Airbnb Park @ SXSW 2014

Airbnb Park was a big ol’ slice of Americana topped with a thin layer of Scandinavian designed icing. More importantly, it was another fantastic opportunity to help build out a true “experiential footprint” for a cutting edge client. When the uber cool Silicon Valley based, “Pirate’s of Couch Surfing” wanted to do something that was not only different but also memorable, we were more than happy to follow their creative lead.

Airbnb describes their park as, “an oasis amidst the craziness of SXSW, where attendees can enjoy an array of activities day and night including spa treatments, yoga, live music courtesy of emerging acts ranging from bluegrass to rock to hip hop, and specialty cooking events.”

Airbnb’s first move was to partner with modernist pre-fab revolutionaries, kitHAUS, who delivered 3 of their modular living spaces fully decorated by Snoop Dogg, Capital Cities, and Allen Stone, respectively. But who could possibly provide electricity, lighting and audio equipment for this massive activation, stretching over an acre across Austin’s hipster gentrified East-Side? Enter the electrical grid building prowess of Sound Mind Events. Providing full power for every food truck, drink vendor, kitHAUS; heck, we even lit up the porta potties at this one.

The final challenge we faced was how to adequately provide audio for this low-key hipster utopia. A lesser production company would have over-sold a thunderous system that would have shook the horned rimmed glasses right off the ironic faces of the easily startled audience. With the years earned experience of knowing how to dress appropriately for every type of event, Production Experience and Sound Mind Events were able to provide a compact sound and lighting system that paired with Airbnb Park like a crisp Viognier with mango lime chutney.

For more information on our production services, contact our experts.  We look forward to hearing from you, and working with you!

GMR Miller Lite Lounge @ Butler Park, SXSW 2014

Miller Lite was ALL OVER this year’s SXSW. First, they brought back the Original Lite Can, blanketed every form of mass media and digital communication, and if that wasn’t enough, they decided that they just HAD to be the top level Super Sponsorship Partner for the ENTIRE Event. So, when our friends at GMR Marketing asked us to help them create something “big” for SXSW, we were a little surprised when we found out just how “BIG” they were thinking.

The Miller Lite Deck at Butler Park was simply MASSIVE. Not only was it the biggest sponsorship footprint, it was about twice the size of the Main Stage. With a commanding view of the main stage and festival grounds, this 100′ wide x 40′ deep concert lounge was complete with 60′ LED TVs, mobile device charging stations, lounge furniture, and professional stage lighting and truss.  Most importantly, the lounge had something the Main Stage didn’t: Ice Cold Miller Lite; lots of it.

You could say the folks at MillerCoors went “all in” at this year’s SXSW and we were happy to be a part of one of the largest product activations in SXSW’s 27 year history.  The Miller Lite Deck was one of the most visited and talked about promotions in Butler Park. With great sponsorship comes great exposure.  Contact our experts at Production Experience, and find out how we can provide these services to your clients!

The Complex Complex, SXSW 2014

When the NYC based brand influencers at Complex Media told us they were converting a house off of 3rd St. into their “home away from home” for SXSW, we asked them, “How can we help?” We understood that they wanted to throw a legit house party vibe at a select few SXSW attendees so, we built a modest 16’x8′ stage in the backyard, and then dropped a powerful sound and lighting system for the incredible lineup of talent scheduled to perform.

Day and night, The Complex Complex had elite artists and clientele in, out, and around the small downtown Austin home. At any given time you might be next to Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) or rubbing elbows with deadmau5.  You might be discussing the finer points of Pre Raphaelite Art with Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), while watching Anamanaguchi perform punk rock songs with an 8 bit Game Boy.

This all assumes that you were able to GET IN to The Complex Complex. This was by far the most exclusive event that our founders had at SXSW 2014. After repeated attempts all day to gain access to this exclusive event, I was finally able to sneak in the VIP entrance to document the final performance on our stage, 6 time Grammy winning dubstep DJ, Skrillex, to an absolutely packed capacity crowd. Thank you, Complex Media.

For more information on the activations that our founders handled at SXSW, check out my blog post here.  If you are ready to talk to our experts about your next event, then feel free to contact us.  We look forward to hearing from you, and working with you!