8.3 Event Design
The next stage of event management entails designing the actual event. At this point, the budget, date, venue, purpose, stakeholders, and workflows have all been identified. Now all the small details must be planned. As each decision is made, it should be vetted against the budget and the purpose of the event. If the item doesn’t fit the budget or doesn’t strengthen the purpose of the event, consider eliminating it. In the event design stage, all planning may be done by a single event manager, as is often the case for smaller events. For larger events, design planning may be broken up among different planners or committees of planners.
Program Design
The first step in creating a strong event design entails designing a solid program, also known as an event agenda, program flow, event flow, or run of show. This provides a step-by-step agenda for the event from set-up to tear down. It also includes a small snapshot of what will happen at each stage of the agenda. The program design helps the planner to make additional decisions, such as determining how many chairs are needed in each room or which audiovisual equipment is required in each section. During the program design phase, the planner can also test out the realistic schedule of the event and make sure there is enough time built in for guests to move from room to room, eat, or take breaks.
Look at the program design for Mark and Kelly’s wedding.
Event Flow: Mark and Kelly’s Wedding
| Time | Description |
| 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | Load in florals, linens, tables, and chairs |
| 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. | Set florals in church and arrange chairs, linens, and centerpieces in the reception hall |
| 1 p.m. | Hair and makeup for the bridal party, groom’s party to dress |
| 2 p.m. | Catering arrives, priest/musician, and photographer arrive |
| 3 p.m. | Guest greeters at doors, ushers to walk guests to seats, musician playing, photographer to capture guests arriving |
| 3:45 p.m. | Bridal party to the staging area |
| 4 p.m. | The bride walks down the aisle |
| 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Wedding ceremony |
| 4:30 p.m. | Bride and groom leave for the reception, greeting area |
| 4:45 p.m. | Greet guests at the reception |
| 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Dinner service |
| 6 p.m. | Cake cutting |
| 6:30 p.m. | Dancing |
| 9 p.m. | Clean and remove event items |
Practice: Given this event flow, would you suggest any changes? Do you see any time allocations that could cause concern? Were any major pieces of the event left out?
Floor Plans
Once the event’s agenda is created, the event planner can start laying out the physical space. The floor plan is sometimes referred to as the “room schematic.” These are blueprint-type drawings of physical space that include the layouts of the requested tables, chairs, audiovisual equipment, the stage, and other furniture. The floor plan also identifies fire egress areas, doorways, and any architectural structures like columns or walls.
The floor plan enables the planner to visualize what the event will look like. It will also identify the maximum capacity for each room, which may limit the flow of guests or the number of tickets sold for an event. Floor plans are also useful to pre-plan how guests will move around a space. Forethought at this stage can help reduce bottlenecks and aid in drawing guests to key areas of the room. Once the floor plan is agreed upon by the venue, it needs to be distributed to other members of the event planning team. The floor plan will tell the venue staff how to set up the space for the event. It will also inform the audiovisual team where they can set their equipment so that it does not interfere with guest traffic. The catering team will need to know the location of their catering tables, and florists and other vendors may also need this information so that they can place their items correctly in the space.
The Impact on Room Layout on the Guest Experience
How rooms are designed can play a large role in how guests feel in space and can help support or distract from the goal of the event. If, for instance, the goal of the event is to learn from a keynote speaker, the room layout should support everyone seeing the speaker. With that goal in mind, theater seating works well. Theater seating resembles that in a movie theater, with rows of chairs facing forward. In this layout, guests are positioned with their focus forward. This layout would be perfect for a keynote presentation. However, if the goal of the event is networking, theater seating would be the wrong layout. Imagine trying to walk around and meet people in a movie theater. For a networking event, the layout would best be a combination of open space and high tables. In this layout, guests would have the space to move around and have conversations with various-sized groups of people. To encourage guests to move around in a networking space, it also helps to have food on one side of the room and drinks on the other side. Guests will have to move around the room to eat and drink and will meet more people organically as a result. Utilizing room layouts to maximize the guest experience is the hallmark of a seasoned planner.
Catering
Not all events include catering, which entails serving food and drink to guests. Those events that do, however, need special attention. Any event that extends over normal mealtimes should include food. Additionally, any event that provides alcohol should also provide food as well as non-alcoholic options. The quality and service of food can make or break an event’s outcome. Asking guests to wait too long before they eat or not planning enough time for meal breaks can leave guests upset. Conversely, meal breaks that are too long may leave guests bored and disengaged from the rest of the programming. Catering requires careful timing and involves a series of decisions, including what type of service to use (buffet, table service, or passed around food trays, for example), dietary concerns, guest preferences, and corporate social responsibility. If many guests need to be served quickly, a buffet line may be useful. Guests can serve themselves from large platters of food set in a line format. If the event is more formal, a plated service that entails servers bringing food to seated guests may fit the theme better. Plated service also works well when guests are required to eat through part of the program, such as during long award ceremonies. Plated service reduces the number of guests who get up to move during the program and keeps them seated and focused on the programming.
