bagpiper Archives - Reel Time Events

Helping Edinburgh University with Entertainment

Ross MacFarlane — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 21:09:26 +0000

After studying at Edinburgh University a ‘few years ago’, it has been a pleasure to help various faculties with entertaining their students, staff, and academic visitors.

Whether as part of the University conference offering, https://reel-time.co.uk/conferences/ as part of the official graduation ceremonies,
or teaching delegates and students some unique Scottish skills and activities such as bagpipe playing, https://reel-time.co.uk/entertainment/experiences/bagpipe-workshop/
ceilidh dancing https://reel-time.co.uk/entertainment/bands/ceilidh-folk-bands/
and how to savour a fine whisky. https://reel-time.co.uk/whisky/

We started playing bagpipes at the Edinburgh University graduation ceremonies after a trip to Beijing, where they took Roddythepiper out to play bagpipes to add some Scottish culture to proceedings.

They also took a ceilidh band, and a lively Scottish entertainment experience was had at Peking University. The Principle thought that the music had added such a great Scottish note to the Chinese Graduation ceremonies, that he decided to add it into the Graduations back in Edinburgh.

We have been supplying outstanding bagpipe players, and now a duet with the pipe band snare drum for the last 12 years. The duo warm up the Graduation crowd before they enter McKeown Hall, then play in the academic procession to the stage. They play a set of celebratory tunes as the graduates and invited guests depart.

IF you need some entertainment as part of your conference, or work with Edinburgh University, then do let us know how we can make a truly Scottish experience for your guests.

The University of Edinburgh is a prestigious and internationally renowned institution of higher education located in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1582, it is one of the
oldest universities in the English-speaking world. The university has a rich history of academic excellence and has produced numerous notable alumni, including scientists, authors, politicians, and other prominent figures.

Here is some interesting information about the University of Edinburgh:

Reputation: The University of Edinburgh consistently ranks among the top universities in the United Kingdom and the world. It is a member of the Russell Group, an association of 24 leading research-intensive UK universities.
Campuses: The university has multiple campuses, with the main campus situated in the heart of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. There are also satellite campuses, including the King's Buildings campus, which houses science and engineering faculties.
Academic Programs: The University of Edinburgh offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines, including arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering, medicine, and business.
Research: The university is recognized for its significant contributions to research and innovation. It is involved in various research projects and partnerships, both nationally and internationally.
Notable Achievements: Many ground-breaking discoveries and inventions have emerged from research conducted at the University of Edinburgh. Notable examples include the identification of the hepatitis C virus and the development of the first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep.
Student Life: Edinburgh is a vibrant and student-friendly city, and the university provides a diverse and active student community. There are numerous clubs, societies, and events that cater to a wide range of interests and backgrounds.
Cultural Heritage: The university is steeped in history, and its architecture reflects various periods. Its Old College and New College buildings, for instance, are iconic landmarks in the city.
International Outlook: The University of Edinburgh attracts a diverse student body from around the world, fostering a global atmosphere on campus.
Edinburgh Festival: The university plays a significant role during the annual Edinburgh Festival, a world-renowned arts festival that includes the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

It remains a highly regarded institution for those seeking a top-notch education and an enriching academic experience in a culturally vibrant city. For the latest information about the University of Edinburgh, you can visit their official website at www.ed.ac.uk. There, you will find comprehensive and current information about their academic programs, research activities, campus facilities, admissions process, and much more.

For information about Edinburgh University Conference venues and support, have a look at https://www.uoecollection.com/

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Glasgow Conference Events and Entertainment by Reel Time Events

Ross MacFarlane — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 21:14:38 +0000

Glasgow is a great place for conference events. From the diversity and variety of the city itself, to its ease of access to the rest of Scotland, visitors are never short of things to do and see.

