We like to keep our finger on the pulse here at Classic Venue Solutions.
We’re always scouring event magazines and websites to see what’s hot and happening in the industry, and we want to share our favourite ideas with you.
Here are 10 quirky and creative ideas seen at recent events to intrigue and inspire you…
1) Giant Countryside Cake @ Kerrygold Experiential Activation
If this beautiful sculpture of an Irish meadow looks good enough to eat, that’s because it is! The giant cake was commissioned by dairy brand Kerrygold to serve to passers-by on London’s Finsbury Avenue Square. The stunt was devised after the brand discovered that 4 out of 10 Brits have never been to the countryside.
“This led us to the idea of bringing a ‘slice of the meadow’ to city dwellers this summer with our huge cake created using Kerrygold butter,” says Gemma Singh, Kerrygold marketing manager.
The cake, made by sugar artist Michelle Wibowo, measured 4 metres, took more than 168 hours to make and produced more than 4,000 slices. Story via eventmagazine.co.uk
2) Google Beach @ Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
Google made the most of a glorious South of France location to present a branded beach club for advertising execs attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Google Beach invited delegates to take part in morning fitness activities, beach games, or simply take the weight off their feet and enjoy a smoothie while listening to an enlightening talk.
A ‘Word Lens Quest’ showcased Google’s translation app and its incredible new Word Lens feature, which lets users simply point their device’s camera at words for instant translation. Delegates could also send postcards for those at home to decode with the app.
Meanwhile, a selection of YouTube stars made guest appearances at Google Beach, including Christian Stevenson, aka DJ BBQ, who created some delicious pulled pork sliders. Story via mktg.com
3) Bose Soundbooth @ South by Southwest
South by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences that take place annually in Austin, Texas. Audio brand Bose devised a fun and creative way to engage with festival-goers with the installation of a soundbooth in the festival’s Spotify House.
The sound booth would have looked at home in Saturday Night Fever, covered in mirrors and disco balls. Visitors who entered the glittering cavern could choose a single song to add to the official Spotify SXSW playlist. Story via bizbash.com
4) Projection Mapping @ Meet the Future
Staged at Central Hall Westminster, the Meet The Future conference was an event technology showcase for more than 300 corporate and agency event buyers.
AV firm White Light brought the venue’s central space spectacularly to life by projecting images onto the building’s iconic dome, while keynote speeches took place underneath.
Other impressive tech at the event included 3D body scans and holographic projection, which demonstrated how delegates could attend conferences virtually in the future. Story via meetpie.com
5) EE’s ‘Charging Bull’ @ Glastonbury
Telecommunications giant EE milked its official technology partnership with Glastonbury in 2015 by deploying a giant bull sculpture.
With its integrated phone charging points, the bright blue ‘Charging Bull’ was more than just an unusual focal point (do you get what they did with the name? Clever, eh?). The bull also acted as a 4G double-speed Wi-Fi hotspot for festival-goers keen to upload photos and videos to social media. Story via marketingsociety.com
6) Mr Holland’s Orange Bed @ The Meetings Show UK
With his bright orange suit, Colgate smile and masses of blond hair, Mr Holland is the embodiment of the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC). Mr Holland wanted visitors to The Meetings Show UK to dream about Holland, so he brought his orange bed to the event!
Delegates visiting the show at Kensington Olympia in July were invited to join the cheeky chap in his bed for a photo opportunity. They could then visit the destination’s Facebook page to tag themselves in the pictures for the chance to win an iPad Air. Story via meetmrholland.com
7) Human Table @ Ageas Bowl Hilton Hotel Launch
Looking for a novel way to serve champagne? How about wearing a dress that doubles as a bar? This was just one of the novelties on show at the launch of the Ageas Bowl Hilton Hotel in Southampton, Hampshire.
The event at the new 171-room hotel was opened by Catherine Zeta-Jones, no less, and also featured stilt walkers, aerialists and a steel pan band. Story via citmagazine.com
8) Impact Sails @ EUROTEK Advanced Diving Conference
A last-minute change of venue could have spelt disaster for organisers of diving conference EUROTEK. Even though they only had 300 guests for their black-tie gala dinner and awards, they had to use the huge, 3,050 sqm Hall 3 at International Convention Centre (ICC), Birmingham – the hall usually hosts events with 2,000 or more guests.
To avoid a cavernous effect, impact sails were used to divide one area for drinks and another for the dinner. This idea was really successful in creating a more intimate feel. Story via meetpie.com
9) Carpet Square Seating @ Pitchfork Festival
Chicago-based carpet company Flor came up with a great activation idea for the Pitchfork music festival – simultaneously combining a green initiative with a really useful giveaway.
The company handed out some 5,000 carpet off-cuts so that guests could make their own carpeted seating areas on the grass. When the weather turned stormy, guests used the carpets to cover muddy spots on festival grounds. They also got to see the huge range of carpet designs and styles Flor offers. Story via bizbash.com
10) Rose Shaped Canapés @ DoubleDutch Summer Party
A rose by any other name would smell… like roast beef? How cute are these roast beef and Yorkshire pudding canapés shaped like little rose buds, seen at the DoubleDutch Summer Party?
The event at Westminster Boating Base was attended by event planners and PAs, so we’re bound to be seeing a bunch of flower shaped morsels at future events. Story via citmagazine.com