Reel Time Events was recently asked to provide entertainment for the British Orthodontic Society’s 2019 conference events in Glasgow.
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 being held.
Night One: 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 in to 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.”
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. 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.
Leave A Comment