Good content alone cannot redeem the experience if the overall feel is a drag. Nobody wants to be part of an underwhelming event, right? If your previous events have not tapped into that “wow” factor, then maybe it is time to reinvent the wheel and start with the selection of a unifying and different event theme.
In this article, we guide you through expert tips and tricks on how to choose a theme which ties your entire event together and elevates it such that your guests leave with memories they’ll never forget.
Importance of an Event Theme
The theme is the central idea that ties everything together in an event, making the whole experience uniform and immersive throughout the journey. It is that string which weaves together the event schedule, speaker lineup, visuals, marketing efforts, and promotions of the event, making them all uniform.
Here are some reasons why event theme is crucial for the success of an event:
- Creates a Seamless Experience: From design to content, everything is dictated by the event theme for a seamless experience.
- Boosts Brand Identity : A good theme will strengthen your brand image and messaging, elevating your company’s identity, and making it more trust-worthy.
- A creative and interesting theme will always catch the interest of the audience to get them more involved in participating and promoting the event.
- It increases the impact and reach of your marketing campaigns. A good theme gives you an edge by allowing you a wider scope for planning the marketing campaigns and for creating buzz.
- If your theme serves its purpose, then everything that’s part of the event aligns, helping you realize your event goals like networking, empowering through knowledge or brand building.
How to Choose a Unique Event theme?
The selection of a theme for your event demands clever thinking and strategic planning. Here is how you should go about picking the perfect event theme:
Keep Your Stakeholders at the Heart of the Decision
While choosing the theme, ensure that your stakeholders-be it clients, partners, sponsors, prospects, or team members-are in the front row. These stakeholders care about and are invested in your event’s success. The theme needs to fit in with their expectations and goals. By bringing to light their interests, expectations, and needs, the event will feel like a win for all parties involved and not just those attending.
Take into account format and budget, among other event logistics
After careful consideration of the logistics surrounding the event, lock down a theme. What’s the format going to be? Virtual, in-person, or hybrid? What is your budget? Will it be a multi-day event or a single-day one? How many attendees will this event target? Who is your ideal target audience? How many vendors are you going to have to partner with?
All of this must be in line with your theme and vice versa, to be sure that the event execution goes on smoothly. Consider all practicalities so that your event theme would be viable and effective for everyone.
Make your theme relevant to your audience and brand.
Your theme will captivate your audience, and your brand voice will come alive. Think of who actually is going to attend and what would pique their interest? Maybe your event targets young, tech-savvy professionals? Science fiction themes will appeal to their curiosity!.
But the heart of the message and value behind your brand has to run all the way through your theme, too. Authenticity breeds trust and attaches a cause to the event.
Simple yet effective
It is simple to lose track with the many things involved in planning an event. Paradoxically, it is often in simplicity that success is found.
A good theme is one that will be easy for participants to connect with and assimilate. Narrow down to a single key theme, which you can really get creative with. This way, your theme is not just another item to tick off in your planning phase, but actually something that drives your entire event experience.
How to Choose a Creative Event Theme
The choice of your event theme will, in many ways, define the experience of your overall event. Here are some tips on how to choose a standout theme.
Tap into attendee expectations and experience
What experience would you like to offer guests? If the purpose of the event is to create a sense of bonding or understanding, then embrace a theme that is thought-provoking.
The best themes also manage crowd expectations and walk them in the right direction. Depending on expectation, your event theme could be along the lines of an icebreaker, an adventure, or even collaboration..
Apply Contrasts for the Visual Impact
Your theme should shine throughout promotions, invitations, and social media posts to the signage and giveaways at your event. If it’s an online or hybrid event, then your theme must translate well on digital platforms too.
Well-presented images or graphics for social media use and for Zoom backgrounds will positively impact the visual theme of an event. Consistency is a factor which lends credibility to any event – whether in person or online.
Seek Inspiration from Unlikely Sources
Do not limit your themes to the traditional options. Think out of the box! Get inspiration from art, literature, aspects of nature or architecture, among others when you need creativity.
Sometimes the best ideas are born from the most unexpected source, so don’t overlook any source of inspiration! This allows you to come up with a theme that is fresh and original, differentiating your event among the rest in the industry.
Create an emotional connection with a theme
Definitely factor in the human aspect of events, when deciding your theme. Tap into attendees’ emotions so that it leaves a solid impact on them. Nostalgia, excitement, joy, inspiration – the chord that you strike will define the overall event experience.
Think about the kind of emotion you want your attendees to associate with your event, and then work towards creating a theme which can evoke that feeling in them through immersive ambiance, music, or experiences.
Fun Event Theme Ideas to Try at Your Next Event
Planning your next event? Get your creative juices going with one of these fun, unique ideas that might just make the cut:
- Speakeasy: Take the audience back in time to the roaring 20s, replete with jazz, Great Gatsby vibes, and an opportunity for your guests to dress up.
- Popular Series/Movies: Catch on to the latest pop culture trends and select a popular theme that will strike a chord with your target audience.
- Superheroes: What better way to celebrate your audience than to make them the heroes of the evening? This is a great theme to celebrate customers or partners.
- Broadway: Let the spotlight shine on your speakers with a Broadway theme, giving many opportunities for dramatic entrances, performances, and excitement.
- The 90s: A throwback for those who grew up in the 90s. This can be a great way to instill a bit of nostalgia if you’re targeting millennials.
- Wellness/Workout: A wellness-themed event will keep your guests entertained and energized-from morning yoga to fun fitness challenges. Get your audience moving.
- The Great Outdoors: If the budget permits it and if the target audience loves nature, a camping, hiking, or s’mores-themed event is sure to be a relaxed, memorable experience.
- Sports: A World Cup watch party or fantasy football leagues special, sports-themed events can be personalized to connect the audience with their favorite teams through fun and creative activities.
- Holiday: If you have an event scheduled on or around the holidays, this theme is an automatic win. Or, think outside the box and pick a lesser-known holiday, such as Alien Abduction Day on March 20.
These are just a few ideas to get you started-you know your brand and your audiences best, so choose one that will stick with your message and bring the experience home for your attendees.
Bottom Line
Regardless of the format, in-person, virtual or hybrid, a focused and creative event theme is rooted at the core of every event experience. When done well across channels, a powerful theme amplifies engagement, supports brand identity, and creates seamless, memorable experiences for all involved.
Frequently asked questions
Remember the audience, purpose of the event, and the brand identity. What will strike that chord with the attendees and take that message across? The theme needs to be simple, relevant, and adaptable enough for the logistics of your event in terms of format and budget.
Absolutely! Virtual and hybrid events open up entirely new ways in which your theme can be digitally woven into the experience. So you could use virtual event platforms to introduce themed visuals, messaging, and interaction materials so that the theme seeps through to all your attendees, both in-person and remote.
