How to: Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Event Planning

---

How To: Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Event Planning

Holidays are great event occasions. Sometimes, however, the holiday cheer gets in the way. If you’re planning a holiday-centric business event, make sure you’re packing in the essential ingredients. Also, avoid the pitfalls associated with holiday meet-ups.

Soho Studios has the resources you need to make an awesome holiday event. If you need room, need ideas and need a good host, we’re here to help. Before you settle on a location, though, check out these holiday event do’s and don’ts.

Do Have Good Timing

Holiday ads, event invites and shout-outs during late summer can annoy customers. The Christmas creep exists, but it isn’t going away. Target the holiday’s early birds, sure, but don’t blast them with event reminders when it’s too early. Maximize the November weeks. If you’re planning a summer event, don’t give notice two months before the actual event.

Do Use Technology Benefits

Connect to users via mobile. If you’re hopping on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday train, offer discounts at your event. Make technology an integral part of your business’s meetup, and give customers mobile-exclusive access to discounts, promotions and rare opportunities. If you can, integrate virtual reality and augmented reality.

Do Offer Entertainment and Refreshments

It’s a holiday, after all. Your brand’s biggest fans have things to do. They’re going to other parties. If you’re going to create a holiday-centric event, give event-goers a way to let loose. They’ll be enticed by a branded event which offers live entertainment, drinks and a place to party. As a rule of thumb: Offer shuttle rides, unique drink offers and food.

Don’t Plan Over a Big Weekend

The holidays are packed with traffic, bustling shoppers and busy families. If you want your event to take off, make sure it’s in the average eventgoer’s “free spots.” If possible, avoid Friday and Saturday nights. Plan to kick off the event before the holiday’s date and give customers easy access to your location.

Don’t Forget Social Media

Too many brands forget about the power of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social media sites are buzzing with activity over the holidays. Work is cut short, school is out and newsfeeds are watched closely. If you leave out the social media angle, you’ll miss a huge opportunity. Help customers connect, and make social media networking a big part of your holiday event.

Don’t Push Your Products

If you’re creating an event around Thanksgiving or Christmas, you shouldn’t make your brand’s products or services the main focus. It’s a time for celebration. Connect with consumers. Offer live demos, sure, but don’t make money the event’s main focus. If you do, eventgoers will get the wrong impression. During the holidays, a lot of brands advertise to make a profit. If you want to stand out, you’ll need to take the higher ground.

Make sure your vent has unique highlights, and promote its success on social media. Good event planning exists before, during and after an event. To resonate with your customers, you’ll need to educate yourself on their social media activity, favorite engagement strategies and personal preferences. More than ever, your brand will need to appeal to its audience with laser precision.

Make your campaign powerful. Zero in on your audience. Contact us today, and check out our event availability. Between great rates, holiday hosting opportunities and great planning options, Soho Studios is the place to settle in during the holidays. We’re brimming with ideas, and we can make sure your brand’s holiday is a cheerful one. Exceptional events aren’t born overnight. They require time, a knack for fun and some holiday cheer to work. So, stop on by! We’re ready to party.

How the find the Perfect Brand Ambassador for your Next Experiential Event

---

How the find the Perfect Brand Ambassadors for your Next Experiential Event

When it comes to live events, brand ambassadors matter. Your brand is passionate about people, experiences and its partnerships. Whether you’re focusing on event staffing, external promotion or engagement strategies, you’re better off connecting to the industry’s leading minds. Before planning your event, you should figure out the “who’s who” of brand ambassador networking. Check out our brand ambassador tips below.

Tip One: Gather Data During Product Demonstrations

During your brand’s events, conduct product samples. Use booths, feedback, product advertisement and an online portal to garner data. Then, combine the data into an ambassador outreach initiative. Your best ambassadors are dedicated customers. More importantly: They’re dedicated customers who’ve engaged your products and services deeply.

Tip Two: Prioritize Character

Your brand’s ambassadors should be well-connected, but they should also have good character. Personality needs to be in the equation, and it needs to supplement your brand’s best face. It might sound superficial, but an ambassador’s presence at an experiential event needs to be a positive one. Is your potential ambassador well-liked? How much influence do they have? Connect with the industry’s hottest talent, and focus on ambassadors customers take seriously.

Tip Three: Use Social Media as a Tool

Next, you should boost your ambassador’s presence on social media. Potential clients and customers are social, and they’ll flock to a prevalent social media figure who’s representing your brand in style. In 2017, social media interaction is vital. To avoid any misconceptions, the spread of false information and even false promotion starts, craft a social media marketing campaign with your ambassador in mind. Even if they’re physically present at your event, they’ll need to appear on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to properly connect with consumers. Promotion doesn't end at an experiential event, and the best events keep attendees immersed in the digital world. 

