Red Carpet Ideas that Excite

Roll over “red carpet”! Our event planning blog is about to lay down some fresh ideas on this time-worn event entrance feature.

At its most basic, red carpet says to event guests: “You’re special. You are a very important person.”

Throughout history red carpet has been a symbol of respect and honour; laid before a dignitary so that he/she can tread a prestigious pathway into formal and ceremonial occasions. For those who grace the red runner, there is almost certainly an expectation that their presence is eagerly awaited by those in whatever setting he/she is headed toward.

Consequently, event planners use red carpet as a tribute to guests, to show appreciation for clients, and on occasion, to lavishly lure new customers. However, red appears to have become something of a cliché, fading in popularity to rising competition from plush runners in black, blue, pink, purple, orange, and gold. Even artificial grass, Persian prints and logo-infused carpet paths are being pursued by adventurous event managers. You dream it, someone can create it!

So dear readers, if the “red carpet” experience is what you need but ruby’s not lighting your fire, then here’s a pile of popular ways to weave a different spin on your red carpet feature.

1. Make brand-identifiable carpet your signature move. The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, are nicknamed the “Orange Carpet”. Why? Bright orange has been synonymous with the mega-network since a mid-80s logo re-design. Seemingly, it’s the best and boldest hue for embodying Nickelodeon’s three underlying values: irreverence, flexibility and creativity! Orange carpeted events clearly help this “kids first” brand lead the way in cheeky, fun, revered events. 

2. Go wild! Cue the Jaws theme...here’s one that will make dawdling guests want to get a wriggle-on into main proceedings. Picture this: shark fins rising out of a sea of blue carpet! In spite of my imaginative embellishment of this fantastic idea by Evergreens UK (pictured here), in reality the event flooring and artificial grass specialist created the launch of 'The Beach Island Life' at the London O2 (formerly Millennium Dome), using 800 square metres of blue carpets and sand beach, complemented with rafts, boats and 12 Apex Predators!


3. Create an element of surprise. Try this “living red carpet” on for size. US-based Aerial Artistry have created a unique experience for guests to walk on the red carpet before realising that it is part of a surreal, couture gown. Glammed to the nines, a performer (on an elevated platform) acts the supreme sophisticate and interacts with guests. Very dramatic!


4. Turn black into the man’s “red”. Let’s step away from the gala spotlight for a moment and look at lower key business functions. Opting for a dark base runway is a great fit for events aimed at a predominantly male audience, particularly when a more casual feel is relevant. Take for instance the Aerison technology showcase we recently planned at j2 ideas & events.

j2’s event management brief was to design a launch event, networking function and mini-expo showcase of Aerison’s latest technologies inside their new Brisbane warehouse facilities – essentially an industrial shed. The majority of guests were male between the age of 30 and 60.

Our creative direction incorporated company logos and colours into the event space, complementing the existing warehouse surrounds. Theming of steel, and greenery with black undertones, was applied along with illuminated furniture to add light, colour and to showcase the featured company logo. A black carpet created a subtle yet striking brief entrance-path for guests, enabling a sense of modest prestige.


5. Go green. Using a "green carpet" (be it woven runner or artificial turf) may help promote environmental awareness or having a preservation conscience. Just remember to remain sensitive to event responsibilities; if you try to fly an ‘environmentally friendly’ flag, be sure your event will stand up to sustainability scrutiny.

Here’s a good example. Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) embraces the theme of ecology through a variety of green initiatives, including the use of a green carpet (pictured here). But they don’t simply swap red with green. According to SpecialtyFabricsReview.com, TIFF’s eco-friendly Green Carpet (by Teijin Limited) is made with ECOPET recycled polyester fibre derived from used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Over the last six TIFF events, 100,000 metres of Green Carpet has been produced for TIFF —the equivalent of approximately 169,000 half-litre PET bottles. In 2013, the Festival also undertook a charity drive and implemented e-ticketing to reduce the use of paper.

Now that’s what I call walking the talk!

We all know carpet runways act as an extravagant way-finding sign-post and help guests to feel valued. In another way, the red carpet signals “event starts now!” The trick is sustaining that sense of anticipation and meeting guests’ expectations once they cross your secondary event threshold. But that’s another story...more on living up to grand expectations in a future post.

For now, hope your mind is inspired to run-away with plenty of fabulous carpet ideas!  And remember, sometimes you can’t go past the traditional red carpet as our tunnel dinner case study will tell you!

x

Jo Jordan

Event management company | j2 ideas & events

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