By Liam Macleod
Welcome to the world of Bad Magic, a team that takes the extraordinary and turns it into cross-platform content for the… ordinary? Well, their fanbase, an awesome collective group of people who like the weird and wonderful. We recently hosted the Bad Magic Summer Camp Event.
In this article, we’re going to delve into the recent event that Allaway brought to life for the Bad Magic Creator Team. We will focus on why this style of event is something that all content creators with a loyal fanbase may want to explore as a new revenue generator for their business.
Bad Magic Summer Camp Event Details:
When: September 2023
Where: The Acres
Who: 600-700 of their fanbase.
The vision, Bad Magic wanted to create a micro-festival ticketed event. The event was to be immersive with an emphasis on a wide range of experiences and activities offered to provide something for everyone.
The goal was to bring their community together while simultaneously giving them the opportunity to meet their fan base face to face, strengthening that connection with their audience.
So let’s set the scene:
The Bad Magic Creator Team have spent years writing, recording, and producing high quality, consistent content across a wide range of platforms. By doing so they have been building a growing community of online fans who have bought into their brand and the culture. With a growing podcast shows and a nationwide comedy tour, they wanted to connect the dots.
That’s where Allaway stepped in to help.
Pre-Event
To bring this vision to life, the Bad Magic Creator Team needed two things outside of their own brand
1. A versatile venue that could provide scale.
2. An events team with a wide range of services.
The two things Allaway is recognized for!
From the outset, the Allaway events team sourced the venue, locking in the dates and contract. Once we had confirmed dates at the venue we set up an event ticketing webpage where people could be directed to buy their festival pass. As an additional service we also handled all customer service inquiries so the Bad Magic team could focus on their content channels.
With Bad Magic having a weekly audience, they did almost all the advertising in-house, using their podcast and forums to promote the event. Allaway’s in-house content team simply sourced venue footage that could be used to help people visualize the experience.
In the run up to the event Bad Magic continued to rely on the Allaway Events team to organize all guest accommodation.
We also collected the dietary needs of any attendee so our partner venue catering team could provide appropriate meal choices for every guest.
The Allaway team were also responsible for handling the transportation and logistics across the board. Importantly, every attendee knew where each bus pick-up location would be and what time they would depart at and when they would arrive.
Live Event
Like a true festival, the Bad Magic Summer Camp Event was designed to be one of the most non-stop action packed experiences. Overall every guest had a wide variety of option where to go onsite and what to do.
During check-in, guests were able to download the Allaway app that had all the programming and venue information for the event.
This way they could sign up in advance and map out their weekend, when an activity became full they could sign up instead for the next session. No waiting around.
The Allaway team fully staffs this venue with activity specialists to run over 25+ activities. This included an adventure course with 20 high ropes elements, a rock climbing wall and a swingshot. Also, the venue also has an archery range, 3 beach volleyball courts, 4 pickleball courts and a warrior course. There are all within a few minutes of each other. Furthermore it has a private 35 acre lake with canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, tubing and waterski!
Next to the volleyball is a pool with a rock wall, lane swimming, dj booth and bar. For the artistic we built pop-up arts & crafts and tye-dye stations next to the beach by the hammocks.
By strategically building out the program this way we could maximize social engagement while also running activities with the right amount of people.
Alongside the activities we built in experiences for people who didn’t want to be as active minded. The Bad Magic Summer Camp event even to had a pop-up tattoo studio, a tarot card reader and live bands.
When someone booked a ticket to the Bad Magic Summer Camp Event it was a two tier ticket. One was a regular option and one was an add on that included a Meet & Greet experience.
With a private space set up, attendees could come and spend some time with the creators. This was one of Bad Magic teams ways to share personal stories, and really get to know the people that tune in to their content each week.
With an onsite photographer there to capture the moments, they were able to reap the benefits of UGC posted across social media.
This helped drive further brand awareness to Bad Magic while also creating a FOMO feeling for those who were watching from the outside in.
With Allaway, our services include Bar & Beverage management, so we strategically mapped out various hot spots to set up bartenders. Nearby locations had bands playing all afternoon again we concepted everything to drive social interaction and keep the flow of the day moving in the right direction.
The opening evening kicked off first round of “official” socials, this included an opening speech from the Bad Magic talent who talked about the “Cult” that brings the Bad Magic fans together.
They then kicked off the entertainment with a professional drag show that brought the level of atmosphere to a new height. Afterwards there was a live Karaoke night.
The Allaway team worked closely with the Bad Magic team to keep the magic going each night. Night two, the guests were treated to a Stand Up Comedy show with 5 comics from the Bad Magic network.
The third night continued this theme of high quality entertainment. The Bad Magic Summer Camp Event team hosted a Live Podcast, with 5 stories shared for their flagship “Scare to Death” channel. This content would only be available in the future for Patreon subscribers.
The last night ended with an incredible Bad Magic Drone Show followed by a live DJ set and band.
With so much going on around the venue each day the Allaway team wanted to make sure that we were updating guests with clear and accurate information.a
On the Allaway app we would notify guests with real time information around meal times, activities that were busy or quiet, sessions that were starting and even if weather patterns would change so they could be prepared. This tech-savvy approach not only streamlined logistics but also added a modern touch to the overall event experience.
The Allaway IT Director would head to areas hours in advance to make sure all audio and visual needs were set up correctly.
Post-Event
Capturing the Magic: At Allaway we understand the importance of creating content at every opportunity, and so did the Bad Magic Summer Camp Event team. Our in-house photography and videography team captured a wide range of media assets at the event.
This media not only served as a memento for attendees but also became a powerful tool for selling additional tickets in subsequent years. The visual and auditory feast created during the event became a marketing asset, contributing to the growth of the Bad Magic Summer Camp experience.
The Bad Magic Summer Camp Event stands as a testament to the transformative power of in-person community events. This case study serves as a valuable reference for creator teams aspiring to host immersive experiences that bridge the gap between virtual and real-world connections.
The seamless collaboration between the Bad Magic Creator Team and Allaway events showcases the potential of such events to cultivate a thriving community while providing a unique platform for brand engagement. As creators look to the future, the Bad Magic Summer Camp Event sets the bar high for unforgettable, magical experiences that resonate with fans and leave a lasting impression on the cultural landscape.
