How can design elements impact event branding in Sri Lanka? Insights from event planners

Abstract:

Event branding plays a pivotal role in event management and substantially influences the success of events. With the emerging concerns for events, in Sri Lanka, events have become a vital part of the cultural and social fabric of the nation, with diverse events taking place throughout the year. Hence, this study explores the influence of design elements on event branding in Sri Lanka, from the viewpoint of event planners. This qualitative study employs an exploratory strategy, undergoing semi-structured interviews with 15 event planners from registered companies with the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference, Exhibition, and Event Organisers, Sri Lanka. Afterwards, the qualitative content analysis was endured to analyse the collected data. The findings revealed that design elements such as logos, colour schemes, typography, and visual imagery play a significant role in event branding, and further, event planners specifically ascertained the need to include cultural and traditional components into event branding to appeal to national and international clients. It is noteworthy to state that event planners confront several problems in executing successful event branding strategies due to financial limitations, lack of creative flexibility, and constraint of resources. However, they pinpointed the necessity of coordination between event managers, designers, and patrons to establish a consistent branding approach in the industry. The study gives implications to different industry stakeholders to establish successful branding strategies that connect the clientele and industry stakeholders and produce a memorable experience for the clientele.