The Business

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The Christmas Do!

We can’t deny it any longer…the festive period is upon us and what’s more it seems to be starting earlier every year (thanks to the major supermarkets and TV adverts) which leaves those of us that haven’t finished our Christmas shopping by mid-November feeling distinctly left behind and, somehow, inferior. Maybe those of you that are currently sat at home, feeling just a little bit smug while polishing your halos, could give some thought to spicing up this year’s annual shindig with some cracking entertainment? (With large dollops of help from us, of course!) No matter how organised the domestic gods and goddesses among us are, some things DO get forgotten; like the obligatory cranberry sauce of course. We also forget the annual meltdown of trying to fit an ‘average’ sized turkey, (who is always named Bertha in our house) with all the trimmings, into an average sized household oven. Of course, the aforementioned Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties are one other thing that many think will magically sort themselves out; and actually it more or less can, with a quick call to us. We completely understand those last minute ‘aaaaaaaargh’ moments and are standing by to help you make this year’s party be memorable for all the RIGHT reasons. Is it me or does the very thought of a ‘work’s do’ conjure up dreadful stereotypes? a) The person who starts celebrating way too early and, an hour into the party, has to be bundled in a taxi and sent home, b) the shy and quiet type who, two Bacardi Breezers in is standing on the table doing explicit things with a feather boa, c) the person who won’t leave the boss’s side and fawns over their every word…this includes laughing at EVERY, frankly crappy, joke and d) the person who chooses this event as the precise time to corner some unfortunate work colleague and use them as a free counselling service. We are very lucky; The Business Booking Agency Christmas bash is a riot of silly Santas, sleigh- bells and snowballs (Babycham not included). The fantastic news for you is that we’re willing to share and have plenty to go round! No matter what your entertainment preference, all of our acts are guaranteed to add a twist of top-notch entertainment tinsel to your party. Surely this would put an end to all the party gossip and silence the office bores? Either that or it’s time to pick straws for who gets to rescue the feather boa again…………..

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Our show at #bauma2013 for #JCB 

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Spirit of the Pearl - Yas Waterworld

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Halloween Pumpkin Hunt at Chester Zoo

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Halloween Pumpkin Hunt at Chester Zoo

Provided by The Business

www.thebusiness.uk.com

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Variety is The Spice of Life

It seems that ‘variety’, within the realms of entertainment, at least, has become a dirty word. It conjures up Saturday evening lightweight TV hosted by inoffensive, family friendly presenters. Ironically, it was largely moving pictures that killed the early variety shows in the theatres. In the UK this brand of entertainment took to the stage during the Victorian era. Due to the prevalence of musical acts and comedy sketches in early music hall it was something which translated well to radio. However, by the late 1920s its popularity was waning; some of the acts were becoming tired and predictable and audiences took to the new kid in town, cinema, in their droves. With the dawning of television variety became huge, reaching its peak in the 1960s and 1970s both here and in the USA where they were as popular and televised as frequently as the popular dramas and soap operas of the day. In the UK ‘The Good Old Days’ ran for thirty years. Audiences would be invited to dress in period costume and sing-a-long in a bid to recreate the Victorian/Edwardian Vaudeville era. The ‘Royal Variety Show’ has existed in varying formats since 1912 which suggests that maybe Variety isn’t as dead as we thought. I’m going to put the cat amongst the pigeons and claim it’s actually enjoying a huge resurgence of popularity. One only has to look at the viewing figures for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ to recognise this. And while shows like ‘X Factor’, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and ‘Got To Dance’ are not, strictly speaking, variety shows they still promote talent in various fields. We even had ‘slebs’ willing to risk life and limb while training to be circus performers in ‘Cirque de Celebrity’, with varying degrees of success. However, as popular as talent shows are, we believe some things are best left to the professionals. The new addition to our enterprise, the Business Booking Agency, can provide world class acts for any occasion in any location. Whether you require ariel acrobats, walkabout characters, headline stars, ambient acts or specialist artistes The Business can provide you with the perfect performers to make it happen. However, you may have to supply your own Edwardian bonnet!

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Family Friendly...

