How to find the Perfect Event Space

What makes a good event space for one event is potentially disastrous for another event. Various venues are suitable for different purposes. Can you imagine a religious convention in a place that serves alcohol? What about a business conference in a venue that hosts a football match? There are a number of factors to consider before making a decision on where to host an event. From location and amenities to capacity and budget, an event planner should have all these factors evaluated before deciding that a venue is perfect for the event.

Soho Studios is the premier event space in Miami that features 70,000 sq ft of trans-formative space for events. Be sure to connect with the team of experts at Soho Studios to help you plan your next event.

Amenities List Request

An event planner should ask for the amenities list from several facilities’ managers before settling on one venue to host his event. Most event organizers will require amenities such as disabled access, parking, proper accommodation, availability of catering services, rooms available among others. What is important here is to ensure that the amenities available at the venue suit the needs of the guests expected to attend the event. Finding the perfect event space may be a herculean task, but an event planner should not compromise more than 10% of his expectations of a venue where they intend to host a successful event.

Actual Visitation of the Venue

Before you confirm the venue as suitable for your event, you should to make an actual physical visitation. Most people will say their facilities are fit for human habitation but it is important to confirm in person that there are no issues with the venue, such as unkempt grounds, poor plumbing, limited available restrooms, and other small issues that are cannot be determined without a visit to the venue. Make sure that all your venue requirements are in order before you commit your money and success of your event to the venue.

Catering

If the facility has in-house catering services, how efficient are they? What is the menu on offer? Is the menu appropriate for your guests? If the facility does offer catering services, can they recommend a solution? Are there restaurants near by that would work? Is the food in the restaurant within the realm of your budget?  These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself as far as your event attendant’s daily food rations are concerned. Find the perfect event space for your event in terms of catering.

Budget

One of the cardinal rules in business is to stay within your budget no matter what. However, this rule may not be very friendly to event organizers. Your budget maybe too small that affording decent event space may be out of your reach. You are better off not hosting an event, than hosting an event in a shabby facility. True, your targeted market may not be well off or might not mind, but this directly reflects on your ability to sponsor decent events. Finding the perfect event space should be a priority for any event organizer. Anything short of this looks, at best, unprofessional.

Event Promotion

Event Promotion

All the efforts into event planning will be useless if the targeted market does not attend the event. This brings in a concept called event promotion. Promoting an event is making the people that are targeted by the event organizers not only to attend, but also to want to attend. Over the years event organizers have come up with ideas that have not only made their events successful, but also memorable.

There have been panel discussions at Winter Music Conference by leaders in the IDM music industry and concert promotion offering their experience in event promotion.

Here are some ideas to get you going…

Be Concise in the Advertisement Media

You probably have been given a flyer of an event at one point in your life. How much of the information do you read? A paragraph utmost? This is precisely why your advertisement media should be brief and clear. You must communicate what you want to pass on in your event promotion material within the first sentence.

Promotion Transfers

This is like the student exchange program, only this time it is with the media stations such as TVs and radios. What happens here is that you promise to promote them on your flyers if they slot in an ad of your event in their programs. Remember radios and TVs have a very wide reach to targeted people. Actually, they are the best form of event promotion there is today.

Social Media

This is the newest method of event promotion. A good example will be opening a page on Facebook for your event, link it with your website and other social media platforms such as twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. Social media has a very wide reach. If you are able to market your event well on social media, it will be an instant success. You can give discounted tickets to people that like your event page on Facebook.

Concentrate on your Target Audience

Do not waste a lot of the resources allocated to the event promotion budget on people who may not attend your event. The industry standard is spending 70% of your event promotion budget on the target audience. If you are promoting a religious convention, concentrate on Christian media and websites to get the message across. Promoting the event in sports websites is counterproductive…you get the drift.

Get your Facts Right

There is nothing that has a devastating effect on events’ attendance like a sudden change of venue or participants. If your promotion material says person ‘X’ will be addressing the meeting or band ‘Y’ will be performing or the event will take place at venue ‘A’, please let these facts be right. A sudden change of the facts as per your event promotion material will make your event look disorganized. People like being associated with events that are properly organized. Do your best to keep your word as shown in your event promotion material. This industry is built on reputation and if yours is good, you will find organizing and promoting events an easy task.

