The Need:
In 2016 the Denver-based event technology company, Data Connect, was getting ready to launch their 3rd annual MUG (Marketing User Group) Conference at the Embassy Suites in Denver. The aim of this unique event was to bring together customers, prospects, and partners of Data Connect to work together and find new ways to be successful in the event industry. The past two iterations of MUG had seen modest growth and returns, so the team really wanted to step things up in the third year which meant reshaping the identity of MUG. So, as Marketing Manager at Data Connect, I got to work.
The Remedy:
Brand Identity Refresh
I began by doing intensive research with past event teams and attendees on what made past MUGs successful... and where they fell short. It quickly became clear that the event set itself apart in its vision. MUG was truly a place to forge human connections with industry experts and get hands-on experience with new technology. The partnerships that were born out of past events had helped attendees and exhibitors succeed in brand new ways. The team was not ready to move to a new brand name, but I knew I could rework their current name into a refreshed identity to take us forward.
After rounds of design and review, I created a strong circular logo that harked back to previous branding but updated it with a chic, retro-modern typeface and a bold neon-esque color pallette. This refreshed, optimistic look was combined with our new tagline: Collaborate and Conquer. The tagline painted a bold picture of what MUG brought to the event industry, we were to be a place where invaluable partnerships are born to succeed like never before. To really tie it all together I used bold, starry imagery throughout the branding and at the event to create a profound, inspirational look and feel.
Event Website
With a refreshed look it was time to really get MUG off the ground with a brand new website to inform our audience and get them registered. Now, since I was working for the event company Data Connect for the conference, naturally, I would use their event website platform. Using (the now defunct) 900dpi website platform. I designed all the graphics, wrote all the copy, and sourced all the imagery across the website. Then, I worked closely with the rest of the team to ensure a clean and easily navigable layout on every page.
The MUG homepage.
About MUG page.
The Results:
“Doubled event registration year-over-year.”
By all our established metrics MUG 2016 was a great success for Data Connect. The refreshed branding was able to garner more industry interest than ever, and our easy-to-use website registered twice as many attendees as previous years. At the event, we were able to triple our actionable leads for new business along with solidifying relationships with two new strategic business partners. Today, MUG is taking the show on the road and pursuing ways to bring this unique conference to cities around the U.S.
