Experiential Brand Activations Guests Make With Their Hands
Experiential brand activations work best when guests stop, create something, and carry it home. That is exactly what Glitters & Grace brings to your event. We are the hands-on activation partner that brands and agencies hire, not an agency ourselves.
Our stations include perfume blending, a Lip Lab, and a skincare bar. Each one is styled to your brand colors with personalized signage. So whether you plan a launch in Chicago or a pop-up in Naperville, your guests get a beautiful reason to linger.
- Perfumer-formulated
- Styled to your brand
- Team arrives 1 hour early
- Activations from $500
Why hands-on stations make experiential brand activations memorable
Experiential marketing simply means meeting people in person with something to do, not just something to see. A sample cup is pleasant. However, a perfume a guest blended herself becomes a keepsake. As a result, the brand moment lasts well past the event.
Our materials also set the tone. We blend with absolutes, CO2 extracts, and essential oils. First, a quick definition: an absolute is a highly concentrated aroma drawn from a flower. That quality shows, especially at beauty and lifestyle launches.
Finally, the work is led by trained hands. Our founder, Cheryl Gleason, is a trained perfumer and cosmetic and skincare formulator. So brand managers get a vendor who understands both the guest experience and the product.
Choose one hero station for the booth and add a second only if the floor plan allows. Often, one focused experience reads more elegantly.
Experiential brand activations we bring to your event
Each station can stand alone or pair with another for experiential brand activations. Then we style the whole setup to match your brand.
Signature Perfume Bar
Guests choose from up to 12 house signature scents that you select. Because it moves 85 to 100 guests an hour, it suits busy booth traffic.
Perfume Blending Bar
Guests build a scent from a base, the foundation a perfume is built on. Our mini bar holds 60+ materials, while the full bar holds 120+ fragrances.
Lip Lab
Guests mix a high-shine gloss or a soft-matte lip cream from a 16-shade board. A lip cream is a liquid lipstick that dries to a soft, velvety matte. Our Lip Lab page has more.
Skincare Bar
Licensed estheticians host a make-your-own skincare bar. Because it suits 20 guests and under, it shines at VIP and influencer events.
Candy Bar
Our own carts and glass apothecary jars add a sweet, quick stop. It is also the fastest station on the floor.
Bath and Body Bar
Guests create bath salts, scrubs, and a handmade bath bomb with oils and botanicals. Plus, no water is needed on site.
Tell us about your activation
Activations start at $500 and are quoted per event. Your itemized proposal arrives within 2 business days. Then a 50% deposit holds the date.
Ways to shape the guest experience
Experiential brand activations feel strongest when the station tells your story. So here are three ways to make that happen.
Any perfume format can sit on a table, a luxury counter, or a candy cart. So the display can match a booth, a lobby, or a boutique.
Where experiential brand activations fit
Our experiential brand activations travel to many kinds of brand moments. Also, local teams serve Chicagoland, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis.
Product launches
A product launch activation is one of our favorite experiential brand activations. It gives guests a hands-on way to meet something new. Then they leave carrying a small piece of it.
Retail pop-ups
A scent or lip station draws shoppers in and keeps them browsing. See our pop-up scent station page for retail ideas.
Trade show booths
A trade show booth activation needs speed. That's why the Signature bar suits expo floors. Read more on our trade show booth page.
Influencer events
Smaller, styled stations suit content days. Especially at a skincare bar, guests have time to create and share.
Conference lounges
A perfume counter gives attendees a calm, lovely pause between sessions. Meanwhile, your brand stays front and center.
Client appreciation
Clients remember a gift they made themselves. Our client appreciation ideas offer more inspiration, too.
Experiential marketing Chicago brands can bring anywhere
Our setups adapt to the room. A perfume bar usually needs about 12 x 6 feet and two 6-foot tables, at $30 each if we bring them.
Convention halls
Booth footprints vary, so we plan the display around your floor plan. Then the team arrives 1 hour early to set up.
Retail stores and boutiques
A luxury counter fits naturally beside existing displays. Plus, it invites shoppers to stay a little longer.
