A pop-up experience is a way for people to interact with a brand in a new way. Typically, pop-ups are open anywhere from a week to a few months, and include all sorts of activities and swag relating to a brand. Jenereski said she was inspired to create an Instagram Pop-Up Experience for the college when she started seeing news stories about the trend late last summer.
“I saw this and was like, ‘Wow, this is really interesting, really cool, really fun; I would love to do something like this at Ithaca College,’” she said.
But pop-up experiences take a lot of time and resources. So she applied for a seed grant as part of President’s Seed Grant Initiative, which offers funding to ideas that are innovative and collaborative. During the creation of the pop-up, Jenereski has worked with other staff in the Division of College Communications and the Office of Facilities, as well as faculty, students and alumni.
Jenereski set her sights on having the pop-up open from April 10-17 in order to have it coincide with Ithaca Today, an all-college event for high school seniors and prospective future Bombers. Brian Hanshaw ’21, one of Jenereski’s student assistants, said having the pop-up during Ithaca Today will be exciting for the students visiting the college’s campus.
“What better way to show your love for IC than being in a room that just has Ithaca College plastered all over it?” he said.
Jenereski said she also wants current students to go to the pop-up for a fun, carefree experience.
“Students can get really stressed, and I want this to just be a space they can go and forget what’s on their plate and have 10-15 minutes to immerse themselves in this really fun and tactile environment,” she said. “And, of course, to up their Instagram game.”
