Do you want to add art to your meeting? Try these ideas from guest blogger, Queen City Destinations:
Summer is winding down and the countdown is finally on—and we’re not talking about the race to the onslaught of holiday parties. We’re talking about BLINK Cincinnati, coming up this October 10- 3, 2019.
BLINK is a free four-day light and art festival spread across more than 30 city blocks, from northern Kentucky’s riverbanks to Cincy’s Findlay Market.
BLINK’s 2017 event attracted more than 1 million people to ooh and ahh over the impressive installations splashed across the city, and it’s expected to be even bigger this year.
In a word, it’s lit (see what we did there?) and one of our favorite Cincinnati events.
Cincinnati itself is a hotspot for the arts. The city was recently named one of America’s most artistic towns by Expedia.
But if you call the Queen City home, you don’t need an article to tell you that.
With bright murals, local galleries, the Cincinnati Art Museum and its 67,000+ pieces of revered art, the Cincinnati Ballet, and the Cincinnati Opera, this city’s got all the art your heART (sorry, we had to) could want.
Artist Edgar Degas said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
You want to make your guests see the best event they’ve yet to attend—and art can make that happen by inspiring lasting memories for your attendees.
So as we countdown to this year’s BLINK, we bring you 5 creative ways to incorporate art into your event!
1. Pump up the tunes with some live music.
Music is always a must-have and one of the simplest ways to incorporate art into your event. Plus, live music isn’t just fun for your attendees, it also supports local musicians—wins all around.
And while yes, a live band is always a fan favorite—who can resist a “Sweet Caroline” sing-along?—we want to encourage you to think outside the box with your musical choices.
Compose your own orchestra.
Have you ever seen an orchestra in action?! You can’t take your eyes off them! Your attendees will be wowed when they walk into your event featuring the whimsical sounds of a live orchestra.
You can go big, bringing in as many as 40 performers, or you can keep it quaint for your smaller event—we’d recommend a minimum of 10-12 orchestra members.
Leave the instruments at home.
Ever notice how hushed even the most crowded of rooms can get when an acapella group is performing? There’s something especially captivating about watching a group of skilled performers recreate a favorite song using only their voices.
Let an acapella group do their thang to quiet the room, and then segue to your introductions or announcements.
Rap about it.
Rap—the poetry of a generation. Invite a rapper to drop some beats about your event—like a big announcement, an introduction to the event, or heck, even just what you’re serving for dinner. It’ll be a hit among your guests, trust us.
2. Bring in a live painter.
There’s an event photo. And then there’s an event painting.
Bring your event to life on canvas with a live painter!
Allow us to paint a picture (pun intended) of the experience for you:
In a designated part of your event space (but not hidden—you want your painter to be a visual centerpiece of your event!), your live painter will set up with his or her canvas. While your guests dine and chat, your painter will be putting their talents to work, immortalizing your event through brushstrokes—in real time.
Your guests will be dazzled by watching a talented artist in action—they’ll want to snap photos of the painting in process, and it’s an excellent education opportunity for the artist to discuss their techniques with guests.
By the end of the night, you’ll have a keepsake art piece to hang back in the office after your event!
3. Get funky fresh with graffiti art.
Incorporate graffiti art into your event for a funky fresh piece of artistic decor.
We love this fun graffiti piece created for the TED 2019 Vancouver conference.
Not only was this piece created on-site, but talk about a great photo opp—and you know how much we love a good photo opp. Seriously—if you’re not creating Instagram-worthy moments at your events, you’re doing it wrong! Get some Insta inspo’ in this post.
You can also invite attendees to get in touch with their inner graffiti artist with a giant chalkboard and some chalk paint!
4. Let your attendees get tatted.
We mean temporary tattoos, of course.
Take event branding to the next level with fun branded temporary tattoos that attendees can apply. And we put extra emphasis on the word “fun”—no one is going to want to apply a boring corporate logo to their skin! Don’t be afraid of some glitter and bright colors, folks.
Or how about a twist on the temporary tattoo?
(Okay, now we’re really day-dreaming, but stick with us…)
Imagine walking into an event and being greeted by a sign hanging on a wall: “Insert arm here for ink.” It’s like a trust fall, but with (temporary) ink.
You place your arm through the insert and answer a few questions from the professional artist on the other side of the wall. From there, they get started on your signature piece.
After a few minutes, BAM—you’ve got a gorgeous, unique-to-you temporary tat to show off at the event for the rest of the day. Can we say conversation starter?!
If we had to guess, our founder & lead planner Abby Gerwe would probably end up with a tattoo of her dog—‘cuz let’s be real, Phoebe Gaga is pretty much all she thinks about.
5. Food is art, too.
Bring in local chefs to show off their culinary artistry!
Set up a station for each chef to display their personal style and taste in a small dish that guests can try. Allow the chefs to present their dish with an explanation of their inspiration, local produce used, and their expertise in the culinary arts.
Pair each small plate with a gourmet cocktail handcrafted by an expert mixologist. Seriously, if you’ve ever had a cocktail at Covington’s Wise Guys Lounge—you know THAT’S ART!
This article originally appeared on Queen City Destination.