Catering Risks and Considerations
Food allergies should serve as a core concern when offering catering at an event, as they present a risk liability. Food allergies, in fact, can prove life-threatening. Additional risks associated with serving food entail guests choking on the food, getting burned by hot liquids or plates, and overconsuming alcohol. These risks can be mitigated by the risk management plan that comes later in the planning process. However, dietary restriction information should be gathered from all guests, given to the catering department in advance, and all food should be clearly labeled. It is also important to know your guest demographic when selecting food items. Certain religions have dietary restrictions that need to be followed. Catholics, for example, do not eat meat (other than fish) on Fridays during Lent, and Muslim guests will not eat pork. Additionally, certain cultures have food preferences in terms of spice level or common ingredients. Consider the guests who will be eating the food when selecting menu items. Part of hosting well entails anticipating guests needs and wishes.
The food and beverages served at events can also support or hurt a client’s brand reputation, or their corporate social responsibility. The food selected should enhance the event and stay true to the client’s values. For example, if the theme of a fundraising event is “Under the Sea,” serving oysters for the appetizer and fish for the main course, and a cake with blue frosting for the dessert makes cohesive sense. Conversely, if the theme of the event is to raise funds to save coral reefs, the menu goes against the values of the client and would confuse, or worse, upset the guests. For events focused on promoting sustainability or green energy, locally sourced ingredients and food products can enhance and highlight the values of a client’s brand. Because everyone needs to eat, high quality food and service at an event can prove vital to its success. Additionally, food needs to support the individual guest’s dietary, religious, or cultural needs. Good event managers can juggle all these requirements while using food to enhance the theme of the event while staying on budget.
Audio Visual
The audio-visual needs of an event include the lighting, sound amplification, projection, internet bandwidth, recording, and streaming. The size and configuration of a room and the number of people expected to occupy a space will dictate the audiovisual (AV) requirements of the event. As with other services, AV should enhance the guest experience and stay true to the purpose of the event. Guests must be able to easily hear the event’s programming or else they may become frustrated or upset, and the value of the program will be lost to them. On the other hand, if the sound is too loud, guests may get a headache, earache, or other physical discomfort that triggers them to react negatively to the program. Either extreme may cause guests to leave and not return to your future events.
Lighting
Lighting can be used to strategically enhance portions of your event. Light tends to focus an individual’s attention. Spotlighting keynote speakers, key artwork, or signage around the room can draw your guests’ attention where you want it to go. Additionally, lighting can be used to set the mood of the room. Dark and broody light can be used to set a more elegant tone, while bright, colored, or flashing lights can get the crowd energized.
Video and Projection
Video and projection can be a large component of the AV plan for an event as well. Graphics, videos, and slideshows can help reiterate event messaging. However, producing graphics and videos can be time-consuming and costly, so these expenses should be built into both the budget and the workflow to ensure that they are ready to air the day of the event. Additional AV considerations include ensuring that the Wi-Fi bandwidth and the power supply of the facility are ample enough for the needs of the event. AV companies can also provide specialty services like laser light shows, fog machines, and point-of-sale systems. Good event planners will loop in the AV providers early in the planning process to ensure that the venue and event flow will accommodate the needs of the AV team.
Additional Guest Services
A planner may decide to employ a host of additional guest services to ensure the success of an event. There are guest-specific services that help to make attendance at the event as hassle-free as possible. Planners may arrange for ground transportation. This might be specialty transportation from the airport to the event location or from a host hotel to the event location. Planners may also arrange for additional tours or discounted tickets for guests who wish to visit local tourist attractions or discounts to local restaurants. In-venue services can also improve guest experiences. These might include on-site childcare, nursing rooms, or cell phone charging stations. All these additional guest services help to make guests feel more valued and make attending the event easier.
Entertainment Services
Planners might also book entertainment services. Keynote speakers, motivational speakers, and other influencers can be booked for events. Musicians and bands can also be hired either as the featured performer or as background music during networking events. Entertainers such as face painters, balloon twisters, or acrobats can add a special flair to events. Additionally, a planner might consider purchasing branded swag items to give away or sell at events.
Traditional Guest Services
Traditional guest services should also be considered when suited to the budget and goal of an event. These range from providing flowers and specialty linens to stage design and photography. Professional photos of events can be used for future event marketing as well as thank you posts for sponsors and attendees. Guest photo booths can be rented as a fun side activity as well.
Which additional services a planner arranges may depend on the budget and whether the service adheres to the purpose and vision of the event. These services can greatly enhance guests’ experience. They can create lasting, memorable moments and provide marketing materials for future events. Good planners should consider how to incorporate extra, unexpected, and memorable moments during this stage of the planning process.
Attributions
- Figure 8.5: ‘Table Dressing’, United States, New York, New York City, by Chris Ford, is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
- Figure 8.6: Example floor plan/layout, by Angela Senter, is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
- Figure 8.7: Theater Style Seating, by Angela Senter, is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
- Figure 8.8: Buffet Lunch, by Open Grid Scheduler, is licensed under CC0.
The order of operations for an entire event or for specific portions of it. ROSs typically include the location, people involved, materials or supplies needed, AV cues, and timing.
The schematic drawing of a room, done to scale, that shows where furniture, architectural elements, and audiovisual elements will be.
A business approach that integrates social and environmental concerns into company operations and strategies, encompassing sustainability, philanthropy, community engagement, and ethical practices.
The audio visual or AV needs of an event include the sound amplification, lighting, projection, and video aspects. AV companies can provide the needed equipment, including staging equipment and specialty technology like fog machines, ATM machines, and additional internet bandwidth.
