Event Planning Ideas, Trends & Inspiration

The skyline said Atlanta, but inside Ventanas, the party we designed for a tile and stone company was all Portugal and Italy. In town for the Coverings trade show, the client sought to host designers, showroom managers, and specifiers to reveal the brand’s new products, which are crafted in the Southern European countries. With two floors of space to utilize and a view of the design capital of the South, WM Events seamlessly integrated tile pieces and displays into a décor that celebrated the winemaking tradition of both countries. 

To turn the modern event space into a European winery, we honored the rustic and handcrafted traditions of Portugal and Italy with wood furniture, which began with the antique-style registration desk and continued in the simple tables and stools. The event included wine tastings from both countries, so we accented that theme with wine barrel-bottomed tables. Centerpieces featured verdant green foliage in silver urn-like vases or antique glass, and topiaries were placed throughout the rooms. To complete the homage to wine lovers’ Southern Europe, we crafted globes from “vines” and dotted them with lights and leaves. Foliage draped from the upper walls, and we added strings of single-bulb outdoor lights across the ceiling. 

Ventana’s massive windows provided plenty of natural light to illuminate product displays of tiles in marble, wood, and stone looks. Arranged along the perimeter, the displays were visible from most angles, but they did not compete with the luxurious rustic atmosphere of the event.

We created additional opportunities for showcasing the client’s new tile products by incorporating them into the décor under centerpieces.  

Corporate clients often approach us with the dual mission of providing an aesthetically pleasing, high-end event, meeting, or conference and highlighting the company’s products or services. This is when the WM Events team gets super creative and devises myriad ways to incorporate everything from corporate logos and messaging to history, core values, products, and more.

For one corporate client, the latest product launch happened to be an 85,000-pound forklift, which we included via a “red carpet” entrance for the machine and with display monitors featuring images of the company’s products throughout the event space. When another client wanted to show that it was “larger than life,” we designed a setting filled with giant décor, fun upsized games, and cutting-edge lighting. And when a carpet manufacturer celebrated its 50th anniversary, we featured its products throughout the event both as the flooring and running up columns. For this 3,500-guest celebration, we also offered elements related to the company culture via Virtual Reality, Ideation Towers, and a Story Corps-style recording booth.

Whether it’s incorporating wine, carpeting, or even a forklift, WM Events brings seamless flow to corporate events in many industries. Stay tuned for more innovative branding ideas – this summer, our team will create a corporate-themed event for an industrial rubber company!

Photography: PWP Studio
Venue: Ventanas
Design: WM Events
Audio Visual: Active Production & Design

As much as we couldn’t tear our eyes away from Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, and her chic, understated style, we also anxiously awaited the opening of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Commencing just three days after the wedding, and also welcoming the Queen, this prestigious annual flower show is presented by The Royal Horticultural Society. As expected, this year’s show did not disappoint and offered plenty of inspiration for gardening lovers and event designers who just happen to adore flowers and the décor possibilities they present (that would be our entire team).

In the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Great Pavilion, guests got a look at nearly a hundred vibrant displays, while the Show Gardens offered a global tour of garden styles. The show also provided a feast of floral displays, including entrants in the RHS competition, which, not surprisingly, had a Spring Wedding theme.

One focus this year highlighted the many ways gardening can benefit overall heath. The RHS Feel Good Garden in partnership with NHS Mental Health Trusts in England served to “promote health and well-being through horticulture,” according to its designer Matt Keightley. The garden considered the healthy act of simply meandering through a garden and provided freedom to roam for bees, birds, and butterflies. An Urban Flow Garden included a cool outdoor kitchen and was created with families with older kids in mind. Here, the sound of water was used to drown urban noise, and pots for growing food were included. The Lemon Tree Garden, set in a refugee camp in Kurdistan, explored the fact that even people who have lost everything start a garden upon arrival to become grounded and find a connection. The message is that gardening can help you in difficult times.

You can even watch a video where these passionate garden designers explain the purpose behind each of the well-being spaces.

And now for some of our favorite florals.

