Although the holiday season is still a few months away, it is never too early to start thinking about how you will incorporate holiday decor into your outdoor commercial space. In fact, the best time to start planning for the holidays is now.
Adding exterior holiday decor to your commercial space allows it to stand out and creates a memorable and vibrant scene for your tenants, visitors, and passing pedestrians to enjoy.
If you are considering adding holiday decor to your space this year, read on. In this article, we will explain what to expect when you work with a commercial company like Cambridge and share some of our expert tips and insights to help you prepare for the holiday season.
The First Step: Scheduling an On-site Consultation
On-site consultations for your holiday decor can be scheduled as early as a year or two in advance, depending on the nature and scope of your project. However, it’s never too late to start. In fact, July is an excellent time to begin working on projects for the current year.
For more complex designs, such as those incorporating very large decorations, it can be a good idea to start even earlier if possible.
Numerous variables go into creating these designs, from the placement of electrical sources to pedestrian traffic flow and even the weather. Production timelines can also affect what is achievable.
What Happens During an On-site Consultation?
During your on-site consultation, our design team will conduct a walk-through and a full site evaluation. This evaluation includes assessing the space and traffic flow, identifying all available power sources, identifying any existing structural support such as hooks, and more. These factors will all be considered to enable us to provide the best holiday decor options based on your particular space.
We also look at the building’s feel, “mood,” and existing lighting, which can affect color palette selection. Some clients may also want to reflect their branding through their holiday decor.
What Are the Typical Production Timelines?
Production timelines can vary a lot depending on the type and scope of a display. If you are going for a standard and straightforward display with a tree, we aim to have the product shipment in by late summer or early fall.
Production timelines play more of a role for significantly larger or more complex displays, especially custom designs or those requiring international vendors. Custom pieces can take several months or even up to a year, with exact timelines depending on what you have in mind.
The Scope of Work
Once your on-site consultation is complete, you will receive a scope of work within a few weeks detailing the holiday decor options you have chosen, your color palette, the project timeline, and the total cost. Once you have reviewed the scope of work and confirmed that you are happy with everything, we can begin working on your holiday decor.
A scope of work provides you with various options, outlining what is possible, approximate costs, and so on. Some options may require (for example) more materials or more lighting, which can impact the total price. Therefore, your scope of work will likely outline several options and what you can expect each one to cost.
The Design and Production Process
Once you have signed off on your scope of work, our design team will create renderings of holiday decor superimposed onto your space for you to review. Renderings help visually oriented people understand what their finished display might look like. They also allow clients to compare ideas and possibilities, see considerations or issues they may not have thought of, and make modifications before production begins. Once the renderings have been reviewed and approved, we can begin production.
Installation and Breakdown
We are pleased to offer our clients a complete installation and breakdown service for their holiday displays. You will receive all installation and breakdown scheduling details in plenty of time for your review and approval to ensure a seamless process.
The time needed for installation and breakdown depends on the scope of your design. A smaller project will typically take around a day, allowing additional time for variables. We always ensure we have all necessary items on hand before we begin the installation, and the installation will usually be completed the same day.
Larger projects may take two days or more, and very large displays can require a lot of preparatory work that begins long before the day of the installation.
Breaking down a display takes approximately the same time as installing it, though it may occasionally be quicker.
We have a warehouse where we store most of our holiday decor items, though some clients choose to store their items themselves. If you want us to store your decor and organize it for the following year, this will be included in your scope of work.
Fortunately, almost everything we use in our holiday displays is reusable, which minimizes waste and helps us keep our commitment to sustainability. It also saves clients money because they do not need to repurchase items yearly. Instead, a holiday display is an investment that will last for several years or even longer.
Start Planning Your Holiday Displays Today
Ready to get started? Whether you already have ideas or are looking for some expert input into the best holiday decor for your commercial space, the team here at Cambridge can help. Contact us today to discuss your ideas and book your on-site consultation.