2015 has seen the weird and wonderful come to London – owl pop-up cafes, a food museum complete with butterfly house, a cereal café, a bar with breathable alcohol, and chemical cocktail cooking, amongst others. One person making waves in the events industry is Seb Lyall, founder of app Locappy and dubbed ‘one to watch’ by Talent International, Richard Branson and WIRED. He is also curator of a number of ad hoc innovative events under the Lollipop/ABQ umbrella. In April 2015 he brought the Annie the Owl pop-up event to Soho, which was a chance for Londoners to meet and learn about six feathered friends, receiving free canapés and smoothies on arrival. |
This was followed up by his much celebrated ABQ Breaking Bad experience, where up to 20 people at a time worked in teams to cook up cocktails in a Breaking Bad inspired RV. By popular demand a brand new RV will be back, this time in Central London, Zone 1, in early 2016. Tickets are due to be released shortly.
More recently he brought the weekend pop-up ‘Moleculart’, an interactive installation in a highly immersive setting, to Oxo Bargehouse. Molecular cocktails were sipped as attendees grabbed pastels, paint brushes, and spray cans to create art on a backdrop of projected videos showing microscopic images of alcohol, drug and tear particles. Four additional small installations by Maurice Mikkers lit up the rest of the room.
More recently he brought the weekend pop-up ‘Moleculart’, an interactive installation in a highly immersive setting, to Oxo Bargehouse. Molecular cocktails were sipped as attendees grabbed pastels, paint brushes, and spray cans to create art on a backdrop of projected videos showing microscopic images of alcohol, drug and tear particles. Four additional small installations by Maurice Mikkers lit up the rest of the room.
Seb doesn’t shy away from eccentric ideas, and believes that change and innovation has been long due in the events business. “I think people want more than just sitting a bar or a pub having a drink. We are bored because of info overload and repetition.” It is for this reason that Seb’s events keep on coming, “We are always looking to give our community unique experiences. People of London demand and deserve something a bit more special and that is what we aim to do through both our app and the events,” he says.
SLMpickings can reveal that the app, which until now has been known as Locappy, is soon to be called HOOT! Created as a hyper local marketing platform for small businesses, it is set to become the Uber for local tips and info:
“Instead of going through lists of places and suggestions, like you have to do in many discovery apps today, you just ask a local to get instant answers! It’s like a neighborhood chat between local heroes, the local community and your friends.
Our local heroes and the local community are very hands on in helping out anyone who needs a tip about a neighbourhood, be it a restaurant for a date or where to find a good dry cleaners. The app also shows who else hangs out in your neighbourhood”
SLMpickings can reveal that the app, which until now has been known as Locappy, is soon to be called HOOT! Created as a hyper local marketing platform for small businesses, it is set to become the Uber for local tips and info:
“Instead of going through lists of places and suggestions, like you have to do in many discovery apps today, you just ask a local to get instant answers! It’s like a neighborhood chat between local heroes, the local community and your friends.
Our local heroes and the local community are very hands on in helping out anyone who needs a tip about a neighbourhood, be it a restaurant for a date or where to find a good dry cleaners. The app also shows who else hangs out in your neighbourhood”
Seb and the HOOT! team are on a mission to bring neighborhoods together by using innovative technology. They believe that people will soon be talking to each other within neighbourhoods and, dare we say it, even blocks of flats.
“This type of communication is bound to happen through the medium of mobile as it removes any friction or awkwardness which may arise when starting a conversation with a local person. Communication with one's neighbours will also lead to a collective improvement of the society as people will become considerate to each other. Plus who wants to go through boring list of places and categories when there are people who know and are there to help you!”
Londoners can expect more unusual events in 2016. To be in the know join Locappy (soon to be HOOT!) or sign up to ABQ here.
Author: Sarah Moor
“This type of communication is bound to happen through the medium of mobile as it removes any friction or awkwardness which may arise when starting a conversation with a local person. Communication with one's neighbours will also lead to a collective improvement of the society as people will become considerate to each other. Plus who wants to go through boring list of places and categories when there are people who know and are there to help you!”
Londoners can expect more unusual events in 2016. To be in the know join Locappy (soon to be HOOT!) or sign up to ABQ here.
Author: Sarah Moor