Entries Tagged 'News & Entertainment' ↓

ROBIN STANLEY - THE MENTAL PICTURE

We like his style!  Cool, ultra lookable pictures that really do capture the moment.  Robin has been photographing corporate and private events for 8 years.  His portrait work has been exhibited at the national Portrait Gallery…his documentary work has been exhibited at the Observer Gallery…and Harpers Magazine voted him one of the UK’s Top Ten social photographers.

DORIEN ROSE - ANGELINA JOLIE LOOK-A-LIKE

Dutch actress Dorien has worked for years in the entertainment and model industry and we reckon is a pretty convincing Angelia.

TAILORED AIR - FRAGRANCE YOUR EVENT

Targeting the senses works.  75% of the emotions we generate on a daily basis are effected by smells linked to positive or negative memories.  You can influence the mood of your guests or visitors by using scents that trigger positive emotions that enhance their experience and encourages them to buy.

NEW FROM GREENROUTE - SAFARI LODGE AT VICTORIA FALLS

The new 4-star, 77-room David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa opened on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia, at Victoria Falls, on April 5.

PAUL MARTIN - CABARET ARTIST & HOST

With over fifteen years experience and hundreds of shows to his credit, Paul is now one of London’s best-loved cabaret artists.

His warm witty shows are always self-curated and, though he normally sings other people’s songs, he writes all his own links, jokes and stories. He also regularly hosts cabaret and burlesque events on the London scene as solo appearances or as a principal performer.

An interesting glide (we hope) through the Galaxy, ‘Hitchiker’ style, with some useful tips and guidelines on how to plan more sustainable events.

Written by the Paragon Team for a seminar at RSVP Exhibition on ‘How to Green your Event’, and updated.

If you would like a copy, free of course, just comment below or call 0870 224 2644.

Bring the stars to your event. Bump and grind with Beyonce, boogie with Bond or just have a quiet drink with the Mona Lisa!

Fantasy Imaging have been enhancing event experiences since 1998 and we know first hand just how much a talking point and fun their imaging services are. One family photo attached (sadly we couldn’t find the Fantasy magazine cover of Director Val with Ozzie Osborne…yet!).

Their interactive visual solutions include Heads on Bodies, Magazine Covers, Green Screen and Age Progression plus a host of custom imagery and event photography.

For more information on any of the entertainment in our Blog call Paragon on 0870 224 2644.

Adam Baggs looks into the theatrical history of conferencing and asks why we use PowerPoint when a trapdoor and stage revolve are so much more exciting.

This article was previously published in Conference News but we felt it needed another airing as it helps to inspire some alternative thinking.

Few things send shivers down your spine like the opening chords of Phantom of the Opera. The audience sits poised expectantly as the first notes rip themselves from the organ and the pile of clutter on the stage turns into a magnificent chandelier. Alternatively, there is the magical moment in Les Miserables when the apparently solid set, depicting buildings, is transformed into the barricades of the revolution amidst a display of smoke and music.

And now, answer this question - why does every conference you attend include nothing but a lectern, a couple of conference chairs and yet another PowerPoint presentation. We don’t have to use the software just because every computer in the world includes a copy, or as Stagestruck scriptwriter, Mark Gamon puts it: “More and more events are being driven by an internal Powerpoint deck, without reference to the needs of the audience. That’s a shame, because theatre creates interest – and interest is what inspires and educates audiences.” “Corporate audiences don’t live in a closed world – they go to the theatre, cinema, and rock shows, and in this country they watch some of the most sophisticated TV in the world. That means when someone’s communicating with them, they’re looking for surprises – not a stream of poorly designed slides interspersed with second-rate video. And surprise is what theatrical technique is all about.”

In fact, I am rather depressed to report that the highlights and technical pinnacle of many conferences are couple of spotlights, a radio mic and in top budget cases - a back projection set. Even the roots of modern day theatre, thousands of years ago in Greece could do better than that.

Conferences and live events as we know them are based on performance and the theory of theatre: you have a captive audience for a designated period of time, eager to be shown something. Theatre calls it entertainment and art, we call it education, sales, marketing and more. Either way, the essence is the same. So why do we treat them so differently, injecting one with creativity, whilst the other so often stagnates?

As the Barbican’s head of corporate sales, Anthony Hyde is in a unique position to answer this question. The Barbican is not only Europe’s biggest combined arts and conference venue, it was actually designed that way, a building created with the express purpose of playing host to the biggest names in arts and conferencing. “Firstly, not all events lack creativity but those that go the extra mile are the exception rather than the rule; there have been incredible examples of exciting, interesting conferences using an array of the latest technologies but they are few and far between. I also don’t believe it is the fault of the event organisers, whilst some are clearly better than others, the UK’s event industry is generally considered one of the most creative in the world and production companies, in particular those working with CGI and video are second to none.”

