Frequently asked questions
Everything we are asked before organising a seminar, a corporate party or a team building day: prices, lead times, venues, entertainment, technical set-up, regulations. Each answer links to a full guide.
ADJM Événementiel
What is ADJM Événementiel?
ADJM Événementiel is a Marseille event agency that organises turnkey corporate events: seminars, parties, gala dinners, team building, product launches and openings. It brings together three communities of passionate professionals, AlloDJMarseille (DJs and music), AlloPhotoMarseille (photography, video, photo booths) and AlloBarmanMarseille (cocktail bars), with its own sound, lighting and stage equipment.
What kinds of events can ADJM Événementiel organise?
Mainly professional events: seminars, conventions, corporate parties, gala dinners, end-of-year parties, works council Christmas parties, afterwork drinks, product launches, openings, trade fairs, school galas and local authority events. We also look after private parties and weddings with the same teams.
How are you different from a traditional event agency?
A traditional agency subcontracts the DJ, the bar, the photographer and the technical side, then adds its management fees, often 6 to 10% of the budget. At ADJM, these trades are handled by our own communities and our own equipment: a single point of contact, teams who know each other, and prices with no middleman.
Where do you work?
In Marseille and throughout the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region: Aix-en-Provence, Aubagne, Cassis, La Ciotat, Martigues, Vitrolles, Marignane, Toulon, Avignon and further afield on request. Travel is included within Marseille, then calculated at the mileage rate.
How much does a corporate party organised by ADJM cost?
Every event gets a free, complete quote. As a guide: in Marseille, a turnkey corporate party (venue, catering, drinks, entertainment) generally costs between €65 and €130 per person. As for individual services, a DJ starts at €299, a 100-cocktail bar at €900 and a photo booth at €349.
Are your prices excluding or including VAT?
Our prices are net: ADJM Événementiel is exempt from VAT (article 293 B of the French General Tax Code). The price shown is the price you pay, with no VAT to add.
How does organising an event with you work?
In four steps: proposal (we define the project together and price it), approval (signing the quote and paying a 30% deposit), delivery (coordinating the teams on the day) and review (debrief, photos and videos delivered). A single point of contact follows you from the first call to the debrief.
How quickly do we receive a quote?
Within 48 hours. You can also put your event together online with our event builder: the price of each service and the deposit are shown as you go, then you follow your booking in your client area.
Do we need to pay a deposit?
Yes, 30% when the quote is signed, to secure the date and the teams. The balance is paid the day before or on the day of the event. Payment at 30 days is possible for companies and local authorities, depending on the terms of the quote.
Do you have an offer for works councils (CSE)?
Yes. We organise the works council’s events free of charge (we only invoice the services) and give employees a 10% discount on their personal events, in exchange for presenting the offer to staff.
Are there discounts when you book several services?
Yes: 5% from 2 services, 10% from 4 services and 20% from 10 services booked for the same event (DJ, bar, photographer, photo booth, technical equipment…).
Are your suppliers insured?
Yes. Our services are covered by professional liability insurance, and the contract sets out what is included, the times and the conditions. We also handle permit applications and the SACEM declaration (French music royalties) when needed.
How long has the ADJM network existed?
The AlloDJMarseille community was founded in 2014, AlloPhotoMarseille in 2017 and AlloBarmanMarseille in 2022. ADJM Événementiel now brings together more than 40 artists and technicians, with more than 500 events delivered in Provence.
Can I join the ADJM community?
Yes: DJs, photographers, videographers, bartenders, technicians, artists and performers can apply online. After an interview, new members join a team that works together all year round.
Organising your event
Seminar, party, launch, gala: the steps, the planning timeline and the pitfalls to avoid.
How to build a planning timeline for a corporate event?
Start from the event date and work backwards: list every task (venue, caterer, technical set-up, entertainment, invitations, logistics), estimate how long each takes and its deadline, assign an owner and identify the sign-off points. For a party or seminar of 100 to 200 people, the timeline starts at D-120 (120 days before) and ends at D+15 with the review.
How long does it take to organise a corporate event?
Allow four months for a party or seminar of 100 to 200 people, six months for a gala dinner or an overnight seminar, and nine to twelve months for a convention with several hundred participants. Afterwork drinks or a cocktail reception for 50 people can be organised in four to six weeks.
How do you write an event brief?
An event brief fits on two or three pages. It introduces the company and the objective, then sets out the date, times, number of guests, audience, venue (known or to be found), format, services required, constraints (accessibility, times, safety), budget, response timeline and selection criteria. The more precise it is, the more comparable the quotes will be.
What should you put in an event brief for a supplier?
A supplier brief (DJ, caterer, photographer, technician) covers the essentials of the event brief for their part: date, address and access, set-up, performance and breakdown times, number of guests, audience, desired atmosphere, equipment provided by the venue, key moments in the running order, contact on site and payment terms.
