It’s been a trying year and a half, and this pandemic has certainly thrown more curveballs than we could have anticipated. Our industry pivoted into the virtual world from in-person events, back into the world of in-person and hybrid, and now back into the virtual and hybrid world. But with this, we continue to innovate and rely on the solutions that worked. As our world begins to change again, event producers need to adapt - and we’re ready for it - with pop-up shops!

• The Customizable Nature of Pop-Ups

This fall, pop-ups will offer an extraordinary appeal to our industry, its clients, and the general public. Typically created as smaller venues, pop-ups offer businesses the ability to create unique, one-off experiences that build brand awareness, create buzz, and encourage consumers to engage with a brand or product in an exciting, experiential way. A typical pop-up usually aligns with a product launch and can last as long as a day, a week, or a month, but the excitement comes from the feeling that something new and different has arrived, and you’d be missing out if you didn’t see what all that buzz was about.

This fall is the perfect time for pop-ups event planners because they apply to businesses and activations in everything from retail to restaurants and everything in-between! For example, pop-ups offer chefs an opportunity to branch out of their comfort zone and experiment with new ingredients and creations. For restaurant owners, pop-ups offer an ability to test out new concepts, unique layouts, and different menu ideas without having to commit to reinventing the business as a whole. Or for other brands simply hoping to reconnect with their consumer base, pop-ups offer a moment a flash of excitement as you remind your base what you’ve been working on.

• Leverage Custom Fabrications for Safety

Pop-ups will be a promising move for our industry this fall, creating opportunities for growth, especially as the cooler weather pushes more consumers inside. But in order to take full advantage of this opportunity, your organization will need to be mindful of how to navigate a socially-distant and safe design. Luckily, Wizard Studios has the expertise to guide your thinking and execution, and it begins with considering the versatility of custom fabrications.

Simply putting out some shelving units is not what’s going to draw attention and engagement to your business. Allow our scenic shop and its professional artisans to take your brand’s identity, create original and masterful sets, props, and environments to enhance consumers’ experience,  and allow us to make sure everything created abides by the constantly changing rules and regulations. 

• Pop-Ups Help Us Transition Into the Future

The greatest appeal of pop-ups is that they can be a good way for people to engage with a brand in-person without putting their health at risk. Although pop-ups are typically made to be as immersive as possible, event producers can find ways to invite intrigue, engage consumers’ interests, and keep safety as a priority.

With so many businesses relying entirely on virtual events and online gatherings with the variant changing plans, pop-ups would allow those and other E-commerce brands that don’t have a physical location to create a small one-off experience to re-engage their customers. Companies that have successfully navigated the online market could create experiences in small venues that only allowed a few people at a time, made it easily sanitizable, and ensured it was always adhering to CDC guidelines. Allow space for consumers to physically distance themselves, not share surfaces, neatly tie it to your brand, and give your customers a safe and fun opportunity to re-meet their brand while allowing a real-life experience.

• Lastly, Rely on What’s Worked and Continue Learning

The events world knows better than anyone that the rules we need to abide by change constantly. We understand this time can be overwhelming, but the constant change has merit to it: it means that we’re growing in our abilities to host gatherings safely in the fall of 2021. Your job as an event producer is to stay on top of these changes, learn from your colleagues that are growing in their resourcefulness, and invest in the systems that work.

Here is a quick snapshot of some of strategies that can help us get back on track: 

• Follow the guidelines from your local and federal government, but challenge yourself to go above and beyond that, ensuring safety is the number one priority

• Ensure your cleaning team santizes, cleans, and handles event maintenance before the event begins and long after it’s come to a close

• Use bright colors and markings on floors and streets to encourage social distancing and spaced-out vendors; create a space that allows for touchless technology (ex: gates, etc.)

• Encourage vendor booths to go cashless, allowing paperless transactions; send reminders for vendors to clean their booth surfaces hourly

• Ask all attendees that have been vaccinated to carry a digital marker on their phone to show when they were vaccinated 

• Appoint team members to serve as COVID Enforcement agents, reminding guests of healthy behaviors when at your event

• Add a digital component for virtual attendees. Just because people are hungry for in-person interaction doesn’t mean everyone feels comfortable doing so. Work with an event production company that knows how to leverage virtual event platforms to help bring your audience into your event from any location.

   

As event producers know better than anyone, this is just the beginning of how to best prepare for a safe fall pop-up shop. Now, more so than ever, it’s a responsibility we must all take on diligently and continue to learn, grow, and share best practices. Tap into this moment and lean into the beauty of safe and experiential pop-ups! Need some help getting started? Let the professionals lead the way, and contact Wizard Studios today.