Part of the delight comes from… the light!
Here at MK Illumination, we love light in all its forms (although we’re particularly passionate about energy-efficient LEDs for obvious reasons). Did you know, for example, that we bring light to carnivals and fun fairs and festivals of all shapes and sizes?
We call these “Traveling Amusements” but they are sure to have different names in different place. Whatever you choose to call them, they’re essentially attractions that move from place to place, staying put for a few days or a few weeks at most before they head off to somewhere new.
When the day is bright and sunny, these traveling amusements and attractions need no extra light to capture people’s attention. As soon as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, however, or when the traveling takes place in the winter months, the right light is essential. Why? Let us tell you!
Light creates the right atmosphere
When people are thinking about visiting a food festival or a fun fair or a traveling craft brewery show, first impressions count. Is it warm and welcoming with the right “vibe”? Do the twinkling lights encourage people to come closer, see what’s happening and be part of the fun? Is the atmosphere around the attraction one that attracts people or not? First impressions are made in a fraction of a section, which coincidentally is about the same amount of time it takes light to reach the eye and affect mood.
Whatever atmosphere you’re trying to create, light is the best way to create it. Warm, white hanging lights over a food festival or market not only invites people in but invites them to stay around longer. Rapidly changing colored lights add energy and excitement to carnivals and music festivals.
Light attracts attention
When people visit a traveling attraction, they don’t want to do the hard work of figuring out what part of the attraction is worth seeing. Make it easy for people to gravitate to the most important parts of your attraction with light. Use light to steer people away from service areas to fee-paying attractions, or use light to set your part of any traveling attraction apart from the rest.
Light gives your attraction identity
If your traveling attraction is all about Chinese food, over-sized Edison bulbs aren’t going to give you the right identity and feel. Instead, illuminated hanging lanterns will be more likely to show visitors what they’ll be getting. A garden festival will almost certainly need lighting that highlights the natural features of the garden itself. A poetry slam or book festival might need a “living room” feel, a fun fair needs an extraordinary Ferris wheel and a Halloween festival definitely needs illuminated pumpkins at a minimum, although you can go a bit wild with this one!
The bottom line
The right light can help you attract and retain visitors to your traveling attraction. But how can you make sure that you’re using the right light?
For starters, always keep attraction, atmosphere, and identity in mind.
It also helps to work with folks who know about lighting, too, especially if they have expertise in a range of lighting solutions: indoor and outdoor, festival lighting and fun fair lighting, for spaces large and small. And it’s always a good idea to work with a company that has a local presence in your country – or countries if your traveling attraction travels longer distances.
MK Illumination just happens to meet both criteria. If you want your traveling attraction to be an illuminating experience, feel free to get in touch with us for good ideas and inspiration all year round.