Whether it’s to entertain clients, reward staff, or launch a new product, the choice of venue plays a critical role in your event’s success. Kathy Davies provides some invaluable advice on how to bring your space to life
Establishing your budget
Big-ticket items such as venue hire, catering and transport will dominate your budget, so it’s important to establish from the outset just how much money will be left in the pot for décor. As a guideline, £1,000 is a good absolute minimum to work with on any venue-dressing project.
In-house benefits
It’s a good idea to have an early conversation with your venue to ask what extras can be included within the hire cost. Many places will have chair covers available, along with glass centrepieces for table arrangements, so it’s definitely worth negotiating for a little added value at the venue selection stage.
Available space
If you have a healthy budget in excess of £1,000, the first consideration will be the size of the different areas to be used in relation to the expected number of guests. For example, will the drinks reception room offer lots of scope for creativity, or will space be at a premium, meaning there’s little room for the positioning of large props to create stunning visuals?
Key focal points
For more spacious venues, concentrate on creating interesting focal points rather than feeling the need to fill every available area. An impressively themed doorway leading into your dining room offers more visual impact than a number of smaller props dotted around the room.
Strategic use of props
When there is scope for larger set pieces to be used, think in terms of pockets of props. By grouping them in strategic locations you’ll give the impression of being inside a themed setting , thereby drawing in and engaging with your guests.
Screen savings
If your event is to incorporate an AV set, investigate how the on-screen visuals and lighting already in place can be used inexpensively to establish or support your theme. You may also wish to consider plasma screens as a great way of introducing coloured, moving theming that creates a living feel.
Light fantastic
Never underestimate the power of great lighting. If you are fortunate enough to have the kind of budget that will allow you to completely transform the room, think about using silk draping from the ceiling lit by LED coloured lighting. You can sweep moving lights around the room, projecting your company branding and highlighting giant set pieces of scenery and props. Then add glittering LED table centrepieces. Or frame your entrance doorways with fabrics, using lighting to draw your guests through prop archways and on to a sparkling crystal carpet runway to create real wow factor.
Table power
Not everyone can give completely free rein to their imagination and achieving a great look need not be expensive, particularly if you have a room that will be virtually filled by dinner tables anyway. In such cases, adding solid decor objects to the walls is a waste of money. The greatest visual impact will be created by the tables themselves. So opt for stunning LED-lit centrepieces and elegant coloured linens, supplemented simply with architectural lighting, shining LED colour washes up the walls.
Style on a shoestring
If your décor budget has been squeezed to the absolute minimum, you can still maximise impact by adding some sparkle to the other visual elements of your event, such as themed coloured cocktails or branded cupcakes. If you make sure that the theming and styling of your event is on the agenda right at the early planning stage, you’ll be amazed at what can be achieved with just a little creative thinking.
Kathy Davies is a Director of EMC, the specialist event planning division of corporate event specialist KDM Events. EMC was set up to assist those tasked with organising more complex corporate events, for whom event planning is not a core part of their role. Find out more at events-meetings-conferences.co.uk
