7 Best Cities to Host a Pop Up Event

7 Best Cities to Host a Pop Up Event

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Are you considering hosting a pop-up event? You should. They are becoming increasingly popular, and are an excellent way to get your brand out there, make an impression, and gain new customers. If you aren't familiar with pop-up events, the concept behind them is pretty simple. They started becoming a "thing" about a decade ago, and are more popular now than ever. They are events that seem temporary or unplanned, but are actually anything but. To pull one off, you have to have an event planner who knows how to make an intricately designed event look totally casual, even like it was thrown together on the spur of the moment. You also need a large audience, because you want your event to gain a lot of public attention.

This need for an audience of passersby means you should ideally be having your pop-up event in a place where it will be easy for you to get a lot of foot traffic. These are the seven best cities in which to host a pop-up event, including a few examples of successful ones, to give you a few ideas for your own.

1. New York City, NY

As one of the busiest cities on Earth, and a top tourist destination to boot, New York City is an ideal location for any kind of pop-up event. In the world's melting pot city, you may even attract the attention of a few celebrities to your event. There will certainly be no shortage of potential participants.

A really successful pop-up event that was held here was done by the Culinary Institute of America, where students took over the famed Pangea restaurant to host a unique dinner. The menu was planned to contain only items that drew attention to how we will feed the planet as our resources dwindle in future generations. Conscious dining was the theme, and innovative, sustainable dishes were served to great acclaim. Because the event let visitors feel good about the cause they were supporting, they were also willing to pay more for it than a typical restaurant.

2. Los Angeles, CA

The home of the world's entertainment industry is another ideal location for a pop-up event. The possibility for celebrities coming and bringing attention and prestige to your brand is high. Like NYC, there is also a lot of tourist traffic. Plus, the paparazzi are everywhere here, and likely to cover your event, especially if someone famous shows up.

A pop-up store was set up in LA before the premier of the movie, Where the Wild Things Are, to sell memorabilia. The store was created to look like a nest in one corner, and a giant child's fort in another corner. The mannequins were given horns to resemble wild creatures. It was such a fun place to shop, and looked like it had always been there. For the short time the store was there, it pulled in an amazing amount of traffic and sales.

3. London, UK

The NYC of the UK, London is a city that always has something happening, and foot traffic from regular people, celebrities, and nobility alike. It is also the location of a highly creative pop-up event that shows their versatility. This one was put on by the Wieden+Kennedy ad agency, and its purpose was to show anyone who happened by what it is like to work there. The front window of the office was transformed into a cartoon set, where employees took turns working. It looked like they were working in an animated cartoon environment, and passersby loved it. There was even a webcam on the agency's website so anyone in the world could watch. This event went on for a few weeks, and gained a huge amount of attention and brand recognition for the agency.

4. Paris, France

Probably the second-best place to have a pop-up event in Europe besides London, Paris has everything going for it that London does, only with that traditionally romantic Parisian background. It would be a perfect location for any dating or romance-themed event.

5. Seattle, WA

Known for its eclectic residents, this is the home of Starbucks and grunge rock, among other things. With a large population, and high tourist traffic, with people who are known to be environmentally aware, this is the perfect location for any "save the planet" or sustainability pop-up event.

6. Orlando, FL

It's the vacation capital of the world. If you are looking to put on a family-friendly event, or one that caters to a fun-loving, irreverent crowd, like college students or hipsters, this is the place to do it.

7. Miami, FL

The southernmost home of the nation's celebrities, heirs and heiresses, and other glitterati, as well as vacationers and partiers of all ages, Miami is a hotspot of non-stop activity, making it an ideal place to host a pop-up event of just about any kind. Plus, it has the advantage of having Soho Studios there, which is a perfect location for an event, or to find the people with the right experience and knowledge of the Miami crowd to plan an incredible one for you.

Why Bumble Used a Food Truck for its Latest Experiential Event

Why Bumble Used a Food Truck for its Latest Experiential Event  

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As most Millennials know, mobile app dating is tough. “Catfishing,” or pretending to be someone you’re not, is a pretty big occurrence across Tinder and Bumble alike. Bumble is a dating app which requires women to message matched men first. Bumble, itself, recently released an anti-catfish mobile app feature. To promote itself, the Austin-based tech company created a New York airstream food truck.

It served fish tacos, promoting its new photo verification feature capable of weeding out phony Bumble accounts. The “catfish” slang term was created and popularized back in 2010 during a documentary. Now, it’s been implemented into the mobile app’s photo verification feature to screen out the prevalent fake accounts.