How do you organise a corporate convention in Marseille?
Book the venue six to twelve months ahead depending on numbers, then build a programme that alternates plenary sessions and workshops, with a closing evening. Plan a full technical set-up (sound system, screens, microphones, live technician), the welcome and accommodation of participants coming from elsewhere, and a transport plan from Saint-Charles station and Marseille Provence airport. The Mucem auditorium, for example, has 329 seats.
What is the difference between a convention, a conference and a seminar?
A convention brings together the staff of one company or network around its strategy. A conference (the French “congrès”) gathers the members of a profession or an association, often over several days, with outside speakers. A seminar is smaller and focused on work in small groups.
How do you organise a corporate seminar in Marseille?
Start with the objective (to inform, to decide, to bring people together), then set the format (half day, full day or two days), the headcount and the budget. Book the venue three to four months ahead: a sea-view seminar room for 80 people costs €800 to €1,700 per day in Marseille. Next come catering, technical equipment (microphones, screen, projector), a team-building activity and, if you wish, an evening event.
How far in advance should you book a seminar in Marseille?
Allow three to four months for a one-day seminar and five to six months for a seminar with an overnight stay or more than 100 participants. Sea-view venues and the months of May, June and September go fast; a Tuesday or Thursday in March, April or October gives you more choice.
How do you organise a corporate gala dinner?
A gala dinner is prepared five to six months ahead: choosing a prestige venue, a seated dinner with a seating plan, a dress code announced on the invitation, a timed running order with speeches and highlights (awards ceremony, show), then dancing. In Marseille, exclusive hire of a prestige venue ranges from €1,600 for a small lounge to more than €13,000 for the large spaces in the evening.
What is the running order for a gala dinner?
A classic running order: welcome and cocktails from 7.30pm to 8.30pm, guests take their seats, an opening speech of ten minutes at most, starter and main course, a highlight (awards ceremony or show), dessert, then the dance floor opens around 10.30pm and the evening ends around 1am or 2am depending on the venue’s hours.
How do you organise a product launch event?
First define the audience (press, clients, distributors or employees) and the single message you want them to remember. Then choose a suitable format (press morning, client evening, public activation) and a venue consistent with the product’s image, and stage the moment of the reveal. Plan photo and video from the design stage: they are what will keep the launch alive after the event.
Which event format should you choose to launch a new product?
For the press, a short morning with a demonstration and interviews; for clients or distributors, an evening with a staged reveal and hands-on time with the product; for the general public, an activation in a busy location; for internal teams, a convention or a seminar. Each audience has its own timings and expectations.
How do you organise a residential seminar in Provence?
Choose an estate that combines meeting rooms, bedrooms and catering on site, less than an hour from Marseille or Aix-en-Provence. Book five to six months ahead, arrange coach transport from the station, then build a two-day programme that alternates work in the morning, a team activity in the afternoon and a relaxed evening. Plan an indoor fallback for days when the mistral blows.
Where can you hold a countryside seminar near Marseille?
The wine estates and chateaux of the Aix area and the Alpilles, the coast around Cassis and La Ciotat, or the Var hinterland offer green settings less than an hour from Marseille. Château Saint-Hilaire in Coudoux, in the middle of a 60-hectare vineyard, and Château de Valmousse in Lambesc, on a 24-hectare estate, are two examples.
How do you organise a school or student union gala?
The student union (the French BDE, “bureau des élèves”) sets up a dedicated team at the start of the academic year, agrees the date with the school administration, looks for sponsors, books the venue four to six months ahead, then opens ticket sales two months before. You also need to plan security (security staff, first-aiders), prevention (free water, a prevention stand, organised transport home), music declarations and insurance.
How do you fund a student gala?
A student gala is funded from three sources: ticket sales, which should cover most of the costs; sponsors (companies partnering with the school, local shops, banks) in exchange for visibility; and sometimes a grant from the school or the alumni association. Build the budget around a break-even point: the number of tickets you need to sell so as not to lose money.
How do you organise an incentive trip to Marseille?
Start from what you want to reward and the size of the group. Then build a two- or three-day programme that mixes experiences unique to Marseille (the sea, the Calanques, the Old Port, food), time to relax and a standout evening, for example a dinner cruise in the Bay of Marseille for 35 to 250 people depending on the boat. Book four to six months ahead, and keep an element of surprise in the programme.
What activities work for an incentive trip in Marseille?
The must-dos are a boat trip to the Frioul islands or the Calanques, a guided hike in the Calanques National Park, discovering the Old Port and the Panier district, a cocktail workshop or a tasting, and an evening at sea with dinner at anchor and a DJ. Adapt them to the group’s fitness and preferences.
How do you organise corporate afterwork drinks?
