B-to-C Events
How COVID Helped Democratize New York Fashion Week’s Sponsor Activations
After two virtual seasons, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) made a stylish return to an in-person format. The high-profile show, which ran Sept. 8-12, showcased 90-plus designers and, per usual, inspired a flurry of experiential activity. But it wasn’t quite business as usual. NYFW typically draws 230,000 people to the city, but amid the pandemic,...
No Spectators: How Four Brands Altered Their Game Plans for the Tokyo Olympics
Brands seeking to activate at the Summer Olympic Games seemed to encounter more hurdles than a 100-meter race. First, organizers delayed the games by a year in deference to the COVID-19 pandemic (yet kept the name Tokyo 2020). Then they announced a ban on nearly all spectators. The result was a literal buzz kill. Longstanding...
Lollapalooza 2021: Good Vibes and Music Lovers Kick Off an In-person Festival Season
An estimated 385,000 attendees descended upon Chicago’s Grant Park for Lollapalooza, July 29 through Aug.1, kicking off a festival season that has thus far proved unlike any other. The festival instituted a number of precautions to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, from the required proof of vaccination or, alternatively, a negative COVID...
QR Codes Return in Force to Help Brands Deliver Touchless Engagement
QR codes are having a moment again. The simple-to-generate, touchless matrix barcodes have become the darling of many businesses during the pandemic, like restaurants where patrons can access the evening’s menu from their devices rather than share (the virus, potentially) with other patrons. But the codes have been popping up frequently again in events, unlocking...