So much of surviving New Year's Eve without sinking into a deep spiral of disappointment relies on the crew, (often, let's be honest) the booze, and most importantly the good vibes. And with the divisiveness of the year that's almost run its course, we wouldn't blame you for feeling equal parts hopeful and "ughhhh."
To set the right *joyful* mood for your midnight soirée, press play on this 50-track party setlist of up-tempo hip-hop, pop, and disco that will divert people's attention to the little conflicts in life, such as "chaser" vs. "no chaser," "bumping" vs. "grinding," and lastly, "vintage Drake" vs. "new Drake."
1. "Lemon" - N.E.R.D. feat. Rihanna
2. "Celebration" - Kool & The Gang
3. "Bodak Yellow" - Cardi B.
4. "Anywhere" - Rita Ora
5. "Los Ageless" - St. Vincent
6. "What Lovers Do" - Maroon 5 feat. SZA
7. "Homemade Dynamite [Remix]" - Lorde feat. Khalid and Post Malone
8. "One Dance" - Drake
9. "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
10. "Young Hearts Run Free" - Candi Staton
You’ve picked a date, secured the venue, and coordinated the catering menu for this year’s holiday bash. Now it’s time to decide how to entertain your guests. Planning an office party is a big responsibility, but don’t crumble under the pressure of trying to find something that exceeds expectations. A sprinkle of thoughtfulness, creative food, and surprising entertainment makes for a memorable event that will leave your guests feeling cherished all night long. No matter your budget, there are plenty of fresh holiday party ideas you can use to emerge an office hero. Need some inspiration?
Here are 20 corporate holiday party ideas to spice up your celebration:
1. Unwrap presents with oven mitts: Trade in the white elephant gift exchange for a Secret Santa gift opening race. Let team members take turns opening their gifts while donning a giant pair of oven mitts. Use a clock timer to make things even sillier and prepare for uncontrollable, infectious laughter.
2. Wine Pairings: Some caterers may advertise December holiday packages that include appetizer, main course, and dessert. Ask your caterer for wine pairing suggestions and voila, you have a cozy wine dinner. Arrange tasting stations (seafood, beef, and pasta) so that your guests can work around the room, trying the Merlot with the bolognese and Pinot Noir with the crusted pork tenderloin.
3. Christmas “Family Feud”: Use this holiday party idea to play on guests’ nostalgia by turning your holiday party into the Family Feud set. Divide your guests into teams and let your CEO “Santa” play the role of Steve Harvey the host. Send out a questionnaire beforehand to drum up clever category topics and answers. The best team wins a prize.
4. Give Back: Plan a donation drive for a charity that your company supports or is close and dear to a fellow employee’s heart. Givewell.org is a good place to get started. You might even construct an Angel Tree and allow employees to choose an organization or person to treat this holiday season. Seeing all those donated gifts under the tree will warm hearts and remind guests of the generosity in the room.
5. Graffiti murals: Set up a massive black canvas in an open room, supply your guests with paint cans and let them loose. You can suggest a theme or leave it as a free-for-all. It’ll be fun to discover who has hidden artistic talents and who should stick to their day job. If the final product turns out better than expected, hang it up back at the office or donate to charity.
Awesome Halloween costume? Check. Amazing snacks made to look like eyeballs/intestines/skulls? Check! Pumpkin carved? Check! One of the best horror films of all time cued up on the TV? Check!
But what’s that? You say you don’t have a mind-meltingly amazing playlist of the best Halloween songs for your shindig? Fear not! Here is some of the best Halloween music ever recorded, including the best pop songs from Michael Jackson, creepiness galore from Nick Cave and, of course, “The Monster Mash.” In short? All "Thriller." No filler.
