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Every festival season, we see big brands simply slapping their logos over big stages… not this year. Here’s how brands are authentically showing up in festival spaces 👇 As we know, Gen-Z value physical experiences, and festivals are a great form of digital escapism where audiences are open to experiencing new things. Brands are also starting to understand that each festival has its own #community and as long as they take time to immerse themselves in these cultures, creating interactive, engaging #experiences, the people will come. That's why brands like Liquid Death, Adobe, & Vodafone are capturing the hearts of festival-goers, as they create #immersive experiences for audiences to get lost in. How are these brands utilising the power of the pop up? Have a read below 👇

Trade show fatigue? Forget it! Ever wondered why festivals earn endless love despite the crowds and discomfort? It's all about the EXPERIENCE! 🎉 1️⃣ Content Reigns Supreme: Festivals ace it with diverse, engaging content – every app, every stall is an adventure. Trade shows, take notes! It's not just about showcasing products; it's about crafting an unforgettable experience around them. 🎭🎨 2️⃣ Community Connection: Festivals feel like a massive get-together with your tribe, creating shared memories. Trade shows, shift from monologues to community-building. Engage, connect, and make lasting memories together. 🤝🌐 3️⃣ Atmosphere Matters: Unconventional venues, interactive spaces – festivals transport you to a whole different world. Trade shows, it's time to revamp! Make content immersive, build a community, and ditch the conventional booth setup. Transform your events into a Festivalization sensation! Transform Trade Shows, Elevate Experiences: Trade shows, take a cue from festivals and transform the ordinary into extraordinary. Revitalize your content, foster community, and create immersive experiences. It's time for the Festivalization of trade shows! Ready for the Trade Show Revolution? Hit play now and learn how to turn your events into unforgettable experiences! #TradeShowRevolution #Festivalization #EventTransformation

Heres the first glimpse of the new MAD//Fest Overall Festival map for 2024.. We have been banging on about the expansion and how we are growing for months, but really excited to able to show it. This is v1, with more detail to come, but gives a context as to the scale of this years festival. For context, everything on the right hand side of Brick Lane is all the same as it was in previous years, with 93 feet east activations and AI Stage (thanks to RTL Group, Newsworks & imagino), MAD//Marquee with all out fantastic partners activating and our Attention Stage and Hexagon Stage (in partnership again with Kantar) and Brick Lane Beach, which has had a reshuffle around and still brings lots of beach side fun activations but now has the Klaviyo beach bar and the DEPT® Creativity Stage... Everything to left of Brick Lane is completely new to 2024 and is now home to our centralised registration area to make getting in a seamless experience, new food area, CMO Club (partnership with Rokt & Adstream (now XR Extreme Reach)), our beautifully expanded Female Leaders' Club, Match Point which will be streaming all the sport throughout the week, our JuJu takeover where we will be streaming all of the Hexagon Stage content and then our DigiAds Stage, House of Innovation and our newly introduced Creator Economy Stage (in partnership with Snap Inc.) As well as the new site map to share, we also pride ourselves on being accessible, ROI-focused and ensuring that participating in the UK’s largest, most distinctive marketing/advertising festival isn’t overly complicated or expensive. So I thought I’d let you know that we’ve introduced two new limited options to make sure you can rock up, be present, and talk to 15,000 brand/agency customers face-to-face this summer.. email me to find out more on harry@madfestlondon.com These low cost options ensure that you will be visible to 15,000 brand/agency visitors and have a physical space to attend pre-arranged and on-the-fly new business meetings. They’re also the perfect way to ‘test’ and scale-up your involvement in MAD//Fest like so many businesses have done in 2024 Ian Houghton Dan Brain Bindi Houghton Steve Outridge Sara Magson Dulcie Williams Lulu Prowse Sam Benton Matt Hudson

Trade show fatigue? Forget it! Ever wondered why festivals earn endless love despite the crowds and discomfort? It's all about the EXPERIENCE! 🎉 1️⃣ Content Reigns Supreme: Festivals ace it with diverse, engaging content – every app, every stall is an adventure. Trade shows, take notes! It's not just about showcasing products; it's about crafting an unforgettable experience around them. 🎭🎨 2️⃣ Community Connection: Festivals feel like a massive get-together with your tribe, creating shared memories. Trade shows, shift from monologues to community-building. Engage, connect, and make lasting memories together. 🤝🌐 3️⃣ Atmosphere Matters: Unconventional venues, interactive spaces – festivals transport you to a whole different world. Trade shows, it's time to revamp! Make content immersive, build a community, and ditch the conventional booth setup. Transform your events into a Festivalization sensation! 🚀🌈 💥 Transform Trade Shows, Elevate Experiences: Trade shows, take a cue from festivals and transform the ordinary into extraordinary. Revitalize your content, foster community, and create immersive experiences. It's time for the Festivalization of trade shows! 🎡🔥 🎬 Ready for the Trade Show Revolution? Hit play now and learn how to turn your events into unforgettable experiences! 🌐🌟 #TradeShowRevolution #Festivalization #EventTransformation 🚀💼

With recent events like the Willy Wonker Experience in Scotland and possibly the biggest event failure in recent history, Fyre Festival, it's important to understand the intricate balance between concept, marketing, and execution. In our new blog we explore this balance and more 👇 🔹 How events' success hinges on meticulous planning and immersive experiences. 🔹 Real-life examples of events that exceeded expectations and those that fell short. 🔹 The crucial role of organisers in shaping memorable experiences. 🔹 Strategies for navigating the fine line between expectation and execution. Read the full blog below #eventsuccess #eventmanagement #eventoperations #operationmanagers #eventmarketing #eventprofs #eventproduction #fyrefestival #eventmanagers #eventmarketers  #marketingstrategy #willywonkerexpereince #experimentalmarketing #eventtips #eventinsights

