Freelancer s Guide to Corporate Event Design

Freelancer s Guide to Corporate Event Design

Advance Praise for Freelancer s Guide to Corporate Event Design This is the most comprehensive guide to the corporate events industry I ve seen in my thirty-five years in the business. Both newcomers and seasoned professionals will find this book invaluable. Steve Alford, President, Alford Media Services, Inc. Troy Halsey has written a well-researched and comprehensive study of an important part of the entertainment industry the place where many of us earn our rent! Up until now, even the pros could only learn by making mistakes. Many thanks to Troy for providing a better way. Drew Campbell, Author of Technical Theater for Nontechnical People

Freelancer s Guide to Corporate Event Design From Technology Fundamentals to Scenic and Environmental Design Troy Halsey AMSTERDAM BOSTON HEIDELBERG LONDON NEW YORK OXFORD PARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYO Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier

Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, UK 2010 Troy Halsey. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions. This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein). Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Application submitted British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-0-240-81224-3 For information on all Focal Press publications visit our Web site at www.elsevierdirect.com 10 11 12 13 14 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China Typeset by: diacritech, India

Contents v PREFACE... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... xi CHAPTER 1 An Overview... 1 What Is a Corporate Event?... 2 Who Attends a Corporate Event?... 12 Where Do Corporate Events Happen?... 13 What Exactly Is Corporate Event Design?... 14 What Makes a Good Corporate Event Design?... 17 A Brief History of Corporate Events... 18 The Future of Corporate Events... 20 CHAPTER 2 Venues... 23 Introduction to Venues... 24 Types of Venues... 24 Anatomy of a Venue... 30 Site Surveys... 33 Common Venue Oversights... 40 Selecting a Venue... 41 CHAPTER 3 Staging... 43 Why Is Staging Needed?... 44 Types of Staging... 44 Parts of the Stage... 47 Stage Confi gurations... 48 Always Inspect Staging... 50 Stage Carpeting... 51 Stage Fascia and Skirting... 52 Multilevel Decking... 53 Turntables/Wagons... 54 Ramps and Step Units... 55 Making Stages Safe... 57 Choosing the Best Stage for Your Event... 59

vi Contents CHAPTER 4 Seating... 61 The Problem with Seating... 62 Types of Chairs and Tables... 63 Seating Confi gurations... 68 Estimating Seating Capacity... 70 Seating Per Square Foot... 70 Clever Seating Ideas That Don t Work in Reality... 71 Choosing the Best Seating Confi guration... 73 CHAPTER 5 Rigging... 75 Introduction to Rigging... 76 The Basics of Rigging... 76 Rigging Equipment... 77 Rigging Points... 81 When Rigging Points Are Not Available?... 83 CHAPTER 6 Lighting... 85 Introduction to Lighting... 86 Elements of Light: An Event Designer s View... 86 Lighting Equipment... 93 Gobos... 96 Three-Point Lighting: A Basic Lighting Technique... 98 So Is That All There Is to Lighting?... 100 CHAPTER 7 Video and Projection... 101 Introduction to Video... 102 Video Basics... 102 Projection... 108 Video Cameras... 121 Video Controls... 125 Additional Video Display Systems... 126 Video Content... 128 Alternate Uses of Video... 131 CHAPTER 8 Audio... 135 Introduction to Audio... 136 Why Are Audio Systems Needed?... 136 Parts of a Sound System... 137 Beyond the Basics from a Designer s View... 139 Types of Microphones... 139 Types of Audio Speakers... 142

Contents vii Unique Challenges of Audio for the Corporate Event Industry... 145 Audio Services... 147 Final Thoughts on Audio... 149 CHAPTER 9 Speaker Support... 151 Introduction to Speaker Support... 152 Types of Speakers and Presenters... 152 Preparation Spaces... 155 Presentation Management... 157 Prompters and Confi dence Monitors... 158 The Value of Rehearsals... 160 Speaker Support Equals Customer Service... 161 CHAPTER 10 Design Teams and Processes... 163 Introduction to Design Teams and Processes... 164 The Proposal Response Process... 165 Differences Between Freelance and Corporate Event Design Teams... 171 Advantages and Disadvantages of Freelance and Corporate Event Design Teams... 172 Roles within an Event Design Team... 173 A Few Additional Thoughts... 179 CHAPTER 11 Designing from the Ground Up... 181 Introduction to Design... 182 Drafting Software... 182 Venue Floor Plans... 182 Creating a Working Floor Plan... 183 Front Elevation and Sections... 191 Preparing Your Drawing for Fire Marshal Approval... 194 Adding the Finishing Touches to a Working Floor Plan... 196 CHAPTER 12 Developing a Design Palette... 199 Introduction... 200 The Fundamentals of Design... 200 A Designer s Toolkit... 208 Research... 211 Transforming Data into Design Research... 218 Developing a Design Palette... 220

viii Contents CHAPTER 13 Scenic Design... 223 Introduction to Scenic Design: Corporate vs. Theatrical... 224 Using Your Design Palette... 224 Areas of Focus... 225 Scenic Design by Addition... 227 Design Approaches... 231 Common Scenic Styles for the Corporate Event World... 234 Final Thoughts on Scenic Design... 238 CHAPTER 14 Environment Design... 239 Introduction to Environment Design... 240 Providing Direction... 240 Providing Atmosphere... 245 Environment Design Checklist... 254 CHAPTER 15 Scenic Materials and Construction... 255 Introduction to Scenic Materials and Construction... 256 Soft Goods... 257 Hard Goods... 267 Specialty Items... 277 Scenic Painting... 280 Adding the Finishing Touches... 286 Prepping Scenery for Transportation... 289 CHAPTER 16 Presenting Your Design... 291 Introduction to Design Presentation... 292 How Scenic Concepts Are Presented... 292 Illustration Styles... 293 Effective Presentation Methods... 302 A Sample Presentation... 302 The Order of Your Presentation... 303 A Few Final Thoughts... 306 INDEX... 307

