Practical Events

ManagementLecture Five: Event Design

Lecture Overview

Defining Design

Design and Creativity in Events

Experience Design

Event Design

Themeing

Staging

The Venue

Programming

Entertainment

Defining Design

“design is a set of fields for problem solving that uses user-centric approaches to understand user needs to create successful solutions that solve real problems. Design is often used as a process to create real change within a system or market. Too often, design is defined only as visual problem solving or communication because of the predominance of graphic design”

(www.nathan.com)

Design and Creativity for Events

We have witnessed an increasing use of events as a marketing tool

Events are often utilised to project a certain image of a product or company

This may be for the purposes of increasing sales and/or increasing awareness

Events must be specifically designed to meet these goals Red bull air race Cancer Research UK race for life

Experience Design

Silvers (2004:5) suggests that in the event context “you are packaging and managing an experience. This means that you must envision that experience, from start to finish, from the guest’s point of view”.

Therefore, as event managers we should not just be concerned with the physical design of the event itself but the entire experience.

Jackson (2000) suggests that the main focus for experience design is to create desired perceptions, cognition and behaviour among users, customers, visitors and/or the audience.

However, we can only suggest what the experience might be.

Event Design

Is concerned with the actual physical design and delivery of the event

“event design is the creation, conceptual development and design of an event to maximise the positive and meaningful impact for the event’s audience and/or participants” (Getz, 2007:208)

Event Design

Event design consists of:

Theme Layout Décor Technical requirements Staging Programming Catering

Event Themeing

The themeing of an event is a major artistic and creative decision

The chosen theme must be relevant and of interest to the target market

It should permeate the consumer’s perceptions of the event from the outset

Goldblatt (1997) suggests that themes should appeal to all the senses: tactile, smell, taste, visual, auditory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7CdTAiaLes

Staging Event

The term ‘staging’ originates from the theatre

It is concerned with bringing all elements of the event together

This may refer to the overall event or a small part within a larger event e.g. Glastonbury

Links to project management

The Venue

The venue will determine many elements of the staging

Must be suitable for/able to be transformed to fit with the theme and meet consumer expectations

Main considerations when selecting a venue will vary depending upon the requirements of the event

Programming the Event

According to Bowdin et al., (2006) programming of the event will depend upon:

Expectations of the audience Constraints of the venue and

infrastructure Culture of the client and main sponsors Availability of elements of the staging and

their relationship to each other Logistics

Entertainment

Some final things to consider:

Contact with performers Staging requirements Availability for rehearsal, performance and

media attention Accompanying personnel Contracts and legal requirements Payment