Development Of Event Design

Event Design Model

Development of Event Design does not take place in one go. It is a process that starts from the event idea which is developed into an event concept and placed into the wider event environment, in a way, leading to the development of event design. All events start with an idea. A unique idea can initiate the whole series of subsequent creative activities and enables to identify a theme.

Event Concepts

Event Concepts are different from event ideas in the sense that event concepts are clear statements. They become the foundations on which the entire event structure [Design] could be erected. Finding answers to 5 ‘W‘s [Who, What, Why, When and Where] allow us to transfer the event idea to event concept. The transformation stage of event idea to event concept is a perfect time for the event manager to determine if the idea is feasible and viable. Description of the 5 ‘W’s are:

• • Who: “Who” refers to the type of audience for whom the event is designed. It not only considers the type of audience but also the internal and external stakeholders who have invested interest in the event. Stakeholders include corporates, entrepreneurs, sponsors, suppliers, venues, students, volunteers etc.
• • What: The “What” factor refers to what the event is all about or what it contains as offering. This primarily describes the content of event and will be relevant for framing goals and specific objectives.
• • When: “When” means the timings of an event. This factor is not as simple as it looks. Decision on the perfect timing is a critical factor in determining the event performance. It takes internal and external environmental factors into consideration. The factors considered include – availability of venue, other similar events in the market, requirements of all the stakeholders, availability of audience, suppliers availability etc.
• • Where: “Where” refers to the location of the event. Selection of location is done keeping into consideration the requirement of event objectives, stakeholders’ requirements and event design elements. The “where” component along with the meeting of the above mentioned requirements, are greatly dependent on the budget allocated. 

Theme Of The Event

The Theme Of The Event should be linked with the purpose. It should be completely compatible with the guests’ needs and consistent in all respects. The theme of the event provides integrity and unity. In the Olympic Games the 5 rings are used on tickets, Posters, Playgrounds, Merchandise Flags, Uniforms, Décor etc. This technique helps attendees to identify the event with the theme. Many wedding planners adopt a color scheme or in a product launch, a logo that is repeated on all items produced for the event, such as cards, bags, t-shirts, mugs, gifts, decoration and posters is used.

There can be endless number of themes depending upon the event planner’s imagination and the size of the clients’ pocket. Some of the themes could be Rural, Urban, Historical, Traditional, Contemporary, Western, Regional [Like Rajasthan etc.], Heroes, Sporting, Film/Music, Artistic, Food, Objects [Like Flowers, Boat, Animal, Utensils, and Birds], Color and Color Schemes, Materials and Fabrics, Jungle, River and so on.

While developing a theme an event planner must come up with ideas which suit the customer’s requirement and venue selected. It should be unique and within the budget. No theme is good or bad; its creative use may turn the event as a unique, most liked or memorable event.

Once we have developed the event concept, theme and event objectives which could be simple or complex depending on the type of the event, number of stakeholders involved and size of the event, the event manager along with her/his team starts working further on the layout, décor and aesthetics to go in line with the theme, objectives and requirements of the stakeholders. This leads to the development of Event Design. Event design thus communicates the theme and creates the event environment along with food and entertainment, all flowing in harmony. Event designing is about all the elements that go into the event that contribute to the experience the guests have of it; for example, the theme, the décor, the ambience of the venue, the lighting, the music, the furniture arrangement, the entertainment, the props etc.

Logistics

Logistics which is the third component in the Event Design Model is defined as the discipline of planning and organizing the flow of goods, equipment, services and people to their point of use. Canadine defined logistics as: “The detailed organization and implementation of a plan or operation“. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport [UK] define logistics as, “The time-related positioning of resources to meet user requirements“ where resources may be transport, storage, information, flow of customers and customer services.

 

The 5Cs Inherent To The Process Of Event Design

The first is Conceptualization of the creative idea ambience followed by Costing i.e. calculation of cost of production and margins on the event. Canvassing for the clients/sponsors, customers/audience and networking is the next step. Depending on the customers’ needs and marketing objectives, Customization of the concept is required. Finally, the most important part of event management is the execution of the event as planned. This activity is termed as Carrying Out of the event. A complex interaction between the various Cs takes place before the carryout stage, and this depends upon the client’s requirements, constraints caused by the budget and so on. The final concept that will be actually carried out, is a derivative of a series of modifications to the initial concept after accommodating changes required for a perfect fit amongst all other Cs during the conceptualization process.

 

Relationship Of Stakeholders

An event does not operate in isolation. It is an outcome of team effort which has an involvement of various stakeholders. Hence this is a major factor affecting event design. These stakeholders foster a relationship with each other which goes beyond the life of the event. Thus, the process of event design starts with the identification of stakeholders.