Prepare for any Eventuality

It is expected that things will not go as expected in major events. As an events promoter, you should be prepared for these eventualities with an alternative program. You should have a plan A, B, and C for any event that you are promoting.

How Experiential Marketing Can Amp Your Company's Brand

Consumers have become wiser and fussier than ever, thus becoming a huge challenge for marketers and advertisers. This is where experiential marketing comes into the picture. This is based on the idea that loyalty originates from face-to-face interactions.

Watch Video - Ocean Spray's Cranberry Bogs

If you are planning to venture into experiential marketing in Florida, you should hold your next event at Soho Studios. This is the perfect place for venues in Miami and nearby areas that aim to bring brands to life using non-traditional advertising methods. As a part of the business world, special marketing techniques can help you grow your brand such as what happened with Ocean Spray:

In experiential marketing, you go out of the box. Ocean Spray recalls that cranberries are mainly used to offset flavorful dishes during Thanksgiving dinners. After that, the cranberries are often forgotten except as juice. Ocean Spray has created a story that engaged the audience and captured their attention even though it was just about the cranberries.

Experiential marketing is about garnering buzz and attention. Ocean Spray not just caught attention with their cranberry story but they topped everything off by building a cranberry bog in New York. You can incorporate absurdity and stunts you’re your own marketing which can include flash mobs and theatrical accounts will amuse the crowd. Soho Studios has 70,000 square feet as event space Miami – more than enough to hold a huge crowd and your surprising number.

If you have watched any of the viral videos of Ocean Spray such as this, you will find that they effectively encourage you to watch them several times. They fit the definition of viral videos from Wikipedia as they explode with entertainment value.

Whether you intend to bring out professional actors, awe-inspiring costumes, or use the same strategy as Ocean Spray, you need the right platform for your event. Consider Soho Studios where big events in Florida get the audience talking about the surroundings and of course, your brand.

Lego's Augmented Reality: Story Builder & Experiential Marketing

Brick by Brick: The App Welcome to a new era of play, dominated by phone, tablet and even computer applications. What happened to the good old days when toys didn't require a battery recharge?

Watch Video -  Lego’s Augmented Reality

Enter Lego Story Builder, an augmented reality application. It fuses the worlds of offline and online entertainment, encouraging children to use their imagination at every level. The app integrates physical creativity by allowing users to take pictures of their Lego creations, which then develop into a digital story. By building AR codes, each picture becomes an interactive animation. When a child adds or moves bricks on their screen, the story takes a new direction; they can also add characters as they see fit or based on the app's suggestions.

By combining traditional product use with modern technology, Lego blocks transform from a classic toy into a journey of changing possibilities. In children, the experience inspires imagination and improves problem-solving skills. For parents, this offers a solution to the societal shift in interests. So how does this benefit Lego? It cultivates a strong brand image and lasting brand loyalty.

Block by Block: Experiential Marketing

From a marketing perspective, Story Builder is a brilliant addition to Lego. The app offers a positive and engaging brand experience that goes far beyond the product itself – a strategy known as experiential marketing (XM).

At its essence, XM brings a brand to life. Today’s evolving consumer needs to feel a stronger connection than static advertising can provide. XM caters to the senses while providing education about a product or service, giving your organization an edge over the competition.

Looking to schedule marketing events in Miami? Take the next step by booking your XM event at Soho Studios, a premier venue in Miami.

BBC's Augmented Reality and Polar Bears--Experiential Marketing in Action

Few companies or organizations have leveraged augmented reality events as effectively as the BBC did during the promotion of its Frozen Planet Blu-ray/DVD release. Working together with Appshaker, the BBC created a virtual experience which allowed those at the event to stand amongst player bears, dolphins, polar bears, seals, and other wildlife. The event demonstrated a highly impressive application of experiential marketing, one of the most valuable and underused tactics in the marketing game.

Watch Video - BBC'S Frozen Planet

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, that's alright; it's really quite simple. Experiential marketing engages consumers in as many ways as possible: intellectually, physically, and emotionally. If you're familiar with advanced teaching and memorization methods such as full-brain learning, active learning, or the method of loci, you might see the benefits. In essence, experiential marketing associates a product or brand with as many forms of memory as possible; by engaging with gestures, emotions, and logical thoughts an event, website, or advertisement can generate a much stronger impression.

