In a short number of weeks we will have said goodbye to the Year of the Ox and will welcome the Year of the significantly cooler Tiger. Grrrrrrrowl.

So with that in mind, we simply couldn’t resist sharing this festive image produced by the talented artisians within the Hong Kong office following Germanic ‘enigneering’ input.

Sure it is odd. But I kinda like it. It strikes a really nice balance – adhering to the organizations CI expectations while still injecting a strong sense of fun and energy. Memorable.

We have a great deal of affection for this East-West fusion company and how it arm wrestles with it’s cultural dual identity.

And on that note – we wish one and all a Happy Chinese New Year!

Image courtesy of Uniplan and their annual email blastout.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company

Themed events have a universal appeal and a lightning quick pre-recognition with all stakeholders but most importantly, unlike the potentially huge costs and resources involved in designing and developing a propriety branded ‘signature’ experience, themed events with their universal properties and elements are completely scalable to budget.

Themed events are the great event ‘leveller’.
With their popular culture and folkloric references, interactive touchpoints, and the opportunity to weave a strong thematic thread throughout all elements of the event experience – every organization, with a strong professional business theatre partner in place, is well positioned to stage a memorable, motivational, entertainment experience for their guests.

The granddaddy of themes is the Academy Awards inspired events. Populated with red carpets, sky tracking spotlights on arrival, guests and greeting hosts in smart tuxedos and glamorous couture gowns, the prospect of movie stars and celebrities, movie inspired multimedia clips and soundtracks, and of course an appearance by golden Oscar inspired statues, film reels and movie-making paraphernalia.

There are an almost limitless number of themes that have enjoyed popularity. Themes that have been inspired by the Cirque du Soleil experience to more ‘traditional’ event themes such as ‘Jungle Jive’, ‘Under the Sea’, ‘Winter Wonderland’ or perhaps a ‘Beach Boys Summer’ or a ‘Cuban Buena Vista Club’ theme.
Musical and film inspired efforts are a safe bet with favorites such as ‘Cabaret’ or ‘Chicago’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, and ‘Cotton Club’, along with regional and period specific themes. ‘Aussie Outback’ for inbound incentive groups and the 1950’s Rock’n’Roll inspired ‘Happy Days meets Grease’ theme. And of course the endless incarnations drawing their inspiration from an ‘East-West Fusion’ approach.

Yeah. We love producing themed events. They are good fun and always well received, particularly for sales incentive events, channel partner gatherings, association social events eager for a event-wide ice-breaker. They can be extremely effective when applied to recognition and award galas.

The theme that without question runs a very close second to an ‘Oscars’ night in the popularity stakes would have to be Moulin Rouge. With its broad thematic strokes of song and dance and all things Parisian, Moulin Rouge is often considered ‘manna from heaven’ for the challenging not-for-profit sector working from tight operational budgets.

That is until the legal hounds of themeing hell were unleashed on a local Brisbane charity group last week.

The Courier Mail newspaper last week (5th August) published a strange little article buried on page 13 under the banner “Events fail French Test” that caught my attention. The reporter Steve Gray wrote in part:

A Queensland charity has been forced to rebadge planned fundraisers after legal threats from Paris’ famed Moulin Rouge cabaret.

…the charity had planned Brisbane and Gold Coast fundraisers themed on the Moulin Rouge experience, with wine, the can-can monsieurs and mademoiselles.

Posters and tickets were printed, publicity was creeping along – and then came a letter from lawyers representing the Paris cabaret telling Hear and Say to cease and desist.

What tha? Oh dear.

Lawyers like sending out letters. It costs them little effort and they charge like only lawyers can and do.

But surely this is a little too precious and silly even for the French.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company