The BREW branding, introduced in 2018 following my comprehensive rebrand of the Nexus family of organizations and its design system, had its best moment in the sun at BREW 2019. I designed, coordinated, oversaw production of, and installed every piece of branded livery and wayfinding at the event, down to the lanyards for attendees' name badges. This process was critical for me in learning how many elements of design go into a truly successful large-scale event like this, and gave me a passion for experiential design. I was moved by the way our attendees were drawn to and delighted by our design elements. The cohesion we were able to achieve came from a relentless attention to detail and a refusal to compromise on an elite experience.

In collaboration with my colleague Wendy (pictured above), we utilzed an agile methodology to keep the BREW train on its tracks. With sponsors, vendors, speakers, venues, and more to coordinate, organization was paramount. We used the program Airtable to act as our base of operations — its vast customizability ended up being the perfect solution for the wide-reaching and oftentimes complicated event that was BREW 2019. Our combined efforts along with our agile approach gave us a great foundation to produce and manage the event, and was an incredible experience in collaboration, coordination, and communication.

At the ground level, so to speak, is where the bulk of the coordination required for an event of this size takes place. From managing a wide array of vendors for backdrops, teardrop flags, standees, sandwich boards, tablecloths, name badges, apparel, and more to ensuring our talented guests and speakers were accommodated appropriately, BREW was a constant balancing act. Having a strict organization system and very clear documentation of the processes ensured that no stone went unturned, and the event was able to run completely seamlessly for our attendees. When everything goes right, it can almost feel like nothing has happened at all — that illusion is absolutely critical for ensuring an incredible attendee experience.