Tag: Entertainment

51 Buckingham Gate unveils The Cinema Suite

Posted on by engineroom

A new cinema suite created by acclaimed Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is now available for bookings at luxury Westminster hotel and events venue 51 Buckingham Gate, a Taj Suite and Residences property.

Taking guests on a journey through world cinema, the 1,832 square foot, two-bedroom suite, with dining room, study, powder room and kitchen, has been designed in tribute to the history of film and takes inspiration from motion pictures across the globe. The Cinema Suite opened just ahead of celebrations marking 100 years of Indian film in 1913.

The suite is inspired by 1940s and 1950s Hollywood as well as the Indian Cinema era of the 1950s. Guests will find reference to masters such as Ray, Francis Ford Coppola and Bergman in the imposing study, world cinema leaders like Majidi, Wong Kar-Wai and Almodovar amongst the cultured kitch of the living room and echoes of The Stepford Wives in the kitchen. They will sense the golden Hollywood era of Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe in one bedroom, whilst the other draws on colonial inspiration and renowned Indian artists such as Guru Dutt, Merchant Ivory and Bimal Roy.

The suite is a celebration of personalised detail and global culture. Visitors will marvel at rare Bollywood film prints, remarkable history books, vintage mirrors and a myriad of portraits and drawings.

From the leather Chesterfield to precious glassware, intriguing art and antique rugs, world arts and crafts are displayed throughout. Each wall is a work of art in itself, with striking Nina Campbell wallpapers in burnt orange, black and red, laden with curios collected from over 32 different cultures.  Sumptuous silk drapery meets magnificent oak flooring, while priceless antique furniture displays ornaments such as rare Chinese porcelain, Bhutanese frames and 1920s embroidered Indian lamps.

The Cinema Suite is an urban cocoon featuring cutting-edge technology which perfectly blends in with the glamorous design. The 85-inch plasma cinema screen, with a 3D state of the art home theatre system, is one of the biggest private screens in any London hotel suite. It is assisted by a world class Steinway Lyngdorf cinema system, a fully immersive cinematic experience and it raises the bar in terms in-hotel audio visual offerings

The system has been preloaded with a repertoire of 300 international motion pictures, books and music, chosen by Sabyasachi himself, to acknowledge that time is well spent amongst films, art and culture.

The Cinema Suite is the second designer collaboration for 51 Buckingham Gate, following the launch of the world’s first Jaguar Suite which was conceived by Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum and opened at the hotel in autumn 2011.

Rates at The Cinema Suite start at £5,100 per night.  For reservations please call 020 7769 7766 or click here to see the venue’s profile and enquiry instructions.

Unusual Catering

Posted on by engineroom

By HQS Wellington


Sometimes you’ve just got to think big.  Generating the wow-factor with some unusual catering options can be just the boost an event needs.  Below you’ll find some top tips and some truly spectacular ideas for unusual catering and how to blow your guests away with extraordinary catering:

 

1) Sounds very obvious but let’s start with the basics – get planning!  How many people are you expecting and what are their expectations?  Once established, brainstorm – what can you do to really get them excited and what will be truly different?

 

2) Some of the best ideas work hand-in-hand with the venue – is there a stunning rooftop which could act as the perfect backdrop or a glamorous ballroom for a truly outstanding champagne reception?

 

When it comes to the food – our advice is to talk early on in the process to the chef. They are the experts and will love nothing more than a chance to do something a bit unusual.  Themed canapés, dishes and desserts are a sure fire hit – if it fits the atmosphere what about having dishes named after each of the evening’s key players?  Perhaps a tailored cocktail named after a new product/ honoured guest/the company etc?  If you’ve got the budget and it’s the right time of year try something spectacular – perhaps a full hog roast buffet or hitting on the current trend for all things eco, go for a totally meat-free evening, with all produce sourced sustainably.

 

3) All-in-all aim for impact and keep things relevant.  That’s why step one is so important.  It’s no good getting that 7ft company-themed blancmange if you know the event is to celebrate the company’s brand new, dairy-free range!

 

And finally, take comfort that as your event cheerfully goes off with a bang, whatever feat you manage to pull off this year, your successor’s got to try and better it!

www.thewellingtontrust.com

Imagine The Event

Posted on by engineroom

By Adam Sternberg, Sternberg Clarke


You’re being carried out of the venue on the shoulders of your guests; they’re chanting your name their faces beaming, a pregnant woman comes up to you and promises to name her unborn child after you, your client gives you a long, slightly awkward hug and whispers ‘we should do this more often’ into your ear (you’re unsure if the client means the event or the hug.) You’re shown into a taxi that takes you home, the attendees behind you wave as they shrink away in the rear view mirror. In hushed reverent tones, the taxi driver asks “What do you do” to which you reply “I supply entertainment for events.”

Now work backwards from there. “How did I get here? What did I do right?”

As suppliers of entertainment, we’re responsible for a large part of the ‘feel’ of an event and whilst we’ve not got anything to do with seating plans or the choice of wine glasses, we know that setting (and maintaining) the tone is crucial when it comes to choosing acts. It all comes back to that all important question “What do you want your guests to take away from this event?” It could be an idea, it could be a feeling, it could be a memory it could be a small branded bag with a selection of soaps – but when you know what it is you want your event to achieve, everything else starts to fall into place.

