Decor: Dream or Nightmare?

Décor is an important part of most fundraising events and has the potential to have a major impact on how much money you raise. Décor can transform a venue into a different place, transport attendees to a new world, and help tell the tale of your mission. Décor can also be a hinderance, actively work against your fundraising, and run roughshod on your budget.

We have seen some incredible décor over the years. For example, every February, the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma Valley transforms their gymnasium into a spectacular setting for a high-end gala, utilizing a combination of drape and lighting. Looking at photos of the event, you would never guess it was in a gym. But you never have to look too far to remember where you are, and why you are there.

The Sweetheart Gala always takes place in the Boys and Girls Club’s gym, but it doesn’t feel that way.

Save the Redwoods League consistently does an amazing job of utilizing décor to communicate their mission at their galas. Whether it is in a tent on Union Square or a boxy warehouse space in the Presidio, they always manage to create a mood that feels connected to the forest, through lights, visuals, and use of live plants and trees.

Décor doesn’t have to be over-the-top to serve a valuable purpose. We’ve seen many events utilize retractable banner stands to communicate their mission and message and empower attendees to get in the frame of mind of supporting the cause.

The one place we’ve seen décor go most awry is at the tables, specifically, in the center of them. Centerpieces have the potential to become a massive hindrance for us as auctioneers. Tall centerpieces can make it hard to see bidders, and actively hinder our ability to do our jobs. It can not be overstated: Tall centerpieces make it harder for us to see the crowd and for the crowd to see us onstage. It creates a sense of separation in the room – in a bad way.

These centerpieces were so tall, Greg opted to do the auction from the floor instead of the stage.

We won’t play at being arbiters of taste, but we will say that when planning your décor, do it with intention. If the goal is to create an atmosphere of giving, how can the décor help serve that purpose? If the theme is important to your crowd, how can you meet their expectations while staying true to the fundraising?

Lighting is a cost-effective method of transforming a space, and lighting can also be used to change mood during an event. Remote-controlled, battery-powered LED lights can change color with the click of a button and be synchronized to do so throughout the room at the same time. Changing the color of the lights washing the stage between speakers can make for dramatic entrances and exits, and help to focus the crowd’s attention.

Be creative. Utilize modern technology. Make your event memorable and profitable. The one thing you should not do is create centerpieces that block sightlines. Seriously.

Lighting as decor: new technology is budget-friendly

Event design is always a balancing act between intended look and budget. Large, “blank slate” event spaces pose the most obvious challenges for décor. But even the most elegant venues often need a touch of flair to get them to better match an event’s color scheme.

Until recently, the main options for large-scale decorating were pipe and drape and large stage lights; each of had its own set of issues.

This airplane hangar is transformed into a festive party through the use of color and light.

Pipe and drape is expensive, has height limitations, and usually comes in one color: black.

Large stage lights are limited in their flexibility. The use of filters can give you good color effects on most any reflective surface, and custom-crafted gobos enable you to cast whatever imagery you want. But these lights are large, hot, and not capable of rapid change.

In the past if you wanted to change colors for different parts of your show, you needed to rent a different light for each and every color change you want. Not a big deal if you’re talking about a small set, but if you are decorating  an airplane hangar and wanted to do two or three color changes…forget it.

Advances in lighting technology, especially LED lighting technology, have made it easier and more affordable than ever to transform a “blank slate” event space into something special. A single LED light offers every color you could ask for and you can switch between colors with the push of a button.

Many LED lights are also battery powered, eliminating the need for additional power supplies or unsightly cables running throughout the room. LEDs are also compact and powerful, making it easy to cover huge patches of real estate with each small, unobtrusive light.

Possibly best of all, the LED revolution has greatly reduced the price of lighting solutions. The next time you are designing your event décor, be sure to have a conversation with your A/V provider; they have options that can impact your event’s look and feel without impacting the budget.