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Tips for Forming Event Production Partnerships in 2016

EVENT INDUSTRY

In their annual end-of-the-year survey, Special Events Magazine identified the key business improvements measures event professionals are planning to adopt in 2016. Top of the list? 51{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of respondants said they d primarily be looking to form partnerships with copacetic service providers.

And it makes sense: there are so many bits and bobs that go into event production catering, A/V, printing and graphic design, PR, engineering, design, digital that even the largest firms can t reasonably bring every service in-house. Decibel has been fortunate to find and develop some excellent, long-standing partnerships with like-minded vendors over the last several years, so if you re one of the many looking to find new opportunities for cooperation in the new year, here are a few pointers for drumming up solid vendor relationships.

Identify your weaknesses

If you ve been in business any length of time, you can probably fire off a few thoughts about where you can stand to improve, or where your service listing is lacking. Identify two or three of your most pressing needs requests your clients most often make that you re forced to refuse or that leave you scrambling for a solution. Start there.

Do the research

Fire up the search engine and the networking skills and get busy. You might consider browsing Bizbash for suppliers in your area. Your ideal partner will:

  • Specialize in filling one or more of your immediate needs
  • Lack one or more of your specializations
  • Service a similar client base
  • Have a portfolio of work you admire
  • Be local. Yes, we know. It s 2016, and everyone s working remote. But if your partner will need to be on site for events, locality kinda matters.
Put Together a Partnership Package

The information that a potential partner needs is not necessarily the same information you offer on your client-facing website. Create a PDF (or other document) introducing yourself and your company to prospective allies. Your partnership package should include:

  • A very short background on your company, including key team members, primary service area, and how long you ve been around
  • Your primary strengths and areas of expertise
  • Short portfolio of recent projects and past clients
  • Typical service volume (how many events you do per year on average)
  • A brief blurb about your ideal client and the type of project that gets you excited
  • Your contact info, naturally

No need to dig into numbers and pricing yet, that ll come later.

Contact individuals, not companies

Sadly, email spam has become increasingly sophisticated, and partnership spam is on the rise. If you don t want your introductory email to get lost in the mix of unsolicited SEO service form letters, you d better hop on LinkedIn and find out exactly who you should be talking to. Send them a personal email, and attach your partnership package for quick reference.

Start courting before a project appears

Most event management businesses begin to develop partner and vendor relationships when an immediate need for that service arises and a project is already in the pipes. While that situation can t be avoided in every instance (sometimes you didn t know you needed until a client asks), it s best to court vendors before you re pressed for time. This gives you enough wiggle room to establish a more organic relationship and get insight into your prospective ally s business ideology to see if you re a match. Speaking of which

Ideology matters

The best business relationships are mutually invigorating. Take the time to find out what your partner loves about the industry, what clients excite them, what type of projects they prefer to undertake, what their working speed and turn-around times are, and how they measure their own success once the event is complete.

Now, go forth and multiply.

Essential TED Talks to Inspire New Event Producers in 2016

EVENT INDUSTRY

New year, new career? Welcome to event management, young Padawan. Whether you re working for a larger firm or starting your own, may this be the first of many happy, fulfilling years spent hunting for something healthy in the 7-11 snack aisle at 4:30am. Protip: give up and grab the peanuts. And while that may be the only industry advice you ever need, we ve collected a few inspiring TED talks to round out your education.

Ruth Chang: How to Make Hard Choices

As an event producer and new entrepreneur, hard choices are an unavoidable fact of life. What do you do when faced with a hard choice? How do you make a selection when neither option seems better than the other? Maybe the problem is with the way we think about the structure of choice itself?

Daniel Levitin: How to Stay Calm when you Know You ll be Stressed

Hate to break it to you, kid, but the event planner s brain runs on cortisol and coffee. You may not be able to avoid stress altogether, but if you know it s coming, neuroscientist Daniel Levitin shares a few tricks for keeping your synapses from going haywire when it hits.

