F-bombs away

How a whimsical conference theme set the tone for

How a whimsical

conference theme set

the tone for an

an inspiring and

memorable annual meeting

an inspiring and memorable annual meeting

The backstory

Event marketing, with all its moving parts and multiple players, can be summed up in a single word: pressure.

You’ve got pressure to nail your conference theme. You’ve got pressure to get everything produced and delivered on time. And you’ve got pressure to make the whole shebang a mouthwatering experience your guests will rave about on the socials.

Get it right and you’re the talk of the conference. Foul it up and you’re still the talk of the conference, but for all the wrong reasons.

So, when we had to create the experience for ICOM’s North American Regional Meeting, the heat was on. It wasn’t only because FARM is part of ICOM’s global network of independent marketing communication agencies. But we were also hosting the regional annual meeting, our work permeating every corner of the conference happenings, shivering in judgement of our industry peers.

Agency services:

  • Voice and identity development
  • Brand positioning
  • Internal/external launch communications
  • Brand evolution strategy and execution

Agency services:

  • Voice and identity development
  • Brand positioning
  • Internal/external launch communications
  • Brand evolution strategy and execution

Setting the tone

“No talk of global health crisis, economic instability, the Great Resignation, supply chain disruptions and all that ugly stuff that we’ve referred to so much in the last two years.”

That was the feedback we got from Emma Keenan, ICOM’s executive director, when we presented “WTF – Weathering the Future,” our recommended theme that used the chaotic state of the world as a backdrop for the network’s aim of forging a more optimistic path forward. So, what did we do? We ignored her. Kind of.

We preserved our WTF theme but replaced “Weathering” with “Welcoming” for a more positive feel. And while we kept our exhaustive list of global doom intact (including the Sriracha shortage for some levity), we positioned it as what we were all “tired of talking about.” This allowed us to run with the posture and punch of our original idea while connecting with our audience’s mindset.

No shortage of color and spirit

Ensuring our meeting theme didn’t dwell in the long shadows of our past, we paired a bold font with bright colors to electrify our logo lockup. This was accented by a simple line drawing, its movement reminding us that our business isn’t linear and sometimes caught in a tangle of uncertainty. And to convey the strength, resiliency, and innovative spirit of the ICOM network, the line ends pointing toward the future. Straight and true. Onward and upward.

WTF Welcoming the Future Logo

Conference materials

From the meeting agenda to the name tags and everywhere in between, we never missed an opportunity for our WTF theme to energize our guests.

Swag

Wearable in captivity. Shareable in the wild.

So, how'd we do?

“The look and feel of the meeting were beautifully

“The look and feel

of the meeting

were beautifully

curated by FARM’s creative team—”

curated by FARM’s

creative team—”

“This was the first time since 2019 that the region had regrouped following the Covid pandemic, so expectations were high. I wanted this three-day meeting to tick a lot of boxes for our ICOM members, probably more than usual. This included reliving the benefits of being back together in‑person, allowing enough space and time for people to network, and sharing ideas around daily operations that could be applied to their own organizations. So, no pressure.

The look and feel of the meeting were beautifully curated by FARM’s creative teameverything considered and planned to the tiniest of details. I see lots of great agency-client work in this job but there’s nothing quite like seeing an agency work their magic for the benefit of our network and our members. In my humble opinion, this was one of our best ICOM meetings yet.”

- Emma Keenan
Executive Director of ICOM

Your brand is your company’s most

Your brand is your

company’s most valuable

valuable asset. And when you invest

asset. And when you

invest inconsistency as

in consistency as much as identity,

much as identity,

your returns will prove

immeasurable.

  • Voice and identity development
  • Brand positioning
  • Internal/external launch communications
  • Brand evolution strategy and execution

Our Take

Nobody likes to hear people squawk about marketing. So, we wrote it all down for you.

6 Tips to get great work from your agency

Through firsthand experience, I know that an agency-client relationship can be woefully flawed or a whopping success. I have boiled down my experiences, victories, and failures into six tips that can help steer your partnership from good to great, so you can maximize what you get from your agency partners.  

Read Article »

6 Tips to get great work from your agency

Through firsthand experience, I know that an agency-client relationship can be woefully flawed or a whopping success. I have boiled down my experiences, victories, and failures into six tips that can help steer your partnership from good to great, so you can maximize what you get from your agency partners.  

Read Article »

This website stores cookies on your computer.

These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you.  We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media.  To find out more about the cookies we use see our privacy policy.