30 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From Birkenstock, FOX, Hello Sunshine, and More

To celebrate going public on the New York Stock Exchange, Birkenstock hosted three consumer activations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn on Oct. 11 and 12. The public-facing, interactive experiences, created in partnership with Invisible North, were designed to explore the brand’s nearly 250-year heritage and expertise in foot health. Spaces included “Birkenfield Meadow” in Flatiron Plaza, which was a shoeless experience that immersed consumers in the concept of walking as nature intended—and provided a respite from the hustle of the city.

Other spaces included “Birkenfield Grove," located at 410 Lafayette St., which allowed guests to explore the quality of Birkenstock’s materials through the act of play. Foot massages were available at both locations, along with hot chocolate carts by Maman and pretzels by Sigmund’s Pretzels. Finally, “Birkenfield Biergarten” opened at Other Half Brewing in Williamsburg, and invited guests to discover the heritage of the brand from 1774 to today with interactive games, performances, and more. German-inspired beers were featured by the expert brewers at Other Half.

To give back to the community, all trees utilized by the Birkenfield experiences were donated to New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and proceeds from sales of exclusive Birkenstock merchandise benefited Trust for Public Land's QueensWay project, a 3.5-mile walking trail being built to serve residents of NYC.

Casamigos Tequila hosted its annual “Brought to You By Those Who Drink It” Halloween party at a private home in Beverly Hills on Oct. 27. The event was designed and produced by Event Eleven, evoking a surreal parallel universe. Upon arrival, for example, guests entered a fantastical garden complete with giant flowers, cactuses, and mushrooms in glowing, vivid colors.

An LED tunnel transported guests from the “garden” through the house and into the backyard. There, the building was lit with vibrant projection mapping of oversize mushrooms. Other highlights included three custom Casamigos bars and a giant mirror inscribed with the “mirror, mirror” quote from Snow White.

An interactive motorbike photo op let guests drive through a whimsical field of illuminated mushrooms.

As fashion brand Dynamite shifts its marketing strategy to position itself as a one-stop fashion destination for urban career women ages 25-35, the brand wanted to host an event designed to change perceptions. A collaboration with experiential agency The Concierge Club, the Sept. 28 event at Toronto’s Union Station had a “Style in the City” concept.

Decor featured mirrored and reflective elements, along with subtle black and white details. In addition to a seated dinner and bar service with signature cocktails, the 50-plus influencers in attendance could preview the fall/holiday collection and see day-to-night styles come to life.

To promote The Drew Barrymore Show to fans all over New York City this month, the show partnered with Cat/Alina Productions to set up "Drews Crews" in various neighborhoods to hand out fun, colorful branded items to passersby. On Oct. 16, New Yorkers in Columbus Circle were greeted by dressed-up brand ambassadors at an unmissable flowery yellow and coral-themed cart, and given a vibrant bouquet of flowers. The bouquets were wrapped in themed paper and stickers.

On Oct. 23, meanwhile, pedestrians were gifted foldable umbrellas with The Drew Barrymore Show’s iconic yellow hue by Drew Crews carrying branded logo flowers. And on Nov. 6, the teams will be handing out yellow beanies, scarves, and gloves.

FOX worked with Experiential Supply Co. to open restaurant-themed rage rooms and knife-throwing experiences on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 to celebrate the return of the series Kitchen Nightmares. Fans could smash away their aggravation with Kitchen Nightmares-branded bats, small kitchen appliances, rolling pins, liquor bottles, vases, and more. They demolished dinner plates and glasses—all while host and executive producer Gordon Ramsay’s voice was pumped through the speakers to cheer them on.

FOX also transformed the traditional axe-throwing experience into a kitchen theme, giving fans the opportunity to pitch chefs’ knives at a bull's-eye in close range. The rage rooms were open in five markets: Los Angeles; Tampa; Las Vegas; Rochester, N.Y.; and Syracuse, N.Y.

Destination Vancouver sponsored the recent Travel Classics Conference in Vancouver, and hosted an evening for select North American and international media to showcase the city's culinary delights and natural beauty. The event was hosted at UBC Farm, which sits within a 90-year-old coastal hemlock forest and on the ancestral, unceded territory of the Musqueam. Nestled in the midst of a poplar tree forest, a long table utilized decor and accents designed to complement the natural environment; soft linen napkins in white and gray, for example, brought out the colors of the forest and city. The dark wood harvest tables and gray slate charger plates provided texture, while tablescapes housed bouquets of seasonal flowers and local greens.

