What’s up-and-coming in the event biz?

June 3, 2011

You would imagine, after traveling and planning dozens of events all year long, that Carol and Susan would love a well-deserved breather from their managing director posts at The Charles Group. But no. What do event planners do to stay fresh in their field? They go to an event presented just to educate and update them and their fellow planners… The Special Event Show.

Designed for event planners of every type—from corporate to non-profit to wedding planners—The Special Event Show is the annual industry gathering for all the latest in entertainment, décor, trends in food, technology and more… but the prevalent themes at this year’s event were innovative uses of color and light. As many of you know, Carol and Susan feverishly tweeted their experiences and discoveries at the show, held in January in Phoenix. According to experts there…

• The hot color of the year is honeysuckle… an eye-catching reddish pink. (For those of you who know your Pantone libraries well, it’s Pantone 18-2120 – see the color here.) You’ll see this color, a lot, used in clothing, table wear, and even cosmetics and appliances. It adds a lively, energetic flair to any décor or theme. An interesting note – in tougher times, color trends tend to become brighter or richer.

• LED lighting is quickly becoming the technology of choice for creating room ambience ranging from the subtle to the spectacular. The simple and cost-effective lighting easily “color washes” fabrics, curtains and backdrops to set the tone, any way you like.

• A big influencer right now in the worlds of décor and architecture is Phillipe Starck—one of the best-known contemporary designers in the world. Starck’s style is simultaneously striking and beautiful. The Delano South Beach Hotel is a good example of his work. Check it out, here.

One other takeaway: We learned that taking quality photos of events is critical—so we promise in future issues to bring you a lot more pictures of our events, food and venues!