Event Design and Décor: Concept, Staging and Production Management – Paris, 16–20 Nov 2026

Programme overview

Introduction:

Event design and décor often fail between the sketch and the venue floor: a striking concept that blocks sightlines, backdrops built from untreated fabric, scenic flats too heavy for the rigging points, and fabricators briefed from mood images instead of drawings. This Core Concept course gives designers, stylists and production managers a working route from client brief to derig, covering concept and theme, colour, materials and lighting, staging and scenic build, guest flow, fabrication, load-in scheduling, décor safety and value engineering. Participants build an Event Design Concept and Production Pack for a case event.

Course Objectives:

• Translate a client brief and audience profile into a design narrative, theme statement and mood board that clients sign off
• Specify colour palettes, surface finishes, soft furnishings and lighting states that reinforce the concept within the venue's constraints
• Draw ground plans, elevations and seating layouts that protect sightlines, guest circulation and stage access
• Brief scenic fabricators, florists, riggers and AV crews with drawings, material schedules and approval samples
• Plan build and derig with a production schedule, load-in sequence, flame-retardant evidence and rigging load checks
• Apply value engineering and reuse choices to hold the décor budget and reduce scenic waste

Target Audience:

• Designers who create themes, stage looks and spatial concepts for corporate, cultural and brand events
• Décor stylists who select furniture, florals, drapery, table settings and props for venues
• Production staff who schedule crews, fabrication and technical suppliers from build to derig
• Scenic and fabrication coordinators who turn drawings into built sets, backdrops and exhibition structures
• Venue event staff who approve décor installations, room layouts and rigging requests

Course Outline:

Day 1: Reading the Design Brief and the Audience

• Design Brief Decoding Canvas: Purpose, Guest Profile, Brand Cues and Constraints
• Venue Survey Pack: Ceiling Heights, Floor Loads, Power Points and Access Doors
• Guest Emotional Journey Map from Arrival to Farewell
• Precedent Board Review of Gala, Launch and Cultural Stage Designs
• Current Design Workflow Gap Check Against a Brief-to-Build Checklist

Day 2: Concept, Theme, Mood Boards and Scenic Documentation

• Theme Statement and Design Narrative Writing Template
• Mood Board Composition: Imagery, Swatches, Textures and Material Samples
• Colour Palette Building with Colour Wheel Harmonies and Contrast Ratios
• Scenic Drawing Set: Ground Plans, Elevations, Section Views and Scale Models
• 3D Renderings and Walkthrough Visuals for Client Concept Sign-Off

Day 3: Materials, Lighting, Staging and Guest Flow

• Material Specification Sheet: Timber, Fabric, Acrylic, Foam and Printed Graphics
• Lighting States for Décor: Uplighting, Pin Spots, Washes, Gobos and Colour Temperature
• Stage and Set Design: Risers, Backdrops, Scenic Flats, Drapes and LED Screen Surrounds
• Seating Layouts, Circulation Widths and Sightline Checks for Rounds, Theatre and Cabaret
• AV and Production Coordination Sheet for Sound, Projection and Camera Positions

Day 4: Fabrication, Scheduling, Décor Safety and Value Engineering

• Fabricator and Stylist Briefing Pack with Approval Samples and Snag Lists
• Production Schedule and Load-In and Load-Out Sequence with Crew Calls
• Décor Fire Safety File: Flame-Retardant Certificates, Treated Fabrics and Naked Flame Rules
• Rigging Plan: Hanging Points, Load Calculations, Truss Spans and Safety Bonds
• Décor Budget Line Items, Value Engineering Options and Reusable Modular Sets

Day 5: Case Event: Event Design Concept and Production Pack

• Case Event Brief: Evening Product Launch in a Converted Industrial Hall
• Concept Presentation Build: Theme, Mood Board, Palette and Renders
• Technical Drawing and Material Schedule Drafting for the Case Stage and Room
• Build Timeline, Safety File and Sustainable Décor Reuse Plan Assembly
• Event Design Concept and Production Pack Pitch and Peer Critique

Skills You Will Gain:

• Brief Interpretation
• Concept and Theme Development
• Mood Board Styling
• Colour and Lighting Design
• Scenic Drawing Reading
• Sightline and Circulation Planning
• Fabrication Supervision
• Décor Value Engineering

Why Attend This Course:

• Leave with an Event Design Concept and Production Pack for a case event, critiqued by peers
• Present concepts that clients sign off first time, backed by renders, swatches and drawings
• Keep builds on schedule and safe with a load-in sequence, rigging plan and fire safety file
• Exchange styling and production practice with designers from agencies, venues and in-house teams in different sectors

Conclusion:

Memorable event spaces are the result of a disciplined route from idea to installation. The course moves from reading the brief, the audience and the venue, through theme statements, mood boards, colour and scenic drawings, to materials, lighting, staging, seating and sightlines, then to fabrication, production scheduling, fire and rigging safety and value engineering. The final day applies the method to a case launch event and produces an Event Design Concept and Production Pack ready for use on the next project.