Attract More Visitors With Fun and Entertainment Activities.

Attract More Visitors With Fun and Entertainment Activities.

Offer more fun & entertainment to your guests in 2020!

No matter if you want to attract more visitors to your show, sports event, attraction, mall, travelling exhibition, theme park, hotel, convention center or other public venues, we’ve got exactly what you need. Including one or more of our witty entertainment activities to your place/event will guarantee the satisfaction of your clients. 

Check out what we’ve got for you!

The Amazing Talking Trees.

Welcome your guests with a personal greeting pronounced by a… tree. Yes, you heard that right! Now you can amaze and attract more attendees to your event with magical trees, programmed to talk in the local language!

Coco Agency talking tree
Coco Agency Exhibitions – Talking Tree

You want to surprise your visitors right in the entrance or you might prefer to tell them “See you soon!” in the most original way possible? They not only talk, but they catch the eye with their appearance.
CoCo Agency is eager to “plant” your unique enchanted trees wherever you want. It’s a kind of magic…

Innovative Digital Attractions for Kids & Families.

Coco Agency offers a new valuable experience for kids, teenagers & families – Digital Fun Games.

Attract more visitors stimulating them to create a virtual reality of their own. The innovative digital installation interacts with all physical objects around it to unleash yours and your child’s power of imagination. No special clothing or wearing glasses needed. 

Coco Agency - Digital Fun Games
Coco Agency – Digital Fun Games

Spectacular Artists & Shows.

Seeking for thematic entertainment, emphasising the emotional impact with live acts such as concerts, art performances, theatre, and exhibitions? CoCo Agency provides a list of unique and attractive artists & shows: air acrobats, fire & stilts & circus artists, neon & laser shows, jugglers, magicians, musicians and many more.

Most of the air acrobats we represent are part of the world famous Cirque de Soleil and have taken part in the official openings of the Olympic Games and the World Football Championship.

Coco Agency - Artists and Shows - Poles.
Coco Agency – Artists and Shows – Poles.
Coco Agency - Artists and Shows -Bubble.
Coco Agency – Artists and Shows -Bubble.

Mysterious Creatures.

Our Agency is specialized in organizing spectacular exhibitions of creatures that continue to awaken people’s curiosity.

Many venues have already benefited from the astonishing “Living Dinosaurs” exhibition that has been seen by over 10 million people so far. Now, we offer, exclusively, a Dinosaur or Ice Age figure for the budget of 100 EUR per day.

Coco Agency - Living Dinosaurs Exhibition.
Living Dinosaurs Exhibition.

Our new exhibition “Living Dragons” amazed more than 100 000 visitors only for 3 months and is currently on tour. Impress your visitors, providing them with the opportunity to be a part of the imaginary world of the living dragons! The exhibition consists of 12 dragons and 2 talking trees. Each of the dragons creates its sounds and movements, as there could be seen dragons from cartoons movies and from all over the world. Our interactive exhibitions are amazing attraction for children.

Living Dragons Exhibitions by Coco Agency;
Living Dragons Exhibitions

Knowledge & Science.

Adding useful & interesting entertainment will have a great impact on your visitors’ experience. In our portfolio, we have interactive educational exhibitions such as “Human Being the Science Within” and “Interactive Science”.

The knowledge and science expositions are innovative, fun, informational and entertaining. They suit adults, students, children and families of any age. Thus your visitors will feel the magic of science, maths, nature, solar energy, optics, lightning, biology, music, human body and more.

Coco Agency Science Exhibitions
Coco Agency Science Exhibitions

Use the power of knowledge and science to attract more attendees eager to learn more in a fun way!

We have various proposals and ideas about transforming your venue into creative space and adding value & more fun to your event. Just drop us an email.

Mass Events After the COVID-19 – How to Make Тhem Possible and Safe?

Mass Events After the COVID-19 – How to Make Тhem Possible and Safe?

In a world blocked by the Coronavirus epidemy, one question that is topping the list of unknowns of the event business is when will the sector function again at its normal pace and how to make events safe for both organizers and attendees.

Prevention Events from Corona Virus
How to Prevent Mass Events from Infectious Diseases

Event sector is among the ones hardest hit by the restriction measures imposed by the governments in order to fight the COVID-19 spread. Thousands of events have been cancelled, delayed or postponed.

But even after countries loosen the restriction measures and start re-launching the normal rhythm of economy and business, mass gatherings and events will be among the last to be given green light to run. In addition, mass gatherings and events will have to operate in a totally new environment and reality, considering the safety and health of organizers, working teams and attendees.

Dan Firoiu Coco Agency
Dan Firoiu at Joy forum Saudi Arabia

Professionals in the sphere are looking at different scenarios – “The more optimistic visions predict that after months of closure and isolation, people will be craving for social contacts, big gatherings, business, sport and entertainment shows and happenings. That number of visits will grow rapidly, following the needs of people to compensate for the missed opportunities during the burst of COVID-19”, shares Dan Firoiu, CEO of Coco Agency, a leading promoter and event organizer on the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe and the region of the Middle East.

However, it is more realistic to think that people will be very cautious in the coming months and health and prevention measures will remain their uppermost priority”, continues Firoiu. According to him, in such situation, the ability of the event organizer to provide a safe and secure environment and communicate this with the audiences will determine the successful outcome of the event.

In March 2020 The World Health Organization published “Key planning recommendations for Mass Gatherings in the context of COVID-19” that points out the precaution measures event organizers and promoters shall consider when planning their events in order to secure a safe environment for their audiences.

It is recommended that event organizers define measures to be taken before, during and after the event takes place”, clarifies Dan Firoiu.

