Mar 19 2018
Encore Research

This week our lovely event stylists are sharing their top tips for a super styled festive season. From table decorations to the hottest colour schemes, get the tricks of the trade and use them in your own home. First up is our Sydney Event Stylist Joshua Mason. As well as his very hectic day job, Joshua is a freelance editorial stylist, nightclub promoter and writer on design, decor, fashion and travel for online publications such as Oyster, ninemsn, Does Not Equal and The Vine Online. Here he offers up his suggestions for Christmas decorations that will see you crowed the seasons most stylish. Into the Woods
This trend is all about fossicking about your local florist for all the things they use to jazz up an arrangement. Twigs, branches, moss, berries and pine cones combine with smart laser-cut tree silhouettes you’ll see everywhere in the shops. Go all out DIY and you’ll impress your guests with a unique table or mantelpiece of found, natural items warmed by candlelight. This season, I am just dying to pick up a genuine pine tree for my apartment to compliment the high ceilings and dress it with home-made balsa wood decorations. The overall style takes a little time to get right but looks effortless, charming and uncontrived. Festive Floral My friends, colleagues and clients alike would agree that I’m fairly obsessed with flora. There is just nothing better than an idiosyncratic arrangement in assorted vaseware on a table using rich colours and fragrant varieties. If you’re bereft of vases, get creative and use teapots, teacups, old cut-glass highballs or the base of a old candlestick. Peonies, calla lilies, berries and natives are the eclectic mix this season. No need for a florist, arrange it yourself! Arcadian Antiquity The old-world never, ever goes out of style and there are so many ways to make it work in even the most modern of homes. Look out for the décor with antique motifs, mercury glass, mottled gold and crystal. Dramatic black or white Christmas trees allow these elements to stand out and add a touch of the ostentatious. You will need to invest a little coin, but it’s an investment in a charming Christmas over and over again. Colour Pop & Bauble Brights I never would have thought it, but baubles are back and it’s as simple as a trip to your local department store or Christmas cave. Bright vibrant colours are this year’s direction with this style and you can dress everything from your tree, tabletop or chair. Glossy, matte, glittered and sequin baubles are a load of fun together, match them up in contrast ribbon. I would especially love mixing this up with hand-sprayed pinecones in complimentary colours. Feliz Navidad! Images sourced via Inside Out Magazine, Vogue Living, Belle Magazine, Bright Baazaar and DesignSponge Next to the (Christmas) table is Kelly Williamson our Perth Event Stylist. Kelly is a creative at heart with a keen eye for the next big thing. In the past she has worked as an Interior Designer at Laura Ashley, a Visual Display Consultant for Topshop and as a Researcher for a trend prediction company in the UK. Inspired by her children, history and creative people she adores all things vintage and quirky and describes her own personal style as eclectic. Here she shares her ideas of how to display Christmas cards. Christmas cards are something we all get a lot of, especially if we have children in school as they come home in a steady stream from the end of November. The problem with cards is that there are only so many surfaces we have in our homes that can accommodate them and every time you go running past them they all blow over! Now there’s only so many times you can pick them up without it driving you bonkers. So back to the point…the best way to combat this problem is to make a feature out of them, and what’s more as the cards you receive will vary from year to year your feature/display will always look different. It’s an inexpensive way of creating an bespoke piece of Christmas decor in the home, because as we all know Christmas decorations can be pricey! Frame it
Existing home decor such as frames and mirrors can be given a new look especially for the festive season by hanging a string or cards across or within the frame. A minimal and simplistic way of displaying your cards is amongst a string of Christmas lights. Simple yet very effective! Colour Coordinate
Make traditional displays more interesting and colour coordinate using only cards that fit your particular Christmas colour scheme. You can take this look even further with a single colour concept where all the cards are the same hue (so you will have to be selective which of the cards you use). To make this display extra special, add tree ornaments and decor in the same colour scheme amongst the cards to create a relatively contemporary look which suits the more modern home in particular. Images sourced via Martha Stewart, Hall Ready, Punchbowl, Not on the Highstreet and Maddycakes Muse Next we have our Event Stylist, Alana Berryman from Adelaide with her top picks for Christmas decor. Alana has a background in visual merchandising, interior design and floral art which she uses to deliver events of all kinds whether it’s funky, old school, retro or cutting edge! Mix & Match Fabrics
Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns, it’s very “Now” and adds depth to the design. For instance, floral fabric and striped fabric in the same colour palette or style works perfect together. Dinner by Candlelight
Use as much natural candle light as possible to create warmth, ambience and a festive mood. When selecting your candles try to find out the burn time so you can get as much life out of them as possible. You can even do a test a few weeks before so you know the best time light them! When placing candles around the home also be careful to make sure they are not in the path of any air conditioners as they will burn much quicker. And finally we have some backyard inspiration from our wonderful Event Stylist Renae Vella. Renae is a perfectionist and is constantly working on her own innovative techniques by incorporating current trends and pushing the boundaries of event design. Here she encourages us to look no further than our backyard for inspiration this Christmas. The Natural Centrepiece Arrange a variety of ruby red berries, seasonal green and rustic pine cones in and amongst a symphony of clear glass vessels and candles, to create a unique table centre with a lovely aroma. Mirror Mirror Give an old mirrored photo frame a new lease of life this Christmas. Add it to the base of any table- scape to add instant elegance to your dining room table. … Read More

