What the Pokémon Go Craze Means for Venues and Events. Venues and existing events are already taking advantage of the popular augmented-reality game.
“Since the launch of Pokémon Go, we’ve been seeing a lot of folks posting great Pokémon Go tips at local sites and landmarks,” says Candice Eley, director of public relations for the tourism board. “With so many people traveling to San Diego this week for Comic-Con International—many of whom we expect will be fans of the game—we thought it was a great opportunity to round up nearby ‘Pokéstops’ for visitors. We hope the game encourages attendees to explore San Diego a bit further and adds visits to some of our attractions to their itineraries.”
Voilà Chocolat, a chocolate shop in Manhattan that hosts in-store make-your-own chocolate events, has already taken advantage of the fact that it’s a Pokémon Go “gym,” where players can battle others with creatures they’ve captured. Voilà Chocolat head of sales Elaine Boxer, who’s also an avid player, explains that it made sense to introduce discounts for players, custom Pokémon-theme chocolate, and power strips for players to recharge their phones.
“We’re very fortunate that we happen to be a destination in the game. We introduced something specific to our business that’s reflective of the game,” Boxer says. “The medium we work in is so flexible and allows us to take advantage of holidays and phenomenons like this. Whatever people’s passions are, we can reflect in chocolate.”
Boxer also notes that the shop has used its social media accounts to advertise the fact that it’s a location in the game. As well to encourage players to stop by. “Whether it’s organizing themed happy hours, bar crawls, or parties. Its what restaurants and event venues can do is really enhance players’ experience of the game”.
Political events have also gotten in on the action. Hillary Clinton hosted a recent campaign event at a “Pokéstop”. She set up a lure module—an element of the game that attracts players to a specific location. For a chance to catch rarer creature. It was as an incentive for players to show up at the event and register to vote.
Pokémon Go hasn’t announced any sponsored events yet. But the app does plan on hiring a community manager to organize official gatherings.
By Ian Zelaya Posted July 21, 2016, 7:15 AM EDT