Pick an end-of-day slot (6pm to 9pm) and a venue that is easy to reach from the office: your own premises, a privately hired bar, a beach or a rooftop. Offer drinks with and without alcohol, plenty of finger food and a light activity that gets teams mixing. Send the invitation two to three weeks ahead and ask people to reply so you can adjust quantities.
How long should afterwork drinks with colleagues last?
Afterwork drinks usually last two and a half to three hours, for example from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Any shorter and colleagues do not have time to meet; any longer and it turns into an evening party that needs proper food and a plan for getting home.
How do you organise the opening of new company premises?
Set the date six to eight weeks ahead, once the work is truly finished. Draw up the guest list (clients, partners, elected officials, neighbours, local press, employees), then build a running order of about two hours: welcome, guided tour, short speeches, ribbon cutting, cocktail reception. Check the capacity of the premises and plan a sound system, a microphone and façade lighting if the event takes place in the evening.
Who should you invite to a company opening?
Invite employees and their families if space allows, key clients and prospects, partners and suppliers, institutional figures (district town hall, chamber of commerce, elected officials), your immediate neighbours and the local press. Send the official invitations three to four weeks ahead and follow up one week before.
How do you organise a company anniversary?
Start six months ahead. Choose the audience (employees, clients, partners, former staff), the format (evening party, open day, gala, a series of events across the year) and the story you want to tell. Gather archives and testimonials early, plan a highlight that pays tribute to the people who built the company, and a keepsake guests can take home.
What are some ideas to celebrate a company’s 10th anniversary?
A giant timeline with photos from the early days, a video of testimonials from the first clients and employees, a themed party recalling the year the company was founded, a book or a photo gallery, a personalised keepsake engraved with the anniversary logo, and a gesture towards the outside world (sponsorship, a charity day). What matters most is celebrating the journey and the people who made it possible.
How do you organise a company end-of-year party?
Lock in the date as early as September, because venues and DJs are in high demand in December. Then set a budget per person (€65 to €130 for a complete evening in Marseille), choose a format that gets guests mingling, such as a cocktail reception with food, and add a common thread: a theme, a group activity and a photo keepsake. Finally, make sure guests can get home safely.
When should you book a company end-of-year party?
Ideally three to four months ahead, so in August or September for a party in early December. Fridays in December go first; a Thursday, an evening at the end of November or a New Year reception in January give you a wider choice of venues and suppliers.
How do you organise a works council Christmas party for employees’ children?
The works council (CSE) sets the date in September (a Saturday or a Wednesday afternoon in early December), lists the children by age group, chooses a family-friendly venue and orders the presents by the end of October at the latest. A typical programme lasts three hours: welcome, show, afternoon snack, Father Christmas’s arrival and the giving of presents, with free activities to keep everyone busy while they wait.
What activities should you plan for a company children’s Christmas party?
A show suited to the children’s ages (magician, storytelling, musical show), drop-in workshops (face painting, crafts, keyring engraving), a photo with Father Christmas, an afternoon snack and, for older children, a quiz or karaoke. Splitting activities by age group stops the little ones getting bored while the teenagers switch off.
Budget and prices
What a DJ, a bar, a photographer or a complete party costs in Marseille, and how to read a quote.
How many canapés per person should you plan for a cocktail reception with food?
Caterers generally allow 6 to 10 pieces per person for a drinks reception of about an hour, and 15 to 20 pieces for a standing dinner that replaces the meal over 2.5 to 3 hours, around a quarter of them sweet. These figures are adjusted for the time of day, the age of the guests and whether there are hot food stations.
How many drinks should you plan per guest at a cocktail reception?
A common rule of thumb is one glass per guest per hour after a first welcome drink, plus unlimited water, around half a litre per person and more in summer. A 75 cl bottle of champagne pours 6 to 7 glasses. For a cocktail bar, allow 2 to 3 cocktails per guest over a 4-hour evening.
Corporate photo booth hire prices: how much does a photo booth cost for a party?
Around Marseille, a photo booth billed by an event agency costs around €750. At ADJM Événementiel, the Essential Photo Booth costs €349 for 4 hours with unlimited prints, a frame with your logo, delivery and set-up; the Photo Booth + PicShot package, where every guest finds their photos with a selfie, costs €490.
Photo booth or photographer: which should you choose for a corporate event?
The two do not do the same job. A photo booth is entertainment: guests take their own photos, have fun and leave with a print. A photographer produces the company’s communication images: speeches, atmosphere, portraits. For a party of more than 80 people, many companies combine the two.
Corporate casino night prices: how much does casino entertainment cost?
Around Marseille, a casino night with 5 tables and croupiers is charged at around €3,400 by an event agency. The price depends mainly on the number of tables, and therefore the number of people playing at once, on the duration and on the decor. ADJM Événementiel prices the casino night on quotation according to headcount and can combine it with a DJ or a cocktail bar.
