How Hello Sunshine Made a 1,250-Person Gathering Feel Like a Close-Knit Community

LOS ANGELES—Hello Sunshine, a powerhouse in women-centric storytelling under Candle Media, hosted its second annual Shine Away event, sponsored by AT&T, Oct. 5-6 at nya Studios. The female-founded gathering drew women from across the U.S.—and as far away as Japan and Belgium—on a journey to rediscover joy, reignite passions, and uncover actionable tools for personal transformation.

“Shine Away was created in response to a powerful insight: Women today face unprecedented levels of burnout and often lack time to focus on themselves or connect meaningfully with other women,” noted Chris Bower, Hello Sunshine's executive director of Shine Away and special projects. “With this in mind, we start each year by identifying themes that resonate with Shine Away’s core purpose, exploring topics, conversations, and experiences that are especially relevant to our community at that moment.” The two-day event took place at nya Studios in West Hollywood, Calif.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

This year’s key themes were women’s health, entrepreneurship, and excelling at connection with others. Actresses like Olivia Munn, Naomi Watts, and Tatyana Ali were on hand to share their personal stories that highlighted the importance of prioritizing wellness, while entrepreneurship was celebrated through a female-founded small-business marketplace, presented by Chase Ink. Plus, “We encouraged deeper interpersonal connections by hosting a group lunch with structured speed conversations, where attendees could engage meaningfully with others who share similar personal and professional goals,” Bower added. Chase Ink, in collaboration with the Hello Sunshine Collective, presented the Shine Away Marketplace, a curated collection of women-owned small businesses.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

Hello Sunshine worked with experiential agency Mirrored Media on the event, which was hosted at the female-founded venue in West Hollywood, Calif. Drawing over 1,250 attendees—an increase from last year’s 700—the entire 55,000-square-foot space was dynamically designed to inspire and foster connection.

“Our first Shine Away event in 2023 was a tremendous success, and the enthusiastic response from the Hello Sunshine community made it clear this was going to be an annual event and that we needed to expand,” said Bower. Changes included growing to a full two-day format, expanding the programming, and adding more intimate workshop sessions. The team introduced more intimate workshop sessions this year, allowing smaller groups of attendees to connect, learn, and gain actionable tools to take home.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

Upon arrival, guests were welcomed by vibrant vignettes, floral arches, and other creative installations. Both the West and East campuses of NYA Studios were activated, with empty soundstages and outdoor spaces reimagined into panel stages, a rooftop VIP lounge, and immersive brand experiences. “The Mirrored Media team was instrumental in bringing our themes to life through the design and fabrication of the event’s physical spaces and experiences, as well as helping logistically plan for the best experience flow across the two days,” said Bower. 

Of course, crafting an intimate yet content-rich atmosphere in such a large setting was no easy task. “To achieve this, we created a footprint featuring three distinct stage experiences, ensuring there was always meaningful programming for guests to choose from that resonated personally with them,” explained Justin Lefkovitch, founder and CEO of Mirrored Media. “Between these sessions, we built in time for immersive experiences and meaningful interactions, offering guests the invaluable opportunity to connect with each other.” "One of the most special aspects of Shine Away in person is that chance to meet and engage with fellow attendees," said Lefkovitch. "We thoughtfully designed communal spaces around breakfast, lunch, happy hours, and breaks to foster conversation and connection."Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

To add warmth and intimacy, Mirrored Media designed communal spaces around meals and breaks, intentionally crafting areas that invited conversation and connection. Special attention was paid to the 1,000-seat main theater, where thoughtful design choices—like IMAG screens, a stage lounge setting, and a fluid layout—allowed for a personal touch amid the large event space. “We designed Shine Away to feel both expansive and deeply personal,” said Lefkovitch.

