The Friday portion of the summit started and ended at the TOMS headquarters in Los Angeles (pictured). In addition to a series of workplace immersions, the day included a celebration of Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 list and live karaoke with castmembers from Pitch Perfect 3. TOMS was chosen because its spaces matched the day's creative, entrepreneurial vibe.
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
During the Saturday event at 72andSunny's headquarters, guests were greeted by signage saying "Hello, are you ready to change the world?" that immediately set the tone for the day. At check-in was an inspiring quote from poet and artist Cleo Wade, who was also a speaker at the conference. All signage was designed by 23 Stories and produced by Premier Displays & Exhibits.
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
The overall event, which was held mostly outdoors at the 72andSunny campus in Playa Vista, had a white, yellow, and orange color scheme, creating a clean, sunny vibe. In the main-stage seating area, fuzzy bean-bag chairs were scattered throughout, and a larger-than-life Teen Vogue sign provided a popular photo op. Most furniture rentals were provided by PBteen, and supplemental rentals were by AFR Event Furnishings and Town & Country Event Rentals.
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
Near the main stage, a step-and-repeat evoked buttons with phrases such as "Women's rights are human rights" and "Love wins."
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
PBteen created comfortable seating vignettes for themed conversations and mentoring sessions. Areas were dubbed "Innovator Lounge," "Activist Lounge," "Woke Lounge," and more.
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
On-theme buttons were also available at several places throughout the event, providing a fun—and social-media-friendly—keepsake of the day.
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
Several photo ops throughout the summit reinforced the event's vibe of activism—and encouraged social-media sharing.
Photo: Claire Hoffman/BizBash
Playstation hosted a gaming lounge to promote the “Girls Make Games” initiative, a series of international summer camps and workshops designed to inspire the next generation of game designers and creators.
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
Illustration: Cornelia Stiles and Carolyn Bouchard
About 400 women attended the one-day event, including fashion bloggers and designers, art directors, magazine editors, chefs, and other working mothers.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
The main stage inside Gallery 308 at Fort Mason—a large cultural center overlooking the San Francisco Bay—featured a plush green sofa, a patterned rug, and greenery by Natalie Bowen Designs. Bright Event Rentals provided furniture.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
A networking area filled with Ikea furnishings and sponsor activations was located outside the venue.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
Mothers were encouraged to bring their children to the conference. Atlejee designer Suvi Silvanto brought her nine-month-old son, Alfons. “I don’t have to worry if my baby’s accepted or not. That makes it unusual,” Silvanto said.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
A mother’s lounge by Plum Organics gave breastfeeding or pumping mothers—or women who had brought their babies to the event—a place to relax and decompress. Toys by Shop Bitte were on hand to entertain the kids.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
A photo booth by Smilebooth featured a custom woven backdrop by artist (and working mother) Meghan Shimek.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
Attendees received small program booklets that included a blank page in the back. Attendees were encouraged to use the page to write down information for new contacts, or “to collect friends,” according to conference founder Katie Hintz-Zambrano.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
A lounge by clean beauty company Beautycounter offered touch-ups and tutorials through out the day. Manicures and hand massages were provided by Parlor spa.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
Diamond of California set up an all-day snack and drink bar in the back of the room.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
Bloody Marys were offered during a break between sessions.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
Sponsor Levi's set up a jacket customization station.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
Attendees received floral takeaways at the end of the day. Other giveaways included sneakers, wireless breast pumps, and kids' lunch items.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
The day ended with a cocktail party.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
The Atlantic's editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg interviewed Michele Norris, journalist and founder of the Race Card Project, in front of a colorful stage backdrop.
Photo: Kristoffer Tripplaar
Allstate converted a large swath of Sidney Harman Hall into a "renewal garden," where guests could install plants. All of the plants were given to a local garden following the event.
Photo: Kristoffer Tripplaar
The event continued its tradition of big-name speakers, including this year Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (right), who sat down with Major Garrett of CBS News.