Tip Four: Connect with a Performer

Experiential events, at the end of the day, are about experiences. Your brand’s ambassador shouldn’t only represent you—they should represent your brand’s ability to showcase products, engage its fans and supply high-energy environments. On some level, your ambassador should be a performer. Even if they’re not famous, an entertainer can be a fantastic ambassador. Find a musician, an artist or a moving speaker. Discuss your brand with them, and connect with their self-promotion strategies. Famous stars have worked as brand ambassadors in the past. A lot of them work for endorsements, too.

Tip Five: Take Them Out to Dinner

Are you browsing a healthy list of potentials? Take them out to dinner. Have a few drinks! No, it isn’t too casual. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to determine who’s personable and who isn’t. Modern experiential events prioritize consumer engagement. Today’s live marketing events focus on blowing past age-old, impersonal business strategies. In general, your brand ambassador needs to be empathetic, positive and engaging. Their ability to connect in a casual event matters. In many ways, an informal meeting’s utility surpasses the utility provided by an office.

So, who’s your brand’s next ambassador? Check out Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. See who’s trending. Work a promotional campaign, and gather some data. Gather the industry’s hottest minds, and hit the restaurants. Once you’ve narrowed the list down, craft a solid marketing campaign. The world of experiential marketing is huge, and it’s best traveled with a brand ambassador at your side. Good luck out there.  

What Boozy and Sweet Culinary Creations are Trending in Experiential Events

---

What Booze and Desserts are Trending in Experiential Events

If you love a great adult beverage and a yummy dessert, you will definitely be excited about the new trends and sweet treats marketers of experiential events are dishing up that include both! Lucky attendees are swooning over the new boozy event fare that tempts them to taste this magical fusion of their favorite desserts and cocktails.

While alcohol-infused desserts have been around for a while in classic desserts such as decadent Tiramisu and the ever-popular Bananas Foster, some new creations have been seen in trendy restaurants over the past couple of years in the form of cakes, puddings, ice cream and more. This fun combination is so popular, it is now making its way to experiential marketing events and attendees are eating it up!

If you are looking for an amazing way to get attention for your next 21 and up experiential marketing event, check out these new ideas centered around fun and trending boozy desserts that are stealing the show and creating quite a buzz (Pun intended!) at recent experiential marketing events. What a fun and unique way to get the party started and get the attention of some new customers in the process.

Trending Boozy and Sweet Culinary Creations for Experiential Events

• Liquor Infused Ice Cream - Everybody loves ice cream and this new alcohol infused ice cream has event- goers eating it faster than it can melt. There are a variety of new companies specializing in these spiked ice creams that offer it in many delicious flavors from Vanilla Bourbon and Coconut Rum to Irish Cream and Vodka Key Lime Pie.
• Drunken Cupcakes - Cupcakes have always been a staple for any kind of party or event. Alcohol infused cupcakes kick this favorite treat up a notch and get the immediate attention of attendees. Popular concoctions include Chocolate Hennessy, Margarita, Pina Colada, Lemon Drop, White Russian, and more!
• Wine Infused Fudge - Recent culinary trends show that nothing goes better together than wine and chocolate. Many wineries have started to merge the two amazing flavors into an extraordinary treat. Fudge infused wine is growing in popularity. In fact, Alto Vineyards in Illinois indicates that their port wine infused fudge is one of their top sellers.
• Boozy Milkshakes – The perfect combination of sweet and spiked, adult milkshakes are a huge hit at experiential events. The long-time favorite treat is a great way to create a buzz around a product or as a unique catering detail to wow crowds. 
• Spiked Cakes and Pies – Get the attention at your next event with a vodka infused cake or a whiskey laden pie that is sure to please. From golden rum cake to chocolate bourbon pecan pie to Irish coffee cheesecake, spiked cakes and pies speak to everyone! There is simply nothing like taking your favorite cocktail and making it into a delicious cake or pie to star in your event.
• WineSicles – Sure to be a crowd pleaser, frozen wine popsicle treats, known in the food world as ‘WineSicles’ are very popular, especially with wine connoisseurs who are always looking for something new.  These make a great marketing tool and will definitely get folks taking about your event.

