You are in the Special Features section - Dance Floors For Hire - Blue Parrot

Digger talks to Greg Anderson at The Blue Parrot Company about their latest strands to their event hire business. Illuminated dance floors and photo booths are proving particularly popular...

 
Digger: Hello Greg.

Greg: Hello David.

Digger: We have got two good interviews lined-up now for our site. Jimmy Lea from Slade and Steve Priest from Sweet, so we’re going very Glam now!

Greg: That’s good.

Digger:  Please tell us about the background to Dance Floors For Hire and how and why you formed this enterprise?
 
Greg: Dance Floors For Hire formed out of our existing business which is The Blue Parrot Events Company where we offer items for hire. Linen and props are our speciality. We saw a niche for Dance Floors, especially in Scotland and we went for it.
 
Digger: How many dance floors have you got out at one time?
 
Greg: That varies, but usually most of them are out.
 
Digger: Who makes these things?
 
Greg: There are many suppliers based in the UK, but some concepts can be found in the US and in china
 
Digger: It’s amazing how huge retro is now, and there’s all this associated paraphernalia with sixties and seventies events, like dance floors, photo booth, fancy dress, props and so on.
 
Greg: Yes, it’s a big industry now. We are also doing the photo booths alongside the dance floors and they are proving very popular.
 
Digger: I don’t suppose you get many weekends free to yourself Greg?
 
Greg: No, we got one in January because of the snow and nobody was moving and they were broke from Christmas, but apart from that we’re always booked.
 
Digger: Can you please tell us a bit more about the services you provide?
 
Greg: We’ve got the three websites – Dance Floors For Hire.com, Photo Booths for Hire.co.uk as well as The Blue Parrot Company.com. so these are all separate in their own right. But for most clients they come under the one umbrella and a lot of clients will use our services and book all three for a wedding or a Christmas party. So we offer linen and props, LED dance floors and photo booths but LED furniture as well.
 
Digger: You must have a vast warehouse?

Greg: Yes, it’s getting smaller by the day. We moved here just over a year ago and we thought it was too big at first and the space quickly filled up.

Digger: Your stock must be out most of the time and, a bit like an airline, if their planes weren’t up in the air and at airports around the world then they couldn’t find room to park them all. The same must be true with your stock if it was all back in store?

Greg: Yes. Everything’s on a continuous cycle and out all of the time.
 
Digger: Why is retro and nostalgia so perennially popular?
 
Greg: I don’t really know the answer to that but I know there’s an increasing number of retro bars in Glasgow.

Digger: What age group are you?

Greg: I’m 28.
 
Digger: You’re a young boy! I’m an old boy, I’m 53!
 
Greg: I’m still young but have a love of all things retro.
 
Digger: You’re a slip of a boy so don’t remember the sixties and the seventies.
 
Greg: No, I can vaguely remember some of the eighties music and I quite like that.
 
Digger: There was some great stuff around in the eighties.
 
Greg: I don’t really know why retro is popular but I do know it’s a big business these days and everyone seems to like dressing up and partying with a retro twist.
 
Digger: What sort of feedback do you get about your services and product from customers?

Greg: They love these dance floors. And we get a lot of repeat and referred business.

Digger: Yes, I suppose because you have so many people at each event then it only takes a few to book or to recommend and you’ve got a continual stream of interest?

Greg: That’s right, although not everyone has a budget for a dance floor. It’s a great addition to an event but you need to budget it in.

Digger: I don’t suppose you get called to many traditional Scottish dancing events?!

Greg: No, the thing with the Scots is they like to do a bit of Scottish traditional dancing for a few minutes at a party but most of the evening they’ll be bopping away to disco and party music.
 
Digger: I see. There’s a phenomenon in Ireland, where my family are from, where they love the Show Bands and it’s a thing that’s peculiarly Irish and it doesn’t travel to here at all. They still love all the music we did but they also love these Show Bands.
 
Greg: These local cultural variations can be interesting.

Digger: What should people consider when thinking about hiring a dance floor?

Greg: They have to obviously make sure they’ve got the space. We can tailor the dance floors to suit in terms of sizes and can go from as little as two metres square to twelve by twelve but they have to think about the logistics of getting into the venue and where it is. They also need to check with the owners, whether it’s a hotel or whatever, that they’re happy to put it in. And timing is also important because the retro floors take a bit of programming and wiring up so it’s better that’s done in the morning. So there’s a few logistical things that need to be taken into consideration. Permission of course, but generally hotels are fine with them. Generally there isn’t a problem.

Digger: No, it’s bringing business their way so they’d be daft not to.

Greg: In general, the hotels or the hall or function room are good with it because it enhances their image too having a different concept.
 
Digger: What are the most enjoyable aspects of what you do?      
           
Greg: Seeing people having a great time.

Digger: People must appreciate the hard work you put in?

Greg: Yes, they do.

Digger: It keeps you fit and you don’t need to go to the gym I bet?

Greg: That’s true.

Digger: Who are your 'typical' customers?

Greg: Our biggest customer base is in the wedding sector, however we are kept busy particularly through the winter months by a range of corporate customers and charity functions along with many birthdays throughout the rest of the year.
 
Digger: What plans do you have for the future of Dance Floors For Hire? More of the same?
 
Greg: Yes, and we have a couple of new developments in the pipeline.
 
Digger: You can’t tell us what they are?

Greg: Not really. At the moment but we have many idea’s in which we can adopt the existing dance floors which we currently stock, one of which includes being able to play video through the floors.
 
Digger: The Scottish have always been at the front of so many great inventions considering they have such a small population. It’s amazing.
 
Greg: It is and it’s part of the tradition to come up with something new and innovative ourselves.  We have received awards for what we do and got an award based on feedback from our customers.

Digger: Well done for the award. What was it?

Greg: Thank you. It was the Vows Award and we won it in 2009 and in 2010 and were nominated by previous clients. That's how you get nominated. We had to meet certain criteria to be shortlisted.

 
Digger: That must be very satisfying receiving an award based on customer satisfaction?
 
Greg: It was and it was very encouraging for us.
 
Digger: Thanks for talking to us about what you’d doing Greg.

Greg: Thanks David.

Dance Floors For Hire