We love the fluid melding of indoor-outdoor space in the winning Morgan Stanley Garden for the NSPCC. It was designed to display in physical form the transformation children go through when they benefit from the work of the organization, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. WM Events explored the idea of transformation at a three-day conference in Atlanta and also paired a minimalist canvas with bright pops of color, although we created this indoor “garden” with custom walls, floor decals, and pillows.  (https://wmevents.com/2015/05/three-day-conference-atlanta-ga/)

The Wuhan Water Garden, China featured a mist spray, as well as other water features, and got us thinking the beautiful, calming mist would translate well into an outdoor summer event.

Of particular interest to us were the Best Floral Arrangement winners. This year, Jayne Edmonds took the Gold Medal and Best in Show for her hanging arrangement of woven horticultural circles that suspend from one another and featured asymmetrical roses in white and lavender paired with deeper purple blooms, greens, and just a few sprigs of baby’s breath.

Photo Courtesy of: Chrissie Harten Horticultural and Floral Art Photography

Another eye-catching arrangement focused on bold color and minimalist materials by pairing red rich red leaves of varying shapes into a swooping, pointed configuration softened by a wooly, winding element snaking its way along the structure. As a whole, it was more focused on leaves than flowers and reminded us that color can be pulled from a variety of sources for floral design.

Photo Courtesy of: Chrissie Harten Horticultural and Floral Art Photography

Other trends we noted in the Florist of the Year submissions were natural wooden base structures covered with densely packed blooms so that the flowers and greens seem to have naturally overgrown the structure. Some would have been perfectly at home on the set of  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

 
Photos Courtesy of: Chrissie Harten Horticultural and Floral Art Photography

The takeaway? Whether you do it for the herbs, the flowers, or the floral arrangements, gardening is good for you. And just like with the Royal wedding, it’s best with a great hat.

Clients and friends often wonder where we find inspiration for the cutting-edge and sometimes off-the-wall elements we incorporate into our events. Whether we are handling a corporate meeting with a major scale, a wedding, or an intimate dinner, we strive to include surprises in the décor and activities that will leave all guests with the memory that they were part of something special.

For our event planner Rachel Smith, music is her muse, and by that, we really mean music festivals. Rachel is definitely tapped in to today’s festival scene, and she returns from these multiday events filled with new ideas for our team.

In fact, Rachel has gleaned enough fest-spiration that she recently wrote an article about festival activations, and it was featured by Special Events magazine! Take a look here.

In addition to taking festival activations into our corporate and private events, WM Events has developed features for music festivals, such as the recent SweetWater 420 Fest. We’re always thrilled to have helped our best brew friends with Honey Hole décor and furniture, like these pallet wood bars, for the past 3 years.

And for the past couple of years, we have helped the Atlanta Dogwood Festival with elegant, rustic centerpieces and tablescapes for the VIP area.

Summer is nearly upon us, and festival season is in full gear! Whether your inspiration comes from music, art, or crafts and décor, make sure you get out and celebrate creativity in the great outdoors. Here are a few favorite festivals we’re looking forward to this year:

Hangout Music Fest                        Gulf Shores, Ala.         May 18-20

Virginia-Highland Summerfest    Atlanta                        June 9-10

Panorama                                         New York City            July 27-29

Lollapalooza                                     Chicago                       Aug. 2-5

Grandoozy                                        Denver                       Sept. 14-16

Decatur Tiny House Festival        Decatur, GA                Sept. 29-30

Art Basel Miami                              Miami Beach              Dec. 6-9

Hey Google, how do you plan a party? Good question.

For Google’s Cloud Computing Dinner, an evening of thought-provoking conversation, great company, and delicious food, the WM Events team executed one vital décor element – a sky of large, white clouds. To keep things simple and elegant, we paired the uplifting cloud cover with white and clear features from the table linens to the flowers and vases, which allowed four-color Google logo mobiles to pop through the clouds like little bursts of sunshine.

Hey Google, how much helium does it take to fill 400 balloons?

If it was easy to envision, constructing the “cloud” meant filling more than 400 balloons and suspending the installation above the long tables. With this immaculate ceiling treatment, we were able to provide an exciting embodiment of the brand’s virtual concept. In fact, some of the balloons included battery-operated LED lights so that they glowed from the inside. While it would have been easy to play the color scheme off Google’s primary-hued logo, getting back to basics offered increased sophistication and allowed branding to be subtle – a smart choice for such an intimate gathering.