1. Michael Jackson, “Thriller”
“I’m not like other guys,” Michael tells his girl at the beginning of the greatest video ever made, from the greatest album ever made. Did we realize how prescient that statement would be in 1982? So much of “Thriller” shouldn’t work—MJ is a doll, 71-year-old Vincent Price raps, and it’s six minutes long. But together, it’s ballsy genius, riding on an insistent, funky Minimoog bass line. “I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult,” Jackson wrote concerning the video. No, but the Elephant Man bones and chimp did.—Brent DiCrescenzo
2. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, “I Put a Spell On You” (Remix)
Arguably one of the original Halloween songs. Inarguably one of the greatest. Hawkins’s tune—which he claims to not remember recording—permanently added the “Screamin’” to his God-given name. “Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins, (but) I found out I could do more destroying to a song by screaming it to death.” He found out he could also do more if he appeared out of a coffin on stage in a black cape, tusks coming out of his nose, accompanied by a cigarette smoking skull sidekick named Henry. A rare remix by KCRW’s Jeremy Sole.—Christopher Tarantino
Festivals are a great way to entertain large crowds, but all festivals must be well promoted to be successful -- whether they feature local artists or world famous musicians or they’re focused around a hobby or common interest. I’m often asked how to promote a festival, and fortunately, there are some easy ways to do it both online and offline.
Before you start thinking about promoting a festival, you need to take a few steps back. Planning a festival takes many months if you want to get it right. Furthermore, you need to develop a realistic budget that includes all of the pieces of the planning puzzle, including promotion.
Once your timeline and budget are ready, you can develop a marketing plan that will boost ticket sales to your festival. To help you get started, below are some of the most effective ways to promote a festival.
Partner with Local Companies and Sponsors
Sponsors pay you to display their logo in various places before and during the festival, and many of them will want to spread the word to their own audiences that they’re sponsoring the event. Encourage this! It’s free advertising for your festival, so give sponsors the event logo file, a description of the event, photos, and other supporting materials that they can use in their own marketing.
It’s also likely that local companies in the community where the event will be held will want to be involved. Don’t be afraid to approach them and ask if they would be willing to display your signs or flyers in their locations to help spread the word. If necessary, you can barter for services. For example, you could offer to place a small ad for their company in the festival program in exchange for the company displaying the festival signs and other advertising materials around its business location.
Make Any Special Day a Success Through Music
DJing a wedding can be a lot of fun and also a lot of hard work so it is important that things are done right. Being that weddings are a pivotal part of people’s lives making sure everything runs smoothly is of utmost importance. A good DJ can make or break any wedding, so come prepared with plenty of music. It’s important to treat the client as a customer and to craft your show so it fits with their desired experience. Be sure to find out all the information before hand. What genres to play, how old the guests are, special songs for certain dances, and logistical information such as stage size and set times. You’ll also want a suitably sized library of tracks for any situation. If you’re doing some heavy technical mixing and you’re on for 2 hours you’ll want 6 hours of music available. If you’re just playing track after track with no mixing you can shorten your library length. Here are some additional tricks and tips to make sure your wedding service runs smoothly every time.
Our quick research shows that a good DJ in Arizona charges $600-$900 or more just for one night. If you're on a budget and need to save money, renting high-quality, professional DJ equipment may be your best solution -- and it's easy to set up and completely user friendly!
Just hook up your laptop or iPod to run music all night. Each system comes with a microphone you can use to MC your entire event. The setup is color coded and all you really need to know is how to use the volume knobs. It's easy!
Click here to contact us about disc jockey sound rentals.
Setting up Equipment For the Function
The setup is the first step in Djing a wedding. Make sure to leave plenty of time before guests arrive to setup the equipment. Often times this will take up to an hour depending on how much equipment is being used. You’ll want to get the acoustics set up while you have access to the room before the guests arrive. Be aware that often times there will be a long period to wait before a DJ’s duties come into play. Try to act professional while you wait as you’re on the job.
It’s extremely important to gauge the acoustics of the room to give a great performance. Make sure to set the speakers up according to the shape of the room to get the best sound. It is very important to do a test run of the sound system before the wedding gets under way. Play a song and walk the room, notice any spots where sound misbehaves and see if adjusting it helps. One of the biggest issues is corners trap bass so heavy base tracks may disrupts tables in these areas.
