How to create a Bar Hotspot in 10 Days
© BCB / Roland Justynowicz
One of the highlights of last BCB was the ‘Speakeasy Bar’ operated by the team from the ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ bar in Athens. The establishment not only offered a distinctive ambience, but also impressed with some amazingly tasty drinks. Very few people realise, however, that the people responsible for creating the BCB hotspot had to get it all done within ten short days!
When the BCB team heard on 29 September 2022 that one of their exhibitors had bailed out suddenly, the shock was evident in their faces. That’s because the exhibitor at issue was a bar with whom they had a long-standing agreement: they were not only supposed to set up an 80 square metre area entirely on their own, but also operate it as well. This area was intended to be a very special type of hotspot and a major crowd-puller in Hall 11.1. Now, however, just ten days before BCB was to open its doors, the event team was suddenly faced with 80 square meters of empty space and no concept for what to do with it.
Shock gives way to a flurry of activity
In spite of this huge blow and increasing time pressure, Petra Lassahn and her event team remained calm. As chance would have it, they had heard during the run-up to the event that Brown-Forman was planning a collaboration with an up-and-coming bar in Athens at BCB. As a result, they quickly set up a meeting with the spirits manufacturer and BCB Brand Ambassador Damien Guichard for the very next day, and it was at this meeting that the idea of a collaboration between all three parties in the form of a distinctive Speakeasy Bar was born.
A toast to spontaneity!
Together with the sponsor Brown-Forman and the bar team from Athens, the BCB trade show team was able to offer a very special bar hotspot at BCB like they had originally planned to do. And they did it in record time! Only a few days passed between the development of the initial concept and construction at the exhibition centre. The BCB team took advantage of a long weekend to create a stand construction concept that included plans not only for the area’s look, but also for the walls, furniture, furnishings and all the equipment. They also got in touch with their long-standing partners in the field of stand construction to make these plans a reality. While this was going on, Brown-Forman got in touch with the bar in Athens to coordinate their efforts.
Ann-Sophie Brune-Bau from Brown-Forman and the bar team from "The Rumble in the Jungle" and "The Bar in Front of the Bar"
Challenge accepted!
There is no question that the time factor was one of the biggest challenges. The bar team in Athens only had five days in which to complete their preparations for the Speakeasy Bar and the various cocktails that would be required. In all, they managed to prepare 3,000 drinks during this time before setting off for Berlin.
Yet tight deadlines were not the only challenge – the BCB trade show team was already struggling with various illness-related absences. For Melanie Ignasiak (BCB Product Manager) and Anna Orthen (BCB Event Manager), this meant knuckling down and working even harder. They spent days working all hours to perfect the concept and coordinate and organise activities in this special exhibition area. Melanie Ignasiak said that: “We are used to things getting stressful right before a trade show opens, but trying to accomplish a project as big as this one in such a brief time was a huge challenge even for us. It made us even prouder of what we managed to achieve.” And the results were certainly worth seeing.
© BCB / Roland Justynowicz
Transporting the Greek bar jungle to Berlin
Brown-Forman had already made firm plans to work with the team from ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ even before the Speakeasy Bar was conceived, and they were set on gaining the team’s services for their appearance at BCB. In fact, the trendy bar and the Brown-Forman team in Greece had shared a close partnership for quite some time already, and they were intending to build on this with a project in Berlin. According to Ann-Sophie Brune-Bau, Senior Brand Advocacy Manager at Brown-Forman Germany: “We were delighted to showcase an ambitious young team on BCB’s international stage – their energy and motivation were clear to see, not only at our stand, but also in the Speakeasy Bar.”
They weren’t the only ones in action, as bar colleagues from “The Bar in Front of the Bar” also took part in the event. Just like in Athens, the team could be encountered at BCB with their own bar in front of the entrance to a hidden location where they treated visitors to amazing drink creations.
Great drinks with sponsored products from Brown-Forman
Both bars were stocked with the entire Brown-Forman product range. In addition to fantastic drinks with Jack Daniel’s or Woodford Reserve, the tasty ‘Cream’ cocktail quickly became a customer favourite: a cold drink made from Fords Gin, absinthe and a cordial with Greek herbs is combined with a warm cream made from coconut, white chocolate and mastiha.
© BCB / Roland Justynowicz
From insider tip to event highlight
The Speakeasy Bar quickly became one of the most popular hotspots at the trade show. Here, people could take a time-out and enjoy an authentic bar atmosphere while savouring delicious cocktails. In addition to special drinks, there were six Greek bar professionals on hand devoted to creating a good atmosphere – both in the bar and behind the scenes.
And in spite of the spontaneous nature of the project, there was still an incredible attention to detail. Bar owner Konstantinos Theodorakopoulos was ecstatic about the special experience created during the three-day trade show: “It almost felt as if we were serving drinks back home at our bar in Athens. Everybody from the industry is influenced by BCB – especially in Europe. I was always here as a guest and to be here as a bar serving drinks is more than fantastic for us.”
© BCB / Julia Zoooi
Everyone was clearly happy with what had been achieved with the special area. The outstanding collaboration and excellent results made everyone hungry for more: “The feedback from everyone was outstandingly positive. Many colleagues said that the Speakeasy Bar and our stand were the biggest highlights of the trade show. Our entire team is delighted with the results of our joint efforts, and we are already looking forward to future projects with BCB,” said Ann-Sophie Brune-Bau from Brown-Forman.