Who remembers visits to the pub as a child? My personal memories recall being banished to the back of a car or a beer garden (with no consideration to weather). Bottles of lemonade and packets of crisps were dispensed to us if and when our parents remembered. How times have changed! In an increasing ‘child-centric’ era the focus is now firmly on families interacting and participating together. It’s not unusual to see pubs or restaurants that provide high-chairs and children’s menus. Football stadiums and music festivals will often feature family zones where, in theory, people stop effing and jeffing so much in a bid to re-introduce the notion of ‘family’ back to the weekends. The Business has been involved with leading leisure industry giants such as Butlin’s, Haven and Thomas Cook (where we devised innovative concepts under their ‘FamilyWorld’ brand). All were also keen to develop activities which could be enjoyed by the whole family and AS a whole family. Parents are uneasy about leaving their children for long stretches of time and so the once popular baby sitting and creche facilities are fast being replaced by concepts which allow parents and their offspring quality time together. They may also provide activities which allow youngsters to be active in a world which can seem dominated by gaming and be quite physically stagnant. Similarly there are times when distraction and stimulation can be useful tools. We are pleased to have installed a world’s first interactive experience at Birmingham Airport which not only keeps children and adults entertained in a ‘hands-on’ way. It also reinforces important safety issues. So, in an era where children are both seen AND heard the very least we can do is attempt to channel all that wonderful energy into something creative. And possibly quiet.

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An unusual place to perform....

You’ve purchased your ticket. You’ve donned your finest threads. You’re stepping in to the theatre/arena excited at the prospect of being completely bowled over by your performance of choice. But wait. Is the venue itself giving you that ‘wow’ factor or could you rightfully expect a bit more pizzaz for your pound

It seems there is an increasing demand for actors, musicians and performance artistes to uncover a much more diverse range of performance spaces. A recent survey of 18-25 year olds uncovered that they particularly found traditional concert venues way too formal. To this end a wave of classical productions in very atypical venues has arisen. Bands regularly perform at Eden, the world’s largest artificial rain forest and even dancers, ‘sleb’ or otherwise are now expected to take it on to the ice. Given the choice of watching an opera in a stuffy theater or a pub beer garden I know which I’d choose. And I bet the beer would be cheaper.

Even circuses are aware that the right location can add even more visual stimulation to an already colourful show. One UK based circus has already staged events at York Minster, a remote jungle in Thailand, a lighthouse and even a desert fort in Dubai!

Restaurants can become performances spaces with a twist. The ‘Fawlty Towers’ style of dinner cabaret is still putting bums on seats with its unique style of slapstick and harassing comedy. The infamous River Cottage in Devon recently put on a live version of the cute pig film ‘Babe’ in their grounds. Let’s hope the lead actors didn’t end up on the menu later.

And of course not all performances happen on the ground. The Red Arrows have become a staple at summer events throughout the UK with their breathtaking displays of closely coordinated flying and airborne stunts. And while mentioning precision, synchronised swimming is enjoying a resurgence since the recent Olympics. Long gone are the days of clothes pegs on your nose and lycra so tight you could avoid the surgeon for another few years. Now there are performance teams like ‘Aquabatix’ sporting stunning costumes in chiffon and shiny metallics, wild flowing hair, lashings of waterproof make up and executing choreography which just shouldn’t be possible in water. The Business and Aquabatix recently joined forces to produce a stunning underwater spectacular at Yas WaterWorld, Abu Dhabi. Now THAT’S worth making a splash about!

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To Knobbly knee or not to knobbly knee, that is the question

To Knobbly knee or not to knobbly knee, that is the question. Or rather, is it about time our traditional methods of hotel entertainment were given a major overhaul, both abroad and at the Great British seaside? Are audiences still enthralled by 1970s nostalgia shows or are they becoming the sequined version of a cup of cocoa laced with Night Nurse? Certainly to generations X and Y nostalgia is still a viable and precious commodity; so much so that various children’s TV channels have been forced to resurrect favourite shows from the 1980s and 90s after being besieged by legions of fans for their return to the (now plasma) screen. It seems that a 20 year cycle of resuscitation is acknowledged. With this in mind, The Business believes that certain areas of hotel entertainment, like with any other fashion trend, just need to be revamped, rebooted and brought into the 21st century. Infotainment has become huge in recent years; one only needs to look to Bourne Leisure and how they succeeded magnificently in fusing traditional, highly skilled disciplines with the a ‘Virtual Host’ concept, created by The Business, across their Haven and Butlins sites. Interactive activities are providing popular across the generations and giving a whole new twist to more traditional concepts. We believe if an idea has worked for years then it’s not a bad idea; it may just need a little makeover!