Event Marketer Fall 2022 - 24

FIELD REPORT
were on-site in period costumes selling
goods like spices and fruit, and interacting
with one another and attendees, remarking
on things like the exotic colors they
were wearing (our shade of orange was
of interest) and what strange objects they
were pointing at each other (mobile devices).
Meanwhile, the sound of what we can
only assume were dragons could be heard
all along the castle's exterior.
Then, the castle doors opened and
we entered the " The Dragon's Den, " prepared
to walk in a Targaryen's footsteps.
It was dark and foreboding inside, with
wall-mounted candles and an eerie red
glow serving as the light sources. Before
the journey began, our guide fervently
impressed upon us what a privilege it
was to participate in a ceremonial dragon-hatching
experience, and asked that
we demonstrate our bravery and worthiness
of bonding with a dragon along the
way. This included selecting a heavy, scaly
dragon egg from an altar featuring faux
flames and complete with smoke effects,
observing a candle-lit dragon skull installation
and completing the ritual by placing
our egg in a pit of flames to be hatched.
playful photo moments, like posing in an
oversized version of the Good Guys doll
box from " Chucky 2 " or next to a woolly
mammoth skull installation touting " La
Brea. " Exclusive surprise giveaways were
also distributed throughout the weekend.
(Agency: Hudson Gray)
NETFLIX
Things
got
physical
during Netflix's
" Training Program, " an interactive experience
that allowed attendees to mimic a
sequence from the network's latest action
thriller, " The Gray Man. " And let us tell
you, it was a legitimate endurance test that
Peloton had not prepared us for.
The centerpiece of the activation was
HBO
Before the experience ended, we
snagged a legitimately cool " HOTD "
hologram pin premium, and, naturally
posed for a photo on the Iron Throne surrounded
by lifelike flame effects. Dracarys.
(Agency: Giant Spoon)
NBCUNIVERSAL
The first-ever NBCU Corner highlighted
new and popular content on NBC,
Peacock, SyFy and USA Network with
a vast playground of photo ops, where
the brand told us an open footprint and
light-hearted touchpoints were aimed
at easing attendees back into live experiences.
The activation was home to a
steady stream of fans looking for a place
to take a quick breather and engage in
24
EVENT MARKETER FALL 2022
a real-life, repurposed subway car that
had " crashed, " complete with the intermittent
appearance of billowing smoke.
It was at the edge of the car that the
two-person mission began. As a narrator
counted down and sirens wailed, we were
challenged to race through the subway
and complete a series of training modules
(like figuring out which levers to pull
to advance to another car) to prove our
spy-worthy skills. Upon exiting the installation,
we received branded medallions
for the keeping and were encouraged to
keep them safe before moving on to the
final module, a speed test that took place
on the subway's rooftop. There, we hustled
toward a locked briefcase, at which point,
medallions handy, we cracked the code by
placing one of them in the correct location,
just in the nick of time.
Netflix filmed the entire final module
and mixed it with real scenes from the
movie for those who opted in to receive a
video, offering Con-goers their very own
action hero keepsake. And as a parting
token, brand ambassadors offered to snap
pics of participants in front of a filminspired
backdrop with their own devices.
Then it was back to being a boring civilian.
(Agency: VTProDesign)
PARAMOUNT
Although it was slightly off the beaten
path, it didn't take long for lines to form
around the " Dungeons & Dragons: Honor
Among Thieves " Tavern, which was home
to a 20-minute multisensory experience
that provided a rare peek at the forthcoming
film from Paramount Pictures.
Inside, attendees like ourselves explored
the immersive medieval-inspired tavern
environment that was packed with installations
and props, caught looping clips of
key characters from the movie on various
screens and sipped glowing green mugs
of alcoholic Dragon Brew, which was a
refreshing Moscow mule-like beverage
(alcohol-free versions were also available).
Actors even led the room in comedic
group cheers.
The highlight, though, was the grand
finale to the activation, an a/v experience
during which a dragon monster roared,
breathed smoke and seemed to break free
from the screen. A sequence of fog, lighting
and audio effects made for some seriously
high production value.
But wait, there's more. We were among
the lucky few chosen to participate in a
secret VIP " D&D " experience above the
tavern that took place after each wave of
attendees passed through the main activation.
In a small group of about 10, we
took seats around a semicircular table and
encountered an otherworldly character
standing at the center of it beside an altar.
In the nearly pitch-dark room, glowing
red symbols and a single spotlight on
this sorceress of sorts provided the only
illumination.
One attendee made a few jokes, and
was quickly shut down with a verbal warning
by our mistress of ceremonies, but
mostly we sat in eerie silence until she conducted
a formal speech about her mission,
enhanced by a/v effects. Next, she circled
the table to welcome each participant into
an elite society and made it official by
" tattooing " each of us with a mysterious
symbol-all but one of us... the jokester
from the beginning. The man, deemed
a " non-believer, " dramatically choked as
the sorceress cast her spell, and he died at
the table (clearly, an actor planted by the
brand). Upon parting, we were asked to
spread the good word. Worth considering:
At an event like SDCC, where superfans
will do just about anything to get closer to
the content they're passionate about-not
to mention exclusive bragging rights-this
activation delivered. (Agency: NVE)
When Comic-Con wrapped and we
found ourselves back on the East Coast, we
had sore feet, great memories and something
of a newfound love for mythical
beings. Blame it on the Dragon Brew.
-Kait Shea
eventmarketer.com
IMAGE CREDIT: NBCU Corner (NBCUNIVERSAL)
http://www.eventmarketer.com
Event Marketer Fall 2022

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