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
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:
Agency services:
“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.
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.
Wearable in captivity. Shareable in the wild.
“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 team—everything 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.”
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.
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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.
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Marketing is complex, and it takes serious dedication to be a savvy marketer. Think about anyone you admire in the field. It can be a peer, boss, or industry expert. They all carry the same common trait at the heart of their approach, a growth mindset.
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