The event atmosphere is created by many different factors. In this posts
series, we are going to discuss how the outside world affects human
emotions.
All information about the world comes to a human through senses. Our
emotions strongly depend on what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste.
Therefore, it is very important that everything that surrounds the guests
at your event is perfect.
The task of the event planner is to activate all senses of your guests in
such a way that all incoming information emphasises the concept and the
idea of your event. If everything is right, then the emotions created by
every sense enhance each other. That means that the atmosphere of your
event will stay in people's hearts.
Light influences greatly on our mood,
emotions, creativity and decisiveness. Unsurprisingly, the selection of
proper lighting is one of the ways to create a special atmosphere. A
professional event planner considers the characteristics of light in each
zone of the event to drive the participants into the necessary mood.
Imagine yourself entering an expensive restaurant. Soft dimmed light.
Tables are decorated with burning candles. You are seated at a table and
in a while, you begin to feel relaxed. Restaurants use such lighting
intentionally. In 2014, scientists have proven that soft dimmed light
relaxes, and besides that, people tend to eat slower and consume less
food.
A few other examples of how to use light wisely. Bright light amplifies
any emotion, and natural light makes us happier. Light of the blue shade
increases our productivity, and warm white light improves our social
skills, helps to resolve conflicts and enhances the abilities of
team-working.
In my work, I always take into account the properties of light, because
the event mood depends on it.
The colour palette also plays a rather
important role in creating a unique atmosphere of the event. A tremendous
number of research projects has addressed the influence of colours on the
human state. In psychology and medicine, there exist entire divisions that
work with colours.
Colours are actively used in marketing and advertising to control our
decisions. The task of an event planner is to use colours as a tool to
create a desired atmosphere at the event. Research, conducted by Mehta and
Zhu in 2009, has shown that the blue colour improves creativity and
innovativeness, while the red colour is associated with danger, improves
productivity and sharpens the attention to detail. The yellow and orange
colours increase appetite, and an environment of the sky-blue or green
colour has a calming effect.
Besides, colours possess different symbolism and have various meanings
depending on the country or region. In Western culture, the white colour
is associated with purity and elegance; it is the colour of the bridal
dress. But in some Asian counties, it is the colour of death, and people
do wear it at funerals.
When planning on a colour palette for your event, we will consider also
lighting and setting, because they greatly impact on the perception of
colour shades. All in all, colours will help us create the desired mood at
your event.
Visual details also play an important role
in the atmosphere of your event. Organiser's task is to think up the style
and location of the details in advance to maximally exploit their
usefulness for your guests.
There are two critical aspects: informational and aesthetic. Both are
equally important in creating the atmosphere.
Let us first discuss the informational part. The guests should be able to
locate themselves at your event. Informative invitations, various marks,
sitting arrangements, menu—all these signify concern about your guests.
The aesthetic part ensures that all the details are created in the
identical style and highlight the theme and the idea of your event. The
decorations of the venue also create certain aesthetics. Too little or too
much decor will ruin the overall impression of your event.
All visual details must perform their functions precisely and not annoy
the guests. In my work, I pay great attention to details because I
consider them exceptionally valuable for building a special atmosphere at
your event.
In conclusion...
Of course, all the above-mentioned information is just the tip of an
iceberg of possible visual effects. You can find tons of materials in the
books and the Internet :)
And next time we will talk about hearing and how to use it for our goal to
create an unforgettable event.