Planning a meeting in Las Vegas or attending a convention in Las Vegas and having to organize satellite events?
| Employing the Best for Successful Events |
Great ways to entertain your guests
One of the misconceptions about planning corporate special events is that because they are officially sanctioned by the company, they have to be strict and formal. On the contrary, it is essential to add a touch of fun or some entertaining activity to a corporate event. It not only breaks up the monotony of the serious tasks of the everyday, it also works to make the event something special and memorable. Following are some ideas about how to ramp up the fun or entertain guests at your Las Vegas event.
— Variations on a Theme
A theme can go a long way toward creating some lighthearted fun. It’s easy to incorporate whimsy or entertaining aspects into an event’s theme or purpose through décor elements or even more subtly through targeted lighting design. Quirky or delightful displays, themed table dressings, room arrangements and even uniformed staff quickly can make an event something special to smile about. You even can incorporate the theme into the food and drink offerings with references that reflect the organization or the event’s purpose.
— Specialty Catering Add-Ons
In addition to, or instead of, having a standard meal or buffet, add entertainment and fun to the event in the food. Consider hiring fruit carvers or dessert stylists to create dramatic food displays that are not only beautiful but edible. Also, don’t underestimate the entertainment of including make-your-own food stations, such as ice cream-sundae or candy-bag bars.
— Games and Challenges
Even for the most discerning clientele or sophisticated corporate groups, games or challenges can add an easy form of entertainment during an event. Tailored properly to the event, its purpose and the nature of the attendees, a little friendly competition or fun task to complete can be memorable and diverting, and better yet, also can serve as an icebreaker or team-building activity.
— Pampering Services
Nowadays, many corporate events are providing “extras” for those who attend, and Las Vegas certainly has a variety of ways to do this. For example, consider hiring professionals to give chair massages as a stress-relieving bonus or even Las Vegas Shoe Shine Girl, a company specializing in high-end shoe-shine services at special events.
— Raffles and Silent Auctions
People always will participate enthusiastically when there’s something to win or take home with them through a raffle or silent auction. It gives attendees something extra to anticipate. Plus, proceeds can help offset the event’s budget or, better yet, can be donated to a worthy charity, often as a tax deduction.
— Goodie Bags
If tailored well to the group, tabletop favors or gift-bag takeaways can add a dimension of fun and guarantee that all guests can leave with something to commemorate the event. This doubles as an excellent branding opportunity for keeping the company’s name in front of clients, or it simply can be a way to thank employees for their efforts.
— A Bit of a Spectacle
There’s something utterly engaging and fun about a flashy, fantastic display that is out of the ordinary. Be it fireworks or a laser-light show, a bit of the spectacular can impress attendees and leave a positive lasting mood that they will take away from the event and talk about in the future.
— Music
Music is an easy way to provide entertainment, and it can be as simple as hiring a DJ or live musicians to provide any genre of music for dinner ambiance or dancing. There are also musician groups in Las Vegas, like Acoustic Soul, that offer an interactive, music-by-request dimension that can engage your guests as they create their own event soundtrack. Even outgoing attendees can be the musical entertainment themselves; just rent a karaoke system.
— Mingling Entertainers and Diversions
It is Las Vegas, so there is no shortage of spectacular, and often unusual, entertainers for hire that can enhance the entertainment aspect of the event without being a central focus. Mingling entertainers and “sideshow” diversions are popular and can be many things. Some possibilities include magicians, fire breathers, palm or tarot card readers, planted character actors, living statues, exotic animals, ice-sculptor demonstrations and acrobats and dancers of all kinds or even life-size robots.
— Focal-Point Entertainers
Of course all of the “diverting” entertainers mentioned also can be focal-point entertainers that draw attention from the entire crowd as a whole for part of the event. This also can include celebrity speakers and appearances (or celebrity impersonators) that definitely can draw a lot of attention and make it memorable.
— Videography
Not only can videographers simply document your event for promotional materials, the service also can be employed as an entertaining element. You can arrange for the videographer to “interview” attendees briefly about something pertaining to the company or the event itself. This directly engages the attendees in a fun and personalized manner. Later the footage can be edited together as another promotional tool or just fun memories of the event.
— Photography
Photography can be entertainment as well, whether it’s a roving photographer or guests using tabletop cameras to capture candid shots or a formal backdrop for taking portraits at the entrance. One popular way to integrate photography into an event is renting a photo booth. Various Las Vegas companies, such as ShutterBooth, lease photo booths to events of all kinds. The attendees can adorn odd costumes and strike funny poses with colleagues or clients in the booth to create fabulous photo memories. Best of all, the photos can be branded and printed on the spot for the guests to take memories of the event with them when they go.
