Local News Field Guide Workshops
Chalkbeat and Google News Initiative launched their Local News Field Guide as a resource for journalists and news entrepreneurs, and the appeal was obvious—but getting it in front of industry pros (and newbies) proved to be a challenge. They decided that a series of live virtual workshops would generate buzz and get the information in front of the right crowd.
I planned and executed these workshops around four of the Guide’s main topics. Working closely with clients, I planned the user journey, format, guests, platform, schedule, and resources, using survey feedback and community input to focus on what journalists most wanted to know.
My team also used a social- and newsletter-based marketing strategy to attract a wide range of viewers who were new to Chalkbeat and GNI’s offerings. Our workshop series featured 11 panelists from major news and philanthropy brands. Hundreds of people logged in from every part of the United States as well as Europe, Africa, and South America. The live events saw a high level of interaction and questions in the chat, and the recordings are now entering a second life as YouTube content with hundreds of views.
For Freedoms
For Freedoms’ Eyes on Iran activation had Hillary Clinton, Jon Batiste, a dozen artists, lots of media commitments - and, one week out, no producer. The artists’ collective was planning to make a big statement in support of the Woman Life Freedom movement, but needed help with coordinating all the (many) moving parts.
My team stepped in to run all logistics and onsite production, from the macro (staging, AV) to the micro-but-essential (tent design for maximum vibes, bringing in the correct Persian pastries and tea). We worked closely with everyone from the Secret Service to the NYC Parks Department to ensure a safe and secure environment for our VIP guests and speakers, then got out of the way and let them make their impact.
The event went extremely well, with a smooth run-of-show and zero hiccups. It received news coverage from People, Hypebeast, NBC, The Guardian, Yahoo, Reuters, Artnet, ELLE France, and many other outlets. Outsourcing their production let the organizers and artists put their focus where it made the biggest difference: supporting the women of Iran.
UNICEF
Their first piece of fiction content, UNICEF produced Vaillante to explore the issue of child marriage, which affects millions of girls and women across West and Central Africa--and to showcase how young people can be part of the solution if empowered to take action. This original fictional series was produced in West Africa, and UNICEF needed a media, PR, and distribution partner willing to work across multiple regions, countries, and languages to get the widest audience possible.
They also wanted a gala premiere showing to celebrate the project and show it off to the US media and the UN staff. My team planned a screening and reception at AMC, with an introduction from the brand-new UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, as well as a post-screening panel discussion with model Didi Stone, actor Mouna Loueke, and subject-matter experts on child marriage. We had a packed house, and the party after provided a rare Covid-era opportunity to network and further discuss the important issues raised in the film.
#FreeBrittney
With Britney Spears’ final conservatorship court date on the horizon, #FreeBritney activists were at a crossroads - what would their movement look like, and would it even continue to exist, once Britney was free? My team consulted with Free Britney and other figures in the anti-conservatorship movement to design the Free Britney Symposium, a private event targeted to lawmakers, the legal community, and select media attendees.
The event aimed to make a statement that the #FreeBritney activists would continue working against conservatorships for all victims, not just Britney. We produced the event, managed security, coordinated well-known speakers, and ran the run of show and technology. The event was a success, both from event management and press coverage perspectives. It inspired ongoing coverage in outlets including Sky News and the Guardian, and made a big enough splash to get the Queen of Pop involved. This engagement led to ongoing consulting with the movement for creative services, production, and much more.
