In 2022, my strategic event planning course was tasked with pitching a strategic event plan for a local whiskey lounge desiring to implement a holiday pop-up bar. I collaborated alongside a team of 4 others in creating an innovative and memorable holiday pop-up bar experience. Our plan included designing branding, layouts, marketing, food and beverage, rentals, and budgeting.

1. Bells & Brews

2. The holiday season is the time of year to be with your loved ones. Friends
and family gather, reminding each other what it means to be together. At
the Carrisa this holiday season we want to bring back that feeling of
togetherness through sweet drinks, themed nights, and an incomparable
ambiance. While Downtown SLO does have an annual holiday parade, at
The Carrisa, during Bells & Brew, the holiday spirit will be celebrated all
days of the week starting November 3rd. This experience will help bring
together the community through fundraisers, promotions, and damn
good spirits!
The three rooms of the Carrisa will be utilized in order to put even
Scrooge in the holiday spirit. The upstairs game room will be the certified
nostalgia room featuring vintage games from the 80s and 90s that
attendees can pick back up again. On the main floor of The Carrisa, will
be the Christmas Chaos area. There will always be something going on
whether it be indoor sledding or a DJ blasting Last Christmas by WHAM!.
Outside on the deck will be a dreamy Christmas. Its main eye-catcher is a
Poinsettia wall perfect for that holiday photo op with your significant
other. Other features outside will be a sky of Christmas lights and
complimentary hot chocolate.
Starting on November 3rd Bells and Brew at The Carrisa will begin
bringing joy and spirits together making The Carrisa a holiday hit! The
bar will be open on the weekdays as well as the weekends.
A holiday event will not only bring the people in the community together
but also bring the businesses together during the holiday season. There
will be promotions with other Downtown SLO shops that help promote
their products as well as bring people into The Carrisa. After having the
past two holiday seasons feeling even more lonely than ever due to the
pandemic, let's open our doors, our hearts, and our brews at The Carrisa
this holiday season!
Executive Summary

3. The 6 A's
Anticipation
The Carrisa will create anticipation for guests by sending out
Christmas cards a week before the event starts. The
Christmas cards will be printed and out for display at SLO
Brew Rock. A physical copy of the Christmas cards will be
sent to customers who are a part of a mailing list and they will
be posted on the SLO Brew Rock Instagram. A week before
the event starts, there will be a countdown clock outside The
Carissa. Once the event starts, the clock will reset to a
countdown to Christmas.
Guests at The Carrisa will arrive on their own. Most likely they will come via
personal vehicle or using other forms of transportation like Uber or Lyft. Upon
arrival at The Carrisa, the guests will be able to lightly hear the hum of people
inside, however, they cannot see inside the venue. The windows of the front
entrance will be blacked out; making it so that only people inside the venue can
see outside. This will create a sense of suspense and surprise for the guests upon
entering The Carrisa for Bells and Brew. Once entering the venue guests will be
greeted by employees who are excited to be spreading the holiday spirit! There
will be a second entrance inside the venue that’s central focus are red doors that
open into the bar. By adding this second entrance, people will be delighted by the
excitement that The Carrissa is filled with, making people want to come into the
bar to see all the holiday cheer for themselves as they cannot see from the outside.
Arrival

