Drinks reception — set the tone
- Lounge DJ + saxophonist — modern, conversational, premium
- Acoustic duo — upmarket and inoffensive
- Roaming string quartet — for formal black-tie
- Magician (close-up only, no stage cheese) — only with a great one
Dinner — keep it background, mostly
Tables are talking. Live music here should add atmosphere, not compete. Jazz trios and pianists work; full bands almost never do.
After-dinner — earn the attention
This is the slot where most events lose energy. The fix is a 20–30 minute set with a clear purpose: a corporate comedian, a TED-style speaker, or an awards host with material.
"Three hours of dinner, then a 60-minute generic speech, kills a room. Cut it in half and make the speaker sharper — every time."
Party — give them a reason to stay
- Function band with horns — high energy, broad appeal
- DJ + live percussion — modern, easy to scale up or down
- Surprise headliner — only if budget supports it and the audience cares
- Silent disco — works far better than people expect at corporates
Ideas that consistently flop
- Cover bands at a tech audience under 35 — fine, but forgettable
- Stage magicians at a comedy-savvy room
- 60-minute keynotes after a 3-hour dinner
- Anything that needs a long setup mid-event
The single rule
Brief the act on what's just happened on the agenda before they go on. The CFO's gloomy Q3 update is a very different warm-up to a 15-minute comedy CEO roast.
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