Day 6/16: Niche Market Digital Festivals Celebrate Your Niche – The strategy behind our Niche Market Digital Festivals stems from the Long Tail theory, which suggests that our culture and economy are increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of mainstream 'hits', at the head of the demand curve, toward a huge number of niches in the tail. We create digital events that cater to these specific interests, building a community around your brand within this space. By employing the principles of Event Marketing Theory, we ensure these digital festivals provide immersive experiences that foster strong emotional connections with attendees. What aspects of your niche can be amplified through a digital festival, and how can this targeted approach unlock new levels of engagement for your brand? Let’s start a conversation about the power of niche communities and how your brand can become an integral part of their daily lives.

Why can’t all events be more like festivals? In an age dominated by digital interactions, the yearning for genuine human connection has never been stronger. Is 'Festivilistaion' the answer to this craving? It’s a buzz word I only learnt this week. A concept of creating a festival style experience that transcends the traditional event format, transforming them into immersive experiences that promote a sense of community and shared joy. Breaking away from a more obvious and less engaging event set up and creating that festival feeling. At its core, festivilistaion is about producing environments where people come together to engage in dynamic and interactive experiences. It's about creating a sense of togetherness that is both exhilarating and memorable. Music being our medium of choice! From the moment the pre-event buzz starts circulating on social media, FOMO becomes a powerful tool, drawing people in and creating a sense of anticipation, further capitalising on the excitement and experience. The more senses we engage, the more memorable the experience becomes. Immersive environments that stimulate the senses leave lasting impressions. These multi sensory experiences not only entertain but also evoke emotions and create a deeper connection and lasting memory, which in turn is great for brands. What are your thoughts on festivilistaion? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below. #festivilistaion #community #experience #engagement #togetherness #events #socialmedia #FOMO #personalisation #humanconnection

A really important note from our founders, Dan Brain & Ian Houghton, on the huge changes we are making to MAD//FEST LONDON 2024 to ensure any bumps in the roads we had at this years festival are completely eradicated. Here's a snippet of the changes, but full details are in the article. We’re getting a bigger boat! Don’t worry, we’re not planning some kind of cruise ship experience down the Thames. We'll be back at The Old Truman Brewery in 2024. But there’s a twist… We are taking a much larger space to create a connected festival experience across the Old Truman Brewery site. In addition to the footprint you saw in 2023, we’re expanding the festival by adding Dray Walk (where the Big Chill Bar is!) to the floor plan and building a brand new stadium-style simultaneous main stage in Ely's Yard and taking over JuJu's. Simultaneous Hexagon Stages That’s right, MAD//Fest London 2024 will feature dual main stages that will bring together the industry’s most exciting brands, disruptors, celebrity entrepreneurs and agency bigwigs to create an innovative hybrid experience across two massive theatres. Central registration area The additional space we’ve acquired for the first time gives us the opportunity to create a central registration area where we can get you badged-up and into the show much faster. The space means we can triple the number of self service printers. This means no more bottlenecks getting into the show and vastly reduced queues. Day tickets In 2024, we’ll be asking attendees to register for individual days and re-confirm their place. This will mean we can more accurately manage daily attendance across the three days whilst ensuring the festival is accessible to as many industry leaders as possible. More food vendors, food/drink partnerships and digital tokens When you’re serving up on-the-house food and drink from brands of the calibre of Dishoom, Sticks ‘N’ Sushi and Heineken, it’s always going to be popular. But the new enlarged footprint of the show means that we can add several new service points where you can get food or your favourite tipple fast. New stages, bigger capacities, more topical conversations Including the aforementioned simultaneous Hexagon Stages, MAD//Fest 2024 will feature 9 (yes 9!) topical stages for you to immerse yourself in the most relevant content to your role and interests. From the creator economy, AI and emerging tech to creativity, attention and digital advertising, we’ve got the hot issues covered And relax…more spaces for you to take a breather MAD//Fest will always be a busy, vibey show (it’s a festival rather than a boring conference!) But one thing we’re able to do with the new space is to create more spaces where you can take a break, catch up on a few emails, and sit down somewhere comfortable for a relaxed conversation away from all the hubbub. Any questions, drop me a message Dulcie Williams Ben Phillips Jim Kite Sam Benton Steve Outridge Clare Povey Bindi Houghton

The future of marketing is in building spaces. These can be virtual spaces. These can be temporary physical spaces (in-person events). These can be permanent physical spaces. The one thing they all have in common is this: It's no longer about flashing an ad in front of people and hoping it catches their attention. It's about bringing customers and potential customers together in a space where they can connect with each other.

Another brand opens a venue. I did not see this coming. Netflix has just announced ‘Netflix House’, a dedicated venue to watch your favorite shows. And experience popular sets replicas. The trend is clear. After owned events and pop-up venues, companies look into owned spaces where fans can experience the brand. The announcement comes a few days after Zoom launched a showroom where enterprise customers could experience the brand. From booths to venues Some companies spend multimillion-dollar budgets in booths at shows like Cannes Lions and SXSW for their presences. If you consider the SK experience at CES - with a mini sphere and a whole theme park, it makes sense to invest in permanent installations. What’s your feeling on the rise of brand-owned venues? P.S. if you liked this post, you are gonna love my free newsletter - 15k eventprofs signed up -> https://lnkd.in/gtGXp27i