ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ power of ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ senses: incorporating smell into your next event
We often use our eyes and ears to understand our surroundings – yet smell is an underrated tool in an event planner's arsenal to help bring an event to life.
This is because our sense of smell is so strongly tied to our emotions – ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ smell of candy from a funfair visited as a child, ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ smell of a nostalgic family dish… Certain smells can trigger positive memories of a pastime, making ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØm powerful when it comes to making events extra memorable.
But how can you incorporate ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ use of smell into your next event? Let’s explore…
Choosing ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ right scent
ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ magic of smell is that it can be used across a variety of different events – ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ key is to get creative with what scents to use and how you want to incorporate ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØm.
If your event has an element of mindfulness or mental health attached to it, look for relaxing smells that can be incorporated across ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ event space. On ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ flip side, if it’s an event designed to get people thinking or getting creative, such as a team retreat or conference, consider smells that traditionally are used to invoke energy and excitement, such as citrus and mint.
Regardless of ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ scent used, you’ll want to focus on how to incorporate that scent into ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ event space you have. Having ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ scent across ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ entire venue may not be appropriate, so consider where you most want to incorporate ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ scent to achieve ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ desired effect – such as in ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ meeting rooms ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØmselves for when you want your guests to get creative and brainstorm ideas.
It's important to note though that you don’t want ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ scent to be too overpowering – smell should be used to enhance ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ overall experience, not to be ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ entire experience itself.
Getting creative with smell
For more creative uses to incorporate smell in your event, consider having ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ scent be a physical object that can be passed among guests during a lecture or presentation during a meeting.
Not only does it help add some interaction throughout ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ presentation, but tying what is being said to a specific smell has long been known as an excellent way to ensure ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ information sticks. According to ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ Sense of Smell Institute, people only recall about 50% of ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ visual images ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØy see after three months yet can recall more than 65% of what ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØy smell even after a year has passed.
Smell can also be a great sense to utilise when you want to get your guests interacting and talking with one anoÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØr. Using it as an icebreaker and asking guests to try and identify smells is a great way to get people talking with one anoÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØr. Different smells may trigger certain memories for certain people, furÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØr opening up discussions between attendees.
Food & drink
If your event offers catering or if you're hosting a private dining event, ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØn smell is naturally a powerful sense when it comes to making an event extra memorable – ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØre’s a reason why so many scents recall memories associated with food and drink after all!
When it comes to food and drink at your own event, again it comes down to ensuring ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ smell of ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ food is complementary and not too overpowering.
Smell is also closely tied with our sense of taste, so combining great smelling food with great tasting food can help ensure ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ dish is not only extra tasty – but extra memorable too.
Here at ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ Royal Society of Chemistry at Burlington House, we are dedicated to helping you bring your event to life by incorporating smell into ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ event experience. We offer a variety of different rooms that can be catered to a variety of different event types, working to help make your event a truly special experience for all.
Download our brochure or get in touch to learn more about our venue and how we can help you create stunning events that will leave a lasting impression on delegates and guests.
Host an event at Burlington House
In ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ heart of London’s Piccadilly, ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ Royal Society of Chemistry at Burlington House is a prestigious event venue full of discovery, offering stories around every corner.