Bringing together senior military leaders, government decision-makers and industry figures from around the world, the RIAT Defence Engagement Programme required an environment that felt considered, distinctive and appropriate for high-level conversation. Natural Green’s role was to help shape that experience across the outdoor areas, hospitality spaces, sponsor chalets, key walkways and arrival points. This was a large-scale project, delivered across multiple spaces and touchpoints, with every element designed to create a consistent sense of quality, privacy and welcome.
Creating exclusive outdoor spaces
Across the outdoor areas, the team installed extensive planting and a series of standalone garden features incorporating acers, bay trees, layered base planting and integrated seating.
Lush greenery was combined with pink hydrangeas to soften the hard landscaping and introduce colour, texture and a more relaxed atmosphere. Feature bay trees in crisp white planters helped fill larger spaces, frame key areas and create a more exclusive feel for guests.
One of the main garden installations featured a waterfall surrounded by planting and seating, creating a focal point as well as a calm place for guests to pause, meet and talk.
The planting scheme was not simply decorative. It was designed to shape movement, define spaces and create comfortable environments for networking and engagement throughout the programme.
Bespoke florals for the Patrons Pavilion
Inside the Patrons Pavilion, Natural Green provided a complete floral scheme designed to complement the premium hospitality setting. Each dining table featured an individual floral arrangement, while bespoke designs were created for the lounge and bar areas. Feature planters added structure and scale, while gold planters positioned along key walkways brought warmth and definition to the predominantly white marquee interiors. The result was a cohesive scheme that helped elevate the pavilion and create a polished, welcoming setting for guests.
Tailored designs for sponsor chalets
Natural Green also worked across the individual sponsor chalets, creating bespoke schemes to suit each space, often aligning to brand colours. Many included floral table centres, welcome desk arrangements and carefully positioned planters designed to add visual interest without overwhelming the environment. The planting helped create more defined spaces for guests to connect, meet and hold conversations away from the main flow of the event. Outside, each chalet entrance was framed with Natural Green planters, filled with green foliage and coloured base planting tailored to the company’s colour palate. Every design was considered in the context of the chalet, its sponsor and how the space would be used.
Enhancing key arrival points
At the entrance, Natural Green provided hedge screening and several planters incorporating hydrangeas to complement and enhance a striking sculpture from Aeronautiques. The installation helped frame the arrival experience and ensure that the entrance made an immediate impact, while still feeling appropriate to the tone and purpose of the programme.
Delivered in challenging conditions
The scale of the project was significant, and the delivery conditions added another layer of complexity. With very high temperatures throughout the build and event, the team carried out constant watering and maintenance to protect the planting and ensure every area remained in excellent condition.
That required commitment from everyone involved, from the teams working on site to the nursery, project management and back-office teams coordinating behind the scenes.
From initial planning and design through to installation, care and final presentation, this was a fully joined-up delivery. The result was a series of carefully designed spaces that supported the purpose of the RIAT Defence Engagement Programme: helping people come together, build relationships and hold important conversations in environments that felt considered, professional and memorable.