Photo: Kristoffer Tripplaar
For the first time, the conference included a second primary location that was called “Ideas HQ." The space provided lounges and workspace, as well as a simulcast of discussions, meals, and receptions.
Photo: Kristoffer Tripplaar
Rehan Choudhry is evolving some of the strategies he learned from the Life Is Beautiful festival to develop a new conference format with lofty goals.
Photo: Antonio Abrego
Wall Art
Following its 2015 conference titled Selma at 50: Still Marching, the Chicago Theological Seminary transformed graphic recordings created by Ink Factory into wall art for its office.
Photo: Courtesy of Ink Factory
Stage Backdrop
For Maestro Health’s HR Technology Expo & Conference in 2016, Ink Factory’s artist took notes on a digital tablet and the image was projected on large screens that served as the backdrop on the stage.
Photo: Courtesy of Ink Factory
Large-Screen Displays
At Maestro Health’s conference, eight screens hung around the large hall so all 9,000 attendees could clearly see the graphic recording as it was being created in real time.
Photo: Courtesy of Ink Factory
Book
Following Purdue University’s Dawn or Doom conference in 2015, organizers created a book that included details from every talk, and the visual notes created by Ink Factory.
Photo: Courtesy of Ink Factory
Pre-Event Tips
For the OpenStack Summit in Austin in 2016, ImageThink created a graphic with tips for attendees that organizers displayed in the registration area.
Photo: Courtesy of ImageThink
PDF Summary
At Content Marketing World, September 4 to 7 in Cleveland, Kingman Ink produced a PDF version of the visual notes its artists created from 20 sessions at the event. The company sent the PDF to attendees who requested a copy.
Photo: Courtesy of Kingman Ink
Mural
At the Chicago Theological Seminary’s 2016 conference, Ink Factory created a 7- by 20-foot mural illustrating content from sessions.
Photo: Courtesy of Ink Factory
Outdoor Mural
During Chicago Ideas Week in 2014, Ink Factory visualized the theme of “A Community of Curiosity” on the exterior of the Violet Hour, a bar in the Wicker Park neighborhood.
Photo: Courtesy of Ink Factory
Plexiglas Keepsake
For a party to commemorate Chicago Trading Company’s 20th birthday, Revel Global Events hired Ink Factory to create a custom 5- by 10-foot light box covered with lightweight acrylic. During the event, artists drew images on the light box to represent key moments in the company’s history. After the event, guests received small Plexiglas versions of the artwork as a gift.
Photo: Courtesy of Ink Factory
Stacked Display
In the atrium and trade show hall at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Kingman Ink created display towers from the boards of visual notes taken during Content Marketing World sessions.
Photo: Courtesy of Kingman Ink
The GSV90 videos played on large screens in the Town Square between streams of the general session.
Photo: Courtesy of AgencyEA
The Tomorrowland area included 10 exhibits and a rotating schedule of demonstrations from more than 100 additional companies.
Photo: Courtesy of AgencyEA
AgencyEA created a new look for this year’s event to match GSV’s new branding. The design carried through signage, communication materials, the mobile app, and staging.
Photo: Courtesy of AgencyEA
For the main stage, pieces of vinyl-wrapped foam hung from the ceiling and were mounted to the flat vinyl backdrop to give it a three-dimensional effect.
Photo: Courtesy of AgencyEA
Decorative elements carried through the conference's design scheme.
Photo: Courtesy of AgencyEA
A freestanding frame wrapped with tension fabric created a colorful entrance to the Tomorrowland area.
Photo: Courtesy of AgencyEA
The 30,000-square-foot exhibition space houses the 100 exhibitors, small lounges, and the event's dining area. Air walls around the room have doors that lead to the rooms being used for the 41 conference sessions.
Photo: Courtesy of CNP Expo
Relate is a new conference series from software company Zendesk that is focused on exploring relationships and customer service. To tie to that theme, organizers offered a thank-you note station at the May event in San Francisco. The company’s in-house creative team designed witty cards and invited attendees to personalize them with a hand-written note expressing their appreciation to their colleagues. More than 300 cards were stamped and then mailed by Zendesk staff, and attendees took home an additional 1,000 cards and envelopes.
