Mask Blog

How to spot and track trends in event design and decor

Like all fashion or trend changes event décor fashion is hard to pin-down to one particular phenomenon: there is something organic and zeitgeisty about how film, fashion, interiors, music and youth culture meld together and inform how we in the event industry decide what is a key 'look' each year.

A great example of this style soup was the 2006/07 event trend for flock prints on bars and screens, theatrical chandeliers, velvet and Victoriana bird cages. You might remember that you couldn't go to a party in 2007 without seeing this style interpreted in a myriad of rich purples and reds. It became so ubiquitous that even the Conservative party caught onto the trend and used the flock design and velvet drapes for their winter ball.

For most event companies it would be ideal to catch a trend just before it emerges so we can make sure that we deliver a cutting edge concept to our clients and not simply following a well path trodden. To figure out what trends are about to emerge is one part detective work, one part instinct and a little bit of luck, but anyone can do it. To illustrate how I have tried to trace the germination of the flock/birdcage/velvet look from what I recall at the time:

In 2005 British Vogue had a series of shoots which had a distinctly Vintage Boudoir edge: all bird cages and turn of the century French style. For Autumn/Winter that year the catwalks were filled with Victorian boots, capes and velvet dresses and lots of films and theatre shows were in production that had a distinctly Fin de Siecle theatrical feel to them. In Autumn 2006 Dita Von Teese appeared at New Year Fashion week and performed a fan dance inside a giant gilded birdcage. By mid 2005 Living Etc and Elle Decoration had started to highlight the return of bold wallpaper prints and luxurious fabrics (after years of white painted floor boards and walls).

Mask was tracking this trend throughout 2005(along with countless other apparently emerging trends, some of which never really made it big) and building a mood board and collecting snippets from magazines. In the end we launched La Belle Epoque as a theme in early 2006 for Christmas at Old Billingsgate: a riot of gold, velvets, flock prints, feathers and those (now ubiquitous) birdcages safe in the knowledge that the trend would hit at the right time

So the the key to predicting what will be hot in events by the end of 2009/10 is to take an educated guess about what is happening in all kinds of popular culture: take a look at IMDB to see what films are in pre-production, look at on-line synopsis of each season's fashion shows and read Vogue as it is always ahead of the game. Check out street fashion too as often it leads and influences the catwalk designers and if you only have a few minutes a week then flick through a couple of interiors Magazines and the Sunday supplement style sections.


May 2009



Event design trends for 2009

Poring over the monthly style, fashion and interiors mags has always been a secret pleasure of mine. Surrounded in glossies with a big pot of tea, Radio 4 and a (tiny) pile of cakes, I can feel a little saintly in knowing that I am conducting valuable research into emerging trends (rather than just being a lazy Sunday layabout).

So, here are some musings and ideas about trends that will be coming to the events world in 2009.


1. 'Explain your thinking'
Every client, whether they are from a corporate or consumer background will need to justify their event spend in 2009. So let's make sure we help them by explaining how our event designs will create the right emotional response in their attendees. It's much easier for a client to sign off a budget for more exciting entertainment or décor ideas if they can see that they will act as an ice-breaker and talking point for 300 bashful delegates or a great expression of their brand values. All the ideas below are simple and easy to translate for either a more pared down budget or a more lavish one.

2. Wonderlands and Hyper-reality
This trend is all about escapism, with a hint of nostalgia and is really uplifting (so can inspire a real emotional pull in someone suffering from the financial doldrums). It can be anything you want it to be as long as it should included visual or sensory surprises and inspire delight (think of Heston Blumenthal's' recent TV show 'FEAST': the guests clapped and laughed when they tried the pudding which was constructed to look exactly like real Bangers and Mash). For more inspiration look at 1950's Disney or magical children's books but toughen the look for events by using neons and bright colours. Or pile on the nostalgia by evoking childhood memories of décor, food and drink in a fun adult way. A simple wonderland might include fete games (with an adult twist), interesting tactile materials (a live grass bar top!) and some canapés that are not quite what they seem.