In the planning phase, it is crucial to cooperate with the local health authorities and consider the overall epidemic exposure and situation in the country/region/city where the event is going to take place. A risk-assessment shall be made, considering the location situation, the possibility to provide enough space between the attendees, the number of sick people and such at high risk, the age of the attendees, the duration of the event, the adequacy of the local health system, its capacity and readiness to support. An action plan shall be created as of how to manage the whole event and the people flow and presence in order to minimize the chance of spreading the disease and reduce the exposure to the lowest possible levels. This action plan shall cover the whole production and run of the event, with system for control and surveillance of the audience; with dedicated teams to spread clear messages, instructions and information about the ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the event; with teams at the location that can assist people with early symptoms; with secured closed areas at the location where people with symptoms can be isolated, tested and then transported to their homes or appropriate places for health care. “Events shall also be ready to provide medical supplies and personal protection equipment of first need, like face masks and disinfection products, good personal hygiene shall be encouraged by proper communication and by providing clean water, soap and other disinfection products”, advises Dan Firoiu.

During the event, the most important actions to be taken are the risk communication, the avoidance of spreading unclear or misleading information but to have the right messages and instructions for the attendees; the encouragement of the visitors to be responsible, to stay at home if feeling sick; to be self-disciplined and follow the hygiene measures; to practice self-control and self-isolate if feeling unwell; to wear appropriate face masks if having any doubts that they might be spreading the virus. To facilitate this, the event organizer shall provide appropriate treatment facilities where people with symptoms of COVID-19 can be tested. Such facilities shall be secured with the main necessary supplies in order to provide fast-testing of the visitors, face-masks, non-contact thermometers (like infrared thermometers), as well as fast and reliable sanitizing system that ensures that the place is regularly disinfected. “Our company is already partnering with a number of producers worldwide that provide expert advice, systems and products that can facilitate these activities”, shares Mr. Firoiu.   Very appropriate for this are devices like the disinfection robots that could atomize a variety of disinfectants into super dry mist and disperse to disinfection area in high-speed airflow. Such intelligent robots can save manpower and lower the infection risk effectively, as well as make disinfection more efficient and improve safety greatly. The constant surveillance of the participants is also very important. Such control and surveillance can start at the very entry of the event, by using special human body temperature detectors, thermal video cameras or disinfection channels that can significantly facilitate the initial control of the access to the event. After entering the event, the most appropriate measures for reducing the risk of COVID – 19 spread is the self-surveillance, self-control, self-isolation in case of signs and symptoms of the disease and sharing information about the current health-status of the event.

Access Control Events
Mass Events Epidemic Prevention and Control After Covid-19

Once the event is over, there is still work to be done – the main work here is sharing information about number of sick people registered at the event, number of people in isolation, number of people in quarantine; problems faced during the event and solutions found; assisting registered sick people to return to their home cities and countries; sharing as much information as possible to spread the good practices and give feedback for improvement of the practices that showed weaknesses.

The good news is, the business is already preparing for the world after COVID-19 and although mass gatherings and events are still at the end of the queue of allowed activities, with the right pre-caution measures, they will be made possible. And when this moment comes, most important for the success of the event will be the level of preparedness of the event organizers to provide a secured and safe environment for their audiences and the ability to communicate this and spread the right message that will make people feel protected and safe when taking the decision to attend.

Coco Agency Chosen for a Tour Management Company of the European Tour of BOND

Coco Agency Chosen for a Tour Management Company of the European Tour of BOND

We are happy to announce that Coco Agency has been officially selected as a tour-managing company for the European Tour of BOND. In the past years Coco Agency worked with artists like Juno Reactor, Nana, 2 Unlimited, East 17 and many other. Coco Agency will support BOND during their tour and provide guidance to the promoters of their concerts in the spheres of event management – event logistics – event schedule and tour planning/management. After conquering the world, BOND is preparing their 20th Anniversary Tour. BOND is a name that needs no further presentation as from the very birth of the band in 2000, they attracted huge attention and caused unprecedented interest with their interpretations of classical music mixed with pop and dance sound.

The 4 foxy talented girls from the British-Austrian quartet can boast with achievements such as 56 platinum and 15 golden discs worldwide, including in the UK, USA, Australia, France, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, Canada and many others. The European tour of the multi-platinum string quartet will cover a number of countries and already started with 2 concerts in Bulgaria. BOND delighted the audience in Sofia with a gig on March 26 in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture. A day later, on March 27, the BOND girls fascinated the residents of Plovdiv.

The concert in this year’s European Capital of Culture took place in the modern S.I.L.A Complex. Both concerts attracted thousands of attendants and had vast media coverage. BOND have announced two additional summer dates for the territory of Bulgaria – in the seaside cities of Varna and Burgas.

Dino Earth Exhibition for the Prince House of Saudi Arabia 1.800.000 visitors

Dino Earth Exhibition for the Prince House of Saudi Arabia 1.800.000 visitors

This April, Coco Agency joined forces with Luxury Events and in cooperation with the General Authorities of Entertainment of Saudi Arabia, presented the exhibition – Dino Earth. Coco Agency was hired to design the entire exhibition and to coordinate the building of it from the scratch. The building up involved 120 tons of sand, , 2000 square meters of natural grass, entire rock walking pad of more than 8000 bricks and installation of 400 lights. Logistic-wise, the project involved cranes, bulldozers, forklifts and manitoes. In terms of manpower, we had more than 150 people working daily on this project.

In 5 days our team, together with the local support, managed to build an exhibition of more than 2000 square meters space. Firoiu Dan, CEO of Coco Agency, presented the exhibition to the Minister of Development of Saudi Arabia and gave tours around the exhibition to all the officials of the Prince House of Saudi Arabia and to the General Authorities of Entertainment of Saudi Arabia.

Because of the vast interest, great success and high number of visitors, the dinosaurs exhibition was extended for one additional week. At the end of the exhibition, more than 1.800.000 visitors had enjoyed this unique experience. With this number of visitors, Coco Agency broke its personal record of 1.800.000 visitors in 2 weeks’ time.