The feature makes users snap a selfie in highly specific poses, so as to make sure the user isn’t using another’s pre-existing photos from Facebook, Instagram or another visual-based website. Soon, Bumble will extend into the friend networking world—becoming much more than a dating app. Photo verification might not be the most alluring feature, but Bumble’s idea creators have sustained a positive marketing campaign pinned to the app’s classier approach to mobile dating.

As for the food truck, it existed to celebrate the app’s newest feature. After all, the photo verification feature was created in a playful way—giving users control of their identity verification without necessarily breaking down the app’s intrigue. Called “The Great Catch” promotion, Bumble’s food truck promotion handed out free catfish-centric dishes. Aside from the catfish tacos, the truck had catfish sliders, roasted squash salad and honey-sweetened Arnold Palmer which was popularized through “Top Chef’s” Sam Talbot—a Brooklyn contestant.

Marketing for a mobile app is tough, but Bumble’s Director of Marketing, Chelsea Maclin, reportedly created the campaign to invite newcomers with open arms while celebrating its current users. The app’s huge user base, stationed in New York, let various Bumble brand ambassadors verify their mobile devices while waiting for grub. These ambassadors could then explain how Bumble—and the offshoot, Bumble BFF—worked. They walked attendees through the app’s download, setup and use. Meanwhile, the app’s preexisting users were invited to learn more about the app’s features.

The photo verification feature, of course, was at the centerfold. Bumble users were given branded giveaways, including pins, hats and t-shirts. Then, they were allowed to participate in the brand’s many on-site photo booth experiences. No experiential event is complete without a conference. Thus, Bumble invited its key influencers and press people to take part in The Great Catch. They were given yellow tackle boxes—branded, of course—each packed with anti-catfishing messages and swag.

Bumble is an engaging experience, and it was deserving of a campaign capable of touching the catfish topic lightly while also recognizing the app feature’s important use. Because Bumble’s goal is to help users create meaningful relationships, much of the experiential event was created to connect with the app’s users on a personal level. Online safety, accountability and freedom can be a touchy subject—but Bumble covered it with grace.

How L’Oréal Paris Keeps it Fresh with Consumers

L’Oréal Paris might be a beauty brand, but it has some DIY chops, too. In celebration of its newest product lines, the brand hosted a “Galentine’s Day” party in New York’s West Edge. February 13, the event’s day, was an unofficial holiday for L’Oréal Paris, featured on NBC’s Parks and Recreation. Centered on events for women, the faux holiday was powered by L’Oréal Paris spokeswoman, Blake Lively. High-fashion décor, activities and music were had, as well as Valentine’s Day card creation.

Design Elements and the Art of DIY

The event catered to jewelry-lovers, too. Attendees could have their necklaces engraved, check out new fashion options and compare styles. Cookie decoration highlighted the event’s sweet tooth touch, and a variety of celeb-hosted introductions brought the average consumer’s vision to life.

There were about 15 DIY stations. Guests could listen to DJ Vashtie songs, get their feet wet with crafts and check out classic clips gathered from a variety of memorable movies and television shows. All products on display, of course, were up for grabs. The combination of practical DIY and digital is a good one, and L’Oréal Paris decision makers took on several beauty influencers who snapped, posted and shared photos.

Explore, Discover and Share

The event’s mantra was “explore, discover and share.” Non-traditional lighting, instrumentation and DIY stands certainly turned the age-old event participation approach on its head. Guests were urged to snap their best creations, creating environments capable of reaching high visibility on social media. Aside from L’Oréal Paris’s influencers, the event received attendance from a 300-plus crowd. V.I.P. members, of course, came out to play. L’Oréal Paris president, Tim Coolican, was one such memorable face. Other notable figures, like actress Robyn Lively, similarly attended.

Product Launches and Crafts

The arts-and-crafts area was covered by a lush, floral canopy. The area was outfitted by Tinsel & Twine and Agency, empowering the creativity of attendees. DIY card-making may not seem like a profitable event investment at first, but the event’s station packed plenty of embellishments capable of packing in personalized touches. Paper Fashion’s Katie Rodgers, meanwhile, offered highly customized guest illustrations. At every level, the event was attendee-centric.

When you combine Polaroid cameras, quirky props and several impromptu photo shoots, you’re set up for success. Take note: L’Oréal Paris has quickly become one of this year’s most notable DIY pop-up event providers, mostly due to their consumer dedication. In the world of event marketing, few brands get it better.

