Of Metaverse, Marvels, and Magnificent Mirages: This Week's Dispatches from the Infinite Beyond

Issue No. 4 - Welcome, cosmic voyagers, to Issue No. 4 of "The Event Horizon" – where we're four times more adventurous than a cat with nine lives, minus five! Now, in the mystical world of numerology, the number four symbolizes stability and order, which is hilariously ironic considering this issue is about as stable as a unicycle on a tightrope. So, strap in for this fourth fantastical foray, where we defy not just gravity, but also the very notion of conventional event planning, much like how a four-leaf clover defies the odds in a field of three-leaf underachievers.

Ready? Let's get into it!

Part 1: Pushing the Limits

In Pushing the Limits, we celebrate those audacious minds in immersive experience design who make even the void seem like a sensory circus, alongside techno-magicians turning everyday blandness into something bewitchingly unreal. From Desert X AlUla's artful mirages in Saudi sands to teamLab's dizzying digital jungle in Tokyo's skies, topped off with Disney and Epic turning Fortnite into a metaverse where even Mickey Mouse would need a map, it's clear the line between reality and imagination is just a minor technicality these days

Ancient Deserts, Modern Art

DESERT X is back for another round in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, transforming the desert into a canvas for contemporary art that's so immersive, you might just forget you're not in a giant, sandy art gallery. This year's theme, "In the Presence of Absence," sounds like a paradox that only artists and philosophers could love, challenging visitors to explore the unseen, like a highbrow game of hide-and-seek with history and art. With installations ranging from KIMSOOJA STUDIO's light-bending spiral to Ayman Yossri Daydban's mysterious desert football pitch, it’s like Coachella for the artsy set, but with more rocks and less floral crowns. Design Boom (3 minutes)

teamLab's Sky-High Sensory Overload

Behold another peak into teamLab Inc.'s latest "I-can't-believe-it's-not-a-psychedelic-trip" exhibition. Featureing over 50 artworks -- from slow-blooming digital flowers, to "wobbling" orbs (because stable orbs are so 2018), to a room where light rains down like a high-tech monsoon -- it's like stepping into a world where the laws of physics got bored and wandered off. Director Toshiyuki Inoko's aim is to make you ponder life, but most visitors are too busy wondering how light can wobble and if it's okay to poke it. The labyrinthine is on display in Tokyo's tallest skyscraper because, according to Toshiyuki, "ground level is so mainstream." To what end does this fantastical project serve? He insists it's about touching people's souls, but we all know it's really about touching their social media feeds. France 24 (2 minutes)

A Metaverse Where Dreams (and Profits) Come True

In an epic mashup that makes the metaverse actually matter, The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games team-up aims to transform Fortnite into a kind of digital Disneyland, minus the overpriced churros. Disney is not just playing games - we're talking interdimensional fairyland hotels, Marvel-themed skyscrapers, and Star Wars cruise ships, all without leaving your avatar. If the metaverse was supposed to be on its way out, clearly nobody slipped Mickey Mouse the memo.

Post-Impressionism Meets Post-Modern Tech

The Musée d'Orsay, not content with mere paintings and sculptures, threw an immersive Van Gogh show that smashed attendance records like a pi?ata at a 7-year-old's birthday party. They drew in a staggering 793,556 visitors, proving that nothing screams "cultural sophistication" quite like strapping on a VR headset and pretending to chat with a 19th-century Dutch artist about his mental health struggles. The show featured Van Gogh's last months, allowing audiences to experience the troubled genius's final days in stunning 3D? Bonus feature: an AI Van Gogh who, despite being Dutch, chats in an English accent. I guess historical accuracy is obviously overrated when you can have your very own Van Gogh Siri. The Collector (3 minutes)

Part 2: Looking for Inspo?

Our Looking for Inspo? section is where imagination runs wild, blending Curtis Hickman's enigmatic VOID teases with Wake the Tiger's mind-bending OUTERverse and a techy twist on 2024's museum experiences, where AI-enhanced museum trips and socially adept robots are the new normal.

The VOID Strikes Back

Like a journeyman magician reappearing after questing for his grandest trick, Curtis Hickman is playfully taunting us with hints of The VOID's future. We are eyes-wide-opened (and headsets mounted) waiting, spellbound and eager, to see what is coming!

