Stuart WoodJodie Guilford, Business Development and Marketing Manager at the Science Museum, provides some tips on how to guarantee a stand-out event.
We are all pressed for time; between the demands of working life and the always-on culture that comes with every technological development, our free time and where we spend it is extremely important.
This puts increased pressure on event planners – how do you make sure your event stands out from the crowd and is something guests will remember?
And how do you guarantee they’ll set aside their time to come along in the first place?
At the Science Museum, we’re fortunate to house some pretty spectacular event spaces in the form of our galleries and IMAX theatre, which is certainly a draw in itself – yet we recognise the need for organisers to create the all-round experience and event journey for their guests.
Here are our top tips to make your event stand out from all the rest…
Bring event theming into every aspect
Aside from decorating the venue and setting an appropriate dress code, there are so many creative ways to subtly (or boldly!) reinforce the overarching theme of your event.
Launching a product? Utilise any unique features of the space, such as a gallery collection, to encourage guests to flow naturally around the room and really take notice of what is being displayed.
Want to go all out? One 1940’s Theme Swing Party we hosted in our Flight gallery saw guests in military costume, a swing band and full 1940’s table décor with vintage lamps on each – fully immersing everyone into the spirit of the theme!
Break the boundaries of event timings
Venue permitting, something we’ve seen work amazingly well as a stand-out concept was our first ever overnight event.
The event itself was a live Hackathon competition, which saw participants working through the night to secure a prize once the sun came up. Additional Wi-Fi power was brought on site to make the whole thing possible and it was certainly one the attendees won’t forget in a hurry!
Bring the unexpected
The Science Museum isn’t the first place you’d expect to head to during Fashion Week, yet one catwalk event hosted in one of our blank-canvas galleries attracted leading designers and fashionistas and proved a knock-out success.
Brought to life by a creative agency, the show proved that our range of available spaces really is diverse enough to accommodate any type of event, while smashing expectations right out of the water!
Next level entertainment
If you get the entertainment right, you’ve already won. Whether name-dropping a well known act as a draw, or revealing a big surprise on the night, it’s vital that you make an impact – no half-hearted effort will do.
350 guests were once treated to a large orchestra performance in the centre of our Making the Modern World gallery, a completely awe-inspiring sensory experience witnessing the space filled with music and the instruments’ vibrations in the air.