| FRESH FACE 11.04.09 9:00 AM |
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| Natural Selection |
| Shannon Downey keeps her events as eco-friendly as possible—without sacrificing style. |
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After five years working in experiential marketing for Spalding Sports Worldwide and Jack Morton Worldwide, Shannon Downey packed it in—into a backpack, that is—and spent seven months traveling the world, visiting countries such as China, India, Egypt, and Spain. “It was one of those times in your life when you realize that you need to be doing something for the global good,” she says of her journey. Downey determined she would continue to work in events, but on her own terms. “I decided I should really be working for myself, and in a way that made sense to me,” she says.
In 2007, Downey founded Pivotal Production, a full-service event design and production firm. Since its inception, Pivotal has designed trade show booths, produced exhibition openings at local art galleries, and handled logistics for events ranging from the Ravenswood ArtWalk to the Museum of Science and Industry’s Science Saturdays program, a yearlong series that invites the public on behind- the-scenes tours of venues such as Argonne National Laboratory.
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PHOTO GALLERY |
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 | Pivotal designed the decor for 2008's Intuit Gala at Architectural Artifacts.
Photo: Cheri Eisenberg |
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Using her trademarked Mean, Lean, and Green checklist of eco-friendly production methods, Downey and her freelance team keep their events as sustainable as possible. “We look beyond the things you’re just naturally supposed to be doing, like recycling,” Downey says. “We look at energy, lighting, sound, and decor, and we look at all possible ways to reuse, repurpose, and recycle without sacrificing the look and feel of an event.”
Although she says Pivotal’s work doesn’t have a signature look, “we like to call ourselves edgy; we like to do things people haven’t seen before.” Downey often hires local artists to assist with the creative process. “Getting these artists in a room and brainstorming with them, we come up with stuff I couldn’t dream of,” she says, citing a gala that she produced for the Center of Intuitive and Outsider Art as an example. Held at Architectural Artifacts two years ago, the event included a marching band as door greeters and a 20-foot-long dragon— hand-built from wood, hemp fabric, and wire by Downey and her team—hung from the ceiling.
Cheryl R. Hughes, executive director of Science Chicago, worked with Downey on Science Saturdays. “Shannon has a unique knack for being able to conceptualize projects, communicate with and engage partners, translate a vision into reality,” she says, “and deliver on the expectations and beyond.”
—Jenny Berg
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