Starting in 2027, the 14^th DCW—which features the co-location of the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) and the NKBA Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS)—will permanently be held in Las Vegas. However, organizers and exhibitors made sure the shows went out with a bang. The combined shows drew 117,000 registrants, with KBIS breaking its attendance record, and 2,250 exhibitors occupied 1.15 million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits.

Showrooms and model homes garnered the most attention, and some were so well done that they took us out of the trade show environment for a bit (more on that below). Of course, many booths had a strong focus on AI and cutting-edge tools, but analog demos also pulled in crowds, like a nail hammering competition. Practical swag, including measuring tape keychains, carpenter pencils, travel mugs and even paint samples, were distributed freely.

From the eight miles we explored, we rounded up the top booths and exhibit design features from IBS and KBIS that had us imagining our future dream home.

Anatolia

Canadian tile and stone company Anatolia exhibited two booths in the North/South Hall—one on the IBS side and one in KBIS. We noticed this double placement because of the recognizable exterior across both locations: white walls with low-key branding around the exterior. The enclosed look contrasted the open floor plans of most booths, so passersby leaned into the two wall openings to catch a glimpse of the tile displays before committing to stepping inside.

Brio Water Technology

Coffee bars were everywhere, but a water bar was a fresh concept. Brio Water Technology set up the circular Brio Hydration Station in the center of its booth to show off its filters. Attendees flocked around the bar as servers prepared four complimentary beverages: Sunny State with Brio Mineralized Water, Brio Bloom with Brio Sparkling Water, Brio Water and Caffè Americano made with the Brio Instant Hot Water System.

Dell Technologies

Dell offered several interactive touchpoints in its booth that wreaked havoc on its laptop products, including a dunk tank that sent a laptop into a tub of water and “Whack-A-Lati,” where attendees used a mallet to strike five laptops as they lit up. Game participants received a Dell cap for trying to make it onto the digital leaderboard. We claimed fifth place.

The booth’s centerpiece was a personalization station that used a laser engraving machine to add headshots and text to wooden keychains, luggage tags, levels and pocket knives, as well as leather tape measures.

The Home Depot

In-booth theaters permeated the show floors, but The Home Depot took it up a notch by hosting panel sessions on the flatbed of a branded tractor-trailer. Couches, monitors and home décor transformed the trailer into a stage.

Homes.com

Brand ambassador Heidi Gardner was virtually beamed into the Homes.com booth through a full-body Proto holoportation device. The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member invited attendees to take a selfie with her, and the results looked pretty seamless. Additional booth touchpoints included a coffee bar and kiosk demos.

Kohler

Winner of KBIS’s 2026 Best in Show Booth Award, Kohler had the most varied and expansive booth we came across. No matter which entrance attendees encountered, Kohler delivered an immersive experience. On one end were cascading fountains and bubbling bathtubs, while the other side invited passersby to “Step into Possibility” through a tunnel where a digital floor projected moving water.

Inside, several vignettes took attendees through different lifestyle rooms, ranging from sauna-inspired showers to a mahogany kitchen to a bathroom with a teal toilet, bathtub and sinks against salmon-colored tile—one of the floor’s most popular photo spots.

Lowe’s

Fresh off its activation at Super Bowl Experience, Lowe’s brought a football-themed booth to IBS, but with a completely different experience from its San Francisco showing. Attendees had a chance to score notebooks, pens, pencils, phone stands and the highly coveted Lowe’s bucket chain by throwing mini foam helmets at a large screen to hit floating buckets. Participants who racked up more than seven points also received a gift card. After missing out on the Lowe’s chain at SBX, we came away with some extra bling.

Moen

With water-effect lighting from above, Moen transported attendees into a modern oasis, complete with projections, moving graphics and several hues of blue. For pops of color, faucets and fixtures were placed alongside bouquets and in front of backdrops of models styled in monochromatic clothes and accessories that simulated shower bubbles.

