Contemporary furniture and bright red, green, yellow, and blue accents filled the Google media filing center at the Republican presidential debate Thursday night at the Orange County Convention Center. Google, a co-sponsor of the debate along with Fox News, created a comfortable, 10,000-square-foot lounge and work area that was open all day for the more than 600 journalists covering the event. Here’s a look at how the company created a space that was both functional and fun.
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Fox News broadcast from an open studio in one corner of the room before, during, and after the debate.
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Decorative glass cylinders at the smoothie bar were filled with fruit that complemented the blue, green, red, and yellow accents in the room.
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Journalists who did not have passes to be in the debate hall could watch the live stream in the YouTube Lounge, which was separated from the rest of the room by full-length red curtains and had four rows of white lounge furniture.
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Google's name was visible throughout the room, even on paper bags at the self-serve candy station.
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Google commissioned custom pillows from a craftsperson on Etsy, each decorated with the symbol of a Google product, such as Gmail or the Chrome browser.
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Organizers created distinct sitting areas in the 10,000-square-foot Google Media Filing Center and positioned 18 TVs around the room.
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Tall cylindrical columns topped with glass created two bars with seating for 16 next to the Fox News stage.
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Just inside the entrance there were three four-foot-tall columns adorned with the Google name.
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Colorful circles, each four feet in diameter, decorated the white carpet down the center of the room.
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The Event Source created several groupings of white lounge furniture throughout the room. Each area included wide-screen TVs and colorful pillows, and some also had beanbag chairs.
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Organizers used tables and chairs from Ikea to create a work area in the back of the room with seating for 100.
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Just for fun, organizers invited journalists to help themselves to stickers of various Google product symbols.
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A self-serve candy bar offered sweets in the signature Google colors of blue, green, red, and yellow. Google also provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Centerplate.
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