Discovery Networks Upfront

Discovery Networks Upfront 2014

Discovery Network’s annual Upfront event was held at the gorgeous rooftop venue at 03Desmond. The concept of the event was to allow guests to experience “THE DISCOVERY EFFECT” – a phenomenon sweeping across South Africa, and infecting the nation with Discovery fever! Once again, Show Works created a fully brand-immersive event, which thrilled guests, pleased our client, and received rave reviews in the media!

The journey began before guests entered the venue, when they were greeted by branded tuks-tuks on arrival, and delivered to the door, where they were met by our Discovery Effect Research Analysts who measured guests “pre-event” vital signs with a specially created iPad app, as they registered to enter the event.

Our exclusively created 3D globe – playing projected footage from the Discovery portfolio of channels – suspended over the staircase on arrival, was an amazing talking point as guests made their way up to the rooftop.

Once they arrived on the rooftop, guests enjoyed delicious channel-themed canapés, and outrageous molecular cocktails from our molecular cocktail bar, whilst being serenaded by the ever-popular Jeremy Loops as the sun set over Sandton.

Guests were then invited into the screening room, where they were blown away by the impressive footage of the Discovery Networks channels, and upcoming programming, not to mention the talent from the channels: the lion whisperer, Kevin Richardson, Joel Lambert (Manhunt) and Dynamo (Magician Impossible), who were at the event, chatted on stage, and happily posed for pictures with our guests.

Dynamo ended the show with a mind-blowing 20 minute performance, performing some unbelievable mind-reading and tricks, leaving guests open-mouthed in disbelief!

After the presentation, guests headed back outside to continue partying on the balcony. DJ Euponik ripped up the decks as guests partied on our exclusively created interactive dancefloor, and the TLC- branded Ice Cream ninjas created wild and wacky ice cream combinations in their signature wild and wacky way!

Our lab technicians were back, taking the “post-screening” readings of guests’ vital signs – and of course, the readings had sky-rocketed, due to the incredible “Discovery Effect”!

Despite the stormy JHB weather threatening to cause problems throughout our two set up days (with a MANIC downpour at 2pm on the afternoon of the event – eek!), the skies cleared for the evening of the event, and guests partied the night away, at what was (once again!) described as “the best Upfront event EVER”!

“Awesome show last night! Thank you so much for all your hard work, really paid off. Twitter has been loving it and there is some amazing feedback from the press and guests! Go team!” – Adam Jones, Marketing Manager, Emerging Business, Discovery Networks

“When it comes to an event, if you had to break down a human being’s needs, you’d realise that they’re really pretty simple: All we want is free food that we try and pretend we’re not excited about, and free drinks (so that we can order the most expensive kind that we couldn’t order when it wasn’t free). But when it came to last night, Discovery Networks gave us all of that, and so, so much more.” – MAXIMAG article

“Thank you so much for the invite last night and for the opportunity to interview Dynamo. It was an absolutely fantastic evening!” – Leigh from Woman & Home