Strangers become friends during a puzzle journey to discover a Faerie thief - to the backdrop of live jazz, Italian cuisine and science disguised as magic.
The Challenge:
One hundred and twenty guests (120), from forty-five (45) countries would be coming together for a single evening.
Lila Quests were commissioned to create a social mixer that would appeal to every national group and facilitate organic intercultural socializing.
Facing an established history of strong national and cultural 'cliques', the user experience journey (UX) would need to transcend language barriers and jumpstart community bonding.
Our Solution:
The habits of the various groups revealed an over-arching inclination towards problem solving - this became our UX cornerstone.
We custom designed (and beta tested) a sequential puzzle hunt that would require ten (10) strangers to work closely together as a team. This could be replicated and run in parallel for twelve (12) teams or more. To ensure the barrier-of-entry was effortless, we embedded the beginning of the hunt into an evening of high-class entertainment: catered Italian cuisine, live jazz, and a 1920's theme, with the first clue being a surprise reveal beneath their dessert.
Storytelling was written and incorporated to bring a whimsical motivation to each team as they raced to reveal a Fairy thief hiding among them.
Special features included six (6) video clues embedded in static pictures, (revealed through the magic of the Lens of Truth) and an original Fae script developed by calligrapher John Stimson.
In Numbers:
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150 attendees
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Technology featured: Prynt App
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Contributor partners: Emily Poole Jazz Quartet, John Stimson Calligraphy
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4.9/5 stars for General Fun from participant feedback
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4.6/5 stars for Bonding from participant feedback