Recent Posts

Get more from your Product Launch

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Our General Manager on Digital Event Services, Tim Chapman looks at the evolution of the product launch and discusses how technology can be harnessed to reach wider audiences whilst lowering costs for both the host and the attendee. Our General Manager on Digital Event Services, Tim Chapman looks at the evolution of the product launch and discusses how technology can be harnessed to reach wider audiences whilst lowering costs for both the host and the attendee. Last year Apple announced the launch of the iPhone 5 to the world via a webcast which could be viewed on their website. Corvette launched the highly anticipated Corvette 2014 through a live recording of the reveal which was streamed straight to their YouTube page. The list goes on; technology companies through to country music stars are all turning to the internet to get their message out. The explosion of social media, pressures of globalisation, increased competition and the need for all stakeholder relationships to be managed has left brand owners and product managers questioning the value of small in person events. High costs, limited audience reach and inconsistent outcomes have only sought to drive them to look for more innovative ways to deliver their message. At Staging Connections we have been lucky enough to be involved with many leading brands looking to change the paradigm and push the boundaries of event delivery. They want to reach a global audience, amplify their message through social media all while reducing costs. Technology is providing the answer to these challenges, allowing brands to broadcast to multiple locations, expanding audience interaction, creating interest through social media and above all, allowing the experience to live on long after the event has finished. Reaching a wider audience Video streaming is one way to invite national and global audiences to attend a product launch. Integrating video streaming allows organisers to commence a direct conversation with the end consumer not limiting engagement to just the media or industry. At the local launch of Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food campaign, in conjunction with corporate sponsors The Good Guys, we were charged with delivering a live cooking demonstration plus broadcast the launch online to reach a larger audience. What made this challenging was the remote location that was void of access to a phone line, ISDN or the Internet to assist in achieving the broadcast goal. The team used a unique piece of technology, allowing a wireless video link to be streamed to the Good Guys website. This directed thousands of people to The Good Guys site to watch the event live, and even more have gone on to view the event long after the launch day. Social Versatility Taking a product launch online increases the ability to engage in a different conversation with existing and new consumer networks empowering them to share your message via social media and amplifying the message. Recently we filmed and streamed a live feed of the launch of the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar via Nissan's YouTube channel gaining access to a wider audience geographically and demographically of more than 3,000 people. By combining a visual element; video streaming into channels like YouTube and adding a discussion platform with a Twitter feed, the audience has a three dimensional experience; an online event with the ability to share. This combination allows a significantly wider audience, offering the potential to send your messages around the world, creating a viral sensation. Working in Unity Going back to basics, your physical product launch requires an innovative and inspiring display that will entertain and translate for both your attending audience and online viewers. This can be tricky as the needs of both sets of people are very different. At the launch of Alienware's computers and laptops we executed an out of this world 3D light show using 3D projection and 3D mapping combined with stunt actors, pyrotechnics, sound and bursts of CO2 gas which was electrifying for the audience attending. We took a lot of time before hand setting up the cameras and testing the angles to make sure we had the correct vantage point to capture the action for the online audience. The future of product launches The challenge has been laid down more now than ever to change the approach of product launches. Staging Connections combine innovative techniques with a highly experienced team to deliver expertly produced creative launches that engage and motivate both the live and online audiences. Written by Tim Chapman, General Manager of Digital Event Services. Tim is continuously supporting and developing Staging Connections digital event components, looking for new and innovative ways to utilise technology to take any event from stage to screen. Tim comes from a background in corporate events where he pioneered large scale video conferencing projects and global webcasting of major events. ... Read More

