Make Trust.

Let InVision do the heavy lifting.

The Ace Hardware Fall General Session is an event that introduces Ace’s 4,000+ nationwide retailers to new merchandise and marketing initiatives. Highlighting many of InVision’s lesser-known services, our year-long partnership with Ace was founded on creative consultation and represents what’s achievable with mutual trust and collaboration. Through speaker coaching, agenda building, creative direction, and more, InVision helped Ace produce an event that inspired and motivated this diverse group of hardware retailers.

Solution

Ace trusted InVision’s creative input to let the ambiance of the Arie Crown theater in Chicago inform the event’s agenda and visual identity. The event’s program was a playbill; physical vignettes and stage moves were woven into the speakers’ sets. Performers and interactive screen prompts made a dynamic walk-in experience, rather than a more traditional slideshow. These elements created a “show within a show” that kept attendees engaged before and throughout the General Session. Ace’s willingness to commit to this non-traditional “lights, camera, action!” approach was a testament to the trusted partnership developed over a year of creative consultation and collaboration.

Another great success of this collaborative relationship was our approach to advertising one of the adjacent expo hall exhibits created by Ace. This experiential backyard display allowed Ace retailers to walk through the space and imagine how they could replicate the experience in their own store. InVision set up, filmed, edited, and delivered a promotional video in less than 24 hours. A testament to the exhaustive pre-production (scripts, shot lists, story boards, etc.), Ace placed their trust in us to bring the idea to life. The resulting video was featured in an executive presentation the following morning and received high praise.

We partnered with Ace on how to create transparency when addressing retailers’ concerns about supply chain management and plans for continued growth; we consulted with the executives to create scenarios that catered to each speaker’s style; and we coached individual speakers on their delivery during rehearsals in the weeks/days/hours leading up to the event. The end result was an engaging and informative event that struck a balance between entertainment, information, and inspiration.