3. 1LARSEN EVENT BRANDING
Your
Brand:
Front and
Center
Imagine face-to-face meetings
with customers over the course of
several days. Imagine multiple
positive touchpoints with your
target audience. Imagine
conversations focused on your
brand and its benefits — with no
competitors in sight.
These are the benefits of
an owned, branded event.
It’s the brand equivalent of
surround sound.
At Larsen, we specialize in
branding and marketing premier
events that make an immediate
impression and command
strong loyalty. We’re passionate
about what we do, and our
clients see results.
How can your brand take
advantage of this supercharged
marketing opportunity?
the power
of event
branding
13. 1110LARSEN EVENT BRANDING
The wave worked not just in print and on banners,
but also in video, digital communiations, and mobile
applications, where it could be animated to amplify
the idea of movement. The wave was even useful as
a wayfinding tool. Stripes on the floor and the ceiling
directed attendees to the expo hall, education session
rooms, and other venues. This immersive visual
experience communicated to attendees that they were
part of a bigger movement.
The theme and visuals were a big hit, and not just
with Schwab. Many attendees said it embodied their
feelings about the market and encouraged greater
effort from everyone.
Every movement needs a rallying cry. Larsen created
“Fuel the Movement” for Charles Schwab. This
powerful theme captured the attention of thousands
of independent financial advisors who joined forces
in 2011 in support of the first discount brokerage
firm created by Charles Schwab.
“Fuel the Movement” communicated multiple positive
associations: surge forward, create fresh approaches,
sustain growth — even in a challenging economy.
The theme drove anticipation for Charles Schwab’s
annual IMPACT conference and created unity and
camaraderie among attendees. It also called on
independent advisors to raise professional standards,
give clients exemplary service, and build portfolios
to meet individual needs.
To represent momentum, our visual treatment
featured stripes of varying colors and widths joined
in active waves to suggest the collective power of
individuals working toward shared goals.
FUEL
THE
MOVEMENT
Larsen has branded 11
major Charles Schwab
events over three years.
CLIENT Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
EVENT IMPACT 2011
DATE November 2011
CITY San Francisco, CA
VENUE Moscone Convention Center
ATTENDEES 4,300
RESULTS A rallying cry echoed and
embraced by attendees
14. We
Believe In the Motivating
Power of Themes
An event theme can transcend
the event. It can lead and
inform a yearlong marketing
campaign. A theme can make
it to the boardroom and into
dinner conversations.
16. The theme used commanding
language to empower the
audience. The personas were
regular people, scaled to super-
hero size. The cloud imagery
was rich, three-dimensional,
and one-of-a-kind, created by
photographing ink in water.
The overall effect was powerful,
confident, and larger-than-life,
much like the event itself.
You know you’re onto something
when your event posters keep
getting stolen, over and over.
It’s a great problem to have.
Stolen posters end up in offices
and homes, creating a ground-
swell of grassroots marketing for
your event.
Larsen’s bold branding for
VMworld 2011 clearly struck a
chord with the target audience —
from the directive event theme,
“Own It,” to the towering personas,
to the colorful cloud imagery.
CLIENT VMware
EVENT VMworld 2011
DATE August 2011
CITIES Las Vegas, NV;
Copenhagen, Denmark
VENUES The Venetian; Bella Center
ATTENDEES 26,000+
RESULTS Twenty percent increase in attendance
OWN IT
“The event was
professional, bold,
smart, and just
looked amazing.”
Kellie Beakey
Director of Corporate Events
VMware
20. A branded event should inspire
and delight. When the visual
design is unexpected and
immersive, it makes a lasting
impression. Innovative design
differentiates your event and
sends a message that your brand
is above and beyond.
We
Believe In Visually
Delighting
Attendees
23. 2120LARSEN EVENT BRANDING
identified with “Be Connected.” Even the water
bottles — labeled “Be Hydrated” — carried the
message. The directives were an upbeat reminder
of power and potential.
