From a conference to an award ceremony, lots of events make good use of a lighting timeline. This allows the lights to change, or be changed, at the perfect points of the event, so that you can wow your guests, and keep your event moving at the right pace. But how do you know when to change the lights? And can you plan this in advance? Well, here at Light Design, we are leading event lighting experts. With a wealth of industry experience, from festivals to fashion shows, we can help you create the perfect event. And this is our guide to everything you should know about event lighting timelines.
So, how can you effectively plan your event lighting to match your time frame? Well, there are several steps to this, including:
- Drawing up a rough event timetable
- Finalizing the event timetable
- Picking out the moments for lighting changes
- Deciding on intelligent lighting or manual lighting
Creating a rough event timetable
The first place to start when planning an event lighting timeline is with the event schedule. Make sure you include enough time for each stage of your event, and add in some spare time just in case things take longer than you’d think. Each part of your event from welcoming the guests to closing the doors at the end of the night, needs to be scheduled with realistic timings. This can also be beneficial for other aspects of your event planning, not just the lighting.
Finalizing the event timetable
Once you have a rough copy of the timetable, you will need to finalize this. If you are providing live entertainment, or including guest speakers for example, you will need to check your timings with them, and their technical team. Things like setting up and clearing down can take longer than you might expect, and its good to clarify the times with the rest of your team, and the key people involved in the event.
Picking out the moments for lighting changes
With a complete, finalized timetable, you should be easily able to pick out the points in your event where a lighting change will be a good option. From transforming a stage to illuminating a dining area, lighting can be switched on, change colour, or begin to move, whenever you need it to. This could be used to indicate:
- the beginning or end of a speech or performance
- time to take a seat
- time for a change in tempo
Deciding on intelligent or manual lighting
If you use intelligent lighting systems, you can pre-program the lighting changes, for exactly the moment you need them. And you’ll also be able to manually override the program, should any part of your event change. However, manually changing the lights, at the right time, can also be possible with a correct timeline. This will be used as a guide, to ensure that the lights are changed whenever you need them to be.
For more information or advice, get in touch with the team today, here at Light Design.