ELEVATING NETWORKING AT AN EVENT WITH CREATIVE & BUSINESS PURPOSE
This is the fourth iteration of LinkedIn’s annual, industry-leading event designed to bring nonprofits leaders together and show how LinkedIn can help them grow and create a future we all want to see.
Nonprofit talent and fundraising leaders face a critical need to come together to learn how LinkedIn can help them achieve their goals so that they can make positive change in the world.
The events focus on education, inspiration, driving change, and generating revenue.
LinkedIn hosted 2 separate events in NYC and Washington, D.C. These were intimate events, with between 65-100 attendees for each city.
THEME
Based on the insight that in evolving times, when nonprofit leaders are still as dedicated as ever, LinkedIn is a team member they can count on for every moment in their mission, we developed the event theme “Together For Tomorrow”.
This was based on a dual messaging strategy that speaks to:
- Collaboration & Partnership
- Leadership & Inspiration
MAIN STAGE
For the main stage at both venues, the focus was on creating a stage design that leveraged the seating and available screens at each location.
We worked closely with the LInkedIn for Nonprofits team to create meaningful moments that would allow for meaningful takeaways.
We created 2 activations:
ACTIVATIONS:
1. Headshots
To encourage our audience to get the most out of their LinkedIn profiles, we created a headshot station that allowed people to get professionally shot headshots. We developed an artistic backdrop to give this more of a visual impact. It resonated. Hundreds of photos later - mission accomplished.
2. Storytelling Studio
A primary objective was to drive video content on the LInkedIn profile. To amplify this, we hosted a studio that allowed our attendees to be interviewed by aLinkedIn interviewer and provide their thought leadership sound bytes about key topics affecting the nonprofit sector. To give this a professional feel that separated it from UGC, the studio was supported by a professional video team with direction, lighting and sound, as well as a motion graphics and editorial package that was handled onsite and delivered to each participant within 24 hours.
NETWORKING:
We had heard from attendee feedback from prior Industry Summits, that networking was a key area that attendees were looking to participate in.
Beyond organic networking, there were 2 primary moments created to elevate networking opportunities :
Breakout Rooms:
The LinkedIn For Nonprofits team developed highly customized programming based on audience insights. Breakout rooms were designed that allowed attendees to have active conversations around key subject matter, each was hosted by a session leader. These were meant to be highly participatory.
Impact Pins:
We custom created impact pins that we gave to attendees at registration so they can use it as an ice breaker to approach and network with each other. It also doubled as a nice piece of swag to take home. Each pin had a premade saying of focus related to a key topic that is impacting the nonprofit sector.
OUR ROLE:
We had amazing, collaborative partners with the LinkedIn For Nonprofits team.
We stepped into serve as an extension of their team with
- Overall Creative Theme/Messaging
- Spatial Design, including design of Main Stage, Activations, Furniture and Signage
- Registration
- Main stage show calling, including A/V
- Programming & Speaker Consultation
- Managing F&B
- Activations & Memorable Moments