The brick walls of Staplehouse restaurant in Atlanta’s Old 4th Ward provided an industrial exterior impression that complemented the concept of the clouds. On the tables below, we used white linens and topped them with elegant white centerpieces of hydrangeas and Queen Anne’s lace in faux marble vases. Keeping everything simple, table numbers were low-key acrylic signs, and the table seat cards were placed in acrylic holders.

Hey Google, what’s for dinner?

At this event intended to boost Google’s existing relationships, 38 guests enjoyed a four-course dinner while company representatives got face time with their clients and had the opportunity to talk about new products and partnerships.

After dinner, everyone headed back outside to partake in libations and cigars within the branded cocktail area where the simple theme was maintained. A portable wood bar displayed the colorful cloud logo, while highboy tables and a cocktail round draped with white linens featured branded centerpieces filled with more white florals. Here, we paired the white with black bar stools and included a few patio chairs, too. 

As a finishing touch, guests went home with gift bags. Inside the all-white bags, they found exciting, branded giveaways including Google cups, portable charger, and more!. It’s safe to say, everyone was on Cloud Nine by the time the event ended.

Thanks, Google.

Together with live trees and plants, cut flowers are one of the Netherlands’ top 10 exports. And the small country is responsible for more than 40% of the global trade in flowers and floral products. It’s no wonder the country celebrates all things floral during the annual Bloemencorso Bollenstreek. The 71st flower parade of the Bollenstreek (bulb region) takes place this month in towns and communities from Noordwijkerhout to Lisse to Haarlem in southwestern Holland.

Launched after World War II to raise people’s spirits, the Dutch flower parades have bloomed into large-scale productions with some of the most incredible flower sculptures we have ever seen. The first flower parade of the Bollenstreek took place in 1947, thanks to amaryllis grower Willem Warmenhoven who created a whale out of hyacinths.

Spring makes an ideal time to ruminate on the beauty of flowers and the amazing possibilities they offer for décor. But the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek is not your only opportunity to can catch a flower parade in the Netherlands. In August, the Corso Vollenhove puts the focus on dahlia flowers with floats made from up to 250,000 blooms each.

And the world’s largest flower parade, Bloemencorso Zundert, takes place each September. This parade also features dahlia-covered floats, and volunteers work for months to bring them to life. In all, the parade uses about 8 million flowers.

The tradition of celebrating the beauty of flowers and local blooms exists in the United States too. In Washington, DC, the city commemorates the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912 with the National Cherry Blossom Festival each spring. Today, the festival welcomes more than 1.5 million people to enjoy the beauty of the thousands of cherry blossom trees in peak bloom.

In Atlanta, we recognize spring with the annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival, which started in 1936 as a fun event to bring people out of the doldrums of the Depression. When delicate white and pink dogwood blossoms begin popping up all over town, we know it’s time to welcome warm weather and kick back in Piedmont Park.

We recently combined two of our favorite things when WM Events provided tablescapes and florals for a dinner from the High Museum of Art’s Wine Auction. Pairing deep purple blooms and bright pink tulips with luscious white hydrangeas atop verdant table runners proved the perfect complement to the range of excellent wines served at the intimate dinner for 24 guests.

What’s your favorite bloom this spring?

When LA resident Janine wanted to host a surprise 60th birthday party for her girlfriend Merle, who lives in Atlanta, she enlisted our help. Keeping it all a secret, we planned a multilayered event filled with amazement. The sophisticated evening began with a helicopter ride and a rooftop landing followed by a party for 200 guests in a penthouse venue overlooking the nighttime cityscape.

While Merle and Janine arrived at Peachtree Dekalb Airport to board a helicopter Merle thought would take them on a ride over Atlanta, guests were taking the elevator to the 14th floor of Ventanas, a downtown Atlanta venue known for its spacious rooftop terrace. Guests were greeted with champagne and agreed to check their phones along with their coats. Janine wanted to make sure all eyes would be on Merle. As they waited for the couple to arrive, guests mingled at round tables and highboys or enjoyed comfortable lounge seating.

