A Night in Hollywood

I’m sure at some point in our lives we would all like to take a trip to Hollywood to see the sights – the Hollywood Hills, Mann’s Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Not always possible to ship 100 or 1000 guests to Hollywood for your annual Christmas Party or Awards though SO, why not bring Hollywood to your doorstep with our quirky Hollywood themed props and glamorous entertainment.

This theme is forever popular for all different types of events and parties – it’s elegant, it’s classic and most of all guests can don ‘posh attire’ and feel very 007! 

We have a range of different entrance ways that are sure to make your guests feel like VIPs – everything from the classic VIP Red Carpet Walkway where you can schmooze with celeb look-a-likes such as Marilyn Monroe and Johnny Depp to our more contemporary Film Reel Entrance that is a very popular choice.  Highlight props such as Flame Effect Lights, VIP Welcome Signs and Gold Pillars really do strike up an entrance to give it even more of a VIP edge. Our Popcorn Usherette Girls or Spoof Paparazzi make for a great addition to the Red Carpet too.

Working through to the main part of your event we have a whole heap of props, theming and Hollywood room dressing for you to choose from.  Metres & metres of twinkling Black Star Cloth Drapes to quirky Film Reel Table Centre Pieces and Hollywood themed backdrops and Backlit Silhouette Panels to gorgeous linen for your tables and chairs – we can dress any area and transform it into a Hollywood themed party.  Our Hollywood themed props can be used for many a photo opportunity – we have Giant ‘Hollywood’Letters, striking character Film Strip Silhouette Panels that are backlit for extra effect and heaps of other décor that is sure to be of interest.

Our Hollywood themed entertainment options are endless too, with everything from the aforementioned Spoof Paparazzi and Celebrity Look-a-Likes to our range of stunning Feather Showgirls, Glamorous Stilt Walkers and Elegant Living Statues.  With everything from the Meet and Greet act to something a little more entertaining a little later on, we have it all!

So, Christmas is coming up fast and we always say it’s better to be prepared and book a little earlier than you may like, than wait it out to be disappointed when your chosen theme or ideal prop or performer has been snapped up.  Could the Hollywood theme be the one for you…?

Give us a call or drop us an email to discuss options for your next event be it a Christmas Party, and Annual Awards Ceremony or a Private Birthday Party – we have heaps of ideas and as much enthusiasm to match!

E. info@steelcitypromotions.co.uk

T. 0800 840 2114

Have a Ball at the Masquerade Ball!

The Masquerade Ball lends itself perfectly to all sorts of different parties, events and get-togethers.  A classic theme with striking features, weird and wonderful entertainment and an intriguing ambience that will certainly leave guests feeling warm, welcomed and glamorous all at the same time.

Warm, rich and elegant colours such as Purple or Red struck with Gold make for the most delicious of combinations and ooze Masquerade Ball from the outset. Our wonderful and popular range of Masquerade Ball props and room dressing are mainly tailored to these colours, but our workshop wizards are very handy in creating bespoke props for particular colour schemes so we can do pretty much anything that is desired – for example you may fancy a Black and Silver theme at your Masquerade Ball which would look simply fabulous!

So let’s talk about what we could potentially do for your upcoming themed event…

Starting from the basics, we can supply simple Masquerade Ball prop hire all of which are listed in our website so you can individually pick your favourites – you can actually download our price list direct from our website too, follow this link! Props range from VIP Entrance Ways to standalone props such as our fantastic Giant Eye Mask Props – these are my absolute favourite props, they look so stunning in any scenario, especially if you invest in a couple of up-lighters to go with them. From there, you may fancy a feature backdrop to create a photo opportunity or to highlight your live band up on stage.  We have a super range of Masquerade themed backdrops available for hire, again all available on our website. 

If you need more than just ‘Prop Hire’ we can offer a whole range of different services straight from our ‘bulging at the seams’ warehouse.  We have a massive stock of Table Linen and Chair Covers which really do transform any venue space into a magical themed event – simple Black Chair Covers with a Silver Sash through to something a little more wacky like our Purple Chair Covers with Gold Band – a popular choice for Masquerade Ball or even a Bollywood themed event (new theme page coming soon)!  Table Centres are the next move and we can offer all things illuminated or something a little more classic in the form of Candelabra.

