How to Wow People with a Vegan Menu

If you're going to be serving food at your event, it's important to choose menu items that everyone can and will eat. This will be hard if you try to make a different menu for all of the many common dietary variations. Instead, try combining gluten-free and vegan to create dishes that almost everyone will love. One of the most important things you'll need to keep in mind is the difference between vegetarian and vegan. Vegetarian dishes may include eggs, milk, and other products that ultimately come from animals. Vegan food, on the other hand, includes none of that. Only plants and plant products are allowed.

Choosing the Menu Items

The key to wowing a mixed-preference audience with vegan dishes is to avoid the bland, diet-type fare non-vegans often associate with this type of food. Instead, make sure the meals are tasty. Hire caterers that use spices and sauces liberally to pump up the flavor volume and add delicious-looking color to the dishes. Also, make sure that your catering company is used to cooking for vegans. Such companies will have plenty of delicious recipes already developed.

If You Can Field Two Menus, Offer Both Meat and Meat-Free Options

When you're providing lunch, meat-eaters likely won't be too put out if they don't get any meat in the meal. The same cannot be said of dinner. Unless your company gets marketing points from going all-vegan, offer a meat-included menu for this meal along with the vegan one. Note, however, that some vegans insist that their food be cooked in different areas than those used to cook meat! Fortunately, there are some caterers out there that will actually cater to even this demand.

Always Remember the Possibility of Allergies

The days when you could just serve a mystery sauce or meal are over. For reasons that are not quite understood, the incidence of life-threatening food allergies is higher than it was just 30 or 40 years ago. Therefore, you should always list potential food allergens. It's also important to know for certain exactly what is in everything, vegan or not.

This isn't to say that it's dangerous to serve meals. You simply need to know what is in all of the food so you and your staff can give accurate answers to those who ask about the ingredients.

With these things in mind, you'll be able to serve anything from a snack to a feast and have it be both safe and impressive. The final thing you'll need is a venue. If your event is in Miami, try our event and exhibition area here at Soho Studios. We offer up to 70,000 square feet that can be configured to meet all of your event needs.

Event Trends: The 90s Make a Comeback

Marketers know that one of the easiest ways to catch people's attention and produce good feelings is to go for nostalgia. Because of this, it's a certainty that every generation will be treated to a round of advertising and marketing meant to call up feelings of the good old days. This is why we've all been seeing a resurgence of 90s-themed products and events. Millennials, companies hope, are already looking at this time period with the airbrushed memories of those wishing for simpler and happier times. These 90s-based marketing efforts have taken several forms. Here are some examples you can use for inspiration for your own company's nostalgia marketing:

Nickelodeon's 90sFest

Nickelodeon didn't just put on a few marathons of 90s shows for its celebration of the Millennials' decade. Instead, it hosted several retro music festivals, complete with 90s acts like Sister Hazel and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Attendees dressed up in 90s clothing or as Nickelodeon characters from that period in order to fully immerse themselves in the experience.

The company got down to business with its obstacle course, which was present at each event. This course was set up to promote The Splat – the network's block of 90s game show and cartoon reruns. Other Nickelodeon offerings were also promoted in fun and immersive ways.

Crystal Pepsi Summer of '92

PepsiCo was another company that made great use of old music, this time to re-introduce Crystal Pepsi to the market. Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and others started off the entertainment at concerts that featured 90s sets along with the music. A retro mall was also set up, and patrons could get 90s hairstyles, play in an arcade featuring the games of the decade, and buy assorted swag just like they did as teens.

TRL

MTV revamped its old Total Request Live, or TRL, studio into Total Registration Live to promote National Voter Registration Day. Along with being able to register to vote, attendees were also able to check out various celebrities, who spoke about the election issues they were passionate about. Celebs who came included Joss Whedon and Ty Dolla $ign. Of course, the musical artists also performed to ensure that people would stay interested.

