The 2013 Dave Merrell Texas Tour

After next week you may hear a little twang in my voice!

I am touring the Lone Star State, beginning with Dallas, then onto Austin, ending in San Antonio. The topic I am speaking on is Event Alchemy: Turning Intangible Concepts into Event Marketing, something that I think we all can understand.

Event Alchemy: The art of transforming an empty room into an event.

From the moment we meet with clients, the sales process begins…but what are we really selling? We say it’s an event, but until it actually happens we are selling the invisible. Along the way both inspiration and strategy will be used to create the best event possible. This session breaks down this process further in order to make the intangible tangible.

Join us in any of these cities and discover how to manage the sale, the follow up, the team, the proposal and what happens on site in ways that make your business stronger and more profitable while making the client happier and more likely to be repeat business. Get tips on selling customer service, and adding value the event, your business and the event’s bottom line. Pitches, angles, presentations … it’s all invisible, but this session promises to reveal the secrets behind successful sales and concrete event design

I'm looking forward to my tour of Texas! Below are a few examples of alchemy -- the art turning common objects into gold, in this case, empty rooms into events!

Hope I see y'all all soon.

Monday, May 20

Dallas

6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Venue: 7@150

Hosted by: ISES Dallas Chapter

More information here

Tuesday, May 21

Austin

6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Venue: Chateau Bellevue

Hosted by: ISES Austin Chapter

More information here

Wednesday, May 22

San Antonio

5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Venue: Granberry Hills

Hosted by:

More information here

Michael Buble on stage at the Heart Foundation Gala at the Palladium in Hollywood, California.

The Hilton, Austin, Texas, for a corporate holiday celebration.

The Tenors on stage at the Dream Foundation Gala.

A royal purple lounge, one of the guest seating areas at the Pacific Pride Foundation

 event in Santa Barbara, California.

GUEST BLOG by Amelia Rogers

Back in September I traveled down under to speak at the Australian Event Symposium 2012 as the keynote. I gave a lot of myself, and received much in return. I found Australians to be warm and open people. While their event industry may be smaller in size than that of the United States, they have some very big ideas and we could learn a lot from the way they design and produce events.
During the Symposium I was honored to be part of a panel of judges that included myself, David Jamilly from England and David Grant from Sydney, for a creative event competition called “What’s the Big Idea."  A promising new producer named Amelia Rogers won that contest and her prize was to spend a week at each of our companies. Her time at AOO Events was both fun and productive. I got to know her well. Amelia is bright, interesting and a quick learner. I know she will be a star in the industry! This is her blog about her overall experience and thoughts on events in Los Angeles and Hollywood.

David Merrell
Creative Designer, AOO Events, Lead Designdawg

DESIGN PUP: A BLOG FROM OZ

By Amelia Rogers

Los Angeles

As Miley Cyrus’s sugary lyrics to Party in the USA boom across the concession stand at the Sydney International airport, I smile at the irony. I am literally off to experience parties in the USA, more notably, in Los Angeles. How I came by the ticket is just as interesting as where I’m going.

As a budding event manager I was the lucky winner of a creative event competition held by the Australian Event Symposium 2012 called ‘What’s the Big Idea? Pitch It To Me!” The contest was an open challenge to any aspiring event manager under 30 and living in Australia and called for the proposal of an event of any size, proportion, distance, ingenuity or desire and presentation of it to three of the world’s top event minds – David Merrell, Los Angeles, David Grant, Sydney, and David Jamilly, London. The prize was a three-week, all-expense paid trip to visit the businesses of each of these men and experience first-hand the event business in those cities.

My winning proposal featured a 360-degree visual art and sound spectacular incorporating a collection of Australia’s leading minds and talent, showcasing the creativity of this country upon its largest natural canvas, Uluru. 

 

 A photo from my proposal. I used Photoshop to envision the event in this setting.

Also known as Ayres Rock, this widely recognized landmark is home to the Anangu tribe as well as a diverse collection of natural springs, watering holes and traditional cave paintings. My proposed event on this site was innovative and modern, embracing light, art, sound and distance; delivering an experience and leaving guests’ with memories that would last forever. 

After winning the contest, I travelled the many miles from Sydney, to London and finally ended up in Los Angeles. For me, this was the stop I most anticipated. I’m not sure if it was the celebrity clad streets, numerous shiny stars sparkling on the strip, or just the city’s generally good weather. But there was something exciting about it. 