Realtor.com

One of Realtor.com’s exhibiting competitors recommended we visit its booth because of the immersive experience, and we were not disappointed. The Builders Club was a fully enclosed footprint that offered attendees a respite from the show floor with dimmed lighting and Latin music playing. The Havana-inspired lounge featured tropical scenery on the walls, greenery and a leafy carpet. Attendees could pick up leather luggage tags, keychains and “cigars.” Each day of IBS, Realtor.com hosted entertainment and happy hours, featuring live Cuban jazz music, cocktails and empanadas.

Regal Luxe Marble

Regal Luxe Marble’s booth blew us away with its creative use of ultra-thin stone panels and lighting to create a meandering art gallery. Its marble desks were art installations themselves as they snaked around the booth with flexible, curved edges.

Samsung

Samsung introduced its new line of Bespoke appliances at KBIS, and to highlight their AI-powered features, the brand set up a live AI sketch activation. Attendees got their picture taken at a tablet, and then a robotic arm with a marker began drawing the portrait on a Samsung-branded paper.

It also printed a sticker of the sketch with assigned column and row numbers. On a mural wall, participants located their corresponding square and attached their personalized sticker. The mural was about 50-percent complete when we added ours, and a brand ambassador helped us make out the final message: Bespoke AI Enabling Better Living.

Another highlight in the booth that elevated the experience was the showcase of Dacor’s Undercounter Wine Cellar and Wine Column. There, a bartender served up mocktails, such as Velvet Flame with pomegranate and lime juices.

Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams’ booth was dedicated to its biennial Colormix Anthology trend report, presenting four color palettes “poised to shape the future of design in 2026 and beyond”: Frosted Tints, Sunbaked Hues, Restorative Darks and Foundational Neutrals. Complimentary forecast and paint samples were available for pickup, and the brand curated several photo spots to encourage social sharing and tagging, like a small bathroom depicting the Sunbaked Hues and a wall of paint rollers displaying the trendiest shades.

TYPAR

“Are you built for this?” TYPAR challenged attendees to a game of “Connect Four,” and “Built Four This” fit perfectly in the wooden bar environment, surrounded by high-top tables and stools, string lights and a faux bar with branded beer tap handles.

Viewrail

The modern Viewrail booth stopped a lot of attendees in their tracks as they stared up at the stair configurations displayed in a multilevel, multiroom grid configuration. It felt like peeking into a giant dollhouse.

Wayfair

Promoting its professional membership program for businesses, Wayfair popped up three connected showrooms that felt trendy and lived-in, each with their own wallpaper and décor styles that showed off the site’s furniture offerings. Instead of having a dedicated welcome desk, brand ambassadors worked off of a dining table for a seamless look.

Photo credit: Juanita Chavarro Arias

From the KBIS Archives:

• Field Report: Top Exhibits at Design & Construction Week 2025
• Best Bites: How Demos Cooked at KBIS 2025
• GE Appliances Lets its Brand Personalities Shine at KBIS 2024

The post Field Report: 15 Best Exhibits from Design & Construction Week’s Last Hurrah in Orlando appeared first on Event Marketer.

With b-to-b audiences now comprising four generations of attendees (or five, depending on who you ask), conference organizers have their work cut out. Delivering on the distinct needs and values of each cohort—not to mention the growing desire for personalization at the individual level—requires a thoughtfully balanced approach to engagement that ensures every generation of attendee feels seen, and leaves the event with meaningful takeaways.

Of course, there’s no single playbook on how to cater to four different audiences. So we dug into new research on multigenerational marketing, and insights from recent interviews, to uncover the unique behaviors and expectations of each generation—as well as the ones these groups have in common—and how event profs can use that info to enrich the on-site experience for all.

COMMON GROUND

→Micro-Communities

According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report Special Section, Smart Meetings’ Valuegraphics study and American Express Global Business Travel’s 2026 Global Events & Meetings Forecast, most attendees have (traditional) networking fatigue, and would rather meet in small groups or form micro-communities based on shared interests than navigate largescale social occasions. Think: First-timer meetups, morning run clubs and quiet experiences built for neurodiverse attendees.