Attendees and executives said the event theme spoke
to them. Some were embarking on their most bold
year ever. Some said the theme represented how
Schwab had helped them over the previous months
and years, and now they felt even more connected to
Schwab and their peers. IMPACT was the Investment
Advisor industry’s largest gathering in 2010.
The payoff? Attendees were talking about “being bold”
at dinner, and Schwab executives were discussing
“being bold” in the boardroom. That’s resonance.
How is a winning event theme created? It starts with
the audience, where they are.
We attended Charles Schwab’s IMPACT conference in
2008, the year the financial sector went downhill fast.
In 2009, the entire financial industry was in duck-
and-cover. By 2010 the light began to break. What
clients needed now was for advisors to be bold.
Larsen’s theme, “Be Bold,” captured a powerful
message — courage, support, and optimism in the
face of opposition — in a simple, positive phrase
that would champion IMPACT attendees. The theme
had the added bonus of flexibility. Invitations urged
attendees to “Be There,” the media were encouraged
to “Be Influential,” keynote speakers were admonished
to “Be Notable,” and networking events were
CLIENT Charles Schwab Co., Inc.
EVENT IMPACT 2010
DATE October 2010
CITY Boston, MA
VENUE Convention and Exhibition Center
ATTENDEES 3,700
RESULTS Attendance increased by 20 percent
over the prior year
“There was a vibe,
an energy
that was palpable.”
Elisa Novoa
Senior Event Manager
Charles Schwab Co., Inc.
BE
BOLD
24.
25. 2322LARSEN EVENT BRANDING
Many events are missed
opportunities because they aren’t
branded. They become routine
annual get-togethers, instead of
memorable brand experiences.
We believe an event should have
a strategic message that drives
a clear call to action.
We
Believe In Resonant
Branded
Experiences
26. Your branded event should
be the talk of the industry,
in every language. As event
branding experts, we
understand branding across
cultures and continents.
We
Believe In Cultural
Fluency
the event in both Chinese and
English, as well as wayfinding
signage to direct attendees
through the RD facility. With
smart signage, a complicated
industrial building was trans-
formed into a fascinating display
of Applied Materials technology.
The results were a huge boost to
Applied Materials as a competitor
in the solar power industry. A
survey of attendees showed that
90 percent of respondents felt the
event made it clear that Applied
Materials was an industry leader,
and 71 percent were more
inclined to buy Applied Materials
products after attending.
Having your voice heard over
hundreds, even thousands,
of companies screaming for
attention? It can be difficult.
Applied Materials responded by
creating an exclusive, proprietary
event. The goal was to generate
multiple positive touchpoints with
the target audience. We created
a visual and verbal theme for the
Applied Materials Innovation
Summit to be held in its facilities
in Xi’an, China.
The challenge was to build on
the visual style of similar events
the company hosted elsewhere
in the world, but make it unique
to Xi’an. We created logos for
After attending, 71
percent of survey
respondents said they
were more inclined
to purchase Applied
Materials products.
CLIENT Applied Materials
EVENT Xi’an Innovation Summit
CITY Xi’an, China
VENUE Applied Materials RD Facility
Results Ninety percent of event attendees saw
Applied Materials as the clear industry leader
INNOVATe
globally
28. A single visual can inspire
and unite people from
a variety of backgrounds
and with a variety of
goals. Strategic design
can speak volumes, no
matter the message.
We
Believe In Bringing
People Together
29. 2726LARSEN EVENT BRANDING
the infinity symbol. From that
concept, the visual theme flowed
naturally, with rippling fields
of shapes to represent various
symbols of the industry, such as
die patterns and circuitry. The
visual theme represented not just
the possibilities, but also the
flexibility of solutions. We also
employed an array of colors to
differentiate among regions of
the world.
The event graphics were hailed
as a breath of fresh air for
being distinctive, flexible, and
memorable.
SEMI, a trade organization for the
semiconductor industry, wanted
Larsen to create the visual and
verbal theme for its 2008 series of
SEMICON worldwide events. Our
challenge was to come up with a
theme that could be customized
for each specific event location,
including 13 events in seven
countries, while remaining relevant
and flexible all year long.
