March 2019 will see the opening of Illuminate, the first dedicated events space within the Science Museum and indeed one of the first of its kind as a stand-alone events space in a unique venue. Designed to surpass the evolving needs of the industry with its pioneering design, catering and AV capabilities, Illuminate is certainly set to be a trendsetter.
We’ve teamed up with our official Illuminate partners White Light and Moving Venue to offer collective insights into what the industry can expect to see in 2019 and beyond…
Venue trends
Jodie Guilford, Business Development & Marketing Manager at Science Museum Group
“Demand is ever-increasing for event experiences that break from the norm and offer something truly memorable, often flowing from a daytime event into an evening reception or dinner. Venues offering multi-space hire options have the upper hand in terms of creating an event journey, though more often than not organisers have to compromise on either the quality of a dedicated daytime space or the memorability of the evening’s setting.
That’s why the opening of our new space Illuminate in March 2019 is so exciting, as we’ll be able to hold multi-faceted events that include daytime conferences, smaller meetings and exhibitions combined with receptions and dinners in the main museum’s unique and thought-provoking galleries. No other unique venue can offer such one-of-a-kind galleries and a dedicated, purpose-built conference and event space on this scale!
Alongside the need for a ‘wow’ factor, the industry will continue to see delegate well-being at the forefront of the agenda too. With morale, concentration levels and overall mood all affected by the levels of natural daylight we have access to, event planners will be seeking venue solutions that satisfy this. With this in mind, Illuminate features a panoramic window boasting views over the City to not only allow daylight to stream in but to allow guests to enjoy looking out!”
AV Trends
Jonjo Glynn, Venues Director at White Light
“As technology gets ever-more advanced, gathering delegates to share the same experience is easier than ever. There is increasing demand for conference spaces offering communication solutions beyond the four walls of a venue, allowing events to be broadcast to social media or even networked to other parts of the museum or other venues quickly and efficiently, even offering the option for two-way transmission if telecasting is required. With this in mind, Illuminate has been kitted out with built-in broadcast-quality cameras and a dedicated streaming system in anticipation of the industry’s ever-evolving needs.
Despite the abundance of forward-thinking technology, there is still going to be a need for the most fundamental capabilities to be in place to enable complete flexibility. Clients in Illuminate will not only benefit from the use of leading branded equipment, but will also be afforded the luxury of exploring a variety of event and room configurations, thanks to the pioneering, easily-managed technical solutions we have developed to complement the blank-canvas design.”
Catering trends
Ben Paris, Senior Sales & Exclusive Venues Manager at Moving Venue
“An emerging food trend which can now be seen surfacing around the world is ‘monochromatic’ food; essentially a dish where every component is exactly the same colour. Monochromatic food tricks you into thinking you’re eating one single thing, which in turn makes the flavours all the more intense and the experience becomes a series of surprises.
For many years chefs have tried to make dishes as vibrant as possible by incorporating bright colours, known to evoke connotations of health and wellbeing. Moving to the use of single colours also offers a contrast between dishes which is perfect for the all-important ‘Instagrammable’ element when serving food at events.
Whilst flavours like squid ink, truffle and dark berries are prevalent in monochromic food, other ingredients can be used to ensure the same effect in beverages. For example, a Charcoal, Honey and Beet blast mocktail is particularly unusual both in colour and in its list of ingredients, and will offer guests something they won’t have experienced before!
The magic of monochromatic food is that it has a profound effect on the visuals of the event whilst not compromising on flavour. This forward-thinking attitude to food is perfectly in line with the style of Illuminate, as well as the venue’s monochromatic brand identity – reflective of the journey from the ‘dark’ level 4 to the ‘light’ in level 5.”