What is event design?
Hand in hand with event planning is event design. These two elements of successful event preparation are closely linked, but are fundamentally two separate parts of the procedure. Everyone knows that event planning brings together all the logistics – the professional services, administration and budgeting, co-ordination, etc, but what is event design and how does it differ from event planning? Events by Knight regularly provide both event planning and event design for corporate and private events. As party planning specialists we’re able to offer a comprehensive planning and design package as well as basic planning and sourcing options. Here we give a detailed explanation of the difference between design and planning and share our tips on what to include in event design.
Event design explained
So what is event design? Event design focuses on the décor, style and aesthetics of an event. It’s about creating a vision and then designing all the visual details to transform a venue into that dream. Whether you’re planning a wedding reception, birthday party, baby shower or corporate product launch, event design co-ordinates branding, colour, invitations, centerpieces, etc to a given theme. Event planning provides the logistical framework, while event design brings a creative vision to life. Successful event design is an art. It can change the mood and atmosphere of a venue and facilitate audience engagement, so what is event design and what does it involve?
Space
The space available within your chosen venue is the foundation for your event design. Think about where your guests will enter and exit and where equipment and furnishings need to be located. It’s important to strike the right balance between empty space and occupied space as you don’t want your event to be crowded. Neither do you want it to appear lost in a large space.
Layout
How you decide to use a room can totally transform your space. Experience with seating layouts to gain the best effect. Does your event favour seating guests around tables or are rows of seats laid out in theatre style more applicable.
Furnishings
Furnishings, equipment and structures help to balance space and also add character. You may prefer for a particular shape, ie cube or circle to influence your design, and incorporate this in your décor and furnishing style. Effective use of furnishings and equipment also involves analysing proportion and overall effect. For example, creating an imposing entrance arch or using long linear tables to create a banqueting effect. Don’t be afraid to experiment with furniture and equipment to provide focal points in your event space.
Lighting
Lighting is a major element in good event design. Experiment with lighting to emphasise and highlight key areas of your space, through the use of uplighters, projecting images onto dance floors (gobo lighting) and also incorporate interchangeable colour with LED lighting. Take into account the natural light, where windows are located and how light enters the room as shade can make a space less attractive to your guests.
Colour
Colour also helps to set the mood and tone for an event and should be chosen carefully in accordance with the nature of your event. An extravagant evening celebration would be enhanced by the use of metallic golds and silver combined with black. Light greens and blue colours might be more suited to a event where events need to focus and learn, a baby shower could feature blue or pink, and corporate events may need to promote product branding.Your chosen colour scheme should run through décor, lighting, promotional materials, menus, etc. Experiment with different hues of your core colours as this can add an interesting dimension whilst maintaining a cohesive overall effect.
Patterns
Patterns can also add interest to your event design. Think about how you could introduce stripes, geometric patterns, animal prints or florals to create an inspiring or quirky feel. However, busy patterns can be enhanced by bold block colours, so combining the two will also create an interesting effect. Careful use of all of the above design principles will immediately create a polished and professional overall appearance. Event planning guarantees that an event will be designed exactly to your requirements, perhaps including little extras you hadn’t thought of too, an element of surprise to a given theme. Events by Knight are both event planners and designers. The major benefit here is that we fulfill both roles, negotiating the best rates, terms and conditions, sourcing venues, caterers, entertainers, etc, but also styling each element to perfection. We’ll take our inspiration from your ideas on themes, visions, objectives, colour palette etc, and we’ll then work with you hand-crafting a bespoke event from start to finish.
Get in touch
Need some help with your event design? Not sure where to start? Get in touch with our dedicated team who will be able to chat things over with you.
Email: [email protected] or call +44(0)20 3130 4040
