Owned by brothers Ben and Hall Smyth, the Manhattan Grand Opening is a design company that reinvents the front of its store as a rotating exhibit of many “Grand Openings.”
Some of the successive, interactive, community-accessible installations the Manhattan-based Grand Opening are described below:
The world’s smallest drive-in movie theater consisted of a movie screen in front of a single blue 1965 Ford Falcon convertible. The scene was surrounded by a faux starry sky of tiny twinkling lights seen through sheer black fabric. (Because of its popularity, the Smyth brothers are looking for a permanent location.)
The Wedding Chapel is a *very* pink floral space that can be rented by the hour for nuptials and subsequent receptions. Grand Opening has proclaimed the venue ‘Vegas—-the New York way.’
In a three-month initiative called PONG, locals were given the opportunity to ‘engage in a unique and entertaining table tennis experience.’ There was even a final tournament to let those with table tennis talent shine.
The original Manhattan Grand Opening project, Barn for Sale, sold salvaged barn wood.
What's Driving This Trend
- Interactive Storefronts
- Opportunities for businesses to create rotating exhibits and interactive installations in front of their stores.
- Micro Event Spaces
- The rise of renting small, themed spaces by the hour for events and gatherings.
- Unique Experiences
- Offering locals the chance to engage in unique and entertaining experiences, such as table tennis tournaments.
Who This Affects Most
- Retail Design
- Designing innovative storefront concepts that attract customers through interactive installations.
- Event Rental
- Providing micro event spaces for rent, allowing people to host small gatherings and events.
- Entertainment
- Creating unique entertainment experiences for locals, such as table tennis tournaments and interactive exhibits.
