Planning an event requires skill, detailed preparation, and execution of many elements that must dance in harmony as one. It is your job as an event planner to set the stage for this dance, and no matter what the theme, selecting the proper decor will set the tone, the ambiance and the overall vibe of the event. Whether it is a corporate event or week long music festival, when your audience walks into the event they should be instantly be transported into the soul of the experience, without having to ask any questions.
In most situations, there are two main aspects of an event an event that you want to base your decoration ideas on.
1. Event Type
2. Event Theme
A great example of an event that has a type and theme is Burningman. Burningman is an arts and music festival that takes place in the Black Rock desert in Nevada each year and is considered by many to be the biggest party of the year, with numbers that reached 68,000 in 2013. At the end of the week long festival an effigy of a man in burned – hence the name Burningman.
Each year Burningman selects a theme for the event and much of the event décor is based around this. For example at Burningman 2013 the theme was Cargo Cult. According to Wikipedia, the definition of Cargo Cult is (in the Melanesian Islands) a system of belief based around the expected arrival of ancestral spirits in ships bringing cargoes of food and other goods. The man is a typical focal point for the event décor at Burningman and this particular theme inspired event planners to build a man that stood proudly on top of a flyer saucer, an epic salute to the event theme of Cargo Cult.
In addition to the event décor of the man, Burningman also incorporated the theme into the event landscape by using street names for specific areas such as Interstellar, Airstrip and Extraterrestrial. This is great example of making sure that you take a close look at every element of the event to see where you can incorporate event decor.
Event decor can create an unforgettable experience that will keep your guests talking about your event for years to come. Whether your event type is a music and arts festival like Burningman, or a fund raising gala in honor of breast cancer, creating event décor around an event theme is the perfect formula for event planning success. In order to achieve a long lasting effect to event attendees, make sure that you had that wow factor. Pay full attention to detail and get creative in the smallest of things. See what you can do to transform the event venue into something spectacular.