Corporate team building: what budget for an activity?
The budget varies widely depending on the format. At ADJM Événementiel, a music quiz hosted by the DJ costs €150, karaoke €190 and a cocktail workshop €70 per person; hosted games (casino, escape game, company olympics, Survivor-style challenge) are priced on quotation according to headcount. Through an agency, a 5-table casino night costs around €3,400.
Event cocktail bar prices: how much does a bartender with cocktails cost?
At ADJM Événementiel, in Marseille, a bartender for 50 people costs €450 and the 100 Cocktail Pack, with bartender, ingredients, equipment and ice, starts at €900. The Premium packs with two bartenders and a waiter cost €1,780 for 100 cocktails and €3,580 for 300 cocktails, net prices.
Cocktail bar: how many cocktails should you plan per guest?
Over an evening of around 4 hours, allow 2 to 3 cocktails per guest who drinks alcohol, fewer if an open bar with wine and beer is served alongside. One bartender comfortably serves around fifty people; beyond that, plan a second bar station to avoid queues.
Corporate party DJ prices: how much should you budget in 2026?
Around Marseille, a corporate party DJ booked through an agency costs around €1,100 for an evening from 7pm to midnight. Booking directly with a team of DJs, prices start at €299 for a DJ with their mixing equipment, €399 with a sound system for 150 people and €599 with sound, lighting and a preparation meeting.
Corporate DJ rates: how much do extra hours cost?
Extra hours are charged by the hour, with a higher rate late at night. At ADJM Événementiel, an extra hour of DJ costs €75 until 2am and €100 after that. Have them written into the quote before the party to avoid a discussion at midnight.
Corporate event photographer prices: what budget should you plan?
Around Marseille, an evening photographer booked through an agency generally costs €950 to €1,200. At ADJM Événementiel, photographers from the AlloPhotoMarseille community offer half-day coverage (4 hours) for €490 and full-day coverage (8 hours) for €890, with a selection delivered within 48 hours, at net prices.
Company photographer: how much do corporate portraits cost?
At ADJM Événementiel, a corporate portrait session costs €290 for up to 8 people, then €30 per additional person, with a consistent look for your website and social media. Scheduling the session during a seminar, when the whole team is there, saves bringing the photographer back a second time.
Sound and lighting hire in Marseille: how much for an event?
At ADJM Événementiel, in Marseille, a powered speaker with stand can be hired from €60 per day, a wireless microphone for €45, a subwoofer for €100, a dance floor lighting pack from €200 and a video projector for €75. A sound or lighting technician costs €35 per hour. Travel is included within Marseille.
Event sound hire: do you need a technician?
For a meeting with one microphone and a presentation, a system properly set up on arrival may be enough. As soon as you have several speakers, a panel discussion, a concert or a dance party for more than 100 people, a technician on site throughout the event prevents feedback and dropouts. At ADJM Événementiel, a technician costs €35 per hour, or €45 for a live technician.
What budget should you plan for a corporate party in Marseille?
In Marseille, a turnkey corporate party (venue, caterer, drinks, entertainment) generally costs between €65 and €130 per person, or €12,000 to €25,000 excl. VAT for 150 to 200 guests, based on agency quotes. The venue and the caterer account for most of the budget; music, the bar and photography weigh much less when you go through a network of suppliers with no intermediary.
How can you cut the cost of a corporate party without making it less of a success?
Play on the date (an off-season Thursday costs less than a Friday in June), the format (a cocktail reception with food rather than a seated dinner) and the number of intermediaries: booking the DJ, the bar and the photographer from the same team avoids management fees of 6 to 10% and qualifies you for volume discounts.
Seminar budget per person: how do you calculate it?
Separate the fixed costs (venue, technical equipment, host, photographer), which you divide by the number of participants, from the variable costs (meals, breaks, accommodation, activities charged per head), which add up per person. In Marseille, a sea-view seminar room for 80 people costs €800 to €1,700 per day to hire, and a cocktail reception in a private venue costs €35 to €60 per person.
Seminar in Marseille: how much does it cost to hire a room?
A sea-view seminar room for around 80 people costs €800 to €1,700 per day to hire in Marseille, often with a projector and microphones included. A prestige venue, such as a museum or a large historic hall, can be booked exclusively from €1,600 for a small lounge to more than €13,000 for the large spaces.
Venues in Marseille and Provence
Rooftops, beaches, chateaux, museums and seminar rooms: compare and choose.
Which château near Marseille is right for a corporate event?
Without leaving Marseille, the Château de Forbin (11th arrondissement, 7 hectares, 7 spaces) hosts seminars and parties. In the Aix area, the Château Saint-Hilaire in Coudoux (300 m² ballroom, 500 m² terrace, from 100 people) and the Château de Valmousse in Lambesc (24-hectare estate, more than 200 people) are very popular with companies.
