What is corporate entertainment?
What is corporate entertainment? This blog will cover exactly what corporate entertainment is, why it’s important, and how to make your next event a roaring success!
Oh, I’ll also be suggesting some great acts to help make your next corporate event the most entertaining yet!
What does corporate entertainment mean?
So, let’s start with the glaringly obvious. What is corporate entertainment? Well, it is when a company holds private events for employees, clients or stakeholders. These events can range in size from intimate gatherings of 10 to those in the thousands. The size and scale of an event is often determined by the industry/sector, as well as the purpose for hosting it. In my experience, the aims and goals of businesses hosting corporate entertainment can vary drastically. I perform as a corporate magician at everything from casual team meetings and intimate client gatherings to formal all-hands meetings and global conferences.
What makes for successful corporate entertainment?
First and foremost, I think it’s important for you (assuming “you” reading this are planning corporate entertainment) to establish what the purpose of your event is. Ie: Is it to build relationships? Are you looking to wow prospective clients? Do you want to promote your brand?
What is the “why” of your event? Once you have a sound understanding of this, you will be far better equipped to start planning…
When we think “what is corporate entertainment”, quite often we visualise very similar (slightly stale) settings, filled with attendees standing in a room asking each other a series of stock questions. This image is the reason we dread attending work events…
I think the difficulty for those arranging corporate entertainment is that experiential expectations have grown exponentially in recent years. In part, this is probably down to the sheer volume of amazing things we see on a daily basis through social media, YouTube or whatever internet rabbit hole you find yourself falling down…
Whilst this does mean there is added pressure on spicing up your corporate entertainment, it is also a clear opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd!
PLAY SHOWREEL
Think Like A Therapist
If you are to take one thing away from this post (look at me pretending I’m an academic providing you with a humble thesis) it is this…drum roll, please…The key to creating incredible corporate entertainment is empathy. Consider the attitude and feelings of your attendees and appreciate that this varies from one event to the next.
Examples of questions you could ask yourself in the planning and preparation stage: Are your guests regularly attending corporate entertainment and therefore need something unique? Might attendees be anxious because they don’t know each other? Perhaps a large percentage don’t drink and therefore other social options would be good!?
If you can get into the mindset of those coming to your corporate shindig, you’ll put yourself in the best position to arrange an absolute belter! It sounds cliché, but corporate entertainment is not as simple as one-size-fits-all.
Did you know?
Asides from being the best ice-breaker going, a huge advantage of magic is that it is highly malleable and can fit any sort of occasion. Yep, you guessed it, the next paragraph is a quick plug to book me for your corporate event…
Think of me as a very sociable guest – I can cater my performance to fit your needs and goals in one of 3 ways. Firstly, by getting a clear understanding of why your guests are attending and what experience you are looking for them to have, I can adapt my style to fit the feel of the event. Secondly, I can work anywhere – mingling in a room, in-between food service, whilst guests are standing in a queue – the list goes on! Finally, I can offer bespoke magic tricks that incorporate your corporate message or logo in order to leave your guests with a meaningful experience attached to your brand! Feel free to read some reviews by clicking here.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand…
Why is corporate entertainment important?
Corporate entertainment is a critical part of building business relationships, boosting morale and showcasing exactly what the values of your business are. Whilst the title of this blog is What is corporate entertainment, I think a more important question is, what is – the point – of corporate entertainment? I imagine most of you reading this will already understand its importance, but bullet-pointed below are a few reasons that are at the very crux of great corporate entertainment.
5 Reasons for Corporate Entertainment
- Guests relax, enjoy themselves and connect with colleagues or clients on a more meaningful level. This is critical to garnering a happy working environment and stimulating long-term dynamism between colleagues and clients alike!
- People cross paths that might ordinarily not. Corporate entertainment is a fantastic opportunity for different departments to engage with each other that might not ordinarily have the chance. Lack of crossover can be down to a myriad of reasons – examples include different day-to-day operations or even seniority within the business. Bringing people together through a shared experience (such as witnessing magic!) is the perfect way to equalise everyone!
