Nine ways the internal event got a festival-inspired upgrade
It was out with the old and in with the new at Quest Software’s 2024 internal sales conference in Anaheim, CA, as the brand overhauled the annual event with a festival-inspired theme designed to support its forward-looking company vision. In that spirit, the event was rebranded as “NXT” and transformed to make all 1,200 attendees feel like they had dodged the traditional hotel venue and landed at SXSW.
At the foundation of Quest’s new event strategy was distinctive, artistic branding that immersed attendees in a visual journey across the NXT FY25 experience. And they were enveloped in it from all angles inside the Hilton Anaheim during the spring conference, with more than 100 technology-themed print artworks peppering the event space, right down to the interior of all eight elevators.
The refreshed end-of-fiscal-year celebration also boasted a music festival-themed kickoff, customized team off-sites, a TV channel broadcasting event content, live art and a very memorable general session, among highlights. To find out more about what made NXT FY25 a success, we sat down with Alyson Strickler-Vazquez, senior event and marketing specialist at Quest Software. (Agency: edgefactory)
Speaking a Universal Language
NXT is a global event with an attendee base that’s roughly 50-percent North American, while the other half is composed of employees from the LATAM, APJ and EMEA regions. The composition makes it essential for Quest to incorporate event elements that translate to a global audience. And what better way to speak to that audience, and form a common bond, than through a universal language like art?
Quest ensured that the print designs blanketing the Hilton during the event covered a range of art styles to appeal to a range of attendees, and that each piece was both distinctive but visually linked to the others. It was also important to the team that the artworks were logo-free and allowed the designs to shine. Instead, they included small “NXT” references when attendees looked up-close.
“We could really capture and speak through these images without having to put the logo in your face,” says Strickler-Vazquez. “I don’t need to see my brand all over everything. But what’s really cool is to see the intention of my brand, the colors of my brand done in a way that makes me want to stop and think about how all of these relate—pieces of artwork that were completely individual. And we used that artwork to tell this story about merging the past and the present.”
A High-energy Kickoff
Quest whipped up an entirely new visual identity and engagement strategy for its annual conference kickoff, which this year became “X-Fest.” The multifaceted event took the shape of a block party and encouraged attendees to let down their hair. Among touchpoints was a performance by “DJ X,” who spun tunes throughout the night, giant LED swings built for social sharing, f&b, a live graffiti artist brought in from Los Angeles, and interactive photo ops. Not your average corporate reception.
Hands-on Symbolism
One of the most popular activations at X-Fest was the rage room. Employees were invited to strap on a helmet, grab an NXT-branded baseball bat and step into the room to smash an array of old technology. Meanwhile, fellow attendees could watch the action, thanks to a TV planted just outside of the experience.
“They went to town just beating the crap out of this old tech, which to me was another symbol,” Strickler-Vazquez says. “I love the symbolism of us getting out of this old tech mindset. What’s new? What’s next? Not even just for the company, but for tech in and of itself.”
A Bravo-worthy Host
In recent years, Quest has enlisted an outsider to operate as the event’s “talk show host,” with a motif to match. The presenter is tasked with hosting certain conference experiences and presiding over the event’s dedicated TV channel, this year renamed NXT+, which airs around the venue, including in all of the hotel’s guest rooms. Content spans footage of attendee interactions, executive interviews and session recaps.
For 2024, the brand recruited an Andy Cohen-like professional improv comedian as its host and installed an NXT-branded replica of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” set to serve as his backdrop. Throughout the week, the host, nicknamed Nicholas Xavier Tanner (NXT), kept the mood light and the content lively.
Team-specific Touchpoints
Although more than 1,200 people attended NXT FY25, the show felt more intimate based on this year’s setup. With three distinct Quest groups on-site, the brand created a separate look for each team, down to the signage outside their sessions. The crews also had their own off-site team-building events that featured concert-style posters specific to each group. What’s more, NXT+ content was tailored to the teams. Every day, a large general session room beamed out all of the channel’s content, while three nearby breakout rooms broadcast team-specific footage so that groups only saw their own colleagues, interviewees and imagery.
A General Session Stunt
Given the quirky festival vibe at NXT FY25, Quest ceo Patrick Nichols was inspired at the last minute to shake up his general session presentation. And that’s when he gave his entire 30-minute speech from atop a hoverboard. Seriously. More impressive still, he didn’t fall.
“In the pep talk I gave him, I said, ‘Patrick, you’re either going to fall down and people are going to watch, or you’re going to stay on it and people are going to watch you to see if you do fall down,’” says Strickler-Vazquez. “Either way, people are watching, and the attention is really what we needed.”
Music as a Thread
In addition to art, music was woven throughout the NXT attendee experience. For one, DJ X was strategically designed to be a familiar face and provide a sense of continuity by performing at a range of events throughout the week. In addition, QR codes placed across the Hilton invited employees to download the official event playlist, and Strickler-Vazquez says many of them utilized it throughout the show.
Earned Swag
It’s no secret that conference swag often ends up in landfills, so Quest took a more sustainable and meaningful approach at NXT with a branded swag store. The company stood up a mock storefront and encouraged employees to participate in various challenges. Winners scored old-school motel keys that could be traded in for brand apparel, work-from-home desks, a hoverboard and other high-value items.
Digital that Makes a Difference
Quest went all in on a/v at this year’s event to modernize the experience and make content feel more engaging and dynamic. There were LED screens in every breakout room, giant projection-mapped LED cubes used on stage to add “dimensionality” to presentations and sustainable efforts, like digital-only signage and self-check-in at registration.
“The resounding feedback has been that they’re much more attentive now to what we’re saying,” Strickler-Vazquez says. “They’re able to see the screens better. It’s a better presentation. We’re keeping them awake. Obviously, that’s combined with a lot of other things that we do, but I would equate most of that to what we’re doing from a digital aspect and all the a/v that we’re bringing into the room.”
Although certain global restrictions made it challenging to measure the true ROI of NXT FY25, Strickler-Vazquez says there was at least one clear indicator of success: People stayed.
“The attrition rate for attendees has dropped significantly. I think that’s a big marker,” she says. “I know part of that’s COVID as well, but I think people are more excited. They see what we’re doing, we’re really quick about getting the brand image out and what we’re doing for the following year… So I think that’s a testament to the success of this.”
Photos: Courtesy of edgefactory