If your company, institution or museum is looking for options of any kind of exhibitions, feel free to contact our agency at any time. We will be pleased to present you our existing exhibitions or work together to create a world class custom-made exhibition for you with the potential to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors. Maybe together, we will break our own visitors’ record 🙂

Innovative Digital Attractions for Kids & Families for Trade Centers, Malls and Amusement Parks.

Innovative Digital Attractions for Kids & Families for Trade Centers, Malls and Amusement Parks.

In the era of digital culture, covering all areas of our lives, Coco Agency as a modern-minded company is happy to introduce you to the newest digital project on the market.

Digital Fun Games is a new, fun and innovative way of entertainment, which will appeal to wider audience: families, children and teenagers. Here, the huge digital projection spaces and all physical objects interact in a unique way, which transfers us to a completely different reality in the virtual world.

This fascinating form of entertainment requires no special clothing or wearing glasses, also it allows many people to have fun at the same time. Digital Fun Games is a colorful and captivating format that will not only make your kids smile, but will also develop their sense of coordination, imagination, logic, speed of reaction, and completing their knowledge of the universe and the laws of nature.

Curious to find out more? Please check out our catalogue

Coco Agency Was Selected as Event Organizer of the Third Edition of the Asian Festival 2019

Coco Agency Was Selected as Event Organizer of the Third Edition of the Asian Festival 2019

CoCo Agency was selected as Event Organizer of the Asian Festival 2019. Our team, together with 15 embassies from Asia and Middle East, presented this unique festival in Borisova Gradina Park in Sofia. This was the third edition of the festival and this year it gathered more than 10.000 visitors.

The goal of the festival is to present the beauty and diversities of Asian cultures, traditions and food. Coco Agency was hired to deliver its expertise in event budgeting – event logistics – event planning – marketing – promotion and public relations of the event. This included a campaign on the biggest national TV channels like BTV – NOVA TV and BNTV, but also on radio channels and online media.

Coco Agency also gave full support for the outdoor campaign of the festival. The festival included diverse attractions and activities: a main stage where the visitors could see various national dances and costumes from each participating nation; each country had a stand to present local products and tourist attractions; there was also a food corner where visitors could have a degustation journey through testing of delicious Asian food.

The Asian Festival also included several pre-event promotional activities like an outdoor photo exhibition presenting captivating images / scene from each participating country that took place at the Love Bridge close to the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, as well as an outdoor street parade of the participating nations the day before the festival. Last but not least, The Asian Festival supported an important charity cause – together with “For Our Children Foundation” it gathered more than 14 000 BGN for the program “Prevention of Child Abandonment” which goal is to support children and families who are in danger of separation because of various social reasons.

Participating countries in the Asian Festival 2019 were Indonesia, China, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Pakistan, Palestine, India, Iraq, Iran, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Vietnam. The event was highly supported by Sofia Municipality, The Ministry of Tourism of Bulgaria and the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. For more information you can visit the Facebook page of the event.

If your organization needs professional advice on planning big-scale festivals or any kind of special events, our lovely team will be more than happy to support you and give you the best advice possible on the market.

The brand new exhibition Game of Dragons opened for the very first time in Tel Aviv

The brand new exhibition Game of Dragons opened for the very first time in Tel Aviv

Coco Agency is proud to present its new exhibition, named Game of Dragons that had its premiere in Israel. On 1 August, the interactive exhibition called Game of Dragons opened his doors in Tel Aviv. The exhibition has been designed and constructed in the venue by our CEO Firoiu Dan. Mr. Firoiu has created 12 unique scenes that represent and recreate the feeling to be in the mountains or near the sea, on a snowy location, near to the fire-breathing dragons and in the underworld of the oceans.

The exhibition is of great interest in the Israeli capital, with over 20,000 visitors so far.

The collection presents fantasy dragons that can be found in cartons and movies but also species from a different culture from the world. You can find out the fierce dragons, deriving from the Scandinavian countries, through the famous three-headed dragon from the legend of “St. George – the Dragon Slayer” to the magical, wise and good dragons of the Far East.

Besides, the exhibition presents rich information about the origin of each component, the stories and folklore beliefs related to its existence, as well as their magical powers and abilities.

For the creation of the exhibition, the Coco Agency dedicated team has worked very hard. Now we are extremely proud of the result and happy to show this wonderful exhibition all over the world with future bookings in Saudi Arabia – Bulgaria – Cyprus – Poland and Ukraine. Below, you can find pictures from the “Game of Dragons”. If you are looking for a rental of the entire exhibition or part of the exhibits, do not hesitate to contact us!

Expert Tips for Hosting an International Event

Expert Tips for Hosting an International Event

The goal of every event manager, whether planning a small incentive gathering or large-scale international conference, is to provide impressive experience. More and more corporations, venues and brands are searching for unique methods to intensify their event marketing activities.

Hosting an international event is an appealing and beneficial initiative, but also a challenging experience for every event manager. CoCo Agency has produced various events in international locations including London, Paris, Brussels, Sofia, Kiev, Bucharest, Plovdiv, Tirana, Warsaw, Krakow, Tel Aviv, Dammam and Riyadh. Based on our broad experience in hosting international events, we’re sharing 5 key tips that every event planner should know.

LOCATION ALWAYS COUNTS

Location is always first on an event planner’s mind. Choosing the location where you want to hold an event means not only selecting the country but the city and the venue as well. Some useful tips to make the right choice, as location can make or break an unforgettable event, are:

  • Visit the shortlisted venues in person before selecting the exact destination.
  • The venue has to be easily accessible from the airport and connected to the public transport network.
  • You have to find a local resource.
  • Check in advance the different technical options that the venue have included in the price like sound, light, backstage, parking, etc. Sometimes such services are not included in the final offer.
  • Be cautious when working with the venue’s security staff. The security has to cooperate with you as a client. We have worked with the venue’s security staff on various international events. We’ve quickly realized that it was the wrong choice, knowing that they were following only venue’s requests and our demands were not taken into consideration. It’s better to rely on your trusted security firms. They know what your goals and needs are.

