Experiential EventsCapri Enjoy Life Symposium Case Study
Arrival experience at the 2024 Symposium at the Brookfield Conference Center, featuring large-scale building banners and Capri-branded tents that enhanced brand visibility, supported wayfinding, and improved guest comfort during check-in.
The Enjoy Life Symposium is a signature annual event designed to engage the broader Milwaukee-area community while welcoming Capri residents, families, vendors, and local partners into the brand ecosystem. As a public-facing expression of Capri’s mission and enjoy life tagline, the event positions the organization as a leader in senior living while fostering meaningful connection, education, and community engagement.
My Role & Leadership
As co-creator and creative lead, I translated the event’s goals into a cohesive, immersive brand experience. I established the event sub-brand and creative direction across all touchpoints, then led execution through collaboration, delegation, and hands-on oversight—from behind-the-scenes planning through on-site setup and show day execution. My responsibilities included:
Defining the event brand system and overall visual direction.
Establishing creative standards and reviewing work to ensure consistency.
Delegating collateral, signage, and stage visuals while empowering designers to own key components.
Partnering with vendors and internal teams to align logistics with the creative vision.
Leading on-site execution, including signage mapping, volunteer assignments, vendor floor setup, wayfinding, and coordination with sponsors, speakers, and activity leads.
This structure enabled the team to work confidently and independently while delivering a unified, high-impact experience.
Brand & Collateral Ecosystem
Every touchpoint reinforced the event identity and contributed to a cohesive attendee experience:
Event logo and sub-brand aligned with the Capri master brand.
Promotional print collateral including flyers, print ads, direct mail, and postcards, supported by digital promotion across social, email, takeovers, and paid ads.
On-site signage and environmental graphics ranging from building banners and tents to pillar wraps, wayfinding, directional signage, and sponsor recognition.
Digital reader boards, stage visuals, presentations, and set design.
Vendor floor layout and branded activations.
All materials were intentionally designed to tell a unified story, ensuring the Symposium felt polished, intentional, and consistent across every interaction.
Growth & Metrics
Attendance: Year-over-year growth attracted both the broader Milwaukee-area community and Capri residents and families. In 2023, over 800 older adults (average age 71) registered to attend. In 2025, registrations exceeded 1,200—a 50% increase from the inaugural event.
Vendor participation: The 2025 Symposium expanded the vendor and activity floors, featuring 39 Enjoy Life exhibitors, two keynote speakers, and 10 interactive activities. Four new offerings—goat yoga, cardio drumming, speed-friending, and ComedySportz—were introduced alongside an all-day Wellness Zone.
Sponsorship: Secured 42 sponsors in 2025, increasing overall resources and extending event reach. Sponsorship revenue grew approximately 100% compared to the first event in 2023.
Media exposure: Earned live TV coverage from The Morning Blend and Steph Connects, live radio coverage from WTMJ, and press coverage from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, OnMilwaukee, and TMJ4.
Attendee feedback: In 2025, 99% of post-event survey respondents indicated they were highly likely to return in 2026 and bring a friend.
Creative Impact
The Enjoy Life Symposium demonstrates my ability to build brands, lead teams, and deliver high-impact experiences at scale. From concept through execution, the event reflects strategic planning, creative direction, and experiential storytelling that engages audiences, strengthens community relationships, and drives measurable growth.
Symposium Promotion & Media Kit
In collaboration with the VP of Marketing and the Symposium Planning Committee, I led the development of a comprehensive media kit used to recruit sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers. I helped shape sponsorship tiers and benefits, then partnered with the creative and marketing teams to delegate and produce promotional collateral across print and digital channels, including direct mail, TV graphics, sponsor posts, social ads, flyers, and postcards. These materials played a key role in driving year-over-year growth in both attendance and sponsorship revenue.
Event Collateral & Wayfinding System
Working closely with the marketing and creative teams, I developed a cohesive system of interactive, directional, and wayfinding collateral that guided attendees through the full event experience. I delegated signage categories to individual designers, giving each team member ownership over key elements while maintaining brand consistency. Deliverables ranged from large-scale banners and environmental graphics to maps, sponsor signage, attendee materials, and on-site touchpoints that supported smooth setup, navigation, and engagement.
Event Expansion & Experiential Design (2025)
As the Symposium continued to grow, we transitioned to a much larger venue at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield to support expanded programming and attendance. With multiple floors, stages, breakout spaces, and outdoor areas, the footprint required a more robust experiential and wayfinding strategy. I led the creative planning and execution of expanded signage and environmental graphics to ensure attendees could easily navigate the space and fully engage with all activities across the venue.
Community Experience & Brand Immersion
Images from earlier Symposiums at the Brookfield Conference Center highlight our event signage, interactive elements, and branded experiences. From booth and activity signage to participatory installations and coordinated staff and resident apparel, every detail was designed to reinforce the event identity and Capri brand. Branded attendee bags and shared visual elements helped create a welcoming, unified experience that encouraged participation and connection.
Main stage speaker John McGivern engages the audience with humor and relatable storytelling, supported by custom digital graphics, lighting, and set design that extend the event brand and elevate the overall experience.
Attendees arriving at the 2025 Enjoy Life Symposium are welcomed at check-in by Capri team members in branded event apparel, reinforcing clear wayfinding, approachability, and an immersive first impression from the moment guests arrive.
Attendees review the event program while waiting for activities. The program served as a comprehensive guide, including the agenda, maps, speaker bios, activity highlights, and sponsored content—designed to support navigation, engagement, and storytelling throughout the day.