How the Pros Do It

Patrón Tequila Goodies

As one would expect, the team at Patrón knows exactly how to throw an alcohol infused attention getting event. Recent marketing efforts include experiential events that add a little sweetness to their premium tequila by using it in a variety of delicious and intoxicating dessert offerings.

The Patrón team recently presented the crowds with incredible Patrón Tequila infused truffles and Mocha Patrón XO Café Macaroons. The folks at Patrón are taking this new tend to heart and have even teamed up with a chocolatier to invent creative new ways to combine their tequila with dessert options. They also offered Silver Patrón infused popsicles and new “Muddle Your Mojito” bars where attendees choose their favorite fruit and muddle (smash) them while a bartender helps them mix the fruit and liquor to create their own personal sweet and fruity concoction. As a take-away, guests were given the muddler, which they could have custom engraved to their liking.

How Wholly Guacamole Reached its Target Audience Through Pop Up Tours

---

How Wholly Guacamole Reached its Target Audience Through Pop Up Tours

Wholly Guacamole is a big fan of the pop-up tour concept, and this year, it held yet another tour to draw people to its brand and experience. This year's tour moved away from last year's focus on music festivals and instead focused on the brand's core consumers, who are women in the 30-40 age range.

At each site in this year's tour, Wholly Guacamole offered dishes with a range of custom toppings available. The company also provided special "taste of" recipes that were customized to capture the local flavor of each city. This, however, was just the start of the experience for participants. Inside each pop-up location, attendees found updated versions of old games, such as a giant Jenga set, Connect Four, and other favorites chosen to appeal to the company's target audience.

Games of this nature emphasize guacamole's prominent presence at parties among 30-40-year-old women. By having them at the pop-up locations, Wholly Guacamole cements this connection and helps to ensure that people will remember their brand in particular when it comes time to buy some for a gathering.

While the games that were chosen are all of the physical variety, Wholly Guacamole certainly didn't forget about the modern wonder that is social media. It set up vending machines that dispensed giveaways when people entered a code. These giveaways were better than the average, and included water bottles, bandannas, and socks. The code to use was obtained by tweeting special hashtags along with a comment about the event. This gave people a direct incentive to spread the company's message.

Some activities were used only in particular markets. This allowed the company to really "wow" each market instead of giving everyone a totally generic experience. Some customizations included the availability of avocado facials, jewelry making, screen-printed T-shirts, and more. The company says that these offerings were unified by an underlying theme of health, beauty, and working out.

This year's kiosks, or "activations" as the company called them, were also meant to tie into the "guac bar scene" that has been on the rise in recent years. By doing so, the company positions itself as keeping up with the times even as it calls to mind the less-hip imagery of playing analogue games with groups of women in their 30s and 40s. This is important because it allows Wholly Guacamole to aim for this target audience without turning off younger people in the process.

One of the keys to a successful pop-up tour is choosing the right cities and venues for your event. Miami is always a good place to have a stop – its hip, multicultural environment spans several generations and includes a wide variety of interests. Once there, make sure to choose Soho Studios as your venue. We have two outdoor pavilions, and the weather here is suitable for using them all year round.

We also have up to 70,000 square feet of indoor space available for your event. It can be customized to meet your needs, not only for size, but for decorations and sets as well. This ensures that you can create the exact experience needed to promote your brand's image as well as your products. Just give us a call to reserve space indoors, outside, or a combination of the two.

When A Photo Booth and Fujifilm Birthed an Epic Event

---

When A Photo Booth and Fujifilm Birthed an Epic Event

Well known for its photographers, mini-workshops and knowledge-sharing expos, Fujifilm is at it again. This time, they’ve hosted a two-day photo booth event to showcase its newest gadget adoptions, photo op opportunities and slew of creative screens, filters and talent.

Fujifilm invited an audience to try out its all-new, instant-digital camera. As if it wasn’t enough, the company created a photo-friendly playland to display the product across various high-energy environments. The immersive event highlighted the new camera’s capabilities, giving event-goers the chance to snap their own art.

Bathouse Studios and a Hybrid Event

On May 17, Fujifilm hung out at Bathouse Studios, inviting influencers and guests alike. The event featured the Instax Square SQ10, a hybrid camera made famous for its instant-digital design. The camera was set up in several screen-centric booths, and attendees were invited to try out its many filter options. As a bonus, operators could edit their photos, share them and print them;

The engaging environment was inspired by the recent popularity of instant-square photography. It was also established to prod customer imaginations. Performing at the event, pop band AJR created an emotionally heavy environment to supplement the event. Influential foodies were later granted entrance to an exclusive brunch hosted by Fujifilm partner, Tasting Table. Bathouse Studios opened the floor for a three-course-meal, an expansive menu and a hands-on food photography class. The workshop, of course, featured the Instax Square SQ10.

