Think outside the box to make any gathering more memorable and engaging.

How do you make your message stand out in a world awash in content? By creating unexpected and unforgettable experiences.

We believe that great experiences aren’t just memorable—they’re strategic. And when you combine thoughtful strategy with inspired creativity, you can change how people engage with your brand.

Whether you’re creating an event for a few dozen people or several hundred, you need to make it a worthwhile experience for everyone: attendees, speakers, exhibitors and your organization, too. With experiential design, you can do exactly that.

Here are three examples of memorable moments we’ve helped create, plus takeaways from each experience.

Thinking creatively to bring an idea to life

Residents in big cities are often unaware of all the ways they can get involved to help their communities. So in 2023, Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development created its first City Civics Day to teach people about public engagement opportunities.

• Our team partnered with event organizers to design the event. We worked on everything from brand identity to environmental design to interactive art that helped shape how attendees experienced the day.
• As part of our work on 2024’s City Civics Day, we held an internal competition among our artists to create an illustration around the themes of transportation, education, housing and parks. The winning entry was featured on T-shirts and postcards distributed at the event. (Shout out to Kyle for his amazing illustration!)

Key takeaway

When you’re branding an event, it’s about more than creating a logo. It’s about making people feel connected to the big idea at every touchpoint. You can do this through interactive exhibits, smart signage and original swag—and other creative ideas that help people experience your brand in a new way.

Getting stakeholders involved from the start

We partnered with the Chicago Department of Transportation to help plan the first public visioning meeting of the Former BNSF Railroad Improvements Project.

Our goal for the event was lofty: to reimagine how communities engage in civic planning.

• Instead of the standard speaker-audience format, we created a collaborative meeting that allowed residents to provide insights and suggestions. They could cast votes in a jar and place stickers on a map to identify the types of open spaces and features they would like to see for the project.
• We also launched a Community Engagement Partnership program with three community-based organizations to help us reach out to residents and fine-tune our meeting exhibits. Their hyperlocal legwork was vital in contextualizing content and creating a one-of-a-kind experience.

Key takeaway

Don’t be afraid to try something different. By flipping the script on a traditional meeting—and by working hand-in-hand with community-based groups—we gave residents a voice in a high-visibility project.

Creating a win-win experience that scales

We’ve been working for years with LION, the world’s largest manufacturer of protective gear for firefighters. As the company looks to expand its TotalCare business, we worked together to design a two-day event at a TotalCare facility in Chicago.

• Day One focused on media coverage to highlight that the Chicago Fire Department hired TotalCare to maintain its gear using LION’s state-of-the-art RedZone^® CO₂ Clean technology. Through our collaboration with Mike Truppa Communications, we earned coverage from several media outlets, including FOX 32 Chicago.
• Day Two was an open house for local fire departments. We created custom signs and an “Event Passport” for guests to get stamped as they took a self-guided tour of the facility to learn more about industry-leading gear cleaning and maintenance. Everyone who completed the tour could submit their passport for a chance to win free gear cleanings—not a bad deal for an open house.

Key takeaway

Don’t be afraid to try something different.By thinking strategically and creatively, we helped LION celebrate one of its customers and build brand awareness in a key market. And as the company looks to grow its business, we’ve built an event format that can be repeated from coast to coast—like we did recently at the new TotalCare facility in Puget Sound, Washington.

Taking you to the next level

At Blue Daring, we transform events into creative, memorable brand experiences. We do it by always asking:

• How can this be more creative?
• How can we make it more engaging?
• How can we repeat this for future events?

If you want to take your next event to the next level, we’re here to help.