Category: Event Host Blog
Christmas team building activities: festive ideas that don’t feel like a chore
In short Christmas team building activities work best when they’re genuinely festive, not just a normal team activity with tinsel added. Craft and food-based options (gingerbread decorating, wreath-making, desk decorating contests) suit smaller, low-key groups. Quiz and games formats scale well and give everyone a reason to actually compete rather than just chat. Hosted, TV-style…
What a conference facilitator does, and when you need one
The conference facilitator role explained by a working host: what it means on the day, how it differs from a host, MC and chair, and when you need which.
Corporate team building days: how to structure one that doesn’t feel forced
In short Corporate team building days fail most often on pacing, not activity choice: too slow and people switch off, too intense and they burn out. A good structure mixes content and connection, arrivals and framing, an activity block, a proper break, a change of energy after lunch, and a clear close. Half a day…
Emcee games for corporate events: the show I run
The interactive game show rounds I run as corporate entertainment, what each one does to a room, and how to pick the format that fits your night.
Large group team building activities: how to keep 100+ people actually engaged
In short Large group team building activities fail for one reason more than any other: too many people watching, not enough people playing. The fix industry-wide is breaking a big room into smaller rotating subgroups, typically 8 to 12 people, so nobody’s stuck spectating for the whole session. My version of that fix, for Family…
The corporate event MC script I’d actually use
A steal-able corporate event MC script, stage by stage, with real lines you can adapt and the reasoning behind each one.
Team building activities for small groups: what works when it is just one team
In short The best team building activities for small groups (roughly 3 to 15 people) are more personal and less staged than a whole-company day, built around everyone actually contributing. Trust and connection exercises like the Human Knot or Paper Holding Challenge work well because there’s nowhere to hide in a small circle. Icebreakers like…
What makes a good event compere?
The difference between a compere who holds a room and one who just announces the next item, from 20 years of hosting.
Indoor team building activities that don’t need a field or a forklift
In short Indoor team building activities fall into two groups: quiet, low-key formats (puzzles, drawing games, quizzes) and higher-energy hosted formats that need a bit of room to move. Weather, accessibility and reliability all favour indoor over outdoor: nothing is rained off, and everyone can take part regardless of mobility. Any UK meeting room, function…
How to hire an event host: a buyer’s guide
A practical, first-hand guide to hiring an event host: what a good one actually does, how freelance, agency and celebrity options differ, the questions to ask, and the red flags that give away a bad booking.
Team building games: TV-style formats that keep the whole room playing
In short Team building games split into three tiers: quick no-prep games for a huddle, physical or outdoor games for an active day, and hosted TV-style formats for anything bigger than about twenty people. Hosted games solve a problem DIY games can’t: someone has to run the room, keep every table on the same pace,…
How to MC a corporate event, start to finish
A working host’s guide to MCing a corporate event: the running order, opening the room, speaker handovers, energy management and how to cover the moment something goes wrong.
Team building activities ideas: what actually works for UK corporate groups
In short The team building activities ideas that most reliably turn a flat afternoon into a day people still talk about are hosted, interactive ones, with a TV-style game show at the top of that list. The cheaper options (quizzes, blind drawing, two truths and a lie) are great warm-ups for a small huddle, but…
How to host a gala dinner that raises the room, not just the glasses
How to host a gala dinner that raises the room, not just the glasses: pacing, running order, who should hold the microphone, and where entertainment and fundraising fit.
Award ceremony run of show: a template that keeps the night on time
An award ceremony run of show template that maps every minute of the evening, built from the ceremonies I have actually hosted, not a generic planning checklist.
What questions to ask when hiring an MC (before you book)
The right questions to ask when hiring an MC are about experience, preparation and what happens when something goes wrong, not just price and availability. Here is my own vetting checklist.
Corporate Christmas party entertainment: how to book the right act
Booking corporate Christmas party entertainment is mostly a logistics exercise: confirm your headcount, format, and date before you contact anyone. Book at least four to six months ahead of December. Interactive and hosted formats book up faster than most organisers expect. Get the deposit, cancellation terms, and public liability insurance confirmed in writing before you…
What is an awards host? Role, cost, and how to book one in the UK
An awards host does far more than read out winners: briefing every nominee, checking pronunciation, managing pacing, and handling whatever goes wrong live. Awards host fees are bespoke and not publicly listed anywhere in the industry, so treat the fee as an investment in how the evening feels rather than a line item to shave.…
Christmas party entertainment ideas: what works for UK corporate parties
Christmas party entertainment works best when guests are doing something, not just watching something: game shows, quizzes, and table-to-stage formats consistently outperform passive acts. Demand for entertainment has surged. Some suppliers report bookings running at roughly four times 2019 levels, so the good acts and dates go early. Non-drinkers are a bigger share of the…
Corporate Christmas party ideas: a UK planning guide for 2026
Good corporate Christmas party ideas start with three decisions: budget per head, format, and guest list, locked in before you contact a single venue. Book your venue 6 to 9 months ahead for a good choice of December dates, and no later than 4 to 6 months out even at the last resort. Popular Friday…