For the third year in a row, FGPG reunited with Epic Games to produce Unreal Fest, the latest installment of Unreal Engine’s marquee conference that brings together developers, creators, and industry leaders, this time hosted in New Orleans.

THE BACKGROUND:

After producing Epic Games Unreal Academy, and Unreal Fest ’22, the team at Unreal Engine once again turned to FGPG to reimagine Unreal Fest ’23, and ensure every aspect of the marquee conference was produced flawlessly. With over 2300 attendees, dozens of Epic Games brand partners, and multiple internal stakeholder teams, and collaborative agency partners, FGPG’s role required deep collaboration, proactive problem solving, and a nimbleness from brief to live.

 

THE CHALLENGE:

With many partners, a large venue footprint, and ever changing internal client goals and partner requests, our challenges required the ability to pivot as needed while keeping the schedule, deadlines, budget, and big ambitions on track.

 

THE EXECUTION:

THE BIGGEST UNREAL FEST EVER!

2023 was going to be big! With Epic Games and Unreal Engine having the ambition to invite more attendees to participate, bring on more partners and sponsors, showcase more new content than ever before, AND the addition of shining a light on our new “creators” attendee audience. So for team FGPG, that meant keeping multiple stakeholders on track and continuously updating and value engineering our budgets to give maximum flexibility to the Unreal Engine team as priorities shifted and new opportunities we all wanted to capitalize on manifested.

Key Details Included:
• FGPG managed the creation and fabrication of the registration experience, the Expo Hall, the Live Stream room and dozens of educational spaces/rooms that provided education, hands-on learning, and moments of play, with 200+ sessions over 3 days.

• From strategy, to floor plans, to elevation drawings for graphics, CADS, and full production logistics, FGPG was also the lead agency working with the Unreal Fest team to translate the Unreal Fest branding across every touch point of the conference.

• On-Site, FGPG’s robust team ensured a flawless production, as well as ensuring Epic’s many partners and internal teams had the resources needed to address every new request with nimbleness and efficiency.

 

Unique Details Included:

• Full Conference Branding: The creative and design team at FGPG worked hand-in hand with the production and logistics teams to ensure that every step of the attendee journey was properly mapped to provide the optimum balance of branding, wayfinding, and partner/sponsor signage across the massive venue that is the New Orleans Convention Center.
• Registration Zone: A robust schedule of industry icons, comic artists, and in-booth challenges kept our Market-Verse experience energized and kept the attendees coming back for more.
  
• Expo Hall:  A main hub that featured over 20 partners and key Unreal Engine divisions, each showcasing their latest technology with multiple screens, and demos stations catered to the key features needed. This space also featured robust branding, and F&B moments throughout the day.
• Live Stream Stage: FGPG managed the production and full Run-of-Show for this highly attended, main content live stream stage of Unreal Fest ’23. Our role included ensuring all the content was properly formatted pre-event along with speaker/presenter pre-show and on-site management. Onsite, our team managed the entire live production including all A/V and tech, lighting, the live stream feed, speaker management, and every other detail of this space, including the real-time content capture for later Video on Demand access.
• Breakout Rooms: We managed over 200 sessions filling dozens of breakout rooms, hands-on-learning rooms, and additional spaces across three jam packed days, ensuring every moment was produced flawlessly.
  
• Casual Gaming Zone: Bean bags and new games gave attendees an opportunity to explore the latest games using the platform, network, and chill for a bit.
• BMW Brand Experience: BMW is one of Unreal Engine’s key partners, and we helped them bring to life their activation that was located within the F&B dining hall, including a surprise visit from Snoop Dogg.
  

 

RESULTS:

Total Conference Attendance:

• Over 2300, the highest attended Unreal Fest Ever!

Success Metrics:

• Over 200 live sessions were completed over 3 days, including Epic Games partners and sponsors.