This New Year, I had the honor of returning to Barbados to work alongside Brian and Raymond Gill of Harbour Lights. Since 2008, I have designed the lighting for most of their annual New Year events. Each year, they reimagine unique spaces across the island, uncovering the hidden allure of diverse venues, from historic estates to contemporary event spaces. Generally, they only use a space for two consecutive years before moving on to transform another.
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This year was different. The event returned to Mangrove Great House, a historic hillside retreat built in the 1700s. The property boasts 30 acres of lush gardens and manicured lawns. The property owner, Andrew, has meticulously and rigorously endeavored to restore the property to its former glory. The main house, mill, and carriage house showcase the beauty of structural coral stone, which is quarried on-site and contributes to the authentic Bajan ambiance. The estate's iconic mill rises 30 feet into the sky at around 700 feet above sea level, offering sweeping panoramic views of the island, with the west coast visible in the distance.
Last New Year, we embraced the estate's natural beauty, adding touches of greenery to create an exotic jungle theme. Every time we return to a space, the goal is shock and awe, which means we never repeat a theme. The first time in a location, we maximize the space's inherent character, capitalizing on highlighting its unique features. During the event, we note how guests move through the space, interact with each other, and experience the event. When we return the following year, we take a deep dive to refine the programming with special attention to circulation. We present the features that were misrepresented or missed entirely the first time. We seldom return a third time.
This process is anything but simple. It involves months of planning, close collaboration, and a commitment to creating an experience that feels both fresh and true to the venue's identity. It is a balancing act between respecting the natural and architectural elements while pushing creative boundaries to create an unforgettable atmosphere.
Design Process Theory
When we first started working together, the initial conversations involved only the essential vendors for each specific discussion. Over the years, those conversations expanded to include as many trades as possible from the earliest planning stages. We discovered that the difference between a great event and a breathtaking event often lies in the gaps between the trades. Clear communication between vendors delivers a more polished final product and significantly reduces the likelihood of surprises.
We enhance our attention to detail when we shorten setup days from 16 to 12 hours with more thorough planning. Off-site processing helps us remove stress blinders, offering a more holistic view of the event day experience. Instead of guessing about power demands, entertainer preferences, space requirements, and service paths, we take a proactive approach. We ask vendors to provide their needs in writing and invite them to share them in a roundtable setting. This open communication format has dramatically reduced miscommunication and fostered a collaborative environment.
You may ask, "Why is this in the lighting designer's purview?" That is a great question. Allow me to unleash a torrent of illumination upon you. Lighting is inherently context-dependent. Remember, space is dark. Without context, we cannot fully experience light. Light is also relative. A single bright floodlight can completely disrupt the ambiance of a space.
Mobile kitchen lights can spill harshly into surrounding areas at events, disrupting the atmosphere. Bathrooms, service areas, bars, entryways, passageways, dance floors, stages, and VIP spaces all require thoughtful lighting that highlights décor and serves functional needs. The overall effect is lost if one area's function intrudes on another.
Designers must carefully consider light's complexity and its uncontainable nature when forming the crescendo and decrescendo, the ebb and flow, the foreground and the background of event spaces. Lighting is not just a tool but a force that shapes experience, influences event migration patterns, and transforms space.
Understanding the Eye
Our pupils constrict to protect our retina when a bright light enters our purview to reduce how much light enters our eye. A process called miosis. When the light source is removed, the pupils dilate (mydriasis) to allow more light in, initially making the surroundings seem darker until the eyes adjust.
However, the perception of brightness and darkness involves not only pupil size but also photoreceptor cell adaptation in the retina through rods and cones. The cones are more active in bright light, providing sharp color vision. The rods become more active in the dark, improving sensitivity to low light but sacrificing color perception and sharpness.
The transition between light and dark environments can cause temporary disorientation as the photoreceptors and the brain adjust to the new lighting conditions. The process of dark adaptation (adjusting to darkness) takes longer than light adaptation (adjusting to light). This biological attribute contributes to the sense of changing perception and can create dramatic effects in lighting design.