Connecting with a local resource will help you bridge the gap between cultures and connect you with inside information that may be difficult to research even online. Gathering local references will help expedite the vendor research process and will provide peace of mind when booking a recommended service.

One of our biggest mistakes was to book a venue that doesn’t have a good connection with the municipality and local police authorities. In 2013 we’ve decided to make an event in Brussels Event Brewery and we signed a contract for approximately 7 000 EUR. Unfortunately, the venue’s license was revoked by the municipality just three days before our event because the managers of the place haven’t done anything about the loud sound and violence compliances. Within only 72 hours our company had to search for a new venue to accommodate the event (what we have done successfully), but it was really a bit of a challenge. The situation made the crew covering crazy hours shifts to create a great event of the visitors. In the end, it happened to be one of the craziest events we’ve organized that everybody will remember. Through, the Brussels Event Brewery didn’t want to return us the money with the explanation that the decision of the municipality was “an act of God”. Finally, we have got our money back but we had to get it through justice procedures.

FIND YOUR “HEROES”

Once you’ve decided where the international event will be held, you have to find your local heroes, to prepare your team and to select a date. Usually, the local “heroes” will help you throughout the entire process of planning, conducting and finalizing the event. You have to find local event managers with vast experience that know the market and suppliers.

When you choose the exact date of your event the “heroes” will also encourage their attendees to stay a couple of days longer or to come in a few days early to attend your happening as well. Consider offering those attendees all the information about accommodation possibilities – how to reach the venue from the train stations or airport. It is really important to support your attendees with all the information they need to make their experience as great as possible. 

CoCo Agency cooperates with local heroes when it’s impossible to hire our staff within the international offices. Usually, almost 90% of the logistics for exhibitions or big design concepts are organized without local staff support.

RESEARCH THE COUNTRY’S CUSTOMS

It is important to do some research on proper etiquette because every country has different business customs. Online research will help you to understand how to show signs of respect, especially upon introducing yourself. A simple gesture showing you’ve done your “homework” and honour their culture can go a long way when doing business overseas. 

Recently, our company has worked a lot in different Muslims countries. When I traveled for the first time to Saudi Arabia I was not aware of many local customs of their culture. Looking back on this time, I realize I’ve made many mistakes. For example, in Saudi Arabia, local people stop working during prayer time and sometimes I get confused to find myself left alone in the venue. If organizing an event in Saudi Arabia, you should keep an eye on your crew, as the staff is likely to disappear for more than 30 min. for each prayer, and there are five prayers each day. It really can ruin your time management.

After some years working in this country, I realized how to handle this kind of situations and now I am very strict with my team. Another thing that we’ve learned is that if you need any material in countries like Saudi Arabia – Israel or any Middle East calculate at last 24 hours before you will get it from your runner. 🙂 They will bring you the material that you need for sure but it is not like in our European culture. Usually, in the European countries, you get it in a couple of hours.

In Ukraine, we’ve encountered another issue. When we were working outside at -20 °C, some of our crew were drinking tea with vodka (by the way, it is the greatest drink to get hot when you are working outdoors) still we had to aware the crew that such kind of practice is not allowed in the working hours.

TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE TIME DIFFERENCE

Planning an international event means that you’ll be cooperating with companies and third parties that are in completely different time zones. Mind the time difference when planning out communications and deadlines. If you have more than 2 hours time change between you and the host country, make sure to reflect the appropriate date in your timeline to accommodate the time change. Additionally, set up phone calls and meetings that fall within their workday, not yours. 

FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE VENDOR’S AND VENUE’S PROCEDURES

Working with vendors abroad is a little tricky. Always search for information instead of assuming something is included to avoid hidden/additional charges. For example, some countries do not include the load-in/set-up time in the venue contract, so you can be charged with an unexpected fee. Walking step-by-step through every order and confirming your needs will help to be prepared for any misunderstandings. 

Make sure to ask for 3 to 5 offers (minimum) for each logistic that is needed. Another good practice is to research the venue’s and vendor’s background. Ask them directly what kind of events they have done and try to find out if they are flexible enough to adapt to any situation. You don’t want to choose a supplier that won’t agree to your terms and will constantly ask for extra fees. 

Most of the time, managing an event is super stressful. That’s why you need to have the right soldiers that can go to the maximum of their abilities and knowledge. Never make a deal with a supplier by phone conversation only. Follow the conversation with an email, each time when the supplier confirms the deal that you’ve made. Trust me, it can save you from many annoying conversations and discussions before, during and after the event. I know that many suppliers will ask to be pre-paid, especially if your company is from Bulgaria and you’re organizing an event in Western Europe. Still, keep negotiating for paying 50 % of the fee at the signing of the contract and 50 % after they’ve done the job. Sometimes they never show up at the event with 1001 excuses and it is hard to get your money back for services that have never been done at all. 

NEED HELP ORGANIZING YOUR INTERNATIONAL EVENT?

Our friendly & experienced staff is happy to provide planning and managing assistance to ensure your international event is a success. Contact us here.

The author of the article is Sir Firoiu Dan. He has extensive experience in all aspects of Communication, Marketing, Accounting Management, Event Coordination and Budget Coordination. He is specialized in the management of administration and logistics in a busy special environment. Passionate for marketing strategies, brand development and event coordination, while consistently providing outstanding customer service. Enthusiastic professional, successfully building profitable relationships with new and existing clients.

You can contact him at any time at dan@cocoagency.bg

Top 10 Event Trends You Need to Know for 2020

Top 10 Event Trends You Need to Know for 2020

Now, analysts, industry insiders, market research firms and bloggers are all eager to provide their points of view on what lies ahead for 2020. So, we are too! Here is our take on some of the major event management trends to expect in 2020 – with a focus on the human aspects of this adventurous industry.

