Promoting a fun and informative meeting for software channel partners
The meeting is a way for channel partners who sell the software to learn tips, techniques, and what's in development, along with fun activities highlighting the city.
The Channel Partner Meeting in a nutshell
Attendance on Demand (SaaS) and InfoTronics’ Attendance Enterprise (self-hosted) applications are not sold directly, but through a network of partners that help their clients with HR and payroll systems. Each year, these partners are invited to a different city for company presentations and events in and around the city.
Theme: Family Reunion
This was Attendance on Demand’s 10 year anniversary, and they wanted a reunion theme for the channel partner meeting. The event was in Detroit with the big party at The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, birthplace of the Model T. My family used to own a Model T so I had plenty of reference for the main image.
Each department had an activity as an easy way to introduce attendees to employees. Since the departments would be like a unique family within the reunion, we thought they could have team shirts. And to highlight some of the exciting areas in Detroit, each team was paired with a neighborhood.
Once the neighborhood logos were designed, each letter in the word “family” represents a different team, tying the reunion theme together.
Model T filled happy people. Of course the car itself is black ("you can have any color you want, as long as it's black") but for a cartoon we can have funDifferent lettering styles used to create one word.Nine Detroit neighborhoods were used to represent company departments. I created a logo for each.
Along with the theme and neighborhood logos, I create email headers, signs, art for giveaways, and tall signs for each department that showed where the neighborhood they were representing was located.
Each letter of "Family" uses a typeface from each neighborhood logo. The Model T is nod to the big party at the Piquette Plant.Special events take place in Campus Martius Park. The logo is a nod to the water fountain park logo.The new sports stadiums are in this area, so the logo has an athletic feel.New Center is a historical district, featuring the lovely art deco Fisher Building, the inspiration for this logo.Hamtramck is a city surrounded by the city of Detroit. The logo is inspired by the high school and the flags displayed in town.Corktown is the oldest neighborhood in Detroit, and a fun spot to hang out. This logo reflects the hip vintage vibe of the area.The riverfront area has high rises, marinas, and promenade parks. The logo was inspired by cruise boats.Greektown has a casino and tons of great places to eat. This logo is inspired by the signs in the street.
Previous Years
Each year, the theme is different and the graphics highlight the theme, using the location as inspiration when appropriate.
The 2015 theme was Zingify:time. The meeting featured locations and speakers from Zingermans in Ann Arbor, Michigan.The postcard set the tone. Web pages for the invite used the theme with different wording, like Zingify:Party for the big event.The 2014 theme was related to the location at Greenfield Village and features a watch based on the big giveaway of a Shinola watch.Invitations were mailed in 3 waves, featuring images from the meeting locations in Greenfield Village and Dearborn, Michigan.Tall lighted displays in a gathering area let attendees know where they could charge their devices easilyThe 2013 theme was "Time for Change." It was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a big event at the Ford Presidential Museum.Signs coordinated with the election theme. This one was in honor of a retiring employee.The 2012 theme was Cruising to Success. The 2011 meeting was held at Mackinac Island and they wanted to feature the bridge in the theme.The 2010 theme was Harvesting Time.In 2009 the theme was Sign of the TimesThis meeting focused on transformations in the company. The logo uses clock hands in a wavy pattern.The 2007 meeting took place in Traverse City, Michigan, famous for cherries. The theme was Charting our course togetherLogo features the skyline of the location, Toronto, OntarioTropical theme with an attendance tie-in