How do you organise guest transport to an estate in Provence?
Beyond 30 guests, a coach shuttle from a central point (station, Old Port, company car park) is the safest solution, especially if alcohol is served. Set a single return time or two runs, and keep a taxi number handy for anyone leaving early.
How many people can attend a corporate boat party in Marseille?
Departing from the Old Port (Vieux-Port), an evening at sea takes 35 to 250 people depending on the boat. For example, a sailing yacht holds around forty people for cocktails and 24 for a seated meal, a catamaran around 110 for cocktails and 80 seated, and a large motor yacht up to 230 for cocktails and 90 seated. A seated dinner always reduces the capacity considerably.
What happens if the mistral wind prevents the boat from going out?
The boat operator has the final say on safety: if the sea is too rough, the trip is cancelled, shortened or limited to the sheltered part of the bay. Include a postponement date or a dockside option in the contract (dinner on board without leaving the port, or a fallback venue on the Old Port), and agree on when the decision will be made, usually the day before.
Which seaside venues in Marseille suit a corporate event?
From the J4 to the Prado beaches, the main seaside venues are the Mucem (up to 400 people on the terrace), the Rowing Club at the entrance to the Old Port (350 people for cocktails on the rooftop), the Espace Soleil at the Cercle des Nageurs (140 for cocktails) and Sport Beach at the Prado (from 10 to 400 people). You can also set sail in the Bay of Marseille, with 35 to 250 people depending on the boat.
What should you plan for the mistral at a seaside event in Marseille?
Ask the venue for a covered fallback plan, at no extra cost if possible, and agree with them when the decision will be made (often the day before or that morning). Avoid tablecloths, light decorations and unweighted gazebos on the terrace, and plan for a covered or heated space: by the water, evenings quickly get cooler.
Why hold a seminar in Aix-en-Provence rather than Marseille?
Aix-en-Provence is a convenient meeting point for teams coming from Marseille, the Étang de Berre area, the Var or Paris: a TGV high-speed station at L’Arbois, the A8 and A51 motorways, and Marseille Provence airport nearby. You will find city-centre hotels, business venues and, all around, wine estates that host seminars and parties for 100 people or more.
Which estate near Aix-en-Provence for a seminar followed by a party?
Château Saint-Hilaire in Coudoux (a 300 m² ballroom, a 100 m² cocktail room, a 500 m² terrace) and Château de Valmousse in Lambesc (a 24-hectare estate, more than 200 people) let you move from a working day to an evening party on site, with no transfer.
Where can you hold a corporate seminar or party in the Var?
Companies in the Var most often choose the Toulon harbour and Le Mourillon for the sea and easy access, the western coast (Sanary-sur-Mer, Bandol, Six-Fours) for beach restaurants and wine estates, the Le Castellet area for wide open spaces, or Hyères and its islands for an incentive trip. The choice depends above all on where participants are coming from and on the season.
Can a Marseille-based supplier organise an event in Toulon?
Yes: Toulon is about an hour’s drive from Marseille on the A50 motorway. Marseille suppliers work there regularly; only travel is added to the quote (at ADJM Événementiel, €1 per kilometre, return trip, beyond Marseille). For an early-morning set-up or a late evening, also check that accommodation for the technical team is planned if needed.
Where can you hold a corporate seminar in Marseille with a sea view?
On the Corniche and at the entrance to the Old Port, several venues host seminars facing the sea: the Espace Soleil at the Cercle des Nageurs (100 people theatre-style, built-in sound system and video projector), the Rowing Club’s rooms (up to 80 people theatre-style) or the Mucem (the 85-seat Meltem Room, a 329-seat auditorium). Allow €800 to €1,700 per day for a sea-view room for 80 people.
Which seminar venue in Marseille for 200 to 300 participants?
Above 150 people, you need a proper auditorium or a conference centre: the Mucem’s auditorium has 329 seats, and both the Palais du Pharo and the Parc Chanot are designed for plenary sessions and conferences. Book several months ahead for spring and autumn dates.
Which venue should you choose for a 200-person corporate party in Marseille?
For 200 guests in Marseille, several documented venues fit the bill: the Rowing Club rooftop (350 people for cocktails, 250 seated), Sport Beach at the Prado (from 10 to 400 people), the Grand Hall of the Palais de la Bourse (200 people for cocktails) or an estate such as the Château de Forbin. The choice depends mainly on the finishing time you want and the format, cocktails or a seated dinner.
How late can a corporate party run at a Marseille venue?
It depends on the venue and its neighbours: some cultural venues close at 11pm (as the Mucem does), beaches and rooftops often go on until midnight or 1am, and secluded estates let you dance later. Ask on your very first visit, because it shapes the whole running order of the evening.
Entertainment and team building
Ideas that really bring your teams together, from the music quiz to the casino night.
How do you organise company olympics?
Choose an open site (a park, a beach, an estate), form mixed teams of 8 to 12 people, plan 6 to 10 varied challenges (skill, brainpower, cooperation, a little running) that rotate every 10 to 15 minutes, and have facilitators act as referees. A full format lasts around 2 hours 30 and can bring together up to 420 participants.
A Survivor-style challenge (Koh-Lanta) for companies: how does it work?
Participants are split into tribes who compete in challenges inspired by the TV show (Koh-Lanta is the French version of Survivor): obstacle courses, skill games, puzzles, a balance challenge, then a final to win the totem. The adventure lasts around 2 hours 30 outdoors, with challenges adapted so everyone can take part, without any physical feats.
Corporate escape game: fixed escape room or mobile escape game?
An escape room generally takes small teams and means travelling there, which limits numbers or forces you to split the group across several time slots. A mobile escape game comes to you, in your seminar room or hotel, and gets all the teams playing at the same time: up to 280 participants in 1.5 hours in the format we organise.
How many players per team in a corporate escape game?
Allow 5 to 7 players per team. With fewer, the team doesn’t have enough pairs of eyes to find the clues; with more, some end up as spectators. For a group of 60 people, you therefore form about ten teams playing the same scenario in parallel.
What original entertainment works for a corporate party?
The entertainment people remember most is the kind that gets guests involved without forcing them: a close-up magician during the drinks, a caricaturist, a photo booth with a selfie gallery, personalised keyring engraving, a saxophonist performing with the DJ, or a casino night. The idea is to plan one activity for each key moment of the evening rather than a single big show.
How much does corporate party entertainment cost?
Through an agency in Marseille, you will typically see around €980 for a close-up magician, €1,250 for a caricaturist, €750 for a photo booth and €3,400 for a 5-table casino night. At ADJM Événementiel, with no intermediary, a saxophonist starts at €300, a photo booth at €349 and a hosted music quiz at €150.
How to organise a music quiz (blind test) at work?
Form mixed teams of 6 to 8 people, prepare 4 to 6 rounds of 10 varied clips (from the 80s to today, TV theme tunes, French songs), choose an answering system (buzzers or smartphones) and hand the hosting to someone comfortable on the microphone. Allow around 1 hour 30 minutes for a full blind test, prize-giving included.
Company quiz: buzzers or smartphones?
Buzzers create more of a show and work well with up to four teams facing each other. Smartphones let a whole room play at once, with live rankings shown on screen. For a large group, smartphones are simpler; for a TV game show atmosphere, buzzers still have the edge.
Which theme should you choose for a corporate party?
The themes that work best for companies are easy to understand and easy to dress for: casino, the Roaring Twenties, guinguette (a French open-air dance party), tropical, cabaret, all-white party, Christmas, or angels and demons. Choose according to the season, the venue and your guests, and go for a simple dress code that can be met with one accessory rather than a full costume.
Corporate themed party: should you impose a dress code?
Suggest it rather than impose it. A “touch of…” dress code (one accessory, one colour) lets everyone join in at no cost and without embarrassment. Have a few accessories at the entrance to hand out to anyone who arrives without one.
DJ or live band for a corporate party?
A DJ adapts to the audience in real time and covers every era, which makes it the safest choice for a dance floor with several generations. A live band brings a stronger stage presence but a more limited repertoire, and needs more space and equipment. The usual compromise: a saxophonist or musician performing alongside the DJ.
How many hours of DJ should you book for a corporate party?
Generally allow 5 hours, from the drinks reception to the end of the dancing, for example from 7.30pm to 12.30am. If the party goes on, extra hours are charged by the hour: at ADJM Événementiel, €75 until 2am and €100 after that.
How do guests get their photos with PicShot?
Each guest scans a QR code displayed on site, takes a selfie, and PicShot shows them every photo from the event they appear in, whether taken by the photo booth or by the photographer. There is no app to install, and nobody has to dig through a gallery of several hundred pictures.
Corporate photo booth: where should you set it up?
Place the booth somewhere people pass by but out of the main flow: near the bar or between the cocktail area and the dance floor, never in the entrance. You need a power socket nearby, around 3 to 4 square metres under cover, a neutral backdrop or a photocall, and lighting that does not reflect in the screen.
What team building activities can you do in Marseille?
In Marseille, the most popular team building activities combine the sea and games: a pétanque tournament, a sailing taster session in the Bay of Marseille, a boat trip to the Frioul islands, a hike in the Calanques, as well as company olympics, a mobile escape game, a cocktail workshop or a quiz. The right choice depends on your goal (team spirit, creativity, relaxation), the size of the group and the season.
Team building in Marseille: which activity for a large group?
