IBTimes Spotlight

As an award-winning digital experience studio, NEXT/NOW always ensures that it delivers unforgettable moments of connection. Founded by creative industry veteran Alan Hughes, the company has been helping its clients create a digital experience that also connects thematically, creatively and architecturally with their physical brand experience.

The company’s team is composed of designers, brand architects, producers, computer scientists, exhibit specialists, 3D specialists and animators. This team has worked on a wide range of projects for different businesses including Walmart, StateFarm, AllState, LG and United.

The NBA Store worked with NEXT/NOW on a groundbreaking concept for its 5th Avenue store in New York City. The sporting brand’s concept store featured 10 overhead monitors, a 30-foot LED basketball net and a retail LED display that spans 3 walls and 400 square feet. The events marketing firm helped the NBA Store with services including motion graphics, design, programming and development. The collaboration received several awards including the 2017 EventTech Awards and ICX Elevate — Deployment of the Year.

NEXT/NOW has also worked with Chevron, Moen Showroom, John Deere and Hershey’s.

Forward leaning and future thinking is how Agency EA approach projects to deliver worthwhile experiences. This Chicago-based full-service brand experience agency was founded by Gabrielle Martinez and Fergus Rooney in 1999 as a small team of event architects. It has since grown to have more than 100 people in 10 departments.

Collaboration, mutual respect, creativity and passion are its core values. It is also what fuels the successes the company saw in its recent collaborations. Additionally, its commitment to nurturing relationships in events marketing is comparable to no other company. It provides great emphasis on attention, building trust and upholding transparency in all its projects. 

Agency EA helped the electronics company Samsung Mobile to celebrate a decade of the Galaxy phone during the Samsung Unpacked. The mobile phone brand wanted to blend enticing content with a cutting-edge show and an awe-inspiring stage. The company delivered on the expectation and saw more than 44 million Livestream views, 3.94 million views of the official replay and had its #GalaxyFold hashtag trend at top 9 worldwide.

The events marketing firm also collaborated with brands like Intuit, Hilton, Molson Coors, Facebook and Lurie Children’s Hospital.

OutCloud differentiates its events by combining experimental marketing strategies with traditional Out-of-Home tactics to deliver results by exciting and converting the audience into loyal customers. The company ensures that it only employs proven tactics to easily get the attention of people in the most authentic manner. 

Dallas Mavericks and OutCloud worked on its pop-up store in Dallas, Texas. OutCloud worked on creating a double-decker mobile retail experience catering to NBA fans in and outside of the state. The double-decker was detailed to create an authentic NBA experience. It comes with real wood flooring panels from the Mav’s 2011 championship season, flatscreen displays and customized seat covers. The Mavericks used the double-decker to show up at the Texas State Fair and other events across the country.

The company specializes in a number of services. It offers experiential tours, mobile media, sampling programs, street-level media, staffing and events production. These services have been availed by businesses like Amazon, Cards Against Humanity, Crate&Barrel, Flowers for Dreams Chicago, Home Chef and Nike.

Main Event Chicago (MEC) has been serving the direct mail marketing and super sale events of various businesses across Illinois and beyond. The company holds copyrighted and trademarked events as well as patented products that helped all its clients grow.

With over 25 years worth of experience, MEC is considered as an industry leader in high response direct mail campaigns, off-site super sales and staffed events. The people behind MEC is the company’s best-kept secret. The MEC team is composed of professionals dedicated to helping businesses reach their goals. It brings to the table creativity, innovativeness and open-mindedness to every plan it conceptualizes and delivers them excellently. 

The company possesses several characteristics to set it apart from the competition. It has copyrighted flyers that’s registered with the Library of Congress and is something that cannot be copied by other events company. It values continuous training to keep its people up-to-date and equipped with the latest in the practice. Lastly, it has helped clients see a solid 2% to 5% response from all events it helped mount in the past.

NiKnack Marketing creates experiences for brands by combining creativity and strategy. The company takes pride in the versatility of its services. It can be a branding firm, a marketing agency and an events management company. Its fun and collaborative workspace are what allows it to deliver meaningful brand experiences to its clients. That and its team of creative and ambitious people, of course.

This events marketing firm wants to explore the deeper side of marketing. It believes that marketing goes beyond a brand logo and name. This belief is what fuels the company’s passion to offer brand strategy, content & communications, digital platform planning and association management among others.

The company also believes that it has a duty to give back to its community. It has continuously supported and provided services to various nonprofits including the American Cancer Society, The Children’s Advocacy Center and The WT Foundation.