“We’ve worked with Party at the Moontower for 5+ years for our large corporate event — that is the longest we’ve worked with any furniture vendor, and for good reason! Party at the Moontower has a wonderful range of high quality furnishings with unique designs that stand out among the usual generic offerings of other large furniture rental companies. On top of that, the price range is unbeatable. The team at Party at the Moontower is extremely quick to respond to any order updates or requests. They make the entire process seamless, from furniture selection to delivery. I can’t recommend them enough for rentals!”
-Cara Balcom / Senior Manager, Global Events / Greenbook
Creating a Memorable Corporate Event Through Stylish Design and Decor
Over the years we’ve found that when it comes to big corporate expos, style is often put on the back burner. We’re here to tell you this doesn’t have to be the case! When you’re planning your next corporate event, we challenge you to elevate the design by choosing stylish rentals and decor that guests will remember.
The largest amount of rentals that has ever left our warehouse at once was used to transform the IIEX North America Conference hosted by Greenbook at Palmer Events Center this year. The event planners opted for more design-forward rentals than you’d typically see at a huge expo like this and it made all the difference. Let’s walk through how you can achieve this too when planning your next big corporate event!
Audience Seating and Stage Design
First off, skip the boring folding chairs. Opt for something more more modern like our White Shell Chairs or our sleek Dark n’ Stormy Dining Chairs. Your audience seating is already looking so much more high-end with this one easy swap!
Even better, bring in some sofas for your guests. Who says you can’t kick back and relax while listening to a keynote? At one of IIEX’s stages, sofas were set closest to the stage and cocktail tables and bistro tables were alternated behind. This layout allows for planting yourself on a couch to listen for a while, or just stopping in to catch a few minutes of a presentation.
Elevating a stage is simple! Choose cool lounge chairs that will have your keynote speakers feeling comfortable and that will be visually pleasing for your audience. At IIEX, Greenbook opted for neutral options but don’t be afraid to add a pop of color. Lime green, red, navy.. we’ve got choices for you! We always say that your stage will be the focal point of your event, so choose pieces that will keep the audiences eyes on it.
Networking Spaces
Greenbook provided their attendees with a few different kinds of spaces to network! First, cocktail and pub tables—AKA tall tables that you can walk right up to with chairs to match. We love these spaces for networking because they feel more casual. Instead of finding a seat at a table full of people you may not know, you can just stroll up to a high top and start a conversation. Our Hemingway Pub Tables and Julep Cocktail Tables are great options for these kind of spaces and we have multiple tall chair options to go with!
And second, lounges! We created a few full-size lounges for the IIEX Conference and then a bunch of clusters of smaller lounges. The larger lounges were in the main event space and the smaller clusters were part of what was called the “private meeting lounge.” Giving your guests options of bigger social spaces and smaller spaces to pair off and have more intimate conversations is a great way to break up the room. Our Pre-Styled Lounges are a good place to start if you’re looking for a layout like this!
Want more tips on how to create great spaces for networking? Check out this blog post all about using rentals to facilitate it!
Registration and Refreshments
We recommend using bars for multiple things at conferences—first, actual refreshments obviously! Greenbook used our Moonshine Curved Bar and two Milk & Honey Bars to create a space for coffee, tea, and juice. They also booked three of our white Rossini Bars for registration. Bars can also be used for DJ booths, emcee booths, and more.
Additionally, to brand your event, consider customizing one of our bars with your company logo or event graphics!
Bonus Tips
Cohesive Details
Greenbook rented single matching chairs for each of their vendor booths! While this may seem like a small detail, this part of the decor made the whole corporate event design seem more cohesive.
Outdoor Space
Don’t forget to take advantage of any outdoor space your venue has! This can be a great place to offer seating for lunch or refreshment breaks. Greenbook rented a bunch of Biergarten Tables to place under the Palmer Events Center awning where guests enjoyed time outdoors.
Photo Moments
Another idea to consider is branding a display wall for a photo moment, informational moment, or stage backdrop! Display your brand, a map of the space or a schedule of events, or some fun event graphics for the photo moment. (Great photos will have your guests tagging you in social media content for days after your event, making the impact last even longer!)
Hosting the big crowds that an expo can bring might feel intimidating, but we guarantee your guests will appreciate some extra thought put into their experience. Now that you’re inspired to elevate your corporate event, we’d love to help you choose design-forward rentals that will do the job!
