Thinking beyond traditional venues

by Mike Bollo, Vice President – Live Environments

Thanks to social streaming videos, media feeds, podcasts, and other online channels, the average person is exposed to between 4,000 and 10,000 messages per day — a dramatic increase from just a few decades ago. And physiologically, our brains can’t process that much content. Our unconscious filters kick in. And traditional marketing usually gets tuned out — as people instinctively avoid being “sold to.”

However, people DO actively seek out new experiences — and savvy marketers are taking notice. When a brand connects its product or message to a unique or memorable in-person experience, it has a significantly greater chance of resonating. Live events, activations, and experiences create emotional connections that drive engagement and foster loyalty. And those are good things.

But where are these kinds of in-person experiences happening? And where can today’s audiences be found?

In short, they’re anywhere and everywhere.

Traditional spaces still matter
Trade shows and retail environments remain essential touchpoints in many customer journeys. The success of omnichannel retail combined with the enduring relevance of industry-specific tradeshows prove that these tried-and-true in-person brand touchpoints aren’t going anywhere.

Engage anywhere
But brands shouldn’t expect that they will always be able to reach their customer in traditional spaces. Sometimes you have to meet the customer in the places they already love. In such cases, temporary structures can help brands connect with their customers in non-traditional settings (such as the middle of Coachella Valley, at a ski resort, a sports event or outside of a major music venue).

Flexible, scalable deployment
Many brands want to take their presence to multiple events, where footprint or logistical constraints can vary. Temporary structures provide freedom to build brand environments that scale across markets and event types, ensuring consistency and impact. And because they allow brands to iterate, test new strategies and pivot quickly, they often lead to better, more engaging customer experiences.

Avoid High Venue Fees
Industry-specific tradeshows provide many brands with an opportunity to engage the exact audience that they want to reach. However, most of these events take place inside of crowded convention centers or exhibit halls, which typically impose unavoidable “fixed” costs (drayage, high-priced hospitality vendors, etc.) on exhibitors. In some cases, brands can sidestep costs by smartly deploying a nearby temporary structure. To be clear, this solution won’t work for all brands or all situations. (See point above about not making your audience “come to you.”) But it can preserve budget to build out other parts of a customer experience and can be extremely effective if a temporary structure is in close enough proximity to an exhibit hall.

Total Brand Control
Lastly, after decades creating retail and exhibit activation, we’re quite familiar with constraints dictated by a venue (shape of footprint, square footage, etc.). By comparison, a temporary structure provides relative creative freedom when it comes to crafting an over-the-top in-person experience. From the floor to the ceiling, temporary structures put the brand in the driver’s seat, letting them tailor their message exactly to their unique audience.

Experiential marketing isn’t just a trend — it’s a strategic advantage. And with the right tools and mindset, brands can create unforgettable moments that drive results.