4. The 6 A's
Atmosphere
The main bar- dining area will be flooded with shades of green and red. A
Christmas tree made out of SLO Brew's iconic Green Tio Rodrigo cans,
Red Cali Squeeze cans, and Green Whiskey Margarita Cans will greet the
guests. The smell of Christmas pine and warm cookies will flood the
venue sending people straight to the feeling of Christmas morning. A toy
train will circle around the bar and lights synched to music will flash and
dance across the room throughout the night. There will be a photo booth
with holiday props will be available in the main room for guests to engage
with. These photos will be displayed at the entrance, so that when guests
return, they can remember how much fun they had at The Carrisa. In the
game room there will be nostalgic toys and holiday film artifacts will be
displayed and ready for use by attendees. Adults can reminisce about
their Christmases as a child with the most popular toys or board games of
their time. Items on display will include the iconic leg lamp from A
Christmas Story and other caricatures of their favorite holiday films. On
the deck, you will find a Christmas winter wonderland with white lights, a
poinsettia wall, and a blanket of serene fake snow. This area of The
Carrisa is made to be an escape from the Christmas craze inside. Guests
will find amenities like complimentary hot chocolate to warm them up
while they are outside. Comfy white couches will invite guests to have a
seat in the outdoor lounge area. As guests look up toward the sky, they
will see an array of white lights that illuminate the deck. Toward the side
of the deck, there will be a large wall covered in poinsettias that will make
for the perfect photo with friends or loved ones.
Amenities
When coming to The Carrissa the experience is going to be beyond memorable, and coming
home with memorabilia will be a must. One of the available amenity items will be a take-home
cup. When purchasing a drink at the bar there will be an option to purchase a reusable cup that
will offer guests 5% off their drinks if the cup is brought back. We will also offer a limited edition
SLO Brew Santa Hats and Christmas Pajamas. People will also have the opportunity to take
pictures with Santa. These photos will be sent to them virtually and will be a way to remember
their time at Bells and Brew at The Carisa.

5. The 6 A's
Appetite
For the menu, we wanted to incorporate both the spirit of the holidays and the spirit of San
Luis Obispo. Keeping the menu classy and matching the wood to that of the building, we tie
in the elegance of the Carrisa with the fun festivities of the holidays without overshadowing
the Christmas Craze of the room. With unique festive cocktails to get people excited and
create great photo ops, our menu combines nostalgic flavors with delightful aesthetics. Along
with the good looks comes great flavor. Using ingredients from the San Luis Obispo
community, each of Santa’s Snacks provides guests with locally sourced fantastic flavors
and a longing to return for more. As if that isn’t enough, we have also included a menu for
what will be on Tap at the Carrisa. Highlighting SLO Brew’s well-known Tio Rodrigo, our
selection on tap will satisfy both the pickiest of the bunch and the most adventurous. Our
Bells and Brews menu is the gift that keeps on giving. To top things off, the holiday spirit
doesn’t end at the menu. With festive plates, cutlery, and napkins, guests are sure to
appreciate all the small details that make the Carrisa the go-to holiday destination.
Activity
There will be activities going on throughout the week at the Carrisa!
Some of the reoccurring activity nights are Karaoke night, Trivia Night,
and holiday dress-up nights. However, three of our large activity nights
are Indoor Sledding, A Silent Night, and Surfer Santa Night. Indoor
Sledding takes guests out to the snow but inside the Carrisa. Indoor
Sledding will feature a small slope inside the Carrisa where guests will
be invited to ride down a slide with a beverage in hand. A Silent Night
is a silent disco. At the door of the Carrisa guests will be handed their
headsets that will be used throughout the evening. Attendees can wear
their headsets in any room of the Carrisa and drop them off at the exit
at the end of the evening. Surfer Santa Night is a themed night where
guests are encouraged to wear a Hawaiian shirt or their favorite
swimsuit along with a holiday hat. Here guests can take photos with a
surfing Santa and the deck of the Carrisa will be turned into a bubble
palooza with foam coming for the balcony throughout the night!

6. Vision Board:
MAIN BAR
Chaotic, Jolly, High-Spirited

7. OUTSIDE DECK
Classy, Calm, Christmas

8. GAME ROOM
Nostalgic, Playful, Memorable

9. Food &
Beverage
Service Style: Food will be a Casual Dining
service where food is ordered at the bar and
also either served at the bar or picked up at the
bar to bring to one of the bar tables.
Vendors: All food will be prepared in the
Carrisa Kitchen and by the hands of chefs just
as excited to present the food as the guests will
be to eat it.

