June 3, 2026 · The Hollywood Theatre, 3123 West Broadway, Vancouver · Hosted by Beatdapp
For its Battle of the Bands, Vancouver music-tech company Beatdapp turned the historic Hollywood Theatre into an alien-themed rock show, and Instant Moments brought the AI photo booth that put every guest inside it. It’s a great example of what an AI photo booth for themed events can do: from 6 to 10 pm, guests stepped up, picked a world, and seconds later were a rock star on a psychedelic concert poster or a pilot at the controls of a retro spaceship. Every portrait then beamed straight into a live, projected “universe” at the back of the venue.
How it started: a referral from another AI booth
Beatdapp’s team first saw our AI photo booth in action at CSE Capital Tech Connect, where our attendant Monet was running the booth, and loved being transformed into a robot. A few weeks later they asked us to build something just as memorable for their own event.
The venue: Vancouver’s Hollywood Theatre
The Hollywood Theatre on West Broadway opened in 1935 as a neighbourhood cinema. Today the Art Deco landmark, neon sign and all, is a live events space, which made it the perfect stage for a battle of the bands with a cosmic twist.
Designing a themed AI photo booth for an alien rock show
Beatdapp’s brief was clear: make guests feel like they had been pulled into the world of the event poster. Working from the poster, the spaceship artwork and the Battle of the Bands logo, we built a set of custom AI themes, all kept inside the poster’s neon, psychedelic colour world:
- The rock star poster: guests on stage in silver space-age outfits, guitars in hand, under the Battle of the Bands title
- The spaceship: guests at the controls of a retro-futuristic ship built from Beatdapp’s own spaceship artwork
- The poster concept: guests placed right into the event’s poster art, which the Beatdapp team called “incredibly on-brand”
- The classic: a regular photo on the themed Battle of the Bands backdrop with a logo overlay
We shared samples early so the team could react to real results. Their response to the first one: “omg WOW! Yes you have definitely captured the essence here.” From there we refined the set together until every theme was approved.
The BOTB Universe: every photo became a star
The standout of the night was the BOTB Universe, a live galaxy projected at the back of the theatre that filled with guests’ AI portraits as the night went on. At the booth, each guest answered one question, “What world do you represent?”, and their photo landed in that part of the universe, building what Beatdapp described as “a living map of the Vancouver tech, music, startup, and creative communities represented in the room.”
Behind the scenes, we connected our booth software to Beatdapp’s custom visualizer so every AI photo was sent straight to the projection the moment it was taken. We tested the connection with Beatdapp’s developer the night before, and on event night the universe grew with every session.
A fully branded guest experience
- Custom start screen designed in the Battle of the Bands style
- Instant text delivery of both the original and the AI version, with a message written for the night: “Your BOTB photo just landed 🛸 Save it, share it, and tag @beatdapp_botb.”
- Prints on site of either version, or both
- A branded online gallery with the Battle of the Bands artwork across the top, linked back to the event website
The result: a 5-star review
Monet ran the booth for the full four hours, and the AI portraits became part of the show. After the event, Beatdapp’s team told us “the photobooth was a huge success and asset to our event, everyone absolutely loved it!” Niamh MacGinty, who leads marketing, events and culture at Beatdapp, then left us a 5-star Google review:
“For our event, we really wanted to build a cohesive world across everything, from our marketing materials to the in-person experience, and the AI photobooth became such a memorable part of that. It completely blew everyone away. Guests were able to put themselves inside our event poster, into spaceship scenes our designer had created, transform into rockstars, and so much more. The results were unreal: creative, polished, and totally out of this world.”
— Niamh MacGinty, Beatdapp (5-star Google review)
Months later, the team came back for the photos to include in their company culture book.
Why choose an AI photo booth for themed events
- It becomes part of the theme. Guests don’t just pose in front of the theme, they become a character in it.
- It can power a live display. AI portraits can feed a projection, screen or visualizer in real time.
- It’s on-brand from start to finish. Start screens, prints, text messages and the gallery all match your event artwork.
- Guests get two keepsakes. The original photo and the AI version, to print and share.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI photo booth match our event poster or artwork?
Yes. We build custom AI themes from your poster, colours and artwork, and send samples for approval before the event.
Can AI photo booth pictures appear on a live screen or projection?
Yes. At Beatdapp’s Battle of the Bands, every AI portrait was sent instantly to a live projected universe. We can also run a live slideshow on any screen at your venue.
Do guests get the original photo as well as the AI version?
Yes. Guests can receive both by text or email and print either one, or both.
Can you collect a survey answer at the booth?
Yes. We can add a short question at the booth, like “What world do you represent?”, and use the answers in your gallery, display or post-event report.
Planning a themed party, concert or brand event in Vancouver? Explore our photo booth rentals in Vancouver, see our AI Photo Booth and corporate and brand activations, or contact us for a custom quote.
