PopUp Location Bolsterlang

A pop-up location is a temporary venue that “pops up” for a short period - ranging from a few days to several months - for a specific event, and then closes again afterward. For our PopUp Location Bolsterlang, we set up and take down a stretch tent and event-specific furnishings individually for each event during the season from May through October. It’s situated on a meadow in the heart of the Allgäu Alps that looks as if it were always meant to be an event venue.

There’s no fixed space that you simply book. You get an empty area and the freedom to design it exactly as the event requires - whether for 50 people or 150.

This is what sets it apart from any hotel ballroom with a projector and ceiling spotlights: there, the event has to adapt to the space. Here, the space adapts to the event.

As soon as people leave their usual work environment, something changes in the way they speak. Less status, less role, more humanity.

There is also concrete research on this: Scientists at the Universities of Utah and Kansas have shown that experiencing nature measurably boosts creativity - in part because it activates a network in the brain responsible for free, associative thinking (Strayer et al., 2012, PLOS ONE). At the same time, stress levels drop noticeably.
Another study, published in the journal Nature, also shows that face-to-face interactions remain superior to video calls when it comes to creative tasks - after all, a screen simply cannot replace what happens in real space between two people (Brucks & Levav, 2022, Nature).

In short: The mind thinks differently as soon as the setting changes.

Two observations that demonstrate this to me time and time again:

• People who never speak up in meetings suddenly start telling stories around the campfire.
• Teams that otherwise only communicate via virtual chats gather around the food truck and talk about things that have nothing to do with work.

Imagine a summer party in a conference room: tables arranged in rows, overhead lighting, and service staff navigating between the chairs. The atmosphere is usually good - but it remains controlled. In this cramped, rigid setting, you end up chatting with the same two or three colleagues as always.

Now imagine this team out on the lawn in Bolsterlang. No fixed seating arrangement, no walls. The lounge with its fire pit draws people together who would otherwise never sit down together. The food truck becomes a gathering spot, not just a place to grab a bite. No one has to make small talk - but suddenly, everyone wants to.

That’s the point I find hard to convey to clients before they’ve experienced it for themselves: A place can foster closeness without it feeling forced.

One evening in late summer 2024, the meadow in Bolsterlang was used for the first time for a test event - with my employees, clients, and partners from the region, who had previously seen only sketches of the location, if anything at all.

Here’s how the day unfolded:

1. Afternoon: Setting up the stretch tent, furnishing it with a lounge area, fire pit, and bar.
2. Early evening: Guests arrive, first drinks served right in front of the tent.
3. Evening: Food truck catering, casual conversations between the lounge and the fire pit, no set program to keep the group together.
4. Late evening: The groups that happened to meet at the bar end up sitting together by the fire.

What stood out to me was how quickly guests who didn’t know each other beforehand struck up conversations. No one had to be prompted to do so. The venue took on the role that would otherwise have to be filled by a host or an icebreaker activity.

I know from over 25 years in the events industry that a venue is more than just decor, scenery, and atmosphere. This evening confirmed it to me once again: The venue is one of the first decisions that influences everything else.

What creates this sense of freedom here isn’t the decor. It’s the absence of fixed guidelines. A fixed hall dictates the seating arrangement, the volume, and the schedule. A meadow with a tent leaves the outcome open - and that’s exactly what makes it such a versatile tool for communication.

Not every event needs this venue. But for certain occasions, it’s just right:

• Summer parties and company anniversaries with 50 to 150 guests
• Team events that want more than just a conference room with a coffee break
• Client events where building relationships is more important than the presentation
• Incentive trips designed to combine physical activity, nature, and enjoyment
• Workshops that benefit from a change of scenery

The PopUp Location Bolsterlang was created through a collaboration between KAD faszinatour and StretchRent. We bring our experience in organizing and staging live communication events, faszinatour brings its expertise in nature and adventure programs, and StretchRent provides the right tent system. For you, this means: one point of contact, one concept - from the initial idea to the end of the evening around the campfire.

I’ll explain in more detail how this idea came about and what makes the location special for whom in the podcast “POP UP Location Bolsterlang – For everyone who wants to rethink events!” from TEAMKOMPASS, the faszinatour podcast.

Not every event needs an extraordinary venue. An internal update meeting works just as well in the office as anywhere else. But as soon as people are supposed to actually come together, see things from a different perspective, or share an experience, the venue becomes the most important decision in the entire concept. The PopUp Location Bolsterlang shows just how much is possible when you treat nature not as a backdrop, but as part of the program.

For what kind of event would a change of venue make a difference for you?