Brian Zolot

• Rooftop deck w/ collapsible railings
• Push-button fold-down side and end-cap decks w/ detachable railings
• Electrical, lights, TV, heaters, and fans
• Credenza and flooring
• Two-tone paint job to match Nokian’s brand colors
• Custom signage & branding
• Cladding (interior & exterior) to match their U.S. Headquarters facade
• Custom trailer w/ a custom skirt to hide the trailer once activated
• Stairs for side decks and the rooftop deck
• A true transformer – folds up for transport and opens up when deployed at any location

The activation is traveling with the Nokian Tyres North America roadshow team to ski resorts, events, and trade shows throughout the country. The activation first stopped at Killington Ski Resort in Killington, Vermont in December 2021 for the Homelight Killington Cup (the FIS Women’s Alpine Skiing World Cup. The activation then stopped at Copper Mountain Colorado in late January for Copper’s annual Nokian Safety Fest. The unit was parked at the base of Copper Mountain’s main chair lift, where the Nokian team taught skiers and snowboarders about tire safety and showcased their world-class winter tires (two lucky winners even went home with a brand new set of winter tires that weekend). “Roxanne” is now headed to Mount Bachelor in Oregon and Snowbird Resort in Utah!

Phase 1 (Design + Planning) for this project took about 3 weeks since the design is based on our “standard” 20’ experiential model. We worked collaboratively with Nokian to refine the standard model and to integrate their branding while incorporating some add-ons like the rooftop deck, cladding, and two-tone paint. Next we moved into Phase 2 (Shop Drawings + Quote) where we produced detailed shop drawings and the final quote for Nokian’s approval in ~4 weeks. We then dove into Phase 3 (Production + Construction) but encountered some supply chain issues for materials that forced us to adjust on-the-fly in order to meet the project’s timeline – can’t miss the first stop of the event tour! The production of “Roxanne” took ~7 weeks and produced one of the coolest single containers we’ve ever built. For this project, we implemented our Phase 5 (Tour Management & Logistics) to help coordinate delivery, film a set up and tear down instructional video for the Nokian marketing, sent out a team member to train Nokian’s team and help deploy the unit for the first time, and helped coordinate transportation to Copper for the second activation.

• (4) 40’L x 10’W, (2) 20’L x 10’W, (2) 10’L x 10’W custom-built steel-framed modular structures with a custom wall panel system, demising walls, sloped roof, and transom windows.
• Custom glass storefront windows
• Custom glass dutch-doors
• Built-out interior w/ framing, insulation, and finished Baltic birch walls
• Electrical & lights
• HVAC with heating
• High-end vinyl flooring
• Black exterior paint and exterior wood cladding
  

Each 40’ structure is divided into 3 retail spaces, the 20’ units house 2 retail spaces, and the 10’ units are used for admin spaces and hot cocoa + pre-packaged food.

The Detroit Holiday Village is located in Cadillac Square in Detroit’s city center. Surrounded by some of Detroit’s most iconic buildings and located across the street from the city’s 50 foot tall Christmas tree and ice skating rink, the downtown village is the perfect holiday activity for people of all ages!

Since Groundswell led the design and permitting of the project, we were able to skip Phase 1 (Planning + Design) for these temporary/mobile structures. We worked collaboratively with Groundswell to refine their drawings and produce detailed shop drawings in Phase 2 for client and permit approval. We then jumped right to Phase 3 (Production + Construction) in order to meet the project’s aggressive timeline – the holidays don’t wait for anyone! The production of the units took 9 weeks and pushed our team to the limit. ROXBOX coordinated delivery which required oversized load permits and coordination with the city to shut down roads in downtown Detroit, in conjunction with offloading via a crane to place the units in Cadillac Square.

• 20’ Standard height (8’6’’H) one-trip shipping container
• Rooftop deck w/ grating
• Detachable powder-coated railings
• Safety ladder
• Night vision cameras and exterior monitoring station
• Interior lights & outlets
• Simple electric system w/ a 110v “standard” outlet plug
• Side escape tube and hatch
• Roof-top escape hatch
• Interior blackout paint
• Exterior LIUNA orange paint

This custom 20’ confined space training unit can be found inside the LiUNA Ontario, Canada, facility.

This unit followed our standard Four Phase approach. Phase 1 took about 3 weeks to complete with a focus on meeting the requirements for confined space simulation. In Phase 2, we refined those conceptual drawings to create detailed shop drawings. Since this unit is classified as a mobile unit, we were able to move quickly through Phase 2 as we could bypass the sometimes lengthy process of architecture & engineering stamps, submission, review, redlines, revisions, etc. With the LiUNA approved plans in hand, we jumped into Phase 3 and built out the confined space unit in ~6 weeks at our Denver facility. Delivery in Phase 4 took about 5 days to get from Denver, Colorado to Ontario, Canada.

