Close to 300 guests attended the Gala, raising $468,000 for the Foundation.

Since its inception, the community has contributed over $5 million for priority medical equipment though this fantastic black-tie evening.

Photo: Marilyn Monroe Impersonator Tracey Bell with Ken Kelly, Downtown Victoria Business Association General Manager

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When Tracey Bell committed to performing at the Silver Screen Gala on October 18th, she saw a great opportunity to make the fundraiser for Langley Care Foundation and Langley Hospice more successful.

Here’s what Tracey had to say:

“I’ve been performing at Special Events for 27 years. Sometimes I want to do things that aren’t usually my job, especially for fundraisers. I had known the event planner, Debbie Howard, for many years though ISES and The Canadian Special Event Industry  . Deb agreed to let me handle some of the publicity.  Jasper Anson of Novacurrent Creative Solutions has connections with Langley media since he works with Langley pop country duo Robyn & Ryleigh, so I asked him to come on board. Publicity is a win-win since press is good for my career as well as the cause.”.

As a result of NovaCurrent’s press release and Jasper’s hard work, Tracey ended up appearing on three TV shows, being  featured in three newspapers, having a full-page magazine spread and more. Those interviews and appearances kept Bell busy between her other gigs before the Gala.

Her fans helped the fundraiser out as well. Two of Tracey’s closest friends and best supporters were the biggest bidders of the night.  Steffany Hanlen Francey and her husband Patrick Francey  bought a VIP table in the front row with their friends, including Alf and Sandie Krause of Krause Berry Farms . Their table’s high bids during the live and silent auctions got them a private flight and lunch for 4 in Victoria, A dinner for 10 people, a cooking class with Angie Cuaale , a basket of local wines and a photo shoot.

Steffany Hanlen Francey, Patrick Francey, Tracey Bell as Marilyn Monroe and Alf Krause

The night was a huge success.

As a result of her performance, Tracey Bell has been hired to perform at Langley MLA Mary Polak’s fundraiser in March. There is also a rumour that the planning committee for next year’s fundraiser for Langley Hospice and Langley Lodge might bring Bell back to perform a customized show with new characters and costumes.

David Cristofoli Photography

Cher chooses an 82-year-old to be Sonny, Tracey bell at the Silver Screen Gala

Tracey Bell as Liza Minnelli performs New York New York at Langley’s Silver Screen Gala

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Tracey Bell as Cher with her Shoop Shoop Ladies from BCCE

On September 12^th , 2014,  Corporate Entertainer Tracey Bell was the first person ever to perform at the new Anvil Centre Theatre in New Westminster. She was hired to perform at the Annual Conference for the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce Executives, the first special event to be held at Anvil.

 Tracey was concerned about the performance. Here’s what she had to say:

 “The centre had to postpone its opening a few times before the event. It was still under construction that day, but the theatre was finished and beautiful. I had a fabulous dressing room, the technicians were attentive and rehearsal went well. The only hitch was getting the brand new follow spotlight to work. The lighting  crew were working on it for three hours during the sound check. I was worried, but we didn’t let the clients know. Of course it all worked out fine, better than fine actually.”

While good sound and lighting are essential, it’s the audience that makes a Tracey Bell performance fabulous. Chamber of Commerce Executives are cheerleaders for their communities and made exceptional participants. The event is a reunion for these leaders from across the province, so they really enjoyed cheering for each other up on stage. They had been attending motivational and educational seminars with speakers Steffany Hanlen, Bruce Carter and Kim Burden, so they were primed to have a good time at the show.

Tracey Bell as Madonna with her Chamber of Commerce Boy Toys

MLA Coralee Oakes was on stage playing guitar with Janis Joplin and an enthusiastic entourage of  Chamber of Commerce Boy Toys were performing during Tracey Bell’s Madonna routine. All of the guests stood and danced to New York New York with Liza Minnelli and every woman at the party got on stage with Cher.

Susan Clovechok, BCCE Committee Chair wrote, “Tracey Bell wowed the crowd beyond expectation. Her professionalism and ability to inspire an audience is quite remarkable”

 Kevin Hill photography:

Tracey Bell as Madonna with a Chamber of Commerce Boy Toy

Seven-Year-Itch Marilyn Monroe a.k.a. Tracey Bell with Mr. President

Cher on a Chair, Sonny Bono was too tall so Tracey Bell stood on a chair to tower over him.

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In the corporate realm, events are taken very seriously. Hiring a headline performer can be a stressful job or it can be fun and exciting. After 26 years of specializing in corporate special events, I thought I’d share important traits for entertainers and their clients to consider.

1. Professionalism

Professional entertainers send a detailed list of their requirements early, communicate clearly and put everything in writing. Then they follow up on their requirements closer to the event, making sure there are no misunderstandings. They ask the client for information; about their company, the itinerary, floor plan and audience. Professionals don’t bring an entourage. They dress appropriately, even at the sound check. They stay sober, are respectful of others and they clean up their mess in the green room. They don’t share their personal problems. Performance material needs to be corporate-appropriate. Only clean comedy is acceptable. Corporate entertainers need to respect people’s time. I have a colleague who wanted me to get her bookings. She would call often and talk my ear off. It was difficult to get her off the line. Even though she was talented, I could see why people weren’t hiring her. She wasted their time.

