Answer: the seventh annual BET Experience—or BETX—taking place June 20 to 23 at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. The eclectic festival, presented by Coca-Cola, is a fan-focused gathering that culminates in the BET Awards on June 23. BET launched the festival in 2013 as a way to connect fans with the music, comedy, and entertainment, and capitalize on the buzz surrounding the BET Awards.
The BET Awards are, and has always been, a cultural magnet. They bring all of this talent, all of these fans, all of their sponsors—all of their key constituents—together for the greatest celebration of black music and culture on television. According to BizBash, the BET team realized that the opportunity to tap into this energy and effort extended well beyond a single night, and the BET Experience was born.
What sets the festival apart, though, is that tickets to many of the events are free with advance registration. Guests can experience runway shows with lines from Karl Kani and Sprayground, panel discussions with Lena Waithe and Yara Shahidi, sneaker customization classes, and more. New components this year include a gaming tournament and "Next Rap Star" competition, where rappers will compete for a chance to perform at next year's festival.
BET focuses on both established and emerging talent that our audience can experience for free at the fan fest. They add new activations based on where they see culture going and on what their audience tells them. BET brings in speakers to address issues and topics that are on consumers’ minds, and that affect consumers’ lives.
Nightly concerts at the Staples Center, where top acts including Blige, Cardi B, Migos, H.E.R., and Meek Mill will perform, do require paid tickets, as does a celebrity basketball game that raises money for charity. Tickets at the highest price points even offer access to the BET Awards themselves.
Of course, an event of this magnitude doesn't come without its hiccups. It literally takes a village to pull an event of this magnitude off.
A part of that village is sponsors, which allow many of the events to remain free. BET's long-standing partners really understand what BETX is and they bring a lot to the event. The Coca-Cola stage is always hot. Sprite and the Kicksperience. Their partners at McDonald's bring their own positivity to the event. Nissan, Mars, and many, many others all enhance the consumer experience. BET's sister companies also come out on full force—Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and more. They're all combining to bring a broad experience to consumers.
Overall, the network expects to draw 170,000 fans this year, an increase from last year.
The 19th annual BET Awards take place at the Microsoft Theater on June 23 and air live on BET. Actress Regina Hall will host, and Blige will be presented with a lifetime achievement award. Follow BET's lead and consider hosting an experience that allows your consumers to devour the details of an experience unlike any other! And don't forget to tune in and see it for yourself this Sunday!
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