Simon Thewlis of Event Pty Ltd is back with his third instalment about why the event organisation process is the same whether the guest list consists of 50 or 50,000 people…
“I tell people not to be constrained by traditional binary choices as there are often better ways to do things. For example…
Lighting
This is one of the simplest ways to help make any space look great. And this can be achieved with all sorts of light sources, not just theatrical lighting.
For the event we’ve been discussing, my approach was based on three elements:
- Table lights: A small spot pointing down at each table so people could see the food and each other easily. We made sure the colour of the light was flattering to skin tones (warm white and not a harsh daylight). This was important for the look of the food as well. It’s worth nothing you can also achieve this with an LED lamp on the table. And, in the end, we used small spots and the LEDs.
- A colour wash of the space: This can be a single colour or, as it was in our case, a couple
of colours. It gave the overall space some colour and set the mood. - Texture: We used lights with break up patterns so they would project both texture and colour across parts of the space.
Light can also be used to highlight features within the space. We were lucky to have some water features and trees around the marquee, which we lit.
Next, consider how you use light during different stages of the event:
- When the guests walk in: For us, this was the hero look of the space. We made the room
look the best it could – and used light to highlight the string quartet as well. - During dinner: There was more emphasis on the table lighting so everyone could see each other and their food. And it was a slightly different room look.
- The performance: The focus was on the stage and the performer. All other lighting was at a much lower level.
Tune in for part four – making everything seamless – next week…