After being cooped up inside with few opportunities to socialize, people yearned to break the overwhelming isolation they’d experienced during the pandemic. During the past couple of years, younger generations, especially, have been “revenge living,” spending on travel and other lavish experiences to make up for lost time.
That’s where Authentic Live, a dedicated business launched by Authentic Brands Group, has stepped in to create, curate, and host live events as well as immersive experiences. Those outings connect to the group’s 50-plus brands, including Sports Illustrated, Shaquille O’Neal, and more, which have become particularly popular with Gen Z and millennials. The company, at its 50-plus signature events per year (plus other lifestyle and corporate events), blends celebrity heat, premium pricing, and data-driven outcomes at the biggest tentpoles, like the Super Bowl, F1, Kentucky Derby, and more.
“Coming out of COVID [the] generation behind me is craving for tactile experiences and want to be in the arena,” Dan Dienst, executive vice chairman of tactical opportunities at Authentic Brands Group, told Fortune.
PHOTO COURTESY AUTHENTIC LIVE.
One such major upcoming event is Shaq’s Fun House, which will be hosted the Friday night before the Super Bowl next month. Dienst described it as a music experience, plus an outdoor carnival with rides, booths, and performances by Tiësto, T-Pain, and Disco Lines.