Trend #1 – Time to Explore New Locations

Rising costs in major cities have planners seeking new event locations. The unknown places outside the big cities are attractive and often cheaper option that puts greater emphasis on what the local scene has to offer. The Millennials like to explore and to share their experiences, so the event management should promote the outstanding qualities of the property. It is also  essential to organize activities both on and off-property to make your surroundings more engaging.

Trend #2 – Event Planners Are Transforming Spaces 

Venues are no longer constrained to room layouts and floor plans, but to spaces providing unique experiences. The projection mapping is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. It will take the event experience to the next level, using multiple projectors to display images on walls, floors, or ceilings. The technology allows for unlimited personalization and customization from one event to the next with limited set up and breakdown.

Trend #3 – Value-Added Experience For the Event Attendees 

Adding extra experience during an event is one of the hottest trends in the industry right now.  Offering original entertainment that serves as a resource beyond the duration of the event is a great way to add value and enhance the event experience.  CoCo Agency goes beyond your expectations and creates a completely different experience. Make sure that in 2020 to exceed expectations and impress the attendees by adding innovative digital attractions for kids & families and spectacular artists & shows to your event. Some examples of added value experience are video content, mobile apps, resource libraries, blog posts, discounts for registering for next years event on-site, and opportunities to network with the speakers during and after the event.

Trend #4 – Alternative F&B Is the Norm 

The importance of food and beverages at events is no longer understated. Diets like vegan, keto, gluten-free, Kosher, Halal are not a specialty, but an expectation. Optional milks, plant-based ingredients and healthy food, as well as the use of unexpected ingredients like exotic peppers and unusual seeds, help facilitate inclusive menus that cross cultural lines.  Sustainability and local cuisine continue to keep attention. Guests want transparency across ingredients – where items are sourced and how they’re produced. .

Trend #5 – Event Planners Are Embracing Event Technology More and More

 Very few event managers seem to resist tech anymore and this is a great perspective for the industry. The more budget (and seniority) an event professional has, the more confidence with tech tools. 33% of planners that plan events with budgets of $5M+ think of themselves as tech savvy – 13% above average.

Trend #6 – New Technologies Support the Event Check-In

Nobody likes long check-in lines at events. Venues will start getting more requests to incorporate facial recognition technology to automate the whole process and manage individual attendees from start to finish. According to a survey conducted by Event Tech Lab, facial recognition will be the biggest driver of 2020 tech spending for event management. Facilitating this experience and tying in its security features to detect unregistered people and alert planners and staff will impress even the most tech savvy planners.

Trend #7 – Employee Events Are on the Rise

Companies understand the importance of bringing their people together, aligning them to the company culture and keeping them motivated and loyal. Interaction and engagement are key so take the occasion to have them workshop solutions to specific problems. Invite subject matter experts, inside or outside the organization, to share insights and best practices they can use after the event.

Trend #8 – Ensuring Your Event Is as Secure as Possible 

Help attendees feel safe, not anxious. Uniformed police and security can be a big assistance but they can also make people feel anxious. Take a tip from the airlines that have employed plain-clothes security professionals. These people aren’t just standing outside of doors. They’re in the sessions and mingling at the event providing greater coverage. Explore what it would take to achieve safety certification and prepare for natural disasters by reviewing your event contract(s). Once you experience a weather disaster, it’s too late to worry about your contract. Be aware of what it covers before you need it. Investigate whether you need additional coverage before you are onsite. 

Trend #9 – Personalization Is the New Marketing 

The problem with event management today is that 95% of your audience will never convert into a visitors. The reason isn’t that your marketing is bad or that all of your audience is complacent. It’s that your message doesn’t fit everyone. But through personalization, you can convert more of your audience into visitors. Marketing is going to become a game of personalization. The agencies will have no choice but to figure out how to convert the 97% of your traffic that just never comes back.

Trend #10 – Actually Using Big Data 

In order to be able to serve up the level of personalization, instantaneous communication, and security desired, venues will have to get fully on board with artificial intelligence, at very least through the lens of predictive analytics. It is expected hotels to look further than a centralized repository for information and act upon data to increase revenue, overall satisfaction, and deliver on event safety requirements. Event marketers are maximizing data to analyze attendee and customer feedback, inform event design (in real-time), calculate sales impact and tracking ROI to justify budgets and other investment decisions. Sources: Eventmanagerblog.com, Neilpatel.com, Amadeus-hospitality.com/, Itagroup.com/
Coco Agency takes part in Joy Forum in Saudi Arabia – the biggest Forum in the Entertainment Industry

Coco Agency takes part in Joy Forum in Saudi Arabia – the biggest Forum in the Entertainment Industry

The Joy Forum is the biggest event congress in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The organisators of this forum have invited our CEO Mr. Dan Firoiu to give a lecture on the topic “How to start and grow an organic event”. The lecture will take place on Sunday 13th of October at 16.00 o’clock.

The Joy Forum is an exciting opportunity for the company as it brings together top international exhibitors, mastered in creating stunning events and delivering joy and entertainment to the audience, the best companies in event technologies and concerts organizer. The Joy Forum’s guests will have the chance to meet and speak with more than 10 international speakers. These professionals will share their experience and vision about the event management business and entertainment creation. During the Forum there will be two ceremonies that will honor people from the industry and people that are constantly bringing joy in the world.

The Joy Forum will take part on 13th and 14th of October in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Our CEO Dan Firoiu and Tsvetelina Davidoff will represent Coco Agency. Furthermore, we will expose exponents from our most attracting brand-new exhibition Game of Dragons. Every participant will be able to check our full catalogue with all artists, exhibitions and entertainment activities that we offer. Do not miss visiting our boot.

