Case Study: Pop-Up Events
Event:
Location:
Date:
Downtown Campus Block Party
Edmonton
September 3, 2025
Pop-up events cut through the noise. They create immediate, high-touch connections with audiences in moments when people are already open to discovery and connection. For education and government organizations, strategic pop-up presence at major public events turns passive awareness into active stakeholder engagement.
reVerb Communications was engaged by the City of Edmonton to represent the Valley Line West LRT project at the 2025 Downtown Campus Block Party, a major annual event hosted by MacEwan University, NorQuest College, Women Building Futures, and the Edmonton Downtown Business Association. The event draws thousands of students, faculty, and community members to celebrate the start of the fall term in downtown Edmonton's core; exactly the demographic the City needed to reach about transit safety, construction timelines, and service readiness.
The challenge? Edmonton was blanketed in wildfire smoke on event day, with Environment Canada issuing air quality warnings and an Air Quality Health Index rating of 10+ (very high risk). The pop-up booth strategy needed real-time adaptation.
For a major infrastructure project like Valley Line West, events like this create critical opportunities to reach future transit users where they are. College students and young professionals represent the core demographic for LRT ridership. A well-executed pop-up booth at the Block Party meant reaching thousands of potential daily riders with safety information, construction updates, and service details in a setting where they were already engaged and receptive. This face-to-face engagement complemented reVerb's broader work on LRT project communications, creating multiple touchpoints throughout the project lifecycle.
Behind the Scenes: Planning Under Pressure
reVerb's Meghan Capicio documented the entire 14-day preparation process in a behind-the-scenes video, capturing everything from initial booth design discussions, execution and a post-event debrief. The footage reveals the strategic thinking, logistical coordination, and real-time problem-solving that separates effective event activation from generic brand presence.
Booth placement balanced visibility with foot traffic patterns. Game design created engagement opportunities that felt natural and fun. Each element served dual purposes: attracting attention and creating meaningful touchpoints where Valley Line West's story could be told conversationally. The creative and design strategy behind the booth ensured City of Edmonton branding was clear while interactive elements made LRT safety education engaging.
Then the smoke rolled in. As conditions worsened in the days leading up to September 3rd, the team adapted. Conversations with event organizers shifted. Backup plans were developed.
The Value of Agile Event Strategy
Effective pop-up events require serious strategic work. Success demands advance planning, strategic positioning, engagement design, real-time adaptation, and post-event follow-through.
The choice to activate at the Downtown Campus Block Party was strategic. College students and young professionals are high-frequency transit users. Many will rely on Valley Line West for daily commutes once service begins. Meeting them at a celebration event created positive associations with the project and positioned the LRT as part of their community's future.
reVerb's approach to the Downtown Campus Block Party followed a proven model developed through years of street team and pop-up event work, including extensive experience on Valley Line LRT projects. The team reads crowds, adjusts messaging on the fly, and creates moments that stick with people long after they walk away from the booth.
Despite air quality warnings and an AQHI rating of 10+ on September 3rd, the event proceeded. The pop-up booth attracted consistent engagement throughout the day. Interactive games became conversation starters about Valley Line West construction progress, train safety features, and service timelines. The team answered questions about platform design , distributed materials and helped future riders visualize what to expect from Edmonton's expanding LRT network—all while managing health considerations posed by the smoke. The adaptability paid off in meaningful interactions that built confidence in the project.
More Than Just Presence
Strategic pop-up event work delivers conversations that matter, connections that last, and demonstrates that public infrastructure projects are accessible, engaged, and part of the community they serve. reVerb's work at the Downtown Campus Block Party delivered exactly that for the City of Edmonton's Valley Line West project.
The documentation of this work becomes a powerful asset for demonstrating to Edmontonians that their City shows up to educate and engage even in challenging conditions. It shows project stakeholders the effort behind effective public outreach. And it provides infrastructure clients with proof of concept for pop-up event strategies as part of comprehensive community engagement plans.
Pop-up events work when they're executed with intention. reVerb brings that intentionality to every activation, backed by years of experience turning brief interactions into lasting impressions.