These are just some of the events that took place during the last year to target Millennials with nostalgia marketing. Such marketing isn't limited to this age group, though. You can easily use it to reach any demographic that isn't still young.

If you're looking for a venue for your next immersive marketing event, look no further than Soho Studios in Miami. Our event space can be adapted for any size function, with up to 70,000 feet available. We can also set up custom features to make sure your event is an unforgettable hit.

Why Having a Mobile App for Your Event Is a Must

It’s become more important than ever to have a dedicated mobile app for your event. Not only is a larger portion of consumers online time spent through mobile, but consumers expect the ease of navigation of real time events and life that comes from having all the capabilities of a smartphone at their fingertips at all times. While it’s still possible to use a dedicated website for an event, a mobile app will not only give your event a greater sense of importance, but in taking the time to build the app, you’ll be able to ensure that users on all platforms are having the experience you want them to be having. Here are some of the latest trends in event mobile apps as well as musts that every app needs to be sure to have.

The Latest Trends

Live Video Streaming Capability: People are using live streaming more than ever before and by offering the ability for people to do so within your app, you’ll be creating a powerful way for people to interact in and around your event.

Social Media Integration: An event can only reach those who have attended, right? With social media it’s possible for events to cast a wider net than those who are physically present, and there’s no better way to encourage tweets, hashtags and Instagramming than by making it as easy as possible, direct from the app. Combined with the live streaming, you’ll be creating an army of marketers from your attendees to promote your brand and event.

Fitness: While this one certainly sounds a little off the wall, wellness is huge right now, as is the use of technology to monitor fitness stats and stay in shape. Take advantage of this by integrating to an existing app to help people plan out healthy walks to take between sessions or including a meditation feature to relax before the event starts.

Must Haves

Scheduling and Details: If your event app isn’t helping users navigate the actual event, then it’s failing at its most basic job. From easy to use maps to allowing customized scheduling, make sure that your app is making it easy for attendees to keep track of all the details.

Keep It Simple: An event app is only as good as its UX (user experience). And the best way to ensure that your app has a great user experience is to not let things get too complex. Sometimes less is more, especially when designing an app.

Networking Opportunities: If you include in-app messaging you’ll be raising user engagement and providing a valuable service. People often attend events for networking opportunities, and being able to do so from within the app can prove invaluable.

Live Streams Can Make or Break Your Event. Here's How

Instant access is always a good plan, right? Well, not always. As event marketers expand their insight, built their toolkits and innovate on the ground floor, live streaming options are coming under scrutiny. Emergent technology should be considered, sure, but it shouldn’t be the crux of your every move. To execute effective marketing campaigns, you’ll need to stream seamlessly, promote your brand and target social media comprehensively. Before hopping into the live stream world, check out the best practices below. More importantly, check out the times it’s not a good idea to prioritize instant access.

To Make the Event

First, it’s a good idea to know when live streaming is a good idea. Above all, live streaming is a solid avenue for businesses seeking mass connectivity and visibility. If your business wants to get a “sneak peak,” or an otherwise hard-to-get shot, live streaming is often a good answer. Why? Because it’s instant. You’re guaranteed to be the first with the story.

It’s also a solid foundation for Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes journeys and big events. If your marketing event is going to be a bash, and if you’re expecting celebrity appearances, make sure you’re using a live stream feed. In 2017, live streaming is intended to be an integral part of emergent experiential marketing programs. As marketers become well-acquainted with technology, live streaming will become a powerful low-cost alternative to lengthy film processes.

To Break an Event

Live streaming has its downfalls, too. Above all, live streaming can be burdensome to an untrained crew. While crews are certainly becoming experienced with live stream filming, the act of filming footage seamlessly is simply difficult to micromanage. You should remember that anything can happen during a live stream. It might sound obvious, but you’ll need to take extra precautions when filming live appearances.

You can’t edit live footage. So, if you’re planning a breakout event, promoting a new product or are otherwise revealing your business’s “finer” side, consider traditional media first. Sometimes, it isn’t worth the quality loss to secure a hot spot on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram media. Today, constant challenges await live streamers. Digital marketers are working hard to reduce the physical footprint, prioritize low-cost live streaming services and dish out crystal-clear video quality.

For now, however, live streaming shouldn’t be considered a “must-have” in your event marketing arsenal. If you’re planning a big party, want to capture guest experiences and draw in more visitors, a live stream can certainly help. If, however, you feel your event can’t suffer a little choppiness, quality loss and on-site improvisation, you’d best stick to traditional media.

How to Host the Ultimate Virtual Reality Event

Many brands are helped by the creation of a feeling of excitement and physical activity. The hard part is getting people to feel like they're part of this action. Most people aren't athletes and have a hard time imagining themselves doing strenuous physical activity, especially when that activity involves something unique like riding a zip line or playing football like a pro. One of the easiest ways to jump this hurdle is to provide the audience with a virtual reality experience. Thanks to the development of VR goggles, there's no need for expensive 360-degree surround screens to get the job done. Virtual reality also allows for user participation, so it's far more immersive than any regular movie.

Combining Virtual Reality with the Rest of Your Event

Even with virtual reality, you need more elements to keep people excited all through your event. Keeping some traditional elements, such as display booths and presentations, will help get people in the mindset to consider your company's products and services. It will also allow you to build up the excitement for the virtual reality portion.

One thing you'll need to consider is how to handle the scheduling for your VR show. Each set of goggles is an investment, so you might not want to buy 200-300 pairs. Instead, it's usually best to have the audience come through in smaller batches so you can use far fewer goggles. Staggering arrival times will keep your attendees from having boring waiting times.

What Types of Content Work Well with Virtual Reality?

Action content is one of the most popular types for conversion to virtual reality. One great example is SAP's Quarterback Challenge, which puts participants on an NFL field in the quarterback position. Eye position, combined with a handheld controller, determine where the ball goes and how hard it is thrown. Sports fans love this sort of experience.

Another excellent example is IBM's cycling-based demonstration, which promotes its Watson Analytics system. Cyclers are subjected to a variety of wind and road conditions, all without leaving their seats.

Virtual reality is also great for explaining details about products, services, and processes. One company uses it to transport viewers to an active construction site, where they get to see exactly how to install its products. Another, a brewery, gives an in-depth look at their processes.

This technology is sure to become a standard part of events in years to come, but don't wait for that to happen. Get started with it now to position your company as a creative leader.

Of course, a comfortable venue is essential to any corporate or entertainment event. Contact us here at Soho Studios for the perfect venue for your extravaganza.

How to Use the Pantone Color of 2017 for Your Next Event

Every event deserves a personal touch, and Pantone’s 2017 color—Greenery—hits the mark when lively, refreshing tones are needed. The fresh, zesty color isn’t new to the marketing world, but Pantone’s dedication to lushness, refreshing beginnings and the wide, open outdoors is unique. Take a deep breath, organize your event and implement Pantone’s Greenery color into your setup. Check out these great options.

Option One: Grassy Centerpieces

To take full advantage of Pantone’s Greenery, you should, first, implement grassy centerpieces. Greenery thrives due to its natural allure and incredible flexibility. That said, your event won’t be complete unless Greenery is featured in its primal state. Grassy centerpieces are natural complements to unfinished wood surfaces. So, if you’re trying to promote an atmosphere of health, energy and rustic stylization, Greenery grass centerpieces are your best bet.

Option Two: Backlit Bar Foliage

Next, find a way to incorporate Greenery into your refreshment area. Whether you’re hosting a wet bar or a café, Greenery is incredibly flexible to your ambitions. Add a light, and frame your Greenery display for your guests. The idea, here, is to reinvigorate your event-goers. To do so, you’ll need to prioritize green backlighting, natural hues and—of course—a little foliage.

