Think Like an Interior Designer: Five Tips to Make Small Event Space Look Bigger
EVENT DESIGN
Not everyone can afford the event space of their dreams, but with a few simple tricks based in the science of depth and size perception, you can make the most of an undersized room.
Hide the corners
Corners define the boundaries of our space. Place (simple) displays in the corners to trick the eye into glossing past these.
Use Colors to Push and Pull
Use color to deal with an irregularly-shaped space. You ve probably heard that lighter colors make a space look bigger, while darker colors make a space look smaller. It s also true that warmer colors look farther away, while cooler colors draw a plane close to the eye. As David Kent Ballast says in the Interior Design Reference Manual:
These principles can be used to modify the spatial quality of a room. For example, a long, narrow room can be widened by painting the end walls with a bright, warm color and by painting the side walls with a lighter, cooler color.
Less stuff, but bigger stuff
You d think small design accents would make an event space seem large in contrast, but they actually just create clutter. The best thing to do if you don t have a ton of room is to choose a few well-placed larger design elements and furniture. For example, go with six larger tables instead of ten smaller ones, minimizing centerpieces, or a single, striking accent display rather than several.
Draw the eyes upward
Heighten low-ceiling ed rooms by painting or decorating the ceiling with lighter colors or patterns (ever consider wall-papering up there?).
Spread the light around
A single light source in a room creates a single centralizing point, almost like a spotlight, which can make a small space feel even smaller as parts of the room fall into semi-shadow. Instead, use several sources of light spread around the space to pull the center of the room out to its own edges.
Noteworthy stats from 2015 s biggest event marketing study
EVERYTHING ELSE
We re just now getting around to giving the Event Marketing Institute s latest EventTrack study a look-see (shame on us this thing dropped in May), and
For those of you who aren t familiar with EventTrack:
The Event Marketing Institute and experiential marketing agency Mosaic released the fourth-annual EventTrack, the largest research on event marketing ever fielded. This groundbreaking annual study monitors the continual growth and expansion of the event and experiential marketing industry. Unique to EventTrack is its dual-channel format. Two research studies are created and fielded, one to brands across the Fortune 1000 and the other to thousands
of consumers. The result is an incredible pool of data that connects what experiential marketers are doing and why with how consumers react and buy.
Here s what caught our eye:
Good news: the industry is growing
A significant 79{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of the brand respondents say they will execute more event and experiential programs this year compared to last year. There s also this: Companies and brands are increasing their event and experiential marketing budgets by a healthy 6.1{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} in 2015. This is up from an increase of 5.4{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} found in the 2014 EventTrack study.
Event planners really, really need to facilitate social media
It s no surprise that 85{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of brands that they measure event success in total attendance and 58{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} said they measure that success in leads, a whopping 61{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of brands said that event success is measured in Facebook likes and social media posts. That means that regardless of whether or not more social media activity means more sales (we think it does, but hey), clients perceive it that way. The more your attendees post, the happier clients will be.
Young men are more likely to buy during an event
Sixty-five percent of consumers purchase the product or service promoted at the event or visit. This finding is up significantly from the 54{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} found in the 2014 survey. Males are more likely to buy at events and experiences than women, according to the cross-tabulated survey findings. The age range most likely to buy on-site are those between the ages of 25 and 35.
Free samples are king
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know, people like free stuff; in fact, 81{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of consumers said that giveaways are the primary motivator for event participation. But 78{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of also said that trying a product increases their liklihood of buying it. Combine those two statements, and we feel this confirms that freebies are still a powerful tool for driving sales at events.
Thanks EMI and Mosaic, we look forward to next year s write-up.
Event Logistics, Freight and Shipping: Questions to Ask When Choosing a Provider
EVENT INDUSTRY, TIPS & TRICKS
Organizing a large-scale event often means ensuring that bulk amounts of oversize items arrive on location, right on time. Considering that precision is so vital to a successful event, it follows that contracting a sloppy logistics company can quickly turn into a nightmare. Here are a few vital questions you should ask before you sign that contract:
Can I speak to some of your clients?
This one s a no-brainer: reputable logistics companies should have dozens of clients with solid recommendations who are willing to vouch for the company s timeliness and follow-through. Naturally, no one s going to give you names of unhappy customers, so it also makes sense to Google around and check reviews online to make sure there haven t been any major complaints. If you do find bad reviews, don t be shy about having a what happened there? discussion with the company reps.
What technologies are you using?
