How Much Does It Cost to Hire Evening Entertainment for a Conference?
You've put significant time and budget into the daytime programme. Speakers are booked, breakout sessions are planned, and the ++conference++ schedule is tight. But once the formal agenda wraps up, many event planners face a trickier question: how do you transition a room full of attendees from presentation mode to genuinely relaxed social mode, and keep them engaged for the evening?
That's where conference evening entertainment hire comes in. ++Interactive games++, casino tables, and social gaming experiences give attendees something to do, something to compete over, and a natural reason to mix with people they may not have spoken to during the day. But if you've never hired evening entertainment for a conference before, you're probably wondering what it actually costs, and what to consider when budgeting.
This guide breaks down the typical costs involved, what's usually included, and what to think about when planning the entertainment for your next conference evening event.
What Does Conference Evening Entertainment Hire Typically Cost in the UK?
Evening entertainment hire for a conference in the UK typically ranges from around £295 to £1,695 or more per game or activity, for a single evening, depending on the type of entertainment, the duration of hire, whether staffing is required, and how far the supplier needs to travel.
At Fun Pro, our interactive games start from £295 exc. VAT, with the most popular choices for evening events sitting in the £445 to £895 range. More premium or large-footprint experiences, such as a full ++racing simulator++ setup start from £1,695 exc. VAT.
Most professional hire suppliers price by the event rather than by the hour, which is worth knowing when you're planning an evening that might run from 6pm through to 10pm or later. If you're planning a multi-day conference with entertainment on more than one evening, many suppliers will discuss package pricing rather than charging a full-day rate per night.
A quick reference guide to typical price ranges
Compact social and skill games (e.g. ++Prize Wheel++, ++Giant Jenga++, ++Giant Connect 4++, ++Buzz Wire++): from around £295–£495 exc. VAT
Mid-range interactive games (e.g. ++Batak Lite++, ++Retro Arcade Machines++, ++Cash Grabber++): from around £495–£895 exc. VAT
Premium or large-footprint experiences (e.g. Racing Simulator, ++Photo Booth++ or ++Magic Mirror++): from around £695–£1,695+ exc. VAT
These are starting prices for a single evening's hire from a professional supplier, including ++delivery++, setup, and collection. Staffing and any bespoke branding are typically charged in addition to these base rates.
What's Usually Included in the Hire Price?
This is one of the most important questions to ask any supplier, because what's included varies considerably. With a professional corporate entertainment hire company, you'd typically expect the following to be covered in the base hire price:
Delivery to the venue. Most professional suppliers factor delivery into their quoted price, though it's always worth confirming whether this applies regardless of location, or whether distance-based surcharges apply for venues further afield.
Setup and breakdown. A good supplier will handle all installation well before your attendees arrive for the evening, ensuring every game is positioned correctly, fully operational, and ready to go. Breakdown and collection, including during or after the evening session, should be included and agreed in advance.
Technical support. If something goes wrong on the night, a reputable supplier will be on hand or reachable to resolve it quickly. For conference evenings where your team will be focused on hosting attendees rather than managing equipment, it's worth asking whether on-site staffing is available as an add-on.
Public liability insurance. This is essential for hotel ballrooms, conference centres, and venues, all of which will require valid ++public liability insurance++ documentation from any external supplier. Always confirm this before booking, and ask for the certificate in writing.
What is usually charged as an extra: dedicated on-site staff or game hosts, custom branding, and travel to locations significantly further from the supplier's base.
What Affects the Cost of Conference Evening Entertainment?
Several factors influence what you'll pay, and understanding them makes it easier to budget accurately for the evening.
The type of entertainment and its complexity
A set of Giant Garden Games takes up a modest amount of space, sets up quickly, and works well with minimal supervision; attendees pick up the rules immediately and pairs or small groups form naturally. A Racing Simulator, by contrast, requires a larger footprint, more technical setup time, and creates a more immersive centrepiece experience. The more complex the game, the higher the hire cost tends to be, which reflects the equipment, expertise, and time involved.
The atmosphere you want to create
This is something that often gets overlooked when budgeting for conference evenings, but it genuinely shapes which entertainment is appropriate. A relaxed post-conference networking reception calls for different games than a competitive team challenge night or a formal ++awards dinner++ with entertainment between courses.
++Casino tables++, for example, bring a sophisticated, sociable atmosphere well suited to gala dinners and formal evening receptions. Fast-paced reaction games like the Batak Lite or Strike a Light are better suited to energetic evening social events where you want to create a competitive leaderboard and genuine crowd excitement.
Whether you need on-site staff
For conference evenings, on-site staffing from your entertainment supplier is worth considering more carefully than you might for a daytime exhibition stand. Your event team will typically be occupied hosting guests, managing the bar, and keeping the evening running; they may not have the bandwidth to also supervise games, manage queues, or run a leaderboard.
A dedicated game host from the supplier can manage all of that, keeping the energy up and ensuring the entertainment runs smoothly throughout the evening without requiring your attention. This is usually available as an optional extra.
Location and travel
Suppliers based centrally in the UK, such as Fun Pro, operating from Coventry are well placed to reach major conference and hotel venues ++nationwide++ without excessive travel surcharges. If your conference is taking place in ++London++, ++Birmingham++, ++Manchester++, or at a dedicated conference centre, a Midlands-based supplier is often a practical and cost-effective choice. It's worth being upfront about your venue and any access or load-in restrictions when requesting a quote.
The duration of the evening
Most games are priced for a single event. If your conference runs across multiple days with evening entertainment each night, it's worth discussing this with your supplier upfront. Booking entertainment for two or three consecutive evenings will often work out more cost-effective than treating each as a separate order.