“If anything, I believe it is an awareness issue and dare I say it - an inability to think outside the box! The production companies and organisers just seem to forget the capabilities present in the venues they choose. They go to town on technical extravaganzas and awe-inspiring graphics whilst forgetting the potential creativity inherent in the spaces they have chosen. Because so many venues are nothing more than an empty box filled with seats, they don’t notice that others offer world class acoustics, stage revolves, flight towers and even that bastion of theatrical tricks – the trap door.”
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What an assault on the senses!  To sip your way through flavours that get you reminiscing, grab your taste buds and get you quizzing, questioning and talking.  Great interactive addition to your event.

Heston Blumenthal’s Victorian Feast ‘pink drink’ certainly rivals Harry Potter’s Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and we think it’s GREAT!

Simple, ingenious and effective.

If you want to add a similar experience to your event, call us on 0870 224 2644 and we’ll challenge a well known caterer to come up with the goods!

Link to Heston’s ‘The Fat Duck’

Dear Mr. Val,

Finally, the “AERIAL CUBE & SILK” show - NOW bookable with PROJECTION WALL too!

Which can be performed in 3 forms (cube only, silk only or cube and silk in combination) suitable for the single client, venue or request is now available including the new dimension of projection art also!

The representation of brands, logos or products can be easy indicate by light and laser pictures or removal sticker on the show element – the cube – and can be incorporate in the show specifically.

If you are interested to get more information to set your product or brand in the focus of your next event combined with a breathtaking aerial show with grace and style, do not hesitate to keep in touch with me personally!

Additional under http://www.cubeact.com/vccs_ca.htm  you can see the latest new aerial video clip version. Thank you for your time!

Best regards,

Jens Jensen

Thank YOU Jens, we certainly hope to have an opportunity to work with you soon!

Good business, lasting business, is built on people.  People you trust and respect.

Integrity is key, simplification of operational process, efficient communication and, above all, complete transparency.

Whatever your budget for an event is, (if you have one at all) you’ve probably had to fight hard for it and every penny counts more than ever.

Defining the budget clearly from the start,  for us as a supplier, means we can get costs worked out around realistic creative ideas and logistics, right from the start.  Saving valuable time for everyone and allowing us to focus resources in the most effective way.

It also means we get an earlier look at the likely risks and opportunities that will impact on additional cost or savings.

At Paragon…you can expect us to tell you what the costs are every step of the way.

If you make changes to the brief, then we show you the cost breakdown and YOU decide to approve or disapprove.  If we recommend changes, we show you the cost breakdown and YOU decide whether to approve or disapprove.  So, when it comes to paying the bill…there are no surprises.

We’ve always worked this way.

Why not give us a call to talk over your next event?  0870 224 2644

Take a look at ‘The Gallery’ page to see some of the events we’ve been involved with.

Ernst & Young captured the Spirit of Barcelona last July, engaging 170 key clients and guests at a Party within the stunning Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Battló.

A key attendee at the Fund Forum International Conference, Ernst & Young awarded the production of the party to, Paragon Europe, with the brief to produce an exclusive VIP event where guests would experience the true Spirit of Barcelona through taste, architecture, music and dance.

Hundreds of candles lit the entrance to the venue and guests’ were guided through dramatically lit rooms to the famous rooftop terrace, where the first sight of Gaudi’s architectural high jinks is likened to the first taste of a really good Margherita.

Chill Out music, Flamenco and a finale Fire Dance entertained guests who were then transported to Barcelona’s uber cool Carpe Diem Lounge Club to dance until the small hours at the Club’s beachside terrace.

Call the Paragon Team for a competitive quote for your International event.
0870 224 2644

If you’ve not come across the works of Leicestershire born artist Julian Beever then you’re in for a real treat.  From a Transformer emerging from an NY subway, swimming pools, fountains and gaping holes to Batman and Robin scaling the face of a tall building, his pictures are distorted to create a 3D effect from a specific angle.  Using just chalk and masking tape.  Call the Paragon team on 0870 224 2644 to find out how anamorphic street art can make your brand a real crowd puller. 

Considered one of the highest accolades in the architectural calendar, the Emirates Glass LEAF Awards recognise and reward excellence within the architectural and design industry.

Attended by over 300 architects and designers the 5th International event, organised ViB Events (part of SPG Media Publishing) took place at The Dorchester and was hosted by renowned designer and broadcaster Laurence Llewlyn-Bowen.

MD Jacqui Loftus with Laurence

Paragon Europe provided full production, filming and entertainment.