Next/Now

I am the Marketing & Communications of 360 CHICAGO

360 CHICAGO is the observation deck located on the 94th floor of the former John Hancock Center, offering panoramic views of Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan, and featuring the thrilling TILT experience and CloudBar.

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6-10 Employees

Next/Now was tasked with transforming 360 CHICAGO’s ground-level concourse into an immersive, story-driven experience that complements the excitement of the observation deck. Scope of work included designing and building nine unique zones, each telling the story of 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago past, present, and future, and offering guests a preview of the awe-inspiring views awaiting them on the 94th floor. Next/Now supported all aspects of the project from idea conception to digital and physical build out.

Their project management was responsive and adaptable, ensuring smooth communication and delivery of each project milestone. They demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting deadlines and were receptive to our needs, accommodating several rounds of feedback with patience and professionalism. Particularly impressive was their understanding and integration of input from multiple stakeholders (across continents and timezones), skillfully balancing diverse perspectives to align with our vision and objectives.

Their exceptional teamwork was impressive. They demonstrated true collaboration, not only in how they engaged with our team but also in how they worked cohesively within their own team. Their synergy and dedication made them feel like an extension of our team.

A recommended area for improvement would be establishing clearer roles and responsibilities, particularly regarding ownership of final deliverables when additional partners, like our contractors, are involved. As more collaborators were looped in, there were occasional challenges in defining accountability, which could be addressed by setting up more structured communication and responsibility guidelines at the outset.

The company I work for is called Shiraz Creative. We work mainly in the experiential events space, but we also do brand marketing. I’m the director of digital.

We’ve created a large conference for one of our clients. We brought them in to create an engaging activation space.

They developed a VR program for us and a game that puts guests through the experience of going through a purchase process with our client. We used Oculus Go, and for programming used Unreal.

We worked directly with two people, and they had developers and programmers doing the work.

We originally went online and started doing research on companies in that space. They happened to be at an event in Chicago where we were hosting our event. After having a conversation with them, the vibe felt right and it seemed like a good fit. We met them at their offices and were able to collaborate and get work done.

We spent between $40,000–$60,000.

We started with them in December 2018 and it ended in May 2019.

It was very well-received the event, which was made clear by how many participants were engaged with it. There were 1,300 people at the event, and about 600 people went through the activation over the course of the event. That kind of engagement is fantastic. Now, we’ve been able to pull them in for other projects with the same client, and all of their work is very consistent. For us, it’s been a very good working relationship.

They use Basecamp, and we were able to work together pretty seamlessly. If we ever needed anything, we could always reach out to someone. The communication aspect was very good. As long as they had enough time and there are no crazy curveballs, there were no issues with deadlines.

In addition to communication, their receptiveness to feedback was a big thing. Whenever we shared feedback with them, they were able to adjust and accommodate what we wanted. They were flexible and communicated well.

Nothing comes to mind.

I’m the production manager at Match Marketing Group, an experiential marketing agency that produces small and large-scale events for clients.

We create experiences and are constantly trying to develop new digital interactives.

Our team has partnered with NEXT/NOW on several digital experiences for a variety of clients. They’ve worked with AR/VR and created general LED screens. Their team has even built a video game for one of our clients.

We’ve worked directly with eight members of their team.

We were looking to build a VR video game. After scouring the Internet and looking at work samples, we brought in several different agencies, including NEXT/NOW. We vetted and looked at work examples & capabilities. Eventually, we found a project that would be a good fit for NEXT/NOW. We bid out to three different companies. NEXT/NOW had the most impressive capabilities. Their proposal was also the most favorable. That’s how our first job started with them.

I believe we’ve spent more than $500,000.

Our engagement with NEXT/NOW started in early 2018. We’re currently working on a few projects right now.

With each project, there are different and specific key metrics that we identify. Overall, we’ve had positive results. From a creativity and functionality standpoint, we’ve been happy with NEXT/NOW’s output. Because of this, we plan on continuing our partnership with them.

We’re enjoyed working with everyone on their team, especially from a project management standpoint. We’re an agency that has a calendar that changes daily. It’s hard to work on multiple projects at a time because of all of the detail, but the team at NEXT/NOW is a strong partner. They drive the projects, keeping us honest with our deadlines and other things they need from us. Along with that, they provide everything we need promptly, keeping the project moving. Their team is strong and buttoned-up, which is another reason we’ve continued working with them.

