The MBA Media and Entertainment Conference is the premiere MBA conference exploring the entertainment and media landscape. The annual conference is a partnership between NYU Stern, Columbia Business School, UPenn Wharton, Berkeley Haas, MIT Sloan, and Duke Fuqua.
In 2016 MBA MEC was hosted at NYU Stern School of Business on April 8.
As EVP of the NYU Stern Entertainment, Media, and Technology Association, Annie led an executive planning team of 29 MBA students.
The Opportunity
Given the growing rate of MBA graduates entering media and entertainment industries, the MEC Planning Committee believed there was an opportunity to improve brand awareness and increase ticket sales by 40%.
Keynote Address by Keynote Ben Sherwood
The Idea
Rebrand the conference to reflect on the fast-pace and disruptive nature of media today. Promote and incorporate collaboration and conversation between current innovators and future leaders in the field.
Revamped visual identity of mbamec.com
The Execution
Revamp visual identity: introduced a new visual identity and digital presence that spoke to energy and excitement of the media industry. We ensured the new identity was school agnostic to highlight the collaborative nature of the event.
Create space for idea sharing: Cocktail receptions the evening before and following the conference promoted a weekend of networking and collaboration. Extended transitions between sessions, ample seating areas, and coffee rooms allowed for students and professionals to meet and greet. Heightened social media presence throughout the day inspired attendees to bring their conversations to the digital space.
Showcase forward-looking programing: Topics throughout the event provided a lens on what tomorrow’s media landscape may look like. Panels included: Virtual and Augmented Reality, New Media Ventures and Entrepreneurship, and TV Your Way. Fireside chat keynotes included Ben Sherwood, President of Disney/ABC TV and Mark Shaprio, Chief Content Officer of IMG/WME.
The Results
A sold out event with over 430 guests.
Surpassed our goal in increasing ticket sales by 60%, with 80% of guests being first time attendees.
84% approval rating of our promotional materials by guests, claiming our materials were engaging, inspiring, and well organized
82% of attendees said they plan on attending MEC MBA next year.
