How to Use Entertainment to Maximise Social Media Interaction at Events

Gone are the days when event planners could just book a rabbit in a hat magician to interact with attendees at corporate events and expect the client, and their guests, to be satisfied. The Information Age requires entertainment that plays a far greater role within events.

It needs to be bold, daring, exciting, engaging, be interactive and most of all encourage people to take to social media to increase exposure for businesses and their events.
Businesses are realising the huge benefits of encouraging social media interaction before, during and after an event has taken place.

Entertainment can play its part in helping to generate social media exposure at an event by ensuring that people talk about it. This is the New Media Age, an age in which we know what people had for breakfast, what their new haircut looks like and the films they have just watched; so booking exciting, interactive entertainment is a sure fire way of getting your event talked about right across the various social media platforms.

To assist event planners in choosing the right entertainment that will encourage attendees to ‘share’ an event over a variety of social media we have compiled a Top Ten list of entertainment ideas. The Top Ten includes ‘wow factor’ entertainment that is guaranteed to get people talking, as well as performers who have embraced the New Media Age by actually incorporating social media in to their act.

1) Social Media Photobooth

Bringing the Photobooth concept in to the New Media Age, these photobooths are a great addition to any event looking for social media exposure! At a time when everybody is obsessed with ‘selfies’ and bombarding the web with photos, photobooths have become very popular for a variety of events; from Exhibitions and Gala Dinners, to Weddings and Conferences.

Not only does this new class of photobooth enable attendees to email or upload pictures on to various social media sites in real time, but they also include company logos and branding.
Social Media Photobooths are great icebreakers for events, as well as encouraging footfall for trade show stands.

Attendees won’t be able to resist posing for a photo at the event and instantly tweeting or uploading it, ensuring that your event and brand gain maximum exposure!

2) Coffee Artist

This act gives the term ‘instant art’ a whole new meaning! Your attendees will be bursting to share these little, drinkable, personal works of art via social media. The artist uses a portable coffee machine to capture the likeness of event attendees in their very own cup of delicious coffee.

Because they begin to fade away within a few minutes, photos are taken which guests will want to post to social media. You’ve heard of ‘food that looks like celebrities’, well this is coffee that looks like your guests.

A definite draw for any event, coffee art really give your guests something to talk about during and after the event. This is quirky entertainment that is a little bit different, and the type of act that people will want to share! A must-have for a range of events including trade shows and (coffee) conventions.

3) Lookalike

There’s nothing like a celebrity to get your guests taking to social media in their droves. Sadly, most event planners don’t have the budget to book a real life A Lister. But, there are plenty of uncanny lookalikes and impersonators making their living by adding plenty of glitz and glamour to events.

Celebrity lookalikes will happily pose for photos as they meet and greet guests, which are guaranteed to be tweeted or posted to Facebook before you can say Brad Pitt! A great way to ‘share the love’ at any event.

Celebrity impersonators can range from present day Pop Stars and Sporting Heroes to icons from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Lookalikes will not only meet guests on arrival and pose for photos (in front of a branded backdrop for even more company exposure!), but some will even perform or sing. You could even include some ‘Fake Paparazzi’ to complete the ‘Celebrity’ theme.

4) Official Photographer

Be one step ahead of the social media rush, and book a professional photographer for your event. Not only will attendees flock to your website and social media sites to view the event pictures during and after the event, but they will be more than happy to share them! An official event photographer can also increase brand awareness by using an event backdrop that includes company branding, logos and sponsors.

Photographers can include professionals who will mix with guests and take flattering pictures throughout the event, or they could be a little out of the ordinary like a ‘Polaroid’ camera photographer or a group of ‘Fake Paparazzi’.

Event Planners could event get guests to be their own ‘official’ photographers with a ‘photo table’ that includes cameras, a photo wall and props to encourage plenty of happy snapping. You just know that a good many of the dozens (or hundreds!) of photos are going to end up online!

