This is a guest post from our friends at PSP Media Inc

​Nothing is more powerful than experiential marketing on the move. Here are some great examples of different ways to capture those consumers on the go with a mobile marketing tour.

Go classic and sleek:

Pinnacle Pet Nutrition wrapped a beautiful Mercedes Sprinter van and visited dog parks, dog beaches and radio remotes across the west coast. Brand ambassadors distributed samples, coupons and branded keepsakes to dog owning consumers.

Redefine an iconic symbol:

A real working ambulance was wrapped with Fitflops To The Rescue branding. The ambulance visited numerous locations across New York City to educate consumers about Fitflop's technology and health benefits. Consumers lined up to spin a prize wheel for a chance to win a pair of the high-end sandals and other prizes.  

Click here to read the rest of the post on great mobile marketing tours.
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To promote the latest Havaianas flip flop styles, the brand’s agency tapped Event Permit Experts to obtain all the venues and permits required to place a giant store primarily made out of ice with the shoes frozen inside of the ice blocks.  This unique experiential creation required our expertise in permitting in markets across the country including Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago.
 
Contact Event Permit Experts today to secure permits for your next experiential activation or mobile marketing tour. Our experts will help you with all the logistics of securing event permits so you can focus on having a successful experiential activation.
 
Event permit locations: Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago

Starbucks sampling agency hired Event Permit Experts to secure permits across the country for their national food truck mobile sampling tour promoting their new Blonde coffee flavor. This beautifully decorated giant coffee truck offered consumers full sized samples of their latest coffee creations using the Blonde espresso flavor. We obtained health, special event and curb lane permits in markets including Boston, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
 
Contact Event Permit Experts today to secure permits for your next experiential activation or mobile marketing tour. Our experts will help you with all the logistics of securing event permits so you can focus on having a successful experiential activation.
 
Event permit locations: Boston, Cambridge, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco

In the city of brotherly love otherwise known as Philadelphia, Event Permit Experts partnered with Jeep and their agency to obtain special event and curb permits to promote the latest line of Jeep vehicles. We worked with the city to secure lane and block closures in several high traffic locations throughout Philly where brand ambassadors would inform consumers about the latest vehicle models and offer test drives.
 
Contact Event Permit Experts today to secure permits for your next experiential activation or mobile marketing tour. Our experts will help you with all the logistics of securing event permits so you can focus on having a successful experiential activation.
 
Event permit locations:  Philadelphia

This is a guest post by our friends at The Pop Up Shop Agency.

So a number of factors will determine if your pop up is a success. One of the biggest factors is the location. Especially when marketing to a new audience, location can make or break a pop up shop. Budget is also a critical factor. High foot traffic spots often have a high price tag so you need to strike a good balance between the pop up’s location and budget. Staffing is also crucial as the brand ambassadors you hire are the direct representatives of your brand and need to tell the right story the right way to make an impact that counts. Are they there to educate the customers or merely ring up the register sales? Many brands spend a lot of time and money on the pop up shop and then spend $10 hour on staff- that is a potential disaster. A pop up shop is a brand extension and the wrong people can make a huge difference in how people perceive your brand.
 
The illustation above is a quick guide to refer to when determining the ROI benchmarks for your pop up’s success:​​
If you don’t establish clear goals from the outset and work towards being able to measure those goals from the initial idea through to the execution your pop up will never feel like a winner. The truth is pop ups can be anything- there are no pop up rules in terms of how long a pop-up needs to be, where it has to happen or what on what terms you measure its success.  Create your own rules based on the above tips and discover how a pop up shop can empower your brand and take it to the next level.
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Bonus info: Some recent pop up shop industry numbers to fuel your thinking: The Lionesque Group, who routinely does research on the values of pop-up shops, has identified over the last couple of years that the average pop-up sees a 35% increase in sales from doors open to 6 months after doors close. Additionally, 50% off these pop-ups see an average increase of 30% on social media engagement over the lifespan of their pop-up shop. Wow. Imagine what a pop up could do for your brand.

