Corporate Dinner Entertainment Ideas That Can Make Your Event Memorable

Tackling the task of planning entertainment for your company's awards, holiday party or client appreciation dinner?

While some planners try to play it safe by booking corporate entertainers they have used in the past, that can backfire. Even if the entertainer changes their act, it feels the same. The event becomes bland and interest starts to dwindle.

These corporate dinner entertainment ideas can help you keep things exciting.

Before You Book Entertainment:

Look at your objectives:

What is the purpose of the event? Is the entertainment just for fun? Or should they incorporate a message the management wants remembered?

Consider your audience:

Take a good look at your event. Has the company held this dinner before? What have they done for entertainment? What has been popular? What has failed? These insights will provide you with direction.

Is it a first time event? What other events does your company host? Do they use entertainment? Ask the same questions as above. This information will provide you with a working knowledge of company tastes.

Look at your venue:

Before you plan entertainment, get an idea of your event space. If it is small, a band may not be a viable option. Have columns that block views? A visual act like a magician may not be a good selection.

Dinner entertainment ideas & options:

Before dinner entertainment ideas:

If you are hosting a cocktail hour, are you encouraging networking? One way to do that is use a professional icebreaker. Magicians Mike Rose or David Ranalli are an excellent option for this. They'll get people laughing and interacting, making your cocktail hour into a party.

Perhaps your event is a bit more subdued. You need a more elegant before dinner entertainment solution. Try a harpist, or a classical music instrumentalists. They add a level of ambiance that elevates your evening.

During dinner entertainment ideas:

When people eat, they focus on the food and table conversation. This is a horrible time to have a speaker or stage entertainment. Your guests will divide their attention. You and your management will be unhappy with the results.

That said, during dinner entertainment can be successful if properly presented. One great example of this are Wacky Waiters. These physical clowns pose as regular wait staff. Their ineptness grows as the meal goes on. By the time the true insanity hits, everyone will enjoy a laugh knowing they were “had” by these imposters.

After dinner entertainment ideas:

When it comes time to contract the after dinner corporate entertainment, ask yourself how you can change things up while appealing to similar tastes.

Has your company hired a corporate comedian or magician in the past? If your audiences like to laugh, a ventriloquist may be the perfect solution!

Ventriloquists are visual, like magicians, and can rival any comic if you select the right one. Another benefit of the corporate ventriloquist is the fact they can tie your message and people into the program. This personalized comedy rivets your audience and makes them wonder what will happen next.

Perhaps your evening's entertainment will consist of a keynote speaker. Magician Nathan Coe Marsh works with companies to create amazing magical appearances. Your speaker, CEO or president could appear on-stage to excite the audience.

Looking for “Wow!” factor? Juggler Charles Peachock of America's Got Talent fame takes visuals to the next level. From amazing skill to exciting staging and audience participation, Charles never fails to deliver.

Let's talk about your event:

These are just a few corporate dinner entertainment ideas to help you get started. If you'd like to discuss your event we'd be happy to help make your company dinner memorable!

Contact us now for more Dinner Entertainment Ideas …