CoreDial and Stratus Interactive go way back. CoreDial, a leading cloud communications SaaS platform provider, enables their partners to successfully sell, deliver, manage and invoice for cloud communications services all under their own brand. Committed to giving their partners every opportunity to grow possible, CoreDial decided to host their first ever all-partner conference, PartnerConnex 2016, in April 2016. With less than 3 months to plan, develop and launch the event, CoreDial enlisted the help of Stratus Interactive to design all marketing materials, conference assets and digital promotion for this annual event.
This project was a significant artistic undertaking, with all deliverables due within a short time period of 2-3 months. But, like CoreDial is dedicated to their partners’ success, Stratus is devoted to the growth and success of its clients. So with a fire to succeed for CoreDial, Stratus accepted the challenge and got to work on this awesome new event.
Here’s a detailed look into our design process for PartnerConnex 2016:
Because this was CoreDial’s first partner conference, we wanted to create brilliant, bold graphics for a lasting impression. Before we could design anything, it was imperative to establish the branding for the event. We wanted the PartnerConnex branding to complement CoreDial’s overall brand, so we used blue tones in our designs.
To get the creative juices flowing and to share design ideas in their infancy, we developed a mood board with imagery examples related to communication, connection, technology and Philadelphia (all concepts we wished to convey in our designs). Since the conference was held in Philadelphia, we incorporated a cityscape into the background.
One of the main goals of this conference was to forge connections between industry thought leaders and experts, so we included a dot illustration to symbolize connections. Our brainstorming led to the creation of the bright, eye-catching exhibit hall design shown above including all signs, booths and t-shirts.
In addition to the exhibit hall design, we developed a show guide listing the full agenda for conference attendees. We also designed handouts, wifi cards and name badges for the event. For each design, we considered what CoreDial partners would want to see when walking through the conference and picking up any print materials. We created a consistent branding experience by considering technology and communications during the entire design process.
In addition to print assets, we created all digital assets for PartnerConnex 2016. We built a content-rich and engaging responsive microsite where visitors could:
- register for the conference
- view the full agenda
- learn more about the speakers and sponsors
- find nearby hotel recommendations
Our registration page reached an all-time high of nearly 200 daily page views in April 2016.
Our registration emails resulted in 291 registrations, including both CoreDial partners and sponsors, and a high turnout of 207 partners attending the conference.
We designed emails, landing pages and social media posts directly in HubSpot and monitored their engagement results. Our save the date email had a 35.6% open rate while our sponsorship email had a 42.11% open rate. Our registration emails resulted in 291 registrations, including both CoreDial partners and sponsors, and a high turnout of 207 partners attending the conference. After the conference, we sent follow-up emails to attendees which saw click rates as high as 37.7% and 30.2%.
Every conference speaker submitted their Powerpoint presentation to us in a general template. We redesigned each powerpoint from scratch, adding custom graphics and maintaining a cohesive brand identity across all slides.
We’re happy to report that the first PartnerConnex was a huge success! Hosting over 200 partners, PartnerConnex 2016 engaged, inspired and educated CoreDial’s partner community on new products, services and programs. Attendees left feeling energized and ready to take their business to the next level, and they were impressed by the conference’s slick design and professional atmosphere. Many expressed excitement about returning in 2017 so it looks like we’ll need to start work on that soon!
We look forward to helping CoreDial prepare for next year’s conference, and we’re confident the success of the first show will drive more attendees and bigger goals for the PartnerConnex 2017!
