HOW TO
How to make the little things speak the loudest
There’s a reason L’Oréal Paris stuck with “Because you’re worth it” for over 50 years. The phrase has gone beyond a slogan. Your event deserves that energy.
We’re not saying your guests need volume-boosting shampoo (although, if the lighting’s harsh, maybe). But we are saying that luxury should scream: “You matter!”
Importantly, making an event ultra-luxe doesn’t need to cost the earth. Here’s how intention and effort can take things from functional to fabulous:
Rethink wristbands and lanyards
If you’re hosting patients, go for plastic. If you’re hosting a festival, go with paper. Otherwise a silk band with a toggle or a laser-cut collectable is keepsake-worthy.
Swag smarter
A personalised bag with the guest’s name, containing one unique item just for them? Now, that’s memorable. Bonus points if it sparks table conversation.
Level up the lav
Elegant perfumes or aftershaves and a discreet concierge keeping things pristine (and keeping an eye on the expensive bottles) are how you can raise your restroom game. People must feel like they could live in the venue’s bathroom.
Stealable touches
If no one’s eyeing the hand-crafted serviette ring or Googling where your napkins are from, you haven’t gone far enough. Luxe lives in the cotton and the covetable.
Get psychological about seating
Every chair should whisper, “You need me at home.” Plush, beautiful and comfortable are keywords. Guests should mentally redecorate their living spaces.
Scripted generosity
“We’ve been holding for you, [Name]!” goes a lot further than “Welcome ma’am”. Train your staff to speak fluent hospitality.
Make ‘em smile before, during and after
A Lindt ball. A handwritten note. A surprise message on the seat that’s different to the one next to it. Keep it small, but make it personal.
Luxury is thoughtful. And it lingers.
#BallsOfSteel
Want 360° event advice? Contact us for more.
EYES ON
Creativity and inspiration? This way, please.
Solo Studios, an immersive art experience in Riebeek Kasteel, only 50 minutes from Cape Town, opens the doors to artists’ pieces and spaces. You can see the work mid-creation – the raw sketches, layered textures and quiet chaos of real studio life.
For anyone working in events, this kind of experience provides invaluable creative fuel. You’ll find new ways of seeing colour, space, layout and detail. So, take your eyes to Solo Studios this October and explore the visual arts. Do it.
BY THE WAY
The power behind the powder
This month’s riddle:
They don’t make a scene, but they create the look. They don’t lead the show, but they smooth its surface. They vanish before the curtain rises. Their work stays put.
Make-up artists are the magicians behind camera angles and confidence levels. They blot, blend, brighten and banish the “I-stayed-up-all-night-prepping” look from speakers, performers and event bigwigs.
This includes you, gents! (It doesn’t count as drag if you can’t see it.) Besides, the best MUAs make you look as if nothing’s been done to you at all – except possibly a very long, very luxurious island holiday.