A Public Activation for Exclusive Options

The Fujifilm way of handling a product release was unique. Known for its top-tier B-to-B marketing events, the brand has produced a number of popular events in the past year. Its recent Instax line’s success can be attributed to the product’s capabilities alone, but the brand’s willingness to connect to its audience can’t be ignored.

The activation was open to the public. Over 500 visitors and guests arrived, exploring the brand’s products and services across two days. Fujifilm reached its target audience and more, connecting with its audience at the individual level. Fans explored the event’s double-floor design, enjoying a mirror maze, lounging at the event’s secret bar and sipping on signature cocktails.

Social Media Outreach

Meanwhile, Fujifilm hooked up with Jackie Gebel to use the @noleftovers name in a social media marketing movement. Alongside chef Branden McHale, Gebel gave event-goers the opportunity to reach friends and family by sharing event photos on social media.

The New York event was huge, and it was Fujifilm’s final destination in its multi-city launch party series. It hit Berlin, Tokyo and a slew of others. Expected to travel across the United States in upcoming months, Fujifilm’s event hasn’t slowed down at all. New locations have always inspired new photographic urges, and Fujifilm’s recent focus on the public is certainly a step in the right direction.

Fujifilm’s fan dedication was also evident in February, when it hosted FijuLove LIVE. Guests were invited from around the nation to explore the art of photograpy. Featuring artists like Elia Locardi, Valerie Jardin and Karen Hutton, FujiFilm LIVE was a fantastic kick-start to the brand’s eventual fanbase exploration. Fujifilm has a reputation for educating, presenting to and sharing work with its audience. Likely, we’ll see much more from Fujifilm in this department. For now, however, let’s appreciate their recent campaign for what it was: a pretty swell time.

How to use Photo Printing Backpacks for your Next Experiential Event

---

How to use Photo Printing Backpacks for your Next Experiential Event

Marketing tech firm, M-ND, connected with the B Positive Foundation, expanding nonprofit support into the baseball stadium. Their photo-printing backpacks were a huge hit, heightening much-needed awareness of kids with cancer. The technology which regularly promotes social media pictures is wide-ranging and varied, but a hashtag, a little organization and trending technology goes a long way.

The #BePosNYC Movement

On August 8, Texas Rangers attendees were invited to engage the B Positive Foundation campaign via social media, promoting the #BePosNYC hashtag via backpack screens. The screens, designed to display real-time picture updates, were directly connected to the campaign’s photo print awareness plan. Attendees posting game photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram could use the #BePosNYC hashtag, both raising awareness for the event while connecting with other baseball fans.

The Andrew McDonough B Positive Foundation has conducted similar events in the past. Their slogan, “Kids Helping Kids Fight Cancer,” has historically been a useful tag for humanistic ventures. Recently being used at City Field, the slogan headlined their movement for young cancer patients as well as their supporters. Attendees who weren’t part of the event, meanwhile, were invited to print event photos at home.

M-ND and B Positive

M-ND has plans to work alongside B Positive in the future. A donation-by-text campaign is, reportedly, in the works. Focusing on raising funds for charity, M-ND will likely take advantage of new opportunities with B Positive. Creating a unique experience for event attendees is difficult. Often, promoting interactive designs capable of garnering attention is met with technological barriers and audience-reaching difficulties. The partnership worked, however. It worked splendidly.

The B Positive Foundation has assisted thousands of United States families treated in over 200 hospitals. Intending to alleviate the financial burdens of ongoing healthcare, the foundation continues to grow. Many B Positive initiatives have offered research grand cycle options, too. On every level, the Foundation promotes the study of cutting-edge childhood cancer research. In the past, the Foundation has supported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical Center.

Where Experiential Marketing and Proactive Care Meet

Both groups are assisted by some national childhood cancer collaborations, too. While childhood cancer charities may not be directly connected with events conducive to funds, they’re well-connected to communities. This presents an interesting angle for groups breaking into the experiential marketing world. Nonprofits have had historically tough breaks, fund-wise, in the experiential marketing world. Numbers change, however, when mass audiences are met.