STAT: 66% of respondents said AI-powered networking helps them connect with like-minded professionals more easily

→Authenticity

Hilton’s report showed that the majority of attendees, regardless of age, are seeking event environments where they feel free to come as they are.

STAT: 84% of respondents said they value bringing their authentic selves to work events

→Local Culture

Attendees of every generation reported they want to attend events that incorporate aspects of the destination’s local culture, whether it be cuisine, entertainment or giveaways. Hilton’s study revealed that it’s a top perk for many conferencegoers.

STAT: 83% of respondents said having authentic local cuisine is a highlight of traveling for a work event

STAT: 66% said they prefer event swag or gifts that have a local connection

“You now have to be very keenly aware of the patterns of how people network, connect and learn, generationally… The takeaway for me is authenticity. It’s meeting people where they are, having the space and grace for who they are and bringing their full self to a conference, and encouraging them to be authentic and aligning to that.”

–Dan Preiss, VP-Experiential Marketing, Dell Technologies

GENERATIONAL DIVIDES

→Event Length

According to the 2025 EventTrack Experiential Marketing Forecast & Benchmark, produced by Event Marketer in partnership with Sparks, attendees’ preferred length of a b-to-b event tends to vary by their generation.

Preferred Length of a b-to-b event, by age:

• Under Age 25: 1 day
• Age 26-35: 3 days
• Age 36-45: 3 days
• Age 46-55: 3 days
• Over Age 55: 2 days

→Technology & Personalization

Personalization in events is more effective when engagements are designed for specific age groups, according to Invision’s The Business of Experiential ’26 report, as the definition of “effective” tends to vary by generation. Privacy is also a factor, with Boomers less likely to share their personal info.

STAT: 42% of respondents ages 29-44 said customized digital touchpoints are key to getting personalization “right,” compared to ages 18-28 (38%), 45-60 (34%), and ages 61 and older (18%)

STAT: 84% of Baby Boomers are less likely to share their data with event organizers based on privacy concerns—even if it means forfeiting a more personalized experience

→Downtime & After-Hours

As Hilton’s study shows, younger generations tend to prioritize wellness more than their older counterparts, and that’s impacting conference agendas and session lengths. Or, as the Amex forecast stated, “This has caused a move away from the sprint-style and marathon-style sessions that were once so popular.”

STAT: 61% of Gen Z and millennial respondents reported they’re likely to skip sessions to decompress, compared to 31% of Baby Boomers

STAT: 68% of Gen Z and 61% of millennial respondents said after-hours activities are a top reason for attending work events, compared to 47% of Gen X and 34% of Baby Boomers

“Many successful events now design micro-communities—tailored spaces and experiences shaped by audience, budget, and goals—to make sure every generation feels included and engaged.”

–Rebecca DeLuca, VP-Destination Sales, LVCVA (2026 Global Events & Meetings Forecast)

Every generation has its strengths, and when those powers collide under one event roof, incredible things can happen. Or, as our 2025 Women in Events honoree Jenn Cammarota of Verizon, put it: “Gen Z brings a demand for authenticity and purpose; millennials push for balance and innovation; Gen X often bridges strategy with execution; boomers contribute deep institutional knowledge and relationship building. At the best events, these ‘superpowers’ blend—innovation with wisdom, strategy with creativity.”

Featured image credit: iStock/treety

Related:

• Research: 11 Datapoints on the State of Global Business Travel
• Watch: EventTrack 2026 Research Study—The Big Takeaways

The post What Each Generation Really Wants from B-to-B Events—And What the Data Says appeared first on Event Marketer.

Sporting tentpoles like the Super Bowl are, at their core, a platform for consumer engagement. But following in the footsteps of other properties, like NBA All-Star Weekend and its 26-year-old Tech Summit, the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) and the NFL saw an opportunity to elevate partners, and engage key stakeholders in town for the colossal football game in what’s next out of Silicon Valley.