Have you seen our mega range of Masquerade Ball entertainers too – these are a must have at any Masked Ball. Our beautiful Black & White Masquerade Stilt Walkers and intriguing Contact Jugglers are both popular choices serving different elements of an event.  Our elegant Masquerade Living Statues are also worlds apart and are definitely worth considering.

As a company we always offer a fully delivered and installation service with collection after the event finishes – this allows us to be creative with lighting and add in those personal touches to make your event really pop! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – it’s the lighting that will make the difference between a good looking party and a magical, sparkly and atmospheric event that will be the talk of the town for years to come.

So if you’re planning a Masquerade Ball and need some inspiration, I certainly hope this has helped. We have many more themes listed on our website that are sure to get those creative juices flowing nicely. Do give us a call or drop us an email if you would like any further information on any aspect of your upcoming event – we’d be delighted to speak with you.

E: info@steelcitypromotions.co.uk

T: 0800 840 2114

Or you can follow us on twitter @steelcitypromo or facebook!

Popular theme ideas for Christmas Parties 2014

The aim on our blog is always to inspire and dazzle with new event ideas and creative touches. That’s why we thought we’d encourage you to start thinking about this years’ Christmas Party with some top tips and trends for themed events throughout 2014.

The classic traditions for Christmas parties tend to be our Secret Agent, Hollywood, Masquerade Ball and Hollywood themes.  These all capture a wide range of audiences and are flexible to the needs of everyone – they’re not about crazy dressing up (unless you really want to) and can just be about glamour! Don your tuxedo and dance the night away with a Live Band or DJ. A classic Christmas Party suitable for everyone.

The most popular Christmas theme is always the classic Winter Wonderland – elegant, twinkling and oh so festive, this theme oozes beauty, creativity and really brings the true meaning of the Christmas Party.  We have a shed load (literally – more like a warehouse) full of Winter themed props including Sparkling White Star Cloth, Huge Stalagmite Props and Silver Flying Reindeer. They hang around (really, the reindeers really do hang!) all year waiting for this special time of year - our Winter themed props really do set the scene! Our Winter Wonderland Performers are the icing on the cake when it comes to this festive theme – Ice Pixie Living Statues and Candy Cane Stilt Walkers are just the start!

Of course, there is always plenty of room to be outlandish at Christmas, and why the heavens not! A trendy theme for Christmas 2013 and indeed 2014 is definitely our Willy Wonka themed events.  Linking back to Christmas with Giant Oversized Candy Props and bright colours – this theme really does stand out to us as one of the front runners this year!  Great entertainment in the form of Parma Violet Hostesses and Oompa Loompas will really bring this theme to life.

Dates are filling up for December but we still have plenty of availability to accommodate you and your colleagues – give us a call or drop us an email and we’ll send you over some ideas that are sure to whip last years’ festivities into shape! 

E: info@steelcitypromotions.co.uk

T: 0800 840 2114

Or you can follow us on twitter @steelcitypromo or facebook!

Bespoke Conference Sets!

A tailored conference and bespoke team building event saw us head to Reading a couple of weeks ago.  This event had been in the pipeline for quite a while and certainly took some head scratching.  The conference part – a straight forward daytime business meeting with AV, Back Projection Screens, (lots of) microphones and a stage and set.  We had to set off the day before so we could gain access to the venue super early for the conference build.  With the conference starting mid-afternoon, it meant we had plenty of time to iron out any niggling problems and tweak the AV so it was perfect.

The Team Building event was the tricky part – an evening Deal or no Deal type set up complete with Brick Wall effect backdrops, AV graphics, the bankers phone and a whole load of red boxes that could be used for 3 different rounds.   With real cash prizes up for grabs courtesy of the client, the attendees and chosen contestants loved this unique team building exercise.

A recent Hawaiian themed event back in March followed on from their afternoon Surf themed conference – we designed and printed some cool set pieces to include the company’s logo and make it personal to them. 

