Whether looking to host an exclusive, invite-only gathering or an over-the-top, interactive event, event professionals are equipped with the necessary skills and resources to curate memorable moments that are sure to wow attendees. So it's no wonder that in 2022, we've noticed a trend—retail brands across the country are looking to event professionals to level-up the customer experience. (We're not surprised.)
Sktch Events also constructed a green-clad, tech-centered room with an eye-catching wall adorned with green-painted tech equipment.Photo: Audrey Elliot, Sktch Events
Take e-commerce company Cart.com, which looked to Las Vegas-based planner Sktch Events and experiential marketing agency Invisible North, from New York, to create an eye-catching installation for the Shoptalk Trade Show at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas March 27-30. Jordyn Hanley, the experiential producer for Sktch Events, told BizBash that “Invisible North created the concept for the activation as well as the design, and Sktch Events handled the fabrication and installation."
The multiroom structure was 16 feet tall and 30 feet wide, designed to "showcase the retail capabilities of Cart.com," such as extending a brand's reach, boosting conversion rates, scaling operations, and increasing customer loyalty. In an effort to "incorporate interesting and unique designs (to) make a lasting impression," Hanley explained that her team created rooms highlighting different retail industries, with walls "adorned by hundreds of monochromatic painted props."
Hanley added: “The purple room highlighted the beauty and wellness industry, the teal room showcased technology, and the orange room highlighted sporting goods.”
Aside from receiving branded tote bag giveaways and reading background text displayed on the walls, the 10,000-plus guests in attendance had no shortage of Post-worthy photo ops. Take the beauty-based purple room, for example, with plum vanities, a lavender couch, and crystal chandelier hanging above; or the green-clad, tech-centered room with an eye-catching wall embellished floor-to-ceiling with green-painted tech equipment.
At the brunch celebrating Forever 21 and Herve Leger's '90s-inspired capsule collection, design revolved around the clothes' bright pink and yellow colors.Photo: Courtesy of Coffee ‘n Clothes
Napkins and brunch menus had the "Herve Leger X Forever 21" logo printed on them for a branded touch.Photo: Courtesy of Coffee ‘n Clothes
And last month, New York-based experiential event company Coffee ‘n Clothes (CNC) was tapped by Forever 21 to execute a VIP brunch and subsequent pop-up showroom to celebrate the launch of the LA-based fast-fashion retailer's '90s-inspired capsule collection with Herve Leger, a luxury French fashion house.
On April 15, an intimate, invite-only brunch for 30 attendees took place at Intercrew, an upscale American restaurant in the heart of Los Angeles's Koreatown, designed to celebrate women in leadership. “When thinking of Herve Leger, you think of elevated, beautiful, sophisticated, and a little bit of fun. We wanted the event to reflect all of those elements," said Ryan Glick, the president of CNC.
Upon arrival, guests walked through brightly decorated windows at the entrance, before entering the dining room, which housed the entire colorful collection around a long dining table decorated with pink and yellow floral arrangements, courtesy of Lovesome Blossoms. The floral fabrication team also constructed a photo op moment with a neon light in the shape of the brands' logos.
Over 100 brands are featured throughout the SHOWFIELDS experience, including Sunday Citizen, Flyers Cocktail Co., Onyx & Rose, and ByHeart, plus a range of sustainable clothing lines.Photo: Heidi Lee
"The devil is in the details," Glick noted, adding that "every corner of the venue featured a tasteful and branded moment. Cue the linen napkins, which were branded with the "Herve Leger X Forever 21" logo that was also embossed and foiled on the brunch menu placed at each setting. "We included a 360 photo booth, and we also had someone come in and hand-calligraphy names on mint tins to add to their [attendees'] customized gift bag with product," Glick added. A touch of entertainment? A DJ created a custom soundtrack for the event, and there were special appearances by actress Lisa Rinna and her daughter, writer Amelia Gray, as well as government official Erin Walsh.
Glick said of the brunch's success: “The event brought out exposure and was another way for the client to get content and celebrate the line."
Meanwhile, SHOWFIELDS in New York City sees the importance of event professionals by having an in-house events team redesign its space earlier this month to re-imagine how brands and customers can come together. Tal Zvi Nathanel, co-founder and CEO of SHOWFIELDS, told BizBash: "For customers, SHOWFIELDS is a new kind of store experience: a lifestyle discovery store with an extraordinary design experience and curation of mission-driven brands that can be found 'IRL' for the first time."
To support the mission, there's no shortage of interactive elements for shoppers, from an art gallery on the first floor to a second-story lounge and a black-and-white-striped slide that launches guests from the third-floor self-expression studio into the CBD culture lounge (which is located on the second floor). And in honor of the new in-store shopping experience, SHOWFIELDS launched "Rebirth" earlier this month in its three-story space on Bond Street, a seasonal campaign created to represent a different time of day—sunrise, sunset, and dusk—on each floor. 
SHOWFIELDS, the ultimate lifestyle discovery store, is located in New York City and is open daily noon-7 p.m. The space is anchored by a larger-than-life female figure, inspired by the building's history (it was once an animal hospital operated by New York Women’s League for Animals, then a women’s shelter).Photo: Ella Figueiredo
But it's not all about the shopper. Located in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood, the store showcases more than 100 brands throughout the building and puts them on display as an opportunity to reach a wider audience. "For brands, SHOWFIELDS is a new channel to engage and acquire consumers. It is all the power of physical retail with all the benefits of online marketing: scalable, measurable, and accessible," Nathanel said.
The entire store is anchored by a larger-than-life female figure, which Nathanel said is an ode to the building's history. "The NYC Flagship used to be an animal hospital operated by New York Women’s League for Animals and subsequently a women’s shelter," he said.
Once transformed into SHOWFIELDS, Nathanel also divulged that he sought to set SHOWFIELDS apart from the traditional brick-and-mortar retail experience by making decisions based on the question: “Does it enhance the convenience, curation, content, community, and connection for our guests?”
More than 300 guests attended the launch party celebrating "Rebirth." Since then, Nathanel and his team have used the store's unique mission, social strategies, as well as a lineup of live events, to increase ROI—"to increase foot traffic and also our rate of return customers," Natahnel explained, adding that the "brands who make up our stores will reap the benefits of this consistency."
Live event programming at SHOWFIELDS is robust, including an NFT Party, retail-centered pop-ups, wellness workshops, and fashion shows, as well as discussions on infants, CBD, drag as a form of dress-up, and much more. The 14,000-square-foot store is also serving as a venue for corporate and social events, with similar offerings in its Miami location. 
SHOWFIELD's retail experience has many interactive elements, including an art gallery on the first floor, a lounge on the second floor, and a slide that launches guests from the third-floor self-expression studio to the second-floor CBD culture lounge.Photo: Ella Figueiredo