Chip Kidd: The Art of First Impressions in Design & Life

In event production, communication is everything, and you never get a second chance for a first impression. Take these insights from graphic designer Chip Kidd to heart when designing and planning your next event.

Navi Radjou: Creative Problem Solving in the Face of Extreme Limits

Navi Radjou introduces the Hindi concept of jugaad , a clever, improvised solution to a problem in the face of extreme circumstances, or frugal innovation . It s not, as Mr. Radjou reminds us, about making due , it s about making things better . With event production budgets getting lower year after year, this talk is an inspiring look into creative problem solving on a shoestring.

David Grady: How to Save the World (or at least yourself) from Bad Meetings

Are bad meetings ruining business? David Grady thinks so. In fact, he thinks they amount to theft. He also tells us how to avoid bad meetings and help create a culture of real productivity in the workplace.

5 New Years Resolutions all Event Producers Should Make

EVENT INDUSTRY

We tend to find that in the calorie-crash silence of post-Christmas comedown, we re inspired to indulge in a bit of high-minded optimism. Care to join us in making some pledges as we move into 2016?

Event Production Blog: Healthy Stress Management for Event Planners

I will practice healthy stress management

When Forbes released their 2015 list of most stressful careers, fire fighter understandably took the number one spot. You know what came in at number 8? Yup. Event Coordinator .

As with all high-energy fields requiring consistent perfection and snappy responses to a constant parade of minor crises, burnout is common in the event management industry (Not sure if you re at risk for burnout? This little quiz from Mindtools.com will give you a hint.
). Let your stress levels get too high for too long, and you might start thinking about a nice, relaxing career running in and out of flaming buildings. And burnout isn t the only ramification of poor stress management: where anxiety goes, illness and aging follow.

This year, make a pledge to take time out to take care of yourself. Meditate. Cook lasagna. Do headstands in your underwear. Whatever it is that keeps you grounded; make the time to do it.

I will try some cutting-edge event tech

We ve been watching the slow emergence of high-tech in the special event industry for the last 10 years, but in 2015, many of those theoretical, clunky or costly technologies have finally become affordable reality. Arial video via drone, facial recognition checkin, virtual reality engagement via Occulus Rift, facade mapping, and many other once speculative magics have become startlingly common.

As an event producer, it s easy to get stuck in a technological rut. As budgets get smaller and deadlines get shorter with each passing year, it seems easier to stick with an older, more familiar approach than to slog through all the process re-structuring, testing and potential for failure that a first-time implementation requires. On the other hand, you know in the quiet recesses of your heart that if you don t get on board with the revolution, you ll look up in ten years to find that the industry has passed you by.

This year, bite the bullet and get out there in front of emerging technologies.

I will make my events more sustainable

Green events have been a talking point for the last couple of years, but sustainable event planning practices are still a long way from being commonplace. If you haven t done all you can to keep your events environmentally-friendly, or you re not sure where to start, check out this getting started guide to sustainable events from Johns Hopkins.

This year, turn your eye towards lowering the environmental impact of your events.

I will form more partnerships

The 2016 Event Planner Forecast from Special Events Blog notes that in 2016, 51{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of event professionals will be looking to form partnerships with like-minded businesses in order to improve their service offerings. That means more opportunities for you to team up with talented folks who can help strengthen any weaknesses in your team and provide your clients with the best possible outcomes.

This year, reach out to your community and form lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships.

In 2016, I will get out there and kick some keister

Above all else, this year, continue to succeed! We wish you a 2016 full of exciting opportunities and realized dreams.

Happy New Year!

A Yuletide Throwback Thursday: 3 Christmas Event Traditions, Then and Now

EVENT INDUSTRY

Merry Christmas! And a cheery tis-the-season thank you to all our vendors, partners, readers and clients. You guys are our favorite people; we wouldn t be here without you, and we wish you all a holiday season decked in lights and smothered in gravy. Not to get too sappy on ya, but this is inevitably the time of year when our thoughts turn to the past, and we remember with gratitude how far we ve come not just as a company, but as an industry. Fancy a spot of history?

Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Started in 1924 by Macy s department store employees, many of whom were first-generation European immigrants. Proud of their new American heritage, they wanted to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving with the type of festival their parents had loved in Europe.

Embed from Getty Images

[The] employees marched to Macy s flagship store on 34th Street dressed in vibrant costumes. There were floats, professional bands and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. At the end of that first parade, as has been the case with every parade since, Santa Claus was welcomed into Herald Square. At this first parade, however, the Jolly Old Elf was enthroned on the Macy s balcony at the 34th Street store entrance, where he was then crowned King of the Kiddies. With an audience of over 250,000 people, the parade was such a success that Macy s declared it would become an annual event.

What started as an audience of 250,000 is now closer to one million.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

Event Production Blog: First Christmas Tree Lighting

Here s one for the event designers: did you know that the electric Christmas light was invented by none other than that titan of power, Thomas Edison? Before that, people lit their Christmas trees with actual candles, causing no shortage of house fires. The very first electrical Christmas tree lights were used in 1882 by Thomas Edison s business partner, Edward Johnson, but they didn t really catch on until President Grover Cleveland used them at the White House. Thirty years later, the official Christmas tree tradition at Rockefeller Center began in 1933 (the year 30 Rockefeller Plaza opened), [but] the unofficial tradition began during the Depression-era construction of Rockefeller Center, when workers decorated a smaller 20 feet (6.1 m) balsam fir tree with strings of cranberries, garlands of paper, and even a few tin cans on Christmas Eve (December 24, 1931), as recounted by Daniel Okrent in his history of Rockefeller Center.[10] One claim is the tree had some gum wrappers and detonator blasting caps as decorations.

These days? Things are little more polished:

Event Production Blog: History of Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

Good Save: the NORAD Santa Tracker

Did you know that the much-beloved NORAD Santa Tracker program began with an event marketing slip-up?

The program began on December 24, 1955, when a Sears department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper which told children that they could telephone Santa Claus and included a number for them to call. However, the telephone number printed was misprinted and calls instead came through to Colorado Springs Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. Colonel Harry Shoup, who was on duty that night, told his staff to give all children who called in a current location for Santa Claus. A tradition began which continued when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) replaced CONAD in 1958.

These days, the program is run by a series of volunteers and staff. Here s the ad misprint that made history:

Event Production Blog: NORAD Santa Tracker SEARS

Neat, yeah?

The 12 Best #eventtech Tweets from November

EVENT DESIGN

It s been a big month for event tech, not the least of which reason being that on November 14-16, the Event Tech Awards were held in Paris and Las Vegas, highlighting some of the most exciting innovations in the field from the past year. These days the age of the smart phone we tend to focus on stuff like apps and social media when we talk about event tech. But there s a lot more going on, from smart bracelets and virtual reality to sensory tech and Twitter walls. To try and get a handle on some of the more exciting developments in the world of event tech, we collected 12 of the best #eventtech tweets from the last month. Read on to get the scoop!

IBTM: Top Ten Tech Innovations Set to Transform the Events Industry

EVENT INDUSTRY

Event professionals from around the globe recently flew to Barcelona for IBTM World, an annual three-day conference that bills itself as the leading global event for the meetings and events industry. There, the more-than 15,000 participants got the chance to network, share knowledge and resources and take in exhibitions. It s a nice gig if you can get it for those of us who weren t able to make it, though, IBTM has something else to offer: A list of the top ten tech innovations that are transforming the events industry. Read on to learn about the best apps, solutions and technologies for designing your perfect event.