We can design and print pretty much any logo / themed requirement onto our great and unique crease-free backdrop systems. This enables you to jazz up any conference or build a magnificent themed event using your own designs. Recent designs include bespoke logo boards for conferences, the Brick Wall Effect Backdrops mentioned earlier, some fantastic Shoji Screens (great for conference sets or Dragons Den style team builds) and a great new Las Vegas themed backdrop.

More themed events and exciting news still to come – we’ll keep you updated over the coming weeks of all our happenings! In the meantime, if you have an event enquiry, give us a call on 0800 840 2114 or drop us an email: info@steelcitypromotions.co.uk

007 Stunt Team brings it to Guildford!

My oh my we’ve been super busy bees these last few weeks – moving warehousing space, moving offices alongside a heap load of crazy eventing! We’re back in business now though with some serious news and blogging catch ups…

A recent 007 themed event has reinforced our love for this great theme choice!  Working in a fabulous venue in Guildford – G-LIVE, meant we had heaps of space for fabulous props, lighting and our fabulous 007 Stunt Show.  The event kicked off to a great start with our stunt men doubling up as security personnel and checking in guests as they entered the building; standing under our huge Golden Gun archway really set the scene and created a wonderful photo opportunity and first impression.  As guests entered the main reception room that we had filled with Backlit 007 Silhouettes, cool lighting and of course our striking and ever so popular 007 backdrop, there were ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ a plenty! Illuminated Martini Glasses were present on each table, adding extra depth to the lighting effects in the room.  Once dinner was coming to an end, in burst our 007 Stunt Team – a fantastic addition to any 007 themed event and such a crowd pleaser! The guests loved every minute and we’ve had some glorious feedback:

‘I just wanted to say a very big thank you to you, Matt and your team for providing such a fantastic service and helping to make the evening a great success.

The props were all great and the stunt team put on a really great show. I really liked the way they wrote the key facts about Mike our victim into the script.

Please pass my thanks to Matt who did a great job at orchestrating the whole evening and ensuring everything went well.

I would be very pleased to endorse your company should you like us to and I hope we can use your team again next year.’

Always lovely to hear great feedback from our clients – makes our day so it does!!!

So among all the Bond madness, we’ve had some other great themes going on too.  We produced a great New York / Wall Street themed event a couple of weeks ago down in Guildford (again, actually!).  Our Statue of Liberty stood pride of place and we personalised up our Illuminated Martini Glass Table Centre Pieces with iridescent Dollar Signs to match in with the theme – we’ll do anything to go that extra mile!

We also managed a large Willy Wonka themed event down in Brighton towards the end of April 2014 – this was a fantastic event where we provided heaps of Chocolate Factory props, Confectionery Stalls and Willy Wonka entertainers.  Our Oompa Loompa Characters were a sight to behold, causing mischief throughout the event with our Willy Wonka Look-a-Like (Johnny Depp) hosting the night. A wonderful theme and definitely one of our favourites – looking a popular choice for this year’s festivities too!

We’ve had a massive range of performers out and about over recent weeks too – Pirate Stilt Walkers in Cambridge, Contact Jugglers and Masquerade Living Tables in Manchester and Bouncing Bunnies in Sheffield just to name a few – all bringing joy and entertainment to the masses!

So, just a little update from recent weeks – there's plenty more we could talk about too but must get on…in the next couple of days we’ll tell you all about a bespoke conference and team build that we produced this week just gone – watch this space!

Havi

E: info@steelcitypromotions.co.uk

T: 0800 840 2114

Or you can follow us on twitter @steelcitypromo or facebook!

Ideas for a Summer Event!

Ok, so after yesterdays’ Christmassy reminder, we thought today we needed some summering fun! Here are some great ideas for a Summer Ball or BBQ over the coming months…

The Circus Theme

Roll up, Roll up – the Circus is in town – a great theme for all sorts of Summer Balls as the Circus just oozes outdoor-ness and brings back wonderful childhood memories.  Create a Big Top effect with the use of a marquee or ceiling drapes, incorporate quirky over-sized Circus props such as our rather magnificent Cannons (did we tell you they were recently featured on The Muppets Most Wanted film?).  This theme can be packed full of entertainment from the gregarious host that is the Ringmaster himself to Dancing Girls, Contact Jugglers, Contortionists and Stilt Walkers – the list is endless.

