RAD

We here at SUM Booth love kids. We also love the 80′s. So when the Austin Children’s Shelter approached us about coming out to their annual 80′s themed dance party fundraiser, we said yes faster than Sloth would say yes to a Baby Ruth.

Normally, our standard service includes a print of some sort, but at dance parties people aren’t always able (or sober enough) to spend the night holding on to a photo, so we opted to go with a digital delivery with a live slideshow of all the images so party-goers still could get their instant gratification fix. As a result, a totally tubular time was had by all.

THIS.. IS.. A THEMED EVENT!

When a client approaches us about a project, there’s always formalities that need to be ironed out. Things such as:

What date is the event?
Where is the location of the event?
How many hours is the event?

All the while, there’s one question that’s really at the forefront of our thought process, just dying to be answered:

Is there a particular theme involved with the event?

If this is answered with a “yes”, we stand up, high-five ourselves, and march around the room while fist-pumping the entire time.

So when BancVue got in touch and told us about their Spartan and Super Hero themed event in Wichita, we nearly ran out to a consignment shop and purchased a fainting couch, because I wasn’t positive we could handle such exciting news and remain conscious. Plus, I’ve always wanted one of those in the office.

So what design was born out of the excitement? Feast your eyes on the Spartan-themed goodness of the sample below — photographed, processed and printed out on-site at BancVue’s Emprise Bank event.

Hockey and Donuts

Ottawa – you’re a great city. Beautiful frozen canals with people skating to and fro. Awe inspiring parliamentary buildings create a memorable skyline. But let’s be honest, all of these things are seriously hampered by one glaring negative.

TIM HORTON’S DOESN’T TAKE VISA.

How am I supposed to partake in that national pastry when all they take is Mastercard?! Cash only, I can understand, but I truly feel that until Tim Horton’s takes Visa cards, your tourism industry will always be hindered by gluttons donut-conessiours like myself.

Note: you’ll see a photo of a Horton’s donut that was reluctantly bought and angrily ate after withdrawing cash from an ATM

Now that’s out in the open, let’s talk about the event itself — the 2012 edition of the NHL All-Star game and Fan Fair.

Like the MLB and NFL, the NHL has a dedicated fan celebration at a nearby convention center, and that’s where we set up shop the first three days in Ottawa. Nestled in the corner of Upper Deck’s showroom, we had a steady line of fans the entire time we were there, which gave Upper Deck the opportunity to promote all of its products to a captive audience. The NHL also enacted some demographic data collection for everyone taking photos as well. During our time at Fan Fair, we produced well over 1500 cards — which means potentially 1500+ new card collectors for our client Upper Deck.

On game day, we arrived bright and early to set up our photo station near one of the main entrances to Scotiabank Place, the home of the Ottawa Senators. After overcoming some travel woes (lost luggage containing clothes and miscellaneous equipment), we were ready to go at full speed. We were operational from the time the doors opened until the game started, and then from the start of the first intermission until the end of the second intermission, ensuring that fans would be in their seats for the start and end of the game — which hasn’t always happened at other NHL events (like overtime Stanley Cup final games — go watch the game, people!).

Finally, we have a huge debt of gratitude to all of the volunteers that assist at NHL events. Without their help, our workflow would be affected and we wouldn’t be able to accommodate the high volume of fans we strive for. Once again, thank you, and we’ll see you at the next NHL event!