Our latest event, AOL's Engadget New York Meet-Up, took place at Guastavino's last Thursday. The event was sponsored by major players in the electronic gadget market such as Samsung, AT&T, Motorola, HTC, and Get A Game. The widely popular event attracted a crowd of nearly 1,400 guests. The key to making this event flow in the space was the well planned layout of the stations which included each sponsors latest and greatest. I had the challenge or working and re-working the flloorplan to include all 17 exhibitors, while keeping them all feeling equally represented, created an adequate flow for nearly 1,400 guests with food and drink stations and lounges to relax at. It was very important, with all these pieces to the puzzle, to create an accurate, precise layout all to spec within the venue.
These are some steps I take when producing an event:
1st Step: Obtain a blueprint of the venue
When planning ahead, we need to be very accurate on every measurements so that the result is a smooth load in with major hiccups. Free-styling on the day of an event is not how we produce!
2nd Step: List out all needed furniture, props and items that need to be represented on the plan
For an event with a large number of guests like this one, we really need to focus on what purpose each stations serve. Providing a stream-lined list of key elements for each station was the key to creating a smart floor plan. I stress need because when it comes to presenters, everyone tends to want to have anything and everything relative to their brand present. It is definitely a contest of who has the bigger...well, branding representation. So, to keep it clean, I have to challenge what does and does not make sense to the overall scope of the event.
3rd Step: Place everything on the floor plan and really imagine the space
It helps to configure the layout when you see everything on the page. I place each of the items I listed out and close my eyes. Imagining the space I have created, I take myself on a walkthrough! What is the first thing my client and their guests want to see when they walk in to the space? Is there is enough space between those two tables for people to walk through? What is the best way to show off the signs? Can the guests see the signs from every angle? Those are some of the questions you too can think about. Question yourself, then question yourself again. If you can, have someone else question you.
4th Step: Add decor items and centerpieces - "Express Yourself!"
This is the icing on the cake. For the Engadget event, we wanted to utilize the blue in the logo in various places through out the room to brand carry the correlation of the brand with out spelling out the name ENGADGET everywhere. For example, the stair case on the front facing side of each stair was customized with Blue vinyls, Blue LED rope lights dressed up four main columns that are centered in the mezzanine, and Blue fiber optic wands (yup, we brought them back) decorated cocktail tables.
5th Step: Produce it and Enjoy
Once I have confirmed all the placement and details with my client and everything is approved, I go into production mode, which entails hiring the hands I needs, confirming all my orders and rentals, fabricating everything I can at the shop and packing everything up to take to the venue. But, with all this planning done before hand, the one thing I do not fear is what a breeze it will be just just pop everything in place. There is NO guesswork in my game!
I want to thank all of our client (special shout out to Jenni at AOL), vendors (Thank you Christina, Karen, Vera, Jason, Erin and Ted) and the venue for working together with us and help pump out the event in such a short notice!
