Case Study

Real Vision

Leading event branding, visual direction, and on-site photography for an intimate finance summit experience.

Role: Senior Designer
Duration: 2 months
Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator
Deliverables: Event brand identity and visual, Promo posters, Event badges (GA, Staff, VIP), Large-format printed banners, Social media campaign assets, Email and web campaign assets, Event photography

Challenge

A summit without the conference noise

The Workshop was Real Vision's first finance and business summit: an intimate day at the Bowery Ballroom for finance professionals, with guest speakers from across the industry. The format put face-to-face connection ahead of the usual conference noise.

Role

From the identity to the camera

As Art Director I worked directly with founders Damian Horner, Raoul Pal and Grant Williams. I developed the event's punk rock visual identity and led design across print banners, social and web. On event day, I directed the photography team and shot alongside them.

Bowery Ballroom set with round tables facing a stage screen showing The Workshop branding

Round table set with Real Vision branded folders and pens for attendees

Printed event program listing the February 4 speaker schedule

Packed ballroom watching a presenter beside a projected trading chart

Vertical The Workshop banner hung beside the stage curtains

Large banner of a fist holding a microphone through a broken TV screen

Approach

Punk rock at the Bowery Ballroom

The founders' love of Sid Vicious shaped the look, and it fit the Bowery Ballroom, a cornerstone of NYC music history. Presenters got rock star treatment, attendees a VIP backstage experience, and a live band closed the night. The Creative Director, the Events Team and I scouted the venue together to plan print placement, lighting and layout.

Event poster of a hand holding a microphone through a broken TV, dated Feb 04 2019

Punk-style speaker poster for Raoul Pal in black, white, and magenta

Speaker poster for Damian Horner with a halftone portrait and hand-lettered talk title

Speaker poster for Grant Williams with a halftone portrait and magenta tie

Speaker poster for Tony Greer with distressed collage texture

Speaker poster for Tom Thornton in halftone black and magenta

Outcome

Delivered under budget

We delivered under budget, though more promotional assets would have extended the campaign's reach.

Learnings

Both sides of a live event

This project let me work both sides: concepting and designing in advance, then photographing live. It confirmed how much I enjoy running live events end to end, and I'd take on more like it, from workshops to performances and trade shows.