Tech-forward companies are forward-thinking companies, and logistics providers that have the foresight and care to employ the latest tracking and communications tech are more likely to have a better handle on where your stuff is at any given time. It s a good idea to ask when their back-of-the-house system was built, installed or updated. If the answer is more than five years ago , that should raise some eyebrows. You might also consider asking if they have an in-house IT guy or tech team, and whether or not they have a client-facing tracking portal, as a good provider will be able to keep you informed and relaxed with a system capable of providing to-the-minute updates on the location and condition of your stuff.
Have you shipped to our destination country before?
Did you know you re not allowed to import mineral water to Nigeria? That you can t bring electric fishing equipment into Lithuania without permits? Just because a provider has handled overseas shipping doesn t mean they ve got a handle on shipping to your specific destination. Every country has its own import laws, required documentation and shipping quirks, and if you need to move supplies internationally, you don t want any surprises on the other end. Ideally, your logistics provider will have a history of moving items to the destination country, will know the ins and outs of the local customs bureau, what types of items that country is likely to flag as problematic for cultural or legal reasons, any typical wait times in terms of cargo clearances, taxes and fees, and other place-specific issues.
Where are you going to store my stuff?
At some point during a long trip, it s likely your gear is going to be placed in storage. Tent sailcloth can get awfully moldy sitting in a poorly-cared-for facility, rats can chew on electrical cables, and in some places, warehouse theft is rampant. Get storage policies in writing, and make sure your provider clarifies how much liability they hold if your items are damaged, stolen, lost, or destroyed while sitting in a temporary holding space. And speaking of which
How can I verify your insurance policy?
No one wants to imagine the worst, but it does occasionally happen. Better to ask in advance: Does insurance cover the gear during each leg of the transportation process, or only some? What will happen in case of embargo? What is the process for filing a claim, if one is required?
Check all those boxes, and that ll be one more load off your mind.
Private Beta Alert: Blokks Plans to Make Festival Timetables Pretty & Embeddable
EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
A quick Thursday morning heads-up for event tech nerds: keep your eye on new micro-feature startup Blokks, which aims to tackle the event timetable.
As the event-tech market attacks ever more specialized problems, it was only a matter of time before someone turned their attention this famously pain-in-the-butt aspect of event website creation. Currently in private beta and featured on Betalist, Blokks aims to provide event planners with a drag-and-drop interface for creating multi-day, multi-feature time tables that can be embedded and shared anywhere. Here s the sneak-peek that got us excited:
Though the timetable is a necessary feature on event websites, organizers are still forced to rely on (best case scenario) specialized WordPress event themes and custom content management system plugins, or (worst case scenario) downloadable PDFs, to keep their online schedules tidy. In other words, the only real existing options are expensive or stone-age, so we can t wait to see the product that Blokks turns out.
Wanna be on the over to Blokks and sign up for their private beta to get exclusive early access (we did).
Event Tech Heads Up: New Eventbrite Features for WordPress
EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Ooh, new event tech. We recently got wind that Eventbrite has increased its compatibility and integration with both WordPress.com and self-hosted sites using WordPress.org, which is super exciting considering the number of event professionals that use Eventbrite as a ticket sales platform and need to deploy sites quickly.
A quick reminder for those of you who aren t super plugged in to the world of WordPressery: WordPress.com is the fully hosted version of WordPress, while WordPress.org is the self-hosted, get-your-hands-dirty, DIY version. Still don t get it? This chart illustrates the difference.
About the Eventbrite upgrades for WordPress.com:
Previously there were only a couple of themes that could be connected with Eventbrite, limiting what you were capable of doing with events on your site. That has all changed now! WordPress.com has just launched a new feature that lets you connect to Eventbrite using any theme you want. It s just as easy to connect your site to Eventbrite as it is to Facebook or Twitter by using Publicize.
This is huge news: it means WordPress.com users are not limited by themes that are created with events in mind. Now, event data can be placed inside of any WordPress.com theme. Three cheers there.
And for self-hosted sites using WordPress.org:
You can now choose from two WordPress.org themes specifically created for Eventbrite: the Eventbrite Venue theme to promote multiple events in a calendar view or the Eventbrite Event theme to promote a single event. There are two new plugins now available for Eventbrite too. Find out more information in their Plugin Directory here and here.
