Event Spotlight: Bridge Housing’s Stein & Colwell Scholarships Virtual Celebration
Photo credit: Cut Canvas Creative.
Kennedy Events first partnered with BRIDGE Housing to produce their 35th-anniversary gala in 2018. We pulled out all the stops and orchestrated a stunning event for 700 guests that included transforming a cruise ship terminal in San Francisco into a luxurious venue for a four-course dinner, live auction, and guest speaker Ronan Farrow. They were absolute dream clients to work with, so when BRIDGE contacted us in July 2020 to help them with a virtual event we jumped at the opportunity to partner with them again. They were hosting their annual Stein & Colwell Scholarships Fundraiser, which they typically manage in-house, but they knew that producing a virtual version of the event would require them to call in the experts. With live elements filmed from their offices, mixed with pre-recorded content and an auction, there was a lot to coordinate and execute flawlessly.
Kennedy Event’s roots are in producing events for the nonprofit sector and we love it when we have a client with a cause that we can wholeheartedly get behind. The Stein & Colwell Scholarship fund awards grants to hundreds of outstanding BRIDGE residents to help meet their career goals. These grants make a critical difference by providing residents with the resources to pursue a financially secure career.
Telling the Story
One thing we have been repeating since all our events went virtual is “content is queen.” You have an opportunity to engage with your audience but it’s via a screen and there is a lot less room for error and dull moments. BRIDGE had been working for years with Cut Canvas Creative, a talented video production company. They were on board to create rich video content; which really pulled on the heartstrings—a tactic you always want to invoke during fundraisers. One of the most compelling videos featured a past recipient of the scholarship sharing how the funding impacted her life and her sons. Even those of us behind the tech tables didn’t have dry eyes after watching her story.
We worked closely with the BRIDGE team by interspersing these video assets with live broadcast content and slides to translate it into an intriguing 45-minute program that ended up raising close to $400,000.
Why We Have Repeat Clients
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of our value. Often what we do comes so naturally that we forget most people don’t see the world with our event planner eyes. BRIDGE had already proven themselves as an incredibly capable client and we gladly joined them as an extension to their team to project manage. We identified all of the tasks that needed to be accomplished, by whom, in what sequence, and by what date. We took their vision, identified their goals then guided them on the path to success. When they said they were interested in live broadcasting the program from the 9th floor of their headquarters in downtown San Francisco, we said, YES...AND we need to do a site visit with our tech team to iron out every tiny detail and potential obstacle so that if on the day of the show we have a challenge then we are in good shape to give it attention. After the site visit, we knew we needed to bring in drape and plants for the staging, stanchion and set up our tech team socially distanced in a hallway, and make a very defined plan for COVID-safety protocols. It’s as though we have special event producer goggles that allow us to see things nobody else can.
Do You Think You Might Need Some Virtual Event Planner Vision?
We would love to show you the possibilities. We’re currently offering a free 30-minute consultation to get you started. Book your call with us today and we’ll get you on the right track for your virtual event.
MaRIANNE JACKSON
Marianne Jackson is a senior producer and the creative director at Kennedy Events. She specializes in making our client’s biggest design and decor dreams tangible while also ensuring that the event day menu is worthy of a Zagat mention. (Seriously, her taste and culinary connections are that good). Her fervor for adventure, cuisine, and aesthetics is visibly apparent in every event—whether in-person or virtual—she produces.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began with one goal in mind—to produce high-level corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Maggie founded the company in 2000, found her match in Paige, and in 2011 the two became official partners. Since then, these two resourceful and brilliant creatives have pooled their strengths to build one one of the most the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
Services
Make sure that your event is as valuable to your company as it is meaningful to your attendee.
Projects
We’ve (nearly) done it all when it comes to large scale events.
Popular Posts
Topics