Preface ix The industry of corporate event production encompasses a vast collection of event types and specialties. Numerous books have been written discussing the strategies and approaches to developing successful corporate meetings and conferences, but acquiring an introduction to the physical design of such events has been left to onthe-job training and mentoring. Although several trade magazines and organizations exist, few offer a fundamental overview of the industry for the layperson. This book fills that introductory void and provides newcomers with the basic knowledge required to jump-start a career in event planning and design. Whether you are a theatrical designer looking for a steady paycheck, a freelance producer transitioning to live events, or a member of a corporate event planning committee, this book will teach you the fundamental technologies and processes needed to design a successful event of any size. Furthermore, with the knowledge you gain from this book, you will be able to comfortably speak to production teams, technicians, and clients on just about any topic related to the field of corporate events. The idea for writing this book came to me when I was asked to train a new designer by showing him the proverbial ropes. The corporation I worked for was one of the largest and most respected leaders in the event industry. The company s services covered a broad spectrum, including providing trade show decor and booths, staging and environment designs, audio and video equipment, and any number of additional products or services that may be required by a client hosting an event. This service even included a specialized team that could analyze data to show whether or not an event was successful. This company had almost everything and made 10 figures a year doing it. But a crucial piece was missing: a training program for designers new to the industry. For years, design in the event industry was seen as a second-class citizen. Not much thought was given to how the placement of banners or drape color selections would impact the attendees. Furthermore, design services were usually given away free as a method for selling more stuff to clients. This was especially true for general sessions, the main meetings that occur during events, in which stage and scenic designs were used merely to sell more audio and video equipment! However, in recent years, the traditional handbook for planning events has been rewritten. Clients no longer want big and flashy buckshot productions; instead, they want precision and strategy to guide their event planning. They want to conserve money and time and get the most they can from their corporate events. For this, a different level of design is necessary, and event companies, like the one I worked for, saw an opportunity to expand their services by adding a specialized creative and strategic design department.

x Preface As the design department began to grow, so did the demand for faster and more elaborate designs. More designers were needed to fulfill all the requests. Because most designs were visualized with 3D illustrations, a debate was born. Do you hire someone experienced with 3D software and teach that person the business, or hire someone with experience in the business and teach that new hire 3D software? As a scenic designer by trade, I believe it is more involved to teach someone the nuances of design theory and explain how those theories are applied to the vast assortment of elements contained in the broad industry of corporate events. On the other hand, as a businessperson, I believe that someone who can make pretty 3D pictures from a designer s pencil sketch can quickly become productive and profitable. So, despite my philosophical reservations, I suggested we hire 3D artists and teach them the business the theory being that over a period of time, taking direction from seasoned designers, they would pick up details of the industry at a natural rate. In some ways this theory worked. After a few years, savvy 3D artists would eventually pick up enough about the industry to begin designing small events on their own a form of on-the-job training very similar to an apprenticeship. If, however, the demands put upon the design team grew quicker than anticipated, as was the case in my experience, 3D artists were promoted to designers before they had acquired the necessary knowledge of what makes an event design achievable, safe, and successful. Here is where the missing piece came into play. How do you quickly train someone in a craft that encompasses so many unique specialties and technologies? The only real resources available were trade magazines that were too technical or specialists who were typically on the road working events. So I decided to track down those specialists and develop a training manual of sorts for new designers, and a few years later this book was the result. This book is written in the same order you would experience the industry as an intern within a small event design agency or production company. Beginning with an overview of the industry, you will gain an understanding of why companies host corporate events and the different types of events that occur. Next, you will study the fundamentals of each specialty within the industry, such as rigging, lighting, video, and audio. Finally, you will learn how design processes and strategies are applied to the industry to ensure that a client s message is effectively delivered. In the end, you will have the knowledge needed to begin working within an event design team and jump-start your career as an event planner and designer. Best of luck to you in your new career or path, and I hope you enjoy learning about the industry as much as I have enjoyed writing about it. Troy Halsey troy@troyhalsey.com

Acknowledgements xi I would like to thank and acknowledge a number of people, without whom I would not have been able to complete this book. First, I would like to thank my wife, Brenda, for all her support and patience while I frequently typed away late into the night. Many thanks to Ashley Leies for her editing abilities and literary guidance. Thank you, Cara Anderson, for taking a risk on a new subject matter. And finally, I have many and sincere thanks to my family, friends, and coworkers for all their support and encouraging words. In addition, in one way or another, the following list of individuals helped make this book a reality, and I would like to sincerely say thank you: Andrea Sid Curtis Adelle Mize Bob Walker Brian Alexander Carrie Freeman-Parsons Cathy Ives Chris Horne David Legore David Marks David Sauers Drew Campbell Dustin Sparks Fred Gavitt Greg Brown Guillermo Becerra Guy Hollier Jeffrey Cameron Jerrod Smith Jim Clark Joe Krebbs John Kennedy Kenny Hunt LaManda Minikel Marc Vonderhorst Marcus Eiland Mark McGovern Patrick Moloney Phillip Collins Raymond Watkins D. Scott Cooper Scott Williams Stacey Walker Terry Price Tim Platt Tim Wylie Todd Ethridge Wendi Sabo Willi Clarkson Zhiyong Li