Why is Lighting So Important for Events?

Lighting is so much more than just being able to see the stage. It can actually have a big impact on whether your event is a roaring success or simply mediocre. If you’re looking for lighting hire in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas, Red Occasions can provide audio visual equipment for everything from small intimate events to gigs for thousands.

This blog will take you through the reasons why lighting shouldn’t be an afterthought when event planning. We’re going to make you see lighting in… well, a new light!

Illumination

It goes without saying but lighting is crucial for illuminating the speakers and performers. If your attendees can’t see the hosts, they’re likely to lose interest in your event quite quickly.

Focus
Lighting can bring focus to either a person or object, making them the center of attention. With clever lighting, you can engage and retain the audience’s focus and direct them to exactly what you want them to look at. Lighting such as spotlights guide your audience in a far subtler way than an audible announcement would. Intelligent lighting can also act as cues for performers on stage. It also offers a great way to put focus on your branding, product displays or demonstrations. You could use gobos (small stenciled circular discs that project designs or patterns) to bring focus to your brand and leave a lasting impression on your guests.

As well as guiding focus, lighting can also make things seemingly disappear too. You can cast shadows and create dark areas to cover up the things you don’t want your audience to see, whether that be an ugly carpet or unsightly wallpaper. On the other hand, there may be some really beautiful architecture that you want to highlight – lighting can do that too.

Mood
It’s no surprise that a drab, dull room that’s not illuminated correctly is going to affect the mood of the audience. You want to create a space that’s warm, vibrant and exciting; lighting can do that for you. If you’re producing an event that’s high energy, bright light can heighten emotions. You can use the psychology of colors to evoke different emotions from your attendees. Use yellows for warmth, blues to calm and reds for passion and so on. Using your brand colors is great promotion too.

Energy
Lighting can turn a tired conference room into something quite magical. It’s a great illusion maker, transforming the way an event space looks in an instant. Using the intensity, color, pattern and angle of lighting can all have a huge impact on how a venue looks. It can also change or inject energy into a room, encouraging your attendees to get up on their feet to mingle or dance. Strobe effect lighting or a hazer can bring a party to life. Lighting can help give a different experience throughout the day and change the pace of the event. It has a big impact on award ceremonies, drawing attention and exciting the audience while they’re waiting for the next award to be announced. You can use lighting patterns and other effects to inject glamour into an awards event.

Integral Part of the Show
If you’re creating a fully immersive show like a fashion event or an award ceremony, lighting is a key part of the show. You can connect it with the music and rhythm to really captivate the crowd. Lighting provides a strong presence, it can tell a story, it can add pizazz and it can affect emotions.

Decorates the Space
Lighting can give the space personality and forms part of the venue’s decoration. If your event has a particular theme, the lighting can bring this to life. It can make the audience feel like they’re plunged into a winter wonderland or partying at Vegas casinos. LED furniture and pixel tubes are great for adding impactful decoration.

Encourages Social Media Posting
If you use decorative, attractive or elaborate lighting, your attendees will be more likely to take photos and share them on social media. These selfies are free promotion for your brand.

Safety and Security
Let’s not forget the importance of lighting for safety reasons. It allows your guests to navigate safely around the event, find the toilets and get to their car easily.

So, you see, lighting wears many hats. An entire space, the atmosphere and ambience can be transformed by the lighting. If you are looking for a company that provides lighting hire in Milton Keynes and beyond, Red Occasions can help.