WordPress.org users are still a little bit restricted here in the sense that they must be sure to choose a theme that is known to be compatible with the Eventbrite API plugin if they want to be able to use all of the new features and functions. Here s the list of WordPress themes that are officially compatible:
- Twenty Fifteen
- Twenty Fourteen
- Twenty Thirteen
- Twenty Twelve
- Twenty Eleven
- Twenty Ten
- Bosco
- Chunk
- Coraline
- Edin
- Fictive
- Goran
- Ryu
- Sketch
- Sidekick
- Singl
- Superhero
- Sorbet
- Tonal
- Writr
Happy event tech-ing!
Six Killer Margarita Recipes for Cinco de Mayo Events
FOOD & CATERING
Man, come on science: get it together. You guys can t agree on anything. You don t know if red wine s good for me, you don t know where life comes from, and you ve got no idea who invented the margarita. Not that someone hasn t taken stabs at solving that mystery, though: the big brains over at the Smithsonian have narrowed it down to a few likely candidates:
One of the most prevalent stories is that Carlos Danny Herrera developed the drink at his Tijuana-area restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, around 1938. As the legend goes, Herrera dreamed up the cocktail for one of his customers, an aspiring actress named Marjorie King who was allergic to all hard alcohol other than tequila. To make the liquor more palatable to his fussy client, he combined the elements of a traditional tequila shot a lick of salt and a wedge of lime and turned them into a refreshing drink.
Another top contender for the inventor title is Margarita Sames, a wealthy Dallas socialite who claimed she whipped up the drink for friends at her Acapulco vacation home in 1948. Among her well-connected guests was Tommy Hilton, who eventually added the drink to the bar menu at his hotel chain.
Not that anyone at the party will care where they came from after knocking back a couple of these babies:
The Cuervo Margarita
No, it s not hand-squeezed and yes, it s branded as all get-out, but this is the alcoholic equivalent of the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe, and it is sacrosanct.
Smoky Watermelon Jalapeno Margarita
Who doesn t like a margarita with a little nuance? A little kick? Here s a fantastic drink from the Bolder Locavore blog. The recipe calls for hickory smoked salt for rimming the glass and in the end I used alderwood smoked salt for the finer grind.
The Mojitarita
Besides being delicious, drink is way up there on the fun-to-say scale, right alongside words like ballyhoo and brouhaha .
Beer Margaritas
Oh, I m sorry did you need me to say something about this? Because I m not sure what there is to say. It s a margarita, but it also has beer in it. It is a heavenly gift, and you should have one. And then you should serve them to your guests.
Grilled Grapefruit Margarita
This recipe s been floating around the net for a while, but if you re a fan of hard citrus, this thing takes the gold. A word of warning: this drink has a strong personality and will not please everyone, so you re gonna serve this sucker, you should probably have at least a few alternatives on the menu.
Pomegranate Frozen Margarita
Serving to a crowd of well-heeled upper crust, are we? This is a classy twist on a typically rowdy cocktail. Frozen margaritas can be problematic to make on a larger scale, so do ensure you ll have the freezer space available, or better yet, a margarita machine on hand.
Crowd Dynamics: How to Prevent (and Survive) a Human Stampede or Crowd Crush
TIPS & TRICKS
Human stampedes are tragically common in certain parts of the world, namely India, where heavy population density and a high tolerance for crowded spaces create gnarly conditions that can easily turn deadly. But stampedes and crowd crushes are by no means limited to the Third World, as shown by last year s New Year s Eve stampede in Shanghai, and the Germany Love Parade disaster of 2010.
Crowd safety expert Paul Wertheimer takes care to differentiate between a stampede and a crowd crush , pointing out that stampedes are usually created when a crowd is started or fleeing a danger or perceived danger, while a crowd crush is created by the press of human bodies on a central point or points.
How do these things happen?
It seems difficult to imagine how exactly these things occur, but make no mistake: crowds are dangerous. If the crowd is big enough, it can exert enough pressure to bend steel. While every situation is different, this documentary outlines the official findings from the Love Parade crush, during which left 21 people dead and scores more injured.
Scary. So how do you, the event manager, make sure these situations don t happen? And what do you, the living, breathing human that wants to stay that way, get out alive if they do?
How to prevent a stampedes and crowd crushes at your events
When it comes to crowd control, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Crowd panic often rises slowly, and there are plenty of break points in which you can ensure that things don t get out of hand. Ensuring that exits are clearly marked, that attendees are aware of safety procedures, and that maximum space capacities are adhered to can help ensure a safe event.