10. Activity
Indoor Sledding
This will be set up on the dance floor of
the Carrisa for one night only. Guests
will slide down on inner tubes.
Employees will monitor the slide for the
night to ensure safety. This activity will
be fun not only to participate in, but to
take pictures of!
A Silent Night
A silent disco will be a change of pace for
all attendees at the Carrisa. Guests will
be given a headset at the door of the bar,
and when entering they will be ready to
dance the night away. The headsets will
work in all three rooms of the Carrisa. At
the end of a guests stay at the Carrisa
there will be a drop of zone for their
headset at the exit of the Carrisa.
Surfer Santa Night
Surfer Santa Night is an interactive
theme night at the Carrisa. Guests are
invited to dress up in their favorite
Hawaiian shirt or swimsuit in order to
get 10% off one drink at the bar. There
will be a surfer Santa instead of the usual
sleigh at the entrance of the bar to take
photos with. The deck will be converted
into a bubble zone. In this area, the
guests are invited to dance the night
away under cloud of bubble foam.

11. Site Selection
Accessibility
What is the main/closest airport?
San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport
What is the distance/travel time to and from the nearest airport?
3.4 miles or 9 minutes to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport.
Does the hotel have an airport to the hotel?
No, but Ubers are available.
Is there a train to/from the airport to the hotel?
No, there are none available.
If there is no shuttle, what transportation is available to/from the
airport and surrounding areas?
Uber and Lyft are available.
Surrounding areas
What is the condition of the surrounding area?
The Carrisa is part of the downtown area where there are many
restaurants and stores.
Is it safe to walk around the area?
Yes, it is safe.
Are areas well lit at night?
Yes, there are street lights and lamps.
What kind of shopping is in the area?
There are clothing and home goods stores, as well as restaurants.
What kind of restaurants in the area?
Thai, Italian, and American.
What is the distance to the closest hospital?
French Hospital Medical Center: 1.1 miles/6 minutes away.
What activities can be found in the area?
Shopping, hiking, wine tasting, and eating at local restaurants.
What is the sense of arrival at The Carrisa?
Upscale and modern.
THE CARRISA

12. Site Selection
Condition of The Carrisa
What is the physical condition of the property inside?
Clean, organized, and well kept.
What kind of “feel” does the hotel have (contemporary,
traditional, modern)?
Modern and upscale.
What is the guest capacity at The Carrisa?
The Carrisa can accommodate 300 guests for a seated meal
or 400 guests standing.
Food and Beverage
Does the hotel have an on-site catering department?
There is a massive restaurant kitchen that can be used
any time!
Is there a sit-down restaurant?
Yes, there is.
Is there a lounge/bar?
Yes, there is a bar and restaurant.
THE CARRISA
Service Style
What is the overall general attitude of employees
at the property?
Friendly, optimistic, and helpful.
How is the food Served?
The food is plated and served table to table. At The
Carrisa there are single serving portions as well as
menu options for the whole table.

13. Event
Infrastructure

14. SLO Brew Chef
and Catering
Restrooms
Wifi
Electric +
Heating
Facilities
The Carrisa
Main Bar
The Deck
Game Room
Outdoor
Seating

15. RENTAL EQUIPMENT LIST

16. RENTAL EQUIPMENT LIST

17. Christmas Card
Everyone loves a gift,
sometimes simply to be thought
of. By sending out physical
Christmas Cards from SLO
Brew to potential guests, they
will be excited to go check out
Bells & Brew at The Carrisa.
These are templates for the
Christmas cards; however, the
photo should be a picture of the
SLO Brew owners and staff. The
cards can be sent to anyone on
the mailing list of all of SLO
Brew's other facilities like SLO
Brew Lofts, Hotel Cerro, and
SLO Brew Rock.

18. TIMELINE CALENDAR

19. Budget

20. THANK YOU!