Event Ideas

Eventster is a free app that launched in June for iPhone and iPad, and an Android version is under development. Eventster populates the app with more than 600,000 listings from Zvents, but individuals can also list their events for free. Users can give a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" vote to each listing, which moves those events to the top of the directory. Co-founder Luke Stangel said that, in the future, the system will analyze those votes along with an individual's iTunes library and Facebook "likes" to create personalized event recommendations. Users can filter events by keyword, location, date, and category; view them in a list or on a map; and save events directly to their calendar.

Comic-Con teamed up with Showtime to offer free, 24-hour shuttle buses to attendees. The buses, covered in the network's advertising imagery, took attendees to their respective hotels as far away as Shelter and Harbor Islands.

With lines that wrapped the convention center, some brands made a play for attention by covering the nearby buildings in promotional wrapping. NBC marketed its new television show, Revolution, on the facade of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, which also served as an extension of the convention center by hosting a block of panels.

To promote Defiance, Syfy and Trion Worlds took over the Hard Rock Hotel’s Maryjane restaurant for the duration of the convention. The two companies partnered to create the television show with an accompanying massive multiplayer online game, which is scheduled to premiered April next year.

Billed as the place to "Watch. Play. Eat.", the Syfy and Trion activation allowed visitors to dine and play the game.

Starting on Thursday, Wired magazine set up a temporary café at the Omni Hotel's Palm Terrace, taking over the space for three days to offer Comic-Con attendees a place to relax away from the convention center.

Among the activities Wired offered was the opportunity for guests to have their superhero alter-egos drawn on an interactive display board by a caricaturist from Audio Visual Innovations-Signal Perfection. The cartoon-like images were simultaneously displayed on a monitor so participants could see what was being sketched.

NBC's Grimm took over the Tin Fish restaurant, creating an experiential forest by covering the establishment in greenery and incorporating moss on the table umbrellas.

Warner Brothers Entertainment presented its first ever "Extra at Comic-Con," a festival that ran adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center at Bayfront Park and was free to the public Thursday through Saturday. With the next installment of the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises, opening July 20, the brand took the opportunity to showcase all six Batmobiles from the television shows and films.

The Extra Stage housed live Q&As with famous faces, including the cast of The CW's The Vampire Diaries and Fox's Fringe, as well as musical performances by the Bacon Brothers and Frenchie Davis.

A postapocalyptic theme dominated the look of The Walking Dead's 100th Issue Party at Petco Stadium on Friday night. "Gore was encouraged, and making sure it was executed on a level that would make The Walking Dead fans proud was key," said Brian Diamond, co-owner of the Visionary Group, which produced and designed the event. Two zombie nurses stood at the perimeter of the party, interacting with guests when they approached.

Guns and comic-book-style signs were the props of choice in the photo area at The Walking Dead event. As guests entered the party, staff handed out hospital-style bracelets—R.F.I.D. wristbands that enabled tech agency Fish to email photos directly to attendees.

Hyundai flaunted its 2013 Elantra GT at the Walking Dead party and wrapped the vehicle in the cover of the 100th issue of the series, designed by the series' artist Charlie Adlard.

On Saturday, Playboy recreated Bon Temps, Louisiana, the location of HBO show True Blood, in a 40,000-square-foot parking lot in the gaslamp district for a 1,500-person party.

The True Blood event also offered T-shirts silk-screened on-site, bite-mark-shaped temporary tattoos, fake fangs, and photo booths where guests could dress up as vampires.

In keeping with the Louisiana theme, two local San Diego food trucks, Pearson's Catfish and Delicioso, served Cajun-style food to attendees.

HBO tapped Freshwata to build the Castle Black and Ice Wall for its Game of Thrones party, which was held Friday at the Omni Hotel's Palm Terrace and co-hosted by Wired magazine. Pine trees covered in snow mimicked the popular show's wintry setting.

At the Game of Thrones event, sword adorned the custom bar that served show-inspired drinks like the "White Walker," a white Cosmopolitan, as well as the "Wildfire and Whiskey," a mix of Irish whiskey, midori, and ginger ale.

The Patrón Express Railcar made its way down to San Diego from Los Angeles, offering invited guests a luxury ride to and from Comic-Con on Friday, July 13, and Sunday, July 15.

As an extension of its ad campaign, Patrón held a summer cocktail party Saturday, inviting guests to the Santa Fee Train station where railcar was parked. The affair served mixed drinks, burgers, and Patrón-flavored popsicles.

Decor at Patrón's event incorporated the tequila brand's logo, including a lamp made from Patrón bottles.

Patrón served travel-inspired cocktails with chunks of fresh watermelon and jalapenos, as well as espresso-like shots.

Entertainment Weekly held its annual party at Float at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday. Sponsored by Ubisoft’s Just Dance 4, the event turned the venue's cabanas into gaming areas for guests.

At the Thursday-night IGN and Lionsgate party for Expendables 2, the pool of the Hard Rock Hotel rooftop bar was decorated with the symbol from the movie.

Illuminated cubes marked with IGN's logo were served with the signature cocktails at the Expendables 2 event.

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman had Hyundai to create a car prepared for a zombie apocalypse to celebrate the comic's 100th issue. Technology company Sincerely used the vehicle's presence at Comic-Con to demonstrate Postagram Engage, which allowed users to send themselves digital copies of the photo, as well as receive a postcard of the image in the mail.

Echoing the Absolut Citron-clad bar, lush floral arrangements with citrus details dotted bars and tabletops throughout the venue.