Where Giant Heads and Cosmic Kitchens Await

In the whimsical news of the day, the UK-based Wake The Tiger 'amazement park' has boldly expanded into what Graham MacVoy and crew call the "OUTERverse", because let's face it, the regular universe just isn't cutting it anymore. This expansion is like a psychedelic trip minus the ayahuasca, offering an array of rooms where you can watch yourself disintegrate into particles or play with a giant head – and no, you don't need a trip doctor to guide yuou. If you're tired of mundane reality, you probably need a couple of hours in a place that sounds like it was dreamt up by a group of techno-artists on a sugar high. Blooloop (4 minutes)

Reality Just Isn't Enough Anymore

The always on it Bea Mitchell at Blooloop spotlights 2024 trends in the attractions industry, where new technologies are being chased around like a cat after a laser pointer. Leading the charge are holograms that could make you second-guess reality, robots that might have better social skills than your average teenager, and AI that's probably plotting to take over the world, but in the meantime, it's busy enhancing your museum trips. If this tech frenzy continues, I wouldn't be surprised if next year's article is about a theme park on Mars, curated by robot overlords and holographic tour guides offering virtual Martian ice cream. Blooloop (13 minutes)

Part 3: Current Events

In Current Events, we're serving the sizzling scoops of brand activations, from Miller Lite's fan-fueled Super Bowl frenzy to Hulu's tasty TV tie-ins, Paramount+'s TV-themed paradise, Subaru's snowy symphonies, and PUMA's pocket-sized gyms.

Miller Lite’s Game Plan

Miller Light, in a cost-cutting stroke of genius or possibly madness, has decided to replace expensive Super Bowl ads with something far more... organic: their own beer-drinking fans. Yes, in the "Running of the Beer Ads" campaign, a thousand lucky beer enthusiasts get to transform into human billboards, donning QR-coded jerseys and running around for beer during the Super Bowl's commercial breaks. It’s like Halloween for adults, but instead of candy, there's beer, and instead of costumes, there's... well, branded sportswear. millerlight.com

One Part Drama, Two Parts Sugar

Hulu decided to take a slice out of the ordinary by blending its marketing for "Black Cake" with, well, actual cake. And so they are teaming up with bakeries to promote a TV show about a Caribbean family drama - because nothing complements complex family narratives quite like a delicious piece of cake. And for the scholarly crowd, Hulu brought screenings to college campuses, because what's a better study break than a TV show that's possibly, vaguely, educationally relevant? It's a sweet blend of culture, carbs, and cunning marketing that makes you think, "I came for the cake, but stayed for the drama." Event Marketer (3 minutes)

A Journey Through Your Streaming Queue in Real Life

In what sounds like a theme park designed by your couch-potato self, Paramount+ is rolling out The Lodge, an immersive experience that brings a smorgasbord of TV shows and movies to life. To cross The Lodge's threshold is to step into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants, play chess in Frasier Crane's mind, and touch Halo artifacts - it's like Comic-Con but with more photo ops and less cosplay. And for sports fans, there's the CBS Sports World at The Paramount+ Pub, where you can toss rings and kick soccer balls while sipping on a sports-themed cocktail, because nothing says "athletic prowess" like a carefully mixed skinny margarita. Collider (2 minutes)

Subaru's Symphony of Snow, Songs, and Selfies

Subaru, in a move that combines their love for cars and apparent fondness for chilly weather, has launched their WinterFest Ski Mountain Tour, turning POWDR-owned mountains into a winter wonderland of free music festivals. It's like Coachella with snow boots and Subaru keys as VIP passes. Visitors can enjoy concerts, play with magnetic letters on a Subaru-themed LOVE sign, and warm up in the Harman Kardon Hut, because nothing screams winter fun like a branded yurt and bluetooth speakers. Event Marketer ( minutes)

What's that? Thinking about something similar for your brand activation? Funny you should mention it, because here at Non Plus Ultra, we're practically concert and festival maestros. So, if you're thinking about jazzing up your brand with a bit of live music, give us a shout. Hit us up at [email protected]. We can chat about turning your brand activation into the kind of show that even Subaru's WinterFest would tip its snow-covered hat to.

Tiny Gyms

Why sweat in a spacious gym when you can do it in an XR headset? PUMA Group, in a valiant effort to answer this question by blending fitness and virtual reality, has launched the "Smallest Gym in the World" inside a Berlin store. This gym is so popular that it's like the fitness equivalent of a new iPhone release, complete with queues and all the excitement of trying to box someone who isn't actually there. Puma's not the first to dive into VR workouts - adidas and Nike have dipped their toes in virtual waters too - but they're certainly the first to make you feel like you're in a futuristic sci-fi movie while you're sweating in your stylish Puma gear. Glossy (3 minutes)

A Full-Sized Hamburger-Themed Muscle Car

McDonald's, never one to shy away from a PR stunt, has unleashed the Hamburglar in a custom 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, aptly named the "Burgercuda." This fast-food fanatic's dream car is on a cross-country burger heist, and spotting it could land you a year's supply of free burgers, which is either a prize or a threat, depending on your cholesterol level. The car itself is a rolling McDonald's ad, complete with a burger heating console and a shift knob the color of mustard, proving that subtlety is not on the menu. It's like a Happy Meal on wheels, but with way more horsepower and a side of nostalgia. Hyperbeast (2 minutes)

Why we dig the awesomeness of the "Burgercuda" is a no-brainer for those who know about our work at our sibling nonprofit Project Wreckless, which empowers the most "at risk" youth through the restoration of classic American muscle cars. You can donate to Project Wreckless here.

