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Colorful, Custom: Exciting New Trends in Event Design for 2020
Event design expert Charles Kay, founder of Modern Event Furniture (MEF), gives his take on top trends.
6 Min Read
MEF's Hayworth dining chairs.Photo courtesy Modern Event Furniture
Dramatic design can make special events unforgettable. At Modern Event Furniture, we offer a range of products and services to make all your events memorable. Having a background in the event rental industry, I launched Modern Event Furniture in 2010 with the ambition to elevate the rental business. I designed a visually and functionally innovative furniture collection that can sustain constant movement and transform with ease. We are not a rental company; instead, we develop and manufacture furniture for sale to the event and rental industry.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT:
Designed to be durable and easy to move
Transformable items allowing for easy assembly on site--no tools or screws needed
Road-cases with durable wheels that fit through standard doorways for many products to guarantee safe transportation, storage and long ROI
A large selection of seating options with interchangeable heights, cushions and colors
Fashion-forward fabrications with solutions for the event industry; liquid- and stain-repellent velvet; custom-printed fabrics for upholstery; powder coating in cutting-edge colors; and repolishable stainless steel
Consistent finishing and color-matching so items coordinate across the collection
Quality and attention to detail that is intrinsic to our products and relationships
TRENDS WE FORESEE FOR 2020:
We travel the world and take inspiration from all industries so our collection is current and chic. We translate our research and international trends--with functionality in mind--into the event industry.
FURNITURE IS GOING BOLD AND BRIGHT. Neutral palettes are fading away, and we are now introducing our core collection in 10 bright powder-coated colors. Floral and geometric patterned fabrics are another throwback-turned-contemporary trend in 2020--we now offer our Kincaid in printed velvet to create eye-catching lounges or to add a dynamic piece--or more--to your collection.
Powder-coated products from MEF.
TERRAZZO IS TRENDING. Terrazzo is not just for floors anymore! Invented in Venice when workers took leftover and odd-shaped marble pieces to use them for flooring, the pattern is having a major renaissance in all design sectors. Leave it to the Italians to transform boring concrete into art! Offered in four color combinations, it can be mixed and matched with any of our velvet or faux leather colors.
Patterned velvet will trend in 2020.
FOLDING IS THE NEW STACKING. Known for innovative approaches to event furniture, MEF introduces the Hayworth--the first folding chair and bar stool with a scissor-base folding mechanism. This unique patent-pending design will help save space without compromising on durability or beauty. The chair and bar stool are offered with a custom cart to store and transport up to 36 chairs or 24 bar stools including the removable seats and backs. MEF’s entire furniture collection is designed with the event rental industry in mind, and the Hayworth is no exception.
The chair and bar stool are made of durable stainless steel and available in three metal colors: polished stainless, gold and rose gold. Both heights come with the option of a metal or upholstered back, which can be interchanged within seconds. The interchangeable seat cushions, which work with multiple other MEF chairs, are available in more than 25 different colors and two different materials.
The new Hayworth chair folds with ease.
EVENT BRANDING AND CUSTOMIZATION
Clients are no longer satisfied with a cookie-cutter event. They want their events to be “Instagram-worthy.”
Modern Event Furniture meets this challenge by offering a wide range of personalization and branding options that enable clients to customize their events. There is no limit to how furniture and decor can be used and branded at an event to give that personalized touch. Customizing furniture can have a huge impact when it comes to creating a design concept.
Products can be transformed from event to event effortlessly by applying MEF-printed low-tack vinyl and carrying through the same graphic onto fabric and carpet. In doing so, anyone can interpret the newest trends in an unexpected way.
Keep in mind that the goal should always be to create a consistent and cohesive design concept. I always try to see an event as a whole, and perfection is reflected in the details. Custom-branded tabletops, chairs, bars, dance floors, lampshades, carpet, and even custom-printed upholstery—everything should tie together thematically and visually.
Custom touches are a breeze thanks to our sister company EventGraphics.com. This full-service, vertical graphic and print shop produces custom carpets, fabric, pillows, wallpaper, banners, adhesive graphics and signage. Many items are produced with our own custom materials, adhesives and fabrics. Our in-house graphic design and sewing team is only limited by your imagination!
If you lean more to the DIY approach, we sell our proprietary vinyl on rolls. Use it in your own print shop or provide it to your local sign company. The low-tack adhesive is perfect for an easy install and an even easier removal without sticky residue or damage.
Our adhesive comes with transparent backing so light can still pass through and is made for wide-format printers. We also offer it in a variety of opaque solid colors including metallic gold, rose gold and silver chrome. Change your white acrylic inserts to metallic with a simple application of our adhesive, no equipment necessary!
A branded dance floor from MEF.
ACCESSORIES ARE IN THE SPOTLIGHT. Every element of your event can make a statement, and MEF has added exciting new products to our inventory. Look for our new dance floors, candle holders, planters and vases, wedding canopies, and more!
MEF’s Vogue Canopy and Balmore candle holders.
As for the team at MEF, we will be hard at work developing even better products for the event industry. Be sure to stop by our booth #2029 at The Special Event Catersource show. We would love to learn more about how we can supply the elements for you to use to create unforgettable events.
Want a copy of the Modern Event Furniture 2020 catalog? Click here to request a copy.
ABOUT MEF:
Modern Event Furniture is the leading event furniture supplier to the rental industry. Our modular systems combine the latest trends in event design with the functionality the industry requires.
Our expertise is in creating innovative and transformable inventory, all items in our collection are designed for events and built for rental. A limited selection of bars, lounge seating, lighting, boxwood, tables and dining chairs is in stock in our Miami warehouse, but our main focus is factory-direct, where customers can buy exactly what they need in almost any quantity and any color combination by full container. This allows customization and consolidation of different products at highly efficient pricing. Our products have been used in 25 countries--we ship worldwide.
Charles Kay is the founder of Modern Event Furniture. You can reach Modern Event Furniture by phone toll-free at 877/999-1MEF (1633) and via email at [email protected]. And be sure to see their booth #2029 at The Special Event Catersource 2020 in Las Vegas, March 9-12.
