GPJ at CES 2017

GPJ stands out from the crowd at the largest technology show in the world, representing five major clients and attracting over 7,000 booth visits in total.

HONDA

GPJ realized early on in the planning stages that Honda had some lofty goals to fulfill for this year’s CES. Not only did Honda want to make several jaw dropping announcements that would once again show the world that Honda Engineering reigns supreme, but they also wanted to turn the tables on the classic trade show experience.

Clearly, we had our work cut out for us.

Leveraging our award-winning strategy, live production and design expertise, we created several activations that combined Honda’s industry-leading technologies with GPJ’s state-of-the-art production. In the GPJ custom-made UNI-CUB Robotics Rink, attendees tested out Honda’s self-balancing personal mobility device. GPJ crafted the Safe Swarm Room to showcase an interactive projection mapping and a diorama experience in a dramatic way. In conjunction with Spinifex Group and other partners, the experience was controlled by a series of tablets and illustrated various safety-related connected car technologies. And to learn even more about Honda and its groundbreaking new technologies, we designed a Tech Talk Stage that featured two 30-minute talks per day by the leads of Honda Silicon Valley Lab (HSVL).

With highly anticipated unveils including the ‘Riding Assist’ technology that allows Honda motorcycles to self-balance, GPJ created custom-made displays to showcase these new products. GPJ designed and fabricated the Dream Works VR Display, which demonstrated a future in-car VR entertainment experience, and the LEIA 3D Display that showcased a ‘no eyewear necessary’ holographic image. And periodic live Robotics Demonstrations showcased the NeuV, UNI-CUBs and the Riding Assist Motorcycle, with corresponding content displayed on a curved, 38’ LED screen.

Honda’s main objective was to firmly seat the idea of a Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem: their commitment to collaborating to create Intelligent, Connected, and Fun Mobility for a better future. Key to that concept is the Open Innovation Philosophy. At the Honda Silicon Valley Lab (HSVL) Open Innovation Bar, designed and created by GPJ, guests were able to make an appointment to speak one-on-one with engineers and developers, get an overview of HSVL and learn about different divisions at Honda. Dozens of developers took advantage of the opportunity to sit down and begin the ‘let’s work together’ dialogue with Honda.

From video creation to custom fabrication, GPJ designed a space that allowed Honda to truly shine at this year’s CES. The stand was without question the most popular in the North Hall, with more than 600 registrants and a 94% opt-in rate for further contact from Honda.

Honda’s ten-year hiatus from CES warranted a spectacular showing: requested by Honda, and stunningly delivered by GPJ.

UNDER ARMOUR

A complete booth redesign. A larger footprint than last year. Multiple celebrity appearances.

This year, the Under Armour booth was much more than a promotion of the company’s newest products and technologies – it was a completely immersive experience that enabled attendees to test the true power and capabilities of the Under Armour brand.

In the center of the booth, the OptoJump activation showcased interactive “physical challenge” technology. Built by GPJ and in partnership with IDX, attendees engaged with the interactive readiness/skill test that helps athletes measure speed, power, and reaction.

Designed by GPJ and developed in conjunction with Project agency Spinifex, two interactive Touchscreen OLEDs led attendees on guided or self-led digital explorations of UA Record-equipped running shoes and Under Armour’s new Recovery Sleepwear in collaboration with Tom Brady.

The aptly-positioned main stage and eye-catching interactive “Make You Famous” wall served as perfect platforms to spotlight various Under Armour-sponsored celebrities including world champion swimmer Michael Phelps, 2015 National League MVP Bryce Harper and world champion sprinter Natasha Hastings.

On the perimeter of the booth, GPJ’s custom-built architecture showcased various Under Armour products and GPJ’s floor-to-ceiling graphics made the Under Armour story feel larger-than-life.

With the help of GPJ and partners, CES 2017 put Under Armour on the digital transformation map, marking its rightful place in the tech world as their clothing, wearables, apps and data continue to merge.