Part 4: Alchemy of Awesome

Step into Alchemy of Awesome, where the ordinary rules of event planning are as passé as flip phones, and we uncover the industry's shrewdest strategies for creating events more memorable than your first roller coaster ride. This week, CXOs grapple with AI complexities and talent scarcities, while Experiential Marketing Summit attendees decode the alchemy of engagement, AI, and Gen Z, proving that measuring success in this industry is as straightforward as explaining quantum physics to a toddler.

Measuring the Immeasurable

Amelia Dunlop's and Deloitte Digital's new report reveals that chief experience officers are navigating a minefield of modern business challenges, from making friends with AI without sparking a robot uprising to finding enough "experienced" experience talent. It's a tough gig, trying to measure something as slippery as "experience" and convincing other execs that yes, happy customers and employees are actually good for business. These CXOs are part corporate soothsayers, part talent scouts, all while trying to measure the unmeasurable: customer and employee joy. It's like herding cats, if the cats were data points and AI algorithms with plotted on a chart of existential dread. You can download the report here.

From AI to Z

Who is attending the 2024 Experiential Marketing Summit in Vegas? This is where marketers gather to discuss everything from trade show tactics to AI sentience, proving that what happens in Vegas is actually pretty strategic. It's a place where words like "return on engagement" and "Gen Z" are tossed around more than dice on a craps table. Put on by Event Marketer, this summit is like a fortune teller's crystal ball, but with more PowerPoint and less mystique. You going? Let's meet up! Event Marketer (5 minutes)

Part 5: Plus This

Plus This serves as our self-spotlight corner, where Non Plus Ultra proudly (and with a dash of egotism) parades our eventful journeys, from awe-inspiring feats to those "oops" faceplants that remind us we're still human and not yet running an intergalactic event agency.

Where Reality Checks Out and Fantasy Clocks In

This week, “The Lost Inn: Immersive Dark Faerie Noir” flung open its metaphorical curtains, magically morphing our San Francisco Mint venue into a portal to another realm, and frankly, we're still looking for the exit. Think of it as a delightful collision between a gritty 1930s detective story and an enchanting faerie tale. It's the only place in town where where you might bump into a detective looking for a mythical item or a faerie sipping a martini. We could not be more impressed by our friends and partners at 13th Floor who sprinkled faerie dust all over our historic venue, transforming it into a storybook come to life with whimsical spaces, a forested tavern, and a carnival midway that would make even the most staid elf crack a smile. But don't just take our word for it – even the ever-stoic Chronicle was gushing in their review: “As a work of immersive theater, the production’s creativity was a marvel to behold.” They're practically never that effusive, unless it's about pickle ball. The original run dates are sold out, but we have added more. Tickets are available here. SF Chronicle (7 minutes)

Let's Talk!

And that's a wrap on this edition of "The Event Horizon," brought to you by the ever-curious minds at Non Plus Ultra. This newsletter is our way of sifting through the chaos of events, innovations, and 'aha' moments that collide like bumper cars at a carnival. But remember, this isn't just about our takes and insights – it's a collaborative journey.

We're on a relentless quest for the wild, the uncharted, and the stuff that flips the script on ordinary. Have you stumbled upon something that makes your heart race – a cutting-edge event concept, a breakthrough in experiential technology, or a tale so engaging it practically shakes hands with you? Or maybe you're just itching to dissect the latest trends in our dynamic industry. Whatever it is, we're all ears and ready for a chat.

And speaking of collaboration, how can we amplify your event's voice in our community? If you're in the throes of planning a special event and are on the lookout for a venue with as much character and spirit as your vision, consider our portfolio of venues that blend rich cultural heritage with vibrant artistic spirit, all wrapped up in a functional, grand setting. But hey, even if our spots don't quite match your groove, we're still here to lend a hand – be it recommending other venues, navigating the maze of permits, brainstorming immersive event designs, operations, or just connecting you with the right folks in the community. Don’t hesitate to reach out. We are not just in the business of renting out spaces. We are in the long game of building relationships and making event magic happen.

So why stay on the sidelines? Dive in and join the conversation! Reach out to us, share your thoughts, your dreams, or your next big idea. Let's embark on this journey of discovery together. Send us a message and let’s see where our collective curiosity leads us. We can't wait to hear from you – until then, keep pushing the limits!