The Pop Up Shop Agency is a one stop solution for almost everything and anything that pops– activations and brand experiences that are short-term. We help build brands and create memorable experiences. Pop up shops, pop up tours, pop up events, pop up activations, food trucks, pop up restaurants and everything else in between. We have over 20 years experience in creating turnkey pop up shop experiences nationwide. Whether you need help coming up with your next pop up shop idea or simply want someone to help take over the operations and management, our pop up shop experts are ready to help.  NEED HELP WITH YOUR POP UP?  Click here to get a Free Pop Up Shop Quote today.

​During the busy holiday season, we partnered with a national experiential agency producing a multi-market, month long food truck tour for Maker’s Mark.  The tour stopped in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Louisville, Columbus and Cincinnati offering holiday treats to consumers in busy neighborhoods as well as encouraging people to make holiday donations to Share Our Strength.  While assisting our agency client, we secured all the venues and necessary permits required in each market. 
 
Contact Event Permit Experts today to secure permits for your next experiential activation or mobile marketing tour. Our experts will help you with all the logistics of securing event permits so you can focus on having a successful experiential activation.
 
Event permit locations: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Louisville, Columbus and Cincinnati

Event Permit Experts secured the NYC event permits necessary for a new fast-casual chain to get their message out to the streets of NYC.  ReViVer is a new chain of fast casual restaurant offering healthy food options that also taste great.  ReViVer tapped EPE to secure street activities permits at high traffic locations throughout NYC to allow the community to sample their Culinary Art Backed By Nutrition Science creations.  Several event tactics were implemented over several months including food sampling booths and tents set-up on busy sidewalks in the Lincoln Center, Times Square, Midtown East and Midtown West neighborhoods of Manhattan.  Event Permit Experts secured all the necessary street activities, health and sampling permits for these tasty activations. 
 
Additionally, ReViVer deployed a fully branded, glass walled truck for a mobile marketing street tour event and toured it around busy Manhattan neighborhoods.  Several stops were made on this mobile marketing tour with celebrity chef Scott Leibfreid from Food Network and Hell’s Kitchen fame, inviting consumers onto the truck for cooking demonstrations and free samples.  Event Permit Experts secured all street activity permits, health and amplified sound permits for this multi-week event. 
 
Need help with event permits for an upcoming event? Not sure what permits you even need? Ask the experts at Event Permit Experts. We will handle getting the permits so can focus on your brand activation. Contact us today
 
Permits secured by Event Permit Experts: Street Activities Permit, Health Permit, Amplified Sound Permit
 
Locations: Lincoln Center, Times Square, Midtown East and Midtown West neighborhoods of Manhattan.

1. Why are event permits so important?
Event permit requirements change constantly to meet the ever-evolving world of city and state governments. That is why you need a full understanding of event permits. All that information you provide for an event permit is just so the issuing agency and its individuals cannot be held liable in the case of negligence or accidents. An event permit is a legal document and it gives everyone involved peace of mind. The cost of an event permit is nominal compared to the cost of an event getting shut down by the authorities.

2. What is the biggest headache when it comes to obtaining an event permit?
They are not cheap and often when conceptualizing an event or planning one the client has forgotten to factor in event permit costs. In addition for one single event it is often a myriad of different permits that are required by the city authorities.

3. How soon should you think about trying to get permits for an event?
As soon as the client or brand has approved the event. Depending on the venue and the type of event permits that are required many event permits have strict lead times.

4. What is the most common event permitting mistake?
The biggest mistake would be telling yourself “we will get away with it.” Brands and agencies invest tons of time and hours in experiential events and the last thing you want is an event to get shut down before it even starts.

5. The second most common event permitting mistake?
Not giving enough detail. It is not enough to get an event permit- you need to get one that is specific to your event. The more detail you provide the better and the greater the chance you will have of having a successful event.

Event Permit Experts is comprised of a team of event permit professionals with the single goal of helping agencies and brands obtain event permits for their special event productions.  We have over 20 years of experience working with the decision makers at municipalities across the country. We work hard at building these relationships in order to help our clients execute flawless and legally compliant special events.  The event permitting process can often be a daunting and confusing process for many so we’re here to make it easy and offer a turnkey resource to handle this aspect of event production for our customers.  NEED HELP WITH YOUR EVENT PERMITS?  Click here to get a Free Event Permit Quote today.

With so many rules to follow from municipal, state, and federal bodies, it can be hard to stay on top of details. Event permit rules and regulations vary greatly from location to location, but here are 4 common event permit issues we see occur.

