The ninth edition of VidCon—the first since the online-video convention was acquired by Viacom earlier this year—drew 30,000 fans, video creators, and industry attendees to the Anaheim Convention Center June 20 to 23.
The three-day event, a new addition to BizBash's list of Southern California's top 100 events, was made up of Q&As, screenings, and workshops with executives from Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and more, plus the biggest up-and-coming online video stars.
Founded by popular young-adult author John Green, the convention naturally draws a teen-heavy crowd of fans. Brands capitalized on the Generation Z-heavy audience by creating colorful, interactive, social-media-worthy booths, lounges, and activations.
Here’s a look at how Facebook, MTV, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and other big-name brands drew attention at the convention center.
Facebook Consumer Booth
Facebook participated on the community floor for the first time this year, creating a public booth activation highlighting creators including Huda Kattan, Laura Clery, Julius Dein, 80Fitz, the Crazy Gorilla, Nala Cat, and Doug the Pug. The booth featured a series of rooms where fans could pose with on-theme props and backdrops.
Photo: Courtesy of Facebook
Facebook Consumer Booth
One photo op area featured the brand’s signature blue and thumbs-up icon, while others had 3-D emojis.
Photo: Courtesy of Facebook
Facebook Creator Booth
Facebook also created a tranquil, outdoors-meets-indoors booth specifically for creators. An oversize logo served as an area for photo ops, while a sky-blue backdrop added to the tropical vibe.
Photo: Trevor Muhler
Facebook Creator Booth
Comfortable seating areas featured florals and cactus plants.
Photo: Trevor Muhler
Facebook Creator Booth
Visitors to the booth could write inspiring messages on a chalkboard wall. Creators could also try out products such as the Oculus Go VR Headset.
Photo: Trevor Muhler
MTV 'Cribs' Booth
To celebrate the original MTV Cribs franchise but add a modern, D.I.Y. twist, MTV tapped creative agency MKG to design an eye-catching, interactive booth built for social media. The space was designed to resemble a house, with a kitchen, a living room, and a second floor that offered a unique view of the convention center. Rock Steady contributed scenic design to the booth.
Photo: Courtesy of MKG
MTV 'Cribs' Booth
The living room area was covered in colorful patterns on the walls, floor, couch, books, TV, and plants.
Photo: Courtesy of MKG
MTV 'Cribs' Booth
The kitchen was inspired by recent food trends of unicorn and mermaid toast. Cabinets were filled with MTV-branded cereal boxes, glittery slime bottles, Snooki pickle jars, and sand art.
Photo: Courtesy of MKG
MTV 'Cribs' Booth
On the kitchen table was a 3-dimensional MTV logo, which created a fun photo op: Guests could make it look like they were biting into the logo.
Photo: Courtesy of MKG
MTV 'Cribs' Booth
The kitchen fridge led to a secret tunnel constructed from pool noodles, as well as a fish wall installation where the fish said phrases such as “Okkkkuurrrrr” and “It’s T-Shirt Time!”
Photo: Courtesy of MKG
Twitter Green Room
Twitter worked with Los Angeles-based event agency The Say OK for its lounge, which featured multiple rooms designed in monochromatic colors. The green area, which also included branding for influencer network Niche, featured a rounded entrance lit with neon. A series of Twitter and Niche icons formed on-theme decor on the wall. Each colorful room featured props, furniture, carpets, and pillows that matched the color scheme.
Photo: Courtesy of Twitter
Twitter Green Room
In another area, a giant illuminated hashtag created a fun—and on-theme—photo op.
Photo: Courtesy of Twitter
Twitter Green Room
Guests could get customized hoodies printed with the hashtag of their choice.
Photo: Courtesy of Twitter
YouTube B2B Lounge
YouTube worked with MAS Event & Design for the third consecutive year. The Brooklyn-based event firm produced all the brand’s onsite lounge and party spaces inside the convention center, including the B2B Lounge, which included a presentation stage and lounge for advertisers, brand partners, and creators. A large YouTube logo featured names of the platform’s creators.
Photo: Courtesy of MAS Event & Design
YouTube Creator Lounge
For the second year in a row, MAS produced a lounge space dedicated exclusively to YouTube creators. It was designed to resemble a retro diner, with a soda counter, a dessert case, diner booths with mini jukeboxes, and a temporary tattoo parlor. The dessert case was filled with branded skateboards and sweatshirts, which were custom-made as giveaways for creators.
Photo: Courtesy of MAS Event & Design
YouTube Creator Lounge
An on-theme “menu” featured fun details such as a creator-name word search and fun facts about the brand.
Photo: Courtesy of MAS Event & Design
YouTube Partner Reception
This year's partner reception was themed after a movie-studio backlot, designed to celebrate YouTube’s original programming. The front entrance featured a custom-illustrated movie studio arch.
Photo: Courtesy of MAS Event & Design
YouTube Partner Reception
More illustrations throughout the space included a water tower vignette on the bars. The event also featured props and sets from YouTube original shows such as Liza on Demand and Escape the Night 3.
Photo: Courtesy of MAS Event & Design
YouTube FameBit Lounge
YouTube also capitalized on its acquisition of influencer marketing platform FameBit with a photo studio space and lounge where featured creators could go for makeup styling and professional headshots. A second FameBit lounge, which was open to all VidCon creators, had a pop-up beauty bar plus food, DJs, and other entertainment.
Photo: Courtesy of MAS Event & Design
Cheez Booth
Video app Cheez worked with Santa Monica-based experiential marketing agency Mirrored Media on a booth. A stage area, where guests could see their Cheez creators, was surrounded by mylar walls, custom lighting, and a colorful branded exterior wall.
Photo: Mirrored Media/Lingerfree
Cheez Booth
The booth also featured a dance challenge stage. Guests stepped in front of a camera to try their best dance moves, which were broadcast in the Cheez app.
Photo: Mirrored Media/Lingerfree
Cheez Booth
Staffers were on hand to capture Polaroid pictures of guests, which were then displayed on a wall.
Photo: Mirrored Media/Lingerfree
Snapchat Creator Lounge
Snapchat created a tranquil space for meetings and networking. Greenery, umbrellas, and colorful chairs gave the indoor event an outdoor feeling.
Photo: Courtesy of Snapchat
Snapchat Creator Lounge
In one area, guests could pose for photos on a swing inside the Snapchat logo, which was displayed in front of a wall of greenery and florals.
Photo: Courtesy of Snapchat
LiveMe Consumer Booth
To celebrate its broadcasting community and app features, video platform LiveMe worked with Mirrored Media to create a two-story experience featuring a DJ booth and an adjacent stage. Other features included a branded rotating halo sign, a large die-cut logo, and TV screens showing both streamed content and top LiveMe broadcasts. A money machine doubled as a shareable photo op: Guests were challenged to grab as much LiveMe money as they could in the machine, which was then redeemable for custom swag and giveaways.
Photo: Mirrored Media/Lingerfree
Visit Anaheim Activation
Local tourism organization Visit Anaheim welcomed attendees with a social-media-friendly photo op in the convention center lobby. Guests could pose inside of a 6-by-8-foot magazine cover constructed by Lounge Logikk; attendees who posted the photo on Instagram were entered to win tickets to Disneyland.
Photo: Courtesy of Visit Anaheim
