MAG News & Updates

When people think of event design, technology is not typically one of the first words that come to mind. Rather, the focus is placed on the physical design of the space (my personal favorite part of the process!), ensuring the event runs smoothly and creating a positive attendee experience. While these aspects are critical considerations, I can also tell you that in our rapidly evolving industry, the integration of technology is just as crucial. I had the privilege to attend Event Marketer’s EventTech Live in Las Vegas this November and was amazed at the event technologies that are new to the scene and existing platforms that keep continuing to grow.

Not only did I leave Las Vegas with a few unused $5 gambling chips from the Bellagio, but with an arsenal of event technologies to bring back to the MAG Team. With that, here are my favorite top 5 technologies I learned about and experienced at the event:

1. Virtual Reality

It’s here to stay and keeps getting better & better. Globacore is a leading company that has been at the forefront of Virtual Reality over the years.  They combine physical and digital elements to make users feel completely immersed in an activation or game… whether it be creating a digital environment like they did in Paperdude which brought the classic arcade game Paperboy to life with a real spin bike or by setting up their own camera rigs to create a reality experience from the ground up. It goes to show you that when it comes to incorporating Virtual Reality into a consumer experience, the sky can quite literally be the limit.

Oculus Rift + Kinect + KickR = Our Homage to Paperboy: PaperDude VR from Globacore on Vimeo.

2. Mobile Charging Stations

They might be a tried & true technology, but nonetheless one that continues to increase engagement at an activation and serves as a great value-add. You might have thought you’ve seen them all but Brightbox is leading the “charge” with their secure charging stations whereby a kiosk (freestanding, tabletop or wall mounted) featuring locked slots, branded elements and if desired, digital ads and survey integrations. Guests receive a card that they first swipe into the machine, open a slot, plug their phone in, lock it up and walk away leaving their phone to charge securely. Pretty much a no-brainer.

Image courtesy of brightboxcharge.com.

3. Social, Social, Social

It’s almost 2016, you can’t have a campaign without it. Not only do you need social, but you want to also measure it. Postano not only aggregates and measures social media data using user-generated content featuring hashtags and a brand’s own social accounts, but also turns that data into a visual display that can be featured at your event. With Postano, you get a front-and-back-end system and a variety of “add-ons” like an app you can use to moderate your display feed on-the-go, a function that can respond to your guests content asking for permission to repost their Instagram or Twitter post, and even integrate feeds on your existing company’s website.

4. Polling

What’s an event without information? Polling an audience is a tale as old as time and has been done in countless ways, but meetoo has upped the ante by creating an interactive polling and real-time messaging platform that can be incorporated directly into your meeting. Attendees have the option to download the meetoo app to participate or simply use the web app via URL link to get involved. Not only can polling be accomplished with endless setting options, but there is also a plug-in to incorporate live polling into PowerPoint directly making the process even more seamless. Gathering information just got even easier.

Image courtesy of meetoo.io.

5. Networking

When it comes down to it, the reason we put on events is to elicit some level of networking, reaction and interaction.  We are always looking for ways to not only have the brand engage with the audience but to have the audience interact with each other. Enter Proxfinity, a platform that works to increase networking at events using back-end data gathered by attendees during registration or onsite. Proxfinity provides attendees with a physical device that attaches to your badge, uses algorithms to visually connect two nearby attendees (either by a common colored light that appears or displaying each other’s initials on the badge). The amount of uses are endless – use it to identify leads at events, training purposes, or to purely get your audience connected together.

There you have it..technology is everywhere and with good reason. When it comes to planning your event, you must really consider your client’s goals for the campaign to not only produce an aesthetically beautiful event but also to narrow down on which technologies would best elevate and maximize your event’s impact.  And with the help of innovative, progressive and ever-evolving partners like the ones above, I know the events we put on have a chance to reach that status and that works for me.

Author Allie Lewbel onsite at EventTech ’15. Header image courtesy of eventmarketer.com

…plus a look at other brands who have thrived by giving back!

Next year the michael alan group will be celebrating its 15 year anniversary. When we started the company there were just 3 of us, subletting a corner of an office, bartering our services for all of our start-up needs, everything from our logo to legal incorporation. My hope and dream was to be where we are today, listed among the top experiential marketing firms in the country. Doing great work for great brands. Most important though are the people behind the projects. An amazing group of creative, resourceful, and professional individuals who arrive at work every day to design and produce things that haven’t been done before. For their dedication I am extremely thankful, and we do what we can to show it.

We created a day called #MAGunplugged. It’s a chance for the entire team to turn off the phones for the day (for any clients reading this, not to worry, we have Project Managers in the office manning the fort) and take some time to appreciate each other. We do this every quarter, each time doing something new and relative to the season. This past Fall we went apple picking which resulted in about 25 bags of apples, 5 servings of apple spiced donuts, and 2 cases of wine from the onsite winery.

The MAG team poses with their haul of delicious apples after spending the day at an orchard unplugged from their phones.

We also take #MAGmorale quite seriously. While I can’t expect everyone to be happy ALL of the time, I do what we can so they’re happy MOST of the time. Whether it’s our own MAG prize wheel offering things like $100 Amazon gift cards or an extra day off, or ordering in lunch on a rainy day. .

