TheLatest

A Fond Farewell to Richard Carbotti

Event Design/January 23, 2014
Yesterday, January 22, the events industry bid a fond farewell to Richard Carbotti. His firm was called Perfect Surroundings, and that is exactly what he created. Whether that surrounding was a home in Newport where he lived and worked, or a tent halfway around the world, in Richard's hands, it was indeed perfect. [caption id="attachment_1210" align="aligncenter" width="160"] Richard Carbotti[/caption] A graduate of Parsons School of Design, he was on... Read More

A Reflection on Trends and Themes

Event Design/January 15, 2014
Window Shopping for Design Inspiration: A reflection of trends and themes. New York is a city built for walking. There is always something new to see. I love walking Fifth Avenue and window shopping, especially in the fall. One can actually see trends and themes emerging. Visual merchandising and window displays and event and exhibit design seem to borrow from one another in a two-way dialogue. ABOUT TIME This year I was struck by the repeated use of time.... Read More

Make Your Event Design Client Happy

Design, Event Design, Food / Beverage, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Category, Venues, Weddings/January 12, 2014
Four Exercises to Help Pinpoint what the Client Wants By Andrew Spurgin If you want to make your event design client happy, you first have to help your clients understand what they really want. If you are working with social clients, there’s a good chance they may never have talked to an event planning professional before. Let alone considered how to begin the daunting process of planning a wedding, a 50th birthday extravaganza or golden anniversary. ... Read More

Social Media for Events

Lighting / Tech/January 2, 2014
The definition of data is simple. It's about individual statistics and items of information. Now, I know that might be the most boring series of words to have ever graced this DesignDawgs blog, but stay with me. When you think about data, you think of spreadsheets and calculations but what if we thought about it differently? What if we found a way to make data help us design? We use data every day in many forms, for example one huge example is the recent ... Read More

Trending in Tech: BlinkFX

Dawg Treats/January 1, 2014
DesignDawgs highlights the latest on what's trending in tech BlinkFX is an innovative system that involves the audience with any entertainment show through a variety of interactive light-up wristbands, lapel pins and lanyards that respond in synchronization with any content, including music.Controlled by most DMX512 lighting controllers, DMX software or BlinkFX easy GUI software running on a laptop or desktop computer, the BlinkFX system is easy to program, e... Read More

Indian Wedding Design

Floral Design/December 30, 2013
Event Profile For this two-day Indian wedding held at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, California, AOO Events wove Hindu symbolism and an abundance of floral design into all the various celebrations. But all the stops were pulled for the wedding ceremony of the contemporary couple being united before 360 guests. In less than three hours, our team hand opened more than 6,000 red and fuchsia roses to decorate the custom-built wedding mandap. The structure... Read More

Holiday Design Without Color

Event Design/December 30, 2013
How I faced the Bermuda Triangle of Design and Lived to Tell About It That happened to me last year when a client came to us wanting a better holiday experience than ever before. In every event design I have created in my career as Creative Director there has been an expectation of color; vibrancy and energy represented through dynamic hues that catch the eye and engulf guests in an experience that we create. And then we heard the words “innovative black-an... Read More

Design Collaboration

Event Design/December 20, 2013
Design inspiration can be a "big idea" or it can begin with the smallest detail. As designers, it's smart to watch and listen to clients, what they say, what they like and what catches their eye. I know this sounds obvious, but you just never know what small comment can lead to stunning results. . For instance, during a pre-event meeting in our conference room, our client noticed a fabric swatch we had on display.She loved the graphic images and asked us to i... Read More

Holiday Design and Style

Floral Design/December 20, 2013
Notes from a Designer’s Notebook  The nostalgic holiday traditions that we have observed over the years have certainly changed visually and energetically along with many other facets of our lives. Holiday design and style is changing, but yet remains traditional. Have you noticed? Silver and gold, red and green.  These have been our go-to colors for years.  But as we progress and change so do our colors, visuals and concepts when it comes to decorating... Read More

All About Salt

Food / Beverage/December 19, 2013
Ah salt, poor maligned salt ... more often accompanied by the words "it's bad for you." The bottom line is your body needs it to function, period. And studies show that not all salts are created equal – mined salt: not so good; salt from the sea: way better. It's been used from everything from a form of payment ("salary" = "sel"), to soften water, heal a wound, as a condiment, and a bevy of other uses. Yes, it's all about salt. Personally, I have been coll... Read More