| GUEST QUESTIONS 08.05.08 2:43 PM |
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Sponsors and "Free Sh*t" Abound at Metromix.com's Lollapalooza Music Lounge
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 | Metromix.com's Music Lounge Photo: Red Eye Productions |
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FROM CHICAGO
From August 1 through August 3, otherwise known as Lollapalooza weekend, Chicago's Hard Rock Hotel became "the Music Lounge Presented by Metromix.com," a crowd-and-heat respite for artists, media, industry folks, and V.I.P. ticket holders. Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, the lounge was produced by BMF Media and located across the street from Grant Park.
Daytime activities, which took place on two levels, included everything from Guitar Hero to complimentary tattoos and gifting suites. At the temporary Eastsport Café, sponsored by the bag manufacturer, guests took advantage of free China Grill-catered lunches, Bustelo coffee drinks, and Ciroc-spiked cocktails with thematic names like the Diddy. Rock the Vote Nights, also presented by Metromix.com, overtook the Music Lounge from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. each evening, featuring performances from the likes of Samantha Ronson.
With the Ciroc cocktails flowing and the music pumping, guests seemed to be in high spirits; some even offered hugs in lieu of comments. Those who did speak up, however, had plenty to say about swag, sponsorship, and the lounge's "vibe."
"This whole experience makes me feel like a kid in a sweets shop. I'm just taking in everything with a little look here, a little taste there. My favorite part of the gifting suite? I'd say the bling [Skullcandy gave out necklaces with silver or gold skull-shaped charms.] That's what we all need: bling, bling, bling."
—Satin Singh, percussionist for Mark Ronson
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RELATED TOPICS
Bustelo, Ciroc, Eastsport, Metromix.com, Rock the Vote |
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| EVENT REPORT 03.17.08 6:55 PM |
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Eastsport Offers Media and Musicians a South by Southwest Sanctuary (and Backpacks)
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 | Members of the media crowded the Eastsport Café. Photo: Hal Harowitz for Elevation Photos |
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FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS The novelty of standing in line for more than an hour, inching closer to stages through sweaty crowds, and subsisting on whatever domestic beer is being given away can only last for so long—certainly not for an entire week.
People need to be able to escape from the din long enough to rest their feet, collect their thoughts, and, in the case of the throngs of media and musicians who descend on the South by Southwest festival every year, get some work done. This year, backpack brand Eastsport teamed with the BMF Media Group to create an environment where they could do it all, safe from the distraction of live music.
Looking for an opportunity to tap into the SXSW crowd with some sort of café, Eastsport senior vice president of advertising and marketing Joseph Janus turned to BMF, having seen the production company’s work on hospitality lounges at similar events like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. The result: the Eastsport Café at Austin’s iconic Moonshine Bar & Grill, which ran Thursday through Saturday during last week’s festival.
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RELATED TOPICS
South by Southwest, Austin, Lollapalooza, Eastsport, Adriano Goldschmied Jeans, Cafe Bustelo, Altoids, Don Julio, Izze, Warner Bros. Records, VH1 |
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