Activation Ideas

Green-screen catwalks, the latest invention from the Bosco, debuted at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in partnership with H&M. Event guests were styled in H&M gear; then, they chose a motion-graphic backdrop from a selection of some 25 styles and walked or danced in place on a moving treadmill. Using green-screen-compositing technology, the Bosco staffers created videos of users walking virtual runways, and the festivalgoers were able to instantly share their six-second videos across all social media platforms. Pricing on rentals varies per activation, and the booths can be set up at events throughout the United States and Canada.

Super Frog Saves Tokyo, billed as “storytelling plus social theory,” provides video booths for private events, with a twist: the event narratives are filmed in slow motion. The video setup comprises a RED Epic Camera, four LED lights, and a backdrop operated by two or three staffers. The resulting videos require an estimated 25 hours of production. The company has a baseline fee of $6,000 for event rentals, and the final cost can be impacted by date, location, and other details.

The Self Enhancing Live Feed Image Engine, or “S.E.L.F.I.E.” mirror, was created by New York-based digital agency iStrategy Labs. A Web camera and facial-recognition software are hidden behind the two-way mirror, along with LED lights that provide a countdown and simulate a flash, and are triggered when guests stand in front of the mirror and smile. The photo is then instantly posted to Twitter with a watermark or logo.  Though it is not available for rental, the invention can be custom-built for companies to own, and pricing ranges from $35,000 to $50,000.

Foxtales invites event guests to step into a so-called “storybooth” that creates branded photos and HD videos. In addition to a customizable touch-screen interface, the booths have built-in D.S.L.R. cameras and proprietary photo-processing techniques. The pictures and videos populate a mobile-ready storyboard and can be instantly uploaded using Wi-Fi, 4G Internet, or a hard-line connection. Pricing is from $1,500 and includes five hours of run time, the customized storyboard gallery, on-site reps, and post-event analytics.

Doodlebooth is a Chicago-based company that puts a hand-drawn spin on traditional photo booths. Illustrator Jana Kinsman, who has designed custom illustrations for clients such as CB2, sits with guests and quickly sketches their portraits as take-home keepsakes; the images can also be scanned into online albums that guests can digitally share. Pricing is $650 for three hours, and there’s no extra cost for transportation to events in Chicago and nearby Evanston and Oak Park. Kinsman will travel to events throughout the country for an additional fee.

Guests entered the event through a giant camera lens, alluding to the portraits used throughout the decor and program.

A gallery of portraits from the photo blog Humans of New York led the way to the cocktail space.

Photo stations set up throughout the cocktail space featured backdrops of iconic New York scenes such as Luna Park at Coney Island. The finished photos inserted guests into those locations.

Fifteen-foot letters spelled out “Together,” the evening’s theme. The letters were staggered throughout the center of the room, but “the idea from David Stark is that you walk into that room and regardless of where you are the ‘together’ phrase is intact,” said Lindsay Carroll, one of the event’s producers.

Major Food Group provided cocktails during the reception at bars hosted by four of its famed New York restaurants: Dirty French, Carbone, Santina, and ZZ Clam Bar. Each bar had unique decor and served a signature cocktail as well as a full bar.

When it was time to transition from cocktails to dinner, a drum line and choir provided an energetic version of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” and guided guests through the space.

A tunnel with dramatic lighting connected the cocktails space to the dining room. Since guests would quickly pass through the space, lighting was a cost-efficient way to provide decor.

Four-sided centerpieces featured portraits of Robin Hood beneficiaries taken by the Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton.

Union Square Events catered a three-course dinner that started with a first course of artichoke and fennel salad with grains, sunflower sprouts, and lemon-parmesan crumble. Hot Bread Kitchen, a beneficiary of the Robin Hood Foundation, baked the bread.

The dining room seated 4,000 guests. Sixteen screens lining the perimeter of the room gave all guests a close-up view of the stage, videos, and other elements of the program.