- It is an opportunity to endorse creativity. Breaking the routine and having your clients or colleagues engage in an activity away from the norm encourages them to relax and think a little differently. An attitude they can bring back to the office!
- Display the core values of your business. Putting on great corporate entertainment and events provides a platform to display key company values as well as give an opportunity to recognise anyone who has shone particularly bright!
- Give yourself a pat on the back! Great corporate entertainment is the perfect time to recharge, reflect and re-energise. It can provide a much-needed boost for your troops and result in future levels of productivity being higher!
Ideas for corporate entertainment?
So, we have covered what is corporate entertainment and why it’s important. However, what follows are some more specific ideas for corporate entertainment. In an effort not to make this blog too lengthy (or scare you away entirely with whacky ideas), what follows is a simple list of ideas that you can add to a standard format of drinks and canapes (a blog on innovative away days etc will follow soon!)
Not that there is anything wrong with having drinks and canapes but presumably if you have read this far, you are someone who already has a good handle on what corporate entertainment is and are looking for something a little different…
A touch of magic
Firstly, a magician. Now, I know I’m biased but I can’t think of a better addition to the cocktail environment. There is simply nothing more memorable than witnessing mind-blowing magic. It is a fantastic way to bring guests together and a sure-fire way of connecting them in the most unique way. I won’t go on about the many reasons why magic works (you can read more about that by clicking here), but highlights include.
- Magic is universally loved and not subject to taste
- Magic is interactive and quickly connects guests
- Magic is extremely flexible and can fit any format
I have performed close-up magic at corporate events since I was 14 years old. Over the years I have performed at all manner of events for companies such as Google, Red Bull, and Formula 1. Close-up magic guarantees to leave a lasting impression on your guests for years to come. To see exactly what close-up magic is, click to watch me in action. Alternatively, read reviews by clicking here!
A Silhouette Artist
This particular form of entertainment fascinates me. So much so that I have made sure to book my own experience with both the below recommendations. Using a pair of scissors and some paper, a silhouette artist will quickly cut a profile of your face with incredible results. Alison describes the experience as “drawing with scissors” and I think that is the perfect synopsis. It is absolutely spellbinding and I’ve witnessed the incredible impact it has at events. In my opinion, a major advantage to this art is that it is non-intrusive. It can take place with no interruptions to guests.
https://www.alison-russell.co.uk
https://www.roving-artist.com (Charles)
Judge The Poet
The first time I witnessed Judge do his thing (around 10 years ago), I was blown away. What he does is so incomprehensible it feels like a magic trick. In short, he asks audience members for words, topics and genres and immediately puts together a remarkable rhyming poem that can be funny, meaningful or rude – depending on the mood you want to create!
Strolling Sax
Personally, I have always loved a strolling saxophonist as a corporate entertainment option. I’m not even particularly into sax music but there is something about it at an event that creates an incredible buzz – adding a sophisticated yet uplifting/party vibe. Over the years it has proved to be timeless and classic. I worked with the below recommendation recently and she was awesome!
How to decide who is right…
A good barometer when deciding on which performer to book, is whether you would enjoy having this person at your party as a guest. Forget their competence as an entertainer for a moment and consider, “Could I sit and enjoy a coffee with this person”. If the answer is an immediate no, I’d suggest looking for someone else.
Whomever you are booking, I think (like so many other industries) a good connection is key. Taking their technical proficiency as a given, other questions worth considering are: “Are they responsive?”, “Does the booking procedure feel professional?” “Do I enjoy talking to this person?”. The latter is particularly pertinent. If you enjoy talking to the act you are booking, the chances are, your guests will enjoy talking to them too!
Now, get going..!
So, what is corporate entertainment? Well, as you have read, it is a crucial part of any business. Success is paramount on you considering the needs of your guests first and what you want second. The benefits of arranging top-notch corporate entertainment are clear and far-reaching. It is therefore understandable that the process can feel overwhelming. If you have got this far (congrats) but still feel you need some guidance, feel free to drop me an email by clicking here – whether it is related to magic or not! Whatever the demands of your event, the most crucial step is to just get started…
1752 words later, I hope your next event is the best yet!