From day one I decided to explore the city as though I were designing an event. The first question I asked myself was where would I hold it? Downtown’s architecture is a glorious mix of new and old. The recent Nokia Theatre sits irresistibly close to the impressive Art Deco grandeurs of emerald coloured Eastern Columbia building. 

 

Or would I take my chances with the city’s remarkable weather and hold my imaginary event at Santa Monica Pier? This location is a self-contained, instant event of color and frenzied fun conveniently located beside the sea. Or, perhaps I’d take it up higher into the palatial Hollywood Hills and hold it in a private residence for an evening of refined dining, fanciful frivolity and unbeatable city views.  

Wherever it was going to be held, I was going to have to make sure that travel was not an issue. Whoever dubbed Detroit the motor city clearly had not sat in LA’s rush hour traffic.

Winding my way around town I experience different areas of shopping, art, life, gardens and urban living, all assisting with the design of my LA-centric event. The images below (collected from the internet) reflect the feeling of the event I would create to represent my week in Los Angeles. I would try and fine a comfortable, chic and private outdoor setting to celebrate the reliable climate. 

 

Ideally, a leafy garden style roof top so that I could decorate the surrounds simply with candle light to give the evening a warm, natural glow.

 

 

I would design large rustic grazing tables, lavishly adorned with local and fresh produce for guests to come and go as they please, there is no set dinner time...

 

The tables are replenished with appetizers, entrees and desserts throughout the evening. Small satellite bars are positioned around the space, each with a waiter to assist in the drinks service or to rustle up your favorite cocktail on request. 

 

The music creates a warm, friendly and social atmosphere; it’s not over whelming and sets the scene, but at a moment’s notice it can be kicked up a notch and launch into party mode.

So, while you’re here I hope you grab a drink and enjoy the view.

Cheers!

Teaching a New Designer Old Tricks

I know the correct saying refers to teaching an old dawg new tricks. New tricks are great, but that doesn't mean we should cast out the old ones. Sometimes, they work the best. In this post, I'm going to introduce you to one of those -- a lighting trick called a scroller.

 

The scroller attaches to a conventional Leko.

 

 It offers a special moving effects suc as clouds, rains, fire, water ripples -- anything that requires a vertical or horizontal line movement instad of a rotating movement.

The best way to show you how it looks is a video from Gam Lighting Equipment.

At Gam, you can find many more cool patterns like this. You can also see more videos on their YouTube channel. Lighting companies are aware of these but because they have a limited use, they don't often use them. The first time I saw a scroller used was at a Halloween party at which ghosts continuously rose up a wall.I was hooked by the possibilities.

 

Recently we used this effect at an event where there were large ballroom walls with no specific wall paper -- a great canvas for anything.

 

The event was a Heroes V. Villains theme. It was in Club Villain where I used this effect. The photo above is a closer look. Since it is a still photo, the effect doesn't show as well. But all those white lines you see along the wall were in motion during the event, giving the effect of sheets or rain falling thanks to the scroller.

 

Playing off the Neo Noir genre movie Sin City, we created a rain effect, lighted in white and washed or framed in red on all the perimeter walls.

Mixed media. The final result was a mix of scrollers, gobos and shadow play with lighting.

It's a great effect and proves once again, as the song goes, everything old is new again!

 

Designing to an Event Space

As designers, sometimes we are affected by external forces other than space, light and color. Sometimes, we are affected by forces beyond our control, such as the economy and public perception.
For instance, corporations still feel they are under the spotlight when it comes to spending on special events.

Although they want to appear cost-conscious, that doesn't mean they want their events to feel such. It's a fine line, to be sure. In fact, as interior designers and actresses know -- getting that "just-thrown-together casual look can actually be more expensive and take more time. Which means, there is even more opportunity for us as designers to really flex our design muscles.

My approach is (like an interior designer) to design to the event space. Literally, taking the time to sit in the space, listen to my client's goals, and then create something that looks as though it is indigenous to that space. Here's an example that I think really illustrates this from an event AOO Events produced at the The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego.

On a site inspection I noted this outside courtyard. It would be used for the reception before dinner. What caught my eye was the cement “benches” supporting the exterior walkway wall. I thought how easy to play off of that!

