You already know by now, our team thrives on events we are able to customize from floor to ceiling.
We want to be able to come into a space and create a layout the venue has never even tried before, or bring in rentals that blow everyone’s mind. Of course, we always have certain parameters or restrictions on this that we have to abide by, and are able to work off the look and feel of the venue to create an event that fits its aesthetic. But what happens when we are literally give a BLANK SPACE?! A 10’ x 10’ and 20’ x 20’ square outlined with painters tape on a concrete floor. Our only restrictions? We can only build to certain height vertically, otherwise the options are endless.
Ever heard of The White Room Challenge on HGTV? “Top designers face the ultimate blank-canvas test when they’re asked to create a complete room design in a limited time starting with an empty white room and using only pre-defined materials.”
This is exactly how we felt when planning for the 2017 Ulta GM Conference held in Orlando, FL for our two clients, Shiseido and Beauty Prestige Group. Tasked with only the two blank spaces to make visually pleasing, on brand, interactive, and functional. After seeing the final outcome, we have to admit we loved our own version of The White Room Challenge!
Whether you are an event planner helping out a client or an exhibiting company wondering where to start, check out our tips so starting from nothing can be a bit more manageable.
Measure it out for yourself
We are visual learners at EOE, so we map it out when we can. While 10’ x 10’ may seem like a fair amount of space, depending on what you have in mind, that space can fill up extremely quickly. Find an open room in your office or home, use a tape measure and painters tape to create your own box to scale. Then, some things to think about; have you considered how many people will be in the booth? How large are your pieces of furniture? This will allow you to know exactly what you’re working with.
Attendee Experience is Everything
What’s the point of setting up a great booth if nobody visits? Product and people can only be so enticing, give the attendees a booth and experience they can’t say no to. For our clients, we themed the Dolce & Gabbana section of our space after Italy, so gelato and a live italian singer really brought the concept full circle (and we mean, who can say no to gelato?!) Japanese culture is extremely on brand for another client, Shiseido. We had a live artist painting attendee names on paper in Kanji symbols. Not only was there a live show, but the guests had a tangible item to bring back home. It was a huge hit, success!
Plan for Storage Solutions
This is one of those HUGE issues if not properly planned for. Discover what your options are and don’t be afraid to get creative! We’ve learned that when we are traveling for events, renting an extra large vehicle always pays off.
Create a flow
If your booth is large enough for attendees to walk in and through, make it a part of your plan to create a layout that functionally makes sense for flow. If this means “blocking off” a certain section of the booth to create an entrance and exit – by all means! A giant zig zagging mess will make it tough to communicate with attendees and enjoy any experiences you have coordinated.
Check out photos and video from our event below and check out the larger spaces we have transformed for our clients here!