With that in mind, we must avoid stirring excitement in bathrooms or hindering bartenders. A sudden burst of bright light can energize, but prolonged exposure invites self-consciousness, precisely the wrong effect when guests seek an escape into a world of fantasy. On the dance floor, the flash of light heightens stimulation and enhances the dancer's experience. On the peripheral, the same flash disrupts the voyeurs' focus. The distraction (annoyance) frustrates those who love to people-watch, lowering their entertainment experience. These nuances demonstrate why every light at an event matters. Each vendor must balance their functional needs with the overall guest experience. Lighting design isn't just about beautifying a space but also about enhancing its function. Intentional communication with every vendor achieves this balance. Negotiating these delicate compromises is the true art and highest purpose of lighting design.
Initial Discussions and Concept Choice
In the initial meeting of the minds, Lauren Ince of Studio 5 collaborated with Harbour Lights visionaries Ryan Farmer and Sheena Gill. Lauren's team presented five distinct visions for the party, using a collage-style approach that skillfully blended images to convey experience, color, shape, and style.
The Harbour Lights team consulted with me to provide insights on the various themes. We dissected the themes one by one, proposing various ways to execute them. In a room full of dreamers, I attempted to focus on pragmatic designs to maximize our available resources. Ryan resisted convention, challenged the ordinary, and sought innovative approaches to the design. Sheena grounded our concepts by focusing on tangible elements like fabrics, furniture, and décor. We aimed to draw inspiration from images of another time and place, translating that inspiration into a realistic and actionable design plan.
All the proposed themes were exceptional, each with its own distinct identity. Ultimately, we chose "Ember." Once we chose a theme, I tried to anchor the vision with a vision statement. A vision statement prevents event designs from getting lost. It helps guide and shape ideas so the event remains cohesive. It provides criteria for accepting or rejecting implementations, which is crucial with the number of creatives necessary for large events.
Vision Statement
Ember manifests symphonies of light. Golden embers flicker against the Bajan night. The fire casts shadows dancing in celebration of a year lived. Canopies shimmer like molten stars. Dancers flow as if they are the fire itself, radiant and unbound. The glow of shared passion inspires and unites. In this moment, the future and past intertwine in a luminous embrace. Dreams ignite. Hope kindles. The promise of a new beginning sets souls ablaze.
The Vendors
Inspired by images and words, we gathered our thoughts for the next phase of pricing and planning. I want to start with entertainment. Bud McKenzie, entertainment manager of Harbour Lights, presented talent recommendations, collaborating closely with Sheena on costume design.
Sheena chose sheer white cloaks with lines of LED strings to accentuate the length. The lights swirled with the dancer's movement, captivating and mesmerizing the guests. We elevated them on rectangular platforms four feet high. We located the dance boxes in a square formation at the edges of the rectangular tent. I emphasized the critical need to finalize these locations before setup, as the lighting design was paramount.
Last New Year, the boxes moved post-setup. Although technically visible, the dancers didn't have the impact we sought. I asked, "Do you remember the dancers?" The resounding reply was, "Not really." Even when dancers wear lighting, that doesn't necessarily differentiate them from the audience. Even on elevated platforms, the effect is passive without design focus.
Focus, not visibility, is the purpose of lighting the dancers. When placed with purpose, a spotlight doesn't merely illuminate but commands attention. The audience instinctively senses that something significant is about to happen in that space. This year, we positioned the spotlights directly overhead, not to showcase faces or bodies but to assign value to the space itself.
The response to the performances by Riddim Tribe and Fire Phenomenon by Pedro Arthur was markedly stronger this year. During intermissions, the audience capitalized on the focus and clambered to be the next performer on top of the box. Their 15 seconds of fame elevated their experience and friends' continued voyeuristic pleasure as the unscripted talent bolstered the event culture, adding fresh, unexpected experiences. We capitalized on untapped talent. Their performances enhanced the shared experience through the interplay of expectation and surprise.
Transaction Spaces
For the bathrooms and mobile kitchen, we negotiated lower lighting levels. As discussed earlier, bright lights tend to highlight imperfections, including stains, spills, trash, and all the unintended consequences of a lively event. Instead of using the stock lighting provided by the vendor, we customized the package. This concept is so simple that it feels almost silly to explain, yet it is an essential and often overlooked detail.
