TOP 10 TIPS FOR PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL EVENT
1) LISTEN TO THE PROFESSIONALS
This is probably the most important tip. If somebody has done your type of event hundreds of times before, then they probably have some real good ideas on what will work and what won’t work. Listen to them. While this is true for all aspects of your event, it’s particularly true for the band. The Wild Knights can help you with all aspects of the event, from planning the overall flow of the event to placement of the band within the room to even recommending other professionals in the area (if you need a facility, for example). This is not to say that you can’t get what you want. Of course you can. But if a recommendation is made to you, give it serious consideration, because they’ve seen it all before. And they can help you make your event the success that you want it to be.
2) THE BAND SHOULD BE FRONT AND CENTER
Remember the reason you hired Wild Knights is because you want to have a big party. And given the party revolves around the band (i.e. dancing), then it’s important to have the band in the center of the room and not off in a corner somewhere (or even worse, in a separate room, by themselves). In general, it’s also a good idea to have a bar in the same room as the band since many guests tend to congregate around the bar area.
3) MAKE SURE THE FACILITY IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE BAND
While most facilities can accommodate bands, some just cannot. Once, the Wild Knights were hired to play an event and when the band arrived, the facility had a 5 ft. by 10 ft area for the band to setup in, even though the event coordinator knew the space requirements, the facility was not setup for a live band. So, make sure that your facility has appropriate space and proper electricity (see the FAQs page for this information). This can be the difference between having a great party and having no party.
4) THE DANCE FLOOR SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE BAND STAND/STAGE
We’ve seen several situations where the dance floor was off to the side of the band or even worse, the dance floor was in the middle of the room, tables were all around it and the band was off in the corner. While in theory, it sounds nice, it absolutely destroys any chance of having a party. The band needs to interact with crowd in order to get the party started and the only way to do this is to have the dance floor immediately in front of the band.
5) DON'T SIT GUESTS NEXT TO THE SPEAKERS
This sounds obvious but it happens all the time. There should be no table within five feet of the speakers. Regardless of who is sitting there, if you are two feet away from the speakers, it’s too loud, even if the speaker is turned down to 2 or 3 (which is very low). Ideally, the tables should be at least 10 to 12 feet away, but that’s not always possible. And of course, if you have guests who are sensitive of hearing (particularly elderly guests), they should be as far away from the speakers as possible.
6) REMEMBER EVERYBODY MUSICALLY
Obviously, everyone has their own musical tastes. And while it is important to hire a band that you enjoy, it’s also important to keep your guests in mind as well. While you may like high-energy dance music, there may be some guests who would like to hear swing, country, blues, rock, or perhaps a certain ballad for a special reason. The best parties are those where everybody gets involved, and in order to do this, you have to play something for everybody, not just the sponsors of the event. Wild Knights is perfect for this reason because the musicians in Wild Knights are so gifted that they can play virtually any style and any song immediately so magic moments can be created because the Wild Knights band is not limited to only the songs they have on their song list.
7) GET INVOLVED
As the sponsor of the party, people will look to you for clues for how the party is going to go. So, if you dance, probably other folks will dance as well. If you become a wallflower, it will effect how other folks view the party. While you don’t have to dance every dance, it is important, particularly at the beginning of the event, to help get the party started. Because even if the band is great, somebody has to be the first on the dance floor. And it might as well be you.
8) KEEP IT MOVING
Momentum is what makes a party ‘a party’. This is because a party is all about mood. The more you kill the mood, the more you kill the party. For this reason, it is extremely important to keep the party going. Some mood killers include:taking two hours for dinner and presentations, continuously interrupting the party portion of the event with announcements and asking guests to leave the ‘main party area’ for other events. This is not to say that you cannot make announcements or have a nice dinner. Of course you can, but keep the event moving. It will keep your guests entertained and everybody will have a better time. Remember that nobody likes to sit still for 2 hours. And once the party as started, keep any interruptions to a minimum.
9) OUTDOOR EVENTS ARE FUN BUT REQUIRE SOME EXTRA KNOWLEDGE AND PLANNING
Outdoor events can be successful but they require some extra planning on your part. Number one is that you have to plan for two events, one where the weather is beautiful, the other where it’s not. The beautiful weather event is easy. However, for the not-so-beautiful, keeps these thoughts in mind. You will need tenting over every area where people may be. This includes walkways from the main tent to an existing permanent structure. Also, due to wind blowing the rain in, you will need a tent with sides that can be pulled down (in the event of nasty weather). Also, you have to make sure that the floor doesn’t get wet because the band cannot set up or perform on a wet/damp surface. Electricity and water do not mix. Basically, if where we are playing gets wet, we have to discontinue the performance. Also, due to the nature of electronic equipment, the band will need to be under a shaded area, regardless of what the weather is like. This is because, electronics don’t do too well in direct sunlight.
