How to… Transform Your Office into an Inspiring Events Space

It is relatively easy to turn a stunning events venue into a successful event however, transforming more austere office space is something else altogether. Gone are the days of row upon row of cubicles; offices now reflect the modern nature of the company by providing fun and comfortable spaces for employees.

Comshows was recently hired to produce a pre-event worthy of motivating staff to attend an evening webcast to connect the regional office with the HQ in America for training and updates. Attendance throughout the webcast was ensured by providing a raffle with incredible prizes, such as an Apple Watch, whereby winners would be drawn at the end and presence was necessary to redeem the prize.

**Top Tip** Motivate staff to attend training sessions through a social event rather than obligatory attendance.

This event revolved around the seasonally apt Oktoberfest, whereby we faced the challenge of hosting at the client’s office. Continue reading for Comshows examples and top tips on how to successfully transform office space into an event venue.

Utilising your office space as an event venue works as a great way to keep to a budget whilst creating the necessary ambience through a few other, simple mediums. Due to familiarity with the venue, it is vital that décor plays an important role in transforming a space from one recognised by the employees to a different venue altogether. The difficulty of transforming office space arises through the rigid nature of the building. To avoid this, the use of props and furniture works well to create an informal space where guests feel able to relax. The change in furnishings works to alter the atmosphere of the previously recognisable office space. We, at Comshows, replaced all furnishings with rustic, wooden benches to adorn the office and dissociate the venue with the workplace.

**Top Tip** Soft furnishings easily transform the look of a room. They can act as décor or be draped from the ceilings to create an elegant appearance.

Another way of creating an ambience separate to that of day-to-day office life, is to embrace a theme. When it comes to themed events, think outside of the box. It is essential to incorporate the chosen theme into all aspects of the event however try to avoid the dreaded “tacky” feel. This was successfully achieved through catering by tailoring the food and drink items. Our recent event showcased an array of breads, Bockwursts and pretzels all by an Austrian caterer to add to the authenticity. Event-goers enjoyed the novelty of Austrian beer served in 2-Pint Steins while devouring their sauerkraut Bockwursts. The event could not have been more authentic unless we were in Munich!

Offices tend to have fantastic acoustics for music which works well to create atmosphere especially for themed events. Oompah Brass perfectly complimented the Oktoberfest theme with a contemporary twist through playing familiar songs which successfully maintained enjoyment throughout the performance.

**Top Tip** Consider utilising a temporary PA and Lighting to create the same vibe in even the most difficult of spaces.

Eco-friendly events: not just a trend, the obvious choice.

Through recent high profile events, such as Cannes Film Festival, it is evident that eco-friendly attitudes are infiltrating all aspects of our daily lives. The CFF lowered its carbon footprint through several tactics: 100% of the carpet used on Marché premises was recyclable, 100% of badge-holders eliminated, 75% less promotional brochures printed and more. At Comshows, we also recently took part in this movement with the tumblr product launch in Shoreditch Studios! By incorporating eco-friendly elements into events your company will be embracing the future while simultaneously inspiring new ideas for your attendees and promoting a socially responsible outlook.

The Film4Climate initiative started the ball rolling at Cannes in that area of the entertainment industry. This initiative is a sign that the film industry recognises its social impact and is embracing its influence to direct massive attention to social issues and shifts in thinking. Its goals and motivations have been discussed at every major film festival this year, from Berlin to Guadalajara to Cannes. We can observe this phenomenon in several other areas of entertainment as well: Action4Climate, Sport4Climate, Fashion4Climate, Music4Climate; all inspired by the Connect4Climate campaign. Climate change affects all people from all walks of life; events across the globe are increasingly recognising this by reducing their carbon footprint and integrating exciting alternative energy sources and promotional materials. This is the opportunity for your company to showcase their innovativeness regarding technological development and creativity.

If you want to show that your company takes their Corporate Social Responsibility seriously and that you are committed to increasing sustainability then holding eco-events is a logical component, whether environmental attitudes are the central reason behind the event, or it could simply be an implicit component.

The possibilities are endless, ranging from technological developments to venues to activities and more! Here are several fun ideas to get you started:

– Create a barcode for attendees to scan upon entrance to the event for tablets and smartphones to download brochures and itineraries of the event, rather than using print versions.

– Encourage attendees to create digital versions of business cards to exchange wirelessly between devices. Not only does this cut out the wasteful aspect of printing physical business cards, it also facilitates the experience of attendees.

– Take advantage of any and every video screen available at the venue, or even consider hiring out more. These screens can be multipurpose, from simply advertising the different elements of the event to raising awareness of sponsors to really embracing that sense of liveness by directing the flow of people from one section to another or manipulating conversation topics by guiding people’s thoughts towards certain subjects.

– The venue! This can embrace the eco-friendly aspect in a variety of nuanced ways. The venue could simply be extremely environmentally-friendly using recycled materials and energy efficient light-bulbs and solar panels. On the other end of the spectrum, a location that holds particular climate-related significance would be very evocative of the theme and inspire unavoidable and exciting conversations regarding this topic. One example of such a venue could be a re-purposed, decommissioned oil tanker.

– Catering also plays a major role in the carbon footprint of an event. A more ecological approach in no way lowers the quality of the catering, but certainly adds a new dimension to it. Suggestions here include serving vegetarian meals and rather than using bottled water, opting instead for reusable, recycled glass bottles. The catering aspect also extends to include the aesthetic presentation of food and drink.

– The event may of course be an activity, in which case the end objective of the event could be emphasized by doing something that positively affects the environment around attendees. For example, a team building exercise could take place outdoors and involve some form of conservation work, such as tree planting.

– Merge the event tokens with eco-friendly practices: hand out coffee cups upon entrance to the event for each attendee to personalise and use throughout the day.

Feel inspired to embrace the change?