29Rooms Will Return to NYC as Experiential Evolves for 2021

The pent-up demand to return to live events is palpable, with 94% of Gen Z and millennials saying they plan to go to festivals, plays, museums and concerts as early as this summer, according to a Vice Media Group study. Those who intend to socialize aren’t just fighting quarantine boredom; 75% believe it will be good for their mental health to interact with people outside their bubble, and 69% say it will boost their mental state to break out of their pandemic ruts and try new things. Because [Gen Z and millennials] think real-life events are good for their mental health, we’re going to see a massive resurgence.Julie Arbit, global svp of insights, Vice Media The research, which also predicts a creative renaissance as people emerge from their lockdown cocoons, found a 13 percentage point jump in those who cited “emotional well-being” as their top priority going forward. “The theme of mental health kept coming up, with young people being more worried about their mental wellbeing than the virus,” said Julie Arbit, Vice Media’s global svp of insights. “Because they think real-life events are good for their mental health, we’re going to see a massive resurgence.” Vice Media released the white paper, “Make Contact: The Reemergence of the Experience Economy,” to announce the 2021 version of its long-running installation 29Rooms. The extravagant pop-up experience from Vice’s Refinery29 was canceled last year amid the public health crisis, but is scheduled to return in September. 29Rooms, which has been described as an Instagram-ready funhouse-meets-art-gallery, will take place in New York City only (previous incarnations traveled to Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco). Whether it will run a single weekend or stretch longer is still to be determined; its theme, reflected in the white paper, is "Make Contact." Vice Media surveyed Gen Z and millennial consumers about returning to real-world events. An 'unmissable' event There will be tweaks to the event based on Covid-19 protocols and Vice’s recent poll of more than 1,000 consumers—70% of whom were Gen Z and millennials. The poll found that people gravitate to distinctive events that provide unique experiences they can’t get online. Executives at digital publisher Refinery29 had been considering ways to evolve the successful 29Rooms, according to Katherine Tooley, Vice’s svp of experiential, and will lean into “more tactile, more tangible, unmissable, un-uploadable” content for the 2021 activation. “Anything that’s a flat background is no longer going to work,” Tooley said. “We’d already started to walk away from too many activations whose sole purpose is taking a photo. There has to be a touchpoint, some learning and meaning. It can’t just be a backdrop.” An expanded brand opportunity Brands will still be involved, with Refinery29 pushing them to come up with more inventive and engaging programs. Expanded sponsorships could fan out across merchandise drops, outdoor queues, screening spaces and other tactics. “Previously, brands were sold a room, a studio or sampling, so they were very limited in how they could interact,” she said. “This year we’re encouraging them to come on this bigger creative journey with us.” Among the other findings of the Vice study: Young consumers will seek out events that forge more intimate connections with them, creating “a deeper sense of belonging” and reflecting their personal values. Of those polled, 72% said they prefer community-based events with emerging talent as opposed to splashy, large events with legacy headliners. Six in 10 consumers said they would lean toward “smaller, more intimate and curated events.” And while there was a strong interest in purpose-driven activations, consumers also want fantastical, escapist entertainment: 88% cited exploration of a new venue or in a thoughtfully-designed environment as a key element, 84% said immersion was important (experiencing something with all five senses, feeling positivity), and 83% said playing like singing, dancing and laughing was vital. Vice Media Group Is Finally Holding Itself Accountable to DEI

Experiential Marketing

Iconic Pop-Up Event 29Rooms Will Return to NYC as Experiential Marketing Evolves for 2021

Vice Media Group's research found most see trying new things post-pandemic as key for mental health

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley