experiential design
JoyRx | Children's Cancer Association
OVERVIEW
JoyRx | Children's Cancer Association has an annual gala in Portland, OR, the Wonderball, that has been delighting the JoyRx community for over 2 decades. The funds raised at this event alone account for 20% of the annual revenue (no pressure!). Those invited are inspired by community giving, compelling auction packages and inspiring stories of kids and teens who found their joy during their treatment journey.
CHALLENGE
As the Senior Brand Designer, I was tasked to come up with a cohesive theme for the gala that will surprise and delight guests; one that encompasses sights, sounds, flavors, outfits, auction packages, interactive experiences and more. These experiences needed to fill the Oregon Convention Center ballroom and lobby and get guests excited to support a worthy cause!
CONCEPTS
Our CEO would come up with a few abstract concepts for me to work with (things like "growth" "transformation" or "story"). I then would explore creative applications of each of these and present 3 solid themes we could go with for the event.
IDEATION & BRAINSTORM
Once the CEO picks a direction she likes, the creativity can start flowing. I set up a storm session with my team and we all put up any and all ideas we can think of to make the theme come to life. We organize our ideas and pitch them to selected JoyRx stakeholders and local creatives to see if they have any feedback, ideas, or connections to help us execute.
THEME REVEAL
Once we get the theme to a good spot, it is time to formalize the event to the Board of Directors. I work within budget constraints to come up with a fun theme reveal gift item and work with executive leadership to present the event to the larger group.
PLANNING
Once the theme is revealed and save the dates are sent out, we take the next 5 months to plan and execute.
once upon a joy story
The theme landed on "Once Upon a Joy Story" which celebrates the stories that flow from JoyRx's nearly 30 year history. This was a moment to share perspectives, impact, triumphs, grief, and everything in between. Guests would enter the Oregon Convention Center and be transported to an English garden with several moments to surprise and delight guests while keeping the mission top of mind.
My main priority was to ensure every touchpoint of the event felt special and honored the kids and families served by our programs. To get folks excited, I was tasked with creating a vision and sharing it with stakeholders.
personal favorites
SILENT AUCTION
The Silent Auction Room is organized by category for easy flow. I wanted to have fun with the signage so I leaned into classic childhood stories to express each category. This was such a fun exercise to ask colleagues what their favorite stories childhood stories and turn them into wayfinding signs.
Apparel category represented by Corduroy book series.
Art category represented by Harold and the Purple Crayon
Food & Wine category represented by The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar.
Travel category represented by Oh! The Places You'll Go.