We installed a chandelier on a dimmer for the tented bathrooms, setting it to a soft, warm glow. The gentle light created a welcoming atmosphere while maintaining discretion. We strung G50 bulbs overhead along the walkway, casting a path of light that mirrored the walkway below. This technique, drawing lines above to reflect lines below, enhances wayfinding at events, providing guests with a clear and elegant route to the bathrooms without the need for excessive or gaudy signage. After a few pints, knowing exactly where to go is not just helpful but crucial.
We opted for a tent with a tall peak for the mobile kitchen, which required bright, functional lighting. The design helped minimize light spillage onto the surrounding area, keeping the ambiance intact.
Pro Tip: Dimmers are an event game-changer. You can make a dimmer for around $20 with basic hardware store materials. If you host events regularly, take a moment now and build 20 of them. They will save your event. Fifteen-amp dimmers are ideal, but any will do. A quick YouTube tutorial or hiring an electrician for a day is all it takes. You will thank me later.
We aimed for a more sensual aesthetic for the hookah and coffee service, which I described again during the lighting process section. These areas typically thrive in lower lighting, so we drew inspiration from the "Ember" theme to create a warm, fiery glow. We lit each patio column with an amber uplight and projected a red water effect across the ceiling, casting a flickering, flame-like shimmer.
Two pin spots with deep amber gels highlighted a stationary disco ball. The static light created the illusion of smoldering embers scattered throughout the space. The indirect splash from the water effects created a subtle but additional burning ember effect. Lastly, we incorporate several tabletop water effects to project light onto the ceiling and the surrounding area. Combining the various lighting effects created a complex yet soothing visual experience.
The Lighting Design
Now, let's get into the details. The procession is critical in crafting an immersive event experience. The parking lot needed to be brightly lit for safety, but transitioning from safety to celebration required a delicate and thoughtful approach. While sharp contrasts can create impact, gradual transitions tend to feel more natural, especially considering how light naturally spills and blends.
Procession
Coconut trees lined the entrance. We gelled the existing uplights with both deep amber and red, which I'll refer to as "ember." This choice created a gentle introduction, setting the stage for the crescendo of light and ambiance awaiting guests inside the event space.
The exterior of the entrance tents radiated the ember glow on the exterior with a functional white light to facilitate smooth check-in inside the tent. To guide the focus away from the parking area and draw attention toward the event's lush gardens and pool house, we gelled the ground fixtures to the left of the tent. These details are seldom consciously cataloged or even remembered but help guests move from function to fantasy.
Once through the tent, the ember theme fully emerged. We filled the central bush in the walkway roundabout with red string lights, symbolizing the smoldering ember motif. A Leko projected the Ember logo onto the ground just beyond the bush, guiding guests along the path to the main event. The procession up the gentle incline was anchored by burning flambos and curved trusses illuminated from below. On top of the trusses, moving lights swept across the trees and walkways, revealing the rich canopy above.
The trees juxtaposed to the path held hanging glass tealight orbs with flickering LED flames. The glowing tealights created a fairy-like visual capturing the other-worldliness we aspired. To the right, atop a small hill, a pavilion glowed softly. Amber uplights bathed the columns while tabletop water effects projected swirling patterns onto the ceiling. The pavilion hosted the coat check and medical areas, but its elevated position allowed it to make a strong visual statement without revealing its function immediately.
A large spider truss arched overhead in the final third of the entrance path. The truss narrowed the space, creating a sense of compression before the path opened again. Internally lit with ember-themed colors and lined with tinsel garlands, the truss created a shimmering threshold. In the distance, a more expansive bush filled with red string lights, centered within a broader roundabout, continued to draw guests forward, pulling them deeper into the ember-inspired experience.
Events & Décor by Giselle installed the tangible design elements at the event and created a look I had not seen before. Honestly, I was initially skeptical about using low-fi party balloons at an event of this caliber. The result captured me. They crafted an ember collage with fire-shaped mylar balloons. Giselle carefully glued the shapes together, creating a festive yet sophisticated contour blend placed at the trusses' base. It was a clever solution to obscuring functional trussing platforms, which are seldom flattering.
