Brew City: Where Merchandise Met Craft Culture in a Pop-Up Shop

As we were planning our merch strategy for our latest event, "Crafting Success in Brew City," it was inspired by the trendiest brewery merchandise shops. We imagined strolling through a brewery, grabbing our favorite branded hoodie, or sipping from a beautifully crafted tumbler – and then, we pictured our event guests doing the same.

Every retail shop needs a name, so we coined ours the Brew City Merch Market and designed a logo that complimented our overall event look and theme to go along with it.  

With our idea in tow, we went to work meeting with our MVP suppliers to begin talking about products.  The ask was for suppliers to provide a lower quantity of items with a higher perceived value for attendees to choose from instead of bringing a large quantity of lower perceived value items to hand out at their booth. Our other ask was to be creative with the imprint artwork and method. We provided suppliers with a Brand Guide including colors, typography and a variety of artwork choices they could use. 

In the end, it was a win-win for both sides, suppliers had less items to pack and we were able to create an experience where attendees could either shop for items they wanted or pick out items to show their customers for specific projects.

Staging the Market

We partnered with a local business to rent furniture that matched our theme, Crafting Success in Brew City. This gave the space a rustic, brewery merch corner feel. We purchased mannequins to spotlight some of the apparel and hat stands to show off the headwear. To add a final retail touch, we made tags and labels for each item that listed the item #, supplier and product name.

How it worked

Each attendee received four tickets for the shop, allowing them to choose a variety of items. They could mix and match items based on their preferences, creating a personalized merch experience. This ticketing system not only added excitement but also created a sense of value for each piece of merchandise.

A second life for leftovers

Once the shop closed at the end of the event, we extended the event by setting up a company store for items that weren’t given away. This way, even those who couldn’t attend could still pick out a piece of the event experience.

Moving forward, we see huge potential in turning the way people receive event merch into an experience. Creating this experience at our event elevated the entire atmosphere and left attendees talking about it. The key was working with suppliers to curate a mix of items that aligned with our customers needs, our theme and the location. From wearable items to practical tech gadgets and fun leisure products, having the right merch in the market made all the difference. Let this lookbook inspire you to think differently next time you plan merch for your event.