Zoomtopia
AT-A-GLANCE
Client: Zoom
Venue: San Jose Convention Center / Zoom HQ
Scale: 1,350+ in-person and 22,147+ virtual from over 17 countries
Format: Hybrid – physical main stage, breakouts, activations and expo with global audience
Role: Art Director
Team Led: Graphics, motion/presentation, spatial and print production leads in collaboration with Studio Sage and Robotoaster
Engagement: Concept through onsite execution
Client: Zoom
Venue: San Jose Convention Center / Zoom HQ
Scale: 1,350+ in-person and 22,147+ virtual from over 17 countries
Format: Hybrid – physical main stage, breakouts, activations and expo with global audience
Role: Art Director
Team Led: Graphics, motion/presentation, spatial and print production leads in collaboration with Studio Sage and Robotoaster
Engagement: Concept through onsite execution
THE BRIEF
Zoomtopia 2022 was Zoom's first in-person conference after two years of running it virtually. Those two years of work-from-home had grown the brand from a video tool into a full communication platform, and the live event needed to reflect the company's evolution without losing the playful, themed event that past Zoomtopias were known for. We needed a concept that felt native to the product but big enough to fill a room.
Zoomtopia 2022 was Zoom's first in-person conference after two years of running it virtually. Those two years of work-from-home had grown the brand from a video tool into a full communication platform, and the live event needed to reflect the company's evolution without losing the playful, themed event that past Zoomtopias were known for. We needed a concept that felt native to the product but big enough to fill a room.
MY ROLE — Art Director
Led the visual direction across graphics, motion, and presentation in partnership with the spatial and content teams. Owned brand translation from product to environment, with hands-on direction of keynote storyboards and main stage content systems.
Led the visual direction across graphics, motion, and presentation in partnership with the spatial and content teams. Owned brand translation from product to environment, with hands-on direction of keynote storyboards and main stage content systems.
• Workflows and project mapping across design, motion, and content
• Overall brand and visual direction for all environmental and content surfaces
• Video concept, storyboard direction, and creative partnership with Studio Sage and Robotoaster
• General session strategy and presentation/content management for live and broadcast
• Overall brand and visual direction for all environmental and content surfaces
• Video concept, storyboard direction, and creative partnership with Studio Sage and Robotoaster
• General session strategy and presentation/content management for live and broadcast
The Strategy: Bringing "Virtual" to Life
We anchored the event on the concept of Portals — Zoom as the doorway between people. The visual strategy pulled from the user's actual experience of the product: we took the iconic original virtual backgrounds (Northern Lights, Blades of Grass) and rebuilt them as physical spaces across the venue.
The "Portal" Breakouts
We fabricated custom "Portal Gateways" for every breakout room. These architectural thresholds that did real work — acting as physical transitions from the event to stepping into a new headspace for learning and growing.
Main Stage
Main stage carried the Portals language through entrances and key visuals. For content, we built on a dynamic server system that let us layer and composite multiple video and image files in real time during keynotes — useful when you're editing a keynote up to the last minute. The look was a single wide-format show that read the same way live and on the stream.
Content Direction (Video & Motion)
In collaboration with Studio Sage and Robotoaster, we produced the Zoomtopia opening video and "Spots" product announcement as a part of Zoom's primary keynote content. Work included initial storyboarding, script development, final animation and post-production.
STORY OF HAPPY
The opener follows Happy, Zoomtopia's whale mascot, through past events. We pulled the look from storybooks and the visual themes of previous years.
The opener follows Happy, Zoomtopia's whale mascot, through past events. We pulled the look from storybooks and the visual themes of previous years.
SPOTS
The Spots product was still mid-development, so we needed to communicate what it was without showing any actual UX/UI. Working with Zoom's product teams, we built the announcement in abstract shape, color, form, and motion against the scripted voiceover and music.
The Spots product was still mid-development, so we needed to communicate what it was without showing any actual UX/UI. Working with Zoom's product teams, we built the announcement in abstract shape, color, form, and motion against the scripted voiceover and music.
The Results: Global Impact & Growth
Zoomtopia 2022 hit the marks the brand needed for the platform pivot.
HYBRID SCALE
The event attracted 22,147 total attendees from 17+ countries, with the live show and the stream running off the same content system.
HYBRID SCALE
The event attracted 22,147 total attendees from 17+ countries, with the live show and the stream running off the same content system.
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
The event generated $3.1M in sponsorship revenue and drove a 12-point growth in Partner NPS (reaching a score of 83).
The event generated $3.1M in sponsorship revenue and drove a 12-point growth in Partner NPS (reaching a score of 83).
BRAND EXPANSION
The playful theme of portals attracted a larger audience with 53% of attendees being first-timers to the conference.
The playful theme of portals attracted a larger audience with 53% of attendees being first-timers to the conference.
CREDITS
Agencies
– Agency EA
– Studio Sage
– Robotoaster
– Agency EA
– Studio Sage
– Robotoaster
Graphics
– Katie Geary
– Anthony Guagliardo
– Katie Geary
– Anthony Guagliardo
Motion/Presentation
– Holly Frankino
– Logan Doyle
– Amber McDonald
– Holly Frankino
– Logan Doyle
– Amber McDonald
Spatial
– Drew Heller
– Drew Heller
Strategy/Copy
– Grace Hersey
– Elle Walters
– Grace Hersey
– Elle Walters
Print Production
– Taylor Wattles
– Karen Backe
– Taylor Wattles
– Karen Backe