Spelbound performing for Santander

How do you reward your best employees whilst reinforcing the idea of teamwork? You could give them a gold watch with the word “TEAM” inscribed on the wrist strap. Or you could be clever about it. We recently booked Spelbound for a performance in Madrid as part of Santander’s Retail Recognition incentive for their best performers. Watching the troupe perform individual feats of strength and balance whilst working as part of a synchronized unit the message was clear – it’s possible for individuals to do incredible things as part of a larger unit.

Ernst and Young

In certain cases, understanding parts of the event that we’re not involved with is vital to the success of the entertainment. For Ernst & Young our brief was to provide bespoke entertainment which complimented a photography exhibition by John Stezaker at the Whitechapel Gallery. Here, the exhibition was the main draw but the challenge was finding entertainment that enhanced the experience without distracting from the photographs themselves. Living statues, ribbon dancers and crystal ball manipulators on plinths, all costumed and styled to suit the black white and yellow colour theme. With subtle but contemporary makeup and styling provided for all catering staff, we transformed the event into a work of art in itself, picking up on the “two halves” theme of the company with pairs of plinths and strolling musical duos improvising over ambient DJ music.

Glee Flashmob for a 30th Birthday Party

The message doesn’t always have to be corporate. At a recent 30th birthday party, we organized a Glee themed flashmob to burst into a meticulously choreographed song and dance routine at the start of the event. This immediately creates an air of unpredictability for the rest of the event, an electric atmosphere where anything could happen… and it pretty much did – we followed up the flashmob with an Abba tribute, flame jugglers and acrobalancers. By using high impact acts at the right time and charting the high points and lulls in an evening, you can keep people engaged all night – what a way to welcome in your 30s!

Costumed Actors for Landis + Gyr

Sometimes an event can lay down the gauntlet to your guests – after a conference for Energy Metering where experts Landis + Gyr shared the ideas behind a new Smart Metering grid, we provided authentically costumed actors playing historical figures central to the discovery and harnessing of electricity at the Science Museum. The actors performed three short scenes (written specially for the event) intended not only to entertain, but also inspire the guests to use new technology and social media to innovate in their field. Mixing in a little tongue in cheek humour and a touch of flattery, the scenes challenged Landis + Gyr to try new things, take risks and take their place alongside the likes of Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin.

By having a clear idea of the goals of the event, it’s possible to connect with your guests to a far greater degree than all of the speeches and slideshows you can throw at them.

www.sternbergclarke.wordpress.com

Choosing the Right Music for your Event

Posted on by engineroom

By Susan Heaton Wright, company director, Viva Live Music

 

Selecting the right sort of live music for an event is just as vital a decision as the venue, catering style and time of day. Live music creates an ambience and memorable atmosphere if correctly chosen. So here are some top tips for ensuring you choose the right music for your event:

Type of event: If you are organising a reception with a ‘networking’ element to it, or a dinner where socialising is a key factor, loud music isn’t going to work. On the other hand, after dinner entertainment where guests want to dance will require a band playing louder music.

Venue: The size of the venue is crucial. A harpist playing in a large hall with high ceilings is likely to get lost. Likewise, a large band playing in a small room is going to be overpowering, with the sound being ‘muddied’. Choose the size of your musical ensemble and instruments based on the size of your room. Also, if you have a space with two or more rooms, you will need to consider where to locate the musicians.

Size of the event: A small event with 20 guests is unlikely to require as loud background music as a larger event, however, it is down to personal taste as to whether a large band is required later on.

Theme of the event: There are plenty of musical styles that theme an event just as much as dressing a venue or the catering on offer. A steel band or a Scottish Piper serenading guests creates an impact as people arrive. Flamenco musicians and dancers or a jazz band, for after dinner entertainment will enhance an event creating a dun and lively vibe. When you are researching a themed event, consider music as well as the food; it makes a huge difference.

Time of day: A day time event usually involves an element of networking with guests wishing to speak to and meet new people. Loud music doesn’t work in these situations. As the evening progresses, guests relax and with the formalities aside, may consider dancing. More often than not, the volume and energy of the music will increase as the evening draws on.

Acoustic of the venue: Some venues are louder than others. Rooms with plenty of fabric and wood absorb sound better than venues with hard or metal surfaces – where sound tends to echo more. The latter is more of a challenge because people’s voices will also echo.

Location: If the event is outside, you will need to consider where to place the musicians. Musicians that play valuable instruments will need to keep them out of direct sunlight and rain. Acoustic instruments such as string quartets and harps will need to be situated next to a wall, so that the sound will carry.

Volume of music and restrictions: A number of venues have restrictions on the level of volume. It is worthwhile checking this when choosing the venue as some venues allow recorded music but not live music.

Space available: If there is limited space, you will be restricted in the size of ensemble you choose. Some instruments can be relatively close to each other and take up less space than others. Calculate the area available and ask the musicians if they can perform within that area.

Instruments available: Maximise the use of resources on offer, if there is a Steinway Grand piano available at the venue, it seems a shame not to use it. Pianists could play classical/crossover music, or a jazz pianist would be thrilled to perform.

Age groups: Generally, as we get older, we appreciate loud music less and music taste will vary between different age groups. We always recommend discussing the music with the musicians and to agree a range of musical styles before the event to suit different tastes. A dance band may well offer music from the 1960s through to today’s chart hits to cover a range of musical preferences.

Live music or more specifically the right music makes a huge difference to the success of an event. Make sure you ask your music supplier the right questions. Ask yourself what role you wish the musicians to play at the event and remember to take the above points in to account.

 

 

 

www.vivalivemusic.co.uk