Van Wagner Experiential 

The Transformation Station

Unfortunately, weary SXSW attendees rarely find time for sleep. Van Wagner Experiential teamed up with FX and built the Transformation Station, an immersive environment that allowed attendees to take short naps throughout the day, so they could rest up for a night out on the town. FX transformed the Mexic-Arte Museum in downtown Austin from March 7-10.

The Transformation Station featured 10 custom-built sleep pods, designed to resemble vampire tombs.  SXSW attendees booked nap times on their mobile phones, through a web app at www.thestrainpods.com, and checked in at a hostess stand on arrival.  A guide escorted each visitor to their “Rejuvenation Pod”, which included a port for charging mobile devices, and a Samsung tablet loaded with exclusive content from the show and The Strain audio book.  When the pod doors closed, patrons began their 20-minute power nap.  After a nap, people were given a “Strain Vaccine” (a branded energy shot), to wake them up and keep them going all night.

The Transformation Station also included two lounge areas where people waited if they were early for an appointment or if they just wanted to take a break from the high energy at SXSW.  The lounges had multiple charging stations, comfortable seating, branded water bottles, The Strain comic books and HD screens playing content from the show. 

Key Metrics:

• Over 3,500 SXSW attendees entered the Transformation Station over four days to take advantage of the lounge space and recharge.

• Pod occupancy was 72%, surpassing expectations and making over 400+ tired SXSW attendees very happy! 

• Guests were excited to share photos and talk about their naps on social media, garnering 1.5MM+ social impressions.