Due to the implementation of tools to support local health and safety measures, company’s partners for live events together with shopping malls met the demand for licensed events across various regions
Since the beginning of the pandemic’s second wave, Animaccord’s Meet & Greet partners together with shopping malls have organized over 50 digital and offline events across various countries and regions.
Masha and the Bear events organized in shopping malls became the FIRST licensed shows by Eventbox, the company’s major Meet & Greet partner in the Middle East and Northern Africa, held during the COVID pandemic. The live events, which adhered to all local health and safety guidelines, took place between January 7th and 16th, 2021 at the City Center Mirdif, shopping center in Dubai, attracting more than 8,000 visitors.
In Russia, several successful offline and online activities were hosted in the AFIMALL shopping center in Moscow from December 2020 through January 2021. Over 3,000 tickets were sold to an indoor ice-skating rink on the top floor of the mall that was surrounded by scenery and included characters from Masha and the Bear. Meanwhile, 11 of 15 live ‘Theatre on Ice’ mini performances, featuring professional figure-skaters, were sold out. The licensee also organized a part of the event in digital format, creating an online quiz based on a specially filmed series of five cosplay videos where Masha explores the shopping mall in search of New Year presents consisting of 1,134 products from the company’s main licensees.
In countries where live events and public gatherings are still not permitted, Meet & Greet partners have found innovative solutions – in Italy, for example, Masha and the Bear has signed a new contract for Meet & Greet events through 2022 with Soluna Eventi, an entertainment company that has developed so-called ‘diffused events’ – immersive paths or quests inside shopping malls where kids can be entertained with Masha’s Songs online while they embark along their journey, a journey they are guided through with the help of several branded checkpoints spread throughout the mall.
In Asia, a number of outdoor events were held: in China, Masha and the Bear was the only Russian licensee at an event including multiple brands organized by ByteDance Group together with CCTV and local media and government, while in Vietnam, a series of Meet & Greets, supported by Simba Vietnam, drew over 1,500 visitors.
And in Sweden, a ‘Ghost Hunt Party’ live event held during Halloween drew more than 150 visitors proceeded a ‘Digital Treasure Hunt’ during Christmas time where the characters hid a number of gift cards on video and challenged followers on social media to guess where they were hidden in the shopping malls of Stockholm.
More events are expected across multiple cities in Russia, China, and Thailand in Q1, all of which will be conducted in accordance with all health restrictions and safety guidelines for public events.
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