3. The Bold and the Brave
The fashion world has had two consecutive seasons of super bold acid bright colours and this summer will see the most vivid fuchsia pinks and yellow dresses hitting London's streets. Event trends are likely to follow and this summer Mask are designing a cost effective décor package in vivid colours to fit any medium size venue or marquee to respond to the demand. This look has been around in events for many years, but to get it right for 2009 you need to clash the colours (all of the same boldness) and add some metallics and some differently textured fabrics/materials too. This is a great look if budgets are tight and you need maximum impact.

4. I think I'm turning Japanese
This look is about soft floral or structural patterns (not the Rising Sun reds and painted Japanese letter characters of 10 years ago) take inspiration from countless Kimono and Japanese floral prints on both the catwalk and in the world of interiors. Little Greene www.thelittlegreene.com have just launched a stunning collection of Oriental wallpapers and for a simply way to decorate a blank space you could hang wallpaper inside giant frames or string kimono print parasols together and hang from the ceiling. A giant cherry blossom tree is always a joy to behold and makes people smile.

5. Vintage Eclectic
This trend continues to run and run from 2007 and 2008. Interiors trends have been full of eclectic designs for the past 2-3 years: mixing the best key pieces and shapes from each era creates a really interesting, warm and most of all fun design. In 2008 the trend was all about a gentrified English country house look: leather sofas, ancestral paintings and tweeds. In 2009 it has moved onto include a more eclectic mismatched designs: what about a 1950's leather studded banquette seat, with a giant jade 30's chandelier and some Kitsch 1960's giant paintings. Get a good balance between giant 'wow' features like chandeliers and smaller details like mismatched occasional furniture customised with wallpaper or pearls and remember to have two or three colours that link, to the eye, across the space.

6. Beg, Borrow and try not to steal
Green, sustainable and fun too: this trend is all about recycling and finding ways to making beautiful event pieces out of everyday discarded objects. It requires a bit of thought and planning to garner all the ingredients and ensure the space is attractive as well as recycled, but it will pay off, as all the pieces in an event design should make people talk and inspire them too. Best of all, it is the ultimate downturn theme: 'look, we didn't spend a thing!' and it has some synergy with another current trend for handcrafted and vintage 'homespun' interiors. Simple ideas include: building a bar from beer/champagne or other drinks crates, using jam jars and other discarded glassware to hold candles, stringing together old CD's, vinyl record and computer discs to make a chandelier, using solar powered lighting and technology and cushion covers made from woollen jumpers in multicolours.

If anyone would like some further information about predicting and tracking décor and event trends then do drop me a line at Claire@mask.co.uk and I will send you my short guide to trend spotting

April 2009


'In-House parties'

There was one phrase that permeated nearly all the corporate event briefs I received during the boom years: 'find us something original and unique'. The need to constantly update, be on trend and find new experiences for our clients became the Holy Grail that all event management companies were chasing. We delivered amazing technicolour experiences that helped to convey very clear business messages and (during the boom) this is exactly what our clients wanted.

But one of the biggest challenges to all event companies is to respond quickly to changes in the market place. The new overriding word that seems to permeate briefs since late 2008 is 'low-key'. Organisations want to have events because they are the best way to deliver essential business objectives (like building and maintaining client relationships) but there is a real concern from corporations and charities that they will perceived as wasting money.

In fact, while in some cases this new pared back approach is driven by the need to cut budgets, in others it is the main driver: the budget can be the same but don't make the event look and feel too expensive.

It's a delicate balance: the fundamentals need to be in place: something nice to eat, a few classic drinks, some icebreaking entertainment, a good location and an atmosphere convivial to conversation but clients are wary of having anything that may look frivolous.

In recent weeks, Mask has received requests to transform office spaces. It's a great idea: Often major corporations have great lobby spaces that are redundant in the evening, the locations are central and in house catering or having canapés delivered keeps food and drink spend to a minimum. The whole concept speaks of cost effectiveness and more conservative business practises.

Mask has seized this opportunity by creating a new service: 'In-house party'. For a small fee we light the space and add some furniture, a bar, some décor, AV equipment and music which allows our client can get on with the business of entertaining in a nice atmosphere and conveys a clear message that they are being careful with budgets.

So far we have received three requests for in-house parties and by partnering with our group caterer Create we can also serve canapés and drinks too. It is the event service that is keeping us busy during 2009 and best of all it has perfect synergy with what our clients want: great branded networking events at a fraction of the cost.

March 2009