Option Three: Green Carpets and Tabletops

The Oscars nodded to their organization’s green initiatives via Global Green this year, and you should, too. By featuring earth-toned carpets and tabletops, you can create a centerfold dedicated to your initiative’s environmentally conservative side. More importantly: You’ll refresh event-goers as they disperse between booths, speeches and planning seminars. At the end of the day, you should want your patrons to socialize around any Greenery installations.

Option Four: Green Balloons and Ceiling Decorations

No, you don’t need an organic canopy to get the point across. You should, however, put your Greenery attribution somewhere high. Balloons, streamers and other green artistic creations are best served high and hanging. Toss in some silver, too, and blend in a little gold. Balloons and streamers might lack natural vines, but your interior landscape needn’t be completely natural. Besides, hanging plant-matter gets messy.

Option Five: Green and White Furnishings

Another Greenery-tie-in idea, green and white furnishings are exemplary additions to typically hard-cut lounge areas. Like the ceiling decorations, your furnishings should incorporate Greenery while maintaining a professional, clean vibe. Consider lighter shades, and work with pillows, drapes and small carpets.

While primarily promoting clean energy, restorative projects and environmental conservation, Greenery is an excellent indicator of ambition. Use the color wisely, and blend it into your event’s landscape with care. Your patrons will love the tilt—and your event, of course, will benefit from the natural twist on regularly conservative ideologies.

Event Marketing Trends: What to Watch for in 2017

Event marketing has come a long way. In 2016, marketers innovate constantly to offer unique, engaging displays. In recent years, a few trends have risen to the top—and decision makers are utilizing the world’s newest technology to create unprecedented initiatives. Check out these winning event marketing trends guaranteed to make a splash in 2017, and set your sights on creativity.

One: Event Sponsorship

In the past, event hosts and sponsors united with logos, branding partnerships and insight seminars. Now, intensive sponsorship opportunities highlight the relationship. Today’s experiential marketing platforms are expanding to event marketing initiatives, and both brands and hosts are joining hands to elevate sponsors. They’re boosting ROI while furthering symbolic partnerships. Unlike the symbolic partnerships of the past, however, these partnerships are highlighted, grown and promoted via intensive funding campaigns.

Two: Event Streaming

Live events are here, and they’re only getting better. Already, platforms like Facebook Live, Periscope and Meerkat are emerging to create next-level events. Hosting quality content at break-neck speeds, these platforms are advancing the world of seamless event presentations.

While live steaming is still being improved upon, it shows a lot of promise. Initiatives like Thursday Night Football, created by Twitter, reached 243,000 streamers. Audiences are being primed for real-time event broadcasts, and event marketing is next in line for the batter’s box.

Three: Augmented Reality Mobile Apps

You’ve probably heard about the much-touted augmented reality initiatives. AR, too, is still being worked on—but it’s gained a lot of ground in recent years. Brands are expected to experiment with augmented reality quite a bit in 2017, utilizing mobile platforms as jumping off points. If Pokémon Go is any evidence of AR’s capabilities, event marketers had better hustle to catch up. Already, brands are utilizing the iPhone’s visual overlay services to create scavenger hunts, product promotions and in-store sales events.

Four: Data Analytics

Big data is already a major marketing tool. In 2017, experts believe it’ll emerge in the event marketing world. Mobile event apps aren’t new, but in-event data gathering is still fresh. With mobile beacon technology, mobile polling, real-time surveys and social media mobile analysis available, decision makers have incredible resource power. State-of-the-art cloud computing services, too, are making headway in the event marketing world, giving event marketers total reign over gathered data to further entire marketing campaigns.

Advanced marketing automation is likely to boost many of 2017’s event marketing initiatives. Technology is growing at a rapid pace, and it’ll expand upon business opportunities as the Internet of Things grows. Big data, of course, is a leading factor. In any event, real-time services will probably frame leading event marketing initiatives. After all, who doesn’t like seamlessness?

