New Era NBA All-Star 2026 Pop-Up.
Fabricating a high-impact custom container brand activation in Los Angeles.
Client
New Era
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Event
NBA All-Star Weekend 2026
Service Category
Brand Activations & Experiential Builds
Establishing a Physical Presence at the Intersection of Culture.
As the Official Cap of the NBA, New Era required a high-impact physical footprint during the league’s milestone 75th All-Star Weekend celebration in Los Angeles. With over 60 brands activating across the city and an audience of more than 46 million viewers, standing out was essential. The vision was to create an immersive brand activation that showcased exclusive All-Star headwear products while delivering deep fan engagement. The project’s creative agency conceptualized a dynamic retail environment designed to reinforce New Era’s position at the core of basketball culture.
Engineering for Impact.
Translating the agency’s pop-up retail vision into a structural reality.
Two Eighteen was engaged by the agency partner to provide expert engineering, fabrication, and production support for this NBA brand activation. Our role was to take the creative team’s vision and transform a standard shipping container into a premium pop-up retail space. We worked closely with the agency to ensure all structural modifications, interior buildouts, and environmental elements could be safely executed and installed in the high-traffic Los Angeles environment.
Transforming Industrial Structures into Retail Environments.
Advanced container modification and custom retail buildout.
Our production team mobilized our 120,000 sq ft facility to execute complex container modification and comprehensive custom fabrication for the pop-up. We engineered specific structural modifications, including custom openings, climate integration, and an interior buildout tailored to the agency’s specifications. Custom metal display fixtures and modular retail systems were fabricated to properly merchandise New Era’s exclusive Hardwood Classics and collaboration headwear lines.
Delivering the New Era Experience.
Two Eighteen managed the complete onsite installation, executing a flawless build to bring the immersive experiential environment to life.
- Container Modification: Engineered and modified a structural shipping container with custom openings and climate control for a comfortable fan experience.
- Custom Retail Fixtures: Fabricated metal shelving, grid wall displays, and modular retail units to showcase the exclusive NBA All-Star headwear collections.
- Environmental Graphics: Produced and installed large-format exterior wraps, interior graphics, and branded signage to transform the structure.
- Event Infrastructure: Sourced and integrated essential rental elements, including lighting, flooring, and furnishings, to complete the space.
A Standout Los Angeles Experiential Marketing Build.
The completed New Era container activation provided a striking, fully functional retail and fan engagement hub during the busy All-Star Weekend. This execution highlights Two Eighteen’s capability to serve brands and agency partners alike — delivering complex container modifications and custom retail buildouts with precision and speed. Our precise container modification and seamless onsite setup ensured the structure looked incredible and operated flawlessly throughout the high-profile experiential marketing event.
Key Services Provided.
Two Eighteen delivered a focused suite of fabrication and production services to bring the agency partner’s vision to life in Los Angeles.
- Project Management: Coordinated production timelines, logistics, and onsite operations for the event weekend.
- Engineering: Developed structural plans for safe, compliant container transformations and custom fixtures.
- Custom Fabrication: Built bespoke metal display fixtures, modular retail units, and interior architectural elements.
- Container Modification: Executed structural changes, cutting custom openings, and integrating climate solutions into the shipping container.
- Graphic Production: Printed and prepared all large-format exterior wraps and interior branded signage.
- Rentals: Sourced and integrated lighting, flooring, and furnishings to complement the custom build.
- Onsite Set Up: Managed the full installation, event-day operations support, and final dismantle of the footprint.
Ready to Build Your Next Brand Experience?
Whether you’re a brand or a creative agency, Two Eighteen brings your vision to life through precision fabrication and flawless on-site execution.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Does Two Eighteen work directly with brands like New Era, or only through agencies?
Two Eighteen works both directly with brands and as a fabrication partner alongside creative agencies. For the New Era NBA All-Star 2026 pop-up, we were engaged by the project’s agency partner. Whether a brand comes to us directly with a concept or through their agency, our role is the same — precision fabrication and flawless on-site execution.
What does modifying a shipping container into a pop-up retail environment involve?
Container modifications include structural cutting for custom openings, climate control integration, interior buildout with custom shelving and display fixtures, exterior graphics application, LED lighting installation, and a cantilevered canopy build. All work is completed and test-fitted at our 120,000 sq ft Las Vegas facility before transport to the event site.
Can Two Eighteen fabricate and install a container activation outside of Las Vegas?
Yes. Two Eighteen regularly fabricates in Las Vegas and ships or transports builds to events across the West Coast and nationally. For the New Era NBA All-Star activation, we fabricated the entire structure in Nevada and managed the complete installation in Los Angeles. Contact us at twoeighteen.com/contact-us to discuss your project.
