With the city in the thick of upfront season, the month has already been packed with a slew of formal events from TV networks. But the Thursday-night Univision Deportes Network launch party was anything but stuffy, with guests in suits sitting at picnic tables, drinking cans of beer pulled from a cooler, and snacking on tacos served out of old VW buses. For the Spanish-language media company's new all-sports network, the gathering at Industria Superstudio was intentionally designed to be low-key, with a concept culled from Hispanic soccer-viewing parties.
"The inspiration for the event started within our ad sales marketing team," said Amy Caplan, vice president of ad sales marketing for Univision Communications. "It was a funny brainstorm, because we actually started the conversation talking about what we didn't want to do—the expected corporate party at a restaurant. We knew that type of party wouldn't fit the mold of Univision Deportes Network." When someone mentioned the food and atmosphere of Tacombi, a casual Mexican taqueria in NoLIta, it provided what Caplan called "the spark we needed." From that idea, Univision built what it came to term a "tailgate-chic" experience, with soccer players showing off tricks, a Batucada drum band from Brazil, and La Newyorkina's paletas (Mexican fruit Popsicles) served from a street cart.
To execute this vision, Caplan tapped Markus Daly Ryan, providing the producers with a mood board of imagery: photos of picnic tables, umbrellas, wooden tequila bars, and pitchers of sangria. In turn, the experiential marketing agency looked to Mexico as well as Central and South America to find authentic references to draw from. For the decor, that meant furnishing the space with found pieces and painting and reupholstering them in the Univision color palette of purple, green, pale blue, and red. The team also placed plants in cinder blocks strewn throughout the space—to give the affair the look of a unkempt neighborhood lot—and even made a string of flags to hang overhead by using old clothesline and fabric sourced from a flea market.
Entertainment played a big role too: DJ Ari Why spun old-school salsa and Buena Vista Social Club tunes, and, following brief remarks from Univision's senior vice president of sports sales, Carlos Deschapelles, a flash mob of Manhattan Samba drummers and dancers in colorful costumes made their way into the space.
![Using the Tacombi trucks as a design springboard, Univision and producers Markus Daly Ryan fashioned a tailgate-style look at Industria Superstudio for the launch of Univision Deportes Network. Picnic tables formed the bulk of the seating, while found lumber was turned into cocktail tables for a more casual, neighborhood-block-party feel.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_00352.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![The materials employed for the event were an important aspect of the production, and Markus Daly Ryan looked beyond the standard rentals to find furnishings that would provide a more casual look. This included using found furniture, which was painted and reupholstered (in Univision brand colors) to give the pieces a second life.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_correct01_41.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![The production team used touches like domino tables, cinder blocks, burlap coffee sacks stretched across plywood (to form tabletops) to give the affair the look of a neighborhood party. Markus Daly Ryan partner Sean Ryan even added a clay soccer ball he made when he was 6, to the decor.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_correct01_38.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Other decorative items had a no-frills look, with plastic buckets and coolers filled with cans and bottles of beer and candles set in old Café Bustelo cans.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_00351.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Tacombi brought two of its retrofitted Volkswagen buses to the studio and served tacos from the vehicles. One truck had corn, chicken, and pork offerings, while the other doled out seafood fare.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_00585.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![In keeping with the low-key affair, Tacombi's tacos were served on lightweight, recycled plates and designed to be eaten with your hands.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_00363.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![One bar offered different types of tequila as well as sangrita, a spicy fruit concoction that's typically paired with tequila in Mexico.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_correct01_139.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Freestyle soccer players showed off their skills during the event, playing 'keepie uppie' and doing acrobatic moves.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_select_correct_02.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Guests flaunted their ball-playing talents at an area the organizers set aside for a soccer simulator.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_00588.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![In addition to its own executives and talent from the new sports network, Univision invited execs from sports leagues (including the N.B.A., N.F.L., FIFA, and Major League Soccer) and advertising partners. To safely hang the lights and flags overhead, the producers created their own truss using old steel posts and a crate as a rigging point.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_correct01_141.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![In lieu of a formal presentation, Univision's senior vice president of sports sales Carlos Deschapelles made brief remarks, thanking the ad partners in attendance.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_correct01_204.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Orchestrating the flash mob was a logistical challenge for the producers, who wanted to get the timing and spirit of the performance just right. This meant working with the drummers from Manhattan Samba to rehearse the beat with staffers, folks from Univision, and the freestyle soccer players.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_correct01_225.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Other nods to Mexico and Central and South America included artist Paulina Perera-Riveroll, who created a piece using thumbtacks at the event. Later in the evening, the artwork was raffled off and given to a guest to take home.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2012/04/univision_sports_party_correct01_306.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)