• 40’ one-trip shipping container
• 300 sq ft of kitchen space
• Electric, lighting and plumbing
• Stainless steel walls and ceiling
• Custom wood interior and exterior countertops including an exterior ADA counter
• Kitchen equipment and appliances (including a refrigerator, deep fryers, ice cream machine, beverage dispenser, kitchen hood w/ Ansul system, condiments counter, hand sink, triple sink, slushie machine, water tanks, stainless steel storage cabinets and shelving)
• Custom sliding glass service windows with retractable container awnings
• Two employee entrance doors including modifying the container door
• Epoxy floors
• Central heating and cooling
• Custom two-sided Bradley’s sign and branding
• Container painted dark gray
• Custom painted mural depicting Winter Park’s history

The mobile shipping container kitchen can be found moving between locations at the base of Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, Colorado. Winter Park is an alpine ski resort in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and is about a ninety-minute drive from Denver. In the summer and fall months, you can find the container kitchen at the base of the gondola serving mountain bikers and hikers. In the winter and early spring months, you can find it at the base of Mary Jane Mountain serving ski-in/ski-out skiers and snowboarders. With delicious food, an eye-catching aesthetic, and a convenient location, Bradley’s has become a staple for Winter Park guests and locals.

Bradley’s followed our standard 4 Phase approach for a mobile kitchen with a correlating timeline. Phase 1 took about three weeks to complete with a focus on the aesthetic design elements and the kitchen layout. We worked hand-in-hand with Winter Park’s team to move the project through Phase 2 and collaboratively develop comprehensive construction drawings while getting sign-offs from the local AHJ. Since this unit is classified as a mobile unit with on-board water tanks, we were able to move quickly through Phase 2. With approved plans in-hand, we jumped into Phase 3 and built our first 40’ mobile container kitchen in ~12 weeks at our Denver facility (a build that takes us half the time now). Delivery in Phase 4 was a bit tricky given the mountainous region, size and weight of the unit (and the fact that it was snowing sideways during the delivery), but we got the unit installed at the base of Mary Jane Mountain and it was up and running in time for ski season.

When it comes to Experiential Marketing activations, there are an endless number of routes a brand can take. In many situations, shipping containers offer the perfect solution due to their functionality, durability, mobility, and aesthetics. Below, we take a closer look at what makes shipping containers the perfect building material for your next experiential marketing activation.

Just as a shipping container full of cargo can be shipped almost anywhere in the world, so can a marketing activation built out of a shipping container. Simply load the activation onto the back of a truck or trailer and ship it onto the next festival, event, conference, or tradeshow your business is attending.

When travelling from event to event, you need a marketing activation that will be able to withstand the constant travel, setup, teardown and customer interactions that come with life on the road. Nothing is more durable than a corten 14 gauge corrugated steel shipping container. Built by some of the most experienced craftsmen in the shipping container space, you can be confident our modified containers will be durable enough to withstand the beating that comes with moving a marketing activation from one location to the next. Unlike flimsy tents or kiosks, our container modifications don’t require the constant repairs and upkeep that come with many marketing activations.

With container modifications, setup and teardown are easy. Depending on how you customize your build, simply fold up and down the doors, stages and awnings and off you go. Save time and energy on setup and teardown and focus more of your efforts on giving your customers the awesome experience they are looking for!

Think of a shipping container as a steel box blank canvas. Whatever your vision is for your next experiential marketing activation, we can build it out of containers. With our talented team of designers, engineers, architects, and craftsmen, almost anything is possible when it comes to shipping container modifications. From mobile retail spaces to off-grid solar powered bars, we have the skills and expertise to fully customize a container to exactly what you are looking for.

Shipping containers come in two sizes, 20 feet and 40 feet, and we build marketing activations out of both options. However, sometimes one container isn’t enough space to truly offer the full experience you are looking to give your customers and audience. Luckily containers are made to be grouped and stacked, and therefore offer unlimited possibility when it comes to design, layout and square footage. Whether you want two containers side by side or five containers in a unique and exciting array, our team will make sure you have more than enough space to wow your customers!

Experiential Marketing activations can be pricey investments, and with so many options it can be challenging to find what will work best for your brand. Shipping container modifications can make this decision easy, as they are comparable in price to many other marketing activation options, but offer much more functionality, durability, and mobility within these price ranges.

Our talented team of designers, architects, engineers, and craftsmen will work with your team to design and build your activation within any time frame you have. We also take care of the permitting process. The last thing you want is to build and deliver a great concept only to learn that you aren’t legally allowed to activate it. We therefore take the stress of that entire process off your plate and ensure we deliver a compliant, safe activation on time, every time!

Shipping containers are sure to make your brand stand out at events crowded with tents, booths, and kiosks. Shipping container modifications are cool, eye-catching, exciting and unique, and are sure to draw the attention of anyone in attendance wherever you place it!

People love sharing new, cool and exciting content on social media, and nothing is as new, cool and exciting as a shipping container activation. Watch as people take photos and videos of your shipping container modification and share that content all over social media. Nothing beats free marketing!