| For many years I have supplied music for and played | | | | you are hoping to provide entertainment that will get |
| in bands that provide music for corporate | | | | people dancing remember this fact. Sixties and |
| entertainment. Clients have included Audi, The Evening | | | | Seventies. For some inexplicable reason this is the |
| Standard, Sainsburys, P.C. World, Safeways, Large | | | | music that gets people up on their feet. |
| corporate clients at Henley and Ascot, I.T.V. and H.M. | | | | When choosing your music ask the band if they can |
| Treasury. Because of this experience I felt it would be | | | | cover this part of the corporate entertainment |
| relevant in putting down some pointers in helping clients | | | | requirement. Get samples of their music if need be. |
| choose the right kind of music for their particular | | | | There is nothing worse than an ill equipped band |
| corporate entertainment. | | | | struggling through alien repertoire. However good the |
| Interestingly enough, most corporate hospitality | | | | band is, if they do not play the right repertoire, the right |
| entertainment work tends to require music as an | | | | style of music then the corporate entertainment will fall |
| ingredient to a larger recipe. What I mean by this is a | | | | on deaf ears. |
| great deal of corporate events are offering a multi | | | | Let me at this point provide a caveat. Your workforce |
| service package. Typically an organization may be | | | | work together They are not always going to be the |
| putting on an evenings entertainment to thank its | | | | best of friends however professional their relationships |
| workforce for a particularly successful year. They | | | | are at work. Answer truthfully, will they really want to |
| may be offering music, food, comedy, a close up | | | | dance together or is it asking too much? I would say |
| magician, a casino and a caricaturist. The corporate | | | | that in all the years of providing music for this kind of |
| client organizing needs to decide what part the music | | | | corporate entertainment / hospitality , as long as the |
| has to play in the days/evenings entertainment. | | | | music is right, the workforce tended to dance 30 or |
| Questions he or she needs to ask are: | | | | 40% of the time. It could be said that a workforce |
| Is the music specifically for entertainment or is the | | | | who will enjoy each others company in this way is a |
| music for background listening? | | | | reflection on the talent of senior management to |
| Do we need one style of music early on in the | | | | create a happy team! |
| proceedings and then a change of style later in the | | | | Corporate entertainment model 3. |
| days/ evenings entertainment? | | | | Company Fun Day. |
| Do you expect the corporate clients to be networking | | | | These come in two types. The type to entertain your |
| and discussing business or are they just there for a | | | | own workforce or the type to entertain prospective |
| good time? | | | | clients. Both types of corporate entertainment require |
| What overall atmosphere do you want to project with | | | | music that is fun. This means that the music must be |
| the event? | | | | perceived as fun and the band must be perceived as |
| Is there going to be a change of location for the music | | | | fun. In both cases Jolly Dixieland Jazz or the summer |
| as the entertainment event unfolds? | | | | sounds of Latin music are most suitable. |
| Different styles of music bands lend themselves to | | | | Ask yourself these questions: does the band need to |
| different corporate hospitality situations. Below are a | | | | be mobile? Meaning do you want the music to move |
| number of typical corporate hospitality events with | | | | around the site at various points in the proceedings? If |
| music suggestions for suitable music entertainment. | | | | so then the jolly jazz route is most suitable. A good |
| Corporate entertainment model 1. | | | | professional outfit of four or five players can play |
| Evening reception with dinner and speeches. | | | | acoustically and move around a site as directed. |
| In a situation such as this you will typically need music | | | | If the band can be static and close to electrical power |
| from the outset as part of the meet and greet of the | | | | then either Jolly Jazz or Latin Music is suitable. |
| corporate evening. A four-piece swing or Latin group is | | | | Is the event outdoors or indoors and do you have |
| ideal with a larger ensemble for particularly large | | | | provision for bad weather? This is England, never trust |
| gatherings. A professional outfit can pitch the music at | | | | to luck, assume the worst! Any band that needs |
| just the right decibel level so your guests can talk and | | | | power cannot play in the rain for health and safety |
| enjoy the entertainment without it encroaching on | | | | reasons. At the first hint of inclement weather a band |
| conversations. The musicians would typically be | | | | will have to breakdown their equipment. Build this |
| dressed in Lounge Suits or Tuxedos (or the female | | | | situation into your corporate entertainment music |
| equivalent) to mirror what the guests are wearing | | | | decisions. |
| themselves. The music portrays an atmosphere of | | | | How do you want the band to dress? It is a fun day |
| sophistication, which again hopefully reflects the | | | | after all! In the past I and my musicians have dressed |
| evenings overall ambience. | | | | as Elvis, Cavemen, Circus Clowns, in fact all manner of |
| It is rare for corporate clients to want to dance | | | | characters in the name of corporate entertainment |
| especially as clients there relationship is business not | | | | and corporate hospitality. Good bands will have suitable |
| pleasure! In most cases it is more important that the | | | | outfits for most situations but don`t hesitate in providing |
| band is flexible in when it is needed over the course of | | | | something off the wall for a special event. Most |
| the evening i.e. At the top of the night for the reception, | | | | professional players have a strange urge to jump into |
| a smaller version of the band (The pianist maybe for | | | | such costumes at the earliest possibility! As someone |
| the dinner), stopping for speeches and then after the | | | | who has played at a nudist camp and for a toga party, |
| speeches to play until other entertainment is put on for | | | | both dressed accordingly, take my word for it! |
| the corporate clients. In this situation give the band a | | | | To draw this article together let me say this. Choose |
| clear idea of how you expect the evening to go. What | | | | the right kind of music for the event. Brief the band |
| to wear, when they will be needed, when they need to | | | | accordingly but make sure you have a professional |
| get their instruments in the building and be set up, when | | | | and flexible outfit, things can change over the course |
| breaks will be required, let them know if it is convenient | | | | of the event and you want to make sure the band are |
| or not to feed them and then finally how they can | | | | both co-operative and able to fulfill your needs. Don`t |
| leave when finished so as not to disrupt the rest of the | | | | hesitate to ask the band for any special requirements |
| entertainment. | | | | you have. Do it in plenty of time so they have time to |
| Corporate entertainment model 2. | | | | prepare. |
| Company Party. | | | | The corporate entertainment and hospitality you offer |
| Still corporate entertainment, still corporate hospitality | | | | to your guests reflects directly onto your company. |
| but a totally different set of requirements for the | | | | The music and musicians must be the type who are |
| music. Ask yourself these questions: Are your work | | | | aware of this. Dont go for second best just to save a |
| force the type of workforce who will want to dance | | | | small amount of money. You need a well prepared, |
| at some point in the proceedings? If they are, then a | | | | well dressed band who are both polite and charming |
| professional band with flexibility is essential. My | | | | to your guests. They need to play the right kind of |
| experience is that people of all ages will join together | | | | music for the event in order to help make the day or |
| to dance to music from the sixties and seventies. | | | | evenings corporate entertainment a resounding |
| Whatever background music you require earlier in the | | | | success! |
| day/evening be it Latin, Swing, Rat Pack or Lounge, if | | | | |