Planning successful events across the Australian outdoors

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Our General Manager - SA/NT, Ashley Gabriel discusses the challenges outdoor events can present and shares his thoughts as to how you can make the most of your next outdoor event. Our General Manager - SA/NT, Ashley Gabriel discusses the challenges outdoor events can present and shares his thoughts as to how you can make the most of your next event. What epitomises an Australian summer more than attending an outdoor event? Apart from the weather, have you ever considered the other numerous challenges that face event producers when delivering high quality event experiences in outdoor locations? Things like: 1. Making sure the public attending feel part of a community or brand experience. 2. Keeping safety as paramount at all times. 3. And most importantly, creating an interactive experience for those attending and those watching at home. Whether executing an audio visual solution for over 750,000 spectators in South Australia or providing staging for a parade which attracts close to 400,000 people we have combined creative and technical elements to deliver a recent slew of outdoor events under challenging outdoor conditions. The Santos Tour Down Under, the southern hemisphere’s largest cycling race, held annually in South Australia is a prestigious road cycling competition drawing cycling greats from around the world. By working together with the team over numerous years, we have been able to determine the optimal location of speakers and screens at multiple sites throughout the week long festival of cycling. Over four hundred 100 volt Line Speakers were spread throughout the streets of Adelaide, its suburbs and country towns with over 30 km of copper cable for the street PA's used. In order to ensure the outmost safety for both the riders and the public, a bespoke audio system was installed into some of the race day cars which travel ahead of the parade. All of this combined allowing for all attendees to be enthralled with the unfolding action whilst ensuring the riders were not distracted from the task at hand. In celebration of the Tour’s 15th birthday acclaimed Australian dance music group, Sneaky Sound System took to the stage on Saturday 19 January 2013 to kick things off. We set the staging, concert lighting and LED screens withIn celebration of the Tour’s 15th birthday acclaimed Australian dance music group, Sneaky Sound System took to the stage on Saturday 19 January 2013 to kick things off. We set the staging, concert lighting and LED screens with live footage for over 30,000 spectators. We installed a comprehensive audio system suited the crowds, eliminating the audio bounce back that can often occur at outdoor events. Toward the beginning of Summer, we also assisted with the Credit Union Christmas Pageant in Now in its 80th year, the parade attracts over 400,000 people each year and many more for the TV audience. Our team of 12 staged the event with over 200 speakers along a 6km route through the city streets and over 60 individual MP3 audio systems in various floats and walking characters. We worked closely with the Pageant, even disguising two crew members as Clowns so they could ride in the pageant and fix any audio issues on the floats without taking away from the magic of the parade from either the live or TV audience. Although outdoor events present numerous challenges compared to Indoor ones, we find that our crew love taking on that challenge and working in the great Australian sun. Being able to contribute to a major outdoor event in a way which enhances the public’s enjoyment (whilst remaining relatively in the background) is part of the thrill the crew enjoy. With temperatures reaching 40+ and usually non-stop sunshine, we have developed logistics and plans to suit to all weather contingencies and ensure that not only our staff & general public remains safe but that the show goes on and all deadlines are met. Written by Ashley Gabriel, General Manager - South Australia/ Northern Territory. Ash shares with us that the best event he ever worked on was a Video conference for the Queen. He commented that whilst there were obvious challenges in ensuring technology worked in two countries, it was all worth it once the team saw the Queen smiling and amusing to see Prince Philip's reaction when he realised we were watching him back here in Australia. ... Read More

