AdHoc Free For All with Eventbrite

The Challenge: Amid a sea of noise (political, civic, corporate) in Austin, how do we produce a week of what’s-next-music programming alongside thought leadership panels that rises above the fray and wins the hearts of our core culture-obsessed community?

The Solution: By tapping into an expanded network of co-curators, independent artists, brand partners, and irreverent insider experts, we leveled-up our four day (and night) “Free For All” festival into a vibrant oasis of emerging talent, challenging ideas and grassroots music community celebration (during a larger Texas conference that perhaps requires some realignment.)

Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.

AdHoc recruited our best friends in the biz to co-curate four days of world class musical performances and insightful conversations from independent thinkers and creators for an engaged audience of tastemakers and culture seekers.

We partnered with some of our favorite brands who helped raise the fun to new heights.

Photo by Hannah Varnell. Photo by Hannah Varnell.
Photo by Hannah Varnell. Photo by Hannah Varnell.

This time around our A-Team of co-conspirators went all-in on independence, putting together some of the most exciting and varied lineups of the season.

At every insider’s favorite Austin club, Cheer Up Charlies, we brought together the talents of Stereogum, Audiofemme, Topshelf Records, Winspear, United Musicians & Allied Workers (UMAW), Partisan Records, Pond Creative, Bushwig, House of Juicy Couture, and Marg.mp3. Together we stood for amazing music, self-expression and community.

AdHoc’s in-house production team led an effort that brought together event professionals from NY, CA, TX and elsewhere to convene at Cheer Ups and transform it to festival HQ. The result was two stages, 60 bands, two days of an industry conference, a vogue ball, and a hundred cases of Liquid Death Mountain Water. 

Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.
Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.
Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.

“AdHoc Free For All was just the environment for Tito’s to activate. Amazing independent artists playing a beloved Austin venue for a beautiful crowd of diverse music lovers – and no rain!”

– Tara Fortunato, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Associate Program Director, Music

Photo by Hannah Varnell. Photo by Hannah Varnell.

Eventbrite came to us looking to host their fellow convention-goers with a bountiful oasis, calibrated to refresh, recharge and reinvigorate. We reimagined Cheer Ups patio bar into a lush garden party, complete with boozy and booze-less refreshments, complimentary massages, a free for all photobooth, and a tasty taco table. 

Tito’s Handmade Vodka provided a custom cocktail bar, and Twisted X rolled out their Texas brewed beers, including crowd fave McConauhaze IPA. Also, on the NA tip, Visitor extended the fun for non-beer drinking beer drinkers, and the fine folks from Good Spirits provided CBD and adaptogen infused mocktails. Topo Chico found a willing crowd to sample endless cans of their new Sabores fruit juice-infused sparkling waters.

Making all these delicious drinks go down was the excellent mix of guests. Like any good salon, the crowd should be balanced— Performers, union heads, brand execs, music critics, and fans made for compelling conversation and unique connections throughout AdHoc Free For All.

Photo by Hannah Varnell. Photo by Hannah Varnell.
Photo by Hannah Varnell. Photo by Hannah Varnell.
Photo by Hannah Varnell. Photo by Hannah Varnell.
Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.

The AdHoc marketing unit produced a multi-pronged social campaign aimed at packing the house with music fans, gathering a targeted guest list of VIPs and spreading festival vibes far beyond Cheer Ups. 

The results: Our efforts resulted in 22K+ guest RSVPs, 10K+ attendees, 1k+ VIPs, and social media reach of 1.06MM+ and impressions of over 1.4MM+.

Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.
Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.

“Our most effective partnerships are those rooted in strategic planning, where our return on investment is carefully considered. The AdHoc team demonstrated a clear grasp of this concept, and provided a detailed plan that ensured our support was mutually beneficial.”

– Melanie Villatoro, Topo Chico,  Field Marketing Manager

Photo by Manuel Frayre. Photo by Manuel Frayre.

YEAR:
2024

OUR ROLE:
Music Programming, Talent Booking, Event Production, Marketing, Sales Partnerships, Custom Branding, and Design.

Free For All is an original production of AdHoc Projects. 

TEAM/PROJECTS CREDITS:
Programming: Ric Leichtung, Caroline Vance
Production: Rachael Pazdan
Partnerships + Panel Production: Ben Hudson
Marketing: Morgan Schaffner
Design: Caroline Vance

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