One of the misconceptions about planning corporate special events is that because they are officially sanctioned by the company, they have to be strict and formal. On the contrary, it is essential to add a touch of fun or some entertaining activity to a corporate event. It not only breaks up the monotony of the serious tasks of the everyday, it also works to make the event something special and memorable. Following are some ideas about how to ramp up the fun or entertain guests at your Las Vegas event.
— Variations on a Theme
A theme can go a long way toward creating some lighthearted fun. It’s easy to incorporate whimsy or entertaining aspects into an event’s theme or purpose through décor elements or even more subtly through targeted lighting design. Quirky or delightful displays, themed table dressings, room arrangements and even uniformed staff quickly can make an event something special to smile about. You even can incorporate the theme into the food and drink offerings with references that reflect the organization or the event’s purpose.
— Specialty Catering Add-Ons
In addition to, or instead of, having a standard meal or buffet, add entertainment and fun to the event in the food. Consider hiring fruit carvers or dessert stylists to create dramatic food displays that are not only beautiful but edible. Also, don’t underestimate the entertainment of including make-your-own food stations, such as ice cream-sundae or candy-bag bars.
— Games and Challenges
Even for the most discerning clientele or sophisticated corporate groups, games or challenges can add an easy form of entertainment during an event. Tailored properly to the event, its purpose and the nature of the attendees, a little friendly competition or fun task to complete can be memorable and diverting, and better yet, also can serve as an icebreaker or team-building activity.
— Pampering Services
Nowadays, many corporate events are providing “extras” for those who attend, and Las Vegas certainly has a variety of ways to do this. For example, consider hiring professionals to give chair massages as a stress-relieving bonus or even Las Vegas Shoe Shine Girl, a company specializing in high-end shoe-shine services at special events.
— Raffles and Silent Auctions
People always will participate enthusiastically when there’s something to win or take home with them through a raffle or silent auction. It gives attendees something extra to anticipate. Plus, proceeds can help offset the event’s budget or, better yet, can be donated to a worthy charity, often as a tax deduction.
— Goodie Bags
If tailored well to the group, tabletop favors or gift-bag takeaways can add a dimension of fun and guarantee that all guests can leave with something to commemorate the event. This doubles as an excellent branding opportunity for keeping the company’s name in front of clients, or it simply can be a way to thank employees for their efforts.
— A Bit of a Spectacle
There’s something utterly engaging and fun about a flashy, fantastic display that is out of the ordinary. Be it fireworks or a laser-light show, a bit of the spectacular can impress attendees and leave a positive lasting mood that they will take away from the event and talk about in the future.
— Music
Music is an easy way to provide entertainment, and it can be as simple as hiring a DJ or live musicians to provide any genre of music for dinner ambiance or dancing. There are also musician groups in Las Vegas, like Acoustic Soul, that offer an interactive, music-by-request dimension that can engage your guests as they create their own event soundtrack. Even outgoing attendees can be the musical entertainment themselves; just rent a karaoke system.
— Mingling Entertainers and Diversions
It is Las Vegas, so there is no shortage of spectacular, and often unusual, entertainers for hire that can enhance the entertainment aspect of the event without being a central focus. Mingling entertainers and “sideshow” diversions are popular and can be many things. Some possibilities include magicians, fire breathers, palm or tarot card readers, planted character actors, living statues, exotic animals, ice-sculptor demonstrations and acrobats and dancers of all kinds or even life-size robots.
— Focal-Point Entertainers
Of course all of the “diverting” entertainers mentioned also can be focal-point entertainers that draw attention from the entire crowd as a whole for part of the event. This also can include celebrity speakers and appearances (or celebrity impersonators) that definitely can draw a lot of attention and make it memorable.
— Videography
Not only can videographers simply document your event for promotional materials, the service also can be employed as an entertaining element. You can arrange for the videographer to “interview” attendees briefly about something pertaining to the company or the event itself. This directly engages the attendees in a fun and personalized manner. Later the footage can be edited together as another promotional tool or just fun memories of the event.
— Photography
Photography can be entertainment as well, whether it’s a roving photographer or guests using tabletop cameras to capture candid shots or a formal backdrop for taking portraits at the entrance. One popular way to integrate photography into an event is renting a photo booth. Various Las Vegas companies, such as ShutterBooth, lease photo booths to events of all kinds. The attendees can adorn odd costumes and strike funny poses with colleagues or clients in the booth to create fabulous photo memories. Best of all, the photos can be branded and printed on the spot for the guests to take memories of the event with them when they go.
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If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.
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editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.