HOSTING THE PREEMINENT EVENTFOR YOUR ENTIRE INDUSTRY
How we helped Percona host a tradeshow for dozens of companies inthe heart of Silicon Valley and on two major international stages.
SUMMARY
WHAT WE DID
Percona is the oldest and largest independent MySQL support and consulting company. Every year, it hosts Percona LIVE, a conference series focused on enhancing MySQL users’ knowledge.
Here’s how we helped Percona develop a strong brand for Percona LIVE and host tradeshows in Silicon Valley, New York, and London.
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Identity -
Event Graphics -
Publication Design -
Collateral
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Brand Standards -
Poster Design -
Brand Strategy
CHALLENGE
Every tradeshow needs a brand that helps set the vibe for the event in the minds of attendees. But this show had none. Until this was addressed marketing necessary to get folks interested in coming couldn’t be produced. What’s more, every venue has its own challenges. The show in Silicon Valley, for instance, was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center – a VERY large space. Event graphics would need to be designed to fill the space – no mean feat. This meant kiosks, signs, structures, the works. Then, once the show is on, attendees themselves need branded materials…
How could we establish this show as the premier event it was meant to be, not just for one event or year but for multiple venues every year?
INSIGHTS
As a leader in the MySQL space, Percona has high brand recognizability, which could inform the logo for the event. The venue’s openness would also provide ample opportunities for event branding. The show’s demographic is mainly young programmers. This savvy group suggested a high-energy and visually rich motif for the creative solutions.
As large as this show was, with many separate sessions, organization solutions needed to be a design priority, along with ample informational signage to help people get around.
SOLUTION
MODULARITY & HIGH ENERGY, HIGHLIGHTING KEY CONCEPTS
We began developing the Percona LIVE identity by leveraging the already familiar Percona corporate brand which enjoys high visibility in the marketplace. It’s a true competitive adventage. We then turned our attention to the environment. The Worldwide Expo was held in a large venue, so we knew the structures and graphics we designed had to be big and scalable. However, it would be prohibitively expensive to fill the venue with unique event branding, so we devised a modular graphical solution that could be used in many locations.
Participants got an early look at Percona LIVE through a perspectus describing the show and inviting attendance and sponsorship.
A LOGO FAMILY TREE
Since the Percona corporate logo enjoyed such high visibility, we based the Percona LIVE logo on its essence, but swapped the P in the mark with a power button (because it’s Percona – LIVE – don’t you know…), and shifted the colors a bit. From there, we added location as the central component of each event logo. The Worldwide Expo, New York and London shows all received their own separate identities, yet they all fit together.
These logos, because of their subject specificity, could also be rendered in an alternate colorway. The 2016 show, for instance, presented the brand in green and blue instead of yellow and green. The new colorway was established as part of the theme of this show, but the logos, while shifting to this look, did not suffer recognizability at all.
WE NEEDED THEM TO BE CLINGY
The main way we were able to effectively brand this venue was by designing graphics in a series that could be made into window clings, banners and signs. This way, one set of designs could be printed many times and placed in varied locations throughout the venue. As the building had many windows and open walls, these clings worked really well.
We worked with the client to establish eight topical areas of emphasis that would be covered by presentations throughout the show. These evocative words became the focal points for the signature graphics, where bold photography and on-brand typography tied everything together.
MAKING THE REST OF IT FIT TOGETHER
Once the look and feel for the show was established, largely through the creative direction and energy of the thematic clings, the main informational and structural pieces were designed. Finally, all supporting graphics were created.
What pieces are typically needed? Shows like these require the design of registration kiosks for attendees and guests, entryway structures that move participants into and out of ballrooms, room signs that present schedules and topics for individual sessions, giveaways to participants, not to mention the bulk of the aforementioned event graphics, the list goes on and on. A myriad things require the signature branding in a show of this scale, and it is attention to all of these pieces that firmly ties the identity of the event together.
RESULTS
Percona LIVE had tremendous success in it’s inaugural year with more than 1000 attendees. The next year, they added an extra day for the Worldwide Expo and increased the number of presentors and keynote speakers, helping to elevate this show to be THE premier event for the MySQL development community.
In ensuing years, Amsterdam was added as a venue and speakers such as Steve Wozniak and Bill Nye participated.
“Thanks for making the Percona Live MySQL Conference and Expo a big success! Everyone did an outstanding job pulling together to create a great conference in a limited amount of time. The comments I’ve heard are overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the great effort put forth by everyone involved!”
– Terry Erisman, former CMO Percona
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