Behind the Scenes of Your Pop-Up Event

Behind every great pop-up event there are dozens of planners, researchers, fact-checkers, and designers who collaborate over a mountain of details to ensure that a powerful branded experience comes together seamlessly. The exciting lead up to an event takes strategic project management, sufficient lead time, and advanced expertise to ensure that the event goes off without a hitch.

Here are a few of the factors that a team needs to consider when setting out on a pop-up event tour with a customized shipping container.

1. Drivers

Remember your college road trip days when you could drive for 26 straight hours and end up on the opposite coast? Well, perhaps you’re still capable of doing that – but professional drivers are more careful. The Department of Transportation regulates a driver’s working hours (both on the road and during activation) as well as how many hours off they need. Making sure there are enough people onsite to handle a back-to-back activation schedule requires planning and thorough regulatory competence.

2. Routes

A convoy of 20-foot shipping containers can’t use Google Maps to plan a trip. The route needs attention to factors such as height clearances, weight restrictions, road surfaces, and more. Getting these containers around the country is our job at Boxman; we’ll find the best way to get you from point A to point B.

3. Compliance

Municipalities have unique requirements, and it’s important that your activation meets them. Municipal or state laws can restrict elements of the structure itself, such as stairs, ramps, and moving parts; as well as the use of public space.
The Americans With Disabilities Act, meanwhile, requires that activations across America are readily accessible to handicapped individuals. Understanding how these regulations impact your pop-up event is essential.

4. Setup

Boxman drivers handle activations, so we know what to look for out on the road. For example, we ensure that the ground a shipping container is placed upon is even, and that the busiest street corner is safe to unload and set up. These may seem like minor details during the planning phase, but when you pull up to a site the last thing you want is a surprise.

5. Packing

Shipping Containers were made to transport assets and collateral. Once modified with interior features, securing everything in the container gets more complex. Practice – and bringing an expert along – ensures that your materials make it to each stop along the route intact and ready to use.

Connecting with fans on the road and wowing them with products is the fun part of a pop-up event. Careful planning and industry expertise from Boxman Studios ensures that your event is a rousing success.