Glasgow Convention Bureau continues to do an excellent job of promoting the city to the world. They have been awarded Top Convention Bureau in the UK for 13 years in a row by the Meeting and Incentive Travel Awards, and have helped bring Glasgow to the forefront of international conference destinations.

Reel Time Events provides a lot of conference entertainment in Glasgow. We’re taking a look at just some of the highlights of our conference event entertainment from this year.

6 Massive Conference Ceilidhs at Merchant Square

During the summer, Reel Time secured a run of 6 GIANT conference events with Merchant Square. Conference organisers were looking for a venue that could easily accommodate up to 1500 delegates to descend en-masse, sit down for dinner, and be entertained. Merchant Square’s range of dining estalishment’s close to the public for the night as the conference delegates takeover to enjoy the evening’s social program.

Reel Time Events provided the entertainment for these 6 conferences:

12th June – Offshore Mechanics & Arctic Engineering (OMAE), 1000 guests

10th July – CAP Partner – Federation of European Microbiologists (FEMS) 2019 Congress of European Microbiologists, 800 guests

18th July – International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe (ISMPMI), 1300 guests

1st Aug – International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC) 2019, 800 guests

4th Sept – European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS) 2019, 1000 guests

8th Oct – The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)’s International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) 2019, 1000 guests

We wanted to initiate these huge, international audiences into Scottish culture to ensure their time in Glasgow would never be forgotten. That meant one thing: ceilidh dancing.

The layout of Merchant Square is perfect for this as it has a huge amount of floor space for large groups to dance and spin and twirl about. So we were easily able to accommodate 5900 first-time ceilidh dancers over the 6 events.

Reel Time’s modern ceilidh band ‘Scraggly Cats‘ performed all 6 events. Each event began with the 5-piece band accompanied by 5 Highland Dancers, performing jigs, reels, and the Highland Fling. The Dancers then encouraged the delegates to venture out on to the dance floor, and then helped to teach them ceilidh dances while the band played and called the moves from the stage. With so many ceilidh-newbies, having the Highland Dancers participate and lead by example brought everyone together and gave delegates the confidence to nail the dance moves.

After several ceilidh tunes, the delegates were rewarded for their effort with a disco set from the band who played live covers of songs like Summer of 69, Happy, Uptown Funk, and Don’t Stop Believing.

And finally, for those who just weren’t ready for the night to end, Reel Time always provided a DJ to take the party into the wee hours of the morning.

2 Huge Nights of Evening Entertainment for the British Orthodontics Society’s Glasgow Conference

Another highlight of our Glasgow Conference entertainment this year was back-to-back nights of events at the Glasgow Science Centre and the Crowne Plaza for the British Orthodontic Society.

This is the 2nd time we’ve worked with BOS and we were thrilled to be asked back. This time we wanted to go above and beyond with bigger Scottish show entertainment. Being familiar with the audience, we knew that they were especially fun and enthusiastic, and we wanted to deliver on their expectations for a huge party.

BOS wanted two nights of entertainment for their Glasgow conference. First was the civic reception at the Science Centre, a short walk from their hotel, Crowne Plaza – the location of the second night’s entertainment, and in close proximity to the Scottish Events Campus (SEC), where the conference was held.

Night One: Evening Entertainment at the Glasgow Science Centre

To kick off the civic reception, two Reel Time Pipers led a procession of conference delegates from Crowne Plaza, across the bridge over the River Clyde to the Science Centre. Once across the bridge, they were greeted by a troupe of jugglers and stilt walkers, who helped usher them into the venue.

Once all of the delegates were inside, they were provided food and drinks and left to do some networking, our roaming entertainers mingled and the crowd enthused. After about an hour, our two Reel Time Pipers once again struck up their pipes and led the large group to the entertainment area in the Science Centre.