Optimise your event communication

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Have you ever considered what impact the technical elements can have on the success of your event communication? Our National Trainer & Assessor Andrew discusses how event design and production can impact the success of your message delivery. Have you ever considered what impact the technical elements can have on the success of your event communication? This diagram shows how all the production elements work together in an integrated way to deliver the best communication outcome for your event. Audio Audio delivers the emotion for an event. Imagine you are at an auction, where the auctioneer is yelling and speaking very fast. This conveys a sense of positive energy and excitement around the subject matter. On the other hand imagine, you are at a memorial service, where the speech is very slow and considered with long pauses in between words. This conveys a sense of sombre energy and reflection around the subject matter. Vision Vision provides the stimulation for an event. Imagine you are at staring at a still image such as a graph for a length of time. This provides very little audience engagement and your mind goes to sleep. On the other hand, imagine you are watching a moving image such as a video, this will keep you engaged and alert as the imagery changes. Lighting Lighting affects the mood for an event. Imagine you are in a theatre, where the performer is spotlighted using dark colours and lighting angled upwards casting long shadows. This conveys a sense loneliness or isolation around the subject matter. On the other hand imagine the performer is spotlighted with warm bright colours and lighting angled downwards. This will convey a sense of happiness and enjoyment around the subject matter. By carefully utilising all three of the technical elements in unison, you will be able communicate with your audience through multiple levels of emotion, stimulation and mood. Written by Andrew Thorne, ANZPAC Trainer & Assessor. Andrew Thorne is ANZPAC National Trainer & Assessor and drives our technical training programs at Staging Connections, including our Certificate III in Live Production, Theatre and Events program for new trainees. ... Read More

Get the most from Social Media at your next event

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Social Media has revolutionised event marketing and as such has found a solid place in most event communication plans. Used as a key promotional tool it is driving awareness ahead of the event and helping improve attendee numbers, but is it helping improve the event experience and boost engagement during the event? Social Media has revolutionised event marketing and as such has found a solid place in most event communication plans. Used as a key promotional tool it is driving awareness ahead of the event and helping improve attendee numbers, but is it helping improve the event experience and boost engagement during the event? Many event professionals are still failing to capitalise on the huge benefit social media interaction can have ‘during’ the event. Whether it is a one day exhibition or a three day convention it’s more than establishing a hash tag. The challenge is integrating social into the overall event design, being responsive and broadening participation beyond the confines of the event space. It can be problematic as the person who manages social media is not always included in discussions around event production, especially the technical side of things like vision, multimedia and webcasting. But social interaction is key to the success and longevity of event as engagement improves loyalty. So how can you make sure you integrate social media into your event design to engage attendees and broaden participation? Let’s talk tech – Engaging Attendees Do a walk-through in your mind and make a list of what the attendee will see, hear, touch or feel from start to finish at the event. At each audience touch-point from the entrance, to the table setting, to the stage, think about how you can engage the audience in social media participation. Twitter is a powerful way to encourage real time interaction and instantly gives you more visibility. Make sure you discuss with your technical team how you can include Twitter into the different areas of your event. Display your key social profiles on strategically placed plasmas and projected onto screens/ walls and prefacing any presentations. If you have speakers encourage them to engage the audience, asking them to tweet questions using the event hash tag. You could use a Twitter scroll on the bottom of your event presentations and/ or on all your holding screens. As another option consider a Twitter Walls, they are a unique visualisation of live updates and will instantly capture attention. With any of these tools you need to understand the technicalities and discuss any concerns with your production team. You want to get the most out of your investment so ensuring these additions are branded and integrated into the same look and feel as the rest of the event is essential. Moderation is so important when talking about live feeds. They can be populated two ways, automatically or operator controlled. With the latter you have more control as to what is seen but whichever you choose it is important your technical team are fully briefed. Equip them with knowledge of your social profile details, hash tags and key messages and so they can moderate the feeds for you and remove anything that may be off topic or potentially offensive. Beyond the venue – Broaden your participation If you are successfully engaging with attendees at your event, it is the perfect opportunity to broaden participation by being responsive. Assign a dedicated team to manage your social media channels as this is the time you are likely to see more activity than usual. Having a dedicated team at the event means you can not only respond to attendees at the conference but also broadcast sound bites to engage those that may not be there in person. Pay special attention to providing insight into what is happening at the event and highlight why it is beneficial to attend in person. You can go one step further and invite those who could not attend the event to join in via webcast. Webcasting has come a long way from the days of dial up and has evolved as technology infrastructures have improved as well as production capabilities. Webcasting is now a fully interactive social tool as your recording can be live streamed through YouTube or your Google+ Hangout. Twitter feeds can be integrated into the design to allow the speaker to engage in direct questions and gain valuable feedback in real time. Discussing the logistical challenges with your production team will allow you to understand how best to utilise this technology. In conclusion, Social Media offers much more than a promotional platform for your event. Utilised to its full capacity, you can take your event to the next level and broadcast to multiple locations extending your reach and allowing the experience to live on long after the event has finished. The real challenge is integrating it seamlessly into your overall event design. To do this you need to discuss your key social media objectives ahead of the event with your production team. They will be able to suggest the technical solutions available and how best to utilise the technology to ensure social success at your event. Written by Katie McDonald, Digital Brand Manager - Staging Connections Katie McDonald is the resident Brit at Staging Connections. Armed with post-graduate qualifications in Marketing and specialist skills in Digital Strategy, she is passionate about management, execution, and measurement of all digital efforts that enhance and humanize brands online. ... Read More