Photo: Courtesy of Zendesk
At C2 Montréal in May, attendees stepped inside the “Channel” experience, where they could grab one of the phone receivers and have a conversation with another guest in the room. Organizers say the activity was intended to explore what it takes “to truly hear and be heard in our modern, hyper-connected world.” After the conversation, participants moved into a debriefing space to discuss the connection between the experience and their work.
Photo: Agnieszka Stalkoper
At Zendesk’s Relate conference, which took place in Sydney in July, the company created coloring books as a playful look at the complex relationships businesses and customers experience. Each illustration depicted two opposite forces—such as sun and moon, sea and space, etc.—along with a poem or joke that further explored those relationships. Attendees could color the books using colored pencils provided on tables around the event, and they also received a coloring book to take home in the conference gift bag.
Photo: Courtesy of Zendesk
A picnic combines an alternative to traditional meal service with a networking activity. And when held indoors, a picnic can take place year-round. Organizers of the TED Conference, which was held in Vancouver in February, provided blankets and baskets filled with food for six people and invited attendees to find others to share it inside the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Photo: Ryan Lash/TED
With hundreds, or even thousands, of people in attendance at most conferences, it becomes an ideal opportunity to attempt to set a Guinness World Record title. The attempt creates buzz even if it fails. At the National Federation of the Blind’s 2015 conference in Orlando, 2,480 attendees participated in a successful Guinness World Record title attempt for the largest umbrella mosaic. The open umbrellas created the image of the organization’s logo and tagline, “Live the life you want.” The stunt was part of the association’s 75th anniversary celebration.
Photo: Courtesy of National Federation of the Blind
Badge decorating is an activity that allows attendees to show their individuality and creativity—and creates an easy topic of conversation among strangers. At the 2015 Summer Brand Camp Conference in Dallas, organizers invited guests to decorate their badges with colored beads, in a nod to the event’s children’s-camp vibe.
Photo: Jill Harper/Summer Brand Camp
EIBTM
For one of the sessions at EIBTM, the Global Meetings and Events Expo, attendees sat on large red stability balls. The event took place in November in Barcelona.
Photo: Courtesy of EIBTM
Sapphire Now
In the new networking area at Sapphire Now in June in Orlando, guests could choose from seating options such as wooden pallets, leather cubes, and cadrboard cubes, which were strong enough to sit on but light and easy to move.
Photo: Eventrix AG/SAP
Social Media Week London
At Social Media Week London in September, shipping crates became “Skypepods.” Each unit was equipped with Microsoft products and enabled with Skype so attendees could get work done or chat with colleagues online.
Photo: Dave Bird
Web Summmit
Pallet chairs from Dublin company This Is What We Do were one of the seating options in the Media Village at Web Summit in November 2014.
Photo: Naoise Culhane/Sportsfile/Web Summit
Web Summit
On Web Summit’s Pitch stages—site of the event’s start-up competitions—organizers used upcycled chairs made from chipboard.
Photo: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile/Web Summit
TEDxSomerville
Guests reclined on large pillow chairs from Yogibo at TEDxSomerville, held at the Brooklyn Boulders indoor rock climbing facility in the Boston suburb in March 2014.
Photo: Patrick Rogers
Sibos
Inflatable chairs, beanbags, and traditional tables gave attendees seating choices at Sibos in Boston in September. The options reflected the theme of innovation for all the sessions that took place in the room.
Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
C2 Montréal
At C2 Montréal in May, organizers used custom furniture pieces that were designed to facilitate conversations. Overall there were fewer chairs than people to encourage mingling.
Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash
C2 Montréal
The outdoor sponsor lounges at C2 Montréal were set up in shipping containers and decorated with soft, colorful seating.
Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash
TEDxKalamata
TEDxKalamata hosted its event in Greece’s ancient Theatre of Messini, taking advantage of the amphitheater’s unique atmosphere and seating.
