Event Spotlight: NPR and How I Built This With Guy Raz
As seasoned event planners, we are always thrilled to work with the clients we know and know well, but occasionally, an event and a client comes along that really hits our sweet spot; where we can let our creativity fly while streamlining their process in the very best way. This was definitely the case when we collaborated with NPR to produce the How I Built This Summit with Guy Raz. As NPR fangirls, it was a dream come true!
NPR was eager to expand and refine its event in its second year, and we found great ways to do just that. Project Manager Marianne Jackson took the helm and found ways to leverage the venue, tap into their brand, and bring the wow factor for which Kennedy Events is known.
Hosted at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, NPR’s Summit spanned two days and featured host Guy Raz’s signature wit and candid interview style paired with movers and shakers like the CEOs of Instagram, Slack, AllBirds, and more. In addition to mainstage speakers, track sessions allowed more intimate interactions between attendees and speakers, creating opportunities for connection throughout the day. Marianne and the KE team were happy to incorporate many opportunities to delight along the way.
Going with the Flow
Efficiently utilizing this beautiful facility was one of the first things that Marianne did. To take advantage of the beautiful San Francisco weather, she moved registration outside. This cleared up registration traffic patterns indoors which meant plenty of free space for sponsors to showcase their brands and activations inside while also putting the How I Built This brand front and center for the public to see. That welcoming approach to registration turned what could have caused a bottleneck indoors into manageable lines no more than four people deep at any time.
Creating a Brand Color Story
Every event needs tables and chairs, but when your chairs incorporate your brand color story, they turn into more than a seat; you’re suddenly part of the experience. To tie in the bright pops of color that the How I Built This brand is known for, Marianne sprinkled vibrant yellow chairs in a sleek modern, metal design at the tables for the VIP luncheon along with simple budget-friendly centerpieces using white bowls filled with lemons. The branding followed through the venue from stages highlighted with projection mapping to Instagrammable quote walls that provided an interactive experience for attendees.
Catering to the Outdoors
Feeding 800 people is no easy feat, so Marianne used the more unique aspects of the venue by setting up dining space outside with trees and tents for sun protection. There were grab & go stations for coffee and snacks, as well as a breakfast buffet that flipped to a lunch buffet. In the evening, there were passed appetizers, a full bar, and a DJ spinning to keep the energy up. Marianne also utilized one of the breakout rooms at the venue for a VIP family-style welcome lunch and kept the seating as-is for presentations later in the event. This saved the client the cost of moving to a second venue for lunch and attendees enjoyed being seated at tables for a more collaborative, communal feel during track sessions.
Staging with Connection
When NPR said that they wanted projection mapping to be part of the summit, Marianne knew who to call. Immersive transformed the stage into an environment that pulled listeners in and involved them with the speakers. Using customized 8x8 fabric panels hanging on either side of the theater and several large fabric-covered columns on stage, the animators were able to create a feeling of movement and cohesion through graphic projection. This not only gave the stage program added polish but also a sense of momentum.
As personal fans of NPR, we were thrilled to collaborate with them on the How I Built This Summit. When an event can both challenge our creative thinking and make the most of our management skills—from registration flow to branding, from keeping attendees fed to creating an event that guests were still talking about weeks after the last cocktail was mixed—it doesn't feel like work. We can’t wait to start on next year’s event!
What’s Your Next Event?
Do you have a vision for your event that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear about it and see how we can help implement your vision. Send us a note and we’ll be touch in soon.
Maggie Kennedy is the co-owner of Kennedy Events; a large-scale event management company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Our team creates stress-free conferences and events with a positive impact, which allow our clients to resonate with their audience. Kennedy Events specializes in producing flawless product launches, award ceremonies, fundraisers and multi-day conferences while keeping our eye on retention and engagement goals
MAGGIE KENNEDY