The next issue is flooring. The band MUST be set up on a permanent, LEVEL surface. That is, the band cannot set up on grass, etc… even if it is pretty level. The reason is because unless it is a hard surface (for example, a dance floor, cement, a deck, etc…), the equipment is heavy enough such that it can sink and then topple over. Talk about a party killer. So try to set up the band on a deck or patio if possible. If not, then when you rent a dance floor, make sure that the floor is large enough to accommodate the band as well as an area for dancing. Also make sure that the production company that installs the floor will level it (i.e. make sure that it has no sloop whatsoever). This can be done (we’ve seen it, many times). But it usually require that you (as the client) impress upon the installing company that this is a serious issue.
The final issue is electricity. By their very nature, outdoor events are usually away from electricity. If the band setup area is within 20 feet of the electrical sources (i.e. a house, etc..) then extension cords can be run to that source. However, if the band setup area is far away, then you are left with generators. A few words about generators. They are less than ideal. The size generator needed to run a band is quite large. They are also noisy and they tend to give uneven power. That is, you tend to pop a lot of fuses. And it always happens in the middle of a really smoking song. This, of course, just kills the mood. So, if a generator is your only option (and it is possible, if done correctly), remember that you’ll need one that can generate a continuous 4 20-amp circuits (ie. about 8000 watts). This is not 8000 watts PEAK, but a continuous 8000 watts. Another option is to have two generators that each generate a continuous 4000 watts.
10) RELAX
When you’ve done all of your planning, you've hired the right band-Wild Knights, and you’ve worked hard to make sure that every detail is just right. On the night of the event, the best thing you can do is relax and have fun. Again, your guests will take their cue from you. If you are relaxed and having fun, they will as well. If you are stressed out, this will carry over to your guests because they are worried about you. So, if some little thing is not exactly like you planned (i.e. the limo is late, the centerpieces are blue instead of purple, etc…) don’t panic. Instead, rely on your professionals you fix it for you (to whatever extent it can be fixed) and then get on with the party. Because. the bottom line is, if you don’t make a big deal out of it (whatever it is), it won’t be a big deal. And most of your guest will never know the difference. And frankly, you’ll have a much better time if you don’t spend it being all stressed out.
This is probably the most important tip. If somebody has done your type of event hundreds of times before, then they probably have some real good ideas on what will work and what won’t work. Listen to them. While this is true for all aspects of your event, it’s particularly true for the band. The Wild Knights can help you with all aspects of the event, from planning the overall flow of the event to placement of the band within the room to even recommending other professionals in the area (if you need a facility, for example). This is not to say that you can’t get what you want. Of course you can. But if a recommendation is made to you, give it serious consideration, because they’ve seen it all before. And they can help you make your event the success that you want it to be.
2) THE BAND SHOULD BE FRONT AND CENTER
Remember the reason you hired Wild Knights is because you want to have a big party. And given the party revolves around the band (i.e. dancing), then it’s important to have the band in the center of the room and not off in a corner somewhere (or even worse, in a separate room, by themselves). In general, it’s also a good idea to have a bar in the same room as the band since many guests tend to congregate around the bar area.
3) MAKE SURE THE FACILITY IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE BAND
While most facilities can accommodate bands, some just cannot. Once, the Wild Knights were hired to play an event and when the band arrived, the facility had a 5 ft. by 10 ft area for the band to setup in, even though the event coordinator knew the space requirements, the facility was not setup for a live band. So, make sure that your facility has appropriate space and proper electricity (see the FAQs page for this information). This can be the difference between having a great party and having no party.
4) THE DANCE FLOOR SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE BAND STAND/STAGE
We’ve seen several situations where the dance floor was off to the side of the band or even worse, the dance floor was in the middle of the room, tables were all around it and the band was off in the corner. While in theory, it sounds nice, it absolutely destroys any chance of having a party. The band needs to interact with crowd in order to get the party started and the only way to do this is to have the dance floor immediately in front of the band.
5) DON'T SIT GUESTS NEXT TO THE SPEAKERS
This sounds obvious but it happens all the time. There should be no table within five feet of the speakers. Regardless of who is sitting there, if you are two feet away from the speakers, it’s too loud, even if the speaker is turned down to 2 or 3 (which is very low). Ideally, the tables should be at least 10 to 12 feet away, but that’s not always possible. And of course, if you have guests who are sensitive of hearing (particularly elderly guests), they should be as far away from the speakers as possible.
