Page 54 - DMGT304_EVENT_MANAGEMENT

Unit 2: Concept and Design of Events

2.6.3 Designing the Event Environment Notes

Like a playwright who molds his or her play to create a setting that a theater’s limited confines
can accommodate, event managers face a similar challenge each time they are called upon to
create an environment. Whether the site is a palatial mansion or a suburban park, the challenges
remain the same. How can the site be adapted to meet the needs of guests? Ballrooms with their
four bare walls, department stores filled with products, and even main streets upon which
parades are staged offer the same problems and opportunities as those confronting playwrights
and set designers.
When creating an environment, the special events professional must again return to the basic
needs of the guests. The final design must satisfy these needs to become successful. Lighting,
space, movement, decor, acoustics, and even such seemingly mundane concerns as rest rooms
all affect the comfort of the guests and so play vital roles in creating a successful environment.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
6. In viewing a potential event site, there are three major stake holders who need to be
considered and whose perspectives could be quite different: the performers, the audience
and the .................................
7. ................................. mean those in the limelight, whether this involves providing an
educational talk, dancing in a parade, presenting an award.
8. The ................................. has needs, the primary one being to see what is going on. The level
of lighting and sound, as well as access to and comfort of the seats also contributes to
audience satisfaction. Catering and facilities are generally secondary.
9. From a management perspective, the ................................. must help to minimize risks such
as adverse weather, power failure, accidents and emergencies.
10. The theme party or theme event originated from the masquerade, where guests would
dress in elaborate costumes to ................................. their identity.

2.7 Five-card Draw: Playing the Five Senses

When attempting to satisfy the needs of guests, remember that the five senses are most powerful
tools. Like five winning cards in the event manager’s hand, combining the five senses—tactile,
smell, taste, visual, and auditory—to satiate the needs of guests is the primary consideration
when designing the event environment. The olfactory system creates instant emotional and
creative reactions within your guests. In fact, smell may generally be the strongest sense in
terms of generating emotional response; however, this will vary among individual guests.
Therefore, as the event manager you must actively seek to employ in your environmental
design elements that will affect all the senses.

Just as some guests are sensitive to certain stimuli, such as smell or auditory, other guests have
a primary sense that they rely upon. Due to the influence of television, many baby boomers may
rely primarily on their visual sense. When designing the environment, this is important to
recognize when you are trying to communicate your message quickly. Use the senses as
instruments to tune the imagination of guests.
Be careful to avoid playing sharp or flat notes by overdoing it. Find the perfect sensory melody
and guests will become involved in your event creatively and emotionally.

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