Partner Pop-Ups Offer #Ideas17 Attendees Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups

To build buzz around brands and products, companies like Target are increasingly hosting “pop-ups.”

In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, a pop-up can be a shop, a restaurant, a collection of stores, or an event that opens quickly in a temporary location and only for a limited time.

And it’s not only the corporate world that’s getting in on the action. For instance, in March 2015, the National Peanut Board  (opens in a new tab) held the Perfectly Powerful Peanut Pop-Up  (opens in a new tab) for three days in New York City to tout the peanut’s benefits and to get consumers engaged in the industry.

A report released last month by Eventbrite and Peerpace, “Thinking Outside the Ballroom: The Rise of Nontraditional and Unique Event Venues  (opens in a new tab),” also points to the increased use of spaces for pop-up dinners and other events.

So it’s no surprise that pop-ups could be found at this week’s Great Ideas Conference  (opens in a new tab) in Orlando.

On Sunday afternoon, two ASAE partners—Johnson Lambert and the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau—hosted 30-minute pop-ups immediately following Srini Rao’s opening keynote.

A candy bar AND a build-your-own bourbon bar? Is it too early to declare this the greatest conference EVER? @GreatIdeasConf  (opens in a new tab) #ideas17  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/ldRJ0kagF7  (opens in a new tab)

— MemberClicks (@MemberClicks) March 5, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

Louisville once again brought along its bourbon bar—a perennial favorite at ASAE conferences—to Great Ideas, where attendees could make the city’s official cocktail, the Old Fashioned, to their liking.

Those looking to get a buzz from sugar rather than alcohol could head to Johnson Lambert’s Sweet Shoppe. Candy jars were filled with favorites, including Tootsie Rolls, Pixy Stix, Good & Plenty, and much more.

The bourbon bar “popped up” again on Monday afternoon, but joining it this time was Visit Omaha’s Popcorn Pop-Up. There, attendees could help themselves to a whole-grain snack before heading off to their next round of sessions.

The Great Ideas pop-ups were a great way for ASAE partners to mix and mingle with attendees. Plus, they gave attendees another opportunity to network and get to know each other. And we all know that nothing brings people together like food and drink.

(iStock/Thinkstock)