Advocacy via social media, here, is a great takeaway. The B Positive Foundation and M-ND proved individual-level digital promotion works. Photos taken at the game served as memorabilia for those who were part of the foundation, raising awareness for both the foundation and its few causes. Mets colors were used, making the event highly personal. Curated social media photos are influential when aligned with an event’s overall theme. If you’ve ever wondered what a successful nonprofit social media marketing campaign looks like, look no further than the B Positive Foundation’s addition to the baseball diamond.

How the Event Pros Are Designing Over-the-Top TV Premieres

---

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?

Why Sharing Post Event Photos Can Boost Engagement

To have a stand-out event, you need to keep attendees engaged before, during and after. Taking photos during your event can boost post-event engagement. Sometimes, however, organizing a marketable and photogenic event is half the battle. If you can share event photos, however, you can ensure top-quality engagement strategies and long-term success. Below, we’re covering the ins and outs of post event photos—straight from the inside of events, themselves.

Photos and Social Media Engagement

A March 2014 research project published through eMarketer recorded a 75-percent roundup of all content posted across worldwide Facebook pages. From the social media user’s perspective, photos are one of the most engaging content types in social media. Boasting an 87-percent interaction rate for fans, photos receive a majority of attention.

Social media and experiential events go hand in hand. Consumers want to be recognized—and so does your brand. To share photos which’ll interest your target audience, you’ll need events worth capturing. Because today’s Newsfeed is laden with random pictures, advertisements and profile updates, a little excitement can go a long way.

High-Quality Photos Stick Out

The key, here, is to offer exciting photo opportunities. By posting photos reflective of your event’s greater aspects, you can highlight your brand’s attention to detail. Plus, you’ll show Facebook-lovers why your business was born to be remembered.

Event photos needn’t be entirely under your control, either. Fan engagement is worth a thousand words, alone, and “caption this” photos can directly increase engagement while holding true to your brand’s image. Post funny post-event pictures, and ask fans to create cool, or funny, captions. Avoid selfies when possible, and hire a visual content creator or designer to engage your social media team.

Crossing into the Twitter World

Social media users engage differently with every tweet. That said, adding a photo to a tweet URL can boost retweet power by as much as 35 percent. Like Facebook, Twitter engagement is powered by visual media. You’ll need to tag event-goers, sure, but Twitter’s tagging mechanics allow for a 10-person tag. You can additionally share up to four photos per tweet. It’s a new Twitter feature, but it’s a powerful one nonetheless.

Shares and Engagement

Social media, for some, is the Wild West of marketing. Comments and shares have surpassed likes on Facebook, in terms of importance. Brand engagement is at an all-time high, and Facebook comments are steadily increasing in number every year. On the flip-side, likes are decreasing in importance.

Fan comments and shares result in engagement. So, you’ll need comments and shares to influence ongoing visibility. Fortunately, Facebook event and business pages are conducive to shares and comments. Engagement begins in the social media world, but it ends with cross-channel brand marketing. Just make sure you’re replying to all fan comments.

As a takeaway: Post your event photos on a Friday. Friday is the social media world’s highest engagement day, and it’ll spike fan attention if it’s used to your advantage. The visual promotion trend is much more than a trend. It’s a cornerstone of modern marketing.

How to Know if Your Brand is Ready for a Pop Up Event

If your brand is like most brands, timing is key. In the business world, pop-up events aren’t used every day—and for good reason. They’re tough to advertise, tough to maintain and very tough to make effective. Experiential marketing of any type gives a brand opportunities to engage with the public. Unlike traditional advertising campaigns, experiential marketing campaigns rely on timing, a good eye and motivating features to succeed.

So, is your brand ready for a pop-up event? We’re about to break it down for you.

Are Your Goals Defined?

Before starting a pop-up campaign, you should nail down your goals. Consider your key messages, and make sure you can measure results. The only way to measure results is through goal definition. Before ever executing your campaign, make sure you have your brand’s message, outreach opportunities and future capabilities grafted.

Do You Have a Target Audience?

Your pop-up’s target audience is not the same as your brand’s. It is, however, part of it. Who will likely see the pop-up event? Is your brand already hitting it off with this group? If you’re capable of reaching this target audience already, you might be ready for a pop-up experience. Just make sure you’re able to gain the audience’s attraction before setting foot inside the pop-up world.

Do You Have a Secure Venue?

Next, you should make sure your venue is tied down. Consider the venue’s spatial requirements, and determine which performers you’ll use. If you’re lucky enough to have a venue, it’s time for an experiential event in conjunction with your pop-up event. The double-hitter might seem disjointed, but it’s entirely conducive to a fully formed strategy. Having 70,000 square feet available is good for attracting pop-up crowds—even if the pop-up is hitting the city streets beyond.

Do You Have Attractive Offers?

Next, you should come to terms with your brand’s ability to offer value. Can you provide sufficiently attractive offers? What about discounts? What have your brand’s past visitors been attracted to? If you’re able to take a small money hit, consider implementing a pop-up campaign to boost long-term revenue.

Do You Have a Strong Online Marketing Team?

If you’ve recently worked with an online marketing team—either in-house or third-party—you’re ready to implement a pop-up campaign. Effective pop-up experiences are based on research, and the Internet crowd is inherently useful as a pop-up fanbase. Between e-commerce opportunities, growth hacks and lead generation, an online marketing team is your one-stop shop to success.

Can You Garner In-Depth Feedback?

Many modern marketers make a mistake: They start pop-up campaigns without being able to garner reviews, feedback and subjective opinions. In 2017, quality written feedback is as important as raw data. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses don’t see it as such.

Before starting a pop-up campaign, make sure you’re able to get in-depth reviews, comments and rundowns of your event’s “job well done.” High-quality reviews are necessary to connect a brand’s on-the-street efforts with social media marketing campaigns—which are vital to overall marketing success.

Do You Have a New Revenue Stream to Test?

We don’t suggest getting too experimental with your experiential campaign, but you should use it to gauge a new revenue stream’s long-term viability. Pop-up stands are great for gaining consumer trust, and they’re similarly great for examining possible revenue stream possibilities. Assuming you can popularize your brand’s image and execute an event adequately, you’ll have little trouble measuring future potential revenue.

So, where does your brand stand? Is it ready for a pop-up campaign? Be honest with yourself, and make sure you’re taking advantage of every opportunity. Your brand partners will thank you. More importantly, so will your customers.

Six Things Your Experiential Marketing Event Must Have

---

Six Things Your Experiential Marketing Event Must Have

Business events can be hit-or-miss deals, but a good experiential event can influence consumers on a massive scale. In 2017, marketers have a lot of tools to work with. From VR to trending prop logo designs, the list is virtually limitless. We won’t say the “tiny house” fad isn’t a solid resource to look at, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Below, we’re covering four great resources your experiential event should use. You might not be able to mash them all together, but you should at least use one.

One: The Tiny House

Tiny houses are huge right now. They’re appearing on lifestyle websites, TV shows and magazine photo spreads. Ranging from 100- to 500-square-feet, tiny houses have reached baby boomer and millennial markets alike with their compact, endearing nature.

They’re easy to build, move and remove, too. Check out the SPAM Tiny House Sizzle Tour, if you’re looking for good ideas.

Two: Virtual Reality

The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have made virtual reality a modern event cornerstone. If experiential marketing wasn’t fun before, it certainly is. Virtual Reality might still be in the Wild West, in terms of development, but it’s become something most small brands can afford to use. VR is still stepping up, but even its early-stage models can provide immersive experiences in small event spaces. If you want to upgrade, implement 360-degree video and augmented reality.

Three: Special Prop Logos

This year, we’ve seen a slew of unique prop logos pop up. Between separate area signs, neon signs and rustic signs, the glitz and glam never ends. You can make unique signs with graffiti or UV-resistant polycarbonate materials, too, if you’re looking for a classic, minimalistic design.

Four: Biometrics

Biometrics might seem futuristic, but it’s impacting today’s marketing world. Biometrics is the in-depth measurement, and analysis, of an individual’s behavioral and physical characteristics. Giving today’s event marketers an opening to measure target audience feelings, biometric devices are immediate response devices capable of measuring consumer preferences, event effectiveness and product incentives. Plug in the results later, strategize your product line and use both science and statistics to gauge consumer responses.

Five: Mobile Data Collection

Sticking with the “data is everything” theme, we believe data collection is incredibly important. In the recent past, businesses used experiential marketing events to boost brand engagement. Now, they can use them to collect data via feedback, smartphone engagement and event activations. Use mobile activations to see which consumers are attending, and gauge different responses based upon click-based behavior.

Six: Community Voting

Because most event-goers are strapped with iPhones and Androids, community voting has experienced a resurgence. Create branded hashtags, get event-goers involved with social media and use SMS to create text-based polls. Or, use an integrated online element to give consumers a chance to participate from home.

In any event, you should find out where your audience is already hanging out. This can be a physical place within the event. It can also be on the Internet. If you can find out where your event-goers go, you can strategize entire campaigns for post-event effectiveness. Mix and mash up your event tools, but make sure one thing is prioritized: Your consumer’s time.