Why Brands are Placing Value on Live Events

Live events have always been a valuable component of any marketing strategy. However, in the 21st century, the value for brands of hosting live events has grown exponentially. In a world where customers might interact primarily, or even entirely with a company, on-line, a live event might be the only chance that a brand has to impress a customer in a face to face interaction. Here's a quick look at how three brands are taking advantage of what live events have to offer.

1. Casper is a mattress company which Forbes called a mattress disruptor over the summer after it revealed it was on track to reach $200 million in sales. The company sells mattresses online, delivering them in a box. and because of reduced overhead, is able to offer prices that are greatly reduced from the traditional showroom model. However, if there was ever an industry in which consumers would desire an in-person shopping experience, the chance to check out the feeling of a mattress would be it. One way that Casper combats this is by offering a free 100 day return period. And the other method is to host live events. From a nationwide "Nap Tour" to events that combine rock climbing and free beer, these live events simultaneously serve to provide the traditional marketing value of live events, while also giving consumers an opportunity to experience the product.
2. Zappos, an on-line shoe retailer, is in a similar situation to Casper, in that it sells a product that consumers have a vested interest in being able to interact with before purchase. While at this point, consumers are much more accustomed to buying (and returning) shoes on-line than buying a mattress, the company still values the in-person interaction. Catherine Cook, the company's awareness marketing and public relations associate, puts it this way, "we love to get in front of our customers. We love to get that one-to-one connection; we call it the personal-emotional connection—really creating solid conversations and getting good feedback from our customers, and just talking to them because it’s not something we get to do often." In 2013, the company moved their headquarters from Henderson, Nevada to downtown Las Vegas, where they built the "Downtown Project." The innovative campus, which would be at home in Austin, Texas or Silicon Valley, features an area built from shipping containers, designed to host events, creating a community that serves as a model for the company throughout the country.
3. Tinder. While finding love on-line will always lead to in-person interactions when successful, that in-person interaction is between consumers, not directly with the company; the brand might play no role in that interaction. When using a dating service, people are engaging with a company on an intimate level, making themselves vulnerable, yet it's not unusual to have any direct interaction with that company outside of the digital world. By having live events, Tinder is creating a more direct relationship with users and as Josh Metz, the company's director of marketing, points out, "we like to keep the brand relevant and cool and it’s a great way to reach our target audience." One of Tinder's first advertising partners was Bud Light, and the campaign allowed users to "swipe right" in order to win the chance to attend Bud Light hosted live event parties, called "Whatever, USA."

If your company is looking for a venue for its own live event, check out Soho Studios in Miami, Florida. Our multiple event spaces are perfect for big events of various sizes, so you can be sure that you can fit a huge crowd inside. Whether you're planning one event or a multi-venue tour, make sure one of your stops is at Soho Studios!

What We Can Learn from LEGO's Quest2Ninjago Summer Tour

In early September, LEGO concluded its extremely successful Quest2Ninjago Summer Tour. The event presented children in seven markets the opportunity to compete in an "American Ninja Warrior" inspired obstacle course. The winning team from each market was flown to Legoland headquarters in San Diego to compete in the finale. The event was not a recruitment program, set on expanding the base or raising awareness, rather it was a campaign that rewarded and engaged existing fans of the two franchises, LEGO and Ninjago, which is also a cartoon and movie. From the success of the summer long, nation-wide event, there are several best practices that others can apply to kid-based marketing campaigns.