The result was the first-ever Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit held at SFMOMA on Friday, Feb. 5, featuring a white-glove hospitality experience and an eight-hour agenda of immersive presentations, high-profile panelists and networking for more than 500 c-level leaders and VIP attendees across tech, sports, media, government and beyond (Agency: BeCore). YouTube served as presenting partner of the Summit and its ceo, Neal Mohan, joined the speaker lineup, which included Amy Howe, FanDuel’s ceo, and Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s cto.

“Our vision was simple but ambitious: to create a moment where the world’s highest-level innovators and thought leaders didn’t just gather to talk about the future—they gathered to shape it together,” Zaileen Janmohamed, BAHC president and ceo, told EM.

Here’s a look at the platform for business conversations around one of the biggest fan events of the year and why quality, over quantity, drove the event strategy.

Intentionality

C-suiters by nature are connectors of the dots, and so the Summit team offered a clear value proposition and throughline of storytelling for prospective attendees. Rather than leverage stock photography for the event creative, the BAHC’s minimal black and white branding allowed copywriting around the key messages to take the focus instead. From the save-the-date on through to the check-in process via a mobile app, the experience was all about quiet efficiency and deliberate decision-making.

The Right Venue

Even business leaders crave a change of pace, and the SFMOMA’s gallery spaces naturally offered moments of reflection, connection and inspiration. YouTube took over the museum’s atrium offering a welcome moment with barista stations serving up craft pours with branded foam designs. Morning coffee was an event in and of itself, with the gallery spaces open for meandering.

Flexibility

The day started off with high-profile presentations, broke for lunch and networking, and then concluded with a track of sessions that let attendees dive into topics that interest them most, choose-your-own-adventure-style. They could come in for a few sessions, leave for meetings, and then come back. However, the team designed the first session of the day to be just as compelling as the last session of the day, leading the attendees into a happy hour experience.

Layered Content

The event balanced main stage content (seven keynote-style sessions) with interactive breakout panels (six), with the hosts of the No. 1 business and technology podcast, “Acquired,” serving as guest moderators. In this way, the stage conversations were complex, with every word spoken something the attendees would hang onto. Kevin Yeaman, Dolby ceo, and Giles Baker, svp of OptiView, led a CES-style keynote on the power of immersive sound and vision, and how experiences like live sporting event-viewing are evolving.

“When partners don’t just activate but genuinely co-create the experience, attendees feel that authenticity,” Janmohamed says. “From the NFL’s executive partnership on content and strategy to many of our partners providing strategic counsel and participation, every partnership layer mattered.”

Stage-to-Floor Engagement

The team designed collaborative and additive partner experiences. Premiere partner Dolby, which hosted the BAHC’s Super Bowl LX kickoff party, transformed the main stage into an immersive, sensory experience using Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for all the content there. And a Technology Playground brought the conversations on stage to life.

Our editors were on-site at the Summit to experience Meta’s latest smart glasses activation—the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses and the Ray-Ban Meta Headliner glasses. Brand ambassadors led us and the attendees through interactive tests of its products, activated by voice commands and hand gestures, and after trying a few pairs on, we snapped a photo printed onto a sticker.

Talk about seeing into the future.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Bay Area Host Committee; Juanita Chavarro Arias

Related:

• Three Production Lessons from the Ryder Cup Main Stage Ceremonies
• AI-Driven Keynote Tips from AMD’s Next-Gen Presentation at CES

The post Steal-worthy C-Suite Event Ideas from the Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit appeared first on Event Marketer.

Walking around San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX, you wouldn’t have known the Bay Area was hosting the NFL’s championship game that saw the Seattle Seahawks win over the New England Patriots on Feb. 8.