InitLive

The winner of this year s Technology and Innovation Watch Award, InitLive is a mobile app that works in tandem with an online cloud service to facilitate scheduling and communication between managers and staff. This clever little guy is able to automatically adjust staff schedules around conflicts as they arise and notify designated people at the appropriate time of their meeting or task. For those of you who are sick of running around, this is a great tool for organizing staff and volunteers.

EventPilot

This conference app offers instant offline access to meeting and event programs, as well as daily schedule building, a powerpoint slide viewer, a note-taking function, CME credit tracking and more. The app is specially designed for medical and scientific meetings that feature a number of information-rich presentations.

Loopd Inc.

Aimed at corporate events, this system relies on beacons placed around the event space, chips embedded in conference badges and a mobile app to track attendees physical location as they move through the event. At the end of the day, attendees can see where they spent their time and access related documents for each point, while marketers can see who visited their booths. It s great for attendees, because they won t have to constantly take notes or exchange business cards, and for vendors who want to follow up with potential customers or gather data for next time.

Interactio

Forget all the headaches that come with translation headsets this app does away with them by allowing attendees to listen to translations for talks on their phones or tablets. Users can simply select their language and plug in to live translations from interpreters on-site.

EventCollab

Built by professional event planners, EventCollab provides a cloud-based platform for event teams to communicate and share info such as schedules, documents and to-do lists. Organizers can create circles for each group, both in and outside their company, who they need to work with and access information about where each group is work-wise at a glance.

CDEP

Sick of endlessly downloading and uploading info from one database to another? Then plug into CDEP (which stands for Conference Data Exchange Protocol), a universal language for data exchange created by Slidebox that allows different devices and technologies (for instance, a registration database, presentation software and mobile app) to sync up their data.

The Mash Machine

Created by The Mo Joes, the Mash Machine is a nifty little device through which attendees can create music together. The intuitive interface is made up of tabletop and blocks, each of which represents a snippet of sound that can be combined and re-combined as you move the blocks around on the tabletop. The Mash Machine works as an ice breaker, a tool for team building, an interactive DJing device and more.

Path Event Learning Platform

This web-based learning management system created by Blue Sky Broadcast allows organizers to post content from educational events, including lecture recordings, e-learning presentations, and live webcasts for users to access on multiple devices. It also allows for online registration and reminders for virtual training programs.

SocialPoint Audience Engagement Platform

Want to up your audience engagement? Then check out this cloud-based software, which turns attendees into active participants by helping to facilitate live polling, Q&A sessions, surveys and more. You can even get your audience directly engaged with the material by turning it into a trivia game they can play on their phones. Pretty neat!

AroundThen

Help facilitate networking among attendees with this app, which uses Bluetooth to help users find, connect with and message one another. Users can even connect after the event through location-based networking. The app also offers features like auto check-in, delegate badge printing, moderator messaging for audience participation and more.

It Isn t Easy Being Green: How to Make Your Conference More Sustainable

EVENT INDUSTRY

The sustainability movement has gotten seriously trendy over the past few years so much so that we sometimes forget there s more to it than buying bamboo shoes or Uber-ing a hybrid. Properly applied, sustainability strategies can have a big impact, both in terms of reducing your event s carbon footprint and raising awareness among attendees. Read on for four great ways to help make your conference a little or a lot greener. https://unsplash.com/photos/5tpf6dSY6WU

Event Production Blog: Use Recyclable Paper at Events

Do Away with Disposables

Among the biggest sources of waste at large-scale conferences is the sheer volume of paper that gets used, from invitations to nametags, signs, printed programs, and more. Luckily, we live in an age when technology offers an easy solution for paper-free events. For example, you can replace invitations with e-vites, employ reusable nametags, and use an app for the meeting s agenda rather than printing it on handouts or you can simply email the info out ahead of time. Sometimes, of course, handouts are unavoidable. In that case, you can take a few measures to reduce your paper waste. For example, use recycled paper for your handouts, print information on both sides, and don t pre-stuff bags allow attendees to choose which print-outs they need. Best case scenario, though, you re able to cut out 99{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of your paper use. After all, everyone has smart phones these days why not put them to use?

