Tag Archives: custom backdrops

A school dance can be a blast - but also a challenge to plan.

School Dance Ideas: Planning Homecoming, Formals and More

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Whether you’re looking for  ideas for Homecoming, spring formals or any other kind of academic sponsored social event, planning a school dance can be a challenge. How can you be sure that you’ve covered all the bases – including entertainment, refreshments, invitations and decoration? Here are three of the most important steps to make the night a success:

1. Form a Committee
A dance planning committee is invaluable to make sure that things get on track and stay there. Ideally, you want a mix of students and school administrators. The students will be able to help guide some of the planning and act as advocates for their peers – throwing in suggestions for themes and music choices. Class officers or club leaders can make excellent student committee members. Meanwhile, administrators will be able to help manage budgetary concerns and contracts with outside parties, like DJs and catering companies.

2. Pick a Theme
A formal dance is nice, but one with a unique theme is even nicer! Have the committee brainstorm a few theme ideas and then poll the student body to see what is popular. The chosen theme will guide how you decorate and also affect other planning dimensions. Here are a few fun, inspired theme ideas:

  • High fashion. Encourage attendees to put on their best couture and strut their stuff on the catwalk! Rolling out the red carpet, having custom backgrounds for faux-paparazzi photos and even breaking up the dance with a miniature fashion show can be a really enjoyable time.
  • Island paradise. Create custom banners with lush, tropical island scenes and give all attendees Lai necklaces. Offer tropical punch and Polynesian inspired finger foods.
  • Masquerade ball. No excuse to be bashful here! Have attendees bring their own elaborate masks – or provide them at the door – to create an ornate event that channels 18th century France.

3. Make Sure the Venue Meets Your Needs
One mistake dance planners make is not verifying that a venue meets their immediate needs. A particular location make be beautiful, but not a good fit. Here are several things that you should always look out for when checking out a venue:

  • Is the entrance large and open enough to accommodate a crowd? Are exits clearly marked and accessible?
  • Is there room for refreshments, a DJ booth and photo stations?
  • Do the lights dim sufficiently for mood? Will you need to rent alternative lights?
  • Is the flooring a material that will be damaged by dancing in regular shoes?

The goal is to make sure that you have everything squared away before the night comes so that all the students can have the best time. If you are looking for backdrops and banners to give your event a special touch, trust the design experts at Sign Art Etc.

Here's a fashion show checklist to make the most of New York Fashion Week.

A Fashion Show Event Checklist including Step and Repeat Backdrop

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New York Fashion Week occurs every year in February. The top designers from around the world converge in New York City, mounting shows showcasing the latest in trends, materials and styles that they predict will dominate the year to come.

Even if you can’t make it to to the NYC catwalks, you can still celebrate the world of fashion and design by mounting your own local fashion show, tying into the event in New York.  Or you can have your event at a completely different time of the year.  Whether you want to throw a charity fundraiser as a way to raise awareness for a cause you feel passionate about or simply are looking to showcase your own designs on a smaller scale, here is your fashion show checklist to make sure you’re fully leveraging Fashion Week exposure:

Settle on a Theme
First and foremost, you need to know what kind of fashion show you’ll be planning. This can take on a few dimensions: Is this show going to be about raising money for a charity or cause? Is this a commercial show, aimed at getting local retailers to stock up on new fashions? Is this an event aimed at showcase designs from a certain group, like a school or seniors? By identifying the show theme early on, you’ll have a better understanding of who your designers and attendees will be, making it easier to plan.

Order Custom Branded Materials
Once the date is set, it’s time to start gathering your signage and other decorations. No fashion show would be complete without a red carpet and a branded, custom step and repeat backdrop for photos. A backdrop branded with the name of the show or sponsor helps the organization to be promoted in the press every time a photo is snapped. By ordering ahead of time, you can ensure that the materials look the way they are supposed to well ahead of the show, as well as give yourself time to experiment with layout.

Pick a Date and Choose Your Venue
Ideally, you want to give yourself six to eight months of planning time to ensure that you are able to make the most of your event. Booking a venue that far in advance can help secure a decent rental deal and give you more than enough time to lock down your designers.

On the checklist: make sure your fashion show catwalk is carpeted to limit scuffing and slips.Make sure your walkway is carpeted to limit scuffing and slips.

Once you’ve picked your date, it’s time to consider your venue. While multi-function event rooms can be a great place to hold a fashion show, consider alternative venues like local VFW halls, school facilities, churches and social clubs or even an outside venue if you live in a warmer climate – though with this last suggestion, be sure to have a backup plan in case of bad weather. Consider too whether the event will be held during the day or at night. A daytime show lends itself to a more family-friendly, all-ages environment while a nighttime show can evoke a feeling of chic glamour and a bustling nightlife.

Carpet, Carpet, Carpet!
Speaking of red carpet: As Wine, Women and Shoes points out, often the shoes worn by models are rented or on loan from the designers. As such, they want them back in as good condition as possible. Carpeting the area where models and other guests will be walking not only adds a touch of Hollywood glamour, but also protects high-priced and one-of-a-kind shoes from being scuffed or damaged.