The sports spirit was minimal—a few NFL banners hanging outside of bars or fans repping San Francisco 49ers jerseys. Unless you hung out by the piers or hit the Moscone Center for the Super Bowl Experience, the city moved like any other day… with a lot of extra traffic.

Still, when we made it to the brand activations at tourist hot spots and Fisherman’s Wharf, the fans and passersby were enthusiastic about jumping into games, snapping photos and getting free samples. A lucky few saw an NFL star briefly climb in and out of a black SUV or stop into a pop-up for meet-and-greets. We even came across an ESPN live broadcast at Sue Bierman Park.

Plus, with Levi’s Stadium located in Santa Clara, CA, brands took the opportunity to activate across the entire Bay Area, from Oakland to San Jose. We mostly stayed in San Francisco and covered a lot of ground over two days (10 miles of walking per day) to see as much as we could. From Levi’s Home Turf to Old Spice’s Unrivaled Freshness Experience, let’s take a look at the action.

BAHC Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit

The Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC), in partnership with the NFL and presenting partner YouTube, hosted the BAHC Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit on Feb. 6 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. About 600 attendees gathered for mainstage keynotes, breakout panels and immersive presentations from YouTube and premier partner Dolby. (Agency: BeCore)

In addition to participating in the CXO Spotlight Series, Meta activated two booths in the museum showcasing its Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses and Oakley Meta AI glasses. Brand ambassadors led us through interactive tests of its products, activated by voice commands and hand gestures, and after trying a few pairs on, we snapped a photo that was printed onto a sticker.

Bud Light Presents Post Malone & Buddies Concert

Bud Light teamed up with Post Malone for another Super Bowl concert that featured a few of the singer’s “Buddies,” including T-Pain and Quavo. The event took place on the evening of Feb. 6 at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion, which was completely transformed with neon blue Bud Light branding, bars, couch seating areas, beer served from the beds of blue pickup trucks, and several vignettes.

Fans could take photos in a comfy living room scene with Post Malone art and inspired décor, drink beers while sitting in folding chairs in a tool-filled garage (à la “Big Men on Cul-De-Sac” from last year’s Super Bowl TV spot), and play pool or pinball in a carpeted game room. (Agency: Weber Shandwick, p.r.)

Captain Morgan’s Cross-country Tailgate

Captain Morgan took a bicoastal approach to its Super Bowl LX campaign, launching a full-scale, football tailgate takeover in Gainesville, FL, that featured EDM duo TWINSICK, signature Captain Morgan cocktails and on-the-ground challenges. Over on the West Coast, the Official Spiced Rum of Super Bowl LX partnered with NBC’s “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,” inviting the competition series’ contestants to pitch creative campaign ideas to brand executives.

The winning concept, “Speak Your Spice, Earn Your Stache,” came to life outside Levi’s Stadium at the NFL Gameday Experience tailgate and on the streets of San Francisco. Captain Morgan’s massive 40-foot boat drew in fans 21 and older for interactive games, surprise challenges and cocktail samples. (Agency: Taylor, p.r.)

Photo credit: Captain Morgan

Cutwater Spirits’ Pop-up Bar

Just outside the Ferry Building, Cutwater Spirits popped up a blue shipping container that was transformed into a bar. In addition to the build, marquee signage and a patio seating area had passersby stop in on the sunny, breezy day. At a Cocktail Bar extension, brand ambassadors distributed samples and branded totes. (Agency: Turnkey)

Don Julio’s ‘Ready P’al Show’ Trolley

On Feb. 7, Don Julio continued its “Ready P’al Show” campaign from its Cardi B-headlined party the night before by taking over a trolley. While cruising around the city, riders were treated to a mobile dj set by Diplo before ending at a well-known Mission District taquería for a live set, cocktails and tacos. (Agency: Hunter, p.r.)

