Event Flow: What is it?
The psychology behind event flow is simple: people want to feel comfortable and confident and they want to engage with others. A well-designed space lets them do that. A quality event flow defines the entire event mood, yet it’s often an afterthought. The key to a successful event is managing every detail. So much effort is put into building the event journey. Guide your guests through the story that you intended for them. When you consider flow in your event design, you’ll be setting the tone for radiant social interactions, a smooth rhythm to the evening, and a seamless experience for both guests and importantly, staff.
Key Elements of Event Flow Design
Creating Distinct Flow Zones
The best way to tackle flow is to start by breaking up your space into distinct zones. Zoning your space by mapping out likely social areas creates a clear and natural progression for your guests to move through while giving them a variety of options to engage with the event. Some space suggestions you might want to consider:
The Welcome Zone
First impressions set the tone for the entire event so the aim is to make guests feel comfortable and confident as they arrive. Create an environment where guests can compose themselves, and begin to feel the event’s energy through thoughtful sensory elements. Soft, warm lighting and gentle background music can help achieve this. Fragrance has the unique ability to evoke emotions. Releasing a signature scent into the air via smell pods, a candle or reed diffuser, can be used as a powerful tool to boost moods and confidence. Think about the temperature of this space. While a hit of heat may at first seem ideal for guests arriving from the cold, overdoing the heat might make people feel flustered and uncomfortable, especially if they’re still wrapped up in winter layers!
The Main Gathering Area
At the heart of the party should be multiple conversation ‘pods’. The best way to do this is small clusters of seating arranged at angles. Avoid straight lines as they become very awkward. This set up makes it easier for people to join or leave conversations naturally. Use good ambient lighting and background music at a volume that allows relaxed conversation. There’s nothing more off-brand than shouting over your Cosmo.
The Activity Hub
Areas for interactive elements and activities. Especially with crowds that take a little longer to warm up, this gives guests a purpose-driven way to interact and provides natural conversation starters. Whether it’s a teppanyaki station, bespoke cocktail journey or wellness bar, interactive elements are a powerful tool for stimulating conversation, providing a dam good time and leaving a good impression!
Placing of Essential Event Elements
Activity Zones
If possible, try to have a few different activity points, rather than in one single location. This prevents bottlenecks and avoids disappointment when guests have to wait or don’t get a chance to get involved.
Food and Beverage Stations
Similarly to activity zones, position refreshments strategically throughout the space rather than in a single location to prevent everyone gathering in one location and creates a mix of different offers. It’s good to have some bars or stations that are more prominent than others, consider setting up smaller satellite bars or snack stations in addition to your main attractions. Providing a host of interactive and bespoke opportunities, the bar can often be everybody’s favourite activity hub. It’s important to spread the love to avoid congestion and keep the energy flowing!
Flow Paths
Joining up the Dots
You’ve got your zones and your focal points, now is to consider the space in which people will move from one, to the next. Avoid narrow pathways as much as possible, clear and wide walkways are a must. Guests want to be able to transition smoothly from one area to the next, otherwise you’ll disrupt the flow but importantly the ENERGY of the event, that you’ve worked so hard to build.
Simple Practical Tips to Consider:
Traffic Flow Management
- Keep all pathways at least 3 feet wide
- Remove unnecessary furniture that could create bottlenecks
- Position furniture to create natural pathways between zones
- Consider activity stations that don’t require long-term commitment (particularly with larger events/ smaller spaces)
Comfort Considerations
- Ensure adequate seating for 60% of your guest list
- Create both standing and sitting height surfaces and dedicated areas
- Maintain comfortable temperature with good ventilation (Often overlooked!)
Socialising
The distance between people influences social interaction. Thinking about how you will arrange seating can make a big difference in how your guests’ network. Provide seating in multiple clusters to foster engagement and lots of options for interaction.
Sensory Cues
People’s energy levels fluctuate throughout an event and they will ‘flow’ through the event as influenced by their mood and energy levels and naturally gravitate to areas that align with this. Straightforwardly for example, people with lots of energy are more likely to be pulled towards high activity areas, whereas when energy is slumping some may seek a more chilled out environment. Crafting specific environments by involving certain sensory cues using things like lighting and sound, will work as a heuristic guide for guests to travel through the event in a way that best serves them, and ultimately optimise their experience.
Lighting Psychology
Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood and influencing behaviour. Soft, warm lighting can create a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere for socializing, while brighter or more colourful lighting can energize activity areas. Depending on the event, you may want to adjust the lighting to match the changing vibe, becoming more dynamic as you pick up some pace.
- Focus lighting on celebration areas like on food stations and activity zones
- Use warmer lights (2700-3000K) slightly dimmed lighting for conversation and break zones.
- Layer your lighting with a mix of overhead, eye-level, and lower sources
- Keep pathways well-lit for safety and navigation
- Consider how lighting will change throughout the event
- Flexibility to adjust based on crowd energy
Use of Colour
Colour is a powerful tool in influencing mood and behaviour. Warm colours like reds, oranges, and yellows work to stimulate creativity so will encourage conversation and activity. While greens, blues and beige, are more relaxing, they also foster concentration so would be ideal for chill spaces or team break-out areas.
Sound
Music is central to any social meet, but the way you design the soundscape is equally important. Maintaining a comfortable volume of music helps to keep up the energy and keep gusts stimulated but not overwhelmed or struggling to have conversations. Sound is likely to be dynamic throughout your space. For instance, you would keep the volume lower in areas where people are likely to engage in conversation and increase the volume around the activity zones.
Focal points
Your décor serves as a guide for guests’ migration. A large visual focal point as well as smaller supporting ones, works to subconsciously guide guests through your event, as well as serving as a natural stimulant and conversation starter. This could be a piece of art, ice sculpture or signage around your brand however you can also use your interactive activity stations, mixology bars and food areas as a canvas for visually exceptionally captivating designs. Supporting and strategically placed mirrors, plants and artwork make spaces feel larger and more inviting, guiding people through the venue. Leaving the surrounding space feeling bare and cold, would have your centrepiece standing in vain!