The Pop-Tarts Pop-Up Café Gets Experimental

In New York, Pop-Tarts has gotten adventurous. Kellogg’s is offering unique flavor taste tests in one of the more interesting pop-up stands we’ve seen. The menu isn’t your typical assortment of pastry options, as it’s an assortment of high-tart tacos, Pop-Tart pizza and chili Pop-Tart fries. For a drink, visitors can sample the Pop-Tart milkshake—blended from the pastry. Times Square has always been an area conducive to exploration. Now, it’s an area of opportunity for Kellogg’s.

The Times Square Cereal Bar

The Pop-Tarts Café arose last Tuesday. It’s acquired the brand’s Time Square cereal bar space, taking advantage of the Times Square traffic and adventurous New York pedestrians. The Kellogg’s creative menu aimed to reinvent the way consumers eat Pop-Tarts, mixing, mashing and combining a variety of flavors to create new experiences.

Why? Kellogg’s felt its brand required a new, finer attention to detail. It wasn’t necessarily about branding new tastes, it was about presenting a new method of consumption. In an effort to connect with consumers, promote the pastries and revamp the age-old “breakfast snack,” Kellogg’s has turned Pop-Tarts into an any-time-of-day meal. Birthday Fiesta Nachos and Chili Pop-Tart Fries, in particular, made appearances as the brand’s go-to, around-the-clock meal options.

Other Locations

You guessed it: Time Square wasn’t the only Pop-Tarts Café location. Taste-goers wanting to try something new can check out Kellogg’s locations in Chicago and Philadelphia. A lot of Pop-Tarts lovers are having difficulty resisting the variety of concoctions, engaging the brand at unprecedented rates.

Oddly enough, the flavor combinations work. Those hungry for pizza can dig into a Personal Pop-Tarts Pizza, crafted with frosted brown sugar cinnamon crust, frosting “cheese” and strawberry “marinara” sauce. While event-goers may be weirded out by the presentation, each Pop-Tart pastry shape is incredibly tasty. By mixing fresh mint, a variety of fruit flavors and the Pop-Tarts signature crust, Kellogg’s has snuck in new line favorites to its trusted customers.

All About the Swag

Few events can survive without a little swag. The Pop-Tarts Café offered small surprises to perfect every order, crafting creative lists from a variety of mashups. All too often, popular food brands overextend themselves. They’re too generic; too focused on pleasing everyone. The Pop-Tarts Café certainly offers something different. While the flavors are classic and instantly recognizable, Kellogg’s has proved that presentation counts.

The Kellogg’s The Pop-Tarts Café packs 18 delicious Pop-Tart eating options, served a-la-carte. Eventgoers who’re having difficulty committing to a singular food item can take advantage of Pop-Tart flights, expanding their dining options with numerous eating options. In the realm of experiential marketing, Kellogg’s proves that experimental works, too.

EverBlock: Bringing Dreams to Reality

Every kid has dreamed of being able to get life-sized LEGO that can be used for real buildings. Now, thanks to EverBlock, this concept has become a reality. EverBlock makes what is generically known as "modular building blocks." Each one is approximately the size of a concrete block, but with some very important differences: They're made of light concrete, and they're as easy to put together as the toy versions. This development is revolutionizing the events industry since it allows organizers to construct and take down displays within hours, while making the same sort of displays with the same sturdiness would ordinarily take days. Not only that, the blocks can be used over and over again - a feature that saves organizers thousands of dollars over time.

In a recent video, EverBlock showed how an entire "ice castle" shell can be made in just five hours by a small crew. The construction itself became part of the experience for those who saw it going up, and passers-by were taking selfies with the work-in-progress before they even knew what the finished project would be. Once the castle was fully up, it attracted even more attention.

Making Your Own Displays Pop

While speedy setup and take-down are important, the most important aspect of any display is its eye-catching creativity. Using these blocks makes it easy to bring almost any idea into 3D reality. As with toy building blocks, the first step is to plan out the design. This way, you know you'll have enough blocks in all of the right colors. Do this far enough before the show to allow you to buy any more that you might need – you'd hate to run out and have a big gap in your construct come showtime!

Then, you need a large enough space to put up your planned set. This is where venues like ours here at Soho Studios in Miami come in. While a block structure can be set up outdoors, you'll most likely want to have it inside instead. An indoor location makes your event immune to bad weather, greatly reduces the chance of vandalism, and extends the potential viewing hours in the day.

