WHAT IS SPARK KC?
Spark KC is AAF-KC and Ad 2 KC’s annual Advertising Career Conference geared towards students and emerging talent. Typically this event happens in-person over the course of a day, but due to the pandemic, this year we pivoted to a half day virtual platform
After researching several platforms, we decided to host our event using Hopin, an online platform catering to virtual conferences. This allowed us to maintain the feel and transitions of an in-person event, all from the comfort of attendee's couches.
MY ROLE
I led the creative design direction, which included: creating mood boards, updating the event branding from the previous year, and executing the visual design for social media and other online platforms.
Additionally, I assisted in day-of logistics and planning, speaker and attendee coordination, and outreach to schools throughout the midwest.
DESIGN PROCESS
Based on the Ad 2 KC Brand Style Guide, I created two mood board variations: one bold and bright and the other more muted but whimsical. Both designs focused on highlighting black and white images of young professionals in front of a computer or tablet, making the conscious decision to use a variety of devices and individuals.
After walking through both options, the team chose the subtle and whimsical approach. From there I worked to create two months worth of branded social posts, versioning each social post topic for each platform, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and Twitter.
A couple weeks out from the event, our team discovered LinkedIn Events had been launched, which we promptly utilized for promotion, gaining significant traction among students and emerging talent.
EVENT DETAILS
Our half day event included several mainstage speakers and panels focused on industry life, what it looks like, and how to break into it. Additionally, we had a couple breakout sessions to grant students 1:1 access to ask industry professionals their burning questions.
We capped off the event by allowing time for attendees to visit our virtual expo center, where they were able to interact with hiring managers from several local agencies.
SUMMARY
After utilizing all our organic promotional and outreach methods, Spark KC successfully hosted approximately 100 engaged and enthusiastic attendees. Speakers and attendees provided meaningful conversation and discourse, and both attendees and speakers were left feeling excited and energized by the event, and wanting the event to continue longer (which is even more of a feat in the Zoom-ed out world).