There has to be a strong relationship amongst stakeholders. For example, if co-workers [Suppliers and Vendors] are not satisfied with the past treatment of the host organization they might not willingly support the event. Similarly the participants might not support a particular event. Consent of participants is sought through market research. Once the stakeholders are identified and the host organization is ready with the event concept, a meeting is called with all stakeholders. In the meeting the event concept is introduced, subsequent to which, creative and innovative ideas start floating. At this time the event manager does not evaluate the idea; rather the objective is to have as much ideas as possible, in the area of expertise of the stakeholders. This works well, when the host organization is very clear with event concept. Else, the flood of ideas sometimes deviate the purpose of event and the event fails to deliver the experience that it intends to do.

The flow of synergy of ideas means one person building on the idea of another until a solution is reached. The final idea is the idea which is accepted as the right/most appropriate idea by everyone. Like any other product or service, the success of an event depends on the right segmentation and targeting of customer. An event organizer has a team of workers and getting work done as per the requirements of the client and target audience is a huge task. Hence, the ideas of each worker to develop a concept of an event should be in synergy with the client’s concept and audience fit. The success of the Client-Concept-Audience fit depends on the proper segmentation of the client and on this basis, one can proceed to segmentation of target audience. If the event organizer lacks one or more necessary competencies in bringing the synergy of ideas, the client and target audience will automatically be unsatisfied. There has to be unity in diversity. The ultimate aim of the event team is to serve and satisfy the client and build an image of the event company in the market. If there is synergy of ideas, the event organizers can do wonders in the event industry as well as earn name, fame and good profit.

 

Creativity And Innovation In Event Design

Creativity is the skill on which the event industry capitalizes. Many times people use creativity and innovation interchangeably, as these are the most essential aspects of Event Design. However, on one hand, where creativity is about creation and harnessing new ideas, innovation, on the other hand is taking new ideas and developing them into something useful and practical. Unlike creativity, innovation is very much measurable and replicable. Innovation is a productive process which requires money for the implementation of creative ideas. With the whole world striving for space of their own sector in the market, the elements of creativity and innovation have found all the more reason to be given due importance by different industries. Everybody looks for something new, something different. Presenting the same products in the same old style may not keep the customers attracted and retained with the product for long.

An event is a marketing tool and is professionally organized by an independent agency. The client sees an event in its entirety as a product or often as a service that is offered by the event organizer, as it is tailor-made or customized for that particular client. This requires one to be creative and innovative in order to be delivered at its excellence. The event designer uses the ability of artistic depiction in both the spheres – Product as well as Service to craft event objectives so as to deliver an impressive customer experience. To develop a creative concept, to keep the viewer interested and to make them want to take a closer look, the event planner should have creative skills. It is known that creative individuals are always assumed to be the most successful professionals in the field of event planning, as they are responsible to create the ‘Wow‘ factor.

Creativity

Creativity is the ability to think ‘Out Of The Box‘ to generate new and imaginative ideas and convert them into reality. This quality requires a person to perceive the world in new ways. Creativity in other words is about unleashing the potential of the mind to conceive new ideas. Many times we say that some people are more creative than others. With their creativity, they are able to present ideas which are fresh and novel. However, in order to generate new and fresh ideas, the person should also have knowledge in the field.

Creative concept has something to do with originality, novelty, worthwhileness and unexpectedness. Any event planner’s work that makes people nostalgic, happy, excited or start a conversation shows that the event planner is surely creative.

Creative Event Planners Manifest Certain Characteristics:

• • They indulge in divergent thinking and use a sense of humor.
  • They have innovative ideas.
  • They have the capability to prove themselves and possess intensions to grow.
  • They always believe in doing something extraordinary.
  • They are ready to undertake risks.
  • They have the will to do something that is uncommon.

Hot Attractions

Hot Attractions: Event planners should be aware of hot attractions where special events could be organized or which could be marketed as a destination for marriage, meetings, conferences, incentives, tours, exhibitions, award ceremonies and for many other events. There are many destinations which are used for different events. Few such examples are hosting Film Fare Awards in Dubai, Marriages at Bangkok, Exhibitions at Singapore, Conferences at Goa and so on.

An event expert requires collecting information related to certain destinations in India and outside India. The information can be collected either through authentic sources such as Tours and Travel Agencies, Websites, Guide Books, Destination Marketing Agencies/Organizations or by attending some events whenever the opportunity comes. The event expert can collect as much information as possible related to destination, packages, offers from various airlines, hotels, caterers, florists, promotional companies, public relation agencies or freelance communication experts, designers along with entertainment groups etc.

Few Of The Hot Attraction Places In India And Abroad That Are Utilized For Various Events Are:

• • Rajasthan: Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.
  • Andhra Pradesh: Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
  • Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Kanyakumari and Kodaikanal.
  • Orissa: Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack and Puri.
  • Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Baroda and Saurashtra.
  • Australia: Perth and Melbourne.
  • Thailand: Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui.
  • Mauritius: Port Louis, Waterfront and Le Morne.
  • Singapore: Sentosa.
  • United Kingdom: London, Glasgow and Liverpool.

