Inspired Design

When people ask me what I love most about my job, my answer is always the same: endless opportunities to flex my creative muscles and create memorable experiences for our clients and their guests. There is nothing quite like walking into an empty ballroom or venue on setup day and watching the space slowly become what you’ve spent weeks (or months) planning for - perfectly placed linens, lighting that sets the mood and furniture arranged to create flow and connection. But what makes event design truly special is seeing our clients and their attendees pick up on all of the intentional details and seeing them engage in a way that lets me know we’ve achieved the client’s goal. That is, without a doubt, my favorite part of the job.

Finding Inspiration

Transformation starts with inspiration – rewiring myself to make time to be present and notice reactions/feelings within allows me to remain constantly on the lookout for new concepts that I can bring to life. Much of the time, inspiration will find you when you’re not looking - I can’t tell you how many times I have been watching The Real Housewives, paused the TV and snapped a photo hoping that I can revisit the very thing that stopped me in my tracks as I’m drawing up new ideas for a custom proposal. You can find inspiration for event design anywhere – a perfect cup of coffee, a new Taylor Swift album, a conversation with a coworker, a window display at your favorite store – the moments that catch you and captivate you can easily become the starting point for designing an experience. If I happen to catch a guest taking their very own photos of things that inspire them at an Accent event, that’s a major win as we’re continuing the inspiration ripple effect – who knows how they might interpret something they’ve seen and in turn inspire someone else?!

You’re inspired – now what?!

Design isn’t just about making a space look beautiful, it’s about shaping an experience centered around your attendees. Considering the five senses is a great place to start – ask yourself, what are attendees seeing? Feeling? Hearing? Smelling? Tasting? When starting with a blank canvas, every choice can be deliberate: the way the space flows, the mood created through lighting and décor and the subtle details that invite curiosity and exploration. For spaces that come with existing infrastructure or for clients with budget limitations, considering which elements can best support the achievement of the overall event goals will help you prioritize the spend and maximize impact. Either way, event attendees should be in an inspiration in themselves – while design may be a great vehicle for delivering an experience, people and their engagement (or lack thereof) ultimately determine the quality of an event. The best designers create experiences that put people at the center of the event and make them feel seen, celebrated and included.

What’s Next?

While we all sit on the edge of our seats waiting for the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year to be announced, we know that successful event design will continue to use inspiration to generate connection and experience. Bold, thoughtful choices, playful touches, and interactive moments will make spaces feel alive and engaging. Crystal-clear communication and unique or nostalgic inclusions will ensure guests are set up for maximum engagement. We’ll also see events continue to evolve through tech-driven and AI-personalized activations that create impactful moments. Eco-friendly materials and sustainable elements will become even more prominent, proving that design can be both stunning and responsible. In addition, the continued influence of wellness will shape spaces that encourage calm, balance and encourage well-being, allowing guests to feel show up as their best self.

Inspiration is the thread – it guides each decision, shapes experiences that leaves guests energized and engaged and holds the whole vision together. Inspiration sparks creativity, creativity shapes design, and design brings experiences to life that move people and inspire them too - and that is what I love most about what I do.