The international exhibition “Interactive Science” opened in Sofia, Bulgaria

The international exhibition “Interactive Science” opened in Sofia, Bulgaria

The world-renowned exhibition Interactive Science that has been exposed in Milan, Dubai, and London is visiting Bulgaria for the very first time.

Its purpose is education and fun in one place. On the exhibition can be found more than 25 models and machines, presenting different natural phenomena and discoveries in the fields of physics, mathematics, and human biology.

The exhibition includes machines that create visual illusions. For example, our interpretation of falling into the chasm, but at the same time remaining fully safe or the illusion of the partial disappearance of the body. The visitors can also see the practical application of some of the most ancient human discoveries – the lever and the garnet. We believe that all of us should combine pleasure with some useful activities. That is why our guests at the exhibition can create music, but not with traditional music instruments. Our special harp is without strings, and our drums – without membranes. It is obligatory to try!

The Interactive Science exhibition is located at The Mall, located at Tsarigradsko shosse, on level – 2. You have the opportunity to visit it until 30 September, every day from 10:00 to 22:00. More information can be found on the event‘s Facebook page.

Below, you can find pictures from the Interactive Science Exhibitions. If you are looking for a rental of the entire exhibition or part of the exhibits, do not hesitate to contact us!

Coco Agency @ Joy Forum: “Grow Your Event Organically!”

Coco Agency @ Joy Forum: “Grow Your Event Organically!”

Our team was a part of Joy Forum – one of the major expos in the Middle East for inventive technologies in the entertainment sector, which took place on 13 and 14 October 2019 at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Joy Forum 2019 brought together entertainment promoters and pioneers from around the world, along with global stars such as Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Dan Firoiu and Tsvetelina Grozdanova were among the 30 international speakers to represent their ideas about the future of the entertainment industry and effective ways to reach targeted audiences.

CoCo Agency shared a stand with its local partner D7 Group that attracted more than 2 000 visitors curious to understand more about our organisation and the unlimited opportunities that the world-class travelling exhibitions provide.

It was a great honour for us to present our services and share our knowledge in such an event that clearly showed that Saudi Arabia is open to collaboration with countries all around the world,” explained Dan Firoiu.

His 2 hours presentation on the topic  “How to start and grow your event organically” grabbed the attention of Joy Forum’s visitors and had great feedback. It focused on the successful techniques for creating and managing an event, presenting case studies from international projects.

Dan Firoiu shared his vast experience in organisation and delivery of travelling exhibitions for event promoters, malls, theme parks, museums, amusement parks, convention centres, special events, casinos and hotel parks and lobbies. CoCo Agency’s Co-founder also gave practical advice to the attendees about the importance of event marketing and promotion, as well as of artists’ provisions.

Along with our workshop and business stand, the visitors had the chance to see some of our animatronic dragons, part of the travelling exhibition Game of Dragons.

Don’t know what does it take to bring a dragon at your place? Click here for the answer.

After Tel Aviv and Dammam, the Spectacular Game of Dragons Also Took Place in Riyadh

After Tel Aviv and Dammam, the Spectacular Game of Dragons Also Took Place in Riyadh

Our gracious exhibition “Game of Dragons” that collects 24 magical creatures was launched in Riyadh on the 28th of November. The Dragons will entertain the Al-Othaim Mall’s visitors till 12th of December with their specific movements and stories.

In this CoCo Mag edition, we introduce you to three of our beloved dragons.

Zmey Gorynych 

The infamous three-headed dragon from the Russian fairy tales comes alive at CoCo Agency’s “Game of Dragons” exhibition. According to the legend, a hero called Dobrynya Nikitich went to fight the dragon. After seeing he was going to be defeated, the dragon asked for mercy. The hero let the creature go, so almost immediately Gorynych kidnapped a princess. Dobrynya followed them and in an epic, three-days long fight, he saved the girl and killed the monster. In our story, the three-headed dragon continues to live but he has already repented and therefore now he is dedicating his life to entertaining beautiful girls.

Interesting fact: Not only Gorynych can spew fire and smoke, but also he can speak human language!

Shen Lang

In the Chinese mythology, Shen Lang is believed to be the ruler of the weather and climate, as well as of death and life. His name translates to “spirit dragon.” This is the creature people worship and have to respect and love. And they do. Gifts are required, as Shen Lang can get angry and punish people with bad weather and thus – no good crops and food at the table.

Interesting fact: Shen Lang is also known for his taste for adventures and can simultaneously live in different dimensions. Don’t get surprised if you see him in two different countries at the same time.

Atanielle 

The legend of the fabulous Atanielle is believed to originate from France. But the female dragon is so old that she can’t even remember her homeland. Her good temper is widely known as she is usually helping the elves in their endeavours to fight the evil. She is very loyal, and she is keen on beautiful music.

Interesting fact: She can breathe underwater and also became invisible.

See all of our curious creatures at the Game of Dragon’s upcoming exhibitions in 2020!

The Exhibition Game of Dragons for the First Time in Saudi Arabia

The Exhibition Game of Dragons for the First Time in Saudi Arabia

The spectacular collection of dragons from all over the world is touring until the end of November in Saudi Arabia

Coco Agency has gathered dragons of various dimensions and characteristics in Dammam! The occasion is “Game of Dragons” – a spectacular collection of mythical creatures from all over the world. The exhibition is held for the first time in Saudi Arabia between October 26 and November 26 this year. Over the first two weeks of its launch, the “Game of Dragons” in Dammam has been seen by over 25, 000 people.

Previously, the dragons displayed grace and dignity in Tel Aviv throughout September. The exhibition in Israel surprised over 20,000 visitors with the fairy visions that the magical species recreated.

Coco Agency Managers Dan Firoiu and Tsvetelina Grozdanova joined the Joy Forum during dragons gathering in Saudi Arabia. All along the international forum for cutting-edge technologies in the entertainment sector, Dan and Tsvetelina shared the intricacies of their experience in managing exhibitions around the world.