Photo credit: Getty Images; UVT Agency

Levi’s Home Turf

With its headquarters in San Francisco, and as the holder of the naming rights to the 49ers’ stadium, Levi’s activated an experiential campaign that welcomed football fans to its hometown. Home Turf popped up at One Montgomery in San Francisco’s financial district, Feb. 5-7, and presented product collabs, music performances by Bay Area rapper LaRussel and a marching band, the Tiny Desk Experience, a Wear Longer Project panel and workshop, and an Empire Records music exhibition.

Five local Levi’s stores also hosted activations. A branded Airstream housing The Levi’s Tailor Shop anchored the Levi’s Plaza experience outside its corporate office. Consumers could get their purchases tailored or customized with buttons and patches. The 49ers cheerleaders visited the Airstream for photos. Other stores featured football displays, and local artist Apex created several murals around town for Levi’s. (Agency: Moment)

Photos: Courtesy of Levi’s

More Super Bowl LX Coverage:

• Our Ride Through San Francisco on the Fashion-driven Smirnoff Trolley at Super Bowl LX
• How Uber Eats Invited Fans to Investigate a Super Bowl Marketing Conspiracy
• From Jersey Mike’s Shore to Visa Print Shop, Top 12 Activations at Super Bowl LX Experience

Marriott Bonvoy’s ‘Suite’ Events

“Pitch Perfect” star Adam Devine, Marriott Bonvoy’s Fanbassador, surprised fans at the Ferry Building on Feb. 4 with an a cappella performance alongside NFL stars George Kittle, Jordan Mailata and Bijan Robinson, as well as professional vocal group Fundamentally Sound. Performing as “The Golden Keys,” the group sang a playful, riff-off-inspired rendition before selecting the winner of the 10^th annual Marriott Bonvoy Super Bowl Sleepover Suite that gave a lucky fan the opportunity to wake up inside Levi’s Stadium on gameday. (Agency: MKTG)

On Feb. 6, Marriott Bonvoy House presented by Visa took over The San Francisco Mint offering Marriott Bonvoy members and Visa guests an elevated Super Bowl kickoff celebration. Attendees could pop into the photo studio for professional shots, get personalized luggage tags, and enjoy “a taste of the bay” and sips of Cable Car Cocktail and Golden Coast Heatwave across the historic venue’s many rooms. The evening’s showstopper was a performance from The All-American Rejects, but even after the concert ended, attendees kept dancing the night away. (Agency: 160over90)

Photo credits: Peter Barreras/AP Content Services for Marriott Bonvoy (a cappella performance); Juanita Chavarro Arias (Marriott Bonvoy House)

Nike x Dick’s Sporting Goods

Over in Daly City, CA, Nike brought its Chase the Smoke campaign to Dick’s Sporting Goods for a two-day podcast and product experience. From Feb. 6-7, daily store activations included Nike apparel personalization with patches and vinyls, gaming in the Madden Lounge, a branded photo booth and athlete appearances.

The lounge was converted into an in-store podcast studio with bench seating for a live audience, and four podcast recording sessions took place throughout the weekend, including the New York Giants’ “Her Playbook” podcast, “The Schultz Report” podcast, and a podcast hosted by sports reporter and ESPN analyst Kendra Andrews. (Agency: Tara Wilson Agency)

Photo credits: Juanita Chavarro Arias; Tara Wilson Agency/Whitten Media (onstage session)

Old Spice’s Unrivaled Freshness Experience

Embarcadero Plaza was packed with fans waiting in line for freshness. Open Feb. 5-7, Old Spice’s Unrivaled Freshness Experience was housed inside a 53-foot double expandable trailer, and the branding all over the vehicle enticed passersby to ask, “What is this for?” Attendees snapped photos with an oversized deodorant and branded lockers.

When we arrived on the scene, the experience was temporarily closed as 49ers tight end George Kittle made his way through. He then emerged, along with the Old Spice Man, Isaiah Mustafa, and took the time to meet fans. (Build: Lime Media)

PepsiCo’s Sampling and Challenges

At Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf, Feb. 6-8, PepsiCo returned to the Super Bowl with its signature Pepsi Challenge experience and added an interactive tailgating game that invited fans to test their strength against other players by pushing tackle sleds. A large screen tracked the leaderboard and displayed participants’ progress for onlookers to cheer on.

Tostitos drew buzz with its branded food delivery robots that roamed the pier with chip bags. A special touch, NFL players interacted with fans as the robot. The Tostitos Fiesta Zone sampling stand also served up chip dishes and salsa. (Agency: New Creatures)

Smirnoff’s We Do Game Days Trolley Ride

As the culmination of its NFL season campaign, We Do Game Days, that dropped limited-edition merch giveaways, Smirnoff transformed a trolley into a daylong fashion-driven experience that took influencers, brand guests and media on a ride through the city with surprise stops along the way. First, we gathered at Italian restaurant Morella, where Smirnoff took over half the space and splashed it with football-themed brand items, including foam fingers, towels, beaded necklaces and mini footballs.

Then, the trolley transported us to a site near the Golden Gate Bridge for a Smirnoff pop-up, where the stage was set for officially licensed NFL designer Aleali May to unveil her custom, Smirnoff-commissioned varsity jacket that was gifted to the grand prize sweepstakes winner in attendance. The group then boarded the bus to continue on to a tour of San Francisco bars. (Read more about our Smirnoff Trolley experience.) (Agency: Taylor, p.r.)

Starter x NFL Shop

Sports apparel brand Starter collaborated with the NFL on a four-day pop-up shop in Union Square that featured Super Bowl LX products in the front, customization stations in the center and a content studio in the back. At the Starter Lab, consumers could personalize their Starter jackets with patches of their favorite NFL teams, vintage Starter logos and exclusive branding elements.

After its debut at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Starter Live returned as an in-store podcast studio with sessions running during store hours. Podcast guests included Jim Weiss, Adam “Pacman” Jones and T.J. Ward. We were lucky enough to run into Sean Paul on our visit to the shop.

Starter also had a presence inside the Super Bowl Experience’s NFL Shop presented by Visa. Like last year, the brand themed its store footprint to the host city and stationed a Starter trolley photo op in the center. (Agency: Wanderlust Public Relations, p.r.)

The One Party by Uber

Down at Pier 48, Uber went with a gold-drenched homecoming theme for The One Party to kick off Super Bowl weekend on Feb. 6. Cheerleaders, lockers, trophies and oversized foam fingers created tons of photo moments, and attendees enjoyed performances by Shaboozey and Olivia Dean. (Agency: David Stark Design and Production)

U.S. Bank’s Gridiron Bus

U.S. Bank partnered with nonprofit Hoopbus on its Pier 39 activation, from Feb. 5-7, that saw 49ers legends, players and cheerleaders visit The Gridiron Bus. Fans lined up for a chance to throw a football through targets on top of the bus to win prizes.

X Football City Diner

X converted the Fog City Diner into the futuristic X Football City Diner on Feb. 6 to show invitees how fans engage with sports and live games on the social media platform. The exclusive “Creator Panel: The Future of Fandom” brought together moderator Monique Pintarelli, head of global advertising at X, and speakers Adam Schefter, senior NFL insider at ESPN; Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals tight end; and Julie Lee, director-brand and sports marketing at Lowe’s, to discuss fandom and leveraging the platform to reach audiences.

Attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and craft cocktails like the Early Meeting Espresso Martini and Neural Heat Margarita at the “Grocktail Party.” Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots were also on-site to interact with attendees, and one handed out embroidered caps and posed for photos.

Xfinity x Lyft

Comcast’s Xfinity made its Super Bowl debut with an ad that reimagines the world of “Jurassic Park,” but that same movie spirit hit San Francisco ahead of the Big Game in the form of a T. rex billboard on Market Street, a dinosaur projection on the Hobart Building and “Jurassic Park”-wrapped Lyft vehicles that drove around the city all week. (Agency: Carmichael Lynch)

Photo: Courtesy of Xfinity

Photo credit (unless otherwise stated): Juanita Chavarro Arias

For agency credits or questions related to Super Bowl LX coverage, email Juanita Chavarro Arias at jchavarro@accessintel.com.

