CMA Fest
CMA Fest
Designing the Platform Behind the Party
Designing the Platform Behind the Party
Designing the Platform Behind the Party
What began as a branding refresh evolved into a fully integrated, large-scale experiential initiative — one that transformed CMA Fest into a purpose-driven platform engaging audiences across physical, digital, and emotional dimensions.
What began as a branding refresh evolved into a fully integrated, large-scale experiential initiative — one that transformed CMA Fest into a purpose-driven platform engaging audiences across physical, digital, and emotional dimensions.
Categories
Experiential Design
Multiscreen
Music & Events
Creative Direction
Brand Strategy
Strategy
Event Activations
Strategy
This wasn’t just a rebrand — it became a vehicle for real-world impact.
What began as a brand refresh for CMA Foundation quickly became a catalyst for deeper audience engagement, broader reach, and tangible success across channels. Designed to reintroduce the brand with renewed clarity and cultural resonance, the work spanned digital, experiential, and live event activations centered around the flagship CMA Fest.
Fan participation surged. First-time attendees arrived in record numbers. And CMA Fest’s digital presence expanded dramatically — not just in app usage but in the scale of social conversation and global reach. The results didn’t just support the Foundation’s mission — they amplified it.
This wasn’t just a rebrand — it became a vehicle for real-world impact.
What began as a brand refresh for CMA Foundation quickly became a catalyst for deeper audience engagement, broader reach, and tangible success across channels. Designed to reintroduce the brand with renewed clarity and cultural resonance, the work spanned digital, experiential, and live event activations centered around the flagship CMA Fest.
Fan participation surged. First-time attendees arrived in record numbers. And CMA Fest’s digital presence expanded dramatically — not just in app usage but in the scale of social conversation and global reach. The results didn’t just support the Foundation’s mission — they amplified it.
The impact was significant:
The results didn’t just validate the strategy — they showed what happens when experience and purpose align.
The impact was significant:
The results didn’t just validate the strategy — they showed what happens when experience and purpose align.
Fan Access Users
+40%
Fan Access Users
+40%
First-Time Attendees
+47%
First-Time Attendees
+47%
Social Reach
900M+
impressions
App Usage
+18%
YoY
Fan Access Users
+40%
First-Time Attendees
+47%
Social Reach
900M+
impressions
App Usage
+18%
YoY
App Usage
+18%
YoY
App Usage
+18%
YoY
Fan Access Users
+40%
First-Time Attendees
+47%
Social Reach
900M+
impressions
This work helped CMA Fest move beyond being a once-a-year event. It became a platform for advocacy and engagement — something fans could connect with on-site and online, emotionally and culturally.
This work helped CMA Fest move beyond being a once-a-year event. It became a platform for advocacy and engagement — something fans could connect with on-site and online, emotionally and culturally.
(Overview)
Strategic Challenge
How do you turn a legacy music festival into a connected, culture-forward experience without losing its core identity?
CMA Fest came to us seeking a modernized brand, but the opportunity was bigger. They needed a way to connect their long-standing cultural presence with the CMA Foundation’s mission of equitable music education — across every touchpoint of the event, from pre-launch buzz to on-site fan interaction to post-festival content.
The challenge wasn’t just to update how it looked — but to rethink how it lived, moved, and inspired.
(Overview)
Strategic Challenge
How do you turn a legacy music festival into a connected, culture-forward experience without losing its core identity?
CMA Fest came to us seeking a modernized brand, but the opportunity was bigger. They needed a way to connect their long-standing cultural presence with the CMA Foundation’s mission of equitable music education — across every touchpoint of the event, from pre-launch buzz to on-site fan interaction to post-festival content.
The challenge wasn’t just to update how it looked — but to rethink how it lived, moved, and inspired.
(Architecture)
The Approach
Designing a Strategic Experience That Could Flex, Scale, and Inspire
I developed a visual and experiential system that would work across a wide range of environments, from massive LED screens and signage to digital content, mobile apps, and social feeds. The goal was clarity, energy, and continuity — building emotional resonance while staying strategically aligned with the Foundation’s advocacy mission.
Key areas of focus:
On-Site Experience Design
I led the creative for large-scale environmental graphics, stage visuals, wayfinding, and branded spaces—ensuring they guided, excited, and immersed attendees in a cohesive story.Digital Integration
I oversaw the extension of the visual language into various digital channels from apps to social activations and assets, so fans felt connected before, during, and after the event.Mission Alignment
I made sure the Foundation’s purpose wasn’t just a message tucked into a program, but something embedded across the entire experience — visually, tonally, and spatially.
(Architecture)
The Approach
Designing a Strategic Experience That Could Flex, Scale, and Inspire
I developed a visual and experiential system that would work across a wide range of environments, from massive LED screens and signage to digital content, mobile apps, and social feeds. The goal was clarity, energy, and continuity — building emotional resonance while staying strategically aligned with the Foundation’s advocacy mission.
Key areas of focus:
On-Site Experience Design
I led the creative for large-scale environmental graphics, stage visuals, wayfinding, and branded spaces—ensuring they guided, excited, and immersed attendees in a cohesive story.Digital Integration
I oversaw the extension of the visual language into various digital channels from apps to social activations and assets, so fans felt connected before, during, and after the event.Mission Alignment
I made sure the Foundation’s purpose wasn’t just a message tucked into a program, but something embedded across the entire experience — visually, tonally, and spatially.
(Testimonials)