Inside Ventanas, two large-screen monitors showed a live feed of the landing on the venue’s helipad. Thinking she was about to enjoy a private dinner, Merle descended the spiral staircase from the 15th floor to the patio where her grandson greeted her with flowers. Suddenly, the curtains were drawn, revealing the biggest surprise of all – Merle’s family and friends waiting below. 

The white lounge furniture provided a dramatic backdrop to glitzy black and gold pillows with pops of lapis blue. Round tables received black and white linens with interlocking circles, while a golden linen draped over the cake table. The tables were topped with white florals, gold votives, and sophisticated succulents and flowers housed in three-dimensional geometric vases.

The perfect complement to her sleek white pantsuit, Merle’s white and black Chanel-inspired cake from Lady Rae’s Weddings & More dripped with pearls. It was topped with a bow and the clever branding “Merle No. 60.”   

The special “Merle 60” logo created for the event appeared throughout the space from the DJ booth to the gold-draped photo wall. Her name lent itself effortlessly to a cursive script with a diamond in the highest swirl.

Outside, the spacious patio, which was strung with lights, offered more seating. A GOBO light shone Merle’s logo on the wall. Fire pits and heaters warmed guests who visited the Cigar Bar Experience where they found customized cigar bands and branded matchboxes. Throughout the evening, DJs took turns with soulful jazz-infused singer Monique Bingham. At their hotel, guests were greeted with a hospitality bag with a note of welcome and treats like personalized Coca-Cola bottles and pralines.

From the helipad landing to cutting her Chanel cake, Merle found a 60th birthday celebration filled with surprises.    

Event Planning & Design: WM Events
Venue, Catering & Helicopter: Ventanas
Photographer: Melissa Prosser Photography 
Cake: Lady Rae’s Weddings & More 
AV: Active Production and Design 

After being nominated in four categories, our WM Events team brought home a win for Best Social Event (Over $50K) at the 28th Annual Allie Awards earlier this month. These awards honor achievements in the Atlanta event industry – they are basically the Academy Awards for local events. In addition to the solo award, we served as part of the event team for four other winning projects this year.

For our winning Savannah Chic Anniversary event, a surprise 40th wedding anniversary party, we coordinated an epic undercover operation that allowed a husband to delight his wife and 100 of her closest friends and family. Held at the Atlanta History Center, this Southern-theme event was kept totally top secret during the planning. Even more special, the couple happened to be the parents of the bride of the first wedding William planned when he opened WM Events in Atlanta more than a decade ago.

Our client’s primary objective was to honor his wife in a big way that would be fun, comfortable and high end. We secretly learned of her favorite flavors, colors and tunes in a way not to let on that anything was in the making. This couple is dear to William, and we are thrilled that their celebration was honored by the Allie Awards!

WM partners also won several additional awards for submissions in which WM Events played an important role:

The Best AV Design Winner was Active Production & Design for its Company Milestone Celebration, a grand corporate affair planned and produced by WM Events. Active Production & Design also took home a Best Use of Media / Technology award for this event.

PWP Studio earned a Best Event Photography award for Capturing the Future of Hospitality, another corporate event planned and executed by the WM Events team.

Finally, Allied PRA won Best Event Corporate / Association (Over $100,000) for its Sip, Splash, Southern Bash!, an event for which WM Events handled event design.

One of my favorite art events to attend each year, the 19th annual Art Papers Art Auction took place at the Philip Shutze-designed Southern Exchange Ballrooms in downtown Atlanta last weekend. The venue was chosen well. It accommodated about a thousand guests without ever feeling too crowded, quite a feat considering everyone needed to be able to move throughout the entire space to get a look at more than 250 artworks.

With the plethora of art, the Davison Ballroom, which was chosen for the event, required little décor other than colored lighting effects. I love this space for its Italian globe dome lights that provide a funky, yet Art Deco aesthetic. The entrance to the lobby area outside the ballroom is even more fantastic with a brilliant crystal chandelier peeking from the level above.

