NBA 2K Launch Party
The Brief
At Emporium, a neon-lit arcade bar in San Francisco, Event Solutions was asked to host the NBA 2K launch party, a full-venue activation for 300 VIPs. The event would celebrate the game’s debut while immersing employees and fans in pure enthusiasm.
CA
San Francisco
9
Signature Cocktails
300
VIPs
50-foot
Video Screen for Gameplay
What We
Delivered
We turned San Francisco’s neon-lit Emporium into a vibrant NBA 2K launch celebration for 300 VIPs. With upgraded arcade lighting, digital caricatures, green-screen trading card photo booths, live autograph sessions, magic acts, branded cocktails, interactive action stations, and a towering 50-foot video screen for gameplay and raffles—all fueled the game’s debut with excitement.
How
We Did It
Services Included
Venue Transformation & Lighting Upgrades
Custom Branding & Signage
Green-Screen Photo Booth with Trading Card Keepsakes
Digital Caricature Artists
Celebrity Meet & Greets & Autograph Sessions
Professional Magician Entertainment
Branded Catering & Cocktail Service
50-Foot Video Screen for Gameplay & Raffles
Who Made It Happen
Event Managers & Planners
Creative & Décor Team
Production & AV Crew
Talent & Entertainment Coordinators
Catering & Hospitality Staff
Roaming Photographer & Videographer
Guest Services Team
National Vendor Partners
Big shout-out to the NBA and Visual Concepts team for their vision and collaboration in creating this immersive launch experience!
The
Experience
VC & NBA Activate New Launch
How do you celebrate an activation event for the launch of a new video game? By playing games of course!
NBA and Visual Concepts worked hard on the release of their NBA 2K ‘22 video game, a game two decades in the making.
This event was held at Emporium, an arcade bar, in San Francisco, CA.
The full-buyout of the venue ensured the event was completely focused on the 300 guests and special NBA VIPs like Jonathan Kuminga and Kevon Looney.
Fun and Games
Guests walked into a venue glowing in the neon lights, with added up lighting to elevate the mood.
Arcade game sounds transformed guests to a wonderland of child-like joy with each bleep, bloop, de-whoop, and chiming bing.
The drinks, however, we’re all 21 and up! The fully stocked bar was busy keeping the glasses filled to the rim (pun intended) with signature cocktails for these NBA fans.
The cocktails were GoaT, C++, Cisual Voncepts, Jumpman, And 1, MVP, Slam Dunk, Game Time, Golden State of Mind, and Dev Juice.
Activation Stations
There were plenty of activations to enjoy at this product launch party. The classics like caricaturists and photo booths were elevated with a little help from technology.
The caricaturists worked on a digital platform while the photo booth used a green screen to create guests their very own trading card!
2022 Hot Off The Press
Hot for 2022, T-Shirt printing was also included. Guests select their size, color and style and watch as they are created right before their eyes! While the mystery of t-shirt printing was removed, it was added to the temp tattoo station instead. Brave attendees could take the ultimate leap of faith by inserting their arm into a fabric draped wall only to have it returned with an added piece of artwork.
To keep the mystery going, a strolling magician made his way through the crowd, wowing guests with unimaginable feats of mental aerobics.
The headliner for this “all fun and games” launch party was the autograph station and meet/greet of NBA stars, but Frank Caliendo such was a great runner up with his staged performance.
Serving Up Memories
We kept the action going well into the catering portion of the launch party. Action stations included a Rice Bowl Station with a choice of Ahi Poke, Grilled Chicken or Vegetable and all the fixing, a Steamed Gao Bao Station with a choice of five spiced pork belly or grilled tofu. For the “to-go” lovers, we included a Brioche Slider Station with a choice of brisket ground beef, BBQ shredded chicken, or Beyond Burger and a Crispy Taco Station with a choice of grilled prawns, carnitas, or vegetable.
For dessert, we went back to childhood classics. Mini logo cupcakes with mounds of creamy frosting and San Francisco’s best family-owned ice cream, Mitchelle’s, brought the scoop with small-batch homemade ice cream.
Slam Dunk Launch
All fueled up, guests could take their chance at playing or watching the NBA 2K ‘22 video game on a massive 50 foot screen. This big screen also served as the backdrop for speakers and displays as the winners of the raffles were called. These were big prizes, like signed memorabilia, tickets to games, and a grand prize of a 2022 Tesla!
This launch party was a slam dunk! Not only did they enjoy fun activations and great food, they did it together, in-person. Everyone left an all-star with bags of kickoff event branded swag.
Thank you to Visual Concepts and NBA for choosing Event Solutions to produce your activation event. We were proud to be a part of your launch party and look forward to NBA 2K ‘23! Find 5 all new product launch ideas on our resources blog. Ready to book a Bay Area event planner? Call 1.800.366.0603 to speak with a local planner near you.
A Word from the Client
“I worked with Nikki over the last 5 weeks planning our NBA2K23 party. The event was today and I had to follow up with you quickly to let you know that Nikki and your whole operation was awesome. I was super anxious about the whole thing (I’m the head of HR and somehow planning this event for thrown in my lap) and I would have been completely lost without Nikki.
Your vendors are great, the venue Nikki suggested was perfect, all the details were ironed out, and I can genuinely say I had fun planning alongside Nikki.
I’m also shocked the party went off without a hitch (only because a party this big with so much going on, I was convinced there’d be room for error / issues) and there weren’t.
Can’t thank Nikki enough. We’re looking forward to working with you all on future events.“
– HR Rep Ennis
