Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Plumage and Dazzle

At a meeting tonight for an annual event held here in Canmore, I blurted out that we needed more plumage and dazzle in the event plan. It's my way of saying, we need to dress our events up a bit to show that there's something magical happening here.

Drag queens and Diana Ross stole a page from the showgirls' playbook who sure know how to work some marabou feathers and well-placed glitter to great effect. In this town, my town, we can be a bit...um...understated. We wear fleece jackets to eat a $35 entree or go to a concert. We dress for comfort or function not fashion.  Except for the cyclists in their crazy bright and busy jerseys: they know how to attract attention.

That's all I want to do here in town, dress to attract attention, pimp our rides a bit.

When Cirque du Soleil first started out way back in the mid 80's the posters they designed to advertize their spectacles were spectacular! As INCREDIBLE as the shows themselves. They caused you to stare because they were so beautiful. They made you wonder. They were an invitation that made you want to find out what was going to happen. And people bought tickets.

Circus of the Sun poster from late 1980's Photo credit Wolfgangsvault.com


We need to show the world what it is we are becoming. To dress ourselves up for success. To put on a show before we put on the show. Why? So that we become magnetic and draw people to us.
Posters, media photos, event listings, requests for volunteers, volunteer uniforms, festival grounds...they all need to be dressed up, decorated, show there is a celebration happening here. Banners, flags, signage, dancers, drummers, lights, fireworks, chalk art, gateways, and tents are all plumage and dazzle. A table can be just a table, or it can be an invitation to linger. Let's bring more artistry to how we show ourselves to the world.