Make a splash this Summer and get noticed by your customers, with these interesting and refreshing food and drink catering summer event ideas.

Phrases like brand activation, brand awareness, guerrilla marketing, and experiential marketing are used a lot when brands develop a marketing campaign, utilising original and exciting techniques. However recent trends see in-person events, human voice and promotions are predominately used to get the brands products out into the hands of current and future customers, and their respected communities.

Bolster your event inspiration and grab your notepad because Summer is the perfect time for businesses, brands and communities to enjoy the sunshine and treat their guests to some cool hospitality food and drink giveaways and free samples.

Here at Gathering Events we create bespoke events of all sizes, including product launches, in-store promotions, orientation weeks, large outdoor sporting events, shopping centre promotions, retail marketing campaigns, summer festivals and outdoor brand activations. We specialize and support clients to create tailored and sustainable brand experiences for guests through interesting branded food and beverage carts and ideas.

Gathering Events food carts and drinks carts can be completely customized to bring your summer event idea, marketing campaign and summer event activation ideas to life.

Below are six stand-out food and drink branded catering real-event ideas and examples that will bring your marketing strategy and new campaign launch to life. Looking for event inspiration? Look no further!

GELATO AND ICE CREAM CART

Looking to to kick start your summer marketing campaign or add to your event inspiration, launch a new product or having a store opening promotion? Our mobile gelato and ice cream cart is the perfect pop up catering solution to engage your customers. Our ice cream carts serve up a premium scoop that will leave your guests screaming for more. Take your brand activation to the next level with our branded gelato cart, custom gelato cup branding and custom flavours and colours. Gathering Events specialise in creating fun and unique interactions with your customers. We loved working alongside Witchery to create a complimentary gelato cart for their new store launch, offering all shoppers free gelato and sorbet to tie in with their new seasons collection. Why have one our branded carts serve your summer treats!

JUICE AND SMOOTHIE BAR & BRANDED CARTS

Perfect for all outdoor events, and fresh to give your brand a boost with our cold pressed juices and freshly blended smoothies. Keeping guests hydrated at events, brand activations and conferences guilt free with our healthy mobile juice cart, juice bar and smoothie stand. Our pop-up juice carts and beverage catering menus are custom designed to suit each unique brand and client. Juices are available in sustainable eco-friendly packaging or glass jars with the option of custom cart and personalised juice branding. Fresh juice and smoothie flavour combinations include watermelon, green juice, orange, apple, pineapple, strawberry and coconut. We worked with Newscorp in Sydney for their annual conference, providing two branded coffee carts and two branded fresh juice carts for their large event space.

ICY POLES - OUTDOOR EVENT IDEAS

Bring back the fun to your Summer brand activation event with a branded icy pole cart and keep guests cool in the heat. We offer a range of fruity popsicles in a variety of colours and flavours. Our custom ice blocks are available across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne as standard icy pole size as well as mini pops, perfect for Summer brand activations, free giveaways and promotional samples. Out water icy poles and freezer carts to hire can also be personalised with branded packaging or custom icy pole stick branding; perfect for outdoor events, and right up there with all good summer event ideas! Keep scrolling for some more amazing summer treats!

SLUShie MACHINEs AND SOFT SERVE

In the heat of summer, there is nothing more refreshing or fun than an icy cold slushie or frozen mocktail, and these frozen summer treats mean business. Our range of single or double slushie machines and slushie carts are available for brand activations, in-store promotions or large scale outdoor summer events. Another popular event activation idea that will create memorable moments for guests is our soft serve cart, handing out happiness to guests in the form of soft serve ice creams in cups or waffle cones, milkshakes, sundaes, spiders, frose and frozen yoghurt. Our soft-serve carts and ice cream can also be personlised by guests with a variety of fun toppings and branded packaging.

To celebrate the grand opening launch of Toombul Upstairs in Brisbane, we created a two day Frose Cart and Slushie Cart offer free drinks to entice shoppers to the new area. Wintergarden Shopping precinct in Brisbane city Shopping Mall created a three day Shop Brisbane City summer event, where our team of promotional staff created a branded soft serve activation.

MOCKTAILS - SUMMER EVENT IDEAS

Mobile mocktails are served up fresh from our drinks carts, rolling into events and parties across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. Take your summer events one step further with our custom branded drinks carts and signature mocktails drinks menu to perfectly suit your marketing strategy. Our alcoholic drinks are the perfect beverage catering solution to save you time at brand event, with our professional team of bartenders and brand ambassadors looking after the entire drinks experience. Also choose from our custom branding options, including branded glassware, custom beverage package menu and customised carts and bars.

FRESH DRINKING COCONUTS- BRAND ACTIVATION INSPIRATION

Bring a touch of tropical paradise to your brand or customer with our branded coconuts. Surprise your customers this Summer with a sip from our fresh and all natural custom branded drinking coconuts. These white drinking coconuts are full of delicious and healthy coconut water ready to drink. We loved working with team from Red Stockholm to create six week Summer in Paradise Series on the Gold Coast, offering shoppers and customers the opportunity to engage with the shopping centre precinct, and enjoy a refreshing free branded drinking coconut from our signature branded coconut cart. You will feel like you are planning your holidays when you add coconuts to your outdoor brand activation ideas list!

There you have it, 6 of the hottest Summer food and drink offerings to make an impact and create an experience for potential guests.

Here at Gathering Events, we support brands to create extraordinary brand experiences whilst engaging their customers - all in a fun, memorable and refreshing way of course. We love outdoor brand activation ideas and are able to custimise your brand voice into your summer event today!

Contact our team today at hello@gatheringevents.com.au to discuss catering for your next brand event in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.