TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVENT THE BAND SHOULD BE FRONT AND CENTER Keep in mind that the main reason you’ve hired The Island Groove is because you want to have a big/fun party. The focus of your party will be, and revolve around the band (dancing, music etc.) it is very important that the band is set up in the center of the room, and not off in a corner or stuck in a separate room. It is also a good idea to have a bar in the same room as the band, since many guests tend to socialize around the bar area. THE DANCE FLOOR SHOULD BE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE BAND This is very obvious, but we've been in 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 where tables were all around it and the band was off in the corner. This may sound nice, but it absolutely destroys any chance of having a party. The band needs to interact and feed off the 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. MAKE SURE THE FACILITY IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE BAND While most facilities can accommodate bands, some cannot. Make sure that The Island Groove has a 32ft wide x 25ft long stage space. Please make sure that your facility has the appropriate space and proper electricity as The Island Groove needs this to put on the best show possible (see the F.A.Q’s page for this information). This can be the difference between having a great party and having no party. SEATING NEXT TO THE SPEAKERS This sounds obvious but it happens all the time. There should never be a 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 speakers are turned down. Ideally, the tables should be at least 10 to 12 feet away, but that's not always possible. If you have any guests that have sensitive hearing, (particularly elderly guests) they should be as far away from the speakers as possible. KEEP THE PARTY 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 has started, keep any interruptions to a minimum. GET INVOLVED As the “party thrower”, people will look to you for clues for how the party is going to go. So, if you dance, more than likely, other folks will dance as well.  If you choose to “hold the wall up”, it will effect how your guests will 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. 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 to 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 Island Groove 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 photographer, 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. KEYS TO OUTDOOR EVENTS 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, and the other where it's not. The beautiful weather event is easy. However, for the not-so-beautiful, keep 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). Frankly, 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. FLOORING The band MUST be set up on a permanent, LEVEL surface. The band cannot be set up on grass, sand, 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 that it can sink and then topple over. That will probably kill your party. So try to set the band up on a deck or patio if possible. If not, then if and 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 slopes whatsoever). This can and must be done, but it usually will require that you (as the client) impress upon the installing company that this is a serious issue. POWER/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 like a house or building, then extension cords can be run to that source. However, if the band setup area is far away, then you are left with generators. Just a few points 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 hot 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 continuous 4 20-amp circuits (which is about 8000 watts). This is not 8000 watts PEAK, but a continuous 8000 watts. Another option is to have two generators that each generates a continuous 4000 watts. (For information on electricity requirements for indoor events, please visit our FAQ’s page.) RELAX!!! You've done all of your planning, you've worked hard to make sure that every detail is just right. Now, 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, your guests will too!! If you are stressed out, this will carry over to your guests as well, if for no other reason because they are worried about you. So, if some little thing is not exactly like you planned (like the food isn’t ready, or the flowers aren’t the ones you ordered, or the limo is late) don't panic. Instead, rely on your professionals you hired to 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 guests will never know the difference. And overall, you'll have a much better time if you don't spend it being all stressed out.
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