International Women’s Day: Are we inspiring change?

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
As International Women’s Day quickly approaches on Saturday 8th March, it has reminded me to reflect on women’s roles, influences and especially their impact on the events industry. As International Women’s Day quickly approaches on Saturday 8th March, it has reminded me to reflect on women’s roles, influences and especially their impact on the events industry. Intrinsic in the day to day of those who work in the events industry is the theme for this year’s International Women's Day, “INSPIRING CHANGE”. It calls for challenging the status quo whilst inspiring positive change – what an opportunity! Certainly one of the most creative industries in Australia, the process of producing an event, offers the perfect platform to inspire change and ask the questions that will drive that change into effect. Events are held to create a return – for the guest and for the organisation. But the question really is - Why have they decided to hold or attend the event and what does that return look like? When you ask why, you find out that underlying reason that can help you inspire change in the return for all stakeholders. Never has there been an International Women’s day theme more relevant for women of the events industry! It’s our time to challenge the status quo, to get better results than ever before, to use technology not seen before, to find new and exciting spaces, to challenge our own thinking, to inspire our clients in new ways, to ask the hard questions, peel back the layers of the event process and ask why? It’s an opportunity to get to the heart of the meaning of events and many of you get this opportunity every day. So go on, step up, start asking why and then get on with inspiring the change you want to see. Written by Catrina Bennell, Venue Services Manager - Staging Connections I love the hustle and bustle of event and the way they challenge everybody to their best advantage. It’s great to see everyone working together to achieve a fantastic result. ... Read More

The art of SHOWcraft for your events

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Our Sydney Event Director, Chris Lewis, talks SHOWcraft for events and how you can introduce the extra wow factor through living environments, live screen interaction, impressive presentation content and more. 1. Concentrate on the customer journey Be creative with your event design and ideas – think differently about the experience you want your attendee to have and how your brand elements can not only be integrated into the event but also how you can use this opportunity to create an interactive and memorable experience of your brand. The event brand should be consistent throughout every interaction and the look and feel should start with the initial correspondence through the invitation or conference website. The event brand should be consistent throughout every interaction and the look and feel should start with the initial correspondence through to the invitation or conference website. At the event it should be carried through all touch points - from directional signage, centrepieces, collateral and not forgetting the digital content. 2. Presentation Style With display technology getting better, brighter and clearer, the presentation of screen content is more important than ever before. Gone are the days of PowerPoint slides filled with words, words and more words as presenters are realising the need for rehearsed content, fewer words on screens supported by powerful statement images. It’s essential that the PowerPoint content for your event is not an afterthought and the appropriate time is spent authoring a presentation that is not only impressive (and branded!) but conveys your event message in a memorable way for the audience. 3. The Next Big Thing - Live Screen Interaction We are always on the lookout for new and exciting entertainment solutions and innovative presentation techniques, challenging the status quo of what has been seen before. Think about having a live performance choreographed that interacts with a digital environment; this will create new depth to the audience perspective and overall experience. Presenters are also getting into the act of interacting with live screen environments and we predict that you will see augmented reality in the presentation environment used more frequently in the next two years. 4. Stage Environments The keyword for many business’es this year is ‘accountability ensuring that each investment is effective and delivers a return with great digital content you can change your stage environments quickly without investing in heavy set pieces that need changing throughout the day. Projection mapping is a technology which can be utilised to bring a new dynamic to your event, a few simple stage elements combined with vibrant screen content creates a digital landscape that delivers a sense of depth to the stage environment and an engaging focal point. 5. Room Environments Next time you're planning an event make sure to consider the overall room environment. Your delegates will be sat in a room all day or night and it’s equally important that we enhance all areas of the environment creating an entire event experience in addition planning what is happening on the stage. Creative effects, clever use of house lighting, audio levels from speech to video, site lines from the audience to the stage even the level of air-conditioning right through to which water you choose for the tables. All these elements work together to create the overall SHOWcraft experience for your guests. Written by Chris Lewis, Event Director, Staging Connections. Chris has 20 years experience in the Special Events industry managing events ranging from small domestic meetings to large scale international events in Australia and abroad. His vast knowledge of event technologies and production management for events of all sizes has made Chris one of the most sought after Event Producers in Australia with creative know how and a passion for taking entertainment, technology and event solutions to their creative heights. ... Read More

