Lighting the way

Lighting is one of the most overlooked event elements. Lighting determines how your guests see the room when they first enter. It can give depth and ambiance to an event space; it can transform a simple event space into a spectacular experience. But most importantly, it aids communication.

Lighting can make or break an event

Humans listen with their ears but understand with their eyes, therefore it could be said that lighting is vital for clear communication and even more so when an individual is presenting to a large audience. For a presenter to connect with their audience and for their message to come across effectively, they need to be appropriately lit for their facial expressions to be clear and their body language readable.

Presenter lighting needs to be as natural as possible, preferably warm lights at a 45° angle to mimic sunlight.

Warmth and colour

In my opinion, a warm traditional light like a tungsten is perfect for lighting presenters. Basic LED lights should be avoided where possible for this application, as they combine red, green and blue to make a white light that is either uneven or too harsh for skin tones and the speaker ends up looking pale and ill, and features aren't highlighted clearly.

As well as lighting's necessity for communication, the colours used to enhance a space is also important. Colour has an incredible effect on mood, perception, and likes and dislikes - all without us knowing.

Chromology is the psychology behind colour and our mood. All colours have two effects. For example, red symbolises passion, love, warmth, power, and excitement - all positive emotions. But it also symbolises aggression. In studies, red elevates blood pressure and respiratory rates and stimulates hunger. But it also has the effect of stimulating people to make quick decisions and increase expectations. That's one of the reasons why it's a popular inside casinos. It's an attention grabber. Words and objects in red grabs attention immediately. Understanding how to use colour in events can help you to create a mood or feeling - is vital.

Sometimes it's best to keep it simple, especially for presenters. But lighting designers are there to guide event planners to achieve their creative vision, and ensure the lighting compliments the physical and aesthetic event space.