big Top: A Circus Themed Awards Night
A trade awards ceremony at a Kensington hotel turned to the circus to shake up its format. Here is how the acts were woven into every part of the evening.
James Ashworth · Mar 2016 · 3 min read
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How a Travel Company Turned Its Awards Night Into a Spy Thriller
A staff awards night on the south coast went full spy thriller, with mock security checks, an electric string duo, ice luge, martini glass dancers and day of the dead stilt walkers.
Hannah Whitfield · Feb 2016 · 3 min read
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Event storiesA Frosted Awards Night in London: How Entertainment Set the Scene
An awards evening for people who book entertainment for a living set a high bar. Here is how a winter wonderland line-up held their attention from arrival to the dance floor.
Charlotte Pemberton · Jan 2016 · 4 min read
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