The post Super Bowl LX: 16 Brand Activations That Took Over San Francisco’s Piers and Hot Spots appeared first on Event Marketer.

Naturally, AMD relied heavily on AI itself to drive its messaging home (how meta is that?) and keep attendees, both in person and online, fully engaged. The keynote kicked off with an AI-produced film that explored the future of the tech and set the tone for the presentation about how AI is advancing human potential.

The brand’s chair and ceo, Dr. Lisa Su, then took the stage with a revolving door of partners and customers, who helped showcase the broad reach of AMD’s solutions and how AI can be “everywhere for everyone” with the aid of bleeding-edge technologies and production techniques. Chief among them—a massive nine-screen display that transformed the stage into a series of 3D environments that amplified each partner’s story. Among brands that took the stage: AstraZeneca, OpenAI and Blue Origin.

The keynote’s scope and level of sophistication marked a “step change” in how AMD shows up at tentpole events, according to Steve Fund, corporate vp-brand, creative, and marketing operations at AMD.

“It was totally non-traditional, and hopefully we opened up the door to how people can utilize AI in major keynotes, and think a little bit differently about that immersive experience,” he says.

With Fund having just tackled one of the world’s biggest stages, we asked him for further tips and insights on producing an AI-driven keynote without losing the human touch. (Agencies: George P. Johnson; Spinifex Group; Tool)

Refine your narrative.

Keynotes have always been designed for seamless transitions and unified messaging, but brands have the power to deliver an even more cohesive story by “refining” their narratives with the aid of AI. At CES, AMD told one continuous story that fluidly evolved through a range of AI-powered environments, from outer space to a Zen garden, that enhanced its on-stage partners’ perspectives and reiterated its central role within the ecosystem.

Make the most of your real estate.

With a giant, nine-screen display at its disposal, AMD leveraged the setup to ensure every last inch of its stage real estate was used to keep the audience tuned in.

“It was a creative challenge to make sure that we really utilized that canvas and didn’t just repeat exactly what was in the middle on the side screens,” says Fund. “Sometimes we brought out data or had charts on the side [screens]… There was a lot of information to convey, but it couldn’t be these dry, PowerPoint-driven presentations. That’s why we brought to life the key points in ways that were somewhat unexpected and, again, utilized the real estate that we had available to us.”

Keep it relatable.

AMD typically address a highly technical audience, but CES attracts more of a mainstream crowd, which prompted the brand to adjust its approach to the keynote, and lean heavily on both its partners and the AI-driven environments that conveyed their stories.

“CES is more of a mainstream audience, so it was more about thought leadership and positioning AMD at the forefront of this revolution,” says Fund. “We wanted to tell a message in a way that could connect and be relatable to everyone in the audience. So, how AI can impact you if you’re a content creator, or impact you if you’re in healthcare, or impact you if you’re into robotics. We wanted to showcase the broad reach of our technology, and we did it through our partners.”

Take the risk.

For AMD, the CES keynote was not only a chance to demonstrate its AI expertise, but to emphasize its status as a global powerhouse—something the brand hasn’t been focused on in the past. To deliver on both objectives, the company teamed up with new production partners, and ditched previous “tried and true” production tactics in favor of taking some risks.

“We’re one of the top 30 most valuable companies in the world, but people don’t necessarily think of us that way, and historically, we haven’t shown up in a way that is consistent with a company of our size and stature. So I intentionally wanted to bring on the best of the best,” says Fund.

He adds: “My advice would be to get out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to try something new, and don’t always rely on what’s been proven in the past. If you really want to do something that’s breakthrough, you have to take a little bit of risk. You could play it safe, but it will yield similar, ‘safe’ results.”

Watch the AI-Driven Keynote:

Photos: Courtesy of AMD

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