One of the oft-overlooked aspects of producing largescale business events is lighting design. As brands look to find creative ways to capture tradeshow audiences with content, audio, and visuals, the right lighting can enhance an immersive experience like no other. In this new episode of Backstage Pass by Alford Media, host Daniel Litwin sat down with Blake Taylor, Director of Lighting Services to discuss creative ways to light tradeshow events that'll leave a memorable impression on consumers.
Blake, who has more than 25 years experience in light direction and programming, says art often imitates life. Innovative lighting effects you might see at a concert or film will often make their way into business event design.
"Our industry as a whole is being pushed by other arenas of entertainment," Blake said. "You go to a touring concert, for example, and you see things that really open it up visually."
While business events are taking visual cues from entertainment, there's still a lot of subjectivity when it comes to what clients want.
"A lot of clients don't necessarily approach a project with specific lighting needs, so it's up to us to work with creative directors and creative types to develop what that project wants to look and feel like," Blake said. "Lighting is so objective. People know what they like and what they don't like, so it just depends on how they view it."
Also, in this episode, Blake shared what lighting design concepts he's seen that work and are especially impactful, as well as what kind of lighting fixtures create specific moods or effects.