Western Theme

Yeehaaaa! Whether you’re organising an indoor or an outdoor event, this theme will suit either.  Our rustic props and theming will create the authentic Western feel needed for an event down in the Wild Wild West. Entertainment wise, Can Can Dancers are the perfect choice and plenty of fun too – they’ll meet and greet guests and perform a routine for everyone’s entertainment a little later on.

Alice in Wonderland Theme

Quirky, Kitsch and oh so beautiful – a contrast to the entertainment packed themes above, the Alice in Wonderland theme is elegant and sophisticated.  Perfect for a garden party or afternoon tea party in the Summer sun, this theme lends itself to the Summer months.  Our range of over-sized props and funky room dressing will transform your venue space into your very own Mad Hatters Tea Party.  We have some rather fabulous entertainers for this theme too – what Alice in Wonderland themed event would be complete without a Mad Hatter Look-a-Like, the Queen of Hearts in the form of a Contortionist and a pair of lively Bouncing Bunny Stilt Walkers?!

Brazilian Theme

Wonderfully apt for the next couple of years due to the Rio 2014 World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympics our Brazilian theme is sure to tickle your fancy over the coming months.  Choose from a range of great Brazilian themed backdrops and props and a stunning selection of Carnival performers.  This theme is set to be vibrant, colourful and musical and a whole lot of fun!

For more themed inspiration visit the themed events section on our website or click here! We’d love to chat through some ideas for your event so feel free to get in touch.

Havi

E: info@steelcitypromotions.co.uk

T: 0800 840 2114

Or you can follow us on twitter @steelcitypromo or facebook!

The 'C' Word

I know we all hate thinking too far in advance about Christmas, but trust me when I say it’s much better to get in there early, plan your Christmas Party, then you can sit back and relax in the knowledge that it’s all done and dusted.  Many people are left disappointed when they plan a last minute Christmas Party and find that availability is limited for their chosen date – especially if the theme they’ve chosen is a popular Christmas theme.

So, what are our top tips for organising the most fantastical Christmas Party that is bound to top last year….

Top Tip Number 1 – Be Unique

Christmas is renowned for being one of the busiest times in the event industry, which unfortunately means that as much as we’d like to accommodate every single event we get approached about, our props only stretch so far.  How about picking a mid-week date or even a Sunday – these are much less popular so availability on props and performers is much greater than on a Friday or Saturday evening. If you’re tied to a weekend date, never fear, but why not choose a theme that is a little less Christmassy and a little more quirky for the time of year. Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory or a Wild West themed event would certainly create a bit of a buzz around the event, much less popular in December than the Winter Wonderland or the Traditional Christmas theme and your guests will love it! Remember, be unique!

Top Tip Number 2 – Think About Lighting

At Steel City Promotions we don’t half love a bit of lighting and we cannot stress how much it can bring any event to life.  You can cram as many props and dressing in there as you like, but without the correct lighting it can fall a bit flat.  A simple up-lighting pack to highlight chosen props and pick out venue features will create a massive difference.  We have a huge stock of up-lighters in house as well as the more intelligent moving heads and special effect lighting that can really add the WOW factor.

Top Tip Number 3 – Get In There Early

I’m not exaggerating when I say people book their Christmas parties in January. I’m not suggesting you need to book in everything or even decide upon a theme this early but by all means you can pencil in the date with the venue and the suppliers you want to use.  If you’re not THAT keen on getting in there this early (it can be a little extreme for some), do start thinking about it by about June, even just compiling some ideas will help you get inspired.   By about September you should really be thinking about nailing down that date and getting the most part of your event booked in.

Just a few thoughts to get those creative juices flowing for the 2014 party season…give us a call if we can be of assistance this year! We’ve a great selection of themed props, lighting and entertainment options to choose from, for many many different themes.

E: info@steelcitypromotions.co.uk

T: 0800 840 2114

Or you can follow us on twitter @steelcitypromo or facebook!