The Creative Process of Designing an Event

At AVentPro, we don’t just see ourselves as the team that provides our clients with equipment and labour for their events. We’re a true creative partner, dedicated to working with our clients to create unique, unforgettable experiences that achieve all event goals. Because of this, we believe that approaching the event planning process with a creative mindset is the key to truly wowing attendees.

When we’re brought into the event from the early stages of the planning process, we’re able to create a collaborative partnership with our clients, allowing us to fully understand their aims and goals. Rather than seeing the production process as a checklist full of decisions to make and dates to make them by, we all start to think more creatively, focusing instead on creating captivating moments for the audience.

And that is where the magic happens.

Approaching events differently

The key to approaching events creatively is shifting the mindsets of everyone involved. Most clients aren’t experts in live event design and technology (and we don’t expect them to be – that’s our job), so when they’ve had a successful event in the past, they may not realise what other possibilities there are. Other times, they may be interested in exploring new technology or ideas, but worry it won’t fit within their budget.

Our team aims to have open conversations early on so that we can explore new options for how the event can be designed and create an engaging and unexpected experience.

One example of this is The Siloam Mission Food Fight event. In this annual fundraising event, top Winnipeg chefs come together to compete in a master chef style cook-off. After several discussions with the client, we decided to create a totally fresh experience and transformed the stage into a boxing ring, taking the “food fight” concept literally.

Alternatively, when Saturday Night Pride wanted to create an experience that went beyond the stage and immersed attendees right as they entered the room, the AVentPro team designed and custom-built an LED archway that everyone was able to enter the event space through.

Similarly, our team found a new, creative approach to using LED technology with touch-capable LED screens. For the Manito Ahbee Festival, we turned the LED panels into a stage, allowing each performer to use a unique effect during their segment, correlating to the theming element they were representing.

Co-creating an experience

No matter how unique or exciting an idea is, it has to support the overall goals of the client – which is why we consider the creative design process to be a collaborative one. We want to create open discussions where we are all able to share ideas and build upon each other’s thoughts, leading to a shared vision.

Our process

The initial conversation

At AVentPro, the creative design process starts with a conversation. Rather than simply taking orders from our clients or asking them what gear they want to have, we start by learning more about the event. 

We need to know what the goals of the event are – what the team is hoping to accomplish, how they want attendees to feel when they first enter the space and what the lasting impression should be. These questions usually lead to more questions and a longer discussion, resulting in even more creative ideas. Oftentimes, this call is the first time clients really put their event goals into words, so it starts important internal conversations around their theming and messaging, too.

Creating a plan

Sometimes an idea forms on the initial creative discovery call. Other times, our team gets excited about the event possibilities and collaborates internally before we bring a concept or idea back to the client. 

Once we’ve created a plan (or several plan options!) that we are excited about, we share it with the client. The plan we create isn’t intended to simply be a list of gear or a stage drawing, but a full picture of the event experience.

Sharing a narrative quote

Next, our team creates and shares a narrative quote. This narrative quote shares the full vision we’ve created for the event, both in our discussions with the client and while exploring the different technological possibilities and any necessary venue requirements or limitations. 

The narrative quote shares what we are going to do, how we will achieve the vision and touches on key points and goals that were discussed during the discovery call so that we can ensure we’re fulfilling the event goals.

Stakeholder alignment

Once we’ve all agreed on the vision for the event and the initial narrative quote, we urge our clients to get all stakeholders involved so that they are in agreement on the overall vision of the event. While they don’t need to know (and may not want to know!) each detail, having them in agreement on the basic framework helps to circumvent last-minute changes and ensures there is a shared ideal outcome.

The benefits of a partnership

While our experienced technicians will work hard to deliver a high-quality event regardless of when they’re brought in, a true partner is invaluable. Event partners who are engaged long before the day of the event are able to ensure that everybody is on the same page and make proactive decisions and contingency plans. This leads to faster setups, streamlined communication and shared confidence that any unforeseen difficulties can be handled easily.

Regardless of your event’s needs or initial ideas you may have, it’s important to involve your AV partner early on in the conversation so that you can dial in on what you want, explore new technology and ideas and create a meaningful experience for your attendees. Contact us to start the creative design process for your upcoming events! Email [email protected] or call us at (204) 226-5565