1: A License to Serve Alcohol 
Hiring a  a company to manage the alcohol? Or was the wine donated and your employees are serving it? Are underage students handing out glasses of champagne? Is there a difference between serving hard alcohol versus wine and beer? There are so many variations you need to call the local authorities and check on the event permit rules.

2: "A department of buildings permit for an event? Seriously?!"
The answer: Yes, no and sometimes. It varies by area, city, location and size of the event and the event structures.

3. "This is a tiny event, I'm not going to bother with an event permit."
The biggest mistake would be telling yourself “we will get away with it.” Brands and agencies invest tons of time and hours in experiential events and the last thing you want is an event to get shut down before it even starts because you didn't have the correct event permit.

4. Being too vague
Not giving enough detail. It is not enough to get an event permit- you need to get one that is specific to your event. The more detail you provide the better and the greater the chance you will have of having a successful event.

Keep these points in mind as you plan your event. Because laws change, it’s worth a phone call or two to ensure you’ve covered your bases.

Event Permit Experts is comprised of a team of event permit professionals with the single goal of helping agencies and brands obtain event permits for their special event productions.  We have over 20 years of experience working with the decision makers at municipalities across the country. We work hard at building these relationships in order to help our clients execute flawless and legally compliant special events.  The event permitting process can often be a daunting and confusing process for many so we’re here to make it easy and offer a turnkey resource to handle this aspect of event production for our customers.  NEED HELP WITH YOUR EVENT PERMITS?  Click here to get a Free Event Permit Quote today.

A checklist can be a big help to make sure you get all of the information you’ll need to compare the different venues and locations for your event. 

Facility/Venue/Location:
* Is it easy to locate the venue?
* Is it a high traffic location?
* How many cars will fit in the parking lot? Is there street parking in the area?
* Is there a sound system? Is it adequate for an auction (ask your auctioneer this)? Is there an additional charge to use it? Will someone be on hand the night of the event for any sound issues?
* Is there internet access you can use? Can you access it wirelessly? If not, will they allow you to run an ethernet cable to the place you want to set up check-in?
* What is the availability and location of loading area? 
* Can you control access to the main event space to make sure all guests are registered?
* Is there enough lighting (especially at the registration and check-out areas)? Can you easily control the lighting?
* How many – and what size/style – chairs and tables do they have for you to use?
* If you need more tables can the venue arrange rental?
* Are there storage areas and policies – will you be able to put boxes out of the way during the actual event, and can you leave large items overnight for pick up the next day?
* Does the ambiance fit with any theme you have already selected? (for example, if you’re planning a western theme, how will it work in a Victorian mansion)
* How many restrooms are there? Where are they?
* What are the rules about decorations (taping, stapling, etc.)?
* Are there height restrictions for installations?
* If event is over a couple days can you leave installations in place?
* What kind of security if any is provided (day and night)?
* Do I need to get an event permit? If so what permits will I need?

Food and Beverage:
* If you’re considering a cash bar: bartender cost and minimum hours, cashier charges, drink prices
* Costs of tax, service charge and/or gratuities
* Can you lock in the catering price at the time of contract?
* Food guarantee policies, is a guarantee required, and how many meals/desserts will be prepared beyond the guarantee?
* If you are required to choose from a list of preferred caterers, get that list
* Can you use a caterer not on their list?
* If you are restricted to one catering option get a copy of the menu with prices and ask:
* Is all table service equipment included in the cost?
* Will you able to taste the food before you commit?
* How many bars will be set up?

Other:
* Is the staff friendly and helpful?
* How much time will you have for move-in, set-up, tear-down and move-out – and what is the cost if you need more time?
* Do they have sample floor plans, preferably for a similar size event?
* What are your clean up responsibilities?

Event Permit Experts is comprised of a team of event permit professionals with the single goal of helping agencies and brands obtain event permits for their special event productions.  We have over 20 years of experience working with the decision makers at municipalities across the country. We work hard at building these relationships in order to help our clients execute flawless and legally compliant special events.  The event permitting process can often be a daunting and confusing process for many so we’re here to make it easy and offer a turnkey resource to handle this aspect of event production for our customers.  NEED HELP WITH YOUR EVENT PERMITS?  Click here to get a Free Event Permit Quote today.