Energize Your Event with Pokémon Go
Get your Pokémon Go on at your next event.
By May Wescott
Are you looking for a way to add an extra splash of fun to your outdoor summer event? Why not capitalize on the techno trend that’s blazing hot right now to bring out new guests to your event or energize your existing ones – Pokémon Go!
A fun and interactive Pokémon hunt could be just the right icebreaker for your next event, especially if you're planning on inviting some real monsters.
If you’ve been out of the wired world for the last few weeks, here’s a brief recap. Pokémon Go is a free app available for most smart phones. Once the game is installed and running, Trainers (the Pokéname for anyone who is playing the game) can go on a real time and real space monster hunt to find and capture a variety of different types of Pokémon. The game is so easy that my two year old can play it, but fun enough that over 75 million users have downloaded the app since its launch on July 6th.
Here are a couple of tips to get your Go on.
1. Does your venue have any Pokéstops?
Before you go wild with Pokémon fun, you’ll need to scope out your venue to make sure that it’s going to support active Pokémon hunting. Probably the best way to do this is to hit your location in advance. Are there any Pokéstops or Gyms at your venue? One or both of these are probably necessary to add a Pokémon hunt to your event. Unfortunately, there is no current way to add a Pokéstop to a location (although it’s rumored that in the future, the game developers are going to add the option for businesses to buy them). So if it’s not there to start with, you’re out of luck.
Pokémon Go can be a fun and social ice breaker for your next event.
2. Spring for some Lures.
If you’re not sure that there are a lot of monsters to be found at your venue, but you have a Pokéstop or two, then buy some lures. (Click here for more information on how to buy and set a lure.) Like the name suggests, a lure will attract Pokémon to the Pokéstop where you’ve set the lure. The effect lasts about 30 minutes, and the big plus is that a lure works for the whole community. Anyone who happens to be around the area of the Pokéstop will be able to catch critters.
3. Give out real prizes
The game rewards the capture of Pokemon with in-app prizes. But you could up the stakes a bit by handing out loot to all of your event “Trainers” who manage to catch a certain monster or the most monsters or however you want to reward participation in your Pokéhunt. The truth is that the game itself is pretty addictive and self-motivating. With 20 million active users daily, you’ll probably have users at your event to begin with. Adding real, tangible rewards will encourage new users to try it out and spark some healthy social interaction between attendees as they compare Pokédex and teach each other new tricks.
You can explore these ideas and more when you talk with our event coordinators to plan the most exciting event possible.