Event Coordinators - Your Key to Great Events

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Putting on a major event such as a conference or new product launch is a highly demanding undertaking. It's also one that has to be carried out flawlessly. Your organisation's reputation and bottom line depends on it. That's why it makes sense to work with trusted event partners. The complex task of staging a major event such as product launch, demands a rare and specific set of skills. Staging Connections has these skills gained in its 25 years of experience in putting on all types of events all over Australia and beyond. AV Hire from Staging Connections to the Rescue You'll find working with experienced technical event partners offers you a stress-free and effective way to handle the most complex project. Here's what we can do. Determine your needs and work with you to clarify what audio visual equipment you need. Then work out the best way to present that message through the media of av techniques and lighting. We also create the right style of stage set to fit with your company and the theme of your event. Install and setup all the technical equipment needed for the event. This covers the stage, backdrops and screens along with the full range of equipment needed to present your message. We create floor plans, work within the plenary and breakout sessions, setup and speaker preparations systems. It's a complex array of vital tasks that have to be done. To successfully carry out such an enterprise demands a rare blend of sound management systems, rock solid technical knowledge to ensure that all systems are in place and running to perfection, along with the artistic sensibility to create an event that impresses and resonates with all participants and viewers. This kind of management is vital to the success of your next important event. It's the kind of support Staging Connections has been providing to it’s clients the last 25 years. ... Read More

Event Styling Trends for 2015

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Every year we see the ripple effect of what’s hot in Hollywood washing up on our own shores. So it’s no surprise that last year's event themes were dominated by the much loved Great Gatsby. It’s clear to see the influence pop culture has over every facet of society and events are no exception. Any thoughts on what’s in store for event themes in 2015? Hint: it’s more than a few of shades of grey! If grey’s not your colour, don’t fret, our stylists have thought of it all from blues to florals and metallics, 2015 is going to be one exciting year on the event styling front. Our talented Event Stylist in Queensland, Georgia Strachan, reveals what we can expect to see on the event circuit this year. Event Trend: A Couple of Shades of Grey Moving away from heavily-styled event themes, is this new wave of event styling – simple, sophisticated and subtle tones with pops of bright and bold colours. With home improvement shows like ‘The Block’ dominating our little screens, our clientele are becoming more educated on styling strategies and hence are placing more emphasis on simple event designs than large-scale theming. Just like our best friend ‘white space’ incorporating grey tones into your event designs allows you to emphasize important details. However, whilst simple, clean event styling can create an air of sophistication for your event, if it’s dynamic impact you’re after than we recommend opting for a themed Immersive Event. Event Trend: Immersive Events With the ever increasing role technology plays in the way events are brought to life, over the last few years we have been moving away from 2D cut-out props and conventional sit down dinners in favour of interactive, dynamic and content-based theming. These are called 'Immersive Events’ that challenge attendees to get up, get moving, think outside the square and really get in the spirit of things. They focus heavily on Technical Creative Production where large scaled digital screens house various forms of content that bring your event to life. If you’re looking for more immersive events inspiration check out our magical Harry Potter themed event we did earlier this year in Adelaide. Event Trend: Metallics Out with the gold and in with the metallics. This year we will see the classic gold and silver being joined by copper, pewter and bronze as the new metallics. From glomesh style glitz to understated matte finishes, we will be seeing metallics on everything including linens and centrepieces to sets and stage concepts. Event Trend: The Blues Blue is the new black. From dark Indigo to classic navy – dark blue is our favourite colour this season. It will be replacing black as the go-to colour for formal dinner looks and event styling. Blue adds a crisp modern twist, a Hamptons-style nautical flavour to lunches, weddings and casual events when teamed with vintage glass and white washed timber elements. So step aside Black, there’s a new kid on the block! Event Trend: Floral Sensations Florals are coming back in vogue. From watercolour pastels and Monet-like painterly effects to high impact, almost psychedelic prints...steer clear of liberty and chintz and embrace the flower power! We’re seeing florals integrated in event themes in creative and innovative ways – as centrepieces, ceiling installations, paper decorations, table linen and even via projection mapping in the lighting. Our stylists search the globe for what’s trending so they stay ahead of the game. They’re inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes, from what’s happening in the fashion, movie and music industries to website designs and home wares. Want your next event styled like this or have an idea you want brought to life, get in touch with us today! Get your daily dose of event inspiration by following us on Instagram. Want to stay up to date with industry trends? Browse our range of downloadable Event Insights papers ... Read More

