Written for the Occupancy Marketing blog

Feeling inspired by end of year degree shows exhibiting works of art? Some art pieces are so innovative and awe inspiring they deserve their own spot in the National Gallery. By comparison hotels can be, well, a little boring with their artwork, both on their property walls and also on their websites. They lack fresh content, for the property, the website, and the social media channels… but hotels have space and opportunities aplenty to host some pop-up events and bring some excitement to the hotel. Here are a few of our favourite pop-up ideas:

Host a music festival – The Michelberger Hotel in Berlin hosted the Michelberger Mystery Music Festival in August 2011 in the hotel’s courtyard and, from the looks of some of the photos, in some of the rooms too. Berlin is certainly one of the hotspot’s in the world’s music scene but there’s no reason why your hotel, no matter how small, luxury, exclusive or out of the way can’t book some bands and arrange an event that matches your guests tastes.

Dining with a twist – There’s probably no end to creative dining ideas. Are you a 5 star hotel? Showcase the kitchen team by cooking a BBQ for the night. Normally need to book your restaurant weeks in advance? Open a one-night-only takeaway. Is dinner normally quite relaxed? Enforce black tie, turn of the lights, light the candles, etc. Swap chefs with another hotel. Pair all your courses with Norwegian wines (or French whiskies). Last year Edinburgh saw a pop-up event in a derelict church where the diners ate at one long table and were fed by some of the country’s top up-and-coming food and drink specialists. The possibilities are endless – and the more people you have on board the more publicity opportunities there are.

Organise a Market – whether it’s vintage fashion, crafts, organic produce from the region, or a WI-inspired bake sale there’s plenty of scope for a hotel to pull in local suppliers to play host to a market – attracting local residents and showcasing the hotel’s style

Schedule Workshops – If there’s an art gallery near your hotel – why not turn your meeting room into a free art class for guests on Sunday nights?

Allocate space to a Shop – whether you invite a partner brand into your hotel for the week or just simply ask a few makers to take inspiration from your hotel and make and sell some of their works, it’s sure to create some interest.

Put on a Cinema – self explanatory really – create an ‘80’s night, a B-movie horror night or an evening of films set near your hotel

Host a Gallery – as mentioned above, there are no shortage of great artists out there!

Organise a Fashion show – a bit harder to pull off but with a large number of guests, but the pay-off is well worth it.

Be a Brewery – who knows, maybe your hotel could brew its own beer or get some local homebrewers into a brew-off!

Record it – include a photobooth, offer free WiFi and suggest a hashtag to help guests talk about the event. Film it for your own channels, or encourage participants to upload their own recordings. By having the event recorded and you’ll have people chatting about you for days and weeks to come.

Whatever you do remember that a pop-up is supposed to feel fairly spontaneous and temporary – don’t overdo the finished product, but do spend a bit of time on the planning. We’d love to hear what you get up to!