Start PR and Marketing
One of the most important aspects of throwing a fashion show is marketing. Even if your show is simply a local affair, if you don’t tell anyone it’s happening, how will they know when to show up?

Particularly if you are hosting your event in conjunction with a national fashion week – like the one happening in New York – make sure to get the word out. Create an event on social media and advertise with local media outlets. Even if you don’t have an extensive advertising budget, reaching out to a local news station or paper can prove relatively simple and very fruitful, particularly if you have your promotional materials in order. Make sure to have a clear, concise listing of your designers, the location and date of the fashion show so that if any media contacts request it, you can provide it with ease.

A custom backdrop from Sign Art Etc. can bring your fashion show to the next level. In addition to our variety of high-quality signage and backdrops, we offer high-quality customer service and great prices. Get in touch today to learn more!

Make the most out of your fall party!

Fall Themed Party Ideas: Make Yours the Event of the Season

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Autumn represents a season of change and transition, whether it’s celebrating the start of football, easing into the familial comfort of Thanksgiving or just relishing the changing of the leaves. If you’re looking for fall themed party ideas that will make yours the event of the season, here are the top three things to consider.

Decor
Even if you are hosting your party inside, setting a fall atmosphere is crucial. However, the usual natural aspects of autumn – dried leaves, twigs and hay – may prove to be nasty allergens and difficult to clean up later. Besides, as beautiful as they may be, who wants to risk a stray leaf in their punch? Instead of bringing in stray leaves and having to clean them up, why not just have a printed backdrop of a gorgeous fall nature scene at your party?

A customized banner or backdrop can be a great way to get the party going and have decoration for next year! Perfect for picture taking, a backdrop can lend the party a distinct seasonal feeling without all the chill and cleanup of nature. If you want to add an extra air of authenticity, consider grabbing a few pumpkins and scattering them around your venue.

Food
The flavors of fall are distinct and wide-ranging: a mix of spice and sweet, warm and hearty. Take advantage of seasonal ingredients like apples, pumpkins, squash, pears, cranberries, beets, broccoli and more with rich, harvest-inspired appetizers at your party! A nutmeg and cinnamon apple punch can also be a tasty and refreshing treat for thirsty party goers. Or, try a seasonal spin on a Moscow Mule, with this recipe by Celebration.com.

“Autumn represents a season of change and transition.”

Festivities
Fall is a time of enjoying things before the winter comes and has everyone holed up inside. Make sure your party has plenty of music, games and other forms of seasonal merriment. Try going beyond the traditional bobbing for apples and cornhole and consider these fun activities:

  • Fill a jar with candy corn and have your guests guess how many pieces there are in the jar. The one closest to the actual total wins the entire jar, or another prize of your choosing.
  • Play “Pumpkin Card Ninja” by having guests throw playing cards into a jack-0-lantern and see who gets the most in.
  • Give each player a plastic straw and, without using their hands, have them try and blow a leaf across a flat surface to a designated area. The player that gets their leaf closest to the goal wins!
  • Play pumpkin bowling with plastic bowling pins and a small, unripe pumpkin.

Of course, for all your backdrop or signage needs, Sign Art Etc has you covered. Call us today to learn more!

Red Carpet Poses: Tips for Your Guests to Look Fabulous!

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So, you have purchased your own special step and repeat backdrop….maybe a red carpet also….it is setup and looks great.

So how do you make the most of this setting?

First you need to decide the best place to set up your banner.  Your will also need to consider the  proper lighting.  If you are using a photographer, they can help you with those decisions.

Once you have decided on the location, taking into account the size of the backdrop and the size of the location, whether it is inside or outdoors and at what time of day your event will take place, then you set it up.

Almost everyone has had some experience taking pictures so it doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money, especially if you can help by providing the basics in where and how your guests will be positioned in front of the backdrop on the red carpet.

Here are some basic tips used by celebrities who attend a lot of events and want their photos to be the best they can be at all times.

Never face straight forward: facing straight forward will give you a photo such as those done when you were in elementary school or when having your photo shot for your drivers license. Not exactly the most flattering view.

Know your best side: if you have ever studied your face and body in the mirror, you will become aware that your body, when viewed from each side, looks a bit different. We all share these quirks and it’s good if you are observant and see which side the camera likes.

If you are doing a formal pose, you might want to position one foot in front of the other slightly, with your best side showing and your other side more in the shadow.

Position your head so your chin is tilted down but without retracting it into your neck. This will take the shine off your nose and forehead and put the attention on your eyes and smile.

If your best attribute or dress is located on your backside, then it would be good to turn with your back slightly towards the front as you look over your shoulder demurely.

Remember, it’s all about light and shadow. You want your best features in a little more light and the features that aren’t as camera snappy more in the shadows.

And the most important thing to remember is the relaxed confidence you show when you are having a good time.

Keep your guests happy and having fun while you make sure that you or someone else watches out for these little hints. It’s not your guests who need to have attention on anything but having a good time.

If you need more info, the team at Sign Art Etc will be glad to help.  We aren’t always the fashionable, but we certainly see lots of pictures of famous and not so famous people in front of our backdrops.  The Sign Art team is always glad to help and offer suggestions.