Over the last decade, L37 Creative has played an essential role in advancing the mission of the Credit Union National Association. CUNA advocates on behalf of the country’s credit unions, working to protect their interests in Washington, D.C. and all 50 states.
L37 plans and executes CUNA events throughout the year to educate and motivate credit union board members and owners about important industry issues. The largest annual event is the four-day Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC), where 5,000 credit union professionals gather in D.C. to network, attend sessions with thought leaders, and meet with lawmakers.
Every year, our team aims to make the GAC more energetic, interactive, and persuasive. L37 maps out and produces everything that happens on the main stage – including lighting, sound, video content, and the CEO’s keynote presentation.
Recently, we chatted caught up with Senior Producer Jae Thiele to discuss our partnership with CUNA.
“Our goal is to find creative and exciting ways to elevate their show and tell their stories effectively. Since we’ve worked with CUNA for 10 years, we have a strong relationship with them. They listen to us and trust the ideas we bring to them. And we’ve been able to help their event come a long way over the past decade," said Thiele.
At the last GAC, we made a few big changes that kept the audience engaged and entertained throughout the conference:
Leading with LED
We installed an enormous LED screen on the main stage and immediately saw the positive effects it had on the audience.
“Displaying the opening video on the LED invigorates the crowd and gets them excited right off the bat,” Thiele said. “People told us many times what an impact it made. The content you can display on it is limitless – it acts like a virtual set where anything is possible.”
For the CEO’s keynote, L37 advised CUNA to switch from a traditional PowerPoint to a video-based presentation on the LED. The video was a hit with the audience; its eye-catching visuals and simple messaging captured their attention and helped them retain information.
Streaming Live from D.C.
Social media was an important element at this year’s GAC. To keep CUNA’s followers involved throughout the conference, L37 broadcast real-time video feeds via Facebook Live. Adding livestreaming to the event expanded its influence and made sure stakeholders stayed connected, even if they couldn’t attend in person.
Keeping the Show Moving
A new MC took the stage at this year’s GAC, and we implemented teleprompter technology to help him create a dynamic, fast-paced feel to the event.
Instead of being chained to a podium, the MC could roam the room while still reading notes on a screen at the back of the room. This change gave him the opportunity to interact more with the audience and keep everyone’s energy up.
Our team has already started talking about GAC 2019. It will be hard to top this year’s event – but we’re up for the challenge.