Imaginative event design in the Kingdom

Imaginative event design and styling for four prestigious client events in St Andrews that created a positive reflection on Internet giant AOL.

Brief

88 Events interpretation of the brief was to design and style four different venue spaces for several events that AOL were having over a four-day period in the St Andrew‘s area. The attendees at the event were prestigious clients of AOL’s and so the styling had to be of an impeccable standard.

Planning

In order to ensure that each venue space was being designed to suit the occasion, the venue’s own style and the purpose of the event, 88 Events had to communicate efficiently with the client and undertake site visits to the various locations.

Styling

The Conservatory at The Old Course Hotel

The Conservatory at the Old Course Hotel was to be used as an area for registration, breakfast and hospitality. 88 Events recognised that AOL wanted the neutral canvas of the Conservatory to be transformed into an area that would reflect their modern creative approach to business through incorporating their wonderfully bright corporate colour palette.

The focus of the room was a dramatic circular swirl couch positioned underneath the main chandelier creating amazing visual impact and a talking point. A pair of funky chairs, covered in dramatic black and white poppies, sat behind the couch with a gorgeous flower arrangement using shocking pinks and oranges on a high gloss black coffee table. Other chill out furniture, a Barcelona couch, coloured faux leather cubes and a high gloss black coffee table where positioned around the room.

To add some fun to the practical registration tables 88 Events dressed them in electric blue faux silk linen. To add a splash of colour and some interest to the glass shelves, groups of vibrantly coloured flowers in contemporary containers and coloured nitelight holders were placed abstractly on the shelves.

The Road Hole Grill at The Old Course Hotel

The Road Hole Grill is a very traditional space and although the client had exclusive use of the Grill for dining and a whisky tasting, there was the feeling that any styling should be fitting with the décor of the room, yet still in keeping with AOL’s corporate colours – a challenge non the less!

88 Events‘ nutmeg natural linen was perfect in keeping with the wooden look of the room and complemented the furniture beautifully. To keep that modern twist 88 Events added rich damson charger plates and contemporary swirl crystal glassware to the design. Finally, the corporate colours were incorporated through vibrant, yet country garden style flowers that brightened the room.

Glamis Castle

For an intimate dinner in this historic setting it was decided that the traditional Victorian beauty of the venue should be allowed to shine through and that minimal styling should be used to accent it’s features. The pathway leading the entrance to the Castle was lit with glowing lighthouse lanterns that guided guests to their destination.

The grand table in the Dining Room was subtly dressed with a French navy vintage damask table runner, with a row of beautifully coloured flower arrangements and glass hurricane lamps. This simple yet stylish table dressing fitted perfectly with the rich glow of the roaring log fire and the panelled splendour of the Victoria Dining Room.

Sea Food Restaurant

The Sea Food Restaurant in St Andrews sits on a picturesque location with the most stunning views of the ocean. 88 Events advised their client that the restaurant would look beautiful with crisp styling that reflected the freshness of the sea view and scenery.

The tables were dressed in ivory chic, a sophisticated fabric with a tow-tone strip that was complemented by the square lines of the frosted charger plates. Turquoise glassware and torpedo nightlight holders added a splash of vibrant colour and a touch of fun to the tables.

Operational plan

With 15 years experience in the events industry, 88 Events run a very tight ship when it comes to the operational side of event management.

As the events were held over a period of four days it was essential that the operational plan was carefully put together to give an accurate and efficient plan that ensured suppliers, 88 Events staff and the venues knew exactly what the format was.

Two weeks before the event rigorous quality checks were carried out to ensure all linen and other goods were in perfect condition before being careful packed ready for delivery.

88 Events liaised with the various venues to co-ordinate the setup and de-rig of the events so that this would not interfere with the client’s guests, or indeed with the venues other clients.

Suppliers

88 Events work with a wide variety of suppliers across the events industry. Suppliers are chosen for each event based on the following criteria:

• The type of event
• The reflection they will have on the client’s image
• Their standard of quality must be deemed acceptable by 88 Events
• They must be able to provide proof of their experience

For this event, 88 Events chose a mixture of local suppliers to provide the desired high quality products and services.

Venue co-ordination

88 Events enjoy a good relationship with the team at The Old Course having organised many events there, and because the hotel regularly uses 88 Events hire service.

There is a mutual understanding of how the venue operates and how 88 Events operate, allowing a seamless production of the event. Communication between the event manager at The Old Course and the event team at 88 Events was an essential element in the success of the event.

Results

The only result that 88 Events strives to achieve with all our events is client satisfaction…

“88 Events was a diamond in the rough when planning the logistics for our St. Andrews Client Event. In a country where customer service is lacking…88 Events hit a home run! No one was as professional and creative as 88 Events both in the pre planning stages and on-site.

We knew in advance every event function they worked on was going to be spectacular! We look forward to working with you in the future.”

Jenny Stahl, Corporate Events, AOL LLC

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