SXSW marketplace.
RED VELVET partnered with Texas A&M to transform a 100-square-foot corner into “The Marketplace of the Future,” an interactive experience showcasing Texas A&M’s food sustainability research across land, sea, and space.
Experience Design
Experience Production
B2C Experience
Product Sampling
608k+
impressions on social media
2.5k
attendees over 3 days
87%
favorable sentiment Texas A&M rating
context.
Texas A&M came to SXSW with a powerful truth: the future of food isn’t an abstract idea, it’s already happening. Their researchers are solving food sustainability at every frontier: cultivating smarter agriculture on land, designing solutions in our oceans, and even exploring possibilities in orbit. The challenge? How to make that story not only heard, but felt inside the buzzing energy of the Fast Company Grille during SXSW. Adding to that the reality of a sub-100-square-foot footprint with minimal room for storage or staging, we had to build an experience that was compact, captivating, and sustainable. This was not about spectacle for spectacle’s sake. It was about translating groundbreaking research into an emotional, human-centered encounter to spark curiosity.
the ask.
The ask was deceptively simple: show SXSW attendees that the university isn’t just thinking about the future of food, it’s building it now. But to succeed, we needed to do more than share information; we needed to design a conversation. Guests had to walk away not only with knowledge but with a sense of participation in something larger than themselves. The experience had to be flexible, highly visual, and intuitive enough to pull guests in from a crowded, chaotic corridor. It also had to embody sustainability in its design and execution, aligning with the very values Texas A&M researchers are advancing. On top of all this, the activation needed to deliver measurable engagement: proof that a small footprint could make an outsized impact on awareness, sentiment, and reputation among an audience primed for innovation.
the process.
solution.
RED VELVET designed a space across land, sea, and space through tactile displays, bold visuals, and interactive touchpoints that made Texas A&M’s sustainability research tangible and personal. At the heart of the activation, a digital photo mosaic wall became the centerpiece of engagement. Guests added their portraits in real time, ultimately forming a striking collective image of 1,760 faces. It was a powerful reminder that shaping the future of food requires all of us.
The results spoke volumes as over 2,500 guests explored the activation over three days. Positive sentiment soared and media coverage extended the impact beyond the Fast Company Grille, amplifying Texas A&M’s vision on digital and broadcast platforms. Amid the SXSW noise, this small but mighty space proved that thoughtful design captures attention and leaves a lasting impression.
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