5) Interactive Musicians and DJs

As guests become more technology and social media savvy, so do performers. There are now a variety of different musical acts and talents that will take live requests from attendees at events via social media.

This new wave of Musicians and DJs offer event planners a truly interactive experience that people will not only enjoy and appreciate, but want to share! Social Media style Jukebox entertainment includes DJs and musicians who will respond to song requests that are tweeted live on the night. Wow!

This is great entertainment for Gala Dinners, Corporate Parties and even for Trade Shows. Encouraging your attendees to take to social media in order to request songs is a sure fire way of getting them to ‘share’ your event as well.

6) Interactive Graffiti Screen

Capture your guest’s imaginations with an interactive graffiti wall. Not only is it a great interactive option for attendees, but they will want to tweet or post their artistic creations via social media! Make sure that you graffiti screen includes logos and branding and you’ve got a social media entertainment match made in heaven.

A great icebreaker, Interactive Graffiti Walls are a popular option for Corporate Events where attendees are encouraged to mix & mingle. An added plus is that they won’t be able to resist posting their creative scribbling online. If you’ve booked an official photographer, make sure they are on hand to take snaps of guest’s artwork.

7) Digital Caricaturist

Forget pens and paper, this is caricature art for the New Media Age! Digital caricaturists are one of the most popular options for corporate events that require walkaround entertainment that incorporates technology. Not only will guests want to tweet or post their personal works of art (which can include company logos, branding or products!), but the artist can also email the caricatures to attendees or post them live on to company social media sites!

What more could you want to increase your event presence on social media? Digital caricaturists are popular for Trade Show stands and corporate events that require walkaround entertainment to increase footfall or to help ‘break the ice’ during networking or drinks receptions. Artists can also include scenery, imagery or even products in the pictures to help reinforce event ‘messages’ or a particular brand.

8) 3D Light Artist

One way to ensure that your event receives plenty of exposure on social media is to book ‘wow factor’ entertainment that attendees will just have to shout about (on their Twitter or Facebook accounts!). 3D Light Art is innovative, new and will definitely be a big talking point during and after the event; ensuring that attendees take to social media. The performer can even incorporate company logos to reinforce your brand.

A 3D Light Artist is futuristic entertainment for forward-thing event planners who want to create a memorable event for attendees. This form of entertainment is so new that spectators will most likely never have heard of it, let alone seen it before. New and exciting acts and performers are a sure fire way of generating interest at your event and subsequently lots of pictures for social media!

9) Mobile Apps Characters

It doesn’t get more New Media Age than walkaround mobile app characters with social media logos on their heads! These walkaround performers can also entertain the crowds by playing music at the same time. A great option for exhibitions and trade shows, walkaround app characters really are the perfect entertainment option to reinforce the social media message!

Attendees to your event will most certainly ‘get’ the social media message with walkaround characters who have internet icons on their heads! This is entertainment to reinforce the ‘share’ message at events.

10) Amaze your Guests

For those that want their event tweeted right around the world – and where money is no object – unique entertainment with serious ‘wow factor’ will guarantee maximum social media exposure if you get it right. There are plenty of amazing and unique acts and shows if you know where to look.

An example of ‘the power of good entertainment’ is the recent Amazing Spider-Man 2 Premiere in Berlin where a lightning show was booked to perform. A video of the Lightning Rider performance was tweeted by one of the stars, Jamie Foxx, to his 3.7 million followers during the event.

In Conclusion

A successful event is one that is talked about by those that attended (for all the right reasons!), ensuring that businesses gain exposure to a wider audience. With the rise in popularity of social media and evolving new technologies, event attendees now have the ability to post pictures and information about events in real time and afterwards.

Businesses are catching on, and many event planners now strive to ensure that their event receives maximum exposure on a range of social media platforms. This is easily done with the right marketing and the right entertainment. The advantages for businesses when event planners get it right is that their brand receives increased exposure, leading to bigger brand awareness and customers in the long-term.

This is a guest post by Amy Capron, media manager for Scarlett Entertainment, the destination entertainment specialists.