Tartanium

They were greeted here by Reel Time’s biggest band: Tartanium. A 10 piece rock-band/stage show with Scottish infusions. Tartanium takes a classic rock-and-pop core of drums, guitar, bass, keys and a singer, adds a three-piece horn section of a trombone, trumpet, and saxophone. On top of that, bagpipes and a fiddle provide the authentic Scottish sound and texture. Tartanium plays a set of modern pop covers and Scottish traditional music with a big-band sound. Alongside the band are the Tartanium Dancers, five young ladies in traditional dress to perform jigs, reels, and highland flings with the band.

Tartanium kicked off the show with a reel, with the dancers performing in a space on the floor by the audience. The show moves forward with energy, fervour, and plenty of volume. The band play traditional dances like the highland fling, famous Scottish songs like Wild Mountain Thyme, and modern pop covers like Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.”

Watch the Tartanium Dancers!

Ceilidh Taster

After the show, Tartanium led the guests in a ceilidh taster in preparation for the following night. Roddy called the dances from the stage while playing pipes. The Tartanium dancers mingle with the audience to help them learn the moves. For first timers, it can seem quite daunting. But with the right effort and guidance from the Tartanium dancers, it always comes together.

Disco

After the ceilidh taster, the band continued with a forty-five minute set of pop and disco tunes for the audience to end the night with recent pop hits like Happy, Uptown Funk, and Can’t Stop the Feeling. Plus classic oldies like Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff, and Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

Fire Performers

As the night came to a close and the guests began to leave the venue, they were seen off by a trio of fire performers outside of the Science Centre for the final part of the night’s entertainment.

Crowne Plaza Conference Entertainment

The following night’s conference entertainment took place at the Crowne Plaza hotel, just across the river from the Science Centre. This second night of entertainment was the responsibility of the same Reel Time band who had such success at the 6 Merchant Square conferences.

Scraggly Cats kick the night off with a full on ceilidh. Having had the taster the night before, the guests were ready to get right in to a ceilidh. They went through several traditional dances: dashing white sergeant, Gay Gordons, the Flying Scotsman, the Virginia reel, and Strip the Willow.

After the ceilidh, the Scraggly Cats performed a disco set of pop classics and modern hit songs.

The band finished their set but the party continued on thanks to one of the Reel Time DJ’s who kept the delegates partying.

We had a great time with the guests of the British Orthodontic Society, and Glasgow proved to be the perfect setting for back-to-back nights of conference entertainment.

Honourable Mention: Kelvingrove Conference Entertainment

We also had the good fortune to take part in the IASSIDD conference at Kelvingrove, where we put on a ceilidh for conference delegates with the help of a group called Indepen-dance. You can see some of what we did in the video below.

We’ve had a wonderful year of Glasgow Conference Entertainment, with more still to come in the last few weeks of 2019, and we’re already excited and looking ahead to the fun we’re going to have in 2020 with all kinds of conference events already on the calendar.

If you’d like to keep up with Reel Time’s future entertainment, make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin.

For more conference information, head to our conferences page.

To inquire about conference or event entertainment, visit the contact page.

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British Orthodontics Society 2019 Glasgow Conference – Science Centre and Crowne Plaza Entertainment

Ross MacFarlane — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 20:58:16 +0000

Reel Time Events was recently asked to provide entertainment for the British Orthodontic Society’s 2019 conference events in Glasgow.

Night One: Entertainment at the Glasgow Science Centre

Tartanium

Ceilidh Taster

Disco

After the ceilidh taster, the band continued with a forty-five minute set of pop and disco tunes for the audience to end the night with. The band cranked out recent pop hits like Happy, Uptown Funk, and Can’t Stop the Feeling, plus classic oldies like Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff, and Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

Fire Performers

As the night came to a close and the guests began to leave the venue, they were seen off by a trio of fire performers outside of the Science Centre for the final part of the night’s entertainment.

Crowne Plaza Entertainment

The following night’s conference entertainment took place at the Crowne Plaza hotel, just across the river from the Science Centre. Tonight’s entertainment was the responsibility of another favourite Reel Time band: Scraggly Cats. The Cats are a ceilidh and pop-rock fusion band and frequently entertain at various conferences due to their versatility. (Recently they have been lead entertainers at a major run of 6 Glasgow conferences in Merchant Square.)

