The days of smoking, magenta gelled uplighters lining every pillar in a room, from weddings to conferences, are pretty much behind us. Grand production values today are no longer an after-thought but are expected.
The entertainment industry, through TV and arena tours, has impressed audiences with staggering light shows, making lighting a fundamental component to producers looking to achieve their own polished events, no matter the scale.
Using lighting as the cornerstone of an event allows for versatility. Whilst it must be well presented during daylight – be it rigged on an impressive trussing structure or fitted discreetly into the corners of a 17th century building – come evening, it must also illuminate the surroundings sympathetically.
Producers want their events to be unique, from huge, intelligent lighting rigs to small vintage style fixtures where it is about the look of the light itself rather than what it emits. Ultimately, lighting needs to be bespoke to the event; this is reliant on a clear brief, well thought-out concept and proficient team.
I was privileged to design Botanic Lights 2015; Seasons In Colour. Being a young event it needed to build on the success of its first year and establish itself as a major event in an already busy Edinburgh calendar. The audience arrive to an otherwise dark Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and venture into an illuminated journey through the gardens, an environment normally only seen in daylight.
I wanted to design a trail that had something different around every corner but that focused on the garden itself and put it at the heart of the design.
Whilst impressing audiences with a fully lit, stunning natural setting I also wanted to amaze them with shows and interactive elements that were unlike anything they had seen before.
For me, events are about an experience and whilst lighting can be the focal point, to get the best out of an event requires collaboration.
For Botanic Lights 2015 we had 13 original pieces of music from composer Claire McKenzie; stunning projection content from Ross Blair; wonderful interactive elements from Andy Stentiford; highly detailed production work from Black Light – achieving maximum impact with minimum disruption to the open gardens during the day; and produced by Unique Events, working closely with the clients, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, making the audience experience on the ground engaging and personal. When all elements are synchronised and the audience is immersed in a cohesive, designed environment, that is when lighting is at it’s strongest.
I feel the future of events has to be about the experience as a whole. Like every industry, trends change so it is important we are open to new ideas and continue to progress.
This can be, but not exclusive to, new technology development. Companies are listening to creative people to find out what the entertainment industry is looking for from the next generation of light.
We have had the ‘bright parallel beam competition’ and now it seems to be about getting everything in one fixture.
Lighting and video integration is another current fashion with the content being equally key to the event’s success.
Next, it looks like the old will become new again but with modifications, such as Par Cans with encompassed LED rings or refurbished lights of days gone by. Simply put, events willing to embrace the potential of light will continue to draw the crowds and impress audiences.
Related
![12[1]](https://eventsbase.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/121.png "Celtic Connections to shine bright this winter as 2025 programme unveiled")
