Event Projection Mapping Techniques to Transform Your Venue

With vivid visuals and dynamic displays, projection mapping is an exciting way to add a touch of the spectacular to your event design. But what exactly is it? 

Put simply, projection mapping turns objects — such as buildings, ceilings, or furniture — into a display surface for visual projections (like animations or video). The image can then be programmed using algorithms to fit perfectly onto the surface. 

In this guide, you’ll discover projection mapping techniques to transform your venue into a sensational visual experience for your attendees. 

Key takeaways

• Event projection mapping transforms any space into an immersive visual experience using non-traditional projection surfaces — like furniture or ceilings — to display dynamic video, graphics, and animation 

• Advancements in projection mapping technology, such as 3D and holographic techniques, are an exciting way to add novelty to your event for your attendees — boosting engagement in the process

• Make sure to consider the practicalities of adding projection mapping to your production schedule, such as budgeting financial and logistical resources for creating and mapping the projections

The magic of event projection mapping

World-building with color, visuals, and audio is the secret to unforgettable events — and projection mapping is an exciting way to do this. It’s no wonder, then, that as of 2022, the global projection mapping market was estimated at USD 3462.23 million (or that it’s anticipated to reach USD 10165.45 million in 2028). 

Projection mapping is a technique that transforms objects into a display surface for video projection. The technique uses specialized software to ‘map’ the object on a virtual program, which mimics the space it will be projected on. The software then interacts with the projector to perfectly fit the image onto the object. 

From here, artists can add dynamic animation, visual effects, or optical illusions that play with depth and dimension. The effect is magical: by transforming various objects in your venue, you can create an immersive world for your attendees — and an exciting new reality. This draws attendees closer to the world of your event and your brand, creating a memorable experience. 

Whether you’re designing an interactive art installation or an immersive nightclub experience, event projection mapping transforms any space — offering customized and interactive surfaces for bespoke visual storytelling and experiential marketing. 

Broadly speaking, there are three different categories of projection mapping: 3D, holographic, and interactive. Discover more about the three categories below. 

3D projection mapping

While 2D projection mapping is usually for flat or curved surfaces (like ceilings or floors), 3D projection mapping is for more complex objects — which takes into account trickier depths, lengths, heights, and other spatial concerns (for instance, a textured surface). 

3D projection mapping involves scanning the object to create a digital drawing, applying audience perspective (for instance, if you’re creating a map for a ceiling object), and creating the content. With color, logos, animations, and graphics, 3D projection mapping offers many ways to get creative with your event design — allowing you to transform ordinary objects into eye-catching displays.  

Holographic projection mapping

Holographic projection mapping uses laser light sources to create high-resolution, three-dimensional lifelike images. Unlike AR or VR, this form of projection can create detailed images that appear to float in space — without the need for glasses or headsets. 

Holographic projections can also be a great way to boost attendee engagement: they can be designed to change in real time, encouraging active participation. You might choose to use this type of projection at a conference, for example, or a fandom convention, where it might be used for entertainment or educational purposes. 

Interactive projection mapping

To amp up audience engagement, try interactive projection mapping — an approach that integrates interactivity into visual displays. 

In this type of projection, light is particularly important: through LED accents, you can enhance attendee engagement by drawing attention to key areas of the projection. You might also want to couple your projection with other interactive elements, such as experiential activations (for example, an interactive art installation at a festival). 

Transforming spaces with video projection technology

From swirling neon animations on the ceiling to optical illusions on custom scenic designs throughout the venue, video projection technology can transform the ambiance of your space. By strategically using projections to add color, light, and movement, you can create visuals that complement and enhance your event’s theme and overall design. 

Venue transformation

Making sure your event theme is consistent throughout various touchpoints at your venue is key to immersing attendees in the experience — and video projection can be a great way to do this on a large scale. 

You can transform your venue into a themed space by projecting animation, video and images onto walls, ceilings, and floors — and ordinary spaces such as stages, rooms, or bars can be turned into dynamic visual displays. 

Working with a bigger budget? Think big: try transforming your space into a themed environment — whether that’s projecting a backdrop of a lush tropical rainforest at an eco-friendly event, or a twinkling, cosmic-inspired sky for a club night. 

For smaller budgets, consider the areas where video projection could make the most impact. For instance, try concentrating on specific focal points in the venue — such as entrances or speaker podiums — to add dynamic design on a smaller scale. 

Customized projections

The best thing about video projection? It’s completely customizable — so you can work with artists and designers to create a projection that works for you, your event, your audience, and your space. 

You might integrate various elements — such as themed images, branding, motion graphics, videos, and animations — to tell a visual story and add extra dimension to your event. For instance, you could play welcoming videos on walls, create panoramic backdrops, or project dynamic scenes onto tables. 

Creating immersive experiences through light installations

Lighting can play a starring role in creating the right atmosphere. Whether you’re opting for low-level lighting for a romantic mood or bright disco lights to get guests energized on the dancefloor, lighting is particularly important in projection mapping.

Advanced LED technology has expanded possibilities for creating impactful light installations; you can combine lighting and visuals to create an immersive experience. 

When you’re creating your video projection, make sure to consider the role that lighting plays. For instance, will you be projecting onto a lighter or darker surface? 

This can affect the color palette you choose. Is the room you’re projecting in filled with natural light, or is it a little darker — and will guests be able to see projections clearly? Consider that you might need to hire additional lighting for your rigging setup in order to make the most of your projections. 

Display surface innovations

Projection mapping is the perfect time to get creative with your design — and, thanks to recent advancements in projection technology, the type of surfaces you can use is almost endless. A huge variety of surfaces can be mapped onto, with the resulting projection optimized for different video qualities, ambient lighting conditions, and viewing angles. 