Scraggly Cats kick the night off with a full on ceilidh. Having had the taster the night before, the guests were ready to get right in to a ceilidh. They went through several traditional dances: dashing white sergeant, gay Gordons, the flying Scotsman, the Virginia reel, and strip the willow.

After the ceilidh, the Scraggly Cats performed a disco set, with tunes like Summer of 69, Proud Mary, and Don’t Stop Believing.

The band finished their set but the party continued on thanks to one of the Reel Time DJ’s who kept the guests into the wee hours of the morning.

We had a great time with the guests of the British Orthodontic Society, and Glasgow proved to be the perfect setting for back-to-back nights of conference entertainment.

For more about Reel Time Event’s conference entertainment, take a look at this page on our site, or reach out to us directly by phone or email.

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Conference Entertainment in Scotland for ICAM2019

Ross MacFarlane — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:29:53 +0000

Another amazing weekend for Reel Time! Some lovely clients asked us to provide great conference entertainment in Scotland for the 2019 AACSB.

The conference was at the EICC, with many of the guests staying at the sumptuous 5* Sheraton Hotel, a mere 4 minutes’ walk from the registration desk!

The Event

The client approached us with a brief of spicing up registration day. They wanted to create a number of different networking opportunities around the day long check in on Sunday thus, fostering relationships between partner organisations as this is a key focus of the conference.

From 9.30am until 3.30pm, (on and off!) our Scottish accordion and guitar duo played some traditional Scottish tunes and there was definitely some toe-tapping going on.

Our Scotland Virtual Reality experience was available in the afternoon enabling guests to take a 5-minute tour of the rest of Scotland and see places they may not get the chance to see on this visit. The delegates were amazed by this new Scottish entertainment offering.

The VR technology used along with the high-quality Scottish video tour we have created, immerses guests in Scotland with one or two even worried they are going to get their feet wet!

Evening entertainment

On the Sunday evening, we had two of Scotland’s grade one pipe band players piping a welcome for guests on arrival and two of Scotland’s revered musicians in concert with clarsach and mandolin gracing the networking event.

For the opening ceremony of the conference sessions on the Monday morning, we had a piper and Scottish dancer display opening the conference with a Scottish spectacular bang and ensuring all the attendees were wide awake!

Later in the day, the client requested a conference session on Scotland and its heritage. They were looking for this to be a fun conference style speech.

The Moorfoot at the EICC was packed for this session as The presenter took the attendees through the history, uses and modern takes on some of the icons of Scotland; Burns, bagpipes, kilts and then all washed down with a bit of whisky tasting.

It was great to provide the Scottish conference entertainment for the AACSB Conference 2019 in Edinburgh.

If you would like some assistance with entertainment for your Scottish conference, then contact Reel Time Events for some inspiration.

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IMEX America

Ross MacFarlane — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 13:57:42 +0000

Roddy was over in Las Vegas for IMEX America, the biggest tourism trade event in the calendar; America’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events.

Roddy was working alongside Visit Scotland to help promote Scotland as a destination to international group buyers.

Roddy started the group presentations with some Scottish music on his small pipes, before reciting Robert Burns Address to the Haggis. With current international trade restrictions, this meant addressing a furry haggis, but it was still well received and had the usual impact!

For the afternoon cocktail hour, Roddy presented whisky tasting experiences for the guests. They were talked through the intricacies of Scottish single malt whisky. The guests enjoyed a great taste of Scotland as they sampled Auchentoshan Three Wood, Scapa and Bowmore 15.

For the on stand party on the Wednesday night, Roddy played some of his dance music bagpipes before amassing a great ceilidh dance on the Visit Scotland stand. Have a look at the video of the whole event here, including the ceilidh.

