​This blog continues our series on sensory event design and is focusing on the sense of vision, and some of the surprising ways that what we see and what sights are within a space or environment can impact how people feel and function. From an event perspective, understanding the benefits of what visuals can improve performance, reduce stress and provide comfort gives us a great advantage in providing attendees with an event experience that feels good and where retention is optimised. 

In the first of our series of blogs focusing on sensory event design we will look at the sensory experience of light and its significant impact on event success and attendee/participant experience.

Fetching’s Chief Engagement Officer Georgie Stayches has previously written about light as the ‘secret’ to event success in this blog.

​Here, we’ll build on this and explore more deeply.

There are many different types and styles of events, each with their own purpose and objective. But whatever the event, it will be a sensory one.

​​Our senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste are always in operation, and our whole bodies are sensory organisms, processing information from our environment and sending it up to our brains to help determine how we function and feel in any given setting.
 
In this blog series, we will look at how our very nature as sensory beings can be leveraged to enhance an event experience.

Why would we want to pay attention to and harness the senses when it comes to our event design?

​Because our senses are the ultimate hack for creating social connections, absorbing and retaining information, stimulating ideas, providing feelings of comfort and wellbeing, and reaching our potential.

If the last 12 months (and more) has taught us anything, it’s that the world can change in the blink of an eye. From long-term lockdowns to snap circuit breakers and shifts in COVIDSafe regulations, Event Managers (and Project Managers) are constantly facing shifting sands.

It can be an overwhelming and unsettling time (to say the least) as the best laid plans are disrupted. Sometimes it can be hard to change direction when you are sprinting to the finish.  

​Yet, last year made us stronger, better, more informed and taught us many things. Lessons we can bring into 2021.

"Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” Randy Pausch

With National Volunteer Week just over a month away, we are pleased to provide a copy of our free Toolkit, to help you with your planning.

Last week marked our return to the office after almost nine months.

When we left the office in March, we had no idea what to expect. All we knew was that we were facing ‘unprecedented’ times and our year was about to be turned upside down.

While we had already grieved 2020 and what the year had planned, the return to the office brought up new emotions.

It reminded us of how much our world, our industry and our community had lost.

​However, it also highlighted these important practices and helped define our new outlook for a new world.

While many of us attended or delivered webinars in the past, 2020 certainly opened our eyes to what makes an engaging and successful virtual event.

While live events start back up, virtual (and hybrid) events will still be front and centre throughout 2021 and beyond, due to convenience, audience reach, travel restrictions, change in working locations and company event policies. This won’t be a hangover from 2020, it will be an exciting new phase.

​With change comes learning and we have listed our top tips for enhancing the attendee experience, that you can take into 2021.

As we return to events and event planning ramps up, it is crucial we remember that events are not a one size fits all.

Event formats, protocols and experiences will all shift and change in this new world and what might have been the ‘norm’ for your previous events, now need to be reimagined.

What might work for one organisation, won’t be the right fit for another.
What might work for one audience, might not work for another.
What might work for one of your events, will be out of place for another event.

Every event should be considered and planned on an event by event basis.