Pastels, rustic decor, sequins—they're all being phased out in the 2018 wedding trends. Curious as to what's overtaking these staples? Prepare to be obsessed (and a little taken aback!) by the details, decor and wedding trends for 2018.
Over the past few seasons, there have been a number of weddings with pastel color palettes and romantic, ethereal vibes. For 2018 wedding trends, expect a shift away from this light and airy feel. In fact, 2018 weddings have taken on a more dramatic and almost edgy vibe in the form of deeper colors and richer textures. Two major 2018 wedding trends, bohemian and “New Age” styles, will replace rustic, and couples will be more relaxed in their approach to planning—it’s less about honing in on a specific wedding theme or color combination and more about creating a vibe or mood for your big day.
Click here to view sound and light rental options for Arizona Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions
Style: New Age Bohemian
For the past several seasons, the rustic look has been all the rage—a wedding held in a barn with DIY-style floral arrangements, casual food, and more. For 2018 wedding trends, bohemian will be the new rustic—a look that’s still somewhat relaxed, but a bit more elevated than the down-home rustic feel. Think Stevie Nicks as your style muse (and not just for hair and makeup)—an undone look that’s edgy but still romantic.
Colors: Deep, Rich Hues and Black Accents
Light and airy colors, including blush, mint, and peach, have been popular for a while (and not just for a spring wedding!). When it comes to 2018 wedding trends and ideas, we’re going to see color palettes start to deepen. Richer, more dramatic hues like burgundy will appear in floral arrangements, and edgy black accents will make an appearance as well. In terms of metallics, gold and copper have been in-demand for a while now, and while that likely won’t change, we’ll start to see more silver and chrome.
Keep in mind that couples won’t be sticking to strict color schemes in 2018 weddings. It’s less about providing vendors with exact paint chips and more about giving general guidelines on colors—a mood rather than a picture-perfect palette.
High School homecoming themes come in all shapes and sizes. The student body will decide on their theme and they have a lot of options from history to current events and fantasy to the stars. The Homecoming Dance is the culmination of all the events leading up to it. The theme sets the mood and the tone.
Picking High School Homecoming Themes
The trick to picking the right homecoming theme comes from the message the students want to send, receive and share. Homecoming is about more than just a pretty dress, a fun game and a parade; Homecoming is about building memories that will last.
Homecoming Themes from Around the World
Students may enjoy choosing Homecoming themes from cultures around the country and around the world such as:
Are you fed up with planning work parties, because it never seems like anyone wants to attend? What’s with everyone being so resistant to a little bit of fun? Well, sure, every office has a couple of grumblers, but have you ever considered that it’s because your events… just aren’t very good?
Obviously, you put a lot of money and effort into them, so nobody you work with is going to want to break the news that you’re a lousy party planner. Just take it from an internet stranger; if it’s getting harder and harder to convince your colleagues that they need to let loose, maybe it’s time to evaluate your formula.
With social media pervading every moment of our lives, standards have never been higher when it comes to hosting a memorable event. The traditional route of hiring a casino table and heading to the local hotel simply doesn’t feed the imagination anymore, so it’s time to shake up your social calendar with an event that your team will be talking about for years to come - here are five ideas to get you started.
KEEP IT TRADITIONAL
When you can be sure of the weather, hosting a magical garden party is an excellent way to keep numbers high and costs low. It’s also ideal if you would prefer to throw a calm and civilised affair in the afternoon, rather than a boisterous, boozy bash.
Classic sports day events like sack races or egg-and-spoon can create a bit of friendly competition between your guests, and add a bit of nostalgic charm. Just make sure there are plenty of areas for participants to sit and relax afterwards!
If you’re worried about a spot of rain or want the option of a covered area for the evening, hiring a sophisticated corporate VIP tent means that you don’t need to compromise on the elegance of your theme. Include décor that blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings like overflowing floral displays and delicate fairy lights, and you’ll have yourself a charming soiree to be proud of.
Tip 1 – Team up with other DJs.