For one of our clients, their team worked on a custom driving video game. They created controls to highlight certain tech features of a vehicle, coordinating additional visuals that would interact on the consumer-facing side. Lights would flash, and buzzers would go off. This involved a lot of different technologies being connected.

We have one area for improvement that we recently found a temporary solution for. Because these are traveling experiences, we need ongoing technical support. The solutions get put up and torn down over and over again as they move to different events and areas. There are bound to be problems with hardware or software.

I’m the VP of marketing and product management at a hazmat logistics company. We simplify the world of dangerous goods transportation for small and large companies.

My company hired NEXT/NOW to develop a proof of concept (POC).

NEXT/NOW created a POC of how an online 3D experience could enhance dangerous goods training.

We worked with 6–10 team members.

I found them through a LinkedIn search. We were looking for a progressive VR agency that had outstanding experience and great credentials. They were also local.

I initally contacted them in February 2019, and they completed work at the beginning of September.

The quality of the partnership was outstanding. Because this was a POC project, we had a couple of different avenues that we could take. NEXT/NOW was incredibly open and listened to our business objectives before we ultimately decided on the right path to take. What we wanted to create had a lot of complexities, and NEXT/NOW did a nice job learning about our business.

I’ve worked with a lot of agencies, and NEXT/NOW was probably the best project manager that I’ve worked with. Their project management was superior, particularly because we had a tight timeline. We needed to create a POC in time for me to present it to some of our most important customers at a symposium at the beginning of September.

I appreciated their work ethic. We had a very tight timetable since we had to deliver the POC on a specific day, and we were still requesting changes 48–72 hours before going live. At no point did NEXT/NOW say they didn’t have enough time. The final part of the project was over a holiday weekend, and my perception is that their team worked over the weekend to deliver the POC on time. They understood what we wanted to do.

No, not really; they did a nice job.

I’m the director of marketing at Under Armour’s global headquarters.

We hired them to develop a couple out-of-the-box interactive experiences.

Projects focus on AR/VR, Google Cardboard, and 3D face mapping technology. During construction for our Boston flagship store, NEXTNOW created a VR barricade to preview the new location’s look. In a separate project, we’ve recently finished a permanent install with 3D face mapping. We’re now proceeding into the PR execution. For this stage, we add video content and put creative together to submit for industry awards.

I interact with Randy (Director of Business Development, NEXTNOW) and Alan (Founder, NEXTNOW) during the initial stages and they assign a main project manager. Our team then partners with a PR resource during later stages. We work with one person at a time throughout the project’s duration.

One of my professional connections put me in touch with NEXTNOW. The team was a boutique agency, but I knew they could handle larger projects. Although Under Armour didn’t have an immediate need, we kept them in the back our minds and met the team at various conferences. But I got the idea for the Boston project when I encountered a construction site in New York, and wondered what the finished building would look like. Coincidentally, I noticed the barricade on my way to meet Randy and Alan for dinner during a retail industry event. The three of us then ideated the project that would become our VR barricade.

We’ve spent just under $150,000.

We started working together in 2016 and the partnership is ongoing.

NEXTNOW delivered the main key performance indicator (KPI) for the VR barricade, which successfully captured customer data as we moved into a new market. The barricade collected users’ email address via login and we used that information to invite them to experience our brand in real life. Overall, we achieved high engagement levels and a substantial amount of clean data for marketing.

They are true visionaries and the best partner ever. Sheila (General Manager, NEXTNOW) is the most organized person I’ve ever met. The team is flexible, but doesn’t let any issue slip by. They call us regularly to communicate status, progress, and possible delays, but never in a pushy manner. Overall, NEXTNOW stays on top of the project and helps us make the best decisions.

As a thought partner, NEXTNOW helps us ideate projects and execute our vison. The team’s strong project management skills always ensure a smooth development process. What’s more, they partner with us at conferences to submit the AR/VR solutions for different awards. Our team aims to share projects with industry peers and help NEXTNOW gain visibility for their work. Likewise, we to continue to celebrate the partnership even after the development’s completion.

NEXTNOW should share results with their other clients to spark creativity for future projects. We would love to leverage the team and I’m extremely comfortable referring them. However, I don’t fully understand their offerings because I don’t see all of their other projects. Although we don’t want daily communication, the team should contact us on a regular basis. As an established company, our team can also help NEXTNOW get business from other companies.