Event Production Blog: Green Conferences airplanes

Location, Location, Location

Another great way to reduce the carbon footprint of your event is minimizing the amount of travel required for your attendees. We know, we know you d love to book your next conference in Hawaii, but Mother Nature will thank you for making a more practical choice. Aim to hold your event in a city that is relatively central for the majority of your attendees and served by direct flights. And don t forget local travel arrange for hotels nearby the event space so that attendees have the option to either walk there back every day or take public transportation. For longer commutes, consider providing hybrid cars or other low-/non-polluting vehicles to shuttles your guests to and fro.

Event Production Blog: Educate Conference Attendees

Educate Your Attendees

If any of this is going to work in the first place, you ll need to lay the groundwork by raising awareness among your attendees that this is a specifically green conference. This isn t just good PR it ll help you accomplish your sustainability goals by getting everyone on the same page as to what you re doing and how they can help. In your communications with attendees, make sure to emphasize a few specific measures that you re taking and enlist their help. For instance, set up an electronic registration and check-in system to avoid paper waste; get people to download agendas ahead of time to reduce the need for printouts; draw guests attention to recycling bins, and encourage them to opt for reusable drinking containers rather than water bottles; offer rewards for carpooling or taking public transportation rather than driving. You get the idea.

201511-green-conferences-food

Reduce Food Waste From Beginning to End

We re all guilty of it: overloading our plates just because, taking two bites of something and then leaving it to languish. While you can t always control how much food people pile on their plates, you can make them aware of food waste as an issue by mentioning it as a focus in your sustainability goals and providing composting bins alongside the trash and recycling. Beforehand, take a look at the data from past events to try and gauge how much food you should order, and have a list of local charities or food banks where you can donate leftovers. And don t forget the logistics! Further reduce your carbon footprint by ordering from caterers who provide seasonal, locally produced menus and using reusable plates and silverware rather than disposable.

Life of an Event Prof: #NatBookFest Breakdown

BACKSTAGE, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS

Last week, we wrapped up one of our flagship events, The Library of Congress National Book Festival. It was our eighth year managing this event, and while we re veterans, we re always looking for new ways to accommodate a bigger audience and out-do ourselves from the year(s) before. With an expected 100,000 guests and a couple million more viewing the livestream at home, we couldn t afford to disappoint. Plus, our mantra is, Yeah, we can handle that .

It s true that the majority of the blood, sweat and tears goes into the planning leading up to our events. But we re still on our feet the day of, making sure everything runs smoothly. It s a small part of what we do in the event management business, but this is the day in the life of one of our event crew members: NatBookFest livestream style.

5:00 AM
Wake up call. Suit up, festival style. Means we get to wear a Decibel t-shirt today.

5:01 AM
Two shots of espresso, hold the sugar, hold the cream.

6:00 AM
Pile in the crew and Uber over to the the Washington Convention Center. All the gear from the day before is still in place. Grab checklist.

Radios charged.
Power bricks charged.
Boot up the laptop.
Get to work.

7:00 AM
Call time for second wave of crew. Find a place to order 30 breakfast sandwiches from STAT.

7:30 AM
Overheard on Radio: Where s Waldo? Seriously. Someone lost the Where s Waldo costume day of the event. Waldo could not be found. If we made this up, you wouldn t believe it.

8:00 AM
Quick team meeting. High fives out the door.

8:30 AM
It s show time. Book lovers start filing into the convention center.
Set up camera for timelapse, because who doesn t love a good time lapse.

9:00 AM
Reading Cat in the Hat to test captions for livestream. Appropriate for the National Book Festival. AV and livestream team at the table, in position for the first keynote.

9:30 AM
It has been confirmed from a crew member on Floor 2 of the venue. Waldo has been found.

