EXECUTIVE PRODUCING
Creating a new live experience at a flagship conference
CREATING MORE CONNECTION
The Focus conference is the biggest event for LPL every year. It’s built to be an in-person experience, but there was an opportunity to introduce something new. Something that would create a richer on-site experience, as well as experiment with a virtual experience.
Catch a glimpse of the show and the team that brought it to life.
The pitch.
The concept of “LPL Live” was born out of the idea that the Focus should be more than an in-person conference. With a network of over 16,000 advisors and only 4,000 advisors that attend the conference, you’re missing out on a huge audience. The conference team was also looking to reduce the time spent in general session, so the primary way of delivery key company messages was diminished.
So, I had a pitch, what if we created a place to deliver additional content from LPL leaders and executives at the conference so we don’t miss out on messaging opportunities, but also extend the conference experience to those at home so they could engage. And what if we delivered this experience from the center of the expo floor where everyone could interact with the stage and see the production live?
And they said, yes! Now with less than three months until the conference, I had a lot to figure out.
The flow.
I had to build a new show including, find a production partner, solicit teammates to become segment producers, construct a process, design the show aesthetic, craft the show flow, produce the commercials, select talent for hosts and guests.
I brought a team of peers together to help develop content based on their realm of expertise in the organization, and managed the team and the process every step of the way. My role became more about making sure all of the dots were connected, that there was a consistent theme and story, and that one segment connected to the next, and at a larger scale, that the content connected to general session and breakout content. I selected host talent that represented multiple aspects of the business, could add value, had chemistry, and ultimately drive the live show. We found ways to add additional value to the show through sponsor commercials.
Over three days, we had ten hours of live programming across twenty segments and thirty-two commercial breaks, with four hosts and fifty-two guests.
The team.
None of this could’ve been done without a stellar team.
The team was a cross-functional group of people from across the Marketing & Communications department and other parts of the business as well as vendor partners who led on-site production, set design and build, and more.
From three months of prep work, to grueling and lengthy days on-site. The team pulled together to create and execute an entirely new show.
And as prepared as we were, we had to make a number of changes on the fly and as quickly as I could react and make decisions, they were ready to execute.
The legacy.
While “LPL Live” was built for an event, we’ve adapted the show to meet the needs of our advisors and deliver content via livestream throughout 2020. It has become the flagship show for the Marketing team and specifically the content series strategy and media hub.
We’ve built a completely remote livestream production process, and flexed the frequency to meet the communications needs throughout the pandemic.
“LPL Live” also served as the basis for the creation of LPL’s first virtual conference, as we transformed an event into more of a TV show to adapt to our current environment. We had a leg up on creating a virtual conference in a COVID world because of the work done a year prior.
But wait, there’s more!
Content Development
Conceptualizing a strategy to develop serialized content as the cornerstone of the marketing strategy.
Creative Strategy
Ideating and bringing a creative campaign from concept to fruition.
Brand Development
Bringing a brand to life through digital and creative channels.
Creative Production
Crafting content and creative outputs for marketing campaigns as well as building and managing teams to do so.