Thanks to Rocket Exhibitions and Events, Visit Scotland and Las Vegas for making it all possible.

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Introducing Brazilians to Ceilidh Dancing

Ross MacFarlane — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 14:02:40 +0000

Kuoni organised a trip to Edinburgh for a group of Brazilian buyers. The aim was to show off the best that Edinburgh has to offer, and they certainly seem to have suceeded!

The group visited some of Edinburgh’s best hotels and venues, including Edinburgh Castle, The Balmoral, The Sheraton, Mansfield Traquair and the National Museum of Scotland. On their final evening, following a private tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia, they were treated to a gala dinner at Dundas Castle.

The catering was provided by Prestige Sodexo; they had prepared a menu to impress, and impress they did!

Reel Time’s Roddy gave guests a proper Scottish welcome as he piped them in, before he perform the Haggis Address. After dinner they were treated to a Highland dance performance which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Guests were then invited into the hall to have a go at ceilidh dancing themselves. Everyone seemed to get the hang of it quickly and there was no stopping them!

Reel Time’s accordion player provided the music for them, and even managed to get involved in the dancing at the same time! Everyone was having so much fun, Roddy decided to dance with a statue that seemed keen to join in on the fun!

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Mama Mia!

Ross MacFarlane — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 14:07:15 +0000

The smash hit musical Mama Mia! opened last night at the Playhouse in Edinburgh. The show, which features some of Abba’s most popular hits, will run until the 7th January 2017.

The show first opened in London’s West End in 1999 and an estimated 60 million people have seen it so far. To ensure that the show received a proper Scottish welcome back to Edinburgh, Reel Time arranged for piper Ross McCrindle to entertain the press as they arrived for the press launch.

Mama Mia! is at the Edinburgh Playhouse until 7th January 2017, and Reel Time pipers can be arranged by contacting our office.

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Burns Night and Haggis stabbing with Reel Time Events

Ross MacFarlane — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:17:15 +0000

Burns Night is always one of the busiest periods of the year for Reel Time Events, and 2016 was no different. Here is a quick roundup of this year’s events and what we have been doing to help celebrate our great Bard’s birthday

Roddy and the Scraggly Cats had the pleasure of entertaining the Builders Merchants Federation at Dalmahoy Golf and Country Club. Roddy was on hand to address the haggis and then join the Scraggly Cats for their funky and up beat fusion of ceilidh and pop, giving all of the guests a fantastic party for the evening.

At Aberdeen’s AECC Roddy and the team were entertaining not one but two Burns Night events. The first was a Burns supper for a corporate client, who were entertained by Roddy and the Reel Time Band and provided a bangingburnsnight for all the guests.

The second event at the AECC also included Highland Games Activities and a whisky tasting, giving guests a taste of all things Scottish, before being entertained by the Reel Time Band in the evening.

Back in Edinburgh Roddy was busy at various venues across the city. Mansfield Traquair’s Burn’s night celebration was an intimate party in a grand venue, with Heritage Portfolio key staff, board of directors and invited guests from their parent company entertained by Roddy and the Scraggly Cats, and treated to one of Roddy’s characterful and animated Haggis Addresses.

At the EICC the Reel Time Ceilidh Band accompanied by our talented Highland Dancers entertained a group of hosted DMCs, to give them a taste of a Reel Time Burns night celebration and a night to remember.

Roddy offered up a contemporary performance at the National Museum of Scotland for the Burns Unbound event, playing a contemporary bagpipe set with a dance backing track and accompanied by the fabulous Tartanium dancers. We were lucky enough to be given a video of the event by one of the guests, Mr K Bryce Morrison, which you can see here

And just when you though it was a hard life for a piper over Burns season, Roddy’s last job was to jet to Madrid for one final Burns night, playing at the Ambassadors residence for a secret client, where he treated guests to a rousing haggis address, and playing his pipes and encouraging some ceilidh dancing in the warmer climbs of a Madrid evening.