10:00 AM
Start first livestream of the day. David McCullough takes the stage. People from all over the world are giving shout outs to the popular two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.

11:00 AM
Bring our AV crew lunch. With an all-day livestream, they can hardly get up for a bathroom break. Extra dessert for their dedication.

11:30 AM
Celebrity Sighting #1: Found Waldo.

12:00 PM
If it s 12 PM, and we re eating our third meal of the day because we ve been up since 4. Is it lunch? Dinner? Who knows, but every meal is now called a dinner break.  #EventProfProbs

1:00 PM
Our team member, Chris, is leading the team in the most steps, so far. 7.1 miles.

2:00 PM
Escalator stopped? No problem, we take the steps.

2:30 PM
Insert fourth cup of coffee.

3:00 PM
People start lining up for Condoleezza. Two hours before she s scheduled to speak.

3:30 PM
As heard over Radio: Our crew requires back-up at the lines for the Condoleezza book signing. Send in reinforcements.

5:05 PM
Condoleezza Rice takes the stage. 2,500 people make for a packed house. No surprise there.

6:00 PM
While Condoleezza is speaking, there s still book signings and children s stage activities going on. Some of our crew is at those stages making sure everything is running as planned.

7:00 PM
Final livestream wraps up.

7:30 PM
Start counting livestream stats. There were over 60K views and reached over 1.2 million users who weren t able to attend National Book Festival, but were able to watch their favorite main stage authors. That s how we handle that.

8:00 PM
As things wind down, we sneak a spot at the Teen Poetry Slam. Every year, this is a team favorite. Those kids are talented beyond belief.

8:30 PM
National Book Festival comes to an end, crowd piles out. Dismantle begins.  

9:00 PM
Counting more livestream stats, giving our client updates, uploading last minute photos, and wrap-up meeting with the crew. That s a wrap.

10:00 PM
After a group selfie, we head out to Ebbitt Grill for a post-game dinner and a few well-deserved drinks from P.O.V. We couldn t have done any of it without our awesome client, Library of Congress, our hardworking crew who flew in from all over the country, and the sponsors that made #NatBookFest possible. Cheers, NBF 2017.

Top 3 Experiential Marketing Campaigns of 2017 (Thus Far)

BRAND ACTIVATIONS & MARKETING, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EXPERIENTIAL, LIVE EVENTS

Experiential marketing. Engagement marketing. On-ground marketing. Event marketing. Whatever you want to call it, can be very successful if done right.

The goal of experiential marketing is to form a memorable connection between the consumer and the brand to make a lasting impression, influence purchase decisions and ultimately build brand loyalty. It s proving to be a valuable part of a company s marketing plan, especially for large, faceless brands who can be viewed as out of touch with the general public.

With the explosion of new technology (like virtual reality) in the past year, combined with good ol fashion creativity, we expect 2017 to show us big things for experiential marketing. Here are some of our favorites so far.

The Casper Nap Tour & SXSW Takeover

Casper, one of the heavy-hitters in the mail order mattress-in-a-box industry, took this year s South by Southwest Festival by storm. For starters, they had their Nap Tour RV strategically stationed to help exhausted festival goers take 8-minute power naps. Attendees got to experience the comfort of a Casper mattress in a private pod, complete with slippers, a cold brew coffee, and a dog bed if they also had a furry friend.

Casper Nap Tour

Casper also partnered with the Standard Hotel s One:Night app to help people find a last minute, reasonably priced hotel room in an otherwise completely booked city. Each day at 3:00pm, the One:Night app released 20 rooms that could be booked for just $99 (more reasonable than the other hotel prices in downtown Austin during this time, which ranged from $250-$1,200). Guests got to sleep in comfortable rooms outfitted with a Casper mattress, pillows and slippers. Car service was provided by Tesla, and you could even request a real mom from the front desk to come read you a bedtime story.