2. Reliability

Event planners are under pressure to pull off a perfect event. Whether they are an in-house employee making party arrangements or they are from a top-notch event production company, their reputation is at stake. Corporations need a high standard met. That one night is like a wedding, It only happens once and it costs a lot of money. Performers need to prove that they are reliable and build trust from the moment they are in contact with the client. They should return calls promptly, write up contracts immediately and show up early to meetings. Of course, they also need to be onsite hours before the show. There is no replacement for a one-of-a-kind act. I know a woman who broke her wrist in the middle of her show and continued performing. I have gone on stage injured, with pneumonia and grieving at times, but the client never knew. Having a lot of adrenaline on the day of the performance helps me overcome anything. There is no excuse. The show must go on.

3. A Good Attitude

An entertainer might be a diva but they better not have a diva attitude, not at corporate special events. They need to be low-maintenance, especially on show day. The planner has the whole event to think of; food, décor, attendance, their other employees and more. Talent must be accomodating from the time they are booked until the end of the event.

4. Flexibility

Customization and comprimise are often required at special events. Seasoned performers have the most experience with their optimal performing conditions and their best shows, but have to be flexible when necessary. Is your act prepared to adlib if there are logistical or technical difficulties? When a corporate performer is a trooper of trouble-shooting, they can save the day. I’ve had the power go off, computers break down and other big challenges on stage and have had rave reviews for stepping up and keeping the flow going. Entertainers have to be prepared for anything.

5. A Good Reputation

Corporate entertainers should have reference letters, preferably posted on their website. It’s good to have letters from event planners as well as direct clients. A potential client should be able to speak with recent clients who are usually happy to talk about a show they enjoyed. A planner should be able to ask around within the industry and get good feed-back. If an artist is represented by a reputable talent agency, they are sure to be good.

6. Being Fabulous and Talented

You have to be good to make it in the corporate special event market. Having a unique act that engages the audience and has wow-factor makes the event memorable.

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Celebrity impersonator and corporate entertainer Tracey Bell was recently interviewed on View the Vibe as a Vancouver Tastemaker.

In the interview, Tracey talks about her start as a professional entertainer 25 years ago at Goose Loonies Party and Playhouse in Edmonton.

She shares lessons that she’s learned from Madonna, Liza Minnelli and Tina Turner as well  as tips on how to impersonate Cher, Dolly Parton, Celine Dion and Marilyn Monroe. Bell also shares how she created her award winning corporate show, 8 Divas in 44 minutes.

View the Vibe writer, Vicki Hogarth, called Tracey one of the funniest ladies on the Canadian comedy scene and asked her about her favorite Vancouver restaurants.

View the Vibe is a restaurant and lifestyle guide, listing the best things to do in Vancouver and Toronto.

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Corporate events, in and of themselves, are activities to look forward to. They signify a milestone crossed for a company, a celebration of a meeting a goal, or a step in a new direction. Employees look forward to these times when they have the chance to let their hair down and socialize with their colleagues without deadlines and projects looming in the near future. Corporate events, especially those that are held offsite, are some of the only times that employees reveal their true selves to the people they work with.

Selecting entertainment for a corporate event requires careful planning. Unlike venue or entertainment specific events, there is a lot of latitude allowed when the type of entertainment to perform. Comedians, magicians, musical acts, solo singers, variety acts, ventriloquists, traveling petting zoos, impersonators– there is a wide array of talent to choose from in the corporate event environment. However, with that flexibility brings additional concerns to the table. Here are three tips to consider when looking for talent to perform at your next corporate event:

Type of Entertainment

The chief concern when planning a corporate event is the type of material that will be presented.  There is virtually no way to please every single person in the company with a specific performer.  Being faced with that reality can present a challenge. Do you hire a male performer every year? Maybe you should consider a female comedian this time.  Sticking with the basics will make the decision easier.  Music that combines a mix of the popular genres, magicians, and clean comedians are choices that will satisfy a wide range of people. Interactive shows are especially memorable.

Material Covered

Once you have decided to go with a specific entertainment type, confirming that the material is appropriate for the audience is important. With people from coming from all walks of life and with no other common factory than employment at the company to share between them, it can be tricky to gauge levels of appropriateness.

Relevance of Material

Will the jokes make sense to the vast majority of your employees? If you’ve employed a cover band, will the music be recognizable? This is where knowing your employees will come into play. Understand the age ranges of the people employed in your business before you audition talent. If you have a young employee base, hire an act that will speak to their sensibilities and interests and vice versa. If the crowd is mixed, so should your talent be. Hire a DJ that can spin records spanning four decades or hire a comedian that talks about past and present situations.

Planning a corporate event can be an exciting activity. Having the opportunity to employee local talent, introduce your team members to a performer they may never have heard of before, and treating your employees to a company party is a perfect opportunity celebrate your teams accomplishments and show your company’s appreciation.

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