New York City is the land of the bold, chic, and avante-garde. If you want to stand out here, you need a style that’s uniquely you. At the same time, though, you have to avoid the pitfall of predictability. After all, New Yorkers thrive on innovation and are always looking for the next great thing.
So, how can event planners create signature styles without becoming predictable? Just follow these tried-and-true techniques.
Find Your Brand Voice
Creating a signature style as an event planner isn’t much different from creating a signature style as a person. Just as you want your personal style to reflect who you are, your signature style as an event planner should reflect the core elements of your business.
Take some time to find your brand voice. Think about what makes your business unique and the message you want to communicate to your clients. For instance, does your business excel at the timeless and chic, or do you embrace all things sustainable? Are your events over-the-top displays of the hottest trends and talents, or do you prefer the understated and elegant?
Once you’ve thought about who you are as a brand and how you want to communicate that image to your clients, it’s easy to develop a signature style to match. Authenticity sells, so be true to yourself and your business when creating your signature style.
Be Wary of Trends
Event trends are fun, and you should pay attention to them. You don’t want to miss out on the latest trends that are attracting all the traffic. But you also don’t want to be associated with dated trends or known as the planner without an identity, who just hops on every bandwagon that comes by.
Instead, aim for balance between offering novel trends and a reliable style your clients can count on. Try incorporating one novel trend or experience into your event. This keeps your events from feeling predictable while preserving your signature style.
Capitalize on Emotion
It’s all too easy to fall into the event-planning trap of trying to be everything for everyone. Competition is fierce in NYC, and you don’t want to fall behind. Yet your signature style is exactly what helps you stand out from the crowd.
So, instead of trying to incorporate every trend and everything you see your competitors do, focus on who you are as a planner and how you can create uniquely memorable events for your clients. It all comes down to emotion.
We all remember emotions associated with events more than the details of the event itself. It’s part of our psychology. That means once you understand the formula for creating emotionally-satisfying events, you can adapt that formula to your personal style and add exciting new elements that keep your events from becoming predictable.
It all comes down to creating positive tension, the build-up of anticipation that keeps your guests hooked, then releasing that tension with a feel-good moment or surprise. Build this rhythm into your events, and your guests will always walk away happy, whether you’re hosting a conference, a wedding, or a milestone birthday party. Best of all, you stick to a signature style that’s uniquely you, and your events feel powerful, not predictable.
Find More Tips to Create Your Signature Style at The Expo
Creating your signature style often takes time, so don’t feel bad if you’re still searching for your own. Like trying on new clothes, it sometimes takes a little trial and error to figure out what fits.
The Event Planner Expo is the perfect place to find inspiration from the best in the business, while scoping out the latest trends in entertainment, catering, and more to add novelty to your events. Get your tickets here!