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Roddy the Piper will go a long way for a good curry!

Ross MacFarlane — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 15:14:09 +0000

One of our great loves at Reel Time Events is promoting Scottish culture, produce and music with passion and enthusiasm. Much of this is done here in Scotland, showcasing our great nation to visitors from far flung lands, but occasionally we are lucky enough to get the opportunity to promote Scotland on the International stage.

Last month Roddy was lucky enough to be invited by Visit Scotland, along with his colleague Will Marshall, to a week long tour of India where they helped promote Scotland as a destination to the Indian leisure industry.

Visiting Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi, it was a whirlwind of a week, with Roddy and Will providing an interactive bagpipe playing and ceilidh dance experience for all of the leisure buyers (DMCs, travel agents and tour companies) in attendance in each city. Along with the musical entertainment guests were also treated to a Reel Time whisky tasting experience, giving them a sample of Scotlands favourite tipple and aiding with the lubrication for ceilidh dancing.

From arriving in Mumbai and a hair-raising taxi ride at 2am to the hotel, to an interactive whisky tasting with no whisky in Chandigarh and a very in-depth conversation comparing tea tasting to whisky tasting in Delhi, it was an exciting and interesting trip. Roddy and Will were lucky enough to meet and work with some amazing people, Visit Scotland Staff and all the staff at the venues across India, along with all of the buyers that attended the 3 events.

Such an incredible trip was full of highlights – An evening at the Delhi High Comission, avoiding the infamous “Delhi-Belly” or being involved in such an amazing and incredibly well-planned and executed adventure, helping promote Scotland on the international stage. #Scotspirit

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Rackspace visit Edinburgh for Incentive Trip

Ross MacFarlane — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 10:42:14 +0000

Reel Time Events were happy to welcome Rackspace for their Edinburgh incentive trip with a selection of experiences to fully immerse the group in Scottish culture.

To start their Scottish adventure guests were welcomed to the amazing location of Dundas Castle by a Reel Time piper. Guests then had the chance to give the bagpipes a try themselves in our bagpipe masterclass, with our piper giving some expert advice and tuition, and also to test their dancing skills in our ceilidh masterclass. With our professional dancers to lead the way as the accordion supplied the music, guests rocked and reeled with a real party atmosphere, before the evenings entertainment.

The piper then piped guests out to the fireworks in the grounds of the castle and then to dinner in the castle itself.

To conclude their trip, guests were treated to an afternoon of Scottish cuisine and culture. As the group made their way from the hotel to Cabaret Voltaire they were met by Roddy the piper who let them up the bridges and to lunch accompanied by the rousing sound of the pipes. On arrival at the venue guests were treated to a freshly prepared lunch supplied by local cafe August 21. A selection of fresh produce including Scottish smoked salmon, Scottish venison, and a selection of salads and platters made from locally sourced and seasonal produce. A selection of drinks were available from Reel Time Bars, including locally produced wines, before the artisan tastings commenced.

Guests sampled a selection of Scottish produce from different providers, and led through the best way to taste and appreciate them by the expert tasters. With a chance to sample a selection of 4 different Scottish cheeses, 4 varieties of Scottish Gin, a selection of chocolate made in Edinburgh and a selection of the finest malt whisky, guests had an opportunity to taste the best of what Scotland has to offer. In this, the Year of Food and Drink it was especially pleasing to be able to introduce everyone to some of the best produce from around the country.

Once everyone was full to the brim with food and drink they were then wowed by our very own Chris Findlay performing the traditional “sword dance” and then it was the guests turn to get involved. With Roddy on the pipes there was a farewell Virginia Reel for everyone to work off some calories for lunch and end the afternoon on a high.

If you are bringing an incentive group to Scotland and would like to see how Reel Time Events can make it memorable and give your guests a real taste of Scotland click here to contact us, or call us to discuss your Edinburgh Incentive requirements.

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