All it took was a color palette, some pillows and more lounge furniture to turn them into seating areas.

The patio ground floor outside the event space immediately made me think it was a great space for an outdoor restaurant.

And voila.

By adding in some low hedge walls on the exterior (in order not to impede the view of the ocean and the band) and larger side privacy panels to enclose the space the outdoor patio felt like it was an extension of the inside dining and as if was always meant to be there.

The exterior of the building just needed to be enhanced with lighting and outdoor lounges to deliver the quintessential California for this out-of-town client. 

Amber light -- a designer's best friend. Here it warms up the wood architectural features. Zebra wood tables and contemporary white furniture were the perfect fit for the vibe of this space. And so as not to go crazy with the floral centerpieces, we went with native succulents as the floral accents. 

The interior of the event space -- very clean. The wood feature was inviting and warm.

Just to warm it up a bit more, we pinspotted the tables and added a gobo design above the windows. We also used an understated rental chair from Classic Party Rentals that looked as though it were made for the space.

As you can see, all the design choices were made simply to enhance what was already there, not fight it or try to totally transform it.

GUEST BLOG by Ali Phillips

Ali Phillips has been a  friend of mine for years. Recently I saw her at a WIPA (Wedding Industry Professional Association) meeting where she spoke on destination weddings and events. She talked about how to create a sense of place. Here, she expands on that information, and tells us how to enhance the sense of place. After all, who wants to have a wedding in Africa that looks like it's "Anywhere USA?" Having done many events in locations around the world with AOO Events, I agree with Ali that the most important part of these events is not bringing your preconceived notions or style, or those of your clients, but breaking down barriers and inviting the surrounding environment and all it offers to the party.
David Merrell
Creative Director, AOO Events, Lead Designdawg


ENHANCING A SENSE OF PLACE

By Ali Phillips

Long ago, after I had spent five years of planning weddings locally, one of my best friends who was living in South Africa got engaged. She picked up the phone to me and her first word was "HELP!" And I did, planning my first major destination wedding in South Africa. I was hooked.

I love to travel. I have a major wanderlust and my team always jokes that I am planning my next trip as I am traveling home from my current trip. This wanderlust has shaped my wedding business to what it is today -- one with a heavy focus on destination weddings.

 

Jenny and Martin at Zimbali Lodge in South Africa

The romance of getting married in a faraway place is what makes destination weddings one of the fastest growing sectors of the wedding market, with 84% growth since 2011.  People are inviting friends and family to the beach, the mountains and even castles in the UK to do something a little different and get married “away.”

WHEN GOING AWAY, GO LOCAL

When I am working with my clients and designing their destination wedding or event and the events surrounding that main event, we always talk about creating that “sense of place” for their guests. This sense of place creation involves embracing the local food, colors, sounds and music of the destination.

When we design and plan, we take many local details into account. The time of the sunset, when the time the bugs come out on Caribbean destinations, the tides and when the high tide happens for a beach, the local happenings and favorite places to visit with guests.

And most often we are embracing the indigenous food of the area. Menus might include jerk chicken in Jamaica, pork and beans in Puerto Rico, Conch chowder in the Bahamas or a ceviche bar in Turks and Caicos.

A WARM WELCOME

 

Photos: Sarah Alair

The event begins with a warm letter and basket (which doesn't necessarily have to be a "basket")
to welcome guests after a long day of travel.

 

For this wedding in Kentucky, the welcome kit was filled with local favorites such as bourbon, as well as suggestions of things to do. All of it was very rustic in feeling, with wood block printing on craft paper. It set the mood for a fun, casual event.

 

We want guests to be completely informed of all the happenings around the wedding but also the favorite spots to visit, eat at, and check out when in town. We work locally to represent the most well-known places as well as those off the beaten path.

 

This look was perfect for that Kentucky wedding. But for a wedding in St. John, the look and feel was completely different, more in tune with the tropical, fun feeling of that island.

Photo by Paul Morse

Photo: Sarah Alair

Finally, we also like to include items in the welcome bag that would be useful for travelers, from bug spray to little amenity items that might not be available in that destination.

