22 Creative Event Entertainment Ideas to Wow Your Guests

Ever been in the situation where some of the guests at your event are nodding off while others are checking their phones?

It’s the nightmare of any event organiser. It can be frustrating to the point where you want to put on your best Russell Crowe impression and raise the roof.

Which, granted, would be quite entertaining. And worrying.

You can avoid that scenario by reading this article to learn about…

• Why you need event entertainment
• What types of event can benefit from it
• How to book the right kind of entertainment
• A list of entertainment ideas for your next event

We’ll provide you with 22 different ideas to make sure no guest is left un-entertained.

Why you need event entertainment

Some events will feature such colourful guests that no outside entertainment is needed. In other cases, entertainment will be the focal point of the entire event.

Here are some of the reasons you should consider booking event entertainment:

• Build up more interest around your event to sell tickets
• Break the ice and give guests something to talk about
• Reinforce your brand values and mission statement
• Strengthen the bond between team members
• Add some spice to otherwise dry events

In other words, booking the right kind of entertainment for your event can be a really good investment.

What types of events to book entertainment for

Entertainers are the main attraction for comedy nights, concerts, and theatre productions. But there are many other kinds of events that can benefit from including them on the agenda.

1. Corporate events and team building

Entertainment can be a very valuable tool for corporate events. Whether it’s to encourage team building and networking or to impress potential clients, entertainers are great ice-breakers.

2. Birthdays, weddings, and family reunions

Although these types of events are typically centred around the guests, it can definitely liven up the party to have some interactive entertainment for everyone to gather around.

3. Conferences and exhibitions

These events are an opportunity for industry professionals to gain knowledge from speakers. But exhibiting companies can also use entertainment to draw more attention to their brand.

How to find the right event entertainment

Before we get into the actual event entertainment ideas, it might be good to focus your efforts on catering to your target audience.

You could chance it and book someone that you think they’ll love. But there’s a way for you to play it safe without spoiling the surprise.

Create a pre-event survey to find out what your audience is interested in. If you can narrow it down to an entertainment category, then you’ve already won half the battle.

Second, you should also consider your event budget. The entertainer’s fee is not your only expense. You’ll likely need to hire technical equipment to make any performance possible.

List of creative event entertainment ideas

Without further ado, here are 22 creative event entertainment ideas to spice up the party:

Performers

1. Breakdancers: Are you looking for a way to energise people and get them out of their seats? Then book some breakdancers to put on a dazzling performance.
2. Celebrity impersonators: Invite David Brent along to serenade your office colleagues or have Gordon Ramsay yell at your kitchen staff. The options are endless.
3. Circus performers: Fans of Cirque du Soleil will know how enchanting circus performers can be. They’ll definitely make any event (that has space) more memorable.
4. Comedians: Few people know how the break the ice like professional comedians. They’ll make a great addition to pretty much any event under the sun.
5. DJs: Are you just looking for the ideal musical backdrop for your event? Then hiring a DJ can be a worthwhile investment. DJs can also engage guests by taking requests.

   

6. Drone show: If you’re organising an outdoor event (or have access to a big venue), consider incorporating some modern tech with a drone show.
7. Fire performers: Light a fire under your event guests (not literally) by having over professionals who can juggle, eat, and dance with the flames.
8. Live bands: Live music always works, whether it’s original bands, tribute and cover bands, or live karaoke bands.
9. Magicians: Magic can be the centre point of the evening or the icing on the cake you serve after the dinner party.
10. Motivational speakers: Hosting an event that leads to a new phase in life, such as a corporate event, a birthday, or a wedding? Make it more memorable with the addition of a motivational speaker.

Visuals

1. Caricaturist: Give your guests a lasting memory of the event by hiring a caricaturist. Take it up a notch by having them project the caricatures onto a large surface as they work.
2. Graffiti artist: A perfect addition to community events, concerts, and even raffles, graffiti artists will get the conversation started as they work.
3. VJs: Harder to ignore than DJs, a virtual jockey can add some visual magic to your event with projections to complement the music or speakers.

Tech

1. Augmented reality: Fans of Pokemon Go will know how awesome augmented reality can be, particularly when combined with a community scavenger hunt.
2. Holograms: Holograms have been all the rage since Tupac’s resurrection at Coachella. Although holograms are expensive, they’ll definitely leave a lasting impression on your guests.
3. Virtual reality: If you want to put a modern spin on corporate training sessions, then why not make it more interesting with hands-on virtual reality?

Interactive

1. Contests: Organise a scavenger hunt, a quiz, an egg race, a photography contest, or anything else that’ll get people in the competitive zone to win the prize.
2. Escape room: These are great for team building of any kind but can also be incorporated into stag and hen dos.
3. Karaoke: If a professional band is not your jam, why not invite everyone to take the stage and butcher hit songs after a few too many cocktails?
4. Roast: Something that will definitely break the ice is letting everyone roast the birthday boy (or girl), the newly married couple, or—best of all—the boss of the company.
5. Social photo booth: Social photo booths can upload straight to Instagram. And they can do all sorts of things in 2019: slow-mo videos, GIFs, and 3D prints.
6. Wine tasting game: Wine tasting is an event in itself, but why not make a game out of it at your existing event and have attendees guess which wine is which?

Over to you…

Hopefully, you’ve been inspired to book some entertainment for your next event. If you’ve organised something incredible that we didn’t cover on our list, let us know in the comments!