These days, special events are playing a much larger role in branding by successfully engaging the audience while reinforcing a company's messaging. Whether it's a product launch, grand opening, anniversary, or incentive event, those who evolve events into innovative marketing vehicles have a much higher ROI ~ it's proven!

Here are examples where Current Affairs has taken our Clients' objectives and transformed their events into experiential venues that truly connect their audiences with their brands:

Amway Australia ~ Incentive Trade Show
Amway contacted us to plan and produce a trade show as part of a Big Island incentive trip. The goal was to incorporate several of Amway's most popular brands, including E. Funkhouser New York, Xs Energy Drink, Nutriway and Artistry. Just the names of the product lines alone got our creative juices flowing!

We took over three separate function rooms at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort & Spa and branded them with the different Amway product lines as follows:

• E. Funkhouser New York ~ an unconventional, yet high profile cosmetics brand. We decorated this brand's room with black, white and silver colors and covered the chairs with white fashionable material to reflect the brand's lively attitude and outrageous personality.
• Xs Energy Drink ~ energizes your body and mind with key nutrients, vitamins and amino acids. We developed a slogan "Ride the Wave of Xs" and outfitted the room with a surfing theme; after all, Hawaii is known for its extreme surfing competitions and so Xs is the ideal choice of surfers to optimize their performance. The images and slogan alone stimulated the senses and piqued Guests' interest; yet we went another step further and installed a surfing simulator that Guests rode to realize the power of Xs!
• Nutriway ~ a leading global brand of vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements. This brand has the slogan "Best of Nature. Best of Science." For this room, we chose a green color scheme consistent with the brand imaging (Best of Nature) and created a wellness cafĂ© to highlight the brand's position as a leader in natural health and nutrition (Best of Science).
• Artistry ~ a world-renowned, innovative skin care and make-up product brand. For this room, we created large posters of all the Artistry products and placed them on the walls to resemble a fine art gallery. The cutting edge gallery reinforced the brand's reputation as an international leader in the beauty and skin care sector. Beauty is Artistry and Guests could see it.

E. Funkhouser New York

Xs Energy Drink

Nutriway

Artistry

Bridgestone ~ Product Launch
When Bridgestone approached us to launch a new tire product line, we knew we had to get creative. Instead of having a typical event in a hotel ballroom, which would normally feature Hawaiian flowers gracing tables and a check-in table at the door, we took the event to another level by incorporating brand elements. We put our creative minds to work and asked, what are the brand's qualities? The new tires are black, have texture, take people to adventurous places and are long lasting. So in order to successfully brand this event we would have to incorporate these qualities into every aspect.

First, we decided to black out an entire room from floor to ceiling. Next, we constructed a large white tunnel that would lead Guests through the door to the room inside. Talk about exciting! But that's not all. We projected tire treads and markings onto the tunnel walls so that when Guests walked through they were reminded of the adventure that comes with the brand. This tunnel experience built anticipation for what would come next.

As Guests entered the room, they were able to view the new tires set up on vignettes in each corner. And, as the last Guest entered, a video projected on a large screen featuring the CEO of Bridgestone and a professional driver discussing the new product line and its many enduring qualities. All these elements working together created a buzz about the product that lasted throughout the remainder of the event. Then, when the celebrity driver literally stepped from the screen and appeared in real life, the lasting impact was achieved! Click here to see more images

Disney ~ Groundbreaking
We worked closely with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and several other local Hawaii professionals to plan and produce a Blessing and Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Walt Disney Resort at Ko'olina. The event was themed "Pa'ina" (which means 'Party' in Hawaiian) and, as you could probably imagine, a party in the mind of Disney is no small affair. Most know Disney is all about fun, but many do not know how high their degree of professionalism really is until working with them. Planning this event was truly a remarkable experience. As each element was put into place, the event's characteristics began to develop into a magical piece of art. Below are just some of the highlights:

 Lt. Governor Duke Aiona kicked off the celebration with introductory remarks, which was followed by a traditional Hawaiian groundbreaking using o'o sticks. After the formal blessing, Mickey and Minnie - both dressed in Hawaiian floral wear - welcomed everyone to the Pa'ina. Several hula halau (Hawaiian Dance Troupes) outfitted in a myriad of costumes performed on stage and the Kamehameha Schools choir sang "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride." To give you an idea of the grand scale of things, we had rehearsals the day prior to bring all the halaus together and at the crescendo, there were over 200 children performing. It was a huge production!

On the edible side, our Food and Beverage Division secured celebrity chef Partner Sam Choy to prepare a delicious local-style lunch that was served under a large tent. As Guests enjoyed lunch, Disney characters Lilo and Stitch walked around taking pictures with the Guests, which was perfectly fitting since these two Disney characters actually come from Hawaii.

At the end of the event, which combined the blessing with a whole bunch of fun, confetti cannons shot pink and red petals overhead, leaving Guests with a magical memory to take home.

By focusing on combining Hawaiian tradition with the Disney brand through consistently incorporating color and theme with cultural activities and special effects, we successfully executed this event and met our Client's objective to be culturally sensitive while showcasing the Disney brand. Click here to see more images.