The BBC pulled this off perfectly. The highly-realistic, interactive environment generated by the Appshaker team grabbed visitors and didn't let them go. They also took advantage of onlookers at the event and abroad, engaging their imaginations and giving them something interesting to talk about; polar bears may be a bit interesting, but polar bears and augmented reality will catch anyone's attention.

Of course, not every company has access to the kind of resources the BBC does, but the basics of experiential marketing work in many different contexts. On the simplest level, any method of mentally or physically engaging the consumer works. A print ad using vivid colors and imagery and implementing textures, smells, or puzzles can make an impact. A website with a high-tech interface, a banner ad with a built-in game, the possibilities are endless. A physical event will always trump the others, though, thanks to the strength of physical memory.

If you're planning any experiential events in Miami, you need an excellent location if you want your visitors wowed. Based in the Wynwood District, Soho Studios' 65,000 square foot event space and convention center is one of the best venues in Miami—ideal for any company or organization looking for a new way to market.

Dewars Hub at TED

For those not familiar, TED is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of ideas worth spreading. The Dewars Hub at TED combined the experience of the real world with those being presented at the TED conference. The Dewars Hub was created by interactive directors Hellicar & Lewis, with help from Nexus Interactive Arts. You can see a short video of the results of the collaboration. The Dewars Hub is an excellent example of the use of experiential marketing.

The Power of Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing draws consumer and product closer together through some sort of experience. In the case of the Dewars Hub, The Dewars brand benefits in its association with this smart, thought provoking display. These are the type of associations marketers are seeking to better brand products in the minds of consumers. The Dewars Hub also is a good example of how experiential marketing can work in a like-minded arena such as at a conference, convention, or meeting.

Events in Miami

Event season in Miami is November through March each year. This is when the city is transformed by a variety of events and festivals like Art Basel Wynwood. It is also the season of meetings and conventions. If you would like to take advantage of the experiential marketing opportunities that venues in Miami can present, you should consider Soho Studios. Soho is over 65,000 square feet of versatile event space Miami counts on for a variety of activities. It is premier space in the trendy Wynwood district, not far from Miami’s world famous South Beach. It can be the perfect space for your experiential marketing project.

Contact us as Soho Studios. We can offer assistance with your project or event or can simply lease you space. Our creative, professional team has worked with brands like Evian, Ford, Absolut, Puma and more. We recognize the importance of confidentiality and privacy. Let’s discuss what we can do for you.

World's Largest Congo Line on Miami Beach

More and more marketing agencies today are utilizing experiential marketing as part of their client’s overall marketing plans. Experiential is marketing that consumers “experience”. Rather than traditional marketing that demonstrates a product or projects images about how consumers should feel about a product, experiential marketing is hands-on. It gives potential customers an opportunity to interact and leave feeling good about the product. It works because it builds a bond between the brand and the consumer that can be extremely powerful. Venues in Miami are becoming a popular place for many experiential marketing efforts, including one for Evian water.

South Beach was the setting for the brand’s efforts to set a record for the world’s longest roller skating conga line. The conga line was part of Evian’s “Live Young, Skate On!” event at Collins Park. Participants were treated to amusing T-Shirts, creative skate dancing, a photo booth, colorful skates, an appearance by actress Gabrielle Union, and of course lots of Evian water. The event was a perfect combination of beach, water, sunshine, and experiential marketing. When it was all said and done, 197 people participated in the event, and as you will see from this YouTube video, they were exactly the people Evian is targeting. They were successful, by the way, in setting the record.

More and more experiential marketing events in Florida are taking place. If you are looking for a great locale and venues in Miami that may be suitable, contact us at Soho Studios. In the trendy Wynwood District, Soho Studios has 65,000 square feet of versatile event space Miami has used for fashion shows, Art Basel Wynwood, and South Florida's hottest parties. Our clients have included Ford Motor, Puma, Absolut, American Apparel and yes, Evian. Miami’s event season is November through March, so let Soho Studios help you take advantage of the crowds. Contact us today and let us talk about the opportunities that await you at Miami's premier event space, Soho Studios.

Interactive Holograms and Marketing

What is Experiential Marketing? Simply put, it gets the consumer off the sidelines and puts him or her into the game by offering interactive experiences. When throwing events in Florida or holding venues in Miami, experiential marketing is a necessity. If you don't use it to attract and engage your customers, your competition will. Make sure the brand or event you are marketing leaves a lasting impression with consumers.

How Does Experiential Marketing Benefit You?

GE's GEnx Large-Scale Interactive Hologram Experience is an example of experiential marketing. This is a fun, interactive system that makes sure your customers remember you in the days and months after the event.

Everybody has seen a 3D hologram on but they are yet to be common to the general public. How would your customers and guests feel to stand in the middle of an interactive hologram of a jet engine while it is assembled? The parts float above the participants' heads so they are able to pluck them from the air to assemble the jet engine with holographic parts.

Your competitors may have gimmicks, tokens and memorabilia but you will be able to send your customers and guests away with an experience they will never forget. With one interactive experience, you can brand your name in their minds and hearts forever.

Stiff Competition

Miami is the home of Miami Fashion Week and Art Basel Wynwood. Along with these world-famous events, the filming of television shows and movies are held in Miami on a regular basis. It is also the place for events held by such well-known names as Evian, Ford and Absolut. An interactive hologram is the perfect branding tool to help you stand out for photography studio Miami, party venues Miami and event space Miami social events.

If you want to stand out, you can't use just any marketing strategy. You need GE's GEnx Large-Scale Interactive Hologram Experience.

Experiential Marketing & Running with Ryan Hall

Racing ahead of the competition in marketing takes a skill set of multiple strengths. As one of the hottest venues in Miami, Soho Studios is one of your greatest assets. Providing a power play with the venue of your events in Florida, you can create a lasting, memorable experience that has solid marketing stamina. Just consider the New York Marathon advertising opp featuring America's great Olympic marathon runner Ryan Hall.

Vitro and ASICS: Mock Marathon in Subway Station

ASICS created a one of a kind experience that combined an adrenaline pumping activity with an unlikely atmosphere. Like many of the party venues Miami and Soho Studios offers, Vitro placed an interactive exhibit via ASICS along the hallway of the Columbus Circle subway in New York City. This marketing maneuver allowed the marketing company to advertise the New York City Marathon in an unlikely arena—an indoor venue. Along the length of a wall, a video playing Hall at marathon speed allowed passersby to “race” with Hall. In addition to showing how fast this Olympian runs in marathons, it provided a rush of enthusiasm for the upcoming NYC Marathon.

By combining the targeted audience with activity, a marketing campaign becomes as potent as a dynamic duo. Additionally, in using an indoor venue, such as those venues in Miami that include Soho Studios, you can interact with a more diverse audience. As the leader in the indoor event space Miami takes advantage of its premium location and audience, while providing a highly sought after respite from the hot climate.

If you are interested in finding a host for your next event, Soho Studios is where its at for events in Florida. Let your imagination run wild as you plan your next music, art, sports, fashion or beverage—just to name a few—marketing event. Located in the Wynwood District of Miami, FL, the Soho Studios is a 65,000 sq. ft. space that offers an unlimited option for event planners. Whether you are planning to launch your fashion line at Miami Fashion Week or you need to use a professional photography studio Miami and Soho Studios is the destination of the stars.

Facebook Checkin - A buzz worthy boost for venues in Miami

With over 1.1 billion active users, representing an increase in excess of 23 percent in the last year alone, and over 150 billion (yes, you read that right) friend connections, Facebook is THE social network. What do these numbers say, aside from suggesting how great it would have been for your bank account had you personally invented the social networking giant? In short, these staggering statistics suggest that if we're not harnessing the massive power of Facebook to increase attendance at our events, we are missing a major opportunity to promote and grow our businesses and brands.

Savvy event marketers consistently use Facebook to generate event awareness, drive registration and increase ticket sales through the creation of well-marketed Events pages. However, recent changes to Facebook now allow attendees to "Check In" live to events in Florida and all over the world, in the same way that they would to a physical place or venue on other social networking platforms. The result is exponential visibility: not only does an attendee's entire social network see the initial RSVP, but they also are reminded through the real-time check in that key events are happening right now at venues in Miami, and there's still time for them to get in on the action.

By encouraging your attendees to check in on Facebook during the registration process, you maximize the visibility of event spaces in Miami with minimal input and expense at your end. Users can also check in to the event location through Facebook's "Places" feature, which throws some high-profile attention in the direction of the venue hosting your event, as well.

If you're not using Facebook to promote your event--both through event RSVPs and check ins--you're missing out a major source of buzz. And as we all know in the world of event planning and venues, without buzz, you're bunk.