Welcome to Part 4 of our 4 Part Blog Series! We are pleased to offer our readers insight into the key things we consider when planning corporate events at Bright Ideas. This week we are focusing on Décor.
It’s no secret. Décor is every event planner’s favourite part of producing an event. We get to be creative, explore innovative ideas, make beautiful things, and then show it off by posting images of our work on Pinterest! At Bright Ideas, we love going the extra mile – creating a breathtaking and magnificent atmosphere by strategically planning and executing intricate ‘never seen before’ décor. Here are our Bright Ideas for developing a faultless décor plan:
1) Assess your Venue
How high is the ceiling? Are there rigging points for hanging elements? What already exists in the venue that you can include into your décor plan? A very important question to consider is; what are the limitations of the venue compared to your vision? Start big, plan something spectacular, and then alter your vision as you learn about the limitations and unique qualities of your venue, but only enough to make your dream a reality. Always try to maintain the integrity of your vision, because your inspiration will create something beautiful for your client.
2) Integrate Event Brand into the Décor
At Bright Ideas, we were hired to assist our client in celebrating a 60th corporate anniversary. Immediately we thought of Diamonds. This idea stuck and grew, and soon we had a “James Bond – Diamonds are Forever” event brand. Integrating it into our diamond-themed décor became the cornerstone of a convincing and spectacular event. Diamonds were everywhere, complete with giant crystal chandeliers hanging above eight-foot crystal pillars, highlighted by the event brand inside picture frames dotted around the venue, and a customized glass gobo projecting the brand on the wall. Just magnificent!
3) Always Remember your Budget
A larger budget means customized décor pieces, such as movie props and furniture vignettes, become a possibility. A leaner budget means you have to really think about what is absolutely necessary. For example: do you really need to cover the entire space with pipe and drape or can you get away with covering only certain aspects of the ballroom and perhaps finding an alternative in the foyer? What key pieces of décor will make the biggest impact for money spent and where is it best placed to extract its value? When you have to keep your budget in mind, spend the décor money wisely by separating into different sections: centerpieces, draping, accent pieces like vignettes, gobos, custom manufactured pieces, signs, entrance ways, etc. You’ll quickly see what you need and what you can afford.
4) Always Set Aside Money for Lighting
A good event planner will always keep room in a décor budget for lighting, because a well-executed, customized lighting plan can transform a location and take guests right into your theme and vision. Often a good lighting scheme can turn even the simplest of spaces into something truly astonishing. If you have a lean décor budget, sometimes lighting is all you’ll need. Remember that when the lights get low, any rented décor that isn’t lit up with some kind of treatment will be completely lost and so will the money spent to place it there! Lighting treatments can be just simple floor-standing flood lights to showcase a beautiful floral arrangement, disco balls hanging from trusses to highlight the dance floor, or coloured gobos projecting patterns like trees, damask, film strip, geometric shapes, ornate windows…the list goes on and on!
5) Freight Elevators: NEVER FORGET TO ASK THE VENUE ABOUT ACCESS TO THE ROOM!
Believe it or not, freight elevators can make or break your event! Once you have an idea in mind and have begun designing your theme décor, ask your venue manager about getting all the pieces into the freight elevator and up to your room. Avoid disappointing your client by designing something gorgeous and then having to tell them you can’t deliver because you can’t fit it in the elevator!
If you are interested in viewing photos of our event decor, visit our Portfolio Photo Gallery and use the “Shuffle” feature to view events by a specific category.
Thanks for reading our Four Part Series on the key elements Bright Ideas has identified as the four key pillars to planning an unforgettable corporate event, and a sure-fire way to attract and retain your clients. Want to read the first three installments?
Check out the links below:
Part 1 of 4 – Food & Beverages
Now go plan something spectacular!