Within this dynamic global industry,
there’s a sense of limitless
potential. “Infinite Possibilities”
grew out of that idea and the
likeness of the number eight to
CLIENT SEMI
EVENT SEMICON
DATE 2008
Countries United States, Germany, Singapore, Russia,
Japan, China, India, Taiwan, Korea
RESULTS An event with local roots and global resonance
“Larsen has been an
invaluable partner in the
growth and positive
perception of our events and
our brand worldwide.”
Mike Droeger
Director Global Product Marketing
SEMICON
create
POSSIBILITIES
30. CLIENT VMware
EVENT VMworld 2012
DATE September 2012
CITIES San Francisco, CA; Barcelona, Spain
VENUES Moscone Convention Center; Fira Barcelona Gran Via
ATTENDEES 30,000+
RESULTS Leading industry event for IT virtualization
SEIZE THE
OPPORTUNITY
We also created striking visuals using digital
illustrations. The vibrant, colorful design unified
all event touchpoints — from name badges and
registration websites to environmental graphics
and the program guide.
The show-stopping, immersive brand experience
reinforced VMworld as the leading industry event for
virtualization and cloud computing infrastructure.
The result? Record-breaking attendance numbers:
over 22,000 in the U.S. and 8,000 in Europe.
How do you one-up a wildly successful event from
the previous year?
Roll up your sleeves and get to work.
The powerful theme for VMworld 2012 —“Right Here.
Right Now.”— captured the immediacy and excitement
of VMware’s new landscape of cloud computing.
Our supporting language drove home the point and
built excitement: “Navigating the new world of cloud
computing can be daunting. At VMworld 2012, we
offer the tools and training you need to master this
new landscape with speed, security, and control.
We are ready. The technology is here. Go with the
power of VMware at your side.”
36. LARSENI 200019981996199419921990
TIMELINE
Novellus 2000
Netscape 1997
Digital 1993
Quantum 1994
Novellus 1998
Novellus 1996
1993. We’ve been creating branded events that long.
Our legacy is strong, our expertise deep. Year after
year, we’ve been setting high standards for ourselves —
pioneering new event concepts, pushing for innovation,
and driving positive results. Our clients have been
delighted. They know they can count on Larsen for
fresh concepts and big ideas.
37. 3534LARSEN EVENT BRANDING
N 20102008200620042002 2012
Charles Schwab 2011
MIMA 2007
Asyst 2001
3M 2004
Starkey 2006
VMware 2012
Applied Materials 2011
VMware 2011
AIGA MN Design Camp 2010
Applied Materials 2011
SEMI 2008
HOW DESIGN IS CHANG
( and ho
DISRUP
EFFE
Afternoon D
Hosted by the University of
Keynote: Jane McGonigal, Ph.D.
Future forecaster and game designer
featured at 2010 TED Conference intersec
Design Intersecitons
2010-2012
VMware 2012
38. 2 3
4
5
1
KNOW YOUR
AUDIENCE
ASK SOMETHING
OF ATTENDEES
LEVERAGE THE
POWER OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
DON’T STOP
AT BANNERS
CREATE A
BOLD THEME
Your event needs a theme:
a compelling phrase. It’s not
enough to use your company
tagline, no matter how witty,
concise, or competitive. Your
theme should capture attention,
communicate enthusiasm, and
boost attendance.
Everyone who decides to spend
time and money to attend your
event is already on the way to
becoming a brand booster. If
you treat invitees with esteem,
honor their expertise, ask their
opinion, and involve them, they
are more likely to become true
brand advocates.
Your event isn’t confined to
the walls of the venue. When
attendees use social media
at events, they talk to people
all over the world. Give them
something amazing to share —
before, during, and after
the event.
If attendees have a passive role in
your event, there’s no reason for
them to feel a connection. These
people aren’t spectators; they’re
collaborators, clients, even friends.
Engage them.
Everything is your canvas!
Think about all the ways you
can incorporate your theme
into the attendee experience.
5Event Branding
Essentials