Hotel ballrooms and suites
Ballrooms suit large launches, while suites suit intimate press or VIP gatherings.
Restaurants and lounges
Private rooms and lounges work well for evening events. Our lounge pop-ups page shares more.
Offices and lobbies
A station in the lobby turns an ordinary day into a brand moment. Also, we pack out when the event ends.
How experiential brand activations come together
- Share the brief. First, tell us the date, venue, guest count, and brand goals.
- Review the proposal. Next, you receive an itemized proposal within 2 business days.
- Confirm the details. Then a 50% deposit holds the date, and we finalize scents, colors, signage, and labels.
- Set up on site. After that, our team arrives 1 hour before guests with linens, decor, and every material.
- Host and pack out. Finally, our hosts guide guests through your experiential brand activations, then pack out and clean up.
Full ingredient and allergen disclosures arrive before your event. So your team can answer guest questions with confidence.
Activation setups, in pictures
These photos show how our stations look at events. Notice, too, how the styling shifts with each space.
Bring a hands-on station to your next event
Book online or call 815.418.6740. Together, we will match the station to your audience, your space, and your timeline.
Glitters & Grace was founded by Cheryl Gleason, a trained perfumer, a cosmetic and skincare formulator, and the creative force behind every bar we bring to your event.
More ideas for brand and corporate events
Where we host experiential brand activations
Chicagoland is our home base, and local teams with their own equipment serve Milwaukee and Indianapolis. For corporate bookings, we also travel nationwide by quote. Our Mokena studio opens in January 2027, too.
Chicago and the North Shore
Condos, homes, and party rooms from the city to Lake Forest.
Western and Northwest Suburbs
Homes, clubhouses, and venues across DuPage and the northwest suburbs.
Southwest Suburbs and Will County
Our home base, minutes from the Mokena studio.
Milwaukee Area
Local Glitters & Grace hosts and teams to bring you sparkle.
Indianapolis Area
Local Glitters & Grace hosts and teams to bring you sparkle.
Mokena Studio
19060 Everett Blvd, Suite 107, Mokena, IL 60448. Opening in January 2027 with a private party room for up to 40 guests. Visit the studio page or call 815.418.6740.
Experiential brand activations, answered
Are you an experiential marketing agency?
No. We are the activation partner that agencies and brands hire. You lead the strategy, while we bring and host the hands-on stations.
Do you work with agencies as well as brands?
Yes. We work directly with brand managers, marketing teams, and agencies planning events for their clients.
How much does an activation cost?
Activations start at $500 and are quoted per event. Price depends on stations, guest count, and length. An itemized proposal arrives within 2 business days.
How many guests can a perfume bar serve?
Our Signature format moves 85 to 100 guests an hour. For the Lip Lab, 2 to 3 hosts serve about 100 guests over 3 hours.
Can the station carry our brand?
Yes. We style to your brand colors with personalized signage. Custom labels can also carry the brand or event name; order at booking and allow about 4 weeks.
How far ahead should we book?
We suggest 3 to 6 months ahead, because weekends fill first. Allow extra time if you want custom labels.
Do you offer brand activation Chicago and Naperville events?
Yes. We come to downtown Chicago, the North Shore, Naperville, Schaumburg, and the southwest suburbs from our Mokena home base.
Can you staff an activation in Milwaukee?
Yes. Our Milwaukee team brings its own equipment to venues across the Milwaukee area.
Do you host activations in Indianapolis?
Yes. A local Indianapolis team serves the city and nearby towns such as Carmel and Fishers.
Do you travel nationwide for corporate events?
Yes. We travel nationwide for corporate bookings, quoted per event. Share your city and dates, and we will plan the details.
Can we host a small brand event at your Mokena studio?
Yes, once it opens in January 2027 at 19060 Everett Blvd, Suite 107. Its private party room holds up to 40 guests.
Ready to plan your next activation?
Request your proposal online or call 815.418.6740. Then let us bring a hands-on, beautifully styled station to your guests.
perfume@glittersandgrace.com · 815.418.6740
With Grace,
Cheryl Gleason · Owner, Perfumer & Creative Director