Christmas is all about spectacle. The dazzling lights, the opulent decorations, and of course some show-stopping entertainment. Booking entertainment to make a splash is a key aspect of Christmas party planning, but what kind of show is going to really make your event shine? Jane Coulston, Founder of Beyond Repair Entertainment, lets us in on some ideas for a memorable festive event.
While good Christmas entertainment needs to provide the sense of grandness and wonder that we associate with the festivities, it doesn’t always have to be Christmas- themed, as Jane explains: “I was surprised as we went into working corporate events that actually people don’t often book something that’s really Christmas-y. What they look for is something that’s full of wonder and magic and surprise. They’re looking for those magical moments, whether that’s a masquerade theme, or a dream circus, or something else, that sense of wonder is what makes Christmas entertainment different.
“For a lot of Christmas events, organisers are looking to have something bigger. Roaming and immersive entertainment is really popular. Delegates love to be involved in something. And then our artists are very popular as well. Performers will go around the event and interact with the delegates and make them part of the magic. Usually there will be some kind of beginning show or flash mob, which could have a vintage theme or something similar. Or sometimes organisers want the absolute opposite and have something like an ‘out of this world’ theme or something futuristic, which you wouldn’t really associate with Christmas. However, what all of the entertainment has in common is that it really delights the delegates that are watching and makes them feel special. Making the experience unforgettable, more so than organisers would the rest of the year.”
With so many options, it can be difficult to know how to choose the right one for your event: “To book the right Christmas entertainment you need to follow the same advice as when you’re booking entertainment for any event,” Jane explains. “Think about who your delegates are and think about what you want to say and what you want them to remember. Consider what they might need, what is it at the end of the year that will make them feel really proud to be a part of the team or to feel that their work that year has been recognised. There are a lot of really subtle little ways that entertainment can be personalised, rather than having something that everyone’s seen before.”
For the last two years, corporate Christmas celebrations have been muted by the pandemic, but this year seems to be a return to the spectacular Christmases we know and love: “Planning has started a bit later than it used to, but Christmas is very much being talked about. I do think that any companies that haven’t stepped back into big events yet, Christmas is when they’re going to do it, this year it will be back to normal.”
Beyondrepairentertainment.com