Blog #1: Brick Fest Live

Brick Fest Live

I attended Brick Fest Live on November 14th, 2015 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. It is a 2-day Lego fan convention held in several cities in the United States. This conference featured something for Lego lovers of all ages! 

It had interactive stations that incorporated all aspects of the Lego brand and products. These areas included a derby where attendees could build their own model cars and race them, a reading rest area with mats and pillows where younger attendees and their parents could take a break and read books about  their favorite lego characters, and a theater for live sessions open to all attendees.

A reading rest area for younger attendees. 

 There were also “inspiration stations” that had Legos of all shapes and sizes so attendees could build whatever they wanted to, mosaic walls to display attendee creations, a video game area where people could play the latest lego games, a movie area to watch Lego movies and building pools set up on mats. These building pools were interesting because they were divided by the size of the legos as to provide a safe play experience for younger attendees and display their products for that age group. Something that interested me about the inspiration stations was that they encouraged attendees to take photos of their creations and post them to social media with a hashtag to promote the event. This was a strategy we discussed in our event marketing class! 

Inspiration Station Signage

There were also some amazing 3D models on display. Many national merchants exhibited and sold their unique Lego products as well. This included collector items and hard to find pieces that drew older attendees to the conference looking to purchase items they could no longer find in store or online. 

A 3D Model on Display!

I was impressed by how they turned the space into a true Lego experience. All of the signage was consistent with the conference’s brand and the event design really took into consideration the location of each activity station while still putting vendors and sponsors in the middle of the floor so attendees had to walk through that space even if they might not be interested in buying. I think this was a good idea on the event organizer's behalf because it ensured that exhibitors received the most amount of traffic they could get. I also found that all of the different stations were well marked and each offered something unique.

Building pool with Legos for older attendees

I preferred to shop at some of the exhibits but still enjoyed participating in their trivia night that drew attendees of all ages to the theater area with prizes provided by the sponsors. 

Overall, this conference did a great job of offering something for all ages. It showed that the brand understands it’s consumer demographic well and continues to develop its following with these type of interactive events all over the United States.