Many millennials believe if you can’t share your experience on social media, then it never happened.
Enter media company Refinery 29’s 29Rooms, an interactive exhibition of art installations that allows nonprofits, artists and companies to get in front of the Instagram and Snapchat-minded generation.
“People are craving in-person experiences more than ever before, and experiential events offer new opportunities for live social story telling,” said Refinery29 creative director and co-founder Piera Gelardi.
The third annual event in Brooklyn that started Friday and ends Monday features 29 “rooms” and additional installation backdrops for people to explore. It sold out 20,000 tickets at $19 each to people from 45 states and 13 countries. Similar events including Color Factory, Museum of Ice Cream and 14th Factory have popped up around the country with colorful backdrops made for social media posts.
The Brooklyn event can be a great opportunity for young female-focused companies to get in front of their desired demographic. Not only does 29Rooms present a fun place to take photos and videos, but the social posts are shared widely online spreading free advertising across the internet. According to an Eventbrite survey, 78 percent of Refinery29’s mostly millennial woman audience prefer experiences above material things. More than half of 29Room’s ticket buyers were millennials between ages 18 to 35, and 65 percent were women.
Seven of the 29 rooms were sponsored by a company — Dunkin’ Donuts, Aldo, Clarins, Juicy Couture Fragrance, Ulta Beauty, and Cadillac and Jason Wu. There were also three sponsored exhibits from Larabar, Casper and TBS’ “Search Party.” Snapchat was on site lending out its camera glasses Spectacles for attendees. Refinery29 declined to say how much companies paid to be in the event.
“29Rooms gives brand partners — ranging from emerging artists to corporate brands — the opportunity to have people interact with their products and brand in a completely new tangible way,” Gelardi said.
See photos and social media posts from the exhibition below.
How to show you're having fun at interactive exhibition 29Rooms: Take a branded selfie