Above 100 people, go for formats designed for large groups: company olympics or a Survivor-style challenge (Koh-Lanta) for up to 420 participants in 2 hours 30, a casino night (up to 800 players) or a collaborative mural (up to 384 participants). Water sports and hiking are still possible, but in waves of small groups.
How does a team-building cocktail workshop work?
A bartender introduces the equipment and the basics (measures, shaking and building techniques), then the participants make several recipes themselves, in pairs or teams, before tasting them together. A typical workshop covers three cocktails, with or without alcohol, and can end with a creation contest judged by the bartender.
How much does a corporate cocktail workshop cost in Marseille?
In Marseille, ADJM Événementiel offers its team-building cocktail workshop at €70 per person: a bartender from the AlloBarmanMarseille community teaches your teams to make three cocktails, with ingredients and equipment provided. The final price depends on the number of participants, the venue and the options (mobile bar, glassware).
Choosing your suppliers
Agency, network of suppliers or in-house planning: comparing the approaches.
Corporate event: should you use an agency or organise it yourself?
Organising it yourself works for small formats (afterwork drinks, a leaving do, a one-day seminar in an all-inclusive venue). Beyond around a hundred guests, with several suppliers, an empty venue or your image at stake, delegating at least the coordination reduces the risks. A middle way is to hand the atmosphere and coordination to a single team, without agency fees of 6 to 10%.
How do you choose the right DJ for a corporate event?
A good corporate DJ can read a multi-generational room, keep the volume right during cocktails and handle the sound for speeches properly. Before booking, ask for a preparation meeting, a list of their equipment, their backup plan in case of breakdown, their overtime terms and their insurance certificate.
What should you ask a corporate party DJ before signing?
Ask at least these questions: what equipment do you bring, and for how many people? Who handles the microphones for speeches? Do you have backup equipment? How will we prepare the playlist? How much does an extra hour cost? At ADJM Événementiel, an extra hour costs €75 until 2am, and every DJ holds a preparation call with you.
How do you choose an event agency in Marseille?
Check four things: verifiable references for comparable events, professional liability insurance, a single point of contact who is there on the day, and how much of the work is done by the agency’s own teams with its own equipment. Compare how the agency is paid too: many add management fees of 6 to 10% of the budget.
How much does an event agency charge in fees?
Around Marseille, agencies that charge management fees generally apply 6 to 10% of the budget. One scale we have seen: 10% under €5,000, 8% up to €30,000 and 6% above that, with a minimum of €250. Other agencies build their margin into the price of each service, with no separate fee line.
How do you compare three event quotes?
First, send the same event brief to all three suppliers. Then bring each quote back to an identical basis: same number of guests, same hours, prices excl. VAT or net, fees and extra costs included. Finally, compare them line by line in a grid, looking at what is included and at the deposit and cancellation terms, not just the total.
What hidden costs should you look for in an event quote?
The most common are management fees (6 to 10% of the budget at an agency), overtime, travel outside the city, booking fees, set-up and dismantling, VAT when the price is shown excl. VAT, and a deposit that can range from 30 to 60%. A good quote shows them all.
A single point of contact for an event: what difference does it really make?
A single point of contact centralises your conversations, your quotes and the coordination of every supplier: you have just one contract, one invoice and one number to call on the day. They take responsibility for the whole event, which stops the DJ, the caterer and the technician passing the buck when a problem arises.
Single point of contact: how is it different from an agency that subcontracts?
A traditional agency is also a single point of contact, but it often subcontracts the services and charges management fees, usually 6 to 10% of the budget. A network that delivers the music, technical set-up, bar and photography itself offers the same ease of management, with teams who know each other and without that extra layer of intermediary.
Sound, lighting and video
Microphones, sound systems, lighting, screens: what you need so that everything works.
What lighting do you need for a corporate party?
A successful corporate party combines three levels of light: ambient lighting that colours the walls and decor, dance-floor lighting (moving heads, lighting totems, effects) for the dancing, and a more neutral light on stage for speeches and photos. In Marseille, ADJM Événementiel hires out an ambient lighting pack from €50 and a dance-floor lighting pack from €200.
How do you light up a façade or a garden for an event?
Use battery-powered LED spotlights placed on the ground and aimed at the façade, the trees or the stone walls. With no cables, they can go anywhere, even far from a socket, and they let you colour the venue in your company’s colours. Allow one spotlight per tree or per section of wall, and test the effect at nightfall.
What screen size do you need for a corporate conference?
A common rule of thumb is that the back row should be no further away than six times the height of the image. A 4 × 3 m screen, on which a 16:9 presentation is about 2.25 m high, therefore suits a room around 13 metres deep. Beyond that, you need a larger screen or repeater screens. In Marseille, ADJM Événementiel hires out a 4 × 3 m screen at €240 per day.
Projector or LED screen for an event?
