IEI411

On January 9-12, 2017, over 4000 event professionals from around the world coverged in Long Beach for The Special Event conference and tradeshow. Urban Playground was the concept for the final night event and reflected the "where the STREET meets the BEACH" culture that Long Beach is known for.  Included were references to iconic Long Beach landmarks such as Grand Prix, The Pike, downtown, Aquarium of The Pacific & Shoreline Park however with a distinct EDM (electric dance music) influence.    CLICK TO SEE MORE IMAGES

On January 6, IEI president, Robb Thornsberry produced the opening night event for 1200 attendees of The Special Event Conference & Tradeshow.  Although this is a typical event for many Anaheim conventions, these were not your typical convention attendees and this was not your typical welcome reception. Attendees of this event were other event professionals from around the world who have seen it all, so impressing them would not be an easy task.  This would require a venue that no one has ever seen before.  Since building a new venue would not be an option, Robb approached The Anaheim Garden Walk, a nearby outdoor shopping mall that had plenty of space and was within walking distance of the convention center or a brief 2 minute shuttle ride.  The challenge was to create an event that had to impress in a venue that has never been used as an event venue before. Utilizing two levels, in the back portion of the shopping center that sees very little foot traf...