The Rise of the Pop-Up: How to Create an Event Experience

Asking your customers to expect the unexpected from your events is a strategy that actually works. Alexis Cervasio has done it for her pop-up business, and she guarantees that event planners can successfully adopt her strategy for their venues.

Cervasio founded East Boston Oysters, a secret supper club. She organizes events that are always in a secret location in East Boston that’s revealed just 24 hours before the event takes place. And they consistently sell out.

“We’ve come up with this model where guests don’t know where they’re going. They don’t know what they’re eating. But they give us all their money,” she said.

Cervasio shared her secrets during an EventCamp session titled The Rise of the Pop-Up: How to Create an Event Experience. She said one of her biggest lessons of organizing events is that people are happy to take a break from what’s normal. Her guests have enthusiastically sipped champagne from coupes instead of a flute, lounged on lavish floor pillows instead of chairs, and eaten oysters from a snow bank instead of a plate.

“Something I’ve learned is that adults have become programmed to expect certain things in certain places … but sadly we’ve expected the same things from our restaurant and event experiences,” she said. “Just have fun with it. It definitely makes an impact. People notice when you’re having fun.”

Check out Cervasio’s entire presentation by watching the recording below or visit our EventCamp site to view all of this year’s sessions. You can learn more about her pop-up, East Boston Oysters, in an interview on the blog.

EventCamp 2018 The Rise of the Pop Up: How to Create an Event Experience from Tripleseat on Vimeo.

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