Likewise there are infinite hot attractions in almost every state of India and every country.

Many of such destinations are rich in tradition, culture, ancient architecture, natural beauty, religious places, regional cuisines and handicrafts. Such places become a hub for fairs, festivals, conferences, meetings and exhibitions. All these characteristics make a destination a hot attraction and offer opportunities for the event planner to organize special events uniquely.

Heritage To High-Tech

Many clients want to enjoy heritage along with culture and application of latest technologies. Technology plays a fundamental role in experiential marketing today and executing ideas, with the use of 3D printing, use of videos, live streaming, drones and motion sensing devices, to name a few. This has given scope for more creative event campaigns today. Event planners should plan events in such a way so that they can provide their client an environment where besides feeling the development of technology in a place, the client also gets the feel that technology is becoming an integral part of events.

Many places are on the world’s map with hard work of government, administrators, business sector people in preserving the heritage and bringing latest developments in these Hi-Tech places. Few examples of heritage to Hi-Tech States are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Such places that are culturally rich as well as changing the face of events with the help of modern technologies and ever growing research and development are preferred by event planners for execution of events.

 

Use Of Technology For Creativity

Technological environment is perhaps the most dramatic force now shaping the destiny of events. Event Planners who are tech savvy are ahead of the game and their competition. Being on top of the technology and the latest communication devices can give event planners a competitive advantage. Event planning companies today are investing time and money in updating technological skills, knowledge and equipment and discovering the secret of the value it adds to their companies and their clients. Event planners who use technology as a tool to help them streamline their operation procedure, provide better response time to the guests and up-to-the-minute reports for their clients. They are positioning themselves to be able to spend more time in Research, Program Development, Exploring Creative Options and Serving successfully to the satisfaction of clients.

Technological innovations such as mobile applications for events, portable photo options for events and technologies for event managers to check out destinations and venues without having to involve physical travel, to name a few, will be useful for future event managers. Virtual meetings, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, video and audio streams are already commonplace today and are being used more and more frequently in training sessions, in-house product launches, briefings and company presentations. To add further, the Event Industry in India today has already started evolving in the technology era with modern, unique devices and by using 4D technology, using 3D Activities, Holograms and Other Forms of Immersive Technology. 3-D Hoardings and Digital Giant Video Screens are an awe-spectacle sure way of attracting audiences. These are becoming economically viable and more easy to program. Unique solutions using 4D Technology are gaining popularity. For example, by using 4D technology, the Marriott Hotels take their guests on virtual tours and adventures to major beautiful cities and warm beaches. Since technology is enabling the event industry to provide more sensory experiences, brands are increasingly incorporating it into their experiential marketing campaigns through events that are using technology creatively and innovatively.

E-commerce and Web casting is being incorporated within media planning for events. Simulation and visualization techniques help in designing event concepts. The muscle added at the conceptualization stage would allow event organizers to evaluate concepts, offer unbelievable variations to their clients and will enable in getting costing done and suppliers for the same immediately. As technology advancements continue, event planners should be alert for products that will further enhance their productivity and be of benefit during on-site event coordination.

 

The Seven Facets Of Event Design

There are seven facets of Event Design wherein the Event Designer has the opportunity to introduce unique elements. The Event Designer needs to work on the activities of each facet to create an event environment in line with Event Concept.

• • Theme Design is the application of theme development principles and cultural iconography to communicate and integrate the purpose, message, image, and branding of the event project.
• • Content Design consists of the selection of the appropriate topics, formats, and presenters to achieve the communication objectives and educational obligations of the event project.
• • Program Design concerns the formation and choreography of the agenda of activities, elements, exhibits, and amenities that shape the composition of the event experience. This addresses the ceremonial, hospitality, and communication requirements of the goals and objectives of the event project.
• • Environment Design involves the creation or acquisition and arrangement of décor items, props, furnishings, decorative embellishments, way finding and signage systems to enhance the attractiveness and functionality of learning, marketing, ceremonial, and entertainment environments.
• • Production Design deals with the incorporation, sourcing, and selection of the appropriate sound, lighting, visual projection, multimedia, special effect, other theatrical elements and services to meet the communication objectives, and to create the desired impressions and ambience of the event project.
• • Entertainment Design encompasses the sourcing, selection, and control of suitable entertainment, ancillary programs, and recreational activities in an event project. It also encompasses the coordinating of support requirements for entertainers and activities in a manner that delivers the desired entertainment experience, and that benefits the audience and organization.
• • Catering Design includes the determination of suitable catering operations and the selection of the menus, quantities, and service styles to meet the food and beverage (F&B) needs of the event. This also includes specific requirements associated with the serving of alcohol.

 

 

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