Musings of an Event Designer
All right, you have an event coming up. You have your bases covered: Venue (check). Food and beverage (check). The invitations will hit the printer (or the inbox) next week. The phone calls to entertainment are in. Production companies are responding to the RFP. All that is left to do is figure out the details of design: the flowers, linens, and those crazy centerpieces your budget has you doing yourself. But what are you going to do? Pick a theme? Arabian Nights? Tropical Island? VEGAS (baby!)? Something generic but colorful? That trendy lounge furniture you saw in the industry magazine spread?
STOP! You have already gone too far, too fast and are about to cross the line near dangerous ground of bad event design.
Now I don’t mean bad design in that it will look bad or not work out or that the theme you choose won’t leave your guests with a general good feeling. But this column is about event design, and while I have the ability to voice my opinion out loud, I feel an obligation to share my vivid passion about the transformative power of great events that are the result of thoughtful and strategic decisions.
Great event design is not pricy, but purposeful. It is planned. It is strategized from the very beginning. It is not about picking this theme or that or jumping on the latest trend be it LED or lounge. (And if you are not using LEDs in your events – start immediately. The opportunities are near endless, but, and more importantly, their limited drain of power and incredible long life-span means they are the green way to go. And we will all keep our fingers crossed that a realistic white light is on the way.)
How does one strategize event design? By asking the relevant and important questions necessary for successful event production. The movement of marketing is to the message and events must follow suit, coming to understand the significance of purpose, of place and audience. Design is the articulation of purpose; it is, at its best, a cohesive experience of each element of the event working in tandem and performing in harmony. Great event design requires the designer to understand the function of the event and expectations of its guests. It incorporates the message of the event to communicate with event guests. It understands its purpose and uses that guideline to create and innovate, to surprise and delight.
I know what you are thinking: That is all well and good theoretically, but my event still needs design! For your benefit, I will offer these musings:
Spotting Trends: This task is easier than most people think. It simply requires the ability to pay attention and be tuned in. If you want to know what culture is doing or what color is popular – turn on TV and watch the ads. You know which ones stand out, and pay attention to their choices of style, language, colors, shapes, fonts for text. These companies spend ba-gillions to sell products so piggyback on the research and focus groups they have paid for to generate your ideas. Want to know what color is in this season – you could look to the red carpet, but it is easier to follow the red bulls-eye; into Target that is. Walk up and down the aisles, particularly home furnishings, seasonal, and notice what is on the end caps. Target has a remarkable ability to be on trend within six months for retail, a timeline that gives you as an event planner at least a year to work with. Continue your search through other stores in the mall – Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Abercrombie & Fitch, or the Apple Store. Watch great brands that understand who they are. W Hotels articulate this better than any in my opinion, and the rest of the Starwood properties rate up there too.
But often trend is more nuanced and detailed. While these examples will make you aware of general trends, focus in on the attendees of your group – what is the demographic and what do they like to do. Take the opportunity to experience and understand the lifestyle of your guests and simulate those experiences in your event. Remember always to aim high – guests are savvy and smart and there is nothing worse than an event that generalizes its design, packaging a theme or décor, and “talks down” to them.
Thoughts on Theme: I apologize to everyone I will offend with this, but any packaged theme I have ever been offered, experienced or seen has been nothing more than a glamorized prom. Props have their place, but most “themes” use and abuse them to their clients’ and guests’ dismay.
Event design cannot be packaged and resold because every event is unique. But if I have to make one generalization, I will say this: Personalize it. The trend in design as in culture is toward AUTHENTIC, PERSONALIZED EXPEREIENCES. People do not want Casino Night or Hawaii at their event as defined in the traditional prop sense so many of us are familiar with. That does not mean guest don’t enjoy casino games or tropical drinks and/or foods – but there is nothing authentic about plastic leis and giant fuzzy dice. Integrate messaging into the décor through linens and lighting. Target entertainment towards not only the taste of your guests but also the purpose of the event. Enliven the experience with authentic details. The future of good event design is towards a nuanced, in depth understanding of your guests so that you provide design and décor that allows the guests to create their own adventure throughout the offered event experience.
Understand Your Boundaries: All events are bound with limitations – time of day, demographic of the guests, or the seemingly always challenging budget. Understand these boundaries and use them to your advantage when designing your events. Consider venue shape and space, or the events time of day. Think about what your attendees like, don’t like, and could like if given the opportunity. Hidden in these limitations are jewels to innovate upon as your design your experience. Remember innovation is hardly big and dramatic, but more often involves simple half-turns on a familiar idea or experience. Doing little things, slightly differently – mixing the shape or sizes of tables, serving food on a different shaped plate or family style rather than plated or buffet, or even switching the order of the program and dinner – will keep your guests comfortable while offering up something new.
As for budget, understand what you can and cannot spend and use that to your benefit. Really think about your choices and make the ones that will have maximum impact. If you cannot afford a centerpiece which actually fits your dinner table, for example, forgo it and invest those dollars elsewhere. Nothing on the table will always look better than a bad or cheap option placed just because you thought you had to have a centerpiece. Be confident in those choices and make them when necessary.
Last but not least, remember this: Design is not décor, and décor is only one aspect of design. Good design is holistic in its approach. It is about articulating an idea throughout the event experience, not only in your tabletop décor but in the food, the lighting, the invitation and the gift bag. The more integrated, consistent, and, on the whole, simply your idea, the more memorable the event will be for your guest. It is a fine art, defining design, and guests are intuitively intelligent. They know when something is off, but more importantly they know when all the elements are working together. And in those moments great event experiences are created.