As guests emerged from the entrance path, a warm, captivating glow immediately drew their attention to the left. The main house radiated with ember lighting, and the Ember logo stretched across the second-story façade. Lighting fixtures lit every visible column and wall to emphasize the architecture's depth and texture. The great house, acting as the lodestar of the landscape, was bathed in light, giving it the prominence and praise it deserved. The lighting design transformed the house into a beacon, pulling guests further into the experience.
Attention Pulls
We deliberately created the attention pull for two reasons. First, when designing an event, no one should be able to sum up the experience at the entrance. Elements should distract attention, pulling the guest into and around the space. Exploration often cohabitates with memory. When an experience lingers, we absorb it more deeply, embedding it into memory with greater significance. Surprise and anticipation create events worthy of conversation and stories yet told.
Second, events need easter eggs. If you are unfamiliar with the term, Easter egg refers to hidden features, messages, or surprises that aren't initially obvious but remarkable when discovered. It is a common practice in gaming and movies. It rewards curiosity, exploration, or deep knowledge of space. At Mangrove Great House, the mill stands as a majestic sentinel, a feature too extraordinary to overlook, even though it lies beyond the primary event space. To honor its presence, we bathed it in ember light, tracing the contours with the event's logo and transforming it into a silent yet commanding emblem beneath a softly illuminated canopy. As the guests continued to absorb the space, they observed a path to the pavilion next to the entryway before moving toward the entrance goalpost.
As the guest completed the final distraction for the 360-degree rotation upon emerging from the entryway, the distant music activated their secondary senses (hearing), leading them to the entrance to the main event. As discussed earlier, delays facilitate audio way making. The increasing volume rewards us as we move closer. But, we had not finished informing our guest.
The entrance to the main event is framed with video screens aligning a goal p st, clearly identifying its purpose, but the entrance is just out of reach and to the right. Passing the back of the VI tents again to the right, we attempted to distract the focus to services past the entrance. The conflict draws both to the right turn into the main event, and competing interests to continue onward serve an essential purpose. It evokes curiosity and reveals programming.
While moving towards the entrance, additional spaces are exposed. A bright photo booth calls guests to pose with their friends. A smaller goalpost with truss lighting signals a secondary entrance. Through the secondary goalpost, a coffee and hookah service greets the guests on the left while the VIP booths continue to line the right. We uplit the hookah & coffee pavilion columns while washing the ceiling in red water effects. Two amber pin spots focused on a stationary disco ball created tiny orange specks scattered through the space. A set of softer secondary specks reflected the swirl of the red water effects.
On top of each counter surface, a tabletop northern light projector adds another layer of water effect that splashes onto all the surrounding surfaces. The blend of the various effects creates a complex yet relaxing visual.
Simplicity
When creating a look, simplicity has two forms. One form emerges from stillness. The fixtures maintain a color without movement as the viewer absorbs the ambiance. The mind relaxes as the environment feels both stable and intentional.
The second form of simplicity takes a different approach. When movement is added through color changing or focus changing (aka moving lights), the movement distracts the viewer, who contemplates complex focus algorithms. Nightclubs, haunted houses, and concerts use distraction to create interest. However, simplicity returns when complexity exceeds our ability to notice patterns and direction.
Firelight provides a natural example of this phenomenon. Flames are a complex mixture of flicks and strobes ranging in a gambit of blues, yellows, ambers, and reds. When one isolates a specific pixel of fire, if you can imagine, the pixel rapidly and randomly changes color and goes dark, similar to a strobe. However, we cannot create predictions or process patterns when viewing the entirety of a fire's space. Mere observation exceeds our ability to process. What remains is a perception of simplicity, a soothing, primal experience transcending conscious analysis.
I capitalize on this characteristic in this event design. The interplay of simplicity and complexity enriches the environment, making the space feel dynamic and familiar, fostering emotion and comfort.
Around the Bend
Beyond the pavilion, a tent with an elevated peak emanates a white glow, indicating its functional purpose: the provision of food. G50 string lights extend on top of the corner of the tent above the walkway into another tent that contains the women's bathroom. We increase circulation clarity by outlining import pathways overhead. This detail is a subtle way to evoke curiosity, lessening the necessity for obnoxious signage.
