The Brief
One of our clients enlisted our help to create a 2-day ‘The Greatest Showman’ themed Conference and Gala Dinner for their employees and business associates. With strong company values and a committed, dedicated, passionate and hardworking team, we knew that this event had to be a unique, outside the box, never-seen-before affair. The overall concept of this event was to hold a screening of ‘The Greatest Showman’ film on the first day, followed by a Gala dinner for 110 guests on the second day
The Challenges
Here at Big Foot Events, we love a new challenge, and as this event was being held on the empty grounds of the De Vere Latimer Estate in Chesham, we had to build the venue from the ground up. This definitely was a difficult challenge, but due to our 15 years’ experience in providing live entertainment and personalised party packages to the outdoor events industry, our team was able to create our very own impressive, authentic and giant ‘Big Top’ – otherwise known as a Circus tent.
In order for this event to run smoothly, be successful and give our clients a memorable experience – for all the right reasons, we had to make sure that all of our props and technical equipment worked perfectly during the 2-day event. Due to the nature of the event being Circus themed, it was crucial that the production throughout the evening ran on time and went off without a hitch. And finally, as this was going to be a large scale event with a lot of staging equipment as well as lighting and sound systems, it was important that we made sure the unloading, setting up and packing up of the equipment did not damage the hotel grounds or disturb other guests staying at the hotel
The Solutions
In order to overcome any technical or production issues on the evening of the event, and to make sure we brought our client’s vision to life, we arranged several site visits and meetings with both the venue and our client, which resulted in creating mood boards with clear pictures of colour schemes, décor and venue layouts, so that we maintained consistency throughout the event planning process. We also went through all health and safety regulations with the required authorities and issued copies of all certifications needed to the venue for this event to be able to go ahead as planned.
The Results
On the 1st day, guests walked up to our incredible Big Top tent, which in true ‘Greatest Showman’ fashion, consisted of red and cream décor throughout. And continuing with the theme, inside the Circus tent were comfy bean bags, hay bales and a ginormous Cinema screen with a projector for when the screening of the film started. And the fun did not stop there, as well as delicious Candy Floss and Popcorn carts for snacks, there were also several miniature outdoor heaters to enhance the cosy film night vibe. It was 1 hour and 45 minutes of laughter, tears, heartache and compete admiration – if you have watched ‘The Greatest Showman’, then you will completely understand all of these emotions.
The 2nd day was when the fun really began, as we had an evening of pure mind-blowing, wacky, and mesmerising live entertainment planned for guests. The Circus tent was transformed from the cosy movie night environment that took place the night before into an incredibly realistic Circus tent. Classically decorated with Circus props, décor, and live entertainment, it looked as if the Circus really had come to town. The tables were decorated to of course match the theme, with colourful table centres, table linens and chair covers, as well as added extras such as table mirrors, crystals, and tea lights – which just added to the overall Circus experience.
Guests were greeted on arrival with drinks and canapes and then showed to their seats by our friendly staff. We then had our sensational Circus performers including Stilt Walkers, Acrobatic performers, Fire Breathers and even a Snake Whisperer entertain guests throughout the dinner. And the entertainment did not stop there, as the Bearded Lady, Strong Men, and even the Ring Master himself made a special appearance to meet, interact and take a great selfie with guests before the evening entertainment.
We provided a full stage with sound and lighting packages, as well as AV with multiple screens and image projectors that set the mood for a well-lit dinner, as well as created a lively party atmosphere for the main evening show. The show consisted of a 4-piece tribute act performing a 60-minute vocal show of all ‘The Greatest Showman’ hits, accompanied by a troupe of sensational dancers, acrobats, and aerial performers. This was a real talking point of the night and generated a lot of photo and video opportunities with guests singing and dancing along to the music.
Mixed in with the live entertainment were some extra special interactive activities for guests to enjoy, including the ‘High Striker’ game, where guests battled it out to test who had the most strength, as well as the company branded photobooth with Circus themed props to pose with.
Due to noise restrictions, we had to come up with alternative entertainment for the after party that would entertain people and keep them from leaving the event early. With this in mind, we provided headphones as well as a DJ to handle the music, and watched in amusement as guests sang, danced, and laughed the night away whilst participating in a silent disco.
We had such an incredible time creating an amazing 2-day event for our client, and we are delighted that we managed to exceed our client’s expectations and provide their guests with a unique experience they will remember forever.