About “Game of Dragons”

How many dragons are involved in the “games”?

The exhibition features a playground that collects between 11 and 24 animatronic dragons. They have various abilities that the creatures share with the visitors through sounds, dances and quirky movements. Each dragon has its own story and recounts legends and ancient beliefs from its homeland.

Where do the mythical creatures come from?

The collection introduces different types of dragons from all parts of the world – from the fierce dragons from the Scandinavian countries, through the world-famous multi-headed dragon from the legend of St. George – The Dragon Slayer to the magical, wise and good-tempered dragons from the Far East.

Stay аlert to news and updates about the upcoming World Tour of the Dragons!

Coco Agency Managed the Еvent Production of the Big Bang Seminar

Coco Agency Managed the Еvent Production of the Big Bang Seminar

In November 2018 the team of Coco Agency provided its expert support for the event management and planning of the first edition of The Bing Bang Seminar. The Big Bang is a personal development seminar that took place on 24-25th November in one of the most prestigious hotels in Bulgaria – Marinela Hotel. The seminar welcomed national and international speakers from various industries like marketing, finance, business, entrepreneurship, self-development, motivation and health. More than 700 people participated in the first edition of the promising seminar.

For almost 2 months the team of Coco Agency worked closely with the organisers of the event – The University for Personal Development and Entrepreneurship, delivering expert services in the fields of event planning, event budgeting, event management, event logistics & hospitality, technical support (venue, stage, sound, light), human resources management, provision of host and entertainment acts for the event. Once again Coco Agency demonstrated high level of professionalism, certified with the readiness of The Big Bang Seminar to continue the partnership with our company for the next edition of the event in 2019.

If you need more information about our expert services in the spheres of event management – event logistics – event human resources – marketing services – promotion services – brand development or event consulting, do not hesitate to contact us! We will be happy to hear from you and share our experience.

2019 Was the Coco Agency’s Year of the Dragon

2019 Was the Coco Agency’s Year of the Dragon

Although, according to the Chinese calendar, 2019 is the Year of the Pig, our team recognized it as the Year of the Dragon. And the Year of the Dragon is associated with new beginnings; accumulation of fortunes and good luck in general. Actually, when you work hard the results speak for themselves. In 2019 we praise ourselves for breaking new records – we’ve welcomed more than 2,7 million visitors to 18 exhibitions, organized by CoCo Agency, that took place all over the world!

Below, you can find some of our 2019 highlights. Our team was able:    .

We went through various challenging moments in 2019 that made us not only more experienced but more creative as well. We couldn’t have done it without you – our exhibitions’ visitors, our partners and families.

And because we will continue to focus on our mission in the next 12 months – to bring joy and entertainment all over the world, we are about to tell you a little secret: our glamorous dragons will have an international tour in 2020! 

Stay tuned and keep the spirit high throughout the whole year!

Coco Agency Provided High-Class Entertainment for Philip Morris Event in Tirana, Albania

Coco Agency Provided High-Class Entertainment for Philip Morris Event in Tirana, Albania

Once again, Coco Agency proved its expertise in providing top-class entertainment for corporate events. In April 2019, we were contacted by Landmark Albania – a prominent marketing agency – working on a boutique event for presentation the new product of Philip Morris – IQOS cigarettes. Philip Morris are the producers of famous cigarette brands like Marlboro – Parliament – L&M – Muratti, to list a few.

Landmark were looking for an outstanding way to present their new product at a special corporate event in Tirana. Our agency was delighted to participate in the event with an extraordinary flying violin show that captivated the attention of both visitors and organizers of the event. The magical result that astonished the entire event audience can be watched on the video here below.

If you brand – company or event is looking for a unique, magical and top level world class entertainment, you can contact our wonderful team at any time for advice.

 


Living Dinosaurs Exhibition with a Tour in Poland

Living Dinosaurs Exhibition with a Tour in Poland

Our Living Dinosaurs exhibition is on a tour in Poland. The touch down city of the tour was Warsaw Poland, where more than 30 000 visitors attended the attractive exposition of 24 animatronic dinosaur models. Main partner of the event was the Polish Academy of Science Museum of Earth that hosted our most famous exhibition that has so far been seen by more than 12 million visitors worldwide. Coco Agency delivered a top-notch event marketing strategy that included mentioning on the most prominent TV and radio stations in Poland, as well as high visibility through an outdoor campaign along the entire polish capital. The second city of the Polish tour is Krakow where the exhibition opened doors on 11th June at the prominent sport center Kärcher Hala Cracovia Centrum Sportu Niepełnosprawnych.

Living Dinosaurs is an animatronic exhibition of 24 dinosaurs. Spectacular models move in a natural way and make sounds, taking visitors to prehistoric times. This family exhibition is an opportunity to see more than twenty dinosaurs on a 1:1 scale, including Tyrannosaur, Diplodocus and Triceratops.

Experience this unique adventure yourself now in Krakow until 11th August 2019! The exhibition is open to visitors daily from 10 a.m to 20 p.m at Kärcher Hala Cracovia Centrum Sportu Niepełnosprawnych. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, but also online at Goout network here.

More info for the exhibition in the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2348083781953157/

A Number of Testimonials and Awards for Coco Agency and its Partners in Ukraine

A Number of Testimonials and Awards for Coco Agency and its Partners in Ukraine

At the end of 2017 Coco Agency expanded its activities, starting a tour of the educational exhibition “Living Dinosaurs” on the territory of Ukraine. The exhibition went through several cities as Kiev, Kharkov, Dnipro, Odessa, Lviv and for a year and a half achieved great popularity, sparked unprecedented interest and welcomed thousands of visitors.

