Samantha Hoffer is a Senior Account Manager at metroConnections, a Minneapolis-based conference and event services agency that works with brands across the country to deliver strategic, branded experiences for organizations and their attendees.
Marvelous Motifs — 7 Ideal Ideas for Themed Events
Themed events are always fun, but they’re not the standard events of the past. Here are seven ways events are changing with the times:
1. Local landscape – Clients are more excited to theme events to the location. For example, Southwest theme in Arizona, Beach theme in California or Tropical theme in Florida. It’s less forced and flows more naturally, plus it allows event planners to work with local vendors.
2. Fun event attire – Attendees are getting excited to hear what an event theme will be in advance, so they can dress accordingly, whether it’s an upscale Italian theme or a funkier festival theme.
3. Creative buffet options – Buffets are becoming more interesting, from food stations and action stations, to healthy more natural ways of serving food. We recently did a salad station where the lettuce was literally pulled from the whole vegetable right in front of attendees and made into a unique salad right in front of them.
4. Specialty beverages – There are so many ways to tie beverage and bar stations into your event theme, from local craft cocktails for a local theme, to colorful cocktails that match event colors. Specialty glassware or other drink adds – straws, light-up ice cubes, umbrellas – put a unique twist on standard event drinks, too.
5. Funky décor – Event décor is headed back to super bright colors. We’re doing more fun installations with balloons and brightly colored objects, confetti, and lots of mix and match, bold prints and pattern mixing. We’re carrying the mixing and matching into seating with a variety of round and square tables and unique chair patterns, too.
6. Social connection – Companies are trying to find a balance with exposing so much on social media, but keeping people connected at an event. We’ve incorporated a lot of custom apps and platforms on which attendees can connect and share photos, win giveaways, participate in teambuilding events, and more.
7. Multiple entertainers – A creative way to break up an event is to have more than one form of entertainment. Multiple acts break up the evening from the appetizers and happy hour to a seated dinner to the post-meal entertainment.
