How the Event Pros Are Designing Over-the-Top TV Premieres
As a TV watcher, you wait at the edge of your seat for the premiere of your favorite shows, right? You can’t wait to see how that cliffhanger from last season plays out and are just so happy to be spending time with your favorite characters again. It’s exciting! Well, imagine how exciting it must be to attend a premiere party for a popular show like "Game of Thrones." As if the start of the show wasn’t exhilarating enough, event pros are creating TV premiere parties that blow everyone away. The key is to come up with a themed party that’s inspired by the subject matter of the show. Take a look at these over-the-top premieres while considering how you could use these examples as inspiration for your own event.
"Game of Thrones"
You wouldn’t take this article seriously if it skipped "Game of Thrones," so let’s start with this one. The show’s seventh season premiere included a screening and an amazing after-party at LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Classic Parking garage rooftop. This event was put on by Billy Butchkavitz Design for HBO, and it even made a space with no elevator access work by adding bridge and ramp structures guests could climb to reach the roof.
To enhance the atmosphere, a live orchestra gave the background music for the screening. The design team was able to fit the theme of the show by projecting flying dragons and characters. Mood lighting helped create the feeling of winter that fits the show’s premiere, while paper costumes, sculptures and other themed displays decorated the space. As if the show wasn’t enough entertainment, there was also a DJ, dancers and stilt-walkers to wow guests.
"Will"
By attending the premiere of the show "Will," guests got to go back in time while enjoying surprising modern twists. TNT created an Elizabethan party fitting of William Shakespeare, while the unique event let audiences know that the show would put a fresh twist on a classic.
The premiere screening took place on the lawn of Bryant Park in New York, while the party was at Bryant Park Grill. With the help of Empire Entertainment, TNT was able to perfectly fit the theme. The decor matched the unique feel of the show, with a mix of skulls and rock posters alongside fancy chandeliers, tapestries and books. The party also offered an experience, with street fair vendors for snacks, punk rock music, tattoo stations and a photo booth with themed props.
"Snowfall"
It sounds complicated to throw a themed premiere based around a drug epidemic, but FX showed that any subject can have a great party with its "Snowfall" premiere. This one was also complicated by the fact that this is a brand-new show, so the premiere didn't come with a built-in audience. But the themed party was sure to build excitement.
The event team recreated the show’s setting of 1980s Los Angeles with a downtown L.A. pop-up event that was open to the public. The area featured creative graffiti, '80s-style decor and time-period accents like a cassette tape-shaped table. They finished the look with an impressive wall mural showing L.A. streets. The style got visitors into the feeling of the setting and time period, creating interest in a new series.
The best TV premiere parties were able to create an experience that fit the theme of their shows. These cases offer some examples of how this type of event can be pulled off with flair. How could you adapt these ideas?
