Aug 14 2014

Hiring a winter marquee hire early to avoid disappointment

Plan Your 2015 Event Early To Avoid Disappointment

You may be thinking, it’s only July, why would I need to be planning for 2015?  But think of it this way, the school holidays are upon us which means 6 weeks of trying to juggle work and the children, and before you know it, it will be September which means its downhill all the way to Christmas.  If you have an event which you wish to take place in 2015, such as a wedding, a party or perhaps a corporate event for work, you really need to start thinking about getting the basics booked up.  2015 sees a number of large sporting events including the England Rugby World Cup and the NBA Global Games in London, so events companies will be busy organising celebratory events and availability may be limited.

First of all, you need to choose your location.  Many hotels and function rooms will be booked up months in advance – particularly during the summer months or in the run up to Christmas.  Hiring a winter marquee hire will give you some valuable added flexibility, after all if you have the perfect location but the room is simply not big enough, the marquee can make the venue a viable option.  Don’t forget marquees can often also be added on to provide a temporary extension of an existing room.

Once you’ve booked the venue, it can be a good idea to book the caterer too.  Reputable caterers will already have bookings in place for 2015, so have a think about the type of food which would be most appropriate for your event, and starting getting some quotes.  It might also be worth asking if the caterers can provide serving staff too – especially if you are hosting a sit down meal or if you wish canapés to be offered to guests on arrival.

Popular entertainers and other suppliers will no doubt also be in great demand, so if you have a particular band or DJ which you wish to perform at your party, make sure you get your booking in well in advance!  Items such as decorations and flowers can be left until closer to the big day, but the more you can organise in advance, the less worry and stress you should have in in the run up to the event.

For more information on planning an event or to find out if marquee hire would be viable at your favourite venue, please get in touch with team.


May 13 2014

Plan the perfect party for your little angel

 

Party Themes

Having a kids party and not sure where to begin? I found some exciting kids party ideas for kids of all ages. I was searching for some old favourites that are inexpensive but great fun for children to enjoy. Kids love to dance and make a noise, nothing better than putting some music on and play. Don’t forget some nice simple touches can make the food table look beautiful like deliciously decorated flower cupcakes.

Musical bumps

Get the children to dance to the music. When the music stops, all the children have to sit down as quickly as possible. The last one to sit is out. The last child left dancing is the winner. With young children you can turn this around and simply try and spot the one to sit down first each time.

Musical statues

The children dance around to music. When the music stops they have to stand absolutely still, like a statue. If anyone moves, they are out. You can vary this game by getting the children to dance like individual animals (you pick the animal first, then the children take it in turns to pick one – you can also make it even more varied by giving them an adjective – like posh horse, mad monkey, sneaky cat). When they make a statue, it has to look like a pose of that particular animal.

Musical chairs

Put out one less chairs than there are children (or cushions, if they’re very young). The children have to dance around the chairs and when the music stops, sit on a chair immediately. The last one left without a chair has to sit out. The last child left in is the winner. Again, you don’t necessarily have to chuck a child out each time; you can just simply play a few rounds and leave it at that.

Boys at a party

Dressing up dancing

Choose 5 types of clothing or prop, and make sure there’s enough for each child to have one: a hat, a badge, a top, a skirt, etc. Then the children dance around. When the music stops, you call out ‘scarf!’ and they all have to grab one, put it on, then dance with it till the music stops and then they go for the next item. And so on until they’re all dressed.

Old favourites

Pass the parcel party game

Make a parcel by wrapping up a prize in several layers of paper (one for each child, plus an extra one). Sit the children in a circle, give one of them the parcel and when the music starts, get them to hand it to the next child, who hands it on, and on. When the music stops, the child who is holding the parcel opens the first layer. Then when the music starts again, they hand it on to the next child, and so on. Wrap the final present in something obvious so that you know which the final round is. You can put a sweet or a little something in each layer of wrapping. Then the last one with the prize in can be well and truly random.

Follow my leader

Get the children to follow a leader (maybe start with an adult to get the ball rolling). The children have to follow whatever the leader does as they move around. Suggestions: hopping, hands on head, jumping, running, skipping, silly walks, turning round, waving arms, being an animal, being a posh person, etc.