Multimedia: Why content is king in your event

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Custom-made multimedia content for your event isn’t a luxury anymore – it’s essential. Your brand, your message and your customers exist in an environment that now expects communication to be targeted, relevant and impressive. Cookie-cutter templates, presentations and graphics are an instant turn-off to an audience that needs to be engaged with creativity, wit and originality. It’s a daunting prospect to try and compete with major brands and professional creative teams on a global stage, but it’s the reality of working in marketing and events in the internet age. Your Audience has high audio visual expectations Your audience knows what is possible in event theming and branding because they’ve already been exposed to some of the best in the business, whether live or via the web. Australia punches well above its per-capita weight in the events industry, with production companies, artistic directors and staff sought after the world over. As a result, our audiences are used to quality. Your customers are no exception. Customising Your Event Content When thinking about what you can do to make your next event stay in your customer’s mind, start with a blank canvas. It’s tempting to build on a look or theme you’ve used before, but you need to create a unique experience. It is a hard place to start, so try asking yourself these questions; What is the truth of the product, image or idea you want to communicate? What concepts are associated with that? Most importantly, how do your audience see themselves in relationship to it, and how do they aspire to see themselves? What would your audience associate themselves with? When creating an event it is important to think about not only what your audience likes but also what they wish to be associated with. Social media is key to spreading your content beyond the event space and your guests have to want to publicize your event for this to be successful. People are most likely to share things that make them look interesting, funny, exciting and intelligent – all the positive qualities we’d most like to associate with ourselves. Customise your content with customer’s own perception of themselves in mind to resonate with their aspirations. Gather all of your existing multimedia content This is the first step in building up your new customized content. These include still images of staff or product, video material, design files for logos and product names and any other content related to branding, product or application. If your existing material doesn’t cover your vision for the event, talk to your AV provider about the best way to go about creating it. You may need to shoot stills and video, or edit existing assets. Don’t forget to bring any corporate style or branding guides that apply to what you’re doing. Consider your audio material Is there existing music associated with an advertising campaign? Does your company have an identifiable branded sting like Intel or Microsoft? A radically innovative idea for an event could include its own soundtrack, audio installation or theme song. Don’t rule out commissioning new material from composers or songwriters – it might just be the edge you need, and can be affordable in the long run, as digital collateral created for the event can go on to have multiple uses across the web. For more information onevent sound have a look at our previous post Go for Creativity and Practicality when choosing your Multimedia Designer When sitting down with the creative team, including the multimedia and graphic designers that will shape your event, bring all of your material, ideas and an open mind.A multimedia designer sits across both the unlimited world of the imagination and the pragmatic realm of the technical. Technically, anything really is possible, but there will always be a limit to your budget. On the flipside of that equation, you might have a tight budget, but you would be amazed what a resourceful creative and technical team can achieve with it if you trust them to advise you. Remember to Have Fun! While you may be guided by very strict corporate regulations on brand and image usage, don’t forget to have fun! This is especially applicable to hosting a gala dinner or awards night. Events like these ask for a more informal touch, and with digital theming and projections, you can create any kind of environment that you can imagine. Think about what suits your audience and your message – is it edgy, elegant, indulgent or family-friendly? What can you bring to it that people will not have seen before, or won’t be expecting? Staging Connections staff spend their entire professional life working on events like these, and will be able to tell you in the planning stages if you’re heading down an interesting track. They can also suggest