Entertainment for corporate Christmas parties and end of year events

So how do you decide who to go with? There are a lot of glitzy entertainer websites out there, but a glitzy website tells you someone is good at web design. It tells you nothing at all about what happens when the lights go down.

Before I break down which formats suit which events, let me give you a few things to check. Consider it a short course in being an entertainment sleuth.

How to vet an entertainer

• Have they won legitimate awards? Things like "Best Show" or "Audience Favourite" from bodies such as the Australian Institute of Magicians, or from public festivals like Adelaide Fringe, Perth Fringe or the Melbourne Magic Festival. Do look into any award closely. There are entertainers who have simply invented awards in order to describe themselves as award-winning.
• Have they been on television, and more than once? And how did they actually do each time? Anyone can be booked once.
• Do they have client video testimonials? A written quote costs nothing to produce. A client who agrees to go on camera is telling you something real.
• Is there a genuine performance history, here and internationally?
• Are they represented by multiple agencies? Some agencies screen their acts, most do. Booking through one should not cost you more than going direct, and the peace of mind of knowing the performer is accountable to somebody is worth having.
• Do they actually perform the style you are looking for? Roving, feature show, comedy, mind reading. These are not interchangeable.

Which format suits which event

Cocktail and networking style events

Assuming there is no stage, roving mind reading is the right call. The performer moves around the room, working with small groups for about five minutes at a time. Sophisticated, low-key, and it needs no AV or setup at all. The only thing required is guests.

If the event is catered with waitstaff circulating, do let them know to approach everyone except the group currently mid-performance.

Sit-down dinners

Roving between courses works beautifully, because there are natural gaps and people are already seated in groups. Alternatively, a feature show after the main course, once everyone has eaten and before the room starts to drift.

Events with a stage and a proper AV setup

This is where a full feature show belongs. Give it a real stage, decent sound and a slot where the room is actually watching, and it becomes the thing people remember about the night.

A note on timing

The most common mistake I see at end-of-year events is scheduling entertainment too late, after the bar has been open for three hours. Comedy survives that. Anything requiring the audience to concentrate does not.

Put the show earlier than instinct suggests. Let the party be the party afterwards. The entertainment is not competing with the bar if it has already finished.