The Best tips for organising a successful office party

With continued budget cuts, the traditional ‘jolly’: the Christmas party is more likely to have to be organised by you: the PA, secretary or Office manager Saints. Here are some top tips to ensure your Christmas party is enjoyed by all.

1. Visit the venue and taste the food. Don’t get fobbed off with a ‘Christmas package’ that has inferior food.
2. Preparation; you cannot do enough! Organise a check list of things to do; schedules with timings and briefings of your team.. Use expert help from your venue, caterers and entertainment for their advice where required.
3. Send out invitations in good time, with a clear date to reply by. You don’t want to waste money by over catering for absent people. Factor in chasing up responses before the last date to respond to. Ensure there is an option for ‘dietary requirements and access on any invitation.
4. Alcohol. Check what your budget is and offer accordingly; perhaps each guest could be served ½ bottle of wine: the bar is free for all guests for the night, or that all drinks have to be paid for. Let guests know beforehand to warn them.
5. Budget Christmas Parties. Even if the party budget has been drastically cut, it is still possible to have a good event. Cancelling it could affect morale. Ideas for a low budget party include keeping it in house and arranging caterers to do snacks; self organised entertainment such as ‘Secret Santas’ and singing seasonal songs or even limiting the event to a ‘drinks’ party with nibbles.
6. Entertainment: Some venues you choose will have entertainment: such as a disco included. You might wish to organise after dinner entertainment such as surprise singing waiters or a magician Ask the entertainment agency for advice on what will work in the venue with the budget you have.
7. Prepare yourself: it is going to be a long day, with you being on duty throughout the party. Eat before hand and make sure you drink plenty of water. Enjoy yourself: and also the messages of thanks and congratulations after the party!

Susan Heaton Wright from NSN Productions Limited, which supplies live entertainment for corporate and private events. http://www.nsn-productions.com 0844 576 3015

Hatfield House Wedding Fair - Showcase

After an excellent wedding fair at Hatfield House on 25th October, when we met a number of wonderful prospective brides and also some excellent suppliers, I am delighted to showcase a couple of short videos of a couple of our musicians.

The first two videos are of our String Trio. They also go out as a quartet.

We also had Peter, one of our most experienced musicians, playing the piano. Peter has played at many wedding ceremonies and receptions. He is classically trained but also performs improvised jazz of favourite and requested pieces.

We also have our fantastic Romantic Tenor, who will entertain guests during a drinks reception, as well as performing at the wedding ceremony. He has a wide variety of songs, including populars songs made well known by Russell Watson and Andrea Bocelli as well as well as Operatic pieces.
If you would like further details of any of our musicians, including quotes and repertoire lists, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0844 576 3015 http://www.nsn-productions.com

Downloading music illegally

Reading the article below brings mixed emotions:

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6894090.ece

We have all, at some time, recorded music that we haven't paid for. However, as a musician I know there has to be support for the musicians and composers that write and perform the music. If you go onto Youtube, there are plenty of videos with backing tracks of illegally used music.

The PRS has enforced licenses that venues have to pay for, to play recorded and live music. At least this results in a small amount of revenue for the musicians and composers.

But the internet is another beast entirely, and how can you regulate it. If it were any other business, people would be squealing. Imagine walking into a solicitors and taking 2 day's work of a contract being written; or an accountancy company and walking with your accounts and not paying. Yet the equivalent is someone performing music without paying the musicians and composers.
As the company director of a live music management company, I am fully aware of the impact of illegally downloading music - and also performing it. I had a row with a journalist who was writing about 'cheap' weddings. She suggested you download the songs you want onto an ipod and play those. Not only did it prevent a live musician being booked but there was no discussion about a PRS license being bought... This is just as illegal and immoral as the school boy who downloads and shares tracks.
I wait with hope that this will be resolved quickly.