HAPPENINGS

I like to work with my clients to plan and design all of the events around the area and it’s amazing offerings. For a Costa Rica wedding it may be an optional zip line tour. For a Kentucky wedding it might be a tour of the bourbon makers with lunch, an outing to the horse races or a boat cruise the day after the wedding.

I always start by speaking with the concierge at the hotel where we are hosting the guest rooms. They are a great resource for local tours and trips and what has been a favorite (or not) with guests. I also often reach out to the local board of tourism and they are always very helpful in getting information about the location we are heading for our clients' weddings.

And there is nothing better than going with your client to experience the property/island/castle that they are getting married to get to experience things first hand.

MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT

We love to also incorporate local music when we are doing destination weddings. From steel drums in St. John to a blue grass band in Kentucky, we want guests to experience the sounds of that destination.

DETAILS

Even things down to the guest book can have a local flavor. For the wedding we did in St. John we found old St. John postcards and put those out in a creative manner for guests to write on. We also did this for a Chicago wedding when all the guests were from out of town.

 Jeremy Lawson Photography

Aisle runners are a great place to add local details. For instance, seashells from the beach are perfect for chairs that line the aisle.

Photos: Blue Grass Photography

And don’t forget the flip-flops for dancing late night or navigating to the beach
 for the late night bonfire and s'mores.

TIP FROM THE PRO

At many locations we work we have to make sure we have ample lighting for our events. The sun sets very quickly in the Caribbean and I am always careful to scout the location in advance and talk about all possible lighting available to us. This not only works well from a gorgeous design perspective but is also safer for the guests.

Photos: Blue Grass Photography

Wherever your clients chose to have their wedding, make sure to do a site visit with them to learn more about the culture. Get to know the creative partners in the area where the wedding is taking place. To me, it's always more important that I know how THEY like to work with client, rather than how I like to. I want to hear what works for them and learn more how we can work together since often times I am working at a location for the first time.

The most important tool for any destination event planner is an open mind and a great team. Having both will result in a successful and memorable wedding or event!

About Ali Phillips
Ali Phillips, owner of Engaging Events by Ali based in Chicago, is one of that city's top wedding consultants. And while Chicago is Ali’s “kind of town,” she has planned events in Vermont, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the Caribbean Islands and South Africa. She is a member of the Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA) and a certified Professional Bridal Consultant with the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC). She is the president of the Chicago chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding and a member of ISES. Ali has been named one of the top Chicago Wedding Planner in Chicago Magazine and has also been named in The Knot's "Best of Weddings" numerous times.

GUEST BLOG by J. Damany Daniel

Designers tend to stay with what we know whether it is floral, fabric or lighting. But to stay on the cutting edge we, ironically, need to be well-rounded. It's imperative to stay up-to-date with the latest in technology, to understand what is available to us, how much it costs and how we can use it. Professionals such as J. Damany Daniel are emerging as leaders in this field. Damany is a self-described "event nerd," but we all know that nerds by no means fit that stereotype of the loner at the cafeteria any longer. They are the cool insiders and their table is populated with people hungry for information on the latest, greatest technology. Because, as you will read in Damany's post, technology is changing fast and the possibilities are absolutely limitless!
David Merrell
Owner/Creative Director AOO Events, Lead Designdawg

Trends in Technology:
Hardwired for Powerful Design

By J. Damany Daniel

It’s an age-old battle. On one side you have the perfectionist event designers who want everything about the event to be just so. It’s all about achieving the right look no matter the cost. On the other side are the techs; those messy people in all black clothes (and not the slimming kind either) with their work gloves, knives and flashlights strapped to their waists as if they were some gladiatorial weapons. 

You can hear both sides lamenting: Why don’t they just get it? We’re trying to pull off an event here!

Sound familiar? For years it seemed as if technology and design were at diametrically opposite ends of the events spectrum. Yes, technology was necessary to pull off an event, and yes it was necessary for that technology to be part of the larger design of the event. Yet each seemed to stand in the way of what the other truly wanted. But all that’s been changing for a while now, and people are beginning to notice.

Now more than ever, design and technology are working hand in hand to make an event more than an event – they are turning them into experiences.

An event is defined as “something that happens or is regarded as happening; an occurrence,” while an experience is “a particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something.”  Technology is making it possible to turn events into experiences in ways we never thought possible.  

