client
New West End Company
event
Shop West End VIP Day – annual since 2005
brief
- To help create (in 2005) and thereafter develop and improve (in 2006 and 2007) a huge retail driven event for the West End, involving the creation of a traffic-free environment for shoppers on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street.
- To devise an event concept, source all the entertainment, oversee the production and to work with various agencies to integrate sponsorship, marketing and pr/media activities as well as traffic management, security, etc.
solution
Shop West End VIP (Very Important Pedestrians) Day has become a huge high profile pre Christmas event for the West End. The event has been developed in such a way as to maximise retail activitity on possibly the busiest shopping day of the year, while ensuring the best possible experience for the public.
A combination of street entertainment throughout the extensive event zone, coupled with a handful of 'showpieces', has enabled us to create an 'enjoyable shopping' scenario! Retailers have been encouraged to promote their wares outside of their stores in interesting and interactive ways, to further enhance experience and add to the on-street activity.
Set pieces have included stage performances from the likes of Rachel Stevens and Liberty X, an incredible aerial act involving a dozen drummers suspended 100ft above the crowds, aerial acrobatics involving 3 heliospheres and a pyrotechnic display over Oxford Circus.
The 2007 event drew more than one million people onto the three streets, with retailers recording unprecedented sales. It also enjoyed high-level support from Mayor of London Ken Livingston, media partner Heart FM and sponsor Mastercard.
