Joy To The City

Community Toy & Food Drive, live entertainment, music, photo ops, and Holiday joy

The Client

We were stoked to be able to partner with Assemblymember Matt Haney, CODE Tenderloin, and Chase Center on this amazing charity event for San Francisco!

The Haney team approached us to help concept a charity holiday event complete with a Food Drive, Performers, and Family Friendly activities.

Goals & Challenges

Come up with a fun and unique event NAME & BRANDING that reflected the San Francisco creative community.
Design and execute an event experience that was family friendly, had a large main stage, and highlighted local vendors.
Work with multiple high level key stakeholders like Chase Center on all things venue, CODE Tenderloin for a food, toy, and grocery giveaway, Security, Union Stage Labor, Food Vendors, SF Library, and food permitting.
Manage a large list of Sponsors and Event signage.
Pivot to a complex RAIN PLAN within 48 hours of the event (eek!) due to last minute weather report, which meant changing all of our vendor loading info and attendee communications, complex credentials for staff, and all kinds of fun logistics.
We made it happen though, and we successfully hosted the event to 500+ attendees and gave out hundreds of toys and groceries to families in need!

An Unforgettable Time, Rain or Shine!

Video by Neil Yuzon

WHAT WE DID:

We created a fun, festive name for the event “Joy To The City”
Designed unique Branding & Digital Marketing assets
Created Sponsorship Offerings & Deck
Event Strategy & Experience Design

HERE’S MORE:

Vendor Curation
Permitting
Event Staffing & Logistics
Stage Production & Management

WHAT’S IN JOY TO THE CITY

Snow Machine
Talkback and Coloring Wall
Hot Cocoa Station
Local Food Vendors
Family Studio Printout

Event Design

Photos by Mike Bravo

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Colorbloq Venue Launch

An Innovative and interactive venue space

The Client

The team at Colorbloq, formerly known as The Quad, hired our team to help strategize their new venue space and help launch it to the industry!

The team came from tech backgrounds, and acquired this space as a new business venture and they needed someone with extensive event experience to help craft a unique identity for the space.

Goals & Challenges

Setup Events Program & Infrastructure – Create the foundation for a successful events program complete with a full list of veteran industry vendors.
Produce Open House Launch Event – Kick things off with a bang for the community!
Hire & Train an Events Manager

Building Infrastructure For a Colorful Creative Space

Event Rental Packet

Create initial infrastructure needed to run a successful events program for the space including: Rental pricing with package options & add-ons, Detailed Venue Rules & Regulations, Sample layouts, Insurance information, Parking info, Setup / Breakdown info, Noise restrictions, and more.

CREATE TRUSTED Preferred Vendor List

Negotiate rates for in-house vendors and create easy to sell event packages, while training all vendors on the venue details.

TRAIN & HIRE EVENTS MANAGER

We created the job description for Events Manager, reviewed prospective candidates, and they actually ended up hiring our referral directly!

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Dia De Los Muertos Corporate Event

Dia De Los Muertos Corporate Activation

Honoring Death and life

The Client

We were excited to work with a long standing corporate client to design this amazing annual Dia De Los Muertos activation to honor death, life, and the cycle of change in our lives and work.

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Pinterest Holiday Party

Pinterest “Positive Corner” Party Activation

Re-creating the “positive corner of the internet” in real life

The Client

We’re huge fans of Pinterest, so were stoked to work with them for this holiday activation! Pinterest values creativity, innovation, and inclusivity, striving to empower individuals to discover and do what they love. Their brand is centered around fostering inspiration in every aspect of life, whether it’s home decor, fashion, recipes, or personal projects. They pride themselves on being the “positive corner of the internet” 🙂

Goals & Challenges

Create a joyful, exciting immersive holiday party design pulling inspiration from Pinterest aiming to be the “positive corner of the internet” for their employee holiday party.
Design an engaging and fun multi-week lobby activation to make it festive and energized during the holiday season.

pinterestholidayparty2023-Jimmie Gaviola-81

Event Highlights

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Lobby Design

Make it Mariko designed the concept for the lobby design with our goal of bringing natural elements into the indoor lobby to bring it to life using oversized elements with Luisa’s Creations N’More (lobby).

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Immersive, Multi-textured Elements

In partnership with Boovara Designs, we created multiple “positive corner” activations highlighting Pinterest-worthy photo opps that were also fun and interactive, like this Comfy, Cozy Corner AND a Texture-focused wall with games for people to play.

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Gamify Positivity!

Since this was an Engineering Office, we wanted to focus on interactive games and things folks could play knowing that was a pull for engineers. We designed this game wall with Boovara Designs where guests would toss a beanbag to hit the Pinterest themed images, and on the back of it would be a positive affirmation!