The activity of Coco Agency in Ukraine was awarded with a number of accolades and awards, given to the company’s efforts to present its educational exhibitions in areas of conflict and to vulnerable groups of children who rarely have direct access to such type of educational attraction. In each city through which the exhibition has passed, the local team of Coco Agency organized completely free visits to “Living Dinosaurs” for children from socially vulnerable groups, children deprived of parental care and disadvantaged people. These educational and, at the same time, extremely entertaining tours led the visitors approximately 180 million years back in time, where both the young and older visitors of the exhibition had the opportunity for the first time to get acquainted in this unique way with the largest animals that once inhabited the Earth.

“I would say that this is part of the meaning of our work – to deliver real joy of children and parents for whom a simple visit to a museum exhibition or attraction is often impossible because of the area in which they are located or because of the situation in which they are. Often we do not even realize how lucky we are that for our own children the visit of this type of educational exhibition is just another fun activity. At the same time for others that are only 2000 km away from us, it is a dream and a real celebration. That’s why I am so sincerely excited to share all the awards and letters of appreciation with which our team was honored trough the past year. It was not easy, but absolutely worth it!” – said Dan Firoiu, Founder and Manager of Coco Agency. The success of our company in Ukraine is due to the beneficial cooperation of Coco Agency with a number of local government structures, charity foundations and NGO’s.

6th Birthday of Coco Agency!  Where we are now

6th Birthday of Coco Agency! Where we are now

Coco Agency turned 6! Before we even realized it, we found out Coco Agency is already 6 years on the market! And what remarkable 6 years these were! On 9th of February 2019, in one of the trenddiest clubs in Sofia, City Stage, we celebrated our sixth birthday. In the company of close friends and business partners we were celebrating not just our anniversary, but something more.

For six years, we implemented numerous projects:

We created the most memorable brand in the event and party sector – “I love the 90s” has become the biggest commercial dance indoor event in Bulgaria. Since 2012 the project gathered in one place world famous names like 2 Unlimited, E-Type, C-Block, Nana, ICE MC, Jenny от Ace of Base, East 17, Dr. Alban, Captain Jack , Masterboy and many other. With more than 6000 visitors at each “I love the 90s” edition, the event was reported by the most significant national media in the country and supported by the most popular radio station in Bulgaria – Radio Energy. In 2013, “I love the 90s” won the Audience Award for the Best Event of the Year at the Eventex Awards 2013.

In 2014 we brought the magic of the “Festival of Colours” on the territory of Bulgaria for the first time! The event has become a tradition in Bulgaria as well, by delighting the fans in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. Over the years, dozens of foreign and a number of Bulgarian artists took part in the festival. More than 40,000 people are the true fans of the “Festival of Colours” in Bulgaria, looking forward for each next edition of the event.

Over the past 6 years, Coco Agency not just made several educational exhibitions on the territory of Bulgaria, but also considerably expanded the perimeter and scope of their work in countries such as Ukraine, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Bahrain.

We helped many of our customers and partners to develop their brands and promote their products and services and reach a wider audience.

Coco Agency successfully manages the organization, budgeting, logistics, technical support and execution of seminars, conferences, corporate parties, concerts and private parties for its customers and partners at local and international level.

So, yes! For 6 years, we have developed and achieved a lot! But guess what – this is just the beginning 🙂

Coco Agency Honoured with an Award from the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia

Coco Agency Honoured with an Award from the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia

The educational exhibition “Ice Age”, which was first shown in Saudi Arabia in October 2018, continues to provoke great interest, fun and joy among children, teens and families. The realistic models of mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, hairy rhinos, gigantic birds and many other ancient species, recreate an exciting walk through the last Ice Age period, which sparks the curiosity of the visitors and introduces them in an authentic and unforgettable way to life on Earth a few million years ago.

Proof of the efforts and excellent done work for the realization of the Ice Age exhibition in Saudi Arabia, is the award that Coco Agency was honoured with by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia as a sign of appreciation and gratitude for the conducted educational tours on the last Ice Age period. The Exhibition was visited by nearly 35 thousand people, including thousands of students and dozens of disadvantage kids, and for period of 2 mounts passed through 4 cities in the country which also strengthened the successful relationship between Coco Agency and a number of partners and institutions in the Middle East.

Coco Agency Supported the Christmas Party of the World-Leaders in Global Management Consulting McKinsey & Company in Brussels

Coco Agency Supported the Christmas Party of the World-Leaders in Global Management Consulting McKinsey & Company in Brussels

Planning a Christmas party is a difficult task with many challenges. Often these Christmas parties are organized very simply: rent a place, boring domestic nominations and gifts are exchanged. Thus, most employees accept as an obligation to visit their annual corporate Christmas party, not as a wonderful opportunity to have fun and to get closer to colleagues, and to celebrate all the successes and results achieved over the past year.

The well-organized corporate Christmas party helps to increase the engagement and motivation of the people who are part of your team and undoubtedly leave pleasant memories and emotions. Considering this important detail, our partners from McKinsey & Companyglobal management consulting firm that serves a wide range of private, public and social sector institutions with almost 100 years of experience and qualified team, rely on our professionalism for the management of their Christmas party.

The corporate Christmas Party of McKinsey & Company took place in Brussels on 20.12.2018, under the theme of “Breaking Bad” television series.  Coco Agency’s team provide and managed the featuring of the extremely attractive Vengaboys, who once again proved that every their participation is like a non-stop fun festival.

As a result of the well-done work, we proudly share the reference of Frederik Van Hecke from McKinsey & Company

It ended up being a great party! 😉

The band was great, everything as expected. They delivered on the energy we had hoped that they would bring to kick-off the party. It was an amazing surprise for everybody!

I’m very happy with your help, and I know it was all very last minute and hectic, that’s on us. But you delivered flawlessly and with a “don’t worry, everything is taken care off” attitude. The on-site help was great and came in handy! 

Frederik Van Hecke
McKinsey & Company

If you also need WOW effect, that will to be the “cherry” for your private or corporate event, for concert or festival, or for the promotion of you company and new brand, do not hesitate to contact us!