Thanks to Mother Nature, Casper really solidified themselves in people s memories when an unexpected snowstorm cancelled flights in the North East at the end of SXSW. Casper extended their event to help stranded attendees find rooms, and even threw a Stranded in Austin party with rapper Warren G.

Talk about turning a nightmare into a dream.

XFINITY Fast & Furious Drive-Out Cinema

XFINITY partnered with the release of the next Fast & Furious movie, The Fate of the Furious, to take two of their customers on the ride of their lives. Excited to see and sit in some of the super cars from the movie, the two contest winners strapped in to watch a sneak peak of the film. That is until the people in the driver s seat suddenly discovered that the keys had been left in the car. Cue revving engine, confusion and adrenaline.

Turns out the people in the driver s seat were the actual stunt drivers from the movie, and they take the two unsuspecting super fans straight through the wall of the theatre and into an explosion-packed stunt ride. It was literally just like a scene from the movie. While this experience wasn t had by many people in-person, the YouTube video posted about it did a great job of capturing the event. While watching, you instantly start imagining what you would do in that situation. It evokes a feeling, a rush.

Plus, it s just flat-out funny to watch these people s faces as they flail about doing donuts next to impressive pyrotechnics.

Crayola Retires a Classic

Crayola made waves in the social media sphere by announcing that they were going to retire one of their iconic crayon colors from their 24-count box. They set up a giant box of crayons in Time Square, and had a countdown going on their website to March 31, 2017 (National Crayon Day) when they were going to announce live on Facebook which color would be getting the ax. Engagement and buzz on social media was high, as Crayola encouraged people to share which color they hoped to keep around (there s lots of Cerulean fans out there).

As it turns out, a box of the new crayons made its way onto shelves one day ahead of schedule, and of course an excited fan spotted it and posted it to Twitter. We give major props to the Crayola social team for reacting to this leak swiftly and positively by saying the color Dandelion just couldn t wait, and decided to announce his retirement a day early. This fast-thinking, positive spin saved the campaign, and may even end up gaining it more attention in the long run. Who doesn t love a good spoiler scandal? Here s wishing that Dandelion enjoys his golden years.

Do you have a favorite 2017 experiential marketing campaign that didn t make this list? Let us know! Tweet us at @DecibelEvent. We re social butterflies.

The Incredible Impossibility of the Super Bowl Halftime Show

EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

As you re making your last minute game-day dip selections and 60-inch TV purchases, there s a group of brave people who have been prepping for this Super Bowl Sunday since last year.

Spoiler alert: It s not any member of the Falcons or the Patriots.

No, for these ambitious folks, the game really begins when the players leave the field. It s halftime.

It s showtime.

A Logistical Nightmare

The team that puts on the Super Bowl halftime show truly accomplishes something incredible. While normal stage setup for a stadium-size concert usually takes a day or more, the Super Bowl halftime stage is assembled in just minutes six minutes to be exact.

Decibel Management Superbowl Halftime Show Stopwatch Infographic

According to Charles Coplin, VP of Special Events for the NFL, last year s Super Bowl XXXVIII (with the halftime show featuring Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars), they had six minutes to bring the stage on and set it up, and six minutes to break it all down. Oh and not to mention, leave the field in pristine condition for the second half of the world s most prestigious football game.

You see, not only do these incredibly elaborate stage setups have to happen quicker than the time it takes to boil six cups of water, they also have to do so without the help of heavy machinery or motor vehicles. Cranes and trucks could tear up the field or bump a goal post. There is way too much at stake to cause a delay of game due to a rogue rig.

Yeah there really isn t any room for mistakes. Like zero room. Because when they say that the Super Bowl halftime show is a huge stage, they mean that both literally and figuratively. What happens on that stage will be seen. By millions. Live. (Or maybe with a slight delay to prevent any future wardrobe malfunctions. )

In fact, there have been many years when the halftime show actually gets more viewership than the football game itself. This was true for last year s show. Super Bowl 50, which saw the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10, had an average viewership of 111.9 million TV viewers. And when was its largest viewership of the night recorded? That s right. During halftime. 115.5 million TV viewers. And even that s rounding down.