Researcher Jens Kraus, crowd evacuation and control method researcher, has been developing some new science that suggests that placement and manner of security personnel is critical:
Krause s team analyzed the behavior of 200 volunteers in an arena with a diameter of 50 meters. The arena could only be evacuated safely and quickly if the security personnel were posted in the corners of the arena or in the middle of the crowd. Only the personnel, and not the members of the crowd, knew that the aim was to evacuate those in the venue to a safe place on the edge of the arena. Krause illustrated his findings through computer animations.
He also found that there is no need for security personnel to be dressed in an identifiable uniform. As long as those in the crowd are aware that there is someone who will lead them to safety, the theory works.
The experiment worked quickly from the very start: the security personnel moved very determinedly and firmly to the edge of the arena. Although there was no verbal communication, the other members of the crowd recognized the resolute behavioral characteristics of the personnel and followed them intuitively. Behavior alone is enough for the crowd to recognize if somebody has certain information, Krause concludes in the study, which he will publish shortly.
If you re caught in a human stampede
In a recent interview on Safebee, Mr. Wertheimer urges those caught in a crush to be sure to stay on their feet, adopting a boxer s stance to maintain balance and keeping hands up by your chest to protect your breathing space. He goes on to say:
Use the accordion technique to weave your way to safety. When a crush surge passes, a lull will likely follow, says Wertheimer. Crowd surges are like waves along the shore. They move back and forth. In between the tide, there is a moment of calm. That is when you make your moves. So, it won t be a straight line to safety and comfort. Your exit route will use the weave technique as you move in and around people in zig-zap style, likely in a diagonal direction to the periphery and freedom.
Further Reading
Check out these related articles for more interesting forays into crowd control:
Music Festival Month Meets Throwback Thursday: Historical Photos of Glastonbury
LIVE EVENTS
The first-ever Glastonbury Festival was held in 1970, one day after the death of Jimi Hendrix. Now, 45 years later, Glastonbury 2015 rages on. Running from June 24-28 this year, Glastonbury s line up includes Patti Smith, The Who, Kanye West, The Chemical Brothers and Ryan Adams. We dug around in Glastonbury s historical galleries and hand-picked some cool photography and interesting artwork from the library.
1971
The second-ever Glastonbury festival saw an attendance of 12,000 people.
Pyramid under Construction by Peter Ball
It was in this year that the first pyramid stage was constructed out of scaffolding and expanded metal covered with plastic sheeting, built on a site above the Glastonbury-Stonehenge ley line.
The pyramid stage would go on to become an enduring symbol of the festival
1979
1982
by Jason Pring
1983
A long way from 1971 View Of Pyramid Stage And Tents
by Stuart Thorpe
1985
It rained at Glastonbury 1985, turning the parade ground into a huge mud pit.
1989
And suddenly, punks:
The group s spot. You don t get that much space these days, I m sure.
by Matty
1993
Rave culture is in full-swing in 1993, as this group of festival goers party under a parachute.
Dropzone
by Clive Moore
2002
By 2002, festival attendance was at 100,000. This is what Glastonbury 2002 looked like from the air:
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_210700.jpg)
Arial view, Glastonbury, 2002
2005
The morning after the storm on Thursday night, taken from the old railway track
by rachel osborne
2007
The pyramid stage isn t the only Glastonbury tradition: braving the mud in a set of wellies has become a traditional Glastonbury experience.
2015
Bringing us, finally, to the present. Glastonbury organizers posted this instagram shot of the pyramid stage going up for its 45th year:
Five Great American Breweries that Double as Event Spaces
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
The popularity of craft beer has skyrocketed over the last five years or so, and we ve seen hundreds of amazing brew pubs, tap rooms and public houses open across the United States. Breweries make ideal event venues: the raw brick and industrial metal aesthetics are great, the ceilings are typically high and airy, and oh, yeah, attendees can throw back gallons of delicious made-on-site craft ales. Here are a few of our favorite American breweries available for private party rental.
Brooklyn Brewery, New York
One of the more recognizable craft brews in the US, the 4,000sqf Williamsburg-based Brooklyn Brewery is available for after-hours events and has a max capacity of 200. Event amenities include up to 10 draft lines of Brooklyn beer, up to 3 large format Belgian-style Brooklyn beers, tables & benches and A/V equipment .