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Brown Is Beautiful

A Fashion forward celebration of the poc creative community

The Client

Brown is Beautiful is an original production created by the team at Make it Mariko. It’s always a joy when we get to create magic and celebrate our own vision while uplifting POC creatives & entrepreneurs.

Goals & Challenges

To celebrate the beautiful community of POC vendors, creatives, and entrepreneurs that surround us and bless us with their talent in the Bay Area and create a space for their JOY.
Design a fashion-forward cocktail party & reception honoring brown & black joy and creativity, while uplifting local vendors & creatives.

Finding our joy as POC creatives.

DJs & performances

Special live DJ scratch set by DJ Shortkut from the legendary Triple Threat DJs and DJ Lok.

Photobooth

Immersive photobooth with large wooden Brown Is Beautiful sign.

themed attire

Fashion-forward brown themed attire complete with photo opps throughout the night.

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“The Stars of Search” Google Holiday Party

Corporate holiday party

The Client

Since the party was for the Google Search team, we designed a “Stars of Search” Hollywood Glam theme and worked with our Endeavors Collective dream team vendor list to make this huge vision come to life.

Goals & Challenges

Our main challenge was to make sure the space didn’t feel cold and empty, so we decided to split the main Atrium area into two unique spaces with distinct purposes. We also wanted to create an epic grand entrance to the main stage.

2018 – The Stars of Google Search Holiday Party (15)

Setting the Mood for a Night to Remember

Game On!

Casino games and a chip competiton were all part of the fun. Attendees also got to keep it old school with vintage arcade games.

Speakeasy vibes

A speakeasy Bar with a 3-piece band, playing jazz and funk all night. There was also a fun and interactive Speakeasy themed crossword puzzle for guests to solve.

big band

The main stage featured 9 piece band, Hella Fitzgerald, CTA DJs, and DJ Umami.

Vendor Team

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NPR “How I Built This Summit” At Home

NPR “How I Built This” Summit

Corporate virtual entrepreneurship summit

The Client

NPR’s “How I Built This Summit” with Guy Raz provides a platform for successful entrepreneurs and business leaders to share their stories, experiences, and insights to inspire and educate aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders. The summit also provides opportunities for attendees to network and learn from each other’s experiences.

Goals & Challenges

Figure out how to pivot NPR’s popular annual event to a virtual event during Covid-19. Create new, exciting, engaging ways for attendees to still network, meet, and engage with each other virtually via Hopin event platform.
Increase participation & engagement of QTBIPOC communities at the Summit
Increase participation & engagement of audiences 35 and younger
Ship high res cameras, lighting, and equipment to speakers all over the country and help them troubleshoot setting up on their own.

How I Built This 2021-05-27 at 4.50.19 PM

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Inspring Our Future Business Leaders

virtual event

We hosted a successful 5-day virtual summit on Hopin for over 1,600 attendees all over the world.

celebrity speakers

We hosted 27 virtual speakers including high level celebrities like Brene Brown, Sal Khan (Khan Academy CEO), Rashad Robinson (Color of Change), and of course, the man the myth the legend, Guy Raz himself!

Vendor Team

Digital Event Production

@addvirtual

Virtual platform

@hopinhq

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Marketplace Conference

VC Tech conference

The Client

We worked with Dan Hoffer, Partner at Autotech Ventures, to design, create, and produce the conference and expand it this year. We love working with Dan as he’s always super kind, upfront with his feedback, and data driven. And his speaker curation is so on point! It makes for a great client, as I’m sure a really great venture capitalist as well 🙂

This year Dan brought on a new co-organizer, the well connected and respected Battery Ventures, to add to the list of other Organizers: Autotech Ventures in Silicon Valley and Speedinvest from Berlin.

Goals & Challenges

Develop a unique event identity for this NEW annual event for the VC community, with a very niche focus – tech companies focused on building online marketplaces.
Create an intimate event experience that focuses on building relationships and community.Figure out how to maximize attendance in a smaller venue (and prepare for potential RAIN!), while also making thevenue come alive with personality since it was a fairly blank slate space.

New Partnerships Form for VC’s and Start Ups

highlights

49 SPEAKERS COORDINATED
39 SESSIONS COORDINATED
434 TOTAL TICKETS SOLD
150 VC 1:1 OFFICE HOUR SLOTS FILLED
0 RAIN CLOUDS

Vendor Team

venue

@cwclub

Stage Management & Sound

@creativetransitagency

Florist

@juna_alinea

Catering

@smallpotatoescaters

photographer

@themogli

videographer

@manalopictures

Rentals

@standardeventrentals

Plants

@theplantlibrary

Video Game

@planitinteractive

Name tags

@buzzsaw_media

Gina was organized, professional, effective, efficient, and pleasant to work with throughout. She took her work very seriously and showed great commitment to ensuring a top experience for everyone who attended. She even proposed a number of smart, creative ideas to enhance the experience even further. I trust her to do a great job and would be delighted to work with her again.