Across from the food tent, a generous opening reveals the main bar. We uplit the legs of the tents, trussing to signal another entrance. We wrapped the legs with red string lights and sheer fabric, which I mirrored in the VIP section. G50 string lights were attached to the supporting cables across the tent to enhance spatial awareness between the floor and the tent ceiling. Amber and red water effects wash the tent ceiling, making the tent pulse and swirl. Two logos shine on the clear tarp, reflecting off its imperfections to brand the area.
Behind the bar, we set broad wash effects, lighting the ware under construction with amber on the face and red on the inside to highlight its depth. Beyond the main bar tent, a row of G50 string lights aligned the path to the men's bathroom, mirroring the previous experience.
We used nostalgic signage for branding sponsors and highlight bars. I love illuminated marquee letters. To build marquees, all one needs is letter stencils and a drill with the same diameter as the desired bulbs. Opposite the warehouse, a lit goalpost marks the second entrance of the main event with "Johnny" in marquee lights across the top facing the main event space. An additional sign announced "Champagne" on the adjacent booth, signaling it wasn't a VIP booth but a champagne bar. Carefully blending of nostalgia and modern, familiar and unfamiliar, create emotional complexity. However, we will return to the primary entrance to the main event.
Entrance to the Main Event
The video design for the main event entrance constituted framing a goalpost followed by three elongated video towers displaying fire imagery. The AV (audio-visual) tent intentionally blocked the view upon entering to motivate circulation around the space. When onlookers can see everything from the entrance to an event, they often stop to observe. While the picturesque quality of an unobscured view might be intriguing and even desirable in some instances, the design encourages a bottleneck. Movement is key to creating interaction. Interaction is key to creating a memorable event.
Event designers motivate curiosity like talented storytellers by continually employing distraction and strategic obstructions. We raw guests into the event ethos through the creative implantation of obstacles and intrigue. When guests explore, they interact. They find new friends and old ones. They see more faces. They find more spaces. The more connections we facilitate between guests and the event space, the greater the success of our design.
VIP
The entire space of the main event was lined with VIP booths. The raised platforms create a hierarchy of space. We elevate the voyeurs for clear views. We pull the exhibitionists into the center to elevate their performance and maximize viewership. I often think of event guests as voyeurs and exhibitionists to capture the two primary missions of eventgoers. People-watching is the primary mission of some guests. Being envied and admired is the primary mission of others. While this is an oversimplification of the individual, this mindset motivates clear directives of spatial design for the groups. Individuals may switch roles during an event or have other goals; these two goals are the most efficient to facilitate.
I used a design similar to the hookah pavilion for the VIP booths. We covered the legs with red string lights in sheer fabric to enhance their glow and highlight the structural elements. We strung G50 strings in an X pattern draping under the roof lines to accentuate the shape and create spatial interest. We set the intensity to make the filament barely visible. The purpose of the string lights is not to light the space, which would negate the event lighting, but to create the illusion of a light source while the ambient light fills the space. I set the two tabletop water effect lights on each bar top to create additional movement and interest. The primary light in the space came from uplights behind the bar, focused on the ceiling and reflecting back onto the floor, indirectly lighting the space.
Direct & Indirect Lighting
I prefer indirect lighting except on a dance floor. As discussed earlier, when a light shines in someone's eyes (direct lighting), our gut response is to look elsewhere. VIP booths are voyeur spaces. Looking away is an undesirable result. Direct lighting reduces glare and harsh shadows, increasing someone's attraction levels. It enhances spatial perception and creates a more inviting atmosphere. It improves functionality without disrupting aesthetics, ultimately supporting comfort and well-being.
Indirect lighting allows for lower light levels without sacrificing function. Lower light levels are generally more comfortable for individuals, as they reduce self-consciousness. Ultimately, we want the VIPs to invite another guest into their space, which we facilitate through circulation and invitation. The VIP booths framed the edges of the main event effectively.
Trees and the Effect of Dark Objects
Throughout the space, trees tower overhead. To ignore them would create black holes in the sky where the stars disappear, and an ominous mystery alludes the guests. Dark spaces are undesirable unless I design a haunted house or a magic show. Our natural response to voids is fear, which heightens insecurity. Both are undesirable event traits in this context.
