UNV Event

BMF Media Group designed 25 activations that each were reflective of a specific Marriott hotel brand. For the Aloft Hotels “Listen Up” section, the design reflected the brand’s passion for music and technology innovation. A structure with four cube-shape directional speakers was built to allow guests to place their heads inside and listen to artists from brand’s “Live at Aloft Hotels” concert series.

Moxy, which is known for having a fun, millennial-focused aesthetic, showcased a “Play On” area that featured a ball pit hanging from a truss cube. Guests were invited to jump in and search for prizes in the hot pink plastic balls. The station also had a bar that served cocktails in Capri Sun-inspired pouches.

Courtyard’s “Classics with a Twist” was inspired by the game Twister, featuring a structure that resembled an oversize game board on the floor that extended to the walls. The dots on the game board represented Courtyard’s brand positioning, food and beverage concepts, partnerships, and the breadth of the brand’s portfolio. Attendees were encouraged by brand representatives to participate in a game of Twister as a photo op.

Element’s “Balancing Act” featured a living wall of moss and greenery with letters spelling out the eco-conscious brand’s tagline. The floor mimicked a natural bike path with wood chips and grass. Three green bicycles were mounted in front of the greenery as a photo op for attendees.

As the brand positioning of Autograph Collection is that every property has “its own unique story,” BMF created a library-inspired installation with a massive book staged in the center of the space. The book highlighted Autograph properties and brand pillars.

While many stations incorporated color, Delta Hotels “Clean/Chaos” featured a white bedroom set staged in front of a string art installation. The string material spelled out the brand’s name and tagline: “Delta Hotels. Simple Made Perfect.”

Le Meridien’s “Swings of Glamour” featured a chic travel-theme swing set photo op, designed to remind guests about the meaning of savoring a travel experience. The activation was inspired by the “France is in the Air” campaign from Air France—the founder of the hotel brand.

The Renaissance Hotels “Navigators Hot(e)line” was designed to highlight the local and personalized service offered by the brand’s Navigators—hotel employees that give guests tips on finding local experiences. Five rotary phones were placed on plinths in front of a black wall showcasing quotes related to destinations including Dubai, New York, and Beijing. Guests who picked up the phones heard pre-recorded audio from Navigators offering tips for that particular destination.

For W Hotels “Color Boldly,” BMF built an all-white room that served as a blank canvas. The room’s centerpiece presented six paint colors that corresponded to six W experiences, which were described on labels.

Guests were invited to take brushes and rollers to paint what they wanted on the walls. The word “luxury” was displayed on the back wall.

Sheraton’s “Revolution” scratch-off wall was inspired by the brand’s transformation and the power of community. The initial black matte wall displayed gloss black negative connotations about the brand, including “old” and “tired.” Guests could take hotel keycards to scratch away those worlds.

The wall was gradually scratched off to reveal new Sheraton brand messaging, which offered terms such as “community,” “modern,” and “global exchange”—nodding to the guests’s team effort.

For TownePlace Suites “Closet Essentials,” BMF created a custom walk-in closet. To emphasize the brand’s appreciation of guests’s D.I.Y. attitude, the closet had hanging racks displaying paper fashion pieces that attendees could pose with. Additional items on closet shelves nodded to the hotel’s brand partnerships.

The Ritz-Carlton “#RCMemories Shop” was inspired by the brand’s mission of selling memories, rather than simply room nights. The activation featured shelving units styled and displayed like a retail shop with all-white framed photos of travel images and social media posts. A brand representative was on site to speak about what memories were “for sale.”

SpringHill Suites’s “Space to Infinity” provided guests with an indoor planetarium experience. The exterior of the cube featured constellation-style brand messaging.

Inside the SpringHill Suites cube, guests could walk around and “stargaze.” A 360-degree fiber optic installation provided the starry night effect.

For St. Regis, BMF created an illuminated tree installation to demonstrate the history of the brand, which has roots that go back to 1904 in New York. The installation, which was inspired by the brand’s modern indulgence aesthetic, hung over a long table that displayed key milestones in the history of the brand.

The Luxury Collection offered guests three “portals” designed to virtually transport them around the world. Guests were greeted by a “concierge” who directed them to the closed doors. When guests looked through the door peep holes, they saw digital vignettes of locations in Peru, Thailand, and off the coast of the western U.S.

Tribute Portfolio’s “Add Your Own Color” featured a life-size coloring book, inspired by the brand’s colorful aesthetic. The content of the coloring book design offered illustrations and names of Tribute destinations.

Attendees were encouraged to color in the book using a variety of colored pencils.

Wellness-focused hotel brand Westin showcased a modern take on the apothecary shop. The shop consisted of shelves with curated items including herbs, fresh fruit, fitness items, essential oils, and Westin sleep balm.

The event took place at Magic Box, a raw industrial space at the Reef downtown. Guests were taken in through a side entrance to match the event's exclusive but unfussy vibe. "Guests went through the transformative element of riding a freight elevator—there’s this drama to just entering this world that is gritty and rock and roll,” explained Balestrieri.

Fold-out pamphlets featured the day's map and schedule, along with notes from Amoruso that added to the day's intimate vibe.

The raw venue was transformed with colorful, modern furniture that created common space for guests to interact, relax, and get work done. Bright pink wrapping was used to separate the different areas of the event, and T-Mobile offered a spot for charging phones.

Inspirational and educational phrases such as "Start your own shit" and information on equal pay adorned the conference's walls.

One of three stage areas—dubbed Hustle Hall—was designed as a theater in the round, allowing guests to get closer to the speakers. In the front row were couches and lounge chairs. "It’s really inviting; people wanted to hang out there for hours," said Balestrieri.

The main speaker area—a.k.a. the Baller Room—had a colorful stage designed with architectural elements. As the only room to hold all 850 attendees, organizers added several video screens so everyone had a good view.

Speakers on the main stage included Gwenyth Paltrow (left) and Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso (right).

The third stage area, dubbed the Start-Up Studio, hosted a series of intensive workshops with comfortable seating. In the studio, sponsor Google Chromebook led sessions on ways its new technology can benefit small businesses, and signage on the walls discussed gender inequality in the start-up community.

Google Chromebook also invited women to get hands-on with its products in a booth area.

Sponsor Facebook Messenger created a "Messages That Matter Wall," where attendees and speakers left hundreds of messages of encouragement for each other throughout the day. Guests wrote messages such as “Just write the draft,” “Be fkn nice,” and “Be a self-made dreamer.”

Sponsor Sephora Collection promoted its new Instagram-inspired lipstick collection by creating eye-catching video booths with question prompts where women could share personal stories.

One of the video booths was built around a new lipstick called “Lady Business.” Guests sat at a desk and faced a mirror to record their stories, which were then shared on social media.

Sephora also offered an area for makeup and hair touch-ups.

Secret sponsored the Girlboss Radio Podcast booth, where the day’s speakers were interviewed. Attendees were invited to drop a question in a box outside the booth.

A marketplace area allowed attendees to shop from small businesses.

In the center of the common area, a DJ booth made from a series of boxes hosted DJ Nina Carr throughout the day.

Dancers from Queen Moves, a duo that offers workshops to empower women, got the audience moving throughout the day.

The V.I.P. gift bags were clear backpacks full of on-theme goodies, such as in-home massage certificates, notebooks with cheeky sayings like “Smile like a boss,” and Luna bars.

The conference’s V.I.P. dinner had a tropical theme, with colorful flowers and postcards that served as place cards.