Destination Vancouver worked with creative agency Wildfire Experiential and Events and production company Bold Event Creative on the event.

Upon arrival, guests were led on a guided tour through UBC Farm that highlighted the seasonal produce and herbs that inspired elements of the evening’s menu. Guests were then welcomed to the forest dining experience with local British Columbia wine and beer, appetizers, and live music. Later, they were treated to a four-course culinary celebration. The meal started with Indigenous charcuterie boards from Tawnshi that celebrated Indigenous cuisine, followed by an Afghan-inspired appetizer and main course by chef Kevin Emery from Zarak, offering a nod to the multicultural culinary scene in Vancouver. Dessert was prepared by chef Betty Hung from Beaucoup Bakery.

To celebrate its lab-grown diamond collection, Pandora tapped creative agency CNC (formerly known as Coffee 'n Clothes) to create an engaging, gamified store experience at the brand’s Herald Square and SoHo store locations in New York. Designed to both promote the collection and educate consumers on the value of purchasing a Pandora lab-grown diamond—all of which are grown, cut, and polished using only renewable energy—the event brought guests on an educational journey through Pandora diamond stations.

When guests visited the various areas, they earned a stamp in a custom “Pandora passport." After stamps were received at each stop, guests were given a token to use in a giant gumball machine, which delivered Pandora products. Attendees were also gifted a cotton candy treat to end the experience.

Spotlighting Prime Video Original series Invincible and Gen V, Prime Video's booth at TwitchCon evoked a college fair, encouraging attendees—or “prospective students"—to find the “super” in them with an event space full of superhero university prep, a virtual campus tour, games, and more. The two superhero colleges from the shows—Godolkin University (Gen V) and Upstate University (Invincible)—invited guests to take a five-minute entrance exam to see if they have what it takes to survive; emcees asked for two teams of two players each to test their skills through a series of mental and physical challenges on the activation’s stage, such as “Heads Up,” “Survey Says,” “Flip Cup,” and “Fill in the Blank.” Prime Tokens—which could be redeemed for exclusive merchandise—were given to each participant to spend at the “Campus Bookstore.”

Prime Video worked with creative agency Mirrored Media on the activation. To get a better feel for the colleges, guests could also take a hyper-interactive virtual tour of the Godolkin University campus, appearing almost as if they were stepping foot on the quad, dorm rooms, School of Crimefighting, and more. Participants could also take their official school photo for Godolkin University or Upstate University. Once their photo was taken, the incoming students received their printed school ID with their superhero name and superpower to take on their next adventure.

Beyond the booth, Prime Video also teamed up with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, marching band; at the start of this year’s TwitchCon, the band played outside the main entrance before making their way through the halls of the convention center toward the Super College Fair booth.

Food Truck Promotions partnered with Pura to take its "Scent the Season" tour on the road, hitting stops in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Atlanta from Oct. 14-21. An Airstream trailer was transformed into a custom experience showcasing Pura's fragrances, with each scent offering a journey into feelings of the fall season, like fresh and crisp or warm and cozy.

Scented scratch-off cards offered the chance to win prizes like Pura 4 smart fragrance diffusers, T-shirts, and tote bags. In each city, the autumn theme was furthered by pumpkin and floral decor and a selection of doughnuts. Ultimately, the traveling activation generated more than 1.5 million impressions.

To celebrate National Coffee Day, L’OR unveiled a giant golden coffee bean at New York’s Bryant Park. Passersby were encouraged to stop for a photo and a chance to win a variety of different prizes by scanning a QR code. To spread some love, L’OR representatives also popped up in various areas of the city—including Grand Central Station, Times Square, and major subway stops—to give away free L’OR coffee and sweet custom treats from Maman.

Ice cream brand Blue Bunny recently brought the Glam Your Fam Photoshoot—a ’90s-themed throwback photo shoot for whomever guests call family, whether it's loved ones, best friends, or even furry friends—to Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Guests could stop by for a free photo shoot and Blue Bunny frozen treats. The campaign, which also allows consumers to take their own ‘90s-style photos at home, was created by agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky in collaboration with GALE. Ultimately, across the three activations, Blue Bunny served more than 10,000 frozen treats and worked with local photographers to capture more than 1,800 throwback photos.

