Let there be light! The importance of the right lighting at any event cannot be stressed enough, but often we only think of lighting when it comes to illuminating the stage or the speaker. But, when attendees are surrounded by four plain walls for days on end, the importance of adding some visual flair to them through lighting is critical to stimulate your audience and keep them from feeling boxed in.
8 Ways to Add Some Wow to Your Walls
1. Gobo Lighting: Let’s Get Visual
Static lighting can be stagnant, so consider using dynamic gobo lighting (GOes Before Optics) to create visual flair. The design of a glass or metal gobo is laser cut from stainless steel, allowing light to shine through and project a white pattern on your event space walls (color filters that complement a theme or company logo can also be added).
2. Intelligent Lighting: Start a Movement
Create some excitement with intelligent lighting, aka moving lights. These lights can be used to display moving patterns and gobos onto walls, adding texture, color, and dimension to an otherwise boring wall. Creating movement with lighting is also ideal for networking and social gatherings where you want to get people moving about and mingling too.
3. Projection Lighting: Light Up Your Logo
Another use for gobos is to project your company logo or event name onto walls. Putting it in lights is a dramatic way to display your name, keep the company top-of-mind throughout the event, and provide a great backdrop for photo opportunities. Projection lighting is also great for displaying digital signage, such as the event schedule, meeting agenda, or even a social media wall.
4. 3D Projection Mapping: Climb the Walls
Make a scene by projecting off the screen! This technology projects onto any surface and turns it into an engaging display for imagery or video. Event planners have been known to use projection mapping on everything from buildings to stage props, but you can use it to add texture to boring walls or change the entire look of it.
5. Uplighting: Create Some Drama
Let’s face it, many venues consist of four walls and a low ceiling, creating something of a claustrophobic atmosphere. However, colorful uplighting can add depth and create visual interest no matter how boring the meeting space may be; when placed along the length of walls, they also create the illusion of higher ceilings and wider spaces. When using uplighting, be sure to consider colors that complement the theme of the event or corporate colors.
6. Spotlighting: Direct Their Attention
We often think of using spotlights only to highlight a presenter or panel; this keeps audiences in the dark with all attention on the stage. But spotlights can also be used to draw attention to what’s on or near the wall, whether it’s product displays, a social media monitor, or corporate signage.
7. Illuminated Beverages: Raise the Bar
At the end of a long day, most attendees will be hankering for a cocktail (hanging out near the bar is also the most popular place to be at networking events). So, give the bar the attention it deserves by placing the bottle lineup upon LED glass. The glow from the bottles will attract people like a moth to a flame.
8. LED Displays: Make an Impact
We’re very visual creatures, so open eyes with a big, bright LED display wall. Consisting of a multi-monitor setup tiled together to form one large screen, an LED display wall can be placed against any regular wall within the event space and will leave a lasting impression on guests (they can also be overlapped for a more creative, less uniform function). LED walls can display virtually any content stretched across all units, or the controller can allow select monitors to display separate content. That’s just a handful of ideas; at 1WayAV, we’ve got many more tricks up your sleeve! We are New York’s premier event A/V company, offering the best lighting technicians in the industry who are committed to designing and running your lighting cues. Make your next event shine with the lighting specialists at One Way Event Productions. Contact us today.
