SERVICES PROVIDED
  • Main Stage Design
  • Breakout Room Stages & Experiences
  • Attendee Flow throughout the Venue & Event
  • Digital & Print Branding Experience
  • Activations & Engagements
  • Entertainment Management
  • Motion & Still Graphics
  • Video Production & Post Production
  • Budget Management
  • All Venue, Vendor, & Client Logistics
  • Venue Procurement
  • Venue Management
  • F&B Planning & F&B Management on Site

iCon2023 Cultural Storytelling

iCon is a bi-annual three-day educational conference for Israeli educators. This year, they brought together their 500+ attendees from both Israel and the United States to learn and connect with each other in Chicago. With dozens of sessions with topics ranging from music, technology, and sports, there was something for everyone!

The Challenge

For the event experience, we focused on creating an environment that represented a street market in Israel. We played into the parallels between urban Chicago and urban Israel by activating spaces throughout the event that transported guests to Tel Aviv with foods, smells, and cultural musical performances.

A unique challenge this year that provided an opportunity for our team was loading in our Shabbat experience with help from only the union crew. This was challenging because our client was unavailable during the entire load-in process, so they could not provide us with their expertise. In the end, the client loved this because they were able to be surprised alongside the attendees, add their own touches, and focus on the guests.

Additionally, another challenge was that 48 hours before the start of the conference, we learned that the Israeli musicians (including our headliner) could not get their visas to come and perform. We had to work with an Israeli producer in LA and overnight fly another larger-name performer from his concert in Israel to perform for us in Chicago. Then, eventually, the work visas lifted and the original musicians joined us for an amazing community breakout. Overall, it was a memorable experience for both the guests and our teams.

The iCenter is a long-standing client, starting our relationship in 2018. Every event we collaborate on, our partnership gets better and the planning process becomes more efficient. Both akire productions and the iCenter are very passionate about what they do, making us a great team!

Creative Design Details

  • Custom design and fabrication of a replica street sign and backdrop from Rothschild Street in Tel Aviv.
  • Each day had a coffee cart, served from a retrofitted horse trailer, with Israeli coffee options.
  • Cultural music performances over three days.
  • Collaborated with their in-house graphic designer to brand the overall event, from registration showcasing shutters of the shuk to digital and printed signage and event graphics.
  • An Israeli artist designed custom graphics based on educational topics that we turned into magnet wall art for the breakout sessions.
  • Venue Management with Kosher Caterer, following all traditional requirements.
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