Venues for Corporate events - things to consider

We have played for Corporate Events everywhere from the most up market hotels, to factory warehouses, from marquees to racecourses. Whatever the venue, your important event can be enhanced by Live Music.

Our musicians have played at thousands of venues throughout the UK. Whatever the venue, there are some things to consider in the planning. If you book one of our music groups, then you can discuss things in detail with us or members of the music group so that things run smoothly on the day. 

• We will agree an itinerary with you for your day, including when music group needs to get access to where they are to set up and play.

• Think about where the music group should be located:

  • Will the musicians be locate in just one place for the whole time, or do you want them to play in a number of different places? If more than one location, then the style of music group is important. A classical duo or string quartet can move within minutes, but a Covers Band or Barn Dance Band with all its amplification equipment can take 45 minutes to set up and the same to pack away.

  • If the music is indoors, whether in a reception area or a meal, think of the location of the musicians so that they are central to where people will be gathering. Doing this, everyone will hear the music at a comfortable level. Stick your harpist or pianist in a corner and some guests will hear too much and others nothing at all.

  • If outdoors, then consider the implications.

    • A string quartet can move indoors within minutes if it starts raining. A Function Band or other band with amplification equipment may need protection from rain, as it may take an hour to move equipment should the weather change.

    • Locate the musicians near a wall of a building or somewhere where sound will be reflected out over the gardens. Keep the musicians close to where guests will naturally congregate for most of the time. Importantly, the musicians will need shade from sun and protection from wind or rain. Guests might be happy to brave the elements for a short time, but thousands of pounds of musical instrument can be destroyed by hot sun or a few spots of rain and music and stands can go flying.

• Make sure that you get the most out of your musicians! You are paying for them and you want to hear them.

  • Allocate someone to check whether they need drinks to keep them going. It can be physically hard work playing music so you don't want the musicians to stop to go and search for drinks or collapse in a heap from exhaustion. That's bad value for money.

  • Make sure that they are positioned appropriately at the venue and that the venue is suitable for the kind of music being peformed.

• If at a hotel or venue that is not under your direct control, make sure that you have discussed the music group and their itinerary with the organiser at the venue, so that they:-

  • organise dining area layouts to accommodate the music group.

  • have chairs available at each location the string quartet are to play at, or a suitable area for the Ceilidh Band to set up in etc.

  • Make sure that there is adequate lighting to read music by.

  • Make sure there is a nearby power socket when needed, particularly if the venue is a marquee.

  • Make sure that there is suitable flooring for the kind of dancing that may be intended. A typical disco floor is not necessarily good for a Barn Dance.

  • We can talk with the organiser if needed.