“Life is all about good seating and lighting.”
Graydon Carter Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair from 1992-2017, once said this. And, as someone who attended his share of posh events over those 25 years, we think he knows what he’s talking about! At One Way Event Productions, we know the right lighting can make or break an event, setting the right mood and tone while creating some visual flair. Of course, today there are a lot of options, so we’ve highlighted the most popular event lighting in one comprehensive light guide.
22 Types of Event Lighting
1. Architectural Lighting
To light up a building or a space, architectural lighting focuses on three factors: aesthetic appeal (what to light up and what to keep in the dark), ergonomics (the relationship between light sources and individuals), and energy efficiency (ensuring light is not wasted due to over-illumination or by wasting light by illuminating vacant areas). Proper lighting of entrances and pathways is always key for first impressions, while bold swathes of light onto tree canopies, putting patterns in a pool, or using other uplighting techniques to illuminate a landscape or building exterior can really set the scene.
2. Balloon Lighting
While balloons themselves may be passé, balloon lighting is blowing up! These air-inflated fixtures can be used indoors or outdoors, and can be suspended or ground-supported. They’re available with warm halogen lighting for elegant affairs, or LED lighting for bolder, more colorful events. In addition, the balloons can often be customized, highlighting a company logo or event theme.
3. Bliss Lighting
Blisslights create 1000′s of pinpoints of light that look like stars slowly coming together—and then breaking apart. It gives the impression of sitting in an astronomy observatory straight out of Rebel Without a Cause. These lights have a wide projection area (generally over 50ft x 50ft) which makes them a great value in terms of overall coverage. Behind the stars, the light can be made to produce a blue/purple “galaxy” effect that slowly revolves, creating an awe-inspiring 3-D design. Bliss Lighting is great for many events, and ideal for venues with low ceilings to create the illusion of depth. Not feeling the ceiling approach? Blisslights can also be used on drapes, walls, floors, and any other surface you want to transform into something magical.
4. Centerpiece Lighting
While this type of lighting is pretty low-tech, requiring nothing more than battery-powered light discs placed beneath items like centerpieces, flowers, buffet displays, and photos, they do make an impression. By projecting light from beneath these objects, they add warmth and color to any event and go above and beyond traditional candles.
5. Ellipsoidal Lights
Also known as lekos, ellipsoidal lights are common in theaters and other entertainment venues. These lights use a focusable lens to throw a concentrated light beam on a particular spot or area from distances of 25-75 feet, making them ideal for overhead, side positions, or stage washes. Many can also accept gobo discs; see below for more on these.
6. Gobos
Short for “GOes Between Optics,” a gobo is a small stenciled disc that can be placed within a lighting fixture to create a projected pattern on stage backdrops, walls, and floors. Gobos come in steel (generally for black and white), glass (for colors) and plastic (designed specifically for LED fixtures). Not content to just be used in static fixtures, gobos can also be installed in moving lighting to project a moving pattern or logo. Even better? Filters that complement a theme or company logo can also be added which creates a great backdrop for photo-taking.
7. High-Lit Tables
Add some stretchy fabric and some uplighting underneath to illuminate your guests’ tables. High-lit tables can be employed to create a mood or just make the seating arrangement more appealing.
8. Illuminated Beverages
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.
9. Kinetic Lights
Merging the art of lighting with mechanical technology, these moving orb lights and light tubes drop down from the ceiling, operating on a motor to maintain movement over a certain space or object. Today, kinetic lights are all the rave, making a big impact at conferences, concerts, and even pop-up events.
10. Lasers
Found at many music venues, concerts, and nightclubs, colored lasers can usually produce hundreds of patterns, flashing and rotating on walls, ceilings, floors, and more. Lasers come in a variety of colors, and most can change to the beat of the music, bouncing around the room reflecting off mirror balls for a dynamic effect. They can also display animated and changing logos and designs anywhere in your event space.
11. LED Lights
LED stands for “light-emitting diode”; without getting too technical, it basically means it’s a really bright electronic chip! Despite its brightness, it’s also small, so LEDs give off much less heat than other forms of lighting. This makes LEDs ideals for performers and presenters because they keep the stage cooler. And because green is good, LEDs also consume less energy! Plus, they’re versatile, and can be paired to operate together, to match a musical beat, or to flash, strobe, or provide a steady or alternating color.
