YMCA of the North Shore Wanderlust Ball - It’s all about the lighting!

From the desk of: Jessica Stevenson

When does lighting matter at an event? ALWAYS!

Lighting conveys ambiance, highlights décor and can even set the tone or mood for an entire evening. It is one of the most SUSTAINABLE décor elements you can have in the room, which is a certain bonus and worth the investment.

This October, we worked with the YMCA of the North Shore for their amazing Wanderlust Ball. The gala was hosted at their brand-new facility in Gloucester, the Glen T. MacLeod YMCA at Cape Ann. We were charged with transforming their gym into an unrecognizable, elevated, and glamorous space – what better way to do that than with LIGHTING!

Their theme for this year’s Wanderlust Ball was “The Y can take you there” featuring a hot air balloon to do just that. We thought, what better way than to highlight the hot air balloon floating through the air during the daytime, at sunset and during the evening night’s sky! Thanks to the unmatched skills of our colleagues 4Wall, we were able to create a room that transported our guests through the atmosphere – what a ride it was!

When guests arrived for the evening, they were greeted by the daytime ambiance brought through by beautiful bright blue and sunny hues. As guests transitioned from cocktail hour to dinner, they were welcomed by a dusky sunset – showcasing beautiful magentas and ambers, cyans and violets. And as the evening carried on into the night for programming and dancing, guests celebrated inside the midnight sky with indigos, deep royal blues, and shimmering starlight effects!

We thrive on thinking outside the box when it comes to lighting and giving a gala an unbeatable ambiance, so guests feel special and excited to give to a great cause. We were thrilled that the YMCA of the North Shore raised the most they ever had at this year’s event – an incredible $1.8M! All of us at AE are thrilled for them, and glad to be a part of such a fantastic, unique and inspiring event.

The takeaway – when in doubt, LIGHT IT UP!