Trends: A New Meaning for "Corporate Merger"

A trend we have seen at the corporate events we design and produce these days as budgets tighten up is that while the sponsors are still there, many complimentary brands are teaming up to sponsor one event. This is what two food and beverage giants did for an event during the Western Association of Food Chains, a conference that was held this year at the Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix. Great hotel by the way, worth checking out.

As the designer, we just needed to be more sensitive to equal placement, meshing logo colors with the event design and sending the right message for all involved.

This event featured a desert oasis theme, a simple design that played off of the rich geographical characteristics of the desert.

This is a shot of the stage looking back in the room. To create interest, I designed by using a lot of gobo projections of trees. The ones on the dance floor are in focus to create this area as a point of interest while those on the wall are not in focus to create a breakup pattern while still enforcing the natural wilderness type of environment.

Here is a shot of the room from the entrance (more or less). The large, colorful desert photos are a simple add-on. If you have themes that you are requested to do more often such as the desert, beach or winter (depending on where you are located), consider buying stock photography. Often you can find it at a decent price online. Purchase is at a resolution that is high enough to maintain clarity once it’s blown up.

And actually, these photos look inner-lit but they are front lit with a leko, shuddered in to just hit the picture and not “bleed” light onto the frame. With the right lighting, these simple details become a major décor element.

These photos also show how we saved additional money by considering the ballroom’s existing color scheme. It may not always work out, but if you can, designing décor to the colors of the ballroom can make the most of the space and the budget.