TOYOTA

This year, Toyota wanted to leverage their presence at CES to strengthen its positioning as a future mobility brand, not just simply another car company.

We started with the design of the space. To help set Toyota apart from the ‘red-on-white’ auto show presence, GPJ created a brand mark on a black overhead header. By incorporating darker tones, the high contrast illustrated an innovative and technological spirit, and helped the brand truly shine on the show floor.

Using our expert fabrication experience, GPJ created the center stage that featured Toyota’s industry-leading Artificial Intelligence concept car. Supported by a programmable turntable, an expansive LED coupled with a guest speaker helped tell the story of the AI car.

Press and guests were then invited to experience a driver simulation of the AI car next to the stage in a glass enclosed environment, which was fabricated by GPJ with the video and the experience built by Toyota. Attendees could also venture over to the opposite corner of the space, where the Entune/JBL/SDL lounge showcased touchscreen interactive stations and charging benches.

Toyota’s success at CES 2017 solidified their rightful place as an industry-leader in the mobility brand space.

IBM

From the Venetian to the Las Vegas Convention Center, GPJ leveraged our industry-leading design, fabrication and event production experience to ensure IBM’s multi-location presence at this year’s CES was purposeful, effective and transformative.

In the convention center, the “Outthink Hidden” booth leveraged GPJ’s custom-built architecture and graphics to tell the story of the new biographical drama, Hidden Figures, and illustrate the significant role IBM played in NASA’s launch into space in the 1960s. The booth also acted as a launch pad for IBM’s newest augmented reality app, which allowed users to point their camera at a QR code to see a statue representing one of the Hidden Figure characters.

A whopping 6,000 attendees visited the booth, contributing to the 62.4 million Twitter impressions and the 44,334 Snapchat views IBM received in total at the conference.

At the Venetian, the IBM Client Center and Theater/Design Lab – both conceived and created entirely by GPJ – welcomed clients and customers as they attended meetings, participated in networking opportunities and even hung out with special guest stars. Oscar nominated star Octavia Spencer stopped by to check out the latest IBM technology and products, while promoting her role in the Hidden Figures movie.

“The strategy is brilliant!”

“[I’m] impressed with the level of C-Suite and Line of Business executives that visited the IBM Client Center. [We] would not have been able to talk to that level of executives on the main show floor.”

NISSAN

For their debut at CES, Nissan wanted to reveal their game-changing plan for creating a zero emission, zero fatality world. An announcement this big required some major planning and GPJ was up for the challenge.

We started the process with a series for workshops to better understand the technical implications of what this announcement would mean to the driving public and how to best bring the story to the press at CES.

As a stepping stone to reaching this goal, Nissan collaborated with NASA to introduce the concept of Seamless Intelligent Mobility, or SAM. SAM enables autonomously driven vehicles to integrate seamlessly with human drivers on the road today by providing a human safety net for driverless vehicles. At CES, GPJ demonstrated this technology live on the show floor by connecting to NASA’s Ames Research Center in real-time.

To help Nissan’s message resonate with the press at CES, GPJ took a unique approach to the experience design. Blocking the visual and audible noise of the show floor at CES, GPJ created a theater-in-the-round, an enclosed booth with four narrow entrances and four massive LED walls facing the interior. This created an intimate experience inside the booth and completely immersed attendees in the Nissan story.

In the center of the space, a main stage served as the central hub for the booth. Product Specialists presented Nissan’s vision for the future of transportation, while a mobility manager oversaw the fleet of prototype driverless Nissan Leafs in Silicon Valley navigating the NASA campus. The vehicles overcame staged obstacles such as a Mars Rover being unloaded from the back of a delivery truck. The vehicles were monitored via a high-tech console featuring transparent LCDs, which allowed attendees to see the overlay of the vehicle management interface while watching it live on the four LED screens in the space.

With help from Project agency Spinifex, GPJ was able to show proof of concept in action while creating a truly unforgettable experience.