UPDATE: Well within 24 hours, I've already had an update - so this article has changed slightly to reflect this!
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I don't know about you, but when I heard the news announced today that from Monday we are allowed to meet in gardens in groups of up to 6 - I was excited! Not only does it mean that I get to see family that we have been missing right now, but it also brings up a further point. Can we start having parties again?
The UK is edging towards coming out of lockdown, slowly but surely and people are itching to get back to normal life. I'm sure we've all seen the images of Southend Beach over the weekend where locals and tourists alike were enjoying the sun. It's therefore quite natural that we will start looking for more things that can return to normal - one of these being parties.
In the last week, I've already had a few people calling me up, asking if I'd be willing to do a big garden party or private event for groups of people in the near future? Are we all good to do this now? Well according to the lockdown rules - the answer is pretty simple. Nope. Not yet.
Well that was a quick blog post... Hang on... actually there's more...
It's pretty much guaranteed that in the near future the lockdown restrictions will be eased even more, and social events can start happening again. People are going to start looking to book birthday parties and the first ones are probably going to be like these:
Garden Parties! A few friends get together for a magic show (this one way was pre lockdown) I personally think these will be the first events that can happen, where a few families will be able to get together and celebrate - in a socially distant way. But when can you book these for I hear you cry?
The answer to this is simple - in real life, no one knows. In the last 24 hours policy has changed already. For the last few weeks, no entertainer would be insured to perform in a garden, but this is changing day by day. Restrictions are being lifted, and now that people are allowed to meet in gardens entertainers like myself can offer small scale parties for one family at a time! While it's not ideal (I'm sure everyone would love to have all their friends around for a party) it's still a great way for you to celebrate a birthday with a magic show! But what if you want something bigger? Can you book a party for you and your friends now?
This is something that I have spent a lot of time answering. Over the last few weeks I've been coming up with plans to monitor the lockdown situation as well as provide you with amazing magical parties when possible. So I've come up with...
Magic Dave's No Worry Guarantee!
I want to provide you with a service you feel confident booking during this time of uncertainty with as little risk to you as possible. There are two parts to this: Booking & at the Party!
Booking
When it comes to booking, I know there are a few questions raised. How can we book an event, if we don't even know it will happen yet. And why should we book something now? Well, one thing to consider is that firstly now that the lockdown is starting to ease people are starting to book events. From weeks to months in advance - if you want to get yourself a high-quality entertainer like myself you will soon find that slots for the next few months will start being filled very quickly. Remember it's not just future birthdays that may be booking now, but ones that were missed during the lockdown too! It's important that if you want a good entertainer booking sooner rather than later is essential. Personally I think that garden parties could start coming back as soon as 2-3 weeks' time (but that's only my personal guess). So if this happens you want to get ahead of the game, and get your entertainment sorted ASAP!
But if you were to book me for an event in say one month's time, how could you do this risk-free to yourselves? Well, it's quite simple. Under my new lockdown guarantee, I take all the risk myself! So if you were to book me during the lockdown these are the benefits:
- For any bookings taking place in the next 3 months, there is a 0% deposit required. That way if you find that the lockdown hasn't lifted sufficiently before your event - you don't have any money to try and get back.
- This also includes no cancellation fees for COVID related reasons. So say for example you book a party for 2 months time, but just before it a family member comes down with COVID - or lockdown doesn't lift sufficiently before your event - no worries, you can cancel or postpone your event without any additional fees (COVID related reasons only)
- If you book my event and I am unable to attend I will provide another high-quality entertainer that I have not had physical contact with - for no extra fee)
- It's also worth pointing out that during the booking process for the moment I'm happy to be as flexible as possible. If you are unsure of the exact location (perhaps your parents have a bigger garden you want to use, but haven't asked them yet) well that's absolutely fine. I'm happy for the moment to book time segments with a place to be confirmed later... So you can take time to find the perfect venue for your party.
- During the lockdown I will be in regularly checking government guidelines and my insurers to check we can have the party you want - if we find out it's not possible - no worries we can always reschedule at no extra cost to yourselves.
So this brings me on to the second part of my no worries guarantee - At The Party!
When it comes to the party I have taken every effort I can to make this as painpain-free free as possible. Not only will I be checking guidelines constantly to make sure the party suits government recommendations I have been taking extra steps to make your party as stress-free as possible so that the pressure is off you when it comes to doing the right thing.
From the moment you book your party I will be there to help. From discussing safe numbers, to seating arrangements, I will be happy to advise you on everything you need to do so that your guests are safe.
Not only that, but when it comes to the actual party I have worked diligently to cover every aspect possible. My shows have been completely redesigned. In my old show there was lots of great magic, interaction, puppet characters and more – which people loved. Now my new show has even more great magic, interaction, puppets and more, but this time everything has been designed with social distancing in place. Every child and adult can feel like they are part of the magic show, whilst still being safe! The new show as well has been designed to play big or small, so that even for garden parties or park parties the show can go on but take up as little space as possible.
Well that’s the magic shows covered, but what about full parties? Can you still keep people entertained for a party, while maintaining social distancing. Well,2-hour the answer is yes! With careful planning and preparation, my 2 hour package now is more “game show” style for everyone to take part in, but without the worry of getting too close to others.
Secondly it’s important to say that everything I use in my shows and parties is cleaned thoroughly before and after each party. Anything that I bring into your property will have gone through checks to make sure that it is as germ-free as can be! And finally, it’s wise to point out that from my point of view I will be monitoring my health constantly and if at any point I show any of the key symptoms that I will find an immediate replacement for your event at no extra cost to you. That way you can rest assured that “The Show Will Go On” with as little risk to you as possible!
I should add here that because of the restrictions, and to maintain social distancing and the best hygiene possible I have temporarily suspended some services, including my circus workshops so that people can safely social distance and have fun at the same time. But when the government allows closer contact you can rest assured they will be back with as much fun and excitement as always - with the added safety measures of course!
In an ideal world, I would be hoping that events like this could happen in the next few weeks/month, but it's never possible to accurately say when it will happen. That’s why I want to make this as easy as possible, so if you are thinking of having a party next month you can book safely assured that no matter what happens, it’s as stress-free as possible!
I hope this article helps you see some of the key things that I’ve been working towards, as well as the thought processes that have been going on to help make your next event as stress-free as possible. If you are looking for an entertainer for an event coming up soon – get in touch through the chat down here!
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