ENTERTAINMENT TODAY

“Great events don’t just happen. It takes weeks of careful planning and attention to detail” is Entertainment Today’s motto. The company specialises in a number of services such as sourcing venues, entertainment, lighting and equipment hire as well scoping out event themes, décor and menus.

Over the past four years, Entertainment Today has been involved with Ashley and Dawn Ward who organise the yearly Crème de la Crème ball as a fundraising thank you to the medical team who saved the life of their youngest daughter who was born prematurely and contracted meningitis.

Entertainment Today approached Cestrian with an ‘animal instinct’ event theme and the big question of ‘we have a blank marquee, what can we do to incorporate our theme?’

The event team were invited to the factory for a guided tour to demonstrate the options available to them and the type of print that could be established on various substrates and printers. In the past, the event team had always used PVC banners to decorate the marquee walls, but they were heavy on the frames and bulky to store. A lighter and thinner solution was required. The bar was to be incorporated into the theme too; a range of boards needed to be produced at specific sizes and thickness to slide into the bar panels. The photography backdrop was going to be used quite heavily, there would be people moving in and out of the set for most of the evening to capture the sponsor logos.

The client provided the brief and artwork in plenty of time which meant that there was time to produce some test graphics for initial approval. After working out the dimensions of the marquee, 20 x wall banners were proposed. With eyelets punched in the top for easy hanging and a pole sewn into the bottom to keep the banners in place, the banners were light on the frame but rigid enough to stay in position. The bar solution was 13 x 3mm Foamex boards, which were strong enough for the evening’s wear and tear. The size required for the photography backdrop was 3m by 2.6m, so the finished solution needed to be sturdy and easy to put together. A free standing fabric graphic was recommended.

The solution provided the following benefits: - The banners were lightweight, sturdy and easy to hang by the event team - The fabric was washable so the banners could be used for future events - The high visibility designs were printed on high-quality environmentally-friendly fabric, which was 100% recyclable unlike PVC banners - The photography backdrop frame allowed the simple fitting and removal of the fabric graphic meaning that Entertainment Today could reuse it for other occasions - The modular element to the backdrop system also allowed for safe transportation and easy storage

The fabric banners were produced using eco –polyester fabric and printed on a Mimaki 320 textile printer. Each banner was laser cut, eyeleted and a pocket was sewn in the bottom for a weighted pole to slide in. The Foamex boards were printed on a satin setting on the Agfa M-Press Tiger large format machine. The backdrop was a tension fabric system made from aluminium. The stretch fabric was printed on the Mimaki 320 textile printer using eco display polyester.

The Crème de la Crème ball was attended by soap stars from Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, WAGs from Manchester United and Liverpool and local TV celebrities. It received great press coverage and was featured in the Manchester Evening News, Daily Mail and OK! magazine.