Maxim held its Super Bowl Bash at an airport hangar in Scottsdale on January 31. Ludacris performed at the Saturday-night event; the rapper and actor is managed by Jeff Dixon.
Rolling Stone, which has hosted Super Bowl activations in years past, hosted Rolling Stone Live on January 31 at the Venue Scottsdale. Toast, Bookem Danno, and Talent Resources Sports produced the music magazine's event. The headline entertainer was Steven Tyler, who was booked by Talent Resources Sports.
Charli XCX, known for her hit "Boom Clap," also performed at Rolling Stone's Super Bowl bash. Toast booked the singer.
Actor, comedian, and rapper Nick Cannon hosted a February 1 bash at a pop-up club hosted by the New York-based Bounce Sporting Club. Bounce was responsible for booking the talent, and the event featured drinks, food stations, and DJ tunes. The event took over Calico Jack's Cantina in Glendale, Arizona.
DirecTV brought back its private Super Saturday Night party on January 31, and CL22 once again designed the 7,000-guest event. The affair took place at the Pendergast Family Farm and featured entertainment from Rihanna and Kanye West. The brand used Platinum Rye Entertainment to book the talent.
Longtime Super Bowl activation sponsor DirecTV did not host its Celebrity Beach Bowl this year, but instead presented the new Super Fan Festival at the Pendergast Family Farm in Glendale, Arizona, from January 28 to 30. Platinum Rye Entertainment also used the brand to help book headline acts such as Zac Brand Band.
Calvin Harris—a singer and songwriter as well as a DJ— was another headline act at the festival and was also wrangled through Platinum Rye Entertainment.
For other festival acts who performed on the festival's HGTV stage, DirecTV enlisted the services of Pop2Life. The acts included singer, rapper, dancer, and actress Becky G (pictured).
Pop2Life also wrangled Swedish DJ Alesso for the HGTV stage.
Playboy, a familiar brand on the Super Bowl party scene, hosted its bash at the W Scottsdale on January 30. There was a performance from Nelly, and a cuddly entertainer of another sort: internet sensation Jiff the Pomeranian, a canine who's billed as an actor and model. The pup is managed by Zero Gravity Management. But for this event, a guest who knew the dog's owners asked to bring Jiff along, and the dog cuddled with Playboy Playmates free of charge.
From the makers of Fashion GPS, an invitation, scheduling, and seating system used by the fashion industry since 2006, comes Events GPS. Launched in August, the service offers electronic invitations, mail merge, interactive seating plans, and on-site digital check-in that can be done with QR codes or with R.F.I.D. chips embedded in physical invitations. Events GPS has a Web-based system and a mobile app. Hosts can use the system to store contacts, including photos, and track which events people attended in the past, where they were seated, and other details. After the event, Events GPS can generate reports regarding attendee engagement.
PlanetNow is a cloud-based event management system that launched in March. Planners use the system to create an event Web site, process registration, oversee transportation, coordinate venues and vendors, manage sessions and special events, and conduct surveys. The system’s mobile app has a matching algorithm integrated with LinkedIn and GPS services that helps attendees discover other people at the event with common interests or backgrounds.
Available since March, Now Attending is intended to facilitate engagement at corporate and social events. Planners use the system to create a custom event site to manage R.S.V.P.s. If attendees connect their Facebook accounts when they register, the system will show which of their friends are also attending, their hotel selections, and more. The system will soon be integrated with LinkedIn, as well. At the event, attendees use the Now Attending mobile app to view their personalized agendas and communicate with the host and other attendees. To promote engagement, photos shared through the app can simultaneously be displayed on a large screen that can also include sponsor information and trivia about attendees, such as who traveled the farthest.
EventDay is an event management platform that launched last year. Planners create an event Web site to manage registration, attendee communication, badges, and coordination of speakers and exhibitors. The system can be integrated with digital signage at a venue to provide real-time updates to schedules and sessions. The system provides two mobile apps: one for the event host that provides information such as check-in status and sponsor management, and another for attendees that is focused on scheduling and session content. Hosts can also use EventDay to moderate questions during a session that attendees send via the app, texts, or Twitter; approved questions display on a large screen in front of the audience.
SignUp4 purchased RapidApp last year and has integrated it into its event management system. As planners build their event Web sites in SignUp4, the system automatically creates the identical elements in the mobile app. When attendees register on the Web site, the attendee list updates in the app. The app also provides location services integrated with Google Maps and allows attendees to share photos with one another. SignUp4 plans to link the app with its travel management system so planners can see attendees’ itineraries and attendees can receive real-time updates on flight delays or other changes on their mobile devices.
If One Direction played instruments, they might look a little something like these guys. The all-male quartet Well-Strung features classical musicians who put their own spin on Mozart, Beethoven, Lorde, Madonna, Gotye, U2, and more. The group, which is composed of first violinist Edmund Bagnell, second violinist Christopher Marchant, cellist Daniel Shevlin, and violist Trevor Wadleigh, has gained national and international attention for its unique blend of string-quartet-meets-boy-band. The foursome has played venues around the world, including the Leicester Square Theatre in London, the House of Blues in New Orleans, and Feinstein's in San Francisco. Available globally for corporate events, the group's fee starts at $7,500.
