Choosing Entertainment for Your Event

Planning corporate events is a bear. The entertainment chosen for the event is more important than you think. Far too often, the comedian tells inappropriate jokes, the singer comes down with the flu, or the magician's best trick is pulling a quarter out of your boss's ear. With just a little bit of homework and a few simple tips, you can pull off a successful event.

Band or DJ?

Well, of course this depends on the type of event. Whatever you decided, make sure you are hiring a professional. The band or DJ need to be on time and be able to keep the party going. This event is not the time to experiment with your nephew's garage band.

If you hire a DJ, make sure the candidate has spunk. You want a personality that can interact with the audience and be entertaining between songs. It's a good idea to approve the list of songs before he/she goes on, especially if you want a certain type of music or certain songs to be played at a given time.

You must also decide whether or not you want to facilitate dance. Your DJ can provide a nice ambiance for your event, or he/she can keep the dance floor packed. The choice is yours; however, any good DJ will keep your party hopping.

A band is a little trickier simply because they are playing instruments and singing live. Anything can happen! While they are typically more expensive than a DJ, always pick a band with plenty of professional experience with corporate events as you want to ensure their performance goes smoothly. Be sure to approve their set list prior to their performance and encourage them to really have a great time on stage. If you want to hire a band, they must have a great stage presence in order to encourage fun among the crowd. Choose wisely.

Comedian

Comedians are funny...to some. While many will enjoy a good laugh, it's very hard to gauge what will be funny to everyone at the event. Luckily, there are plenty of corporate comedians, but if you're still worried about offensive material, ask to approve their jokes before hand. It's a great way to break the tension at the party, but you must remember that a comedian will not facilitate discussion among party goers and will not provide a comfortable ambiance like a band or DJ, so you may want to consider getting both.

Planning an event is a daunting task. If you are so inclined, you can always hire an event coordinator, however, my guess is that your boss thinks that's what you are. In keeping your sanity, there are plenty of online tools to help you plan a corporate event.

Try to delegate not-so-important tasks to other admins if they are available and spend your time on putting it all together. Focus on the entertainment as it is what is ultimately going to make or break your event. Approve all set lists, be sure to listen to the band, DJ, or comedian and determine that they are the right fit for your guests. Take deep breathes and expect everything to go wrong, because it will, however, nobody else will notice and your boss will definitely be impressed with your abilities.