Okanagan business student working to perfect Imperfect Pop-Ups

Imperfect Pop-Ups is an all-new event company geared towards offering unique, one-night events in Kelowna for those looking for new entertainment options.

Carter Thompson is a fourth-year business student at Okanagan College who believes Kelowna has much more to offer in terms of entertainment.

"The mission is to offer high quality, one-night-only experiences rather than just your ordinary commercial entertainment geared around hospitality and people. The events are for people who are looking for more than just the same bar with the same drinks and the same atmosphere every single weekend," Thompson says.

"Last summer, I was sitting in a coffee shop and talking with people who were saying all the same things about the same places, with the same experiences and I feel like Kelowna has a lot more to offer than what people know."

His company hosted its first event on Jan. 27 and is now getting ready for a second one soon. The idea is that every event will only last one night and they will all be different from one another. The first event strived to create a sophisticated, secretive atmosphere, but the next one will be completely different.

"The first one was a pop-up speakeasy with an elevated atmosphere hosted out of a coffee shop with password access at the door. You didn't know where you were going until you bought the ticket and didn't have the password until the day before," Thompson says.

"The next event, not that I can disclose much information on it, but it will be a significantly different vibe and experience. The goal is to partner with as many local establishments and throw unique experiences that bring value to Kelowna and bring people together."

Thompson hopes to create two events in Kelowna for the summer.

The first event was a huge success and Thompson gathered much feedback from those who attended and those who wished to go, to improve upon it.

"I had a tiered ticketing system, and the first tier sold out in something like 25 or 30 minutes and it ended up being completely sold out so it was a huge success," he says. "I did a feedback poll on social media and got lots of great and constructive feedback. We got lots of positive comments and whatever was less positive can be easily tweaked and I look forward to doing that."

The company targets a younger demographic and hopes to offer entertainment at an affordable price at around $30 to $40 for each event.

Thompson says he's always looking for local businesses willing to help him make the events happen.

"There are lots of businesses I would love to work with and I am open to everything and anything where we can make Imperfect Pop-Ups' vision happen."

To find out more about the company and to keep updated on coming events, check out Imperfect Pop-Ups' website here or find them on Instagram.

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