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Suitcase Stuff:  The Travelling Event manager Under-pressure-packing! That’s the inspiration for our latest blog as we embark on an away-from-home event management week. j2 ideas & events is off to central Queensland (Australia). It’s our fourth year as event managers of Gladstone Ports Corporation’s cause-related sporting event, Botanic to Bridge (an 8km and 3km fun run for 4000+). Based out of Brisbane offices, we travel all across Queensland to plan and manage events, especially to regional areas. Seasoned travellers thus, we tend to leave our personal packing to the last minute while focussing on the more important things—event details! And I have a theory. With checklists for everything there’s at least ONE THING event managers place, on auto-pilot, into their suitcase. Take me, for instance. My “one thing” is DIFFLAM ANTI-INFLAMMATORY THROAT SPRAY . Air conditioning in planes and hotels, plus climate changes, mess with my voice. Come event time, clear communication in p...

When an event brief demands something truly out of the ordinary, event managers may find their clients looking to a site never-before-used for an event. This is the inspiration for our latest event management blog! Whether part of nature’s landscape or a human-built structure, the unusual outdoor or semi-outdoor location I’m talking about is not a place where people typically congregate. Almost certainly, the site will have no existing power or water supply, nor any kind of infrastructure that provides for basic hygiene or comfort. Take an underground span of road tunnel, for example. Tunnels bring live event delivery issues: adequate power, lighting, accoustics, mandatory emissions testing, catering facilities, amenities and even potable water. So, before you utter “It can’t be done!” at the next bold event brief that comes your way, consider some tips from a person who loves a logistically-challenging event. In the space of two weeks, my Brisbane event management company, j2 ideas ...

What is it about a simple glowing light that makes us feel so happy? I asked Google. It seems I wasn’t alone in my curiosity. A few forums and research papers later, I’ve now confirmed this: humans are indeed drawn to and comforted by light. Inadvertently, I’ve also discovered the world of color psychology. From years of event production experience, we know that colour has a huge impact on event atmosphere. In the article “ Color or Color (The Psychology of Color) ” author Walter Graff says “Color has an incredible effect on your mood, your perception, and your likes and dislikes.” Colour alone, however, is little without effective lighting—something of a specialist science and art. International Association of Lighting Designers contributor, Stefan Graf says that “it is controlling this difficult, transitory medium that gives the lighting ‘artist’ the ability to create hierarchies, dynamics and mood.” MOOD LIGHTING AT EVENTS – AFFECTING HOW PEOPLE FEEL The IALD suggests good lightin...