Here are a few:

Video Walls Previously relegated to rock concerts and music awards, the LED video wall is rapidly becoming a mainstay in modern event design. With resolution as high (or higher) than most televisions, LED video walls give a fourth dimension to the event, making it possible to display content in tandem with and in support of what’s going on in the room or on stage.  

 Photograph by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty published on the New Yorker blog

The most recent example of LED in action was in Beyoncé’s performance at Super Bowl XLVII. Lauded by many as one of the best performances in recent Super Bowl history, millions were mesmerized by the visual splendor that was Queen B’s dancing, but equally as captivating were the  WinVision 9mm LED panels that served as both stage floor and backdrop and made the small screens of millions come alive with dozens of Beyoncés, as if out of a modern day (and arguably much sexier) adaptation of the Michael Keaton movie, Multiplicity. 

Interactive Projection/Surfaces More and more designers are adding interactive elements to their guest’s experience, giving them a chance to shape the look and feel of the event and not just merely be passive bystanders.  Interactive projection is one of the newest ways of doing just that. 

Using industry standard media servers and projectors, any surface can now become an interactive element, giving guests the ability to manipulate images, interact with content, and do battle in virtual games all with the wave of their hand in front of an otherwise static wall or floor. 


IMERSER BAR-TOP TABLES from Jennifer Baker on Vimeo.

 

In addition, bar and tabletop surfaces can now come with video screens (above); infrared technology built in that enable guests to interact with design and event elements in new and unique ways.

Twitter It’s fair to say that people realize that social media is here to stay, and savvy event designer are discovering ways to incorporate it into their event in seamless and exciting ways. No longer just about displaying people’s real time tweets or status updates, social media is being used now to change the perceived mood of an event based on the emotional state of its attendees (as expressed online).  

 

At the 2012 London Olympics, British energy company, EDF Energy, developed a technology that changed the lighting on the London Eye based on the online sentiment of people tweeting using a specific hashtag -- it was the world's first social media driven light show. 

There was a lot of fancy math involved, but what resulted was nothing short of spectacular. Every night people could look to one of London’s most prominent landmarks and tell how their fellow countrymen were feeling -- the color would change based on tweets -- and see it displayed in an impressive 24-minute light show.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology that’s been around for a while, often used in inventory control and security. More recently, event technology companies have used it to provide personalized experiences for event attendees.

 

Guess who is already using this technology?

 The technology is there for an RFID to be implanted in us. 

You might even be making payments at the store soon with a wave of your chipped hand.

A wealth of information can be stored on each RFID chip (which is about the size of a grain of rice). When embedded in an event credential or wristband that chip can provide a gateway into an experience so personalized that guests will think it was made exclusively for them. 



Check out the statistics from this use of RFID wristbands at an event.
 
It was long rumored that software icon Bill Gates’ house would change certain parameters room by room based on who walked in. Whether that was fact or fiction the fact now is that it’s 100% possible to do using RFID technology. 

Guests can walk by displays and see their favorite color, or by kiosks like those pictured above and have information and videos tailor-made for them displayed, all without ever having to push a button.

We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible when bringing a technology company into the design process.  They key is bringing them in early and remembering that they can be as much of an asset to the design process as the florist, or caterer.  When working with a creative team who dreams big, the possibilities are endless and you can leave your guests having had a wow experience that transcends any event they’ve previously just attended.

About J. Damany Daniel
 

J. Damany Daniel hails from Brooklyn, New York, and merges all the style of the big city with the charm, warmth, and humour (yes, with a “u”- he secretly wants to be British) of one of your best friends. An experienced and award-winning event producer, Damany (AKA “The Event Nerd”) has planned scores of events for clients across the nation and always brings a unique flair to everything he touches. An avid student of emerging trends in technology, this proud nerd firmly believes that technology can do more than just amaze people at events. If used properly, technology can and does provide opportunities to connect people, extend the reach of events far past the closing curtain, and create immersive experiences that have guests and clients alike connected with the cause and experience in ways they never thought possible.  In short, Damany loves turning events into experiences.

Damany was also honored to be selected as one of Special Event Magazine’s 2012 “30 Under 40,” which recognized him as a rising star within the global special events community.  He is an active board member of the Dallas Chapter of the International Special Events Society and the national board of Wish Upon a Wedding, as well as being actively involved in mentoring within his community.