Entertainment is central to your event. The beef marsala may be exquisite. The décor may be to die for. But if the entertainment is a bust, your entire event goes down in flames. You prove your mettle in event planning design when you line up entertainment that not only rocks, but also lives on in attendees’ memories as an unforgettable experience. Check out the following amazing event entertainment ideas to elevate attendee engagement and make your event the talk of the water cooler come Monday morning.
1. Create an Interactive Art Display
Everyone wants to leave their mark. It’s why love lock bridges came into being, where couples attach a commemorative padlock to a bridge to “lock in” their love. Or consider Seattle’s famous Gum Wall. Luckily, there are plenty of more hygienic options for group art projects that are just as fun. Consider the following:
- Coloring Mural: Companies like The Monster Mural can create branded murals for attendees to color.
- Digital Graffiti Wall: Set up a digital graffiti wall on which your guests can let their creativity fly with digitally compatible “spray paint cans.”
- Art Tiles: Hang interlocking canvas tiles and give guests free rein to create. Then, auction off individual tiles as “abstract art” and give the proceeds to a charitable cause.
Event Planning Tips: Set up a camera to take a time-lapse video of the artwork’s completion. Then, share those edited videos on social media.
2. Hire a Mentalist to Walk the Room and Interact with Guests
Forego the stage and bring your entertainment to your guests. Hire a mentalist or magician to walk the room and interact with attendees. Attendees will be excited to get in on the action as they try to stump the mentalist or figure out the magician’s tricks up close.
Event Planning Tips: Almost any entertainment act can bring their act from the stage to the floor to boost engagement with your audience.
3. Host a Scavenger Hunt in the Style of The Amazing Race
Take a humdrum scavenger hunt up a notch with challenges, puzzles, and clue packets. Teams compete against each other as they race from checkpoint to checkpoint in their efforts to solve the mystery. Best of all, Elevent will come to your NYC venue with a fully designed Amazing Escape challenge.
Event Planning Tips: Be especially aware of disabilities among your attendees and be prepared with accommodations.
4. Host a Classic Game Show
We would bet that The Game Show Network is a guilty pleasure for a good portion of your attendees. And more than a couple of them watch Family Feud reels on their smartphones between client calls. Bring the fun and excitement of classic game shows to your event. The Game Show Connection goes all out when it comes to recreating your favorite TV game shows. Your guests can face off in trivia challenges, survey-style questions, or under-a-minute physical challenges.
Event Planning Tips: Classic game shows are a great option for virtual events, too.
5. Book Dueling Pianos
Dueling pianos are a time-honored, classic entertainment option for a reason. Outstanding musical talent and comedic bantering combine in a competition that is sure to engage your attendees. The best dueling piano performers will engage your event attendees by encouraging them to sing, clap, and dance. Your guests can even sing-along when the performers take song requests.
Event Planning Tips: Try booking New York’s most celebrated keyboarding duo, Shake Rattle & Roll Dueling Pianos.
6. Rent a Giant Human Claw Game
Come on, the name sells it. When your guests hear “giant human claw game,” they’ll be hooked (pun intended). Rent a giant human claw machine in which guests are hoisted on a crane to try their darndest to grab the goodies below. We’ll pause here while your imagination runs with this one.
Event Planning Tips: Hire a videographer to capture the fun and create clips for social media.
7. Host an Arcade Game Tournament
Nothing against the new generation of video games, but there is something about the neon colors and pixelated graphics of old-school arcade games or the hardiness of joysticks and buttons built for abuse from teenage combatants. Your attendees will be transported back in time to when the arcade was the go-to social club, and gameplay was a group activity. Lay the groundwork for an epic tournament, and your guests will go head-to-head when the grand prize is their moniker immortalized as the game’s high scorer.
Event Planning Tips: An arcade tournament pairs well with a neon-themed or 80s-themed event.
Find More Amazing Event Planning Tips at The Event Planner Expo 2024
Your entertainment sets the vibe for your event. When you knock the entertainment out of the park, your guests will be talking about your event long after the open bar is closed and the photo booth has been dismantled. The ideas above are especially suited for engaging your guests and getting everyone in on the action. But entertainment is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to event planning design ideas.
You can find more inspo at The Event Planner Expo.
Over 2,000 attendees converge at The Event Planner Expo 2024 to network, learn from the industry’s best influencers, and form strategic partnerships. You can find inspiration when you hear from over 50 speakers and panelists and tour the trade show floor to find the best venues and services. Buy your tickets today!