This count from Nielson doesn t include out-of-home viewers who went to catch the game at a bar or at their friend s house. It also doesn t include online streaming viewers, or the nearly 70,000 fans that filled Levi Stadium.

OK, so the stage has to be setup in six minutes, using predominantly volunteers and virtually no heavy machinery. There can be no damage done to any area of the field. The performance needs to be executed flawlessly coordinating A-list performers, dancers, lights, sound, props and pyrotechnics because millions of people will be watching live. And then in another six minutes the stage has to be taken down and everyone tucked back in their seats before halftime ends, with zero damage to the field.     

Oh yeah, and you also have to put on a halftime show that kicks ass.

Pushing a 12-minute Show to the Limit

What truly makes halftime amazing is that even with all of these restrictions, it still has to be an unforgettable show. It still has to astound the audience. It still has to keep us talking about it, comparing it to other halftime shows year after year.

Each Super Bowl halftime show tries to push the envelope a little further. Increase the WOW factor just a little more. Let s look at some examples, shall we?

1993 Super Bowl XXVII This is the show that really kicked off the modern halftime extravaganza. In the beginning, Michael Jackson impersonators seemingly morphed from within the digital scoreboards, appearing on top of them to dance high above the stadium. Then, Michael Jackson himself shot up from the stage floor and stared down the audience for a full 90 seconds without moving. A full 90 seconds.

Michael Jackson Performing at Super Bowl Halftime in 1993

A halftime spectacular featuring Michael Jackson wows a SB XXVII crowd of better than 98,000 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on 1/31/1993. Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images Photos (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

1995 Super Bowl XXIX Produced by Disney, this performance featured a live-action Indiana Jones skit, complete with 13 professional stuntmen, skydivers, Patti LaBelle, and one guy who got lit on fire (intentionally). While this halftime show received a lot of ridicule, it was the only one to feature stuntmen and live fight scenes no matter how hokey.

1996 Super Bowl XXX The headliner, Diana Ross, had 12 wardrobe changes, and left the stage in a helicopter.

2007 Super Bowl XLI  This show featured a remarkable performance by Prince while it actually rained. The pouring rain wasn t planned, but the show definitely did go on. And it was fucking awesome.

2012 Super Bowl XLVI This year had an impressive stage completely outfitted with projection mapping. DWP Live, the projection mapping crew, spent nearly 3 weeks getting things ready in Indianapolis. The stage looked spectacular moving and transforming beneath Madonna and her dancers.

2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show Projection Mapping with Madonna

Photo By: Brad Duns via MomentFactory.com

Madonna Super Bowl Halftime Show Projection Mapping Stage

Photo By: Brad Duns via MomentFactory.com

2015 Super Bowl XLIX Katy Perry rode in on a GIANT animatronic tiger (that looked like a lion), and then left by flying around the stadium on a star.

This year, we are eagerly awaiting the over-the-top antics of Lady Gaga. Rumor has it she will be performing alone, maybe with a small cameo by Tony Bennett, but we d love to see some surprise guests. There s also some high flying rumors that she will perform on top of the stadium, or suspended down from the roof in someway a rumor she has neither confirmed nor denied. She did, however, say that her stage would be athletic, so that sounds fun.

The 2017 halftime show has been designed by Bruce Rogers from Tribe Inc., who has been designing the Super Bowl halftime show for more than a decade. LeRoy Bennett has also joined him this year as a co-production designer. We expect the results from this dynamic duo to be nothing short of legendary.

Will you be tuning in to this year s 2017 Super Bowl LI halftime show? We ll be there, and we ll be live tweeting at @decibelevent so follow us and talk to us to let us know what you think. Bring on the guacamole.

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