1. The Ease of Friendships for Kids Leads Them to Be Natural Influencers. Though the event was aimed at existing fans, the one thing kids love more than a really fun game or event, is bringing friends to that game or event, and then talking about that game or event before and after it has taken place. With an example like the tour's events course, the natural competition that it inspires also serves as its own form of publicity. When kids went home and bragged about their scores to friends, those same friends would soon come in to see how they would fare, and if they could beat the scores.
2. Include Something for All Ages. While the central challenge course was aimed at 7-12 year olds, the event planners understood the importance of including younger siblings. LEGOS wisely does not let the activation segment of the course go to waste, setting up 'free play zones' where children can play alone or with a parent. In the Quest2Ninjago Tour, this activation area served a dual purpose by being engineered to create a fun, hands-on play environment for young children of four or five years old.
3. Combine Large Scale Events with Internal Engagement. LEGO also set up the course's activation at their headquarters. There, instead of kids versus kids, the course was run with kids versus adults. This created a perfect opportunity to create and drive a broader LEGO message. Kai Witbeck, event marketing manager-brand relations at LEGO explains, "to see that interaction, it makes us think about bringing that socialization in our marketing, that LEGO isn’t just about playing upstairs in your room by yourself; you can involve your friends or parents and do a larger activity with them."

These are examples that you can use for planning your next experience. Our event venue offers a space that's perfect for company experience. Call us at Soho Studios and ask about our space.

Why MorningStar Farms Created the "Way to Veg" Sampling Tour

When you are a food company like MorningStar Farms, your main goal is to get people to try your vegetable based foods so they will know that healthy can taste good. Well, that’s exactly what they did this summer at the “Way to Veg” experiential marketing tour of the U.S.  Designed to engage current customers as well as to introduce their products to new ones, the “Way to Veg” marketing venture was a successful summer sampling tour loaded with good food, health information, and fun experiences. Experiential marketing, which can be described as a marketing message you can feel, touch, or view in a particular space, is seeing a rise in recent years. Companies and brand ambassadors are looking for fun and unique ways to engage consumers in hopes of making their brands stand out. MorningStar Farms hit a home run with their “Way to Veg” food truck tour and introduced people to a healthy and delicious option.

The marketing venture began in Telluride, Colorado in May at the Mountain Film Festival. The eye catching green, retrofitted MorningStar Farms branded Flying Cloud Airstream was on a mission. Fully equipped with a working kitchen, a freezer, and plenty of room to work, their goal was to set out on a summer sampling tour America would not soon forget!

“There’s a growing openness around eating veggie protein and the MorningStar Farms tour is designed to give people experiences grounded in the versatility and flavors of their food,” said director, brand and innovation marketing at Kellogg’s Frozen Veggie Foods Todd Smith. “The more the brand can provide opportunities for consumers to try recipes with MorningStar Farms veggie protein, the more approachable and accessible it feels to everyone.”

Owned by Kelloggs, the vegetable based brand MorningStar Farms created this interactive and informative experiential marketing tour to introduce folks to the brand itself and its delicious vegetable based food offerings like their Thai Curry Bowls, Veggie Burgers, and other healthy meals. The food truck experience allowed attendees to try delicious foods with a chef demonstration, participate in educational games, and even watch a trailer for their documentary series, “The Veg Effect,” that shows how consumers can easily incorporate more healthy vegetables into their daily diets.

The MorningStar Farms “Way to Veg” food truck offered a variety of experiences designed to introduce consumers to their products and engage them. Armed with a freezer filled with prizes and products, attendees learned that eating more vegetables was an easy and healthy alternative by dining on chef-prepared menu items, listening to MorningStar Farms brand ambassadors teach about “veggie cuisine”, and walking through a “Vegecation” game about vegetables and their value in our diets. Happy participants were awarded prizes to encourage healthy eating such as water bottles, vegetable peelers, and more.

The fun and informative summer tour that began in May in Colorado included stops at popular festivals throughout the United States and ended in September in Los Angeles.

The goal of the summer road tour by MorningStar Farms was to create a closer bond between the consumer and their healthy veggie brand by immersing the consumer in a fun and memorable experience. When this happens and folks have a positive experience, they are likely to associate those emotions with the MorningStar Farms brand, which is crucial to the success of the company.