Festivals & Fan Cons

This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing covering frozen cities, nostalgic bike rides and Lacoste's sky-high padel play.

The who’s who of art and culture convened for a week of exhibitions and events during Miami Art Week 2025, hosted Dec. 1-7, and once again, a horde of brands infiltrated the landscape with the typical invite-only, closed-door experiences that have historically dominated the scene. Even McDonald’s, the unlikeliest of companies to show up, hosted […]

The explosion of immersive entertainment experiences just might be the hottest industry topic of 2025—look no further than our fall cover story. And in November, right on cue, author and brand marketing veteran Charles Melcher published “The Future of Storytelling: How Immersive Experiences Are Transforming Our World” (Artisan Books). Over the span of 320 pages, […]

Physically, much of the country is battling winter weather, but mentally, Barbie superfans are already in sunny Florida basking in the glow of the first-ever Barbie Dream Fest. Indeed, the countdown is on for the Fort Lauderdale-based event, to be hosted March 27-29 at the Broward County Convention Center. The festival, billed as the “ultimate” […]

When it comes to engaging entertainment buffs, incorporating experiential easter eggs into fan activations has become non-negotiable. Not every attendee will notice or understand a brand’s subtle references to its IP, but the superfans most certainly will—and they’re actively seeking them out. Following are seven ideas for playing hide and seek.   1. HOTLINES For […]