The Sedona Forum:

PROJECT BRIEF

Opportunity in Adversity

Each spring, influential policy leaders from across the globe gather in Arizona for the Sedona Forum, an off-the-record discussion of some of the most pressing issues facing society today, such as human trafficking, the refugee crisis, misinformation, food security, and international relations.

The on-site, closed-door event, produced by Arizona State University and the McCain Institute for International Leadership, is well-known for its location and exclusivity. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers decided to pursue a fully virtual format for 2021. Facing high stakes and a short time frame, the Sedona Forum team entrusted NJI with reimagining how to capture the event and share the resulting content—making it available to the public for the first time.

OUR APPROACH

Lights, Camera, Zoom

To recreate the intimate, off-the-record conversations the Sedona Forum has long inspired, our production team used Zoom and Skype to capture a remote group of international speakers. Our production staff created virtual studios to accommodate quickly shifting VIP schedules and allow for simultaneous session recordings. Given the changing nature of world events, flexibility and timeliness were critical to ensure we captured these conversations as close to the event date as possible. Thorough preparation enabled us to keep the mission of the Forum front and center, while reacting quickly to accommodate necessary adjustments.

A new look

Transforming the brand to elevate engagement

As the Sedona Forum began a new chapter of sharing content publicly, we developed a modified event website with a fresh take on the event brand, along with comprehensive organization that made it easy for attendees to explore the schedule and learn more about speakers and topics.

To capitalize on the excitement and exclusivity of a live event, session conversations were released daily and embedded in the website to encourage users to explore additional content and to revisit the website for future conversations.