Simbarashe Able Mukondo
Decor is meant to inspire and set the mood and tone for an event. Most corporate events in Zimbabwe are still reluctant to do this. The decor is something you expect a 1990s workshop or event to have, not a 2022 event. Conference centres, lodges and other event venues are still failing to upgrade themselves. It is quite a shame.
The excessive use of cloth
The tables are covered in cloth, the chairs in cloth, the stage has cloth all over, and the walls have pieces of cloth. That is 1990s décor. In 2023 we are doing away with cloth decor, and are going rustic and modern. The event space needs to be smart, clean, simple and modern. Most corporate events fall in the modern category, however, their setups say otherwise.
Hotels, lodges and conference centres are also lagging behind in terms of moving towards modern decor. We need to do away with using a lot of cloth in decorating corporate event spaces. Use pieces of cloth for decor, yes but please do not overuse them.
Uninspiring furniture and equipment
Some equipment and furniture which is being used leaves one wondering if the company is as big as we think it is. The podium they still use is one made in 2000, and we are now in 2023. You see Chief Executive Officers of some top companies with a lot of papers while making a speech, what happened to teleprompters or iPads? Conference centres should now consider having interactive screens during their events.
The chairs and tables used at times are worrying, which is why they will be covered in cloth. But can we not get rid of them and upgrade, please?
Lighting and extra pieces
You may have a nice decor set-up, but with bad lighting, you will have done nothing. Most corporate events rely on the basic lighting provided by the venue, but is it what you want? Does it set the right tone?
What other pieces that add up to your event set-up are you having? These include table centrepieces. What kind of flowers do you need, if any? Where will banner placements (those for your own company, your partners and sponsors) go? In some events, you find banners thrown all over the venue making a nuisance around the place.
What curtains are there? What kind of windows are there? How do the roof and walls look? Do they need cleaning? Do you need a distraction up there so that when people look up they will not see the uninspiring roof?
Events are now the modern way of marketing your company or organisation. In-house events are meant to inspire your employees, motivate them or make them feel special. All that means, as an organisation, you cannot compromise on the set-up of your event.
If you are hiring a planner, make sure that they know what they’re doing. For conference centres, it’s time to upgrade and adapt to the 2023 way of doing conferences. Sabre Business World, a business events venue which is located along Harare’s Enterprise Road, is one place that has made strides to move towards a modern hub of hosting corporate events.
Simbarashe Able Mukondo is the Chief Executive Officer at Varisync Planners (Pvt) Ltd, an entity which is into event planning and marketing. He can be contacted on 0782 974 806.