12. LED Pixel Tube Lights
Once used mainly for television and film lighting, LED pixel tube lights have taken the event planning industry by storm because they’re so easy to use. These wireless baton-shaped LEDs can be mounted just about anywhere to light up a person or a presentation, or to create indirect lighting effects. That’s not all; they’re also waterproof, making them perfect for outdoor events. Feeling creative? LED pixel tubes can be used in a variety of ways to create a unique space. A couple popular uses include:
- LED Chandeliers. Placed overhead, LED tube light chandeliers create an elegant yet offbeat atmosphere that is sure to get people talking.
- LED Outline. To make square rooms, breakout areas, or temporary structures more interesting, LEDs can be used to frame spaces, “outlining” them to give the impression of entering a whole new area.
13. LED Uplights
There’s nothing fun about four walls. They can make even the largest event space feel a bit claustrophobic, and leave people feeling boxed in. So, liven things up with LED uplighting. Whether you want to project fun, elegance, or corporate success, colorful uplighting adds depth and creates visual interest to any space. In addition, when placed along the length of walls, uplights 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.
14. LED Walls
While not exactly a “lighting” option, we’d be remiss to leave LED walls off this list because they certainly light up a room; after all, we’re very visual creatures, so LED walls leave a lasting impression on guests. They’re big, bright, and bold, consisting of a multi-monitor setup tiled together to form one large screen, or overlapped for a more creative, less uniform function. LED walls can be placed against any regular wall within the event space, and have the ability to display virtually any content; in addition, the controller can also select certain monitors to display separate content.
15. Lighting Box
Trailing lights can create a unique area within a larger venue, similar to the aforementioned LED Outline. Lighting boxes can be used to “isolate” a VIP enclosure or an intimate seating area. It can also be used as a networking area, and will be easily recognized and found by NYC event attendees.
16. Moving Lights
Create some excitement with moving lights! Popular for a variety of events and great for encouraging action and mingling among guests, moving lights, sometimes called intelligent or wiggly lights, are flexible and versatile fixtures that feature a movable head to create a roaming beam of light. Most moving lights also have gobo wheels, prisms, iris’s, shutters, and frost to create dynamic effects. Moving lights come in the following three forms:
- Spot. Perfect for lighting up a performer or presenter, spot fixtures are also great for displaying creative aerial and wall effects.
- Wash. These fixtures are ideal for throwing wide swaths of light into big spaces, filling the area with color.
- Beam. A new form of lighting using a large diameter lens, beam moving lights throw far and move extremely fast.
17. Outdoor Lighting
For outdoor NYC events, most of the lighting suggestions included in this blog can be utilized, but it also opens up even more options. For example, you could use paper lanterns to create a whimsical environment while maintaining a light and fun mood, or string bistro lights like a canopy over a dance floor or dining area. Other traditional approaches include candle-like lined pathways or even Christmas lights.
18. PAR Lighting
Ideal for lighting stages and theaters, Parabolic Aluminized Reflectors, or PAR lighting, is one of the most popular types of luminaries. Simplistic in design but highly effective, PAR lighting uses a reflector in to help concentrate light; it also gives the light the shape of an oval to cover larger spaces.
19. Pin-Spot Lighting
If you want to create very narrow beams of light focused on specific areas or elements within the venue you may choose pin-spot lighting. It’s a great way to highlight centerpieces, place cards, a guestbook, bar areas, or a cake or dessert table.
20. Projection Lighting
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.
21. Projection Mapping (3-D)
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. NYC 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 their entire look.
22. Spotlights
Built into a steel fixture with extruded corners and a high output glass lens, a spotlight generates a spot of light approximately 5 feet from 30 feet away, making it ideal for theatrical performances and keynote speaker addresses. While we often think of using spotlights only to highlight a presenter or panel to keep audiences in the dark and direct their attention to the stage, 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. Colors come in the rainbow spectrum, or a warm, rich white.
See Your Event In a New Light With One Way Event Productions
These are 22 ways to make a splash with lighting—while giving your event a splash of color! Have something else in mind, or want to talk about other options audio visual options we have? Give us a call and drop us a line. We have a huge rental inventory and some of the best lighting technicians in the business, and each member of our team is committed to designing and running your lighting cues. Make your next New York City event shine with the lighting specialists at One Way Event Productions. Contact us today.