This not only ignites new creative ideas but doubles each DJs reach and network. Find other DJs in your town, city or state at a similar level and team up. Working together can spark new creative ideas, be a lot of fun but also put each DJ in front of each others networks. Create a monthly mix series together or start a live DJ stream on Facebook every week.
Utilize each others social media networks and following. Promoters and the public are more likely to take notice of you with double the following!
Tip 2 – Learn new ways to be creative with the music you’re playing.
In 2018 the digital world of DJing is stronger than ever. Nearly every piece of new equipment, whether its a controller, CDJs or mixer is packed full of creative features. Start using those hidden gems like the sampler, slicer modes or different effects that you’re currently not utilizing. Make 2018 the year of experimenting with the equipment you own. This can really help you stand out from the crowd.
Get creative in 2018!
As I'll be a part time DJ tutor at my college next year, I'm already considering tracks which have an easily detectable, regular beat, which are also very good tracks themselves. The fact is, a lot of people learn to DJ with commercial deep house music, myself included, because it is easy to mix, but it's only easy to mix because there's little to no diversion within it. When I teach people, I will encourage them to think differently, to go outside the box. Of course, they can learn with whatever genres they please, partly since I'm experienced in mixing several kinds of music, from melodic dubstep to psytrance, but also because I'm not forcing anyone to fall into a certain area, because when you learn with a greater scope of music, you become a much better DJ. You become one of the DJs with several tricks up his sleeve that he's not hesitant to use, rather than the DJ who brings in a track that's out of sync by a fraction of a beat in the hope that nobody notices.
So, without further ado, here are some tracks, not necessarily my favorites to listen to or to play in a set, but those which I think will be a core part to misinformed newbies becoming cultured experts in no time.
Technologic - Daft Punk
The isolated vocals in the beginning of the song are ideal for practicing various types of transitions, possibly by simply varying the mid or by implementing a filter, and when you're just messing around with this track, the whole track is good for getting to grips with how a general track is pieced together, and the more you mess around with it, the better you make yourself with these effects. I'd recommend experimenting with the filter, pitch and beat loops using Technologic.
The only issue with this track is that the beat is non-existent for the first 30 seconds, but if you've analysed this track, either by memory or using something like rekordbox, you'll be fine. - PositronWildhawk+8
I Remember - deadmau5 & Kaskade
One of my all time favourite songs, for its incredible sound and its uplifting message. And also a track which made learning to DJ a much more ecstatic experience. Speed it up or slow it down dramatically? Sounds good. Rapid beat loop before the drop? Sounds good. Flanger on buildup? Sounds brilliant!
I love being spontaneous when bringing this track in or out, or by messing with it mid-track, because you know that if that doesn't sound good, you're doing something drastically wrong.
In short, this track really allows you to be creative during your set. If I were to learn it all again from scratch, I would've used this track more often. I was cautious to fiddle with something so intricately put together, but I found that, with concentration in the picture, I became much more confident with mixing progressive house as a whole.
Some skills intersect with almost all professions. Writing, for instance. Concise, clear, useful writing can take a person far in almost any working environment. Another skill that can lead to either advancement or stasis in a multitude of professions: public speaking.
Whatever you do for a living, there's a professional conference tailored just for you. Speaking—and speaking well—at a conference can create more value for your employer and more value for you in the job market. And let's put internal group meetings, media interviews, client and investor pitches and meetings with boards of directors in the same public speaking bucket with professional conferences. If you're speaking in a room of any size that seems short on chairs, you're speaking in public.
Some of us—make that most of us—who've spoken at conferences and in boardrooms consider ourselves to be passable speakers at best. We might feel that being a strong, effective presence in front of an audience isn't in our genetic makeup or that we're essentially behind-the-scenes people. We are who we are, and we have to work with that.
Andy Gilman, president and CEO of CommCore Consulting Group and one of the canniest media trainers you could hope to meet, won't argue that point. You can’t change your basic character and erase years of habits and phobias overnight, but you can create a mental toolkit that can slowly transform you from a tic-plagued live speaker into a true performer who’s always in sync with an audience.