Dan Hoffer

Crux Capital Partner

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Ciel Creative Space “Rebirth”

The “Rebirth” of Ciel Creative Space

Industry launch party

The Client

Ciel Creative Space is the Bay Area’s premiere creative sanctuary with 40,000 square feet of connecting studios and workspace.
We absolutely loved working with their team – Co-Founder, CEO, and power Pinay, Cecilia Apelin, and Marketing maven, Eileen Cullen, from day 1.

Goals & Challenges

Ciel’s space is massive! For this industry launch party, we focused on activating ALL of Ciel’s 40,000 sq ft space which includes 10+ open studios + additional hallway/activation spaces to showcase the various event offerings they can host including in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.
Security & safety was key. This party ended up happening the WEEK that California announced “reopening” after Covid-19. We created “one way” walking path protocols to avoid people bumping into each other, lots of signage around masking, and comms around staying safe.

woman sitting in large chair at ciel rebirth

The Rebirth of Events & Community at Ciel Creative Space

Multiple activations

Programming activations filling 10+ open studios and over 1200 attendees.

live fashion show

Fashion Show, produced by Ciel’s in-house modeling agency, JE Model Management, where models used all of Ciel II as their catwalk.

Floral installation

Large-scale immersive floral installation created by Nurture State Floristry based off the “Rebirth” theme.

Livestreamed event

Podcast style livestream produced by AddVirtual in one of Ciel’s full cyc wall studios featuring interviews with all the featured vendors, which highlighted Ciel’s high speed internet and ability to host hybrid events.

Healing Room

Immersive healing room featuring Oakland-based Blk Girls Green House.

Cocktail stations

Multiple unique bar & cocktail stations powered by Oakland-based bottle company, Alkali Rye.

Vendor Team

Production & Design

Bar Partners: Alkali Rye – Oakland’s Beverage Shop
A/V Production: Creative Transit Agency, Little Giant, Oakland Venue Management
Caterers: IVSF Catering, Small Potatoes Caters, Epec Food, Third Culture
Livestream Production: AddVirtual
Rentals: Stuart Event Rentals, Bright Rentals, Standard Party Rentals
Le Noir Plant Display: Blk Girl Greenhouse
Plant Vendors: Nurture State, The Plant Library. Security: VCPG
Nametags: Broken Seal Buttons

Programming & performers

Art: HUEMAN Photographers: @ashleybatz, @lifeindigital, @creatvegallery, @drewaltizer, @_jenrocha_, @j_sugy
CBD Vendor: Malaya Botanicals
DJ: Deeandroid & ET IV
Healing Room Activation: Upper Cloud
Hallway Floral Installation: Pot Head Oakland
Sound Baths: Astralogik, Hannah Siddiqui, Manifest Music Academy
Models/Fashion Show: McMullen, JE Model, Brandi Moore Agency
Band: Jazz Mafia Quartet
Programming Partner: Pinayista
Photobooth: Say Ya! Photobooth
Studio X Talent: Madeira & Partners

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Pinayista Summit

NON Profit women’s summit

The Client

Pinayista is a nonprofit that aims to curate spaces where self-identified Pinays can come together to share their stories, cultivate and nurture trusting relationships, collaborate, and build sisterhood in the hustle.

Goals & Challenges

Our goal is to create and build sisterhood among Pinay entrepreneurs and creatives. We also aim to inspire future generations of pinays to pursue their passions, find their power, and connect with community.
Curate a multi-date summit that focuses on building relationships, making strategic connections, collaboration, creativity, and REST.
Figure out how to price ticketing and get enough sponsorships so that the ticket prices could remain affordable and accessible to the target audience of minority women we were seeking to attend.
Create an event that was just as much impactful and knowledge based, while also focusing on non-structured creative time and uplifting decolonial practices and traditions.

Building Sisterhood in the Hustle

HYBRID EVENT

Hosting a HYBRID event that included an in-person component at Ciel Creative Space in Berkeley, CA as well as a virtual event on the fun and interactive virtual event platform, Gatherly.

Multiple activations

Hosted 3 days of Summit activities starting with an opening Happy Hour & Reception, Lighting Talks, Panels, Master Classes, full Food & Beverage catered by Filipino chefs, Sponsor Expo, Speaker Lounge, Mother’s Room, and a Sound & Movement Healing session.

custom swag

Beautiful custom swag with branded ice cubes, an interactive foldout packet to give you space to take notes during all the sessions, that also functioned as a Vision Board for attendees to write in!