Retailer John lewis has created a winter-themed rooftop pop-up in its Oxford Street store, open from 7 November - 31 December. The pop-up has been styled as a festive and immersive forest and features dishes from Mac & Wild, which has created a hamburger especially for the event. Also on offer will be seasonal cocktails from Background Bars. Guests can book one of three private dining lodges, which seat between four to eight diners. Featuring 'hot toddy bells', the lodges allow guests to order food and drink by ringing the bell. The lodges also include their own individual sound system that can be linked to smartphones.
Nominations are now open for the Event 100 Club 2017, and for the first time it will include the top 30 industry professionals under 30. The ranking will highlight the work of individuals within the events industry over the past 12 months, from October 2015 until October 2016. Candidates can nominate themselves, or be nominated by a colleague. Entries must detail why the candidate should be placed on the list based on a stand-out achievement in the last year and a significant contribution to a brand experience or experiential campaign. The deadline for entries is 14 November. .
Virtual reality (VR) company Oculus is staging a 'Rift and Touch' tour across UK retail outlets. The tour kicked off at Manchester's Intu shopping centre, where it stayed until 7 November, and will then travel to Westfield Stratford (14 - 20 November). The tour culminates in Bullring, Birmingham, taking place from 28 November to 4 December. Having been designed and distributed by agency Jack Morton, the tour aims to give guests their first experience of the latest VR technology Oculus has to offer. The 'Rift and Touch' tour is part of Occulus' wider retail campaign, which includes demo activity and bespoke window design at flagship John Lewis and Dixons Carphone Group stores and Game outlets.
Coca Cola's Christmas truck tour kicks off on 17 November, and will visit 44 locations across the UK. This marks the sixth year in a row that Coca Cola has staged the truck-tour experience, and this year it will feature after dark projections which aim to give people a glimpse of the goings-on inside the truck. As well as the 44 physical locations, the truck will be stopping off online on Twitter, and users of the social platform can enjoy their own special visit from 4 November to 25 December. The tour culminates in Leicester Square on 20 December.
Event asked if agencies are starting to feel the effects from Brexit, and the general consensus is that brands still regard experiential and brand experiences as a good use of marketing budget. Lou Garrod, deputy managing director at agency Sense, said that moving forward, being nimble and flexible is key for agencies, while Stuart Bradbury, managing director of agency Avantegarde, said that agencies should be looking ahead, beyond 2017. However, there are concerns that Brexit's effect on the economy could have an impact on consumer spending, which in turn could cause issues for both brands and agencies.
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