Photo: Courtesy of TEDxKalamata
Cisco Live
At Cisco Live in San Francisco in May, attendees reclined on beanbag gaming chairs in the halls of the Moscone Center to watch keynotes, do work, and take breaks. Organizers said they chose this style chair as an "edgier but still functional" alternative to traditional beanbags.
Photo: Steve Maller Photography
Cisco Live
Guests had two options for lunch at Cisco Live: they could sit outside in the Yerba Buena Gardens on Cisco-branded blankets or at round tables, or they could eat inside the Moscone Center where organizers used picnic tables and Astroturf to create a park-like feel.
Photo: Mitra Sorrells/BizBash
A three-dimensional media wall with chrome hubcaps installed around a logo created a graphic photo op at the first night's Fast & Furious theme party.
Photo: Mike Bugaoan
Food vendor the Gastro Garage created artisanal sweet and savory doughnuts, finished on-site with power tools and flame torches by staff costumed to resemble a pit crew. Tool boxes, welding helmets, and oil tin cans decorated the food station.
Photo: Mike Bugaoan
Blue and purple accents and uplighting decorated the party space, and cars—both toy and life-size—added to the look.
Photo: Sage Justice
Wiz Khalifa closed the night, performing hits like “Black and Yellow” and “See You Again” from the Fast & Furious movie franchise.
Photo: Sage Justice
For the circus-theme night, roving entertainers included a fire-eating and boa constrictor contortionist, plus a stilt walker. Dancers were made up with exaggerated costuming and hair styling to give them a mad look, and a circus ringleader and a costumed panda greeted guests as they entered the venue.
Photo: Sage Justice
Golden, LED-decorated jester faces provided accent decor for bar areas and dancer platforms, which were enclosed in caging.
Photo: Sage Justice
Vintage circus-character banners, featuring characters such as the "Master Juggler," decorated the space.
Photo: Sage Justice
Vintage props and decor included giant polka-dot balls and trunks, flanking strategic areas such as the media wall to create points of interest.
Photo: Michael Munson
In the house-party themed space, models and dancers were dressed in attire inspired by the Greek system and university life.
Photo: Mike Bugaoan
Using red and blue Solo cups, Elite Productions designed a custom art installation and media wall, bearing an "R" for Roth.
Photo: Sage Justice
A variety of beer-related activities included beer pong and a beer-bong area.
Photo: Sage Justice
Urban metal and cocktail tables without linen conveyed a bare aesthetic. Beer bottles, cases, and cardboard six-pack holders served as materials for floral centerpieces and installations to accentuate the house-party theme.
Photo: Sage Justice
On the last night, food vendor Company 77 made and served pizzas to order in their unique, signature way: in and on a retooled fire truck.
Photo: Sage Justice
Attendees wore custom LED wristbands, which lit up in changing colors synchronized to the Chainsmokers' set list.
