DESIGN SECRETS

from Colorado Meetings + Events Spring 2019

EDITOR’S LETTER

DESIGN SECRETS »

THE 4 PILLARS OF CORPORATE EVENT DESIGN

It’s so much more than tablecloths. BY VICTORIA ROSENBLATT

MANY PEOPLE HOLD THE PREVALENT MISCONCEPTION that corporate event design is just tablecloths and centerpieces. Others can’t see the difference between corporate events and social gatherings, equating the importance of time and thought of a corporate event to that of a birthday party. And from that perspective, it’s easy to see why these things may be considered “fluff.” They are easy elements to achieve and by themselves don’t seem to carry any weight or potential lasting impact. But that’s not design, that’s decoration.

Nobody hosts an event for the sake of hosting an event. There is always a deeper purpose, and it’s the planner’s job to achieve it. True design takes into consideration the larger goals around the event and turns them into the strategic driving vision behind every decision. That said, these are the four pillars upon which every corporate event should be designed.

Objectives

Creating meaningful purpose begins by talking with your stakeholders. What are their goals? Current internal initiatives? Vision for the future? How should people feel after the event ends?

Being able to articulate the answers to these questions not only deepens your understanding, but it also provides the entire event blueprint. By knowing what your objectives are you’ll know what your impact features should be, and consequently where your money should be going (read: budget efficacy). No matter what the objectives are, brand authenticity is essential. Approach goals from the same values and vision of the company to create genuine experiences for attendees.

Themes & Messaging

Themes and messaging are often likened to logos and while there is certainly space for branding in the more traditional sense, logos on everything from coasters to cookies does not get the gold star.

Events can be remarkably impactful because they speak to the guests. Everything they see, hear, read and touch all affect their perception and experience with the event. Because of this, every element should be carefully selected, representing the brand and the overall message that guests should leave with. Multilevel touch points that frequently and subtly reinforce the collective vision of the event and the values and enterprises of the company as a whole become what attendees hear and internalize.

Emotion

Whereas many professional interactions live somewhere between the inbox and the conference room, corporate events break free from those confines and create spaces where people can engage and be inspired. By sparking people’s emotions, they can begin to care, and caring leads to action: buying, supporting, connecting, sponsoring and investing. Take the time to design an event that lets people create memories now and daydream about similarly interesting experiences with you in the future.

Immersion

Décor is the tangible heart and soul of events setting the tone, energy and expectations—it is what wholly creates the environment. The planning, strategy and objectives all come together through stage sets, invitations, lighting, place settings, entertainment, gifts, engagements, music and food and transports guests into a completely new space filled with the possibility of creative freedom and connection.

Décor is how guests interact with your event and consequently, your entire message. Décor lets guests play, imagine and (most importantly) helps them buy into your purpose. A well-designed event will elicit emotion and makes the time attendees have spent with you extraordinary.

Impact

Corporate events have the power to inspire, influence, encourage, solidify loyalty, create meaningful relationships and so much more. They harness the potential to actually change companies and the people within them. Corporate events aren’t just happy hours or ballroom dinners, they are the vehicles of inspiration and long-term impact. But thoughtful change through events, just like anything else, isn’t haphazard. It’s more than decorating a birthday party with tablecloths— it’s designing an experience to remember.

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ANDAVO MEETINGS & INCENTIVES andavomeetings.com | 720.398.5504

VICTORIA ROSENBLATT, CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR ANDAVO MEETINGS & INCENTIVES, FOCUSES ON THE PERSONALITY, VISION AND GOALS OF HER CLIENTS TO CREATE INSPIRED DESIGNS AND ELEVATED GUEST EXPERIENCES.

BY THE NUMBERS

1,501 ROOMS, INCLUDING 114 SUITES (THE 14 PRESIDENTIAL SUITES RANGE BETWEEN 1,500 AND 2,200 SQUARE FEET) 486,000 SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBITION, MEETING, PREFUNCTION AND OUTDOOR SPACE 8 FOOD AND BEVERAGE OUTLETS 75-FOOT-TALL (EIGHT STORIES HIGH) ATRIUM WINDOW IN GRAND LODGE 17-ROOM RELACHE SPA & SALON 22,000 SQUARE FEET OF AQUATIC EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING AN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR POOL, SLIDES AND LAZY RIVER 75-FOOT VIEWING SCREEN IN MOUNTAIN PASS SPORTS BAR 26 FIREPLACES $7 BILLION ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR COLORADO

NEW HOTEL SNAPSHOT » GAYLORD ROCKIES RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER, AURORA

Colorado’s largest combined resort and convention center launched in December.

Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center opened its doors on Dec. 18, 2018 and began welcoming groups in January 2019. The new resort, a marquee property for Marriott International, is the fifth Gaylord Hotels resort in the nation and one of the largest hospitality industry projects to break ground in the United States since 2016.

A hyper-local Colorado spirit is at the heart of the property. One of the local food and beverage partnerships is Dry Dock Brewing Co., an Aurora brewery that is producing two exclusive Gaylord Rockies beers. The design and décor resembles the Colorado outdoors, such as boulders molded after iconic attractions and a restaurant with a log cabin-esque ambiance. Elevators on the lower level are designed to look like old mine shafts, while guest rooms feature aspen tree-inspired carpets, lumberjack plaid on pillows, and hiking and camping maps in closets. The convention center has Colorado details sprinkled throughout, including elements that represent ski tracks, snowdrifts and snowflakes. gaylordrockies.com

CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHT »

MILEHICON CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

The annual gathering is as popular as ever, bringing together people interested in science fiction and related genres.

Colorado’s 2018 MileHiCon took place on Oct. 19-21, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center and, like usual, brought together authors and lovers of literary science fiction, fantasy and horror. The convention attracted approximately 1,500 guests to participate in 200-plus breakout sessions and activities including movies, panels, literary discussions, crafts and live theatrical performances.

Spotlight events included the Critter Crunch (robotic sumo wrestling), Critter Float-illa (robot yacht race), cosplay contest and literacy auction. This year, the auction raised $2,000, and all proceeds went to The Learning Source, a Denver charity.

Around-the-clock gaming in all forms—from cards and board games to video games—has been another popular draw of the conference, along with Colorado’s largest science fiction and fantasy art show with 50 artists and vendors. MileHiCon provides programming for kids as well, making the event exciting for all ages and interests.

More than 100 authors and guests of honor attended the 50th anniversary conference and were available to sign books and magazines for attendees.

MileHiCon has been run and staffed entirely by volunteers since its inception in 1969. While its purpose is to promote interest in reading and writing science fiction and related genres, the convention has long since branched out to embrace science and technology, television, film, anime, gaming, costuming and other areas of fan interest. milehicon.org —Jenna Barbari