6) REMEMBER EVERYBODY MUSICALLY
Obviously, everyone has their own musical tastes. And while it is important to hire a band that you enjoy, it’s also important to keep your guests in mind as well. While you may like high-energy dance music, there may be some guests who would like to hear swing, country, blues, rock, or perhaps a certain ballad for a special reason. The best parties are those where everybody gets involved, and in order to do this, you have to play something for everybody, not just the sponsors of the event. Wild Knights is perfect for this reason because the musicians in Wild Knights are so gifted that they can play virtually any style and any song immediately so magic moments can be created because the Wild Knights band is not limited to only the songs they have on their song list.
7) GET INVOLVED
As the sponsor of the party, people will look to you for clues for how the party is going to go. So, if you dance, probably other folks will dance as well. If you become a wallflower, it will effect how other folks view the party. While you don’t have to dance every dance, it is important, particularly at the beginning of the event, to help get the party started. Because even if the band is great, somebody has to be the first on the dance floor. And it might as well be you.
8) KEEP IT MOVING
Momentum is what makes a party ‘a party’. This is because a party is all about mood. The more you kill the mood, the more you kill the party. For this reason, it is extremely important to keep the party going. Some mood killers include:taking two hours for dinner and presentations, continuously interrupting the party portion of the event with announcements and asking guests to leave the ‘main party area’ for other events. This is not to say that you cannot make announcements or have a nice dinner. Of course you can, but keep the event moving. It will keep your guests entertained and everybody will have a better time. Remember that nobody likes to sit still for 2 hours. And once the party as started, keep any interruptions to a minimum.
9) OUTDOOR EVENTS ARE FUN BUT REQUIRE SOME EXTRA KNOWLEDGE AND PLANNING
Outdoor events can be successful but they require some extra planning on your part. Number one is that you have to plan for two events, one where the weather is beautiful, the other where it’s not. The beautiful weather event is easy. However, for the not-so-beautiful, keeps these thoughts in mind. You will need tenting over every area where people may be. This includes walkways from the main tent to an existing permanent structure. Also, due to wind blowing the rain in, you will need a tent with sides that can be pulled down (in the event of nasty weather). Also, you have to make sure that the floor doesn’t get wet because the band cannot set up or perform on a wet/damp surface. Electricity and water do not mix. Basically, if where we are playing gets wet, we have to discontinue the performance. Also, due to the nature of electronic equipment, the band will need to be under a shaded area, regardless of what the weather is like. This is because, electronics don’t do too well in direct sunlight.
The next issue is flooring. The band MUST be set up on a permanent, LEVEL surface. That is, the band cannot set up on grass, etc… even if it is pretty level. The reason is because unless it is a hard surface (for example, a dance floor, cement, a deck, etc…), the equipment is heavy enough such that it can sink and then topple over. Talk about a party killer. So try to set up the band on a deck or patio if possible. If not, then when you rent a dance floor, make sure that the floor is large enough to accommodate the band as well as an area for dancing. Also make sure that the production company that installs the floor will level it (i.e. make sure that it has no sloop whatsoever). This can be done (we’ve seen it, many times). But it usually require that you (as the client) impress upon the installing company that this is a serious issue.
The final issue is electricity. By their very nature, outdoor events are usually away from electricity. If the band setup area is within 20 feet of the electrical sources (i.e. a house, etc..) then extension cords can be run to that source. However, if the band setup area is far away, then you are left with generators. A few words about generators. They are less than ideal. The size generator needed to run a band is quite large. They are also noisy and they tend to give uneven power. That is, you tend to pop a lot of fuses. And it always happens in the middle of a really smoking song. This, of course, just kills the mood. So, if a generator is your only option (and it is possible, if done correctly), remember that you’ll need one that can generate a continuous 4 20-amp circuits (ie. about 8000 watts). This is not 8000 watts PEAK, but a continuous 8000 watts. Another option is to have two generators that each generate a continuous 4000 watts.
10) RELAX
When you’ve done all of your planning, you've hired the right band-Wild Knights, and you’ve worked hard to make sure that every detail is just right. On the night of the event, the best thing you can do is relax and have fun. Again, your guests will take their cue from you. If you are relaxed and having fun, they will as well. If you are stressed out, this will carry over to your guests because they are worried about you. So, if some little thing is not exactly like you planned (i.e. the limo is late, the centerpieces are blue instead of purple, etc…) don’t panic. Instead, rely on your professionals you fix it for you (to whatever extent it can be fixed) and then get on with the party. Because. the bottom line is, if you don’t make a big deal out of it (whatever it is), it won’t be a big deal. And most of your guest will never know the difference. And frankly, you’ll have a much better time if you don’t spend it being all stressed out.