concepts and techniques that might not have occurred to you. Again, bring a flexible attitude and benefit from experience. Experience is key On the technical side, there are a huge number of factors to take into account when looking at projecting image, video and other digital content onto screens or objects. For example still photos or videos that seem perfectly usable on a computer or hand-held device are probably unsuitable to be blown up to dimensions possibly metres across. A good multimedia designer will be able to give you a long list of things that do or don’t work when used for different applications. For example, for large-scale 2D projection mapping on the exterior of a building, high definition live video is often unsuitable. Computer animated graphics create much more successful results at that scale. It’s those kinds of insights that you only get from working with experienced professionals. Be mindful of changing resolutions For still images, logos and product branding, the higher the resolution and dpi (dots per inch), the better. It’s a good idea for any in-house graphic design or marketing staff to communicate directly with your AV provider’s multimedia creation team. Every multimedia creator will have a preference for what file formats, resolutions and definitions will be the most useful to them. They’ll also have a mind to what kind of image canvas size (1080x720, 180x1920 and so on) that will ultimately be beamed onto the walls, screens and surfacers of your event. Cut out any ‘Chinese Whisper’ effect or tedious double-up of effort by connecting your tech with your AV’s tech. Explore the possibilities If you’re unsure about the capabilities of technologies such as 2D or 3D projection mapping, get online and search for videos that include those terms. You’re going to find that digital theming of an event with custom-made multimedia content can completely transform any space, big or small. But keep them relevant While it’s good to get inspiration from what you’ll see, try not to be seduced by the ‘wow’ factor. It’s all very well that you could make the exterior of your event space look like it was collapsing as your guests arrived, but it’s just irrelevant if it distracts from your message. Build the beginnings of a major digital campaign Ultimately, engaging your audience and making your message stay in their minds is your goal. If you successfully brand a conference with new video and audio material, you have the beginnings of a major digital campaign. Integrate it with an ongoing social media and web presence, and follow-up with your attendees. Make sure to expand your new event theme into these areas: Email Campaigns Your email database will prove invaluable for this. Harvest details from everyone at the event if you don’t already have them, then send out follow-up material with the same theming. Film content Make it sharable across the appropriate social network – wherever you have invested your presence, and where your customers are. Staging Connections offers custom video production for your brand. Webcasting Creating a webcast of your event is a great way of extending your event space to all of those who could not come. Similarly this webcasted content can be used to market your brand later. Twitter Feeds Customise your Twitter feed with your event styling Event Poll theme Similarly you can import your graphics into an Event Poll theme to tie in all the aspects of your event to your message. Marketing packages Hosted on your website, your multimedia content will bring you continued return-on-investment, Use it to bring people to next year’s event, capture new customers or show those who weren’t there what they missed. Framing your company, brand or idea with fresh, intelligent multimedia content helps you cut through the noise of marketing in a crowded forum. Let us help you Staging Connections can provide a creation, delivery and post-event capitalisation strategy custom built to your ideals, audience and aspirations. They offer a vertically integrated service model that delivers marketing and creative advice, custom content creation and technical production, all unified by central communications and a clear brief. The advantage of the ‘one-stop-shop’ model is that all departments understand each other’s talents, capabilities and requirements. Our designers know exactly what specifications video and visual materials need to conform to in order for our equipment and technicians to produce the best results for you. Our event management staff know exactly what kind of preparation and vision you’ll need to create the best possible look for your event. Contact us to find out more about what custom content we can create for you to make your event exceptional. Want to stay up to date with industry trends? Browse our range of downloadable Event Insights papers ... Read More