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afrotech
Recruiting Summit and Tech Conference
[feature project]
AfroTech is the largest tech conference in the world that focuses on connecting top college talent with industry leading brands within the tech space, and celebrating Black talent in Tech. The annual conference is a product of Blavity Inc.; a major emerging multimedia platform, and has been producing this event since 2015. I became affiliated with this program in 2017 when I was brought on as the lead event designer within my then employer, Blueprint Studios. My journey with the brand has spanned over 5 years, and I will forever be a fan of what the brand has become, and where it is going.
standard booth design
The conference has scaled tremendously over the years, and now bolsters the top tech brands in the world as reoccurring sponsors. With that comes the need to build out a dynamic exhibit floor featuring world-class booths built to curate the perfect conversations around recruiting.
My approach each year was to find a way to designate the different booth levels graphically and spatially in a way that was harmonious, and efficient.
I worked with a team of designers to create the booths designs, devise the overall floor plan, utilize modular panels and SEG fabric that would allow for speedy install, and sourced furnishings, electronics.
general session
In addition to the exhibit hall of sponsors, the main draw for the event was the countless prominent speakers that graced the General Session stage as well as other breakout spaces. Each year I worked with the Blavity team to scale the main stages design to match the energy and momentum that the brand was gaining.
Each stage design I produced was an attempt to vividly showcase the brands identity, while also being a silent, yet bold backdrop for the conversations that would be had.
While the main stage has since evolved into more so of a digital display, my years with the event sought to explore shape, form and dynamic structures featuring's static graphics and effective color blocking.
premium booth designs
Heading back to the exhibit hall, I now want to focus on some of the custom activations and booths that anchored the event experience. Students from all over the world come to this event to connect with industry leading brands such as Amazon, Google, Facebook and more. During the pre-production phase; in addition to building the events design for the GS and the other turnkey booths, I worked with producers to design large booth spaces for these brands.
Each conversation that I had with these brands was an eye-opening moment that highlighted their inclusivity and diversity hiring initiatives. My job was to then create unique ways for them to activate and engage each attendee that came into their booths. From large cube displays to mini classrooms and bespoke cafe settings, each booth I designed served as an extension of the brands identity and initiatives.
branding & activations
With an event of this scale (8000+ Live attendees), I had to work with the team to devise a unique branding approach that would make for effective wayfinding and maintain visual interest.
Working with an incredible team of graphic designers and art directors, we were able to transform multiple venues into a visual illustration of what it means to celebrate Black Talent in Tech!
We worked with the client to create taglines such as "Black Tech, Green Money" to create a confident bold energy in every space, furniture cluster and entry moment.
Key sponsors like GoDaddy sponsored some key lounges, and I worked with them to design the perfect activations and environments that would engage the attendees.
afrotech world
I was fortunate to be the lead designer for the Live version of the AfroTech Conference for 3 years. Once the pandemic hit, the brand moved swiftly to find a way to effectively continue the work of connecting talent with opportunity. That is when AfroTech World was born.
Blavity brought me on as a virtual environmental designer to ensure that this new virtual space would maintain the same familiar energy that attendees were used to, but now within an new platform called Virbela.
The final product featured 20+ fully branded virtual spaces, 3 exhibit halls with 50+ sponsors each, branded easter egg moments (gift card scavenger hunts, and resume submittal portals), and a host of branded presentations for the general session speakers.
I worked with Blavity to design AfroTech world for 3 years, and with each year, this event (rather live or virtual), became one of my favorite professional moments, and I will forever be a fan!
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