Indoor Curling Archives - Reel Time Events

BADFEST: an Annual conference for the British Association of Dermatologist

Ross MacFarlane — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 12:56:22 +0000

Scottish Conference Entertainment

Annual conference. Hosted 2018 by EICC, Edinburgh

BADFEST is the social event held for the annual conference of the British Association of Dermatologists. This year’s 2018 conference was hosted at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). The brief from the client was they wanted a fun and interactive festival-like atmosphere to encourage delegate networking in an informal way. We hosted two spaces in the EICC for the conference which accommodated 750 delegates overall. With people coming from all around the world, the client wanted to ensure that as well as being a networking event, delegates were able to enjoy a real Scottish experience.

Pipe Major Roderick Deans greeted the delegates with a traditional Scottish bagpipe reception. This was a great way to introduce the guests to the Scottish theme of the evening. In the Strathblane Hall we had our 10-piece Tartanium band open the night with a 20-minute Scottish show. The Tartanium band mixes traditional and contemporary styles of Scottish music combining bagpipes with funked up basslines and incredible guitar solos. Adding to this spectacle, we had three Tartanium dancers perform a choreographed routine which combined traditional and contemporary steps to compliment the bands funky and cutting-edge sound.

Guests were then invited onto the dancefloor where they were taught some easy ceilidh dancing moves. With a 10-piece ceilidh band our guests got a taste of what a full Scottish Ceilidh is like and, also danced to traditional dances including the Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow and Canadian Barn Dance.

Reel Time transformed the main foyer from a delegate registration area into various interactive Scottish experiences. Guests were given the opportunity to try indoor curling and a haggis shy . Indoor curling was a chance for the delegates to try something new and brought a competitive thrill to the evening. Guests were asked to slide their curling stones closest to the target on the mat for competing points. The haggis shy was a fun event involving throwing haggis like balls at targets to build up points. Guests got to meet the Heavy athletes that perform at Scotland’s Highland Games and speak to them about their sport. The athletes then let the guests try their hand at the indoor caber tossing experience.

To wash down the fantastic food served at the EICC we put on a whisky vs gin tasting. This meant the guests could try some fine Scottish spirits whilst also learning about the distillation and production of Scotland’s drinks. One of our bars served two Scottish artisan gins representing one of the largest booms in the Scottish drinks industry. We chose to take Rock Rose and The Botanist to let guests taste a sweeter herbaceous and citrus gin against a more peppery, floral and earthier gin. These were served to guests neat and then as a perfect serve with tonic and our recommended garnish. The second bar for the whisky tasting was our cask bar we had taken and built in the venue. The bar featured two Scottish Single Malt Whiskies showcasing the regional differences that exist in the whisky world. We had Auchentoshan American Oak as one of the drams on offer which is from Auchentoshan distillery located just to the west of Glasgow. It is the only distillery in Scotland to triple distil every drop of whisky it produces, which gives rise to a light, sweet, grassy character. When this spirit is matured in American ex-bourbon casks the resulting whisky is creamy, with vanilla and lemon notes and a striking oaky spice. We chose to contrast this with a peaty whisky from Islay, Laphroaig. Laphroaig is one of just seven distilleries in Scotland which still malts its own barley and it is this age-old production method which is said to give the whisky the unique medicinal, iodine-like aroma and flavour, alongside the unmistakable smokiness.

The event was a great success and the clients were thrilled with the whole experience. In a matter of hours the guests were able to experience traditional Scottish sport, music, culture and drinks all under one roof. The format of the evening, and activities provided, allowed the guests to interact and take part as they wished whilst giving them the freedom to network and engage with each other.

For more information on the Scottish activities that we provide for conferences, please see our conference page on the website or get in touch with the Reel Time Team for more inspiration.

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Reel Time Events at Merchant Square

Ross MacFarlane — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 13:45:55 +0000

Last week Reel Time Events were pleased to provide a comprehensive entertainment and events package for SIU (Société Internationale d’Urologie) In partnership with Meeting Makers, Reel Time Events helped immerse the delegation of over 1000 attendees from across the world in a truly Scottish experience, giving them a taste of our authentic and exciting culture as part of the conference’s social program.

As delegates arrived at Merchant Square they were welcomed by a lone piper, fire performers and 6-piece drummers, making a memorable start to the evening. With a spectacular start outside, there was plenty more to follow once inside Merchants Square.

The entertainment and activities inside were both spectacular and interactive, allowing everyone attending to really get involved and experience the true spirit of Scotland. With stilt walkers roaming the square clad in tartan, the guests were offered the chance to participate in some traditional and more innovative highland games events and Scottish activities, while being able to do some networking with the other delegates.
From tossing the caber (a foam one to toss, but a real one on display) with true highland games competitors, to indoor curling and Haggis Shy there were some physical events for everyone to try and prizes to be won.

For those less athletic, there was beer tasting, offering 3 different craft beers from the local Harviestoun Brewery, with the opportunity to experience the raw ingredients along with sampling the fantastic variety of tastes on offer. Various workshops were also on offer to get involved, with an opportunity to play the bagpipes, precussion instruments and ceilidh dance too. The Clann were also in attendance, getting everyone involved in dressing like a true Scot, and letting guests see and wear traditional kilts, armour and weapons from times gone by.

Once all the delegates had been fed by the various bars and restaurants around Merchants Square, organised by Meeting Makers, the Clann then went to battle – for 15 minutes sparks few and the guests’s breath was taken away as members of the Clann fought in the center of the Square, surrounded by a crowd of (often aghast) onlookers.

Once the battle had been fought (and everyone had a chance to regain their breath) the Reel Time Band, then took the stage, along with a team of Ceilidh dancers on the floor to lead all the guests in some traditional Scottish Ceilidh dances. Rocking the crowd with its own blend of traditional and contemporary ceilidh music, the evening continued with guests participating in all of the different and events, spread across the different areas of Merchants Square.

Guests had an incredible experience and huge amount of fun, trying new skills and learning about Scotland at the same time. For a full gallery of all the images from the night click here

Along with providing the entertainment at Merchants Square, Reel Time Events also provided the entertainment for the opening ceremony at Glasgow’s world famous SECC, with bagpipers, pipeband and highland dancers to provide an authentic Scottish welcome. At Glasgow’s Kelvingrove, for the delegates gala dinner, Reel Time provided a Jazz band to give a different and more modern feel to the occasion.

“Now that we are home safe and sound I just wanted to send a very big thank you to you for providing all of the entertainment for the various SIU events last week. You really did capture what Scotland is all about and our attendees, as well as our staff, really got a great feel for it. So thank you once again for making our event an incredibly memorable one!

So, if you to would like to immerse your conference delegates and guests in a spectacular and entertaining event that they can be part of, and remember for many years to come, contact Reel Time Events to see how we can entertain you

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