In addition to an always-fun opportunity to mingle with a diverse, creative bunch of attendees, the event offers such a variety of works in the silent auction that it’s like gallery hopping all in one place. I did find a favorite this year, but alas, I was outbid.

“Lazy Botanical” by Louie W. Crumbley II, an illustrator and artist based in East Point, Georgia, attracted me with its bold colors. Although the value of the piece was set at $550, it went for $700 after 12 bids.

There were plenty of other works displaying audacious pops of color, like Beverly Baker’s “Stargazer” and Benjamin Britton’s little watercolor “Befarmaeed #4.” Even pink claimed the spotlight in “Dancing Spirits II” from Eleanor Neal and Jennifer Bonner’s “Grille Cheese,” as well as several other works.

While colorful works could be found throughout most of the exhibit, one wall was dedicated to black and white pieces, such as Jenene Nagy’s “weight 14” and Julianne Trew’s “Transductions.”

Even with all of this great art, one of the biggest hits of the night for me was the selection of hors d’oeuvres from Chef David Sweeney in the VIP lounge. Raw and vegan, they came off like little bites of heaven. David’s recipes signify everything that is good in today’s farm-to-table, healthy fare.

                       Art by: Benjamin Britton                                                                            Art by: Louie W. Crumbley II              

 
Art by: Eleanor Neal                                                                                             Art by: Julianne Trew

Art Papers Photography: Ben Rose Photography

ATLANTA (March 7, 2018) – After being nominated in four categories, WM Events brought home a win for Best Social Event (Over $50K) at the 28th Annual Allie Awards on Sunday, which are the Academy Awards of the Atlanta event industry. In addition to the solo award, WM Events served as part of the event team for four other winning projects this year. 

For their Savannah Chic Anniversary, a surprise 40th wedding anniversary party, the WM Events team earned a Best Social Event Allie Award. Held at the Atlanta History Center, this Southern themed event was kept totally top secret by a husband seeking to delight his wife and 100 of her closest friends and family. Even more special, the couple happened to be the parents of the bride of the first wedding WM Events founder William Fogler planned in Atlanta more than a decade ago. 

“Our client’s primary objective was to honor his humble wife in a big way that would be fun, comfortable and high end,” said Fogler. “An epic undercover operation sought to learn of her favorite flavors, colors and tunes in a way not to let on that anything was in the making. This couple is dear to me, and I am thrilled that their celebration has been honored by the Allie Awards!” 

WM partners won several additional awards for submissions in which WM Events played an important role: 

The Best AV Design Winner was Active Production & Design for its Company Milestone Celebration, a grand corporate affair planned and produced by WM Events. Active Production & Design also took home a Best Use of Media / Technology award for this event. 

PWP Studio earned a Best Event Photography award for Capturing the Future of Hospitality, another corporate event planned and executed by the WM Events team. 

Finally, Allied PRA won Best Event Corporate / Association (Over $100,000) for its Sip, Splash, Southern Bash!, an event for which WM Events handled event design. 

“It was an honor to bring home an Allie Award this year and even more exciting to have spent 2017 creating winning events with these incredible partners,” said Fogler.                                                                               

About WM Events

WM Events was founded in 2004 by award-winning designer, planner and consultant William Fogler. With offices in Atlanta and Denver, WM Events is a full service event planning and design firm that handles corporate events, high-end social affairs, weddings and any other sort of intimate or monumental happening. WM Events is located at 767 Trabert Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30318 and can be reached at 678-251-6363 or by visiting https://wmevents.com.

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We’ve been keeping an eye on New York Fashion Week and have been thrilled to see the vibrant colors from designers like Diane von Furstenberg, Marcel Ostertag, and Calvin Klein where bright orange, yellow and an occasional purple or red hue spiced up the understated neutrals of the post-apocalyptic ready-to-wear collection show.

At Carolina Herrera, some of the boldest expressions were found. Jewel- and gemstone-tone skirts were paired with simple white Oxford shirts and contrasting colorful, wide belts. Herrera announced that she is stepping down as creative director, but the collection speaks to a bright future. Check out the show for yourself!

