How we work
We plan evenings and then run them.
Claim the Night organises themed evenings and corporate events on site, anywhere in New Zealand, from our base in Dunedin. We bring the programme, the crew, the equipment and the scenography; you bring the occasion and the venue. There are 24 formats in the catalogue and one way of working, described below in full.
You will not find client logos, testimonials or event counts on this site. We would rather you judged us on what is actually checkable: what is in each package, what it costs, what your venue has to provide and who stands in the room on the night.
Seven steps
From the first email to the last crate.
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You write, we ask four things
The date, the town, the number of adults and what your venue has already told you. If you do not have a venue yet, say so: we will tell you what to look for before you sign anything.
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We propose a format and a price
One or two formats that fit the occasion, the group and the room, with the package listed item by item and the final price for the event. In writing, so you can forward it internally.
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We check the venue against the format
Floor area, ceiling height, power, access and the time windows for build and pack-down. If a hall does not work for the programme you want, we say so at this stage rather than on the day.
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Written confirmation and contract
The date is held once the confirmation and contract are signed and the deposit is paid: a deposit of 20-40% once the contract is signed, the balance 5-10 days before the event. Until then, an enquiry is an enquiry.
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The run sheet
The hour-by-hour plan with your fixed points in it: when the room opens, when your caterer serves, when the speeches happen. You get it, and so does your venue if you want.
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The event
The crew arrives up to 3 hours early, builds and tests everything, and one coordinator stays on site for the whole programme as your single point of contact.
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Pack-down and the follow-up
We clear the room 1 to 2 hours after the programme and leave it as we found it. Anything you supplied comes back to you the same evening, and the invoice follows the terms in the contract.
Five rules we keep
The things we will not improvise.
One contact
One coordinator from the first email to pack-down, named in the contract. You never have to explain your event twice.
The scope is visible before you order
Every package is listed item by item with measurements and crew numbers, and every price on this site is the final price for that package.
Taking part is voluntary
A guest can watch, sit out a round or spend the evening talking. Our hosts invite; they do not press.
Adults only
Our programmes are written and run for adult guests, and participation in casino-style activities is for guests aged 20+.
Written, not remembered
Package, price, venue requirements, timings and the terms for postponement all go in writing before the date is held.
Nothing of value is won
Where a format has scoring, the prize is a printed certificate. No cash, no vouchers, no exchange of chips or points for anything.
Who is in the room
Six roles, assigned per format.
Which roles appear and how many of each is stated with every format in the catalogue. We do not publish names or photographs of individual crew members.
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Host and compere
Opens the evening, explains what is in the room, keeps the blocks to time and closes the programme. One per event.
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Host-croupiers
Run the casino-style tables: teach the rules at the table, keep the pace civil, look after the chips. One per table.
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Activity crew
Run the stations, reset them between rotations and keep the scoring honest. Numbers depend on the format.
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DJ
Programmes the music in blocks agreed with you in advance, and adjusts inside those blocks on the night.
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AV technician
Sound, screens, microphones, slides and the lighting desk. On site from build to pack-down where the format includes AV.
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Coordinator
Your single point of contact: plans the run sheet, briefs the venue, stands in the room the whole time and makes the calls if something moves.
Responsibilities
Ours to bring, yours to book.
The split is the same for every format in the catalogue, and it is in the contract rather than in a conversation.
In the price
- the programme, crew and equipment listed with the format
- planning, the run sheet and one coordinator on site
- transport anywhere in New Zealand
- set-up and pack-down outside programme hours
- all taxes payable, GST included
You organise
- the venue itself, with its furniture, power and bathrooms
- catering, bar service and drinks
- accommodation for your guests
- gifts or giveaways for guests
- a photographer or videographer
Set-up takes up to 3 hours before the event, pack-down 1-2 hours after. Neither counts towards the programme hours.
Read this before anything else
What the chips are, and what they are not.
Our casino-style programmes are entertainment held in a room, run by hosts who teach the rules. They are not gambling, and we would rather be boringly clear about it than let anyone assume otherwise.
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Chips are props
No denomination is printed on them. They are not sold, they cannot be bought or topped up during the evening, and they are never exchanged for money, goods, vouchers or valuable prizes.
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No stakes, no winnings
Nobody puts money or belongings on the table and nothing of value is won. The result of an activity gives a guest no financial benefit, so the programme is not gambling within the meaning of the Gambling Act 2003 and needs no gambling licence.
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On site, adults only, offline
Everything happens in a venue you choose, in front of the people who are there. Participation in casino-style activities is for guests aged 20+. There is no online casino, no app and no play over the internet of any kind.
Start with the date.
Write to [email protected], call +64 3477 04 89, or use the form.