This was branded as an event where you’d get to interact with a life-size Barbie dreamhouse, participate in a disco themed roller rink experience, and have access to an amazing marketplace.
That is… not what it was. Our "swag bag" was a hand sanitizer.
The event planning company running this is called Mischief Management, they ran this for Mattel. This event was promoted by Mattel as the first Mattel Barbie convention (as opposed to the fan run one that happens every year).
“We are thrilled to announce Barbie Dream Fest, as a new offering designed to delight the brand’s growing fandom,” said Julie Freeland, Vice President of Global Location Based Entertainment, Mattel. “It’s incredibly exciting to provide fans, families, and collectors with a curated and unique space to gather, learn, and create all while celebrating the iconic Barbie brand.”
ETA: I paid $250 for this. The highest tier pass was $400. They got a plastic hairbrush in addition to the sanitizer as their swag bag. See the comments for more photos of this disaster.
The unstoppable Dashconification of the American sphere of influence
What's happening is that the people running these companies are going full AI and don't have any staff. They just use the AI to make it seem like everything's alright and do nothing.
The Wonka one was the same.