8.5. Event Themes
Heather Beecroft
An event theme is the overall feel of an event that sets the tone for all aspects, from decorations to advertising and more. When planning your theme, you need to think of who is attending, why the event is happening, where the event will be located, and what the purpose of the event will be. Think of the theme as the how – how you will combine the who, why, where, and what together to provide a well-thought-out and cohesive package.
Determine Your Purpose
Ask yourself why you are having the event. You want to create event anticipation, maximum guest attendance, and full participation. You will need to meet company and guest expectations, which you will likely determine during the initiation phase of this event. The objectives of an event can be tangible (for instance, raising a certain amount of money for a charity) or intangible (long-term employee morale).
Consider the experience. Will it be:
- Educational? The Human Resources Department is having a day-long event to onboard new employees. They will need to get new employees informed about company policies.
- Entertaining? You work for the tourism board in your city, and the red carpet event for a holiday movie that was filmed downtown is happening in one month.
- Enlightening? Your company is hosting a two-day wellness retreat for all employees at a local yoga center.
- Energizing? The company just went through a merger and needs to get all of the employees on board with new policies and excited about working with new team members.
- Engaging? A local author who is new on the scene wants to drum up more readers, so they ask your independent bookstore to host a reading.
Connect the Dots
Take your purpose and link it to your goals for the experience you’d like to provide for the attendees. Think about how your theme would appeal to your guests and build your program and events around your theme. Look at your to-do list and event requirements, and try to incorporate your theme as much as possible.
When choosing a party theme for company get-togethers, corporate planners need to ensure the theme is relevant and fun. But most importantly, they need to make sure it’s appropriate for the event, setting, and company culture. (Waida, n.d.).
