Creating memorable events has always been our goal at Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC). Since I set up the company nearly three decades ago, we’ve strived to incorporate new ways to keep our guests entertained, engaged, and always wanting more. Over the years, we’ve seen many event trends come and go. Yet there’s one buzzword that has emerged in recent years that feels like a game changer in terms of guest engagement. The immersive event experience has transformed audiences into fully engaged participants, tapping into all the senses and emotions.
But what exactly is an immersive event experience? And how can you jump on the trend for your next corporate event?
What Is an Immersive Event Experience?
Immersive events go beyond a traditional corporate setup of a theatre-style audience and speaker with a PowerPoint presentation.
They are fully interactive. Plunging guests headfirst into an alternative reality through a range of creative tactics. It could be highly themed environments, technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality, themed activities, and the use of performers to interact with guests on a new level (never straying from character).
Creators of immersive events will carefully craft the entire event space to appeal to all the senses, which in turn connects with the audience on a deeper, more emotional level.
The Benefits of Immersive Event Experiences
Why do immersive events matter? They will capture your guests’ attention and imagination from the very moment they arrive. A fully captivated audience is invested in the event, and it’s easier for them to retain information – including any key business messages. You’re guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. It’s an event with impact that can evoke a powerful response.
The upshot of all of this is brand, customer, and staff loyalty. Whether it’s a product launch or an employee retainment and retention activation – give them a memorable and engaging experience and you’ll likely gain their trust, respect, and ongoing allegiance.
Examples of Immersive Event Experiences
A prime example is an immersive experience is the Van Gogh Exhibit in London: The Immersive Experience. Van Gogh’s artworks make their way out of the paintings and are projected onto the walls and ceilings of an immersive event space, making visitors feel like they were inside the artist’s creations (and mind). It connects people with his art like never before, including a new audience of children and families.
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama visited my hometown of Manchester last year with an exhibition entitled You, Me and the Balloons. It combined a similar approach yet with an added dimension of inflatable installations. Visitors journeyed through Kusama’s psychedelic creations of giant dolls, spectacular tendrilled landscapes, and a vast constellation of polka-dot spheres.
On a darker note, have you ever visited the London Dungeons (or indeed any of the regional versions}? This is the classic example of how multisensory elements can combine to fully engage the audience in an event experience.
Actors roam the set to usher visitors through a series of scenarios that surprise visitors. Creative set design mimics the tight streets and alleyways in London in days gone by. Dark, moody lighting adds to the uneasy ambiance. You’ll experience a torture chamber, a plague doctor’s morgue, witches, Sweeney Todd’s barber shop, and even Jack the Ripper culminating in ‘the drop,’ a thrilling ride made to simulate the fate that ended many at the hangman’s noose.
Technology, lighting, set design, multisensory elements, and role play immerse the guest from beginning to end.
How can the immersive event trend be used in corporate events?
Whether you’re planning a corporate event, a product launch, or a conference, embracing the principles of immersive experiences can help you create unforgettable moments that resonate with your audience long after the event is over.
There are three things I see as cornerstones to an immersive event. Suspend belief and transport your guests to a new space in their imagination. Engage with guests through interactive elements of the event. And, importantly, entertain them. All of this wrapped up in an event that meets your objective. So how do you do that?
For me, there are key aspects to consider in planning – what you see, touch, taste, smell, and hear. Yes, when I said earlier to appeal to the senses, I mean it literally. So, your event design should touch on these elements.
What You See
Theatrical sets or large screen backdrops transport the mind to a new place. VR and AR are big elements in this in 2024, and this will become more apparent over the next few years. Lighting is still key to setting the atmosphere and tempo. Place décor elements and theatrical props from your theme around the room. Use live actors in perfect characters to welcome guests. The service team dressed to reflect your theme. Have one main décor element that solidifies the styling. In my Stranger Things party, it was the famous Alphabet wall – iconic. Everywhere you look, even the smallest detail, should authentically scream your chosen theme.
What You Touch
Faux fur, velvet, silk – textured linens enhance the look and feel of a tablescape. Use these in seating too. And let’s talk invitation. Forget an email invite. Send a prop that begins your guest’s journey. Speakeasy party – send bow ties and feather boars with the invitation inside. Fairground theme? Send a printed ‘ticket to ride’ invitation with a bag of popcorn. You are encouraging engagement and interaction from the outset.
What you Taste
Mouthwatering dishes that reflect your theme and are presented with theatrical flair. Food from the era of your event perhaps? You want dishes to evoke a connection to your theme. As for drinks. Serve cocktails in everything BUT a glass. Really think creatively here.
What you Smell
For my fairground-styled party, complete with a bespoke revolving carousel bar, the aromas of popcorn and candy floss were introduced. The scent of early years fairground trips brings the room to life with floods of nostalgia. The scent is important and can also help define spaces. Use different scents in different areas of the event.
What you Hear
More than just incredible entertainment, this is a full sound production. Beach-themed party? You need the sound of the sea as people arrive through the beach hut entrance. Speakeasy cocktail party…we need 1920s jazz to set the era. Halloween …. the sounds of all the creepy things that go bump in the night!
And bringing it all together is the creative part. For example, in my Narnia party guests made their entrance through the doors of a giant wardrobe. Transported through an autumnal scene of leaves, trees, and fall scent, into a fantastical icy kingdom. The ice queen and real-life characters meet guests as they become immersed in the storybook world.
A Stranger Things party saw an interactive entrance completely separate from the main party space, designed to take guests on an immersive journey in the Upside Down.
If you manage a smaller event budget, you can still create an immersive experience. One example, don’t just have a bar at your next event, have an underground speakeasy. Have guests work out a password or enter through a fabricated clandestine entrance. Style the space with dark, decadent elements. Why not have the special police ‘raid’ the bar for added drama? Create signature cocktails themed and named around your company or brand. Charleston dance classes will get people involved.
And getting guests involved is a key element in an immersive event. Escape rooms, Crystal Maze-inspired challenges, a game show event, or something simple as a quiz.
The addition of innovative technologies now means that we’re also able to take immersive experiences to the next level. An easy way to add interactive elements is through VR or AR which can be set up to any theme, and relatively inexpensively. It’s a great way to have guests engage with the virtual world. A James Bond-style Monte Carlo casino night always adds a touch of glamour, but this time, add a VR experience to drive that famous Aston Martin on those picturesque mountain roads.
To conclude
Immersive event experiences are revolutionising the way we think about and engage with events. By focusing on engagement, memorability, emotional connection, and brand loyalty, these experiences offer a powerful way to captivate audiences and create lasting impressions. The possibilities are endless.
This step by step guide to Christmas party planning in July is a very helpful guide for PAs and EAs – you still have time to start but do’t wait till the autumn!