How Does Evening Entertainment Compare to Your Overall Conference Budget?
It helps to put entertainment costs in context. Conference budgets cover a significant range of costs before the evening even begins; venue hire, AV equipment, catering, speaker fees, accommodation, and delegate communications all add up quickly. A full-day conference at a professional venue can easily run to tens of thousands of pounds before entertainment is considered.
Against that backdrop, investing £500–£2,000 in well-chosen evening entertainment is a relatively modest addition, and often the element that attendees remember most clearly. The daytime programme informs; the evening is where relationships are actually built. Interactive games and social entertainment give people a genuine reason to mix with colleagues or contacts they haven't spoken to during the day, which is often the whole point of keeping attendees together into the evening in the first place.
How to Get the Best Value from Your Conference Evening Entertainment Budget
Getting the most from your budget is less about spending as little as possible and more about choosing the right entertainment for your specific group and venue.
Match the entertainment to the atmosphere you want. A networking drinks reception with 80 attendees calls for something social and low-pressure; Giant Jenga, a Photo Booth, or a Prize Wheel works well here. A competitive team challenge evening with 200 attendees has more room for high-energy reaction games, simulators, and leaderboard-based activities. Think about the tone before you choose the games.
Consider your audience carefully. Conference attendees are a specific type of group. They've been in sessions all day, they may not all know each other, and some will be more introverted than others. It's worth building in a mix of entertainment options; something highly visible that draws a crowd, alongside something lower-key where smaller conversations can happen naturally. Not everyone wants to be at the front of the queue for the Racing Simulator, but they might happily join a game of Giant Connect 4.
Think about the flow of the evening. Entertainment works best when it's integrated with the evening programme rather than positioned as an afterthought. Games that can run alongside a drinks reception or dinner are often more effective than a dedicated "games session" that requires attendees to actively participate at a specific time. A Photo Booth or Magic Mirror alongside the bar area, for example, runs naturally throughout the evening without requiring anyone to organise it.
Book early, especially for multi-day conferences. Popular items, particularly Photo Booths, Magic Mirrors, and Racing Simulators, book out well in advance for busy conference periods. If your conference is taking place at a major UK venue during a peak period, booking 6–8 weeks in advance is sensible. Earlier still if you need bespoke artwork or branded prints.
Ask about packages. If you're hiring more than one game for the evening, or entertainment across multiple evenings of the same conference, many suppliers can discuss package options. Combining two or three complementary games is often better value than booking each separately.
What Are the Most Popular Conference Evening Entertainment Options?
To give you a practical sense of what works well for conference evenings and what to budget, here's an overview of some of the most frequently hired options for this type of event.
Photo Booth or Magic Mirror. Consistently one of the most popular choices for conference evenings. attendees take branded prints home as a memento of the event, and the social, relaxed nature of a photo booth suits the transition from formal daytime to informal evening. Digital sharing options extend reach beyond the room. Starting from around £695 exc. VAT depending on the package.
Casino Tables. Ideal for formal evening receptions, awards dinners, and gala events where you want interactive entertainment with a sophisticated atmosphere. Fun money is used rather than real stakes, so everyone can participate regardless of experience. A croupier is typically included. Well suited to groups where a relaxed but polished atmosphere is the priority. Starting from around £695 exc. VAT.
Racing Simulator. A premium centrepiece experience that draws strong attention and creates a natural competitive leaderboard for the evening. Works particularly well for conferences in the automotive, engineering, or technology sectors, or simply where you want a memorable talking point. Starting from around £1,695 exc. VAT.
Retro Arcade Machines. A versatile and immediately recognisable option that works well at almost any conference evening event. Classic games require no explanation, create an immediate nostalgia connection, and suit groups where you want something relaxed and sociable without requiring competition. Starting from around £495 exc. VAT.
Giant Garden Games (Jenga, Connect 4). Low-pressure, easy-to-join social games that work well during drinks receptions or as a complement to higher-energy options. Suitable for all ages and abilities, and effective for encouraging conversations between attendees who haven't yet spoken. Starting from around £295 exc. VAT.
Batak Lite. A fast-paced reaction game that produces a clear score for competitive leaderboard formats. Draws a crowd and creates genuine energy, making it a good choice for evening social events where you want to build some competitive spirit after a long conference day. Starting from around £650 exc. VAT.
Strike a Light. A single-button reaction game that's quick to play, simple to understand, and accessible to everyone. Works well as part of a competitive leaderboard format during a team social evening. Starting from around £445 exc. VAT.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
Before confirming any conference evening entertainment hire, it's worth having clear answers to the following:
Is public liability insurance included, and can the supplier provide documentation for your venue's contractor requirements?
What is included in the base hire price, and what is charged as an extra?
Can the supplier work within your venue's setup schedule, including load-in times, lift access, and any restrictions on when suppliers can enter?
What happens if equipment develops a fault during the evening, and is there on-site or on-call technical support available?
Is on-site staffing available, and what does a game host actually do during the evening?
Are there any additional costs for events outside a certain travel radius?
A reputable supplier will be happy to answer all of these clearly and in writing before you confirm your booking.
Ready to Plan Your Conference Evening Entertainment?
At Fun Pro, we've been supplying interactive entertainment for corporate events and conference evenings across the UK’s largest venues since 2009. We understand that the evening element of a conference is often the most important social moment of the whole event, and we help you plan it properly.
Whether you're organising a relaxed networking reception, a competitive team social, or a formal gala dinner with entertainment, our friendly team can help you choose the right options for your group, your venue, and the atmosphere you want to create.
Browse our ++corporate events entertainment++ or ++get in touch++ to discuss your requirements and receive a no-obligation quote.