You might choose to use:

• Screen surfaces: such as stretch fabrics, voiles, scrims, and mesh fabrics

• Venue spaces: such as walls, ceilings, and floors — and bars, entryways, and cloakrooms

• Furniture: such as chairs, tables, and sofas 

• Custom scenic designs: such as bespoke set design props and installations

• Outdoor space: such as trees, pathways, or building exteriors 

Meeting event requirements with projection mapping solutions

Whether you’re working with an agency or creating the experience in-house, projection mapping requires dedicated planning in your production process — in terms of resources, budget, and time. 

Budgeting for projection mapping

Projection mapping can have a significant impact on your event planning — specifically, your budget. The cost of projection mapping can vary hugely depending on the size and scale of your idea, but will be influenced by a number of factors, including: 

• The duration of your event

• The size of the venue 

• The complexity of the projection space(s) 

• The complexity of the projections

• Labor costs for the creative and technical teams

• The type of projection, such as 2D or 3D (3D, for instance, tends to be more costly, as it requires the timely process of rendering real-world objects in 3D)

• Technology required, such as the number of projectors and creative design software 

Essentially, the more complex your projection is, the more intensive the planning process is likely to be — and the more expensive it will be to execute, so make sure to factor in the above costs to your budgeting. You can also speak to your agency about creative ways to reduce costs where possible. 

When creating your budget, it’s also worth considering your eventual return on investment (ROI): one-of-a-kind visual experiences like projection mapping often encourage attendees to share their experiences on social media. The buzz created could go a long way in helping to sell out your next event, scaling your event, or increasing your partnership or funding opportunities. 

In-house vs. outsourcing

Projection mapping can either be done in-house (if your team has the resources) or outsourced to an external production company; the option you choose will likely have an impact on the cost. 

If you opt for in-house production, you’ll need to consider the costs of designing, planning, and executing the projections yourself — both in terms of your team’s resources, workloads, and skillsets. Iif you continue with this option, you may want to build in additional planning time to your schedule — and remember to build in projection-related solutions to your contingency plan.

Just as you would for different catering or merch suppliers, if you work with an external production company, make sure to obtain quotes from different providers — and ascertain exactly what will be included in your quote (for instance, design, execution, day-of tech support). You’ll also want to conduct a venue walkthrough with your chosen provider to highlight projection opportunities and optimize your budget in the best way possible. 

Real-world examples of event projection mapping success

Looking for event projection mapping ideas? From bold, colorful animations to mesmerizing displays, take a look at some of the best real-world examples of projection mapping across the globe. 

Disney World (Florida)

At Disney World, Cinderella’s Castle is iconic: it’s the foreground to magical firework displays and is the focal point of Disney’s branding. To celebrate Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary, a new fireworks display, Disney Enchantment, was created. 

Projection mapping played a key role in bringing the castle to life during the display: a 3D model of the castle was created, taking into account its shape, features, and dimensions. Artists and animators then worked on designing the dazzling imagery, color, and magic that the Cinderella Castle is now known for. This is projection mapping on a huge scale: it’s no wonder the design process for Disney Enchantment began two to three years before the show opened. 

teamLab (Tokyo)

Japanese art collective teamLab used projection mapping to create a mesmerizing display at the Digital Art Museum in Tokyo. Visitors were invited to step into a colorful and dynamic world of art, where artworks moved through the rooms freely and guests could immerse themselves in different worlds — from infinite cosmic voids to tranquil seascapes. 

Like Disney Enchantment, this too was on an impressive scale: Borderless was hosted in a vast, 10,000 square metre space, and the installation was brought to life using 520 computers and 470 projectors.

Tellart (London)

On a smaller scale, commissioned by London’s V&A Museum for its The Future Starts Here exhibition, Tellart created the Terraform Table. It used projection mapping and machine intelligence to turn a giant sandpit into mountains, valleys, and lakes — inviting visitors to shape landscapes and seascapes with their hands. 

This is a great example of interactive projection mapping: as visitors form hills and valleys in the sand, an algorithm ‘reads’ the height of the sand. As if in response to the visitor’s touch, it generates lakes, rivers, and snowy peaks. These are then projected onto the sand in real time — created using thousands of satellite images fed to the algorithm — using projection mapping software. 

Getting ambitious and creative with your event design is the secret to attendee engagement. From dynamic animations to optical illusions, projection mapping is an exciting design technique to bring your event space to life. Whether you’re creating vibrant animations on 3D objects or projecting video on a larger scale, projection mapping creates an immersive and engaging world for your attendees. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does projection mapping cost for events?

The expense for projection mapping at events can range significantly, starting at $150,000 for a more modest or smaller-scale projection to upwards of $1 million for projections that are larger in scale or possess greater complexity. It’s important to note that prices may fluctuate depending on both the size and the complexity of the projection involved, so it’s worth getting in touch with production companies to discuss your requirements. 

What is projection mapping?

Projection mapping is a technology that utilizes projectors to convert ordinary surfaces into engaging displays of animations, graphics, or videos, delivering spectacular visual experiences.

What are the technical prerequisites for implementing projection mapping at events?

For the execution of projection mapping at events, projectors are essential — along with media servers and software for creating content. The visual fidelity relies on both the resolution quality of the projectors used and how accurately the mapping is executed onto the specific space or object. 

How can projection mapping transform event spaces?

By projecting images and animations onto multiple surfaces, projection mapping has the power to transform event spaces into dynamic environments that can enhance the ambiance and amp up attendee engagement with color, movement and lighting. 

What factors influence the budget for projection mapping?

When planning for projection mapping at an event, it is crucial to consider various elements that can impact the budget. These include the length of time the event will run, how intricate the projections are intended to be, labor expenses associated with both creative and technical personnel, as well as the specific technology needed for executing these projections.