EAST

Located at Brickell City Center, EAST’s luxury hotel and residences' unique take on hospitality is designed for the curious, creative, and sustainability-minded.

Like their guests, the brand is always seeking better ways to live, work, dine, and play – that's why they combine thoughtful design with an informally impeccable approach to hospitality. EAST offers alternative thinkers a place in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Miami to gather, connect, and collectively envision new possibilities.

Commissioning Agency: West of Here
Client: Swire Hotels, EAST
Scope: Event and Content Production


 

The Ask

Raygun Agency was tasked with executing a complex and multifaceted launch event for the East Hotel & Residences' new logo reveal. The event, intended to be a full property takeover, included a variety of activations:

  • Theater performances

  • Circus acts

  • Art installations

  • Augmented Reality (AR) experiences

  • DJs

  • Food and beverage services

The overarching goal was to create a unique immersive experience that embodied East’s new slogan: “Arrive at a Different Place.”

Key Challenges:

  1. Tight Timeline: We had only 8 weeks to bring the creative vision to life.

  2. Coordination Across Multiple Timezones: The event required seamless collaboration with teams based in Los Angeles, Miami, and Hong Kong.

  3. Weather Concerns: One of the main event spaces was outdoors during the rainy season, posing a significant logistical risk.

  4. Content Capture: The event had to be documented in detail to feed into the content strategy for the rebrand with lifestyle, editorial, and documentary styles of shooting

Strategy:

Raygun Agency collaborated closely with West of Here and the East hotel team to ensure a meticulous and well-orchestrated event. Our strategy involved:

  1. Comprehensive Planning:

    • Detailed run-of-show schedules

    • Maps of the event layout

    • Team instructions and briefs

    • Decks outlining every aspect of the event

  2. Creative Execution:

    • A multisensory immersive experience blending dance, theater, and mixed-media installations.

    • Performances and installations inspired by the vibrant cultures of Miami, Hong Kong, and Beijing.

    • A central storyline featuring DANI, an artist navigating her journey of self-discovery in Miami.

  3. Collaboration with Talent:

    • Worked with a diverse cast of performers and musicians from Miami and Los Angeles.

    • Encouraged audience participation to enhance the immersive experience.

  4. Weather Contingency Plan:

    • Developed and implemented a detailed rain contingency plan to ensure the event's success regardless of weather conditions.

  5. Content Strategy:

    • Led a team to capturea vast amount of content throughout the event, creating a robust content campaign post-event.

Program Credits:

Creative Director + Executive Producer: Zandie Brockett | West of Here

Production Agency: Raygun Agency | Florencia Franceschetti and Stephany Torres

DANI: Ground Floor

Choreography: Les Ailes du Desir Foundation

Performers: Hampus Jansson, Milena Straczynski, Henry Gual, Duo Latink, Megan

Stockman, Buyankhishig Ganbaatar, Erdenesuvd Ganbaatar, Sno Bunta

Music: Rum & Coke Miami

DANI: 36th Floor Suites

Choreography: Mamie Green of Volta Collective

Script: Samuel Loren of Volta Collective

Actors: Sky Bison, Camila Rodriguez

Dancers: Armando Gómez Brydson, Maria Burt, Betty Garcia Diaz, Clinton Harris, Nicole

Pedraza, Shoshana Sklar, Enrique Villacreses

Score: Alexandre Merbouti

Mixed-Media Installation: Richard Verguez

Costume: Estefania Delgado

40th Floor | Sugar: DJ set by Kristine Barilli

40th Floor | Tea Room : DJ sets by Demonslayer and Nat Salazar

AR Experience: Local Formations | Alexey Marfin

Results:

Despite facing severe weather conditions, including a flood warning and a state of emergency, Raygun Agency successfully executed the event. Key outcomes included:

  1. Event Execution:

    • Hosted over 300 guests at East Miami

    • Implemented the rain contingency plan seamlessly, maintaining the event’s flow.

  2. Guest Feedback:

    • Guests praised the event as the best ever hosted by East Miami.

  3. Leadership KPIs:

    • Met all leadership Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

  4. Content Campaign:

    • Created an extensive content campaign featuring highlights from the event and showcasing the talent involved.

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