Conversely, trees are a great way to create spatial awareness and visual interest. Lighting them is easy. For trees where the trunk is visible with few branches, uplighting the trunk base is the best option. It travels up the trunk and lights the viewer's side of the branches and leaves. We need to uplight from below for trees with wide canopies and complex branches. We generally view trees from a distance. We flatten the image if we light the tree with only a broad wash in front. By lighting it underneath, we accentuate the shape.
If the tree is so dense that the light cannot pass through, I generally use a combination of uplighting and broad washing. In many cases, I will use two different hues in an adjacent spectrum, such as red and orange or cyan and blue. If both lights are the same color, I use a brighter intensity underneath with a dimmer light from the viewer's direction.
Dance Floor
With the environmental design complete, we move to the dance floor. The dance floor comprises one rectangular and one square tent. Eight moving lights were positioned, with four on each of the long sides of the rectangular tent. We positioned four moving lights near the corners of the square tent. The legs were uplit in the same style as the entryway.
Red fabric flowed through the air in the tent ceiling with a sparkling stencil hanging underneath. Color-changing LEDs lined the edges. We positioned four dance boxes underneath spots near the edges of the tent. Two more boxes framed the stage's sides. Gobos lights project the logo both on the dance floor and the transparent roof ceiling. Although the one on the floor is lost once all the guests arrive, it is a cheeky way to entice early guests to the dance floor.
Light Programming
Before I finish with the stage, I want to discuss programming. Andi Watson has been designing Radiohead's shows since the 1990s. I have encouraged anyone interested in lighting design to experience his lighting ecosystem. He exhibits a level of self-control that many designers fail to implement.
Watson limits himself to specific color palettes, subtly adding effects over hours, not minutes or seconds. Only in the final moments of a show will the audience have the full impact of his programming repertoire. Refraining from cheap tricks like color scrolls till final encores. Inexperienced designers might exhibit impatience, justifying their actions to differentiate themselves from old-school stationary design. A modern design can use the second level of simplicity (as discussed earlier), utilizing repetitive motion and variation within a strict framework, expanding the palette as the night continues.
For Ember, I wanted the moving lights activated but slowly scanning the spaces in yellow. The brightness of yellow cuts through the air without sacrificing the ember ethos. The color pallet of all the LED fixtures was to remain in the warm family, fluctuating between amber and red. Each LED was to dance independently of each other through the allowable spectrum to imitate burning embers. With unrecognizable patterns, complexity promoted simplicity.
At midnight, we introduced other colors with celebration whites and scrolls. After midnight, we returned to the original color pallet but introduced new colors, then continually returned to the original color palette. This programming style of continually returning to the theme disrupts and rebuilds, enhancing the memory of the original look and anticipation of its return.
The Stage
The stage design maximized visibility, audience engagement, and thematic coherence. The circular truss served as the central structure, framing the performance area while supporting the video array and lighting fixtures. For lighting, I added enough light for the audience to see the DJ while the video took center stage.
The rectangular video panels positioned symmetrically around the truss created a feeling of dynamic movement and depth. The strategic positioning of the panels draws the eye inward toward the DJ booth, creating a sense of convergence where the performance and the visual narrative meet.
The placement of the upper central screen and the vertical backdrop screen further enhances the stage's hierarchical flow. The top screen, showcasing event branding, provides a clear visual focal point visible even from the farthest areas of the venue, reinforcing the event's identity.
The vertical LED backdrop behind the DJ offers a canvas for synchronized visuals, serving both aesthetic and functional purposes by anchoring the performer in a dynamic visual environment. The front-facing screen on the DJ booth bridges the gap between the performer and the audience, providing real-time content that connects guests to the action on stage. This layered arrangement ensures that no element overshadows another, balancing performance, brand visibility, and immersive ambiance.
At midnight, confetti launchers filled the event. Fireworks shot into the sky. The crowd exploded with enthusiasm and awe. The event was far from perfect. The event was not without setbacks. We continued to work even as the guest arrived. But at that moment, the response validated my effort. I felt a combination of satisfaction, joy, and exhaustion. I am excited for the next event. I am excited for a new space. I will not deny I crave the validation from the guest. There appreciation makes the effort worth it.