Kenneth Briodagh

THE IPHONE, BLACKBERRY, PALM, ANDROID and other smartphones are, according to some experts, slated to become the device of choice among consumers, bypassing even the personal computer and laptop over the next year. As always, in-the-know brand marketers at companies like Autodesk, MillerCoors and eBay are riding the knife-edge of progress and creating exclusive branded apps that tie into their live events and keep their brands top of mind among consumers.

Virtual events are one of the fastest growing platforms in the event industry. Yet despite their slick graphics, 3D environments and high-tech appeal, the pervasive question remains: How do you engage with attendees if you can’t see, touch or talk to them?

This is the story of the maiden voyage of Virgin Spaceship Enterprise and how the company known for being ahead of the curve showed 800 VIPs and members of the press on Dec. 7, in Mojave, CA, that it wasn’t restricted by anything—even the curvature of the Earth.

Fry an egg dance a jig or get jiggy with it. It’s easy to burn 10 calories and Glacéau splashed that message all over New York City during its launch of vitaminwater10 last month with pop-ups in Union Square and SoHo. Since New York is home base for the brand launching its newest product there was a natural fit says Eric Berniker senior vp-marketing at Vitaminwater. “New York is where we launched this company it’s where we’re based and it’s our biggest market ” he explains.

The only game in Major League Baseball that doesn’t really count is always the second biggest event in the sport. That makes All-Star week one of the best opportunities for MLB sponsors to connect with fans from all over the country. At this year’s All-Star Game held in St. Louis July 10-14 MLB and its brand partners teamed up to show fans a good time but help them out in hard times too. Here’s how three of the best gave back.