Other Uses for Modular Blocks

Many exhibits are divided into separate areas to allow for different themes, help guide people through in specific patterns, and similar reasons. Modular building blocks are great for erecting temporary walls that look professional and are sturdier than the normal thin partitions. They also come in many colors, so you can easily stick to a theme or mix them up for a fun look.

When it's time for you to have an exhibit in Miami, contact us here at Soho Studios. Our 70,000 sq. ft. venue can be divided up to meet the needs of almost any size of show.

How the Gingerbread House Turned to the Future

Taste of Home is well-known for its presentation of lifelike displays. In the past two years, it’s delivered one-of-a-kind, life-size gingerbread houses. Every holiday, its annual display is paired with a nearby tree lighting ceremony—redefining holiday cheer with wholesome experiences.

Sharing an Iconic Brand

Both Taste of Home and Folgers are iconic brands—each with equally iconic histories. Responsible for bringing families together, displaying wholesome experiences and interacting with consumers, Taste of Home is returning with its fan-favorite Gingerbread Boulevard.

Gingerbread Boulevard brings a fully interactive hotspot to brand-lovers. The brands welcomes park visitors via its Visual Shazam facial recognition technology. As event-goers travel, they experience a 360-degree view of each gingerbread home. Each interior is interactive, letting visitors click around hotspots and take selfie photographs. Taste of home packs a wealth of holiday traditions into a single hotspot, so no stone is left unturned.

The Future of Holiday Experiential Marketing

Every Gingerbread Boulevard home celebrates the many cultures Taste of Home reaches. Last year, displays included Ski Chalet, Surf Shack, Houseboat and Farmstead. Every display additionally features life-size candy decorations, giving event-goers something physical to touch alongside the event’s augmented hotspots.

While Folgers and Taste of Home products are consumed year-round, the holiday season is an excellent time for cross-brand features. Twix, Snickers, M&Ms and Dove, too, are present, and each can be added to family favorite recipes available throughout the experience.

Taste of Home, today, is a leading producer of cooking, food and entertainment information. It’s responsible for helping home cooks engage media, enjoy comfort and meet with other enthusiasts within the digital community. For this reason, its experiential marketing event is highly unique.

The Media Crossover

Gingerbread Boulevard makes an impressive impact in the Taste of Home magazine, too. Paired with the taste of Home Cooking School, many of the brand’s displays comprehensively support cooking enthusiasts every year.

By blending expertise and energy, Taste of Home’s 24 million fans assist the brand directly. Inspiration is always preserved, and Gingerbread Boulevard, every year, succeeds in presenting the Folgers way.

Pro Walk at the US Open Sponsored by American Express a Big Hit

American Express is a rock-star at experiential marketing and if you want to see a great example, just check out their successful Fan Experience at the US Open in New York. Creative and unique interactive, and exciting experiences for their cardmembers and well-planned brand/product placement, offered their customers a fun filled day and reminded them that they were well taken care of by the company. The US Open American Express Fan Experience marketing event was a huge success in New York this year. Fans that attended got a once in a lifetime chance to be the tennis star they have always dreamed of being…and more! Fans were definitely reminded that “Membership Has Its Privileges” when they attended this experimental marketing venture.

The company’s fan experience was creative, engaging, and worked well with the “Open Like a Pro” theme of the brand’s goal for this year. The American Express Pro Walk actually gave lucky attendees the chance to enter and walk onto center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, just like a true tennis star.  This unique experience was a huge hit with fans and let them experience being in the limelight that is usually reserved for professional athletes.

The highlight of the 20,000-square-foot US Open American Express Fan Experience, Pro Walk, used a combination of huge tennis ball, holograms, a virtual reality feature, and other digital effects that put the fan eight smack dab into the life of a professional tennis player that started with a “Player Check-In” and took them through an emotional tour of behind the scenes fan experiences which let them walk in the footsteps of legends.

Fans were ushered through the “Locker Room” where they registered, swung a digital tennis racquet, and announced their name. From there, they entered a LED-lined tunnel loaded with graphics, surround-sound audio, and even listened while the paparazzi called their names. When it was their turn to shine, they stepped inside the dome where they saw a replica of center court, were greeted by the roar of the stadium crowd, and looked to the Jumbotrons to see themselves walking onto the court at the US Open! If that wasn’t enough, they were then handed a tennis racquet and the crowd went wild as their opponent failed to return the serve! And to top it off, fans received a video of their American Express Pro Walk experience to commemorate their day.

