Freelance consultant with 10+ years in marketing and strategy who helps design and tech brands find their voice in the cultural conversation, and get results. I help develop positioning and content approaches that feel authentic to who they are and relevant to who they're trying to reach.
ajfonder@gmail.com
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(918) 607-5186
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Case Study
Now What? Core77 Design Conference
A conference for young creative entrepreneurs including a customizable content track and engaging experience touch points meant to inspire wonder while educating attendees.
Site: Now What? Launching & Growing Your Creative Business
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TIMELINE
9 months
INDUSTRY(S)
Design,
Entrepreneurship
COMPANY
Core77
ROLE
Content Strategist
Marketing Lead
Co-Chair
The Challenge
In 2018, Core77 got the idea to host a one-day conference to help designers starting their own business or studio answer the question, “I’ve got my idea—now what?”
The plan for the event was to feature lectures, custom workshops, opportunities for networking and even a grand finale with a “flavor cloud” sensory experience.
The Goals
To create an irresistible, unforgettable conference experience.There are many conferences with good intentions that experientially miss the mark—we were determined to create an event that not only guarantees quality content, but also cemented meaningful memories for years to come.
To equip attendees with tangible tools for success relevant to their business journey.
We wanted to curate a program that left attendees with a sense of confidence on how to move forward with their goals of starting a creative business.
To reinforce the Core77 brand.
Our ultimate business goals were two-pronged: in the short term, we aimed to create a promotional plan that led to a sold-out event, and in the long term, create an event so memorable it solidified attendees for future conferences.
The Experience Design
How we built an unforgettable conference experience
How we built an unforgettable conference experience
The Core77 brand has a legacy of creating events that are lighthearted and memorable, all the while centering the overall experience around design. We wanted to create an experience that stood out for its consideration of engagements on a micro and macro level.
We started this exploration with the creation of a persona and user journey map to envision potential experiential scenarios:
The creation of a user journey map gave us the opportunity to identify potential touchpoints for meaningful interactions.
We made a bold visual first impression.
Research shows it takes less than 7 seconds for someone to pass a judgement about you or your business, so first impressions at events are important. We wanted conference-goers to feel at ease when they entered the space, while also creating a moment that immediately sparked inspiration.
So we created a registration experience that encouraged exploration and play, with an installation users would interact with to find their name tag.
We built an easy opportunity for people to connect.
Conferences can sometimes feel awkward to navigate, especially if you're new to a community. We asked, how might we engineer an experience that allows attendees to more easily introduce themselves to new people and potential connections? During a coffee break, we gave attendees 10-15 minutes to introduce themselves to the person next to them and do a round of Mad Libs with a custom prompt, with a chance to win a prize.
The Content
As Co-Chair of the conference, I helped to recruit a number of exciting CEOs, business experts and designers to speak on the topic of starting your own creative business. I also spearheaded content marketing in anticipation of the event.
The Content
As Co-Chair of the conference, I helped to recruit a number of exciting CEOs, business experts and designers to speak on the topic of starting your own creative business. I also spearheaded content marketing in anticipation of the event.
The Content
As Co-Chair of the conference, I helped to recruit a number of exciting CEOs, business experts and designers to speak on the topic of starting your own creative business. I also spearheaded content marketing in anticipation of the event.
Speakers were chosen according to their buzziness and relevance in relation to our conference's target demographic.
The Editorial Strategy
How we promoted the conference using organic content marketing initiatives
The Editorial Strategy
How we promoted the conference using organic content marketing initiatives
To create buzz around the event, I produced a series of interviews with speakers and workshop leaders in the “Now What” conference, and each interview was poised to give helpful takeaways related to the topic they would explore in their conference presentations.
This editorial series resulted in widespread organic social media sharing as well as increased traffic on the website from new audience members also interested in entrepreneurship.
Outcomes
Team efforts in promotion, experience design and event curation led to:
• A sold out conference
• An impeccably designed interior space that imbued the spirit of the brand identity
• A highly engaged audience thanks to the presentation/workshop combo itinerary
Testimonials
“I wish that there was a way it could have been stretched over a couple of days as I felt so sad to leave such an inspiring environment.”
“Overall it was a great conference and well worth the time and money to get there. So many great talks and inspiring people!”
“The branding, swag and other materials that participants received were such a nice touch.”
