Have you ever walked into a big beautiful tent decorated "To the Nines" with cirque performers and stilt walkers roaming the venue, champagne girls rolling around serving Veuve Clicquot and fire dancers performing on stage?  Not many of us have nor have the budget for such extravagant entertainment.  Do not fret, there are many cost conscious options to entertain your VIPs while still bringing that "Wow Factor."

It's important to time your entertainment properly, don’t start too early or too loud.  Guests like to greet their friends and have conversations in the beginning of the event (without yelling over each other).  It can start as simple as the valet attendant  or greeter wearing a mask that goes along with the theme of the event.  Check out the list below to see the many basic to complex ways to entertain your VIPs.

Entertainment Options:

• Performers - roaming live musicians, magicians performing to small groups throughout the venue, a comedian on stage, celebrity impersonator, live graffiti artist, and many other types of performers

• Photo Booth - use a green screen and add any background you like OR create a scene and have the guests act out the scene for the camera (such as a Gilligan's Island backdrop and provide props for each person to be one of the characters on the show)

• Recording Booth - guest’s take home their recordings on custom printed CDs

• Technology - digital caricature artist on tablets, gaming on touch screens or projected on to a large wall with audience, play a 'Mission Impossible' game with guests trying to make their way around the lasers

• Interactive or Educational Food and Beverage Stations - cheese station where guests learn the difference between goat, cow, and sheep cheeses, vertical wine tastings learning the differences between the years of the same wine, create your own mimosa or crepe station. Have the caterer do a cooking demonstration, better yet hire a caterer from a Food Network show. The options are almost limitless these days.

• Games - Price is Right games are a crowd-pleaser, casino games are fantastic for fundraisers (losses are tax deductible), arcade games can delight every adult

Important note:  You want to provide the right kind of entertainment that enhances the event but does not distract from the mission/goal or theme of the event. 

Bringing It Home

The above list is great for corporate events, but not everyone has the room or budget to do this at home.  Below are some house friendly entertaining options.

• Lawn Games - like croquet, horse shoes, corn hole, backyard scrabble (with large wooden letters)

• DIY Photo Booth - hang a frame so people can stand behind, get some fun props at the dollar store, and have the neighbors teenage kid take pictures throughout the event and post them on Instagram

• Food & Beverage Stations - make your own Margarita Station, Taco Station, Grilled Cheese Station, etc.

In the comments below, please tell us your favorite entertainment ideas. Have a great weekend.

Thank you,

Kim

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