How to brand an event, on a budget

Whilst we can’t claim to be an expert, we know a thing or two about branding events, and how to make your budget work super-hard.

Here are 3 ideas to make your $$$ go far.

1. Imagery

DON’T : Use Google Images (you’ll almost certainly infringe copyright, which could end in you being sued).

DO : Use public domain/open-source imagery.

Public domain imagery is out-of-copyright, or was created to be free to use. The best news of all is — there’s a LOT of high quality open-source imagery out there. From public libraries to galleries, there is a literal treasure trove of amazing images. Here’s some to get you started :

Public Libraries :

— US Library of Congress (Tip: select the “Photos, Prints, Drawings” option in the search bar)
— New York Public Library Digital Collections (select the “Search only public domain” option)
— National Library of Australia

Galleries & Museums :

— Smithsonian Open Access
— Getty Search Gateway

Free-to-use Image libraries :

— Flickr Creative Commons (search for “Public Domain Mark” or “Public Domain Dedication” images)
— Wikimedia Commons
— The Met Collection

Wiki :

Wikipedia has a whole page of resources for public domain images

2. Colour

We bang on about colour a lot, but events are where this design hack really shines.

Try picking 1 or 2 colours to carry through the event – everything from invitations, typography, signage, table décor and lighting. You already know this hack for encouraging people to open your invitations, right?

You might be able to light the event in your chosen colour (be careful with green unless you’re going for an end-of-the-world-zombie-apocalypse vibe, your guests will look a little unwell).

3. Flowers as table décor

This tip is especially applicable for evening events – some of the cheapest decorations can be found at your local florist or market.

Buy flowers in your chosen colour and – bam – table decorations done. The best thing is, they only need to last for a short time. So do pick those slightly wilting cheaper bunches – they’re perfect for a single evening.