The professional touring and recording session musicians are die-hard Beatles fans and cover more than 80 of the iconic group's songs. (The act's name is an homage to John Lennon's band, the Quarrymen, which eventually evolved into the beloved Beatles.) During the Four Quarrymen's performances, guests are encouraged to join the band to sing along karaoke style. Available on the East and West Coasts, the Los Angeles-based band charges $10,000 per event; fee is negotiable.
The 160-member rock choir, which has performed sold-out shows at Koerner Hall in Toronto and Carnegie Hall in New York, can customize its playlist based on the event, singing everything from Lady Gaga to Stevie Wonder. Plus, Newchoir offers teambuilding workshops, teaching groups of as many as 65 how to perform a song. Fees range from $2,500 to $7,500 for events in Toronto and southern Ontario.
Lavender Steel from New York-based entertainment company On the Move performs '90s hits as well as original tunes. The band's sing-along show includes two 40-minute sets, plus over-the-top '80s- and '90s-inpsired costumes, choreographed dancers, a Hula-Hoop act, and two stilt walkers who interact with the audience during the performance. The group performs domestically and internationally; pricing is available upon request.
As entertainment during cocktail hour or dinner, M'Michèle improvises lounge music with an electric harp, and can adapt her playlist with her DJ to set the mood. She has performed at events for brands like Cadillac, Delta, and Acura, as well as at the Much Music Awards, North by Northeast Festival, and royal receptions. Montreal-based M'Michèle is available for international performances; pricing is available upon request. Booking inquiries can be made through the Idea Hunter.
The quirky musical act will definitely make waves at any outdoor event. The Latino band from France can entertain guests, all while floating on rafts in swimming pools, rivers, or any body of water. Available for performances in the United States, the group charges approximately $3,300 and is booked through Talents & Productions, an international corporate entertainment agency based in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The eclectic ensemble from On the Move fuses soprano opera vocals with classical strings, while a DJ spins custom backing tracks. Each artist has electroluminescent and ultraviolet lighting woven into their costumes for a special glow. The group performs domestically and internationally; pricing is available upon request.
New York Virtuosi's electric string quartet covers pop tunes, such as "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus and "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. The ensemble recently performed at a Ted Baker launch event for the designer's spring/summer collection. New York Virtuosi is available globally, with fees starting at $2,000.
Like a harp on steroids, the strings of the oversize musical instrument are suspended across several feet and are illuminated to grab the audience's attention. Booked through Talents & Productions, the United States-based act charges approximately $9,800 per event.
Taking inspiration from their high school days, the Chicago cover band members present playful takes on classic teenage roles, such as the prom king, Catholic schoolgirl, nerd, hippie, and jock. The Student Body performs favorite rock, pop, and alternative hits, and encourages attendees to dress in their favorite cheerleader outfits or school spirit gear. The group is available for weddings, corporate events, and private parties as a full band or acoustic, and currently plays around the Midwest but is available to travel nationwide. Pricing ranges from $1,500 to $5,000.
The comic video specialist Timothy DeLaGhetto, also known as Traphik, counts more than 2.9 million subscribers and 601 million views of his posts, which show off his skills as a rapper, comedian, writer, and videographer. His work includes original skits, parodies, rants, and a series called “Dear DeLaGhetto.” He currently appears as a cast member on MTV’s Wild N’ Out and Guy Code. DeLaGhetto, who is Thai-American, can speak to groups about his creative process and how diversity plays a role in content, audience reach, and success. He is represented by CAA Speakers.
A classically trained violinist who now pairs her music with electronic beats, Lindsey Stirling used YouTube to promote her early career and now has more than 6.9 million followers. Stirling calls her rejection in the quarterfinals of the TV show America’s Got Talent in 2010 a defining moment, and she has gone on to success that included a nomination at this year’s Teen Choice Awards for Choice Web Star: Music. Raised as a Mormon, Stirling can speak about inspirational topics such as her faith, not giving up, remaining strong and true to yourself, overcoming trials, personal progress and change, her prior struggle with an eating disorder, and positive thinking. She is represented by WME.
YouTube pioneer Philip DeFranco—he joined in 2006—produces a humorous news and pop culture show Monday through Thursday that reaches nearly 3.5 million subscribers. At events, DeFranco can perform a live version of “The Philip DeFranco Show.” He is represented by CAA Speakers.
Yousef Saleh Erakat, better known as FouseyTube, has a combined following of more than 6.7 million subscribers on his four YouTube channels. His videos, which include pranks, social experiments, and comedy sketches, nearly always have a moral undertone, which he can translate to speaking appearances. He is represented by CAA Speakers.
