The success of any launch depends on team belief. Even if there are some disruptions and shifts, managers at all levels must learn about them in good time. Yes, we were upset when we learnt at the last moment that, for example, the seaport was closed long before the Olympic Games, and our project was unable to receive cargo with important construction components and launch one of the attractions. But this did not make the brand worse, we informed the market about the changes in time and apologised. But the uncertainty of those responsible for PR and sales causes a corresponding reaction from the audience.
Internally, corporate communications, information exchange, and team cohesion are the things that help a startup of any size to survive at the most difficult stage, at the beginning of the journey. Set up communication (intranet, wall newspaper, closed group in social networks), let employees learn information not from rumours in the corridors. Don't skimp on souvenirs - loyal employees will be the first bearers of branded T-shirts, badges, and therefore free advertising.

And what to show future visitors if the product is not physically ready?
Demonstrate the progress of work, progress in construction and, of course, plans.
Create illustrations, detailed maps, animated video clips.

If the goal is to make an impression at an exhibition, you can go further. At the International Economic Forum in Sochi, the theme park was presented through a confectionery model. Sweets created the right associations with the emotions the park aimed to evoke in its future guests. Visitors were pleasantly surprised, but they didn’t taste it.

It was even more important to showcase the vibe, experience. We created a key visual and illustrations for each thematic zone in Matte Painting style, working with the Spider Group team. The process involved diving deep into the theme, modeling objects, setting up photo shoots with costumes, finding medieval props, and a lot of Photoshop work to bring the vision to life.

At some point in the still under construction park, recognisable elements, rides, and entrances began to appear, and the illustrations didn't help answer the increasing questions of the curious (‘Are you sure you'll open?’). So we held a photo shoot on the territory of the park. The models were the employees themselves and their children due to security restrictions: the Olympic Park is a strategic object, it is extremely difficult to get a pass for an outsider, it is impossible for children from the street, a construction site is not a playground for children.
Here, in the first photo, I am hugging my colleague's daughter like an older sister, and here, the commercial director and his wife are responsible for romance. ‘Casting’ for the role of the bogatyr won the lawyer of the company and perfectly coped with the role.
If you pay attention, all the photos are close-ups or cropped legs - we are standing in rubber boots ankle-deep in construction mud. Boots in general were our working footwear, some office employees were supposed to wear them as a uniform, but the future visitor didn't need to know about these service difficulties - by the time of the official opening this problem won't exist anymore, but we can't wait for ideal conditions (do they even exist?).

At this time, the brand starts to work, its image is collected in people's heads, and grounds for trust appear. It is important to accustom the market to the brand, to aggressively use the corporate style and logo in every communication, not to forget about the slogan, if any (‘The magic begins!’), to check journalists' press releases and to correct, correct, correct. Sochi Park has been called ‘Sochi-Park’ (because JSC ‘Sochi-Park’), and amusement park, and ‘Russian People's Disneyland’. Everyone understands that Disneyland is already a household name, but for a park with a reference to Russian folklore, association with Western culture and characters is highly undesirable.