Event Design Missing Something? Add Soft Goods, Dash of LED

Guest Advice

By Tom McPhillips

Event Solutions

September 2007

It often seems that event spaces come in two very different varieties -- on the one hand, the beautiful traditional space (think ornate converted bank buildings in New York) and on the other hand, the plain, rather ugly space (think your typical hotel event rooms -- and worse, the raw conference hall, complete with columns and that clunky roof grid).

But at whichever end of the venue spectrum you find yourself, finding a way to transition between the building and the particular theme and vibe of the special event you're staging there can be a major challenge. Often in both cases the answer is to hang soft goods that can augment, enhance, disguise or simply obscure the surrounding environment.

Going Soft

The term "soft goods" covers a very wide range of scenic elements, from theatrical swags, drapes and pleated sheers to framed fabric sculptures and those spandex stretch shapes that seemed to mark the look of all those millennium-themed events some years ago.

It might be that you simply need some great accent pieces to connect a building's baroque architecture to your own theme, or full walls and drops that transform a bland, empty space into the coolest and most intimate environment.

The variety and choice of fabric solutions for rent these days are simply vast. Fabric scores because items can pack small, are lightweight and therefore easier to hang, and much more cost-effective to transport. Even better is that many of the items for rental are now modular, so size is no longer a limiting factor. Bite-size elements designed to clip together to form a background of any size can fit any venue, however horizontally or vertically challenged.

Additionally, by omitting modules, you can accommodate doorways and openings to allow access or lines of sight for technicians so they can operate behind the scenery.

Many of these rental elements also have dimension, which will also enhance any lighting you have available. If you position lights directly in front of the scenic elements and point them straight up, dramatic lighting effects can be achieved so that elements acquire shape and substance.

Light it Right

Whichever way you go, just adding soft goods isn't the whole answer -- just as fish require water, soft goods need lighting to shine. All rental houses probably have stories of clients calling and being shocked that they can't rent that specific shade of turquoise they need to underline their corporate identity. The truth is that for a rental item to make it out there in the market, it needs to be versatile and to fit many ideas and environments. Many rental drapes and decor items are either white or gray simply because with the addition of lighting they can appear any color.

In the last few years, there has been a revolution in lighting fixtures. LEDs are the big news, and to event planners this technology offers a number of advantages -- easily programmable color so it can change during the event, lower power requirements with no bulbs to burn out, and lamps that work at much lower temperatures so that the lights can be placed very close to drapes and decor without any risk of fire.

This doesn't mean you can use non-flame-retardant fabrics -- you must always insist on rental houses providing flame certificates with their products -- but it does mean that you can position LED fixtures much closer to the base of the goods and get those uplit effects that really add drama to the look. Strong saturated colors work best, but if you're looking for really vivid effects, don't underestimate the number of fixtures you'll need. Otherwise, you and your client will be disappointed with the washed-out, insipid result.

Being able to safely floor-mount fixtures means that there's less to hang and rig. Already, battery-powered fixtures are available that can be controlled wirelessly, and it's a sure thing that as the technology advances, there'll be even more options and fixtures to choose from. Cabling, rigging and control have always been the proverbial bridges too far, yet to show off the scenery and provide ambiance, lighting is a major element in creating a successful event. The new LED technology will bring that higher level of production within the reach of more event planners. Putting modular, dimensional soft goods together with the latest in LED lighting technology will ensure that you get maximum bang for your event, with minimal impact on cost and logistics.