These eye-catching trends are in keeping with the brilliance of the color of the year, Pantone’s Ultra Violet. Some of this trend showed up in shoes – from the likes of Tibi and Paul Andrew, and we spotted it in bags and accessories from Badgley Mischka, Oscar de la Renta and Sies Marjan.

And we’ve been utilizing the same hues that popped up at New York Fashion Week in many our recent floral arrangements and event décor themes.  From a Purple Rain-theme Super Bowl Party (stay tuned for this blog!) to bright blue hanging light bulb vases at a corporate event, bursts of color from flowers and accessories add as much to an event as they do to fashion. 

In fact, at Oscar de la Renta, a celebration of color and flora merged into some of the most spectacular pieces, like this tulle-skirted black nymph dress with bright flowers.

Our exploration of New York Fashion Week trends has left us looking for more of what’s à la mode. Next stops? London Fashion Week is coming up Feb. 16-20, followed by Milan Feb. 21-27, and culminating in Paris Feb. 27-March 6.

If you can’t make it to any of these haute couture shows, check out the new film “Phantom Thread” with Daniel Day Lewis. It’s been nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Costume Design (naturally).

ATLANTA (Dec. 8, 2017) – Whether it’s a hurricane, an icy winter storm or an unnatural disaster, event planners are often faced with situations beyond their control that can have serious effects on even perfectly planned events. Today, emergency preparedness needs to go beyond the typical Plan B because disaster can strike in many forms. 

We start emergency preparedness by always being ready for an unexpected change in the weather, something that happens often in Atlanta,” said Leigh Clemmons, CMP, event designer and communications at Atlanta-based event design firm WM Events. “We’ve had many weddings and outdoor events moved inside due to rain showers, but last season’s hurricane frenzy threw some new challenges our way. When a large storm looms, it’s easy to follow it on the news in advance.” 

The overarching recommendation is to stay aware of what is happening in the world and in the weather at all times so that you can see problems coming before they arrive. 

“During the Atlanta ‘Snowpocalypse’ of 2014, our client was hosting a conference at a Midtown hotel,” said Clemmons. “We made sure all of the guests remained onsite so that they would not get stranded. Luckily, deliveries were able to make it to the hotel by taking already plowed roads through the city. After installing the party, our team remained at the hotel, too. It turned out to be a fun and effective event, but if we had not kept an eye on the weather and prepared accordingly, we might have a different story to tell.”

Days before the event is the right time for event planners and even individuals hosting private events to take stock of where vendors and products need to travel from and adjust if necessary. They should also consider attendees and guests who might travel to the event. Could the guest count be affected?  

For one particular event, Clemmons and WM Events had to reorder all of the flowers for centerpieces because Hurricane Irma was heading for Miami, the East Coast’s largest shipping hub of fresh flora. The team quickly switched gears and vendors and had them sent to Atlanta from California. 

While it’s impossible to be prepared for every disaster, and sometimes simply reacting is the only option, expertly handling life’s (and nature’s) curveballs can keep planned events right on schedule. 

About WM Events

WM Events was founded in 2004 by award-winning designer, planner and consultant William Fogler. With offices in Atlanta and Denver, WM Events is a full service event planning and design firm that handles corporate events, high-end social affairs, weddings and any other sort of intimate or monumental happening. WM Events is located at 767 Trabert Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30318 and can be reached at 678-251-6363 or by visiting https://wmevents.com.

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While attending an Atlanta conference, our clients want to celebrate their companies and their customers by inviting them to a Backyard BBQ at the World of Coca-Cola. 

Guests were shuttled to the event on client buses, and greeted by a lively drumline and thematic stilt-walkers. Pallet wood walls with rustic styling and branding created a unique entrance for attendees to filter through, and then receive branded hats and music activated bracelets. Tiki torches and market lights added a soft light outside as the night went on. Blue gingham splashed over the entire venue from linens to signage, while backyard activities of Jenga, Connect Four and Beerpong were spread throughout. Sponsors’ logos branded charging stations while caricatures of the executive staffs encouraged attendees to participate in getting their own caricatures done. 

Venue: World of Coca-Cola
Catering: Proof of the Pudding
Beverage Service: Mixology Partners
Design: WM Events
Entertainment: Absolute Entertainment
Photography: PWP Studio