A projector remains the most economical solution for a room that can be darkened: conference, plenary, seminar. An LED screen, which produces its own light, is the answer in daylight, outdoors or in a glass-walled room, and for continuously displaying a programme, a logo or a photo wall. The two are often combined.
Which microphone should you choose for a corporate speech or conference?
For a speaker who moves around or uses their hands, a wireless lavalier (clip-on) or headset microphone is the most comfortable. For an awards ceremony or audience questions, a wireless handheld microphone is easier to pass from hand to hand. Always have a spare microphone and fresh batteries; a wireless microphone can be hired from €45 per day in Marseille at ADJM Événementiel.
How to avoid feedback during a speech?
Feedback (the whistling sound) happens when the microphone picks up the sound from the speaker. Place the speakers in front of the stage, never behind the presenter, ask the presenter not to walk in front of them, and have a technician set the volume during a sound check before the audience arrives.
Regulations and good practice
Permits, insurance, works councils, CSR, weather: making your event secure.
What deposit should you pay for a corporate event?
Event suppliers usually ask for a deposit of 30 to 60% when the quote is signed, based on the proposals from agencies and venues seen in Marseille. At ADJM Événementiel, the deposit is 30%, with the balance paid before or on the day of the event, as set out in the quote. The deposit confirms the booking of the date.
Deposit or “arrhes” for an event: what is the difference if you cancel?
Under French law, “arrhes” in principle allow either party to withdraw: the client loses the arrhes, and a supplier who cancels pays back twice the amount. A deposit (“acompte”) firmly commits both parties: if the event is cancelled, the contract and the terms and conditions of sale set out what remains due. Always check which term is used on the quote and read the cancellation clause.
What permits do you need to organise a corporate event in Marseille?
It all depends on the venue and what happens there. In a venue open to the public that holds its own licence, most things are already covered by the venue; what usually remains is declaring the music to SACEM (the French music royalties body) and complying with noise rules. On public land (beach, square, quayside), you need an occupation permit from the town hall, and selling alcohol outside a licensed establishment requires a temporary permit. Large gatherings and protected sites such as the Calanques National Park have their own rules.
Do you have to declare the music at a corporate party to SACEM?
Yes. A corporate party with music played to employees or guests does not fall within the “family circle” exemption: playing protected works must in principle be declared to SACEM, the French music royalties body. Depending on the venue and the supplier, the declaration may already be covered; ask for this explicitly in the quote.
How do you measure the success of a corporate event?
Before the event, set two or three precise objectives and link each one to a measurable indicator (attendance rate, satisfaction score, contacts collected, shares), then gather data both immediately and later on: a short questionnaire within 48 hours, a debrief with the teams, and a review of the photos and feedback. Then compare the result with the objective and the budget.
What questions should you ask in a post-event satisfaction survey?
Keep it under ten questions: an overall score, the likelihood of recommending or coming back, a score for each highlight (welcome, content, catering, entertainment, venue), a question about the objective (“did you meet new colleagues?”) and an open question on what should change. Send it within 48 hours.
Outdoor event in Provence: what backup plan should you have?
Always have a covered option booked at the same time as the venue: an indoor room on the estate, a marquee or gazebos. Agree in advance who decides to move indoors and when (usually 48 to 72 hours before, then a final confirmation the day before), and check in the contract who pays for the backup option.
Can the mistral force an outdoor event to be cancelled?
A strong mistral can make light structures dangerous (gazebos, parasols, arches, decorations), prevent a boat trip or the use of a drone, and make a terrace cocktail reception uncomfortable. You plan for it by weighting down all the equipment, choosing a sheltered spot, and keeping an indoor option ready if strong gusts are forecast.
How can you make a corporate event more sustainable?
The most effective levers are, in order: a venue reachable by public transport, local suppliers, seasonal catering in the right quantities, reusable tableware and glassware, and equipment hired rather than bought. Participant travel is generally the biggest source of an event’s impact, so that is where to start.
Is there a standard for sustainable events?
Yes, the international standard ISO 20121 defines a sustainability management system applied to the events industry. It mainly concerns organisers and venues that want to structure their approach. For a one-off event, you can draw on it without aiming for certification: set objectives, choose committed suppliers, measure and review.
How can a works council (CSE) organise an event for employees without giving up its evenings?
By handing the organisation to a single supplier who manages the venue, entertainment, bar, photography and coordination, and keeping the key decisions for the works council: budget, date, format and approval of the quote. At ADJM Événementiel, in Marseille, the organisation is provided free of charge for the partner works council, and employees then get a 10% discount on their own events.
Which works council budget pays for a party or a Christmas party?
In companies with at least 50 employees, parties, outings and Christmas parties for employees’ children come under the social and cultural activities budget, which is separate from the operating budget. The decision is taken at a works council meeting and must appear in the accounts. If in doubt about a specific case, the works council’s chartered accountant is the person to consult.
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