Exclusive: How to Rock Like a Hurricane (During a Hurricane)

November 21, 2024

How a production company helped create an opportunity for immersive engagement out of what could have been a hurricane-induced cancellation disappointment.

With cleanup from Hurricane Helene still ongoing in many areas of Florida, the news that Hurricane Milton was looming had meeting and event organizers with shows in the potential danger zones scrambling. One of these was Travelsavers, whose TravelMarket show, scheduled to be held in late September at the JW Marco Island Beach Resort, is a must-attend for airlines, cruise lines, hotels, coach, rail and tour operators, and other top travel companies.

The Affluent Traveler Collection Symposium (ATCS), which this year brought around 250 luxury travel specialists and top luxury preferred partners for their own event just prior to the TravelMarket conference, was able to go as scheduled. But with Hurricane Milton now threatening to be an incredibly unwelcome guest for the larger event, Travelsavers Chief Marketing Officer for the TravelMarket ATC show Nicole Mazza said, “We were forced to restructure … canceling a portion and redesigning other aspects.”

Enter full-service media production company edgefactory, which was already on site as the turnkey production company for the entire event to manage all the AV event technology and content creation, from opening videos to speaker title card animations to award presentations and sponsor loops. The company also handled the lighting, digital signage, themed furniture and everything else needed to create an immersive environment outside of the session rooms. “We had a beautiful black and gold look for one show, and a vibrant teal and lime green for the other — our job was to elevate the attendee experience with digital signage, wayfinding, registration…we knew there was another hurricane on the horizon, but we didn’t know how serious it was,” said edgefactory CEO Brian Cole.

“Then the hotel started boarding up windows in the lobby and the guest rooms with balcony access,” he added.

While the cancellation of the main event did keep most, but not all, of the anticipated 700 or so TravelMarket attendees from coming to Marco Island, many of the attendees, speakers and exhibitors from the ATCS were still at the property. “We had about 300 people on site, and flights were cancelled. No one could leave,” said Cole.

With a storm brewing, a captive audience and a whole lot of AV tools of the trade already on site, Travelsavers and edgefactory decided to make the best of a potentially scary situation.

How did they do that? Just as Van Halen seamlessly switched out its lead singers from David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar back in 1985, edgefactory pivoted what was to have been an off-site event that was to have kicked off the conference and trade show into a 1980s-rock-and-roll-themed “Rock You Like a Hurricane” party that took over the hotel’s 5th floor Tesoro Mediterranean restaurant and 10K Alley arcade.

“We had all the AV tools of the trade on site, including a 60-foot-wide LED wall in the general session, TVs with digital signage throughout the venue, and our team. We were in a room with the Travelsavers leaders and the hotel staff to discuss what we could do — we decided to take over that fifth-floor space and hold an epic party. They absolutely loved the idea,” said Cole.

But first they moved up the awards gala, which had been planned for later in the program, to an awards luncheon gala featuring steak and lobster — which was among the F&B already on hand for the 700-person meeting and no one wanted to see go to waste. They even filmed videos of some of the winners the night before and played those during the gala. “The first person who came out on the stage said she felt like she was at the Emmys,” said Cole.

To set the mood for the party that evening, edgefactory put also pink and red uplights throughout the venue and signage on all the LED and TVs, which were tilted on angled mounts to look like they were being wind-blown and featured the “Rock You Like a Hurricane” party messaging.

“Nothing was static, all the graphics were in motion, in keeping with the theme,” said Cole. “Attendees had a blast just walking into the entrance to the party.” The party featured the band that had been booked for an event the next day, and TVs featuring photo loops with photos taken by a professional photographer so it wasn’t just sports playing on the bar TVs. There were areas in the restaurant for those who wanted could watch the storm, while those who would rather pretend it wasn’t happening could find a total escape in the arcade area. Everyone was invited, including all the vendors, suppliers, exhibitors — and probably more than a few transient guests who also were stranded at the hotel.

brian cole, edgefactory “It was quite an experience,” said Cole. “We have had hurricane cancellations before, but we’ve never had a hurricane in the middle of a meeting. We had people working at all hours to make sure that we had everything ready, from updating the photo loops and digital signage to creating videos we could screen to make it feel like it was their party and really immerse them in the experience.”

He added, “We weren’t just there as vendors or suppliers to Travelsavers. We were there to be true partners with them” — including not charging for any of the extra work involved in the pivot. “We were all on the same ship, so we all wanted to make sure it didn’t sink. And why not let everyone have a good hurricane party while we’re at it?”

Travelsavers’ Mazza said, “Edgefactory not only adapted quickly but turned the situation into a wonderful opportunity for us to engage more with our attendees. Their creativity, agility and composure under pressure allowed the production to continue and the final product exceeded all expectations. They are a true partner in every sense, making every project a success.”

The key is to be prepared for whatever may happen, said Cole. Having everything be digital is not only sustainable environmentally, but it also can be an event-saver when you need to adapt an event on the fly due to changes in agendas, speakers or a weather-related pivot.