Are you thinking of creating an experiential event? You should be. But it’s not as easy as it seems. You see, all good experiential events use props – whether it’s a full scale model of Thomas the Tank Engine at the British Museum, or a giant pair of fibreglass stilettos at Manchester Fashion Week.
When a prop build is successful it can create amazing buzz and act as the signature element of a highly effective experiential marketing campaign.
But there are some things you need to think about during the planning and build stage to ensure your prop is fit for purpose.
Here’s our event prop checklist to ensure your custom prop will be a great success.
1. Get approvals
An experiential event needs to be okayed by anyone who is likely to be affected by it. Make sure your plan for the structure is reviewed and approved by the relevant people – the venue, (in terms of health & safety) or the local Council (if the prop will be outside in a public place).
The last thing you need is an inspector shutting you down in the middle of your event because you didn’t have the necessary permissions.
2. What are the size restrictions?
Marketers often get caught up in the idea of something huge, but be realistic about what is allowed in the venue.
Make sure your experiential event prop meets the required size and health & safety requirements of the venue. Do you need any special permits? Make sure you check these or your prop won’t even make it through the door.
3. Security
Yes. You’ll need security. You would be shocked at what happens in the most serene environments – you could turn around and a 10 year old will be ramming your event prop with his bicycle. Or a drunken sports fan might decide he wants to prove his bravado by climbing on top of it…
Who will be keeping an eye on it? Will your team take it in turns?
4. What will it be built from?
Any experiential marketing event prop needs to be light enough for easy and cost effective transportation, but secure enough to be stable wherever it is going to be placed. Again, the last thing you need is a gust of wind knocking it over and damaging it.
5. How will you repurpose the prop?
You’ve taken the above into consideration and created an amazing structure – but how can you use it to get the most out of your marketing pounds? Make sure it will get plenty of use.
If you have limited storage space, it’s wise to budget in warehousing, to keep your prop safe and prevent damage.
Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442 or email us on info@hotcow.co.uk.