A fully stocked public speaking toolkit can take years to compile. You have to start somewhere, though, so let’s start with the most important part of any public speech—the opening. If you can get the first one or two minutes of a speech or presentation right, you’re practically home free, unless you fall off a stage (and even then, things are salvageable).
Assume the audience is already on your side—they want to see you succeed. Nobody wants to squirm and cringe empathetically for a flailing public speaker. Your job in the first couple of minutes is to keep the audience on your side and give it little choice but to listen to you.
Cover all your wedding planning bases with these expert tips no to-be-wed should be without.
When planning your wedding, there are things that are nice to know, and there are things you need to know—advice so essential any bride who's lucky enough to hear it thinks, "I'm so glad someone told me that!" If you're wondering whether there's something you may have missed (or even if you've got everything under control), check out our indispensable planning secrets below.
1. Guests Come First
Get a grip on the approximate number of guests you'll invite before settling on a venue. This will ensure there's ample space for your crew. As a rule of thumb, allow for 25 to 30 square feet per guest. That may seem like a lot, but it's really not if you count the space you'll need for the tables, bustling waiters, the band and a dance floor.
2. Investigate Wedding Blackout Dates
Know ahead of time if your wedding date falls on the same day as a trade conference, charity walk or other local event that could affect traffic and hotel room availability. Here's a handy list of potentially problematic wedding dates coming up in the calendar.
With a little creativity, you can plan activities that strengthen the school community without breaking the bank or exhausting your volunteers.
Call the Experts
You don’t have to do it all. Whether you’re planning a night of fun or an educational event, call upon the people in your community to share their expertise. Many local businesses will offer discounts or donate their services in exchange for a little publicity.
Family dance lessons: Ask a dance instructor to teach families how to waltz, two-step, salsa, line dance, or do the latest hip-hop moves. Follow up the lessons with a dance-off or your very own Dancing With the Stars contest.
Fitness night: Invite a fitness coach to teach kids and parents fun exercises they can do at home. Ask the school nurse to take blood pressure readings or measure body mass index, and offer healthy snacks.
Museum night: Many museums take their family programs on the road for a fee. Typically, the museum brings the materials and leads activities, while families spend the evening doing science experiments or creating art together.
Expert advice: Ask experts to speak to parents about drug abuse prevention, bullying, Internet safety, or other issues. Specify that the programs are for parents only and arrange on-site baby-sitting. Your school’s parents will thank you.
QUICK TIP: Show your appreciation by promoting the businesses or experts on event flyers and thanking them in your school newsletter.
While we know that your wedding is all about showing the world the love and commitment you and your hubby-to-be have for each other (and also, of course, how good you look in white), it’s also important to know that as host and hostess you have a “responsibility” to throw a great party to celebrate that love and show your guests a good time. When it comes to entertainment, I always tell my brides that this is the part (besides getting to see you wed) when guests decide they’re glad they RSVP’d yes to your invitation. From serious ceremony to fabulous reception, the driving force is the entertainment. They have come to the wedding to support you at the biggest milestone of your life, so by all means, let them have a blast!
Spin My Song
In The Big White Book of Weddings, I include advice on ceremony music, but in this column I will stick mainly to the reception. Often, brides ask if they should have a band or a DJ. I always say that DJs are an excellent choice because, for one thing, they are much less expensive than live entertainment. Their playlist can be customized, and a well-chosen, sophisticated DJ may be perfect for your wedding. Meet DJs to gauge their personality and style. Discuss your needs and wishes for your wedding, including the DJ’s wardrobe. Find out if you can watch him in action and listen to him spin and mix. Discuss various styles of music—a variety should be played throughout the night to keep guests entertained. During meetings with your DJ, develop your song playlist and be clear about what you like and dislike. Make sure your DJ will take your song requests.
And the Band Played On
Whether it’s swing or salsa, a 20-piece or a four-piece ensemble, live music has the ability to stir the soul of even the most stagnant chair-sitters at a reception! Think about what kind of sound you want: big band, contemporary, golden oldies? Knowing the style and mood you want to set will help you locate the band suited to you.
I Dos For Choosing A Band
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