Photo: Sage Justice
Overwhelming is an understatement when it comes to the first few hours of your first C2. This FOMO feeling and anxiety level was amplified through the blistering-paced ticker-tape style signage that lit up the Hangar area. It offered a mix of formal, scripted messages and comments from attendees.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
The “360 Big Top” was the event’s new main stage. It was massive on the outside, yet felt extremely intimate on the inside. Requiring no view-obstructing poles, every seat had a great view of the center stage. The speakers’ stories were complemented by the thematic moving organic shapes projected onto the entire ceiling by 12 projectors using 3-D motion design. An electronic music duo, the Gulf Stream, and five dancers, entertained guests in between speakers.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
The “Sky” lab was one of the most popular activities at C2 Montréal. In groups of five, we sat in chairs suspended about 20 feet off the ground, surrounded by a cylindrical projection surface. The purpose was to spend about 20 minutes brainstorming. That can feel like eternity if trapped with the wrong people! But thankfully my group was amazing, and while we definitely went way off topic, we had a great conversation. Even after we were released from our constraints, safely back on terra firma, we continued our conversation for another 20 minutes.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
In the “Blueprint” lab we created our own urban plan using the principles of design from greats such as Frederick Olmstead. Then the group put our designs together to see if we could create a unified vision from our various perspectives. We all eventually realized that we were still being nice and respectful of each other’s designs even though the goal had changed. A reminder to keep goals in mind and iterate when they change.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
Easily the most popular lab, “Cake” was booked early each day. Participants took a deep dive on each ingredient that goes into a cake. For example, one group focused on sugar, learning about the history and the relationship and effect it has on the other ingredients and the final cake. The cake was slowly built layer by layer throughout the conference and ultimately distributed and eaten by participants, allowing us to all take part and to take away something from all attendees.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
Stacked, colorful shipping containers loomed over the C2 Village, offering intimate, comfortable, catered spaces where vendors could entertain clients while watching the live stream from the 360 Big Top, located behind them.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
It was clear to me that organizers want to encourage attendees to interact—in both large and small settings. “Brain dates” are C2’s term for strategic networking. These 30-minute meetups are coordinated through E-180’s platform, where attendees input both topics they have expertise in and ones they want to learn about. Organizers created an intimate lounge for these meetings filled with living-room-style furniture.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
The Klik platform by PixMob allowed participants to effortlessly exchange information, register for talks and labs, book Brain Dates, and even pay for a cocktail or two. When I registered for a lab with my badge, my schedule was updated on my Klik calendar view.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
A bicycling videographer interviewed guests about their experience at C2. The frame mounted on the back of the bike made it look as if there is a moving painting behind the interviewee. The feedback will be used to improve future conferences and also for promotional footage.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
The “Aquarium” was a glass-enclosed booth where organizers conducted live-streamed interviews with speakers and guests.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
Conference organizers created a variety of ways for each attendee to leave their own unique stamp on C2. Polaroids clipped to string and thoughts written on large whiteboards and sticky notes personalized the experience.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
Finding a quiet spot for a conference call or just getting out of the cacophony of C2 for a few minutes was accomplished through sound-proofed Framery boxes. These cozy boxes gave participants quiet and comfort while still allowing them to take in the sights from the outside world.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
There was ample opportunity to network and grab a cocktail and meal at C2. The modular floating barge is the largest of its kind ever built and offered an ambience and an amazing view of the Lachine Canal.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
C2 partnered with Chromatic Pro, a Montreal-based collective that fosters conversations between artists, entrepreneurs, and professionals. The organization created an “Art Installation Market” with 12 digital works, including this one where guests could layer bright digital compositions over themselves using Mateo Mounier’s Digital Skin.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
Even decorative elements had a purpose. For example, mirrors were used in a variety of ways, and one was warped and fragmented, a reminder to break current perspectives, find different viewpoints, and look inward while looking forward.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
Some of my favorite parts of C2 were the arresting and surprising pieces of art that represent the various emotions that people feel at the conference. One statue of a young woman was either having a eureka moment or had been totally engulfed.
Photo: Courtesy of Joe Lovett/Cramer
Using high-energy entertainers, LED tunnels, multifunction dome tents, and a transforming theater setup, organizers created a lively and high-tech atmosphere for the Upfront Summit.
Photo: Scott Clark Photography
This was the first year Upfront Summit took place at a custom-built, indoor-outdoor venue.
Photo: Scott Clark Photography
Guests entered a custom-built theater through two interactive LED light tunnels.
Photo: Scott Clark Photography
Guests registered under a dome structure in the main tent, an airy space filled with lounge seating.
Photo: Scott Clark Photography
A charge bar invited guests to stay connected and work efficiently throughout the two-day program, and seating both inside and out of the tent was meant to facilitate interaction as well as comfort.
Photo: Scott Clark Photography
A 130-foot-wide projection wall in the theater showcased L.A.-inspired imagery and content.
Photo: Scott Clark Photography
The day concluded with a performance from mentalist Eric Dittelman and a surprise dinner event under the Endeavor Exhibit at the California Science Center.
Photo: Scott Clark Photography