Shine Away also brought Hello Sunshine’s various brands to life. For example, at Reese’s Book Club Bookshop, presented by Sheraton Hotels, guests could browse all 100 book club selections, meet authors, and enjoy book signings. Meanwhile, The Home Edit Experience, in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company, featured a home organization display that celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At the on-site Reese’s Book Club Bookshop, presented by Sheraton Hotels, guests explored all 100 book club selections, and could engage with some of their favorite authors through book signings and meet-and-greets. All books were available for sale in partnership with the female-founded Zibby’s Bookshop.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello SunshineThe Home Edit Experience, in partnership with Eli Lilly and Company, featured a home organization display that celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Clea Shearer of The Home Edit, alongside fellow breast cancer survivor Olivia Munn and Dr. Thais Aliabadi, had a heartfelt conversation led by Mary Alice Haney on the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

This year’s event was also powered by partnerships with L’Oréal Paris and presenting sponsor AT&T, creating even more avenues for attendees to engage and connect. The team spends a great deal of time identifying partners whose missions align with Shine Away’s overarching themes, Bower noted.

"We engage with each brand partner through a series of detailed briefing meetings to explore the best ways to integrate the brand into the overall experience,” he said. “And this comes to life through not only their on-site experience, but also in the content that is captured in association with Shine Away and shared with our communities across social.” Added Lefkovitch: “Our partner activations were carefully crafted to provide intimate engagements, giving guests memorable interactions despite the larger event scale." Presenting sponsor AT&T curated panel discussions and hosted the AT&T Recharge Lounge, an expansive space where guests could relax, recharge their devices, enjoy hand massages, and get professional headshots and personalized LinkedIn consultations. “AT&T’s commitment to fostering connection and conversation that can lead women to greater possibilities is unmatched,” said Bower. “As a partner, they come to the table with a true appreciation of Hello Sunshine’s mission and a willingness to collaborate in a way that allows us to create the most enriching experience possible for our community.”Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello SunshineL’Oréal Paris brought its iconic “Because You’re Worth It” campaign to life through the "Women of Worth" experience. The space featured affirmation cards, reflective moments, and inspiring stories from L’Oréal’s global ambassadors. Attendees also enjoyed a live recording of The Bright Side podcast, which focused on overcoming imposter syndrome.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

To Lefkovitch, one of the weekend’s biggest challenges was creating a cohesive footprint across the venue’s two campuses, with simultaneous programming, activations, back-of-house greenrooms, filming locations, and more. “Collaborating closely with the nya Studios team, we crafted a cohesive event footprint and layout that ensured smooth transitions throughout the space,” he explained. “To enhance the guest experience, we deployed a large team and implemented clear signage with maps to help attendees navigate the event with ease.” 

There was also a tight load-in and load-out schedule due to other events that had been scheduled at the venue. To make it work, Lefkovitch took a cue from Shine Away’s connection themes and reached out to the other events' production teams. The goal? “To identify shared efficiencies and streamline our processes,” he noted. “We approached scheduling creatively, sharing equipment, staggering our crews, and sequencing activities to make the most of our time." The team used clear signage and maps to help attendees navigate the venue’s two campuses.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

The effort paid off. “Seeing over a thousand smiling faces—laughing, crying, and learning together—was immensely rewarding,” Lefkovitch shared. “Creating a seamless two-day experience for over a thousand attendees requires a dedicated team and a tremendous amount of effort, but watching people engage so deeply with everything we created made it all worthwhile.”

“The response from our attendees this year has been phenomenal,” agreed Bower. “We seek to provide the inspiration and tools for attendees to take home with them and create change in their own lives—and to hear from many of last year’s attendees that they have since started their own businesses or shifted the way that they communicate is truly meaningful for all of us that bring Shine Away to life."

VENDORS

“This event was a true collaborative labor of love, with everyone dedicating long hours and hard work to bring Shine Away to life,” said Lefkovitch.Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine

“We’re already hard at work on how Shine Away 2025 will evolve and expand, and also in the planning stages on how to bring more Shine Away to our fans at home—and preparing for the launch of a teen version of Shine Away this coming summer," said Bower. "We’re going to deliver more of what our Shine Away fans want!"Photo: Mirrored Media/Hello Sunshine