Partnering with Jam3 and Adidas to celebrate 1000 Originals, Stoelt Productions produced three simultaneous in-store events in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago on Sept. 30. Guests enjoyed custom Adidas sweet treats and were the first to try on the all-new collection.

There was also a throwback Polaroid photo moment with custom Originals picture frames. After trying on the new kicks, guests scanned a QR code to enter to win a pair of the brand's new Superstar shoes.

Media company Black Love Inc. hosted its sixth annual Black Love Summit on Oct. 23 at Garden City Events in Atlanta. The event is designed to create a safe space for Black couples and singles to engage in the topics that are most important them today, including wellness, wealth, marriage, and community building. The programming—set against a colorful, eye-catching stage backdrop—included conversations with filmmaker Tommy Oliver, artist and entrepreneur Keri Hilson, CEO of The Gathering Spot Ryan Wilson, and more, plus discussions on the intersection of community impact and wealth building. In addition to the programming, attendees could shop at a marketplace of local Black-owned businesses curated by Atlanta’s The Village Retail, as well as enjoy specialty nonalcoholic drinks courtesy of Athletic Greens, wine from the Black-owned winery HER Wine, and food from local vendors.

To help celebrate Coors Brewing Company’s 150th anniversary, Imprint Events Group turned Golden, Colo.’s Main Street and Parfet Park into a beer garden and festival to honor the brand in a variety of ways. Highlights included a private Brooks & Dunn concert for 2,000-plus employees, plus a free, open-to-the-public gathering.

Various activities let attendees experience the history of Coors, with offerings like wood branding (with vendor Adults & Crafts), panning for gold (with vendor Fun Productions), and a barley bag toss. Throughout the event, attendees could contribute to a mural that celebrated the milestone anniversary.

The event also featured roaming performers from Borrillo Entertainment, vintage prop vehicles from Hollywood Productions, and a merch collaboration between Seagar and Coors Banquet. Additional vendors included audio productions from Greater Than Entertainment, custom fabrication from Harmonic Media, branding from Direct Edge, and video from River North Media.

Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine held its inaugural Shine Away event—a new experiential franchise created in collaboration with AT&T—on Oct. 21 at Rolling Greens in Los Angeles. Witherspoon kicked off the day talking with Jennifer Garner and Mindy Kaling about the power of connection and storytelling; later, the A-list actress was joined by Tracee Ellis Ross for an intimate conversation about the lessons learned on their journeys that led them to the fruitful intersection of storytelling and entrepreneurship. Other speakers throughout the day included Lindsey Vonn, Kerri Walsh, Cheryl Strayed, The Home Edit’s Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, and other women entrepreneurs.

Throughout the day, Reese’s Book Club authors including Curtis Sittenfeld, Kristin Hannah, Cheryl Strayed, and Jasmine Guillory were available for book signings. Attendees could also relax in the AT&T Recharge Lounge and enjoy lunch from a variety of local women-founded food trucks. During the "Sunshine Hour," they enjoyed branded experiences and experiential pop-ups while dancing along to a performance from Dove Cameron.

New York City-based LGBTQ+ youth shelter Trinity Place hosted its third annual Trinity Place Gala fundraising event on Oct. 17 at the Helen Mills Event Space. This year’s gala honored Christena Pyle, chief equity officer for marketing and advertising agency dentsu Americas. (Under Pyle’s leadership, dentsu received the max score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index in 2022; the company also launched the Coming Out Guide to help support employees on their coming-out journey, and will be launching its first-ever Transgender Guide as an extension of this program.) Other highlights included an appearance by the LGBTQ+ cheerleading group Gotham Cheer.

Disco ball decor added a glam element throughout the event space.

The first two Trinity Place galas raised more than $140,000 to support community programming for homeless youth and capital improvements to the shelter. With the funds from this year’s gala, Trinity Place Shelter will continue to support its newly introduced eight-week career development program supported by on-site case managers that is uniquely geared to LGBTQ+ individuals who have experienced homelessness.

Hasbro’s Play-Doh Imagination Camp took place in Santa Fe, N.M., Oct. 3-6. Produced by MKG, the two-day press experience was designed to reignite attendees' love for the Play-Doh brand and strengthen the brand's position as a catalyst for creativity. Guests attended focused workshops and learning opportunities, along with immersive experiences, inspirational moments in nature, and, of course, plenty of hands-on creative time with Play-Doh. Other highlights included visits to Santa Fe art museums, a guided tour of Canon Road, and visits to the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and Meow Wolf Santa Fe.