Choosing an Event Theme

A theme is an underlying concept or notion that is easily recognizable. Your theme can be pretty much anything you want it to be, but the main requirement for it to be successful is that is must be recognizable by your guests. For example, you should be able to tell that the photo on the right is of a Hollywood theme from the film canisters, red carpet and director clapboards.

A theme is a valuable for an event planner because it can be used as inspiration for everything from food to decorations, and focuses decisions during the planning process. Whether the theme is very specific, such as Parisian Cafe, or as general as your favorite color palette, having a theme will guide your decisions and keep you from getting overwhelmed.

But how do you choose a theme? It's important that the decision isn't just pulled out of thin air. You need to carefully consider how it's related to your target markets and the purpose of your event. Ask yourself these questions:

• Event Type: Is this a social celebration where people are coming just to mingle, or a high-profile product launch? 
• Mood: Should guests be feeling playful or somber? 
• Guest of Honor: Are you honoring a specific person? What does this person like or what is their industry?
• Guests: Is it a young audience looking for fun, a family event, or a conservative business event? 
• Venue: Is the event space a standard banquet hall, or an exotic location like a beach or castle?

The answers to these questions will help you select a theme that will be appropriate to the situation.

You can find inspiration for themes all around you! If you're planning an event for a holiday, you already have a pretty good set of guidelines about what fits in with the theme. For example, if you're planning an event with a St. Patrick's Day theme, you would be expected to use the color green, and not pink or blue. Seasons can provide great inspiration for your event. The warm summer season, for example, is great for luau and garden events. Another great place to look for theme ideas is what's popular at the moment. When the film The Great Gatsby was released back in May, there was a sudden surge in Roaring 20s events. Party stores always stock merchandise from the latest trendy movies, current events, and other pop culture phenomena, so it's easy to plan for something popular.

Keep in mind that not all events need a theme. Some activities on which your events are based are theme enough, like a picnic or afternoon tea. These activities have have their own special requirements and adding anything extra would not be necessary. If you're planning an awards ceremony for a local hero who rescued someone from a dangerous situation, a theme wouldn't make sense. The purpose of the event is honoring the hero, and that's why the target audience is attending. Any competing themes would be distracting and take away from your event. That's not to say that all awards events don't need a theme though! Sometimes it can be appropriate and helps entertain those who are attending but aren't receiving awards. Use your judgment when deciding whether to theme or not to theme.