[How to design a great TEDx stage] What does stage decoration mean? Decoration is a major enrichment of your stage. You might start with your event name and some lights. Decoration is a way to communicate your event. You need to know who you are communicating to, who your audience is. The design of your stage follows two pillars. One is identity. The other one is the balance. The identity is how you translate the theme into a visual stage design. So, why not add further elements to the stage? If your theme is about nature, put in some plants. Or it can also be abstract. For instance, you could throw ornaments or illustrations. Go creative! The other important thing is to keep the balance. The stage should not take over the show. It should support the event, not make the event. All elements must have a purpose. The speaker must be the hero on stage. It might not be necessary to spend big budget here, but still, it is important to calculate this on your event plans. Be aware of safety issues. Nothing should fall down or even hit the speaker or someone in the audience There might be some people walking by, and touching things. They should not be fragile. Maybe, there is someone in your volunteer team who can design the stage. Maybe, you need to hire a designer for that. Or just do it on your own. Find the inspiration at the huge pool of TEDx events with great stages. Why not browse through the Flickr archive. For more information and "How To" videos, we encourage you to visit the TEDx homepage at TED.com.