Angel City, Los Angeles
With a 230 person standing capacity (130 for table seating), Angel City Brewery offers a grand, private space that sits perpendicular to the Brew House, perfect for private or special events. Consider the Beer Hall an open canvas, as it can be tailored to fit any event needs. It has its own 12-tap bar, moveable stage with PA system, customizable chalk-board painted restrooms and room for games or activities. The Beer Hall boasts seven industrial garage doors that open to the parking lot and allow LA s best food trucks to serve food to inside guests.
Nightshift Brewing, Everett MA
Massachusetts friendly home-town brewery Night Shift is one of the smaller venues on this list, but it s got great decor and fantastic beer. Events can include private brewery tours and tasting, plus fresh beer flights for attendees.
Sweetwater Brewing, Atlanta GA
Sweetwater Brewery has the event organization stuff down, with two event spaces, The Tasting Room and The Reel Room, which capture the energy and atmosphere of the brewery, brand and mission. The Tasting Room has a capacity of 650, with 450 for the Reel Room. Pricing includes Two hours of set up time prior to guests arrival, 3 hours of event rental, and 1 hour for event clean up/breakdown, plus Sweetwater tastings for all guests in conjunction with free brewery tours, featuring the SweetWater year-round selections and Catch N Release series depending on availability. Complimentary guest parking is also available, and in terms of A/V, they ve got streaming SIRIUS music, screens, and iPod connections. Grab their PDF one-sheet here.
Red Hook, Portsmouth NH & Woodinville WA
Another event venue rental and brewing veteran, Red Hook has two U.S. locations in New Hampshire (here s the PDF event packet) and Washington State. The Washington location has two event spots, one inside (PDF info) and one outside (PDF info).
Throwback Thursday: Five Early Event-Industry Patents from the Wayback
EVERYTHING ELSE
Event production doesn t exist in a bubble, but rather skates the edges of many different fields: stage design, audio-visual, marketing, catering, and a dozen other things, and its advancement has been dependent on the evolution of technology in its sister industries. This #tbt, we take a peek into a couple event industry patents from days past.
Stage Design & Effects
When the entertainment industry collided with the industrial revolution, new technologies were quickly incorporated into stage design and theatrical special effects. U.S. Patent number 1,332,918, filed in 1919 by Roy J. Pomeroy, is an awesome example of pre-digital machinery created to enhance performance visuals:
My invention related to a new and useful improvement in a theatrical device where in a framework in the form of a hollow sphere is to be rotated and in which there is a stationary platform on which will be placed one or more dancers. The framework may all be painted various colors or part of the framework may be silvered and other portions of the framework my be shaded or colored so that when the sphere is rotated at two or three hundred revolutions per minute it will appear as if it were a huge bubble of a myriad of colors, in which an artist or a number of artists are seen to perform, and thereby provide a very spectacular effect.
Food & Catering
One of the earliest examples of mobile catering as we know it is from this 1961 patent for improvements on the mobile catering truck. Though we know mobile catering was around long before this patent took effect, it was fraught with problems that this new design sought to solve.
in managing trucks heretofore the operator would merely drop the side panels of the truck and stand back to collect as the customers crowd around trying to serve themselves. This results in inefficient operation and lost time in serving the customer . [therefore] another object of the invention is to achieve more efficient control of catering truck operation by providing a truck with extendable cafeterial type table having a central opening in which an operator may stand while serving food.
Invitations & Ads
In the heyday of print advertising, clever design helped one event invitation stand out from the rest. This invitation card, created by Paul Furstenburg, leverages lo-fi human curiosity to drive engagement.
The object of the invention if used as an advertising medium is to provide a device which may not only be readily forwarded through the mails, but which will, upon receipt, so arouse the curiosity of the addressee that he will give the article a second thought and peruse the same instead of immediately depositing the same in the waste-basket.
Mobile Media Road Shows
In 1921, Swiss citizens Roger Juvet and Robert de Stoutz patented improvements in the exhibition car , an invention which provides a car for exhibiting goods and samples without repacking consecutively at different mercantile and industrial centers situated at a distance from each other.
Trade Shows
Portable pop-up display stands are a staple of trade shows and expo halls today. But while the idea seems pretty straightforward, these types of displays weren t actually invented until the portability craze of the mid-1970 s. It began around 1972-73 with Gerry Welton s display apparatus for exhibiting at trade shows and the like , and in 1974, Theodore Zeigler filed his first patent, number 3,968,808, a collapsible, self-supporting structure made up of a network of rod elements pivotally joined at their ends and forming scissors-like pairs .
Zeigler would later go on to found Nomadic Display, one of America s leading expo display firms, and fun fact! a Decibel Management vendor.