According to American Express VP of global sponsorships and experiential marketing, they got their inspiration for this year’s activities from their cardmembers. They look at their cardmembers as professional fans. They attend the US Open each year and know all about how to navigate the sporting event and exactly where they want to go. American Express wanted to help the fans experience the US Open like never before.

In addition to the wildly successful Pro Walk, there was also the American Express Card Member Club, which offered a variety of complimentary services, including athlete meet-and-greets, American Express radios with commentary of the games, match updates and American Express brand ambassadors to help members and answer questions.

The company’s fan experience was creative, engaging, and worked well with the “Open Like a Pro” theme of the brand’s goal for this year. The American Express Pro Walk actually gave lucky attendees the chance to enter and walk onto center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, just like a true tennis star.  This unique experience was a huge hit with fans and let them experience being in the limelight that is usually reserved for professional athletes.

The highlight of the 20,000-square-foot US Open American Express Fan Experience, Pro Walk, used a combination of huge tennis ball, holograms, a virtual reality feature, and other digital effects that put the fan eight smack dab into the life of a professional tennis player that started with a “Player Check-In” and took them through an emotional tour of behind the scenes fan experiences which let them walk in the footsteps of legends.

Fans were ushered through the “Locker Room” where they registered, swung a digital tennis racquet, and announced their name. From there, they entered a LED-lined tunnel loaded with graphics, surround-sound audio, and even listened while the paparazzi called their names. When it was their turn to shine, they stepped inside the dome where they saw a replica of center court, were greeted by the roar of the stadium crowd, and looked to the Jumbotrons to see themselves walking onto the court at the US Open! If that wasn’t enough, they were then handed a tennis racquet and the crowd went wild as their opponent failed to return the serve! And to top it off, fans received a video of their American Express Pro Walk experience to commemorate their day.

According to American Express VP of global sponsorships and experiential marketing, they got their inspiration for this year’s activities from their cardmembers. They look at their cardmembers as professional fans. They attend the US Open each year and know all about how to navigate the sporting event and exactly where they want to go. American Express wanted to help the fans experience the US Open like never before.

In addition to the wildly successful Pro Walk, there was also the American Express Card Member Club, which offered a variety of complimentary services, including athlete meet-and-greets, American Express radios with commentary of the games, match updates and American Express brand ambassadors to help members and answer questions.

Audi Presents LED Art Exhibit at New York City Club

Since inventing LED daytime running lights back in 2005, Audi has been at the forefront of LED technology. With this achievement in mind, the company recently sponsored a truly unique art installation entitled Bold Notion: Art of Innovation. The exhibit, created by New York artist Matthew Schreiber, is built around the physical structure and geometry of one of New York City's most elite clubs, CORE:club. In this method, Schreiber uses LED lights to transform an ordinary building to interactive exhibition in a modern and playful way . The lights crosshatch through entryways, hallways, and walls, each one tailored specifically around the structure of the building to create a spectacle for the eye. To accomplish this feat, he turned off all of the main lights in the building to give more focus to his red lasers.

The design features over 400 individual diode lasers which shoot out across the space, challenging viewers to become part of the artwork as they move about the room. According to Schreiber, he intended for the lights to be daunting at first as a challenge to those who wanted to enter. His inspiration for the piece centered around his desire for attendees to be scanned when they entered the exhibit. In this way, he hopes people attending should feel slightly uneasy at first, as if they are not welcome, because this represents the clubs exclusivity as well as a challenge they must overcome.

In order to promote the exhibit, CORE: club held a public reception for the first time in their history, allowing non-members to peruse the art. The event included vaporized cocktails and drinks with LED ice cubes to match the theme of the evening. Finally, Schreiber also was available for an hour long question and answer session to inform the audience about his work and its purpose. Finally, a dinner was held that offered several courses of fine delicacies to choose from.

This exhibit is actually the seventh of its kind to be hosted by CORE:club. The Bold Notion series is committed to offering artists a space to unleash their creativity in unusual ways, much like Soho Studies. Previous events have included paintings, application of light, and even iconography.

CORE:club is not the only venue that can offer such a versatile space for exhibits. Ready to host your own unique event in a space that can be matched to your needs? Consider renting our Pavilion, Armory, or Parliament studios. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.

Sources: www.audi.com, www.thecoreclub.com