We also give back to others as well, having instituted #MAGvolunteers. Each year we pick a different charitable cause to support. Whether it’s volunteering at the Bowery Mission, or sponsoring and serving food at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, it’s especially rewarding when serving our own community here in NYC.

 

An amazing group of creative, resourceful, and professional individuals who arrive at work every day to design and produce things that haven’t been done before. For their dedication I am extremely thankful, and we do what we can to show it.

Giving and gratitude go hand in hand, especially as they relate to marketing campaigns in general. How a brand speaks to its customer base, how they choose to thank them for their loyalty and support, and how they choose to give back, clearly plays a significant role when it comes to their brand messaging.

Everyone knows the story of TOMS, for each pair of shoes you purchase, they supply pair of shoes for a child in need. To date they have provided more than 45 million pairs of new shoes to children in need. Even more interesting thought is how they have since helped in so many other ways:

• Through TOMS eyewear purchases they’ve helped restore sight to over 325 thousand people in need.
• Through TOM’S Roasting Co they’ve helped provide over 175,000 weeks of safe water to people in need.

40 million women across the world give birth each year without the help of a skilled birth attendant. So with the purchase of a TOM’S bag, you’re helping support the delivery of safe birth kits, training for skilled birth attendants, and healthy delivery for new born baby and mom.

Lastly, nearly 1 out of every 3 students, aged 12-18 in the United States, reports being bullied. By purchasing a Stand Up Backpack you’re helping prevent incidents of bullying through training of school communities, and training of Crisis Counselors, both of which result in improved safety, academic performance and well-being of middle and high school students.

There are countless other success stories demonstrating how brands find their own unique way to give back. Take Tide’s Loads Of Hope. As their site states, “ten years ago, in response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Tide created Loads of Hope: a mobile laundromat developed to restore a sense of normalcy and dignity through the basic comfort of clean clothing for those in the midst of chaos. Since that time, Tide has helped renew hope for nearly 45,000 families across the country affected by natural disasters, from tornadoes in Missouri to flooding in South Carolina.”

As we celebrate thanksgiving this weekend, most of us will be surrounded by friends and family, and inherently feel what we’re grateful for. In a perfect world, every day is an opportunity to take a minute to stop and appreciate all that you have. But that’s not always possible. We get caught up and sidetracked with both personal and professional hurdles. At least there’s one day, appropriately titled, that forces us to stop and do so. Take a minute this weekend to let someone know how special they are, and maybe even take a minute for yourself as well.

I’m going to go now, my kids are in the other room screaming at each other, which is probably a good time to tell them how much I love them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

At MAG, our Account Execs plan extraordinary activations; often juggling multiple campaigns at a time. Our design team doodles endlessly, bringing ideas to life daily. And Dug, the office dog, may soon master “Rollover.”

But none of this work would be worth a dime without our remarkable crew of Brand Ambassadors. From facing early mornings to braving wild costumes, our BA’s dive directly into project execution, delivering fine-tuned messaging and experiences directly to consumers.

Over the years we’ve worked with some of the best around, and we’ve learned just what elements make our Brand Ambassadors top-notch. Here are the qualities we expect in each of our BA’s:

Dependability and Independence

First and foremost, any Brand Ambassador MUST be punctual and prepared for the role they will play. Even the most organized activations can quickly turn chaotic, and we expect all of our BA’s to execute their duties independently should a manager need to temporarily leave. These qualities also go hand-in-hand with professionalism, and we ensure all of our BA’s act responsibly and courteously at all times.

Enthusiasm and Energy

Nobody wants to sample a s’more from Negative Nancy or pose at a party with Gloomy Gary. A major part of being a Brand Ambassador requires being friendly, approachable, and ready to eagerly introduce consumers to a brand. We certainly don’t expect (or advise) anyone to channel their high school cheerleading days, but an outstanding BA consistently maintains an air of positivity and liveliness. It’s your time to shine, Happy Harry.

Just some of the wild costumes MAG’s Brand Ambassadors may wear. Here, our “milk men and women” serve delicious treats at the Twentieth Television Milk and Cookie Bar.

 

Adaptability and Resilience

If there’s one thing everyone in events can agree upon, it’s that ANYTHING can happen. While a manager or account exec will handle any major complications, there are several obstacles that can arise that Brand Ambassadors must calmly and effectively address. Between wild weather changes, spikes in foot traffic, or a flux in supplies, a day as a BA can often be grueling, and the best of the best can handle it all.

Charm and Spunk

All other characteristics aside, the secret ingredient to a fantastic Brand Ambassador is simple: personality. We never hire brand-babbling robots (and not strictly because of their incessant malfunctions). Consumers want genuine conversations relevant to a brand, and our BA’s are unique individuals from a variety of backgrounds. That’s why, at MAG, we handle staffing in-house via a dedicated Staffing Department, and, because we know our BA’s well, we can promise to provide the most charming, spunky, and best fitting Brand Ambassador for any target audience.

Interested in becoming a Brand Ambassador? Sure, we’ve boasted about our fantastic crew, but we’re always welcoming new faces and we’d love to chat! Email our Staffing Coordinator, Marivic, here. (Tip: She’s a BIG Broadway theatre fan, so don’t hesitate to mention your favorite show!)