Corporations essentially put the brakes on buying event entertainment in late 2008, but the market for event fun is recovering with the economy.
“Companies are focusing on the fun part of events again and seeing stronger returns on their meeting investments because attendees are having a good time and staying engaged,” says Warren Scott, president of entertainment specialists Boston Eventworks.
Scott says entertainment preferences are changing with attendee demographics. DJs and dance bands are giving way to silent disco. Attendees get a stream of dance music via wireless headphones, but there isn’t a note to be heard once you take the headphones off. Dancers can rock out to the latest electronic vibes without disturbing conversation in the same room.
Want to be sure attendees don’t sneak out of dinner? Dinner in the Sky hoists a special dinner floor 50 feet into the air to provide a unique angle on Boston’s unique skyline.
Cirque du Soleil-style performances are also hot. Entertainment runs from a couple of stilt walkers to entire troupes that stage elaborate outdoor welcoming performances, then move indoors with circulating performers or multiple stages with small-group acts.
Interactive is big and growing. Green-screen photo booths insert attendee photos into familiar backgrounds such as Fenway Park, the Cheers bar or a lobster house. More unbuttoned corporate cultures are going for physical engagement such as drunk tanks, sumo wrestling in padded suits and jousting tournaments.
“The key is to show the client you can provide entertainment choices that underline the event message,” Scott remarks. “It’s all about improving the client’s return on the meeting investment.”
