Kalamazoo Event Center
Groundbreaking
Months of planning and collaboration led up to this milestone moment for downtown Kalamazoo. I led the creative development and visual direction for the groundbreaking ceremony, presenting and aligning multiple high-level stakeholders including Greenleaf Hospitality Group, Western Michigan University, and the Kalamazoo Wings Hockey Club around a cohesive brand vision for the event. The ceremony, held on September 26, 2025, celebrated the start of construction on the future home of the Kalamazoo Wings and Western Michigan University’s Hockey and Men’s & Women’s Basketball teams. Both organizations were proudly represented in the event’s integrated branding.
Year
2025
Objective:
Design an event that felt major-market, not just local — something that played in the “big leagues.”
Capture the excitement and prestige of a facility expected to be one of the most state-of-the-art in the country, scaled perfectly for Kalamazoo.
Key Elements to Include:
Representation of both the Kalamazoo Wings and Western Michigan University.
Unified visuals to highlight their partnership and shared future within the new event center.
Design Style:
Clean, athletic, and professional aesthetic.
Heavy use of building renderings as the most striking and forward-looking visual element.
Black and gold color palette to convey sophistication, strength, and cohesion across all materials.
Step 1: Present First Version of Mock Ups
A proposed event design was developed and presented to high-level stakeholders for review and feedback.
Step 2: Getting Into the Details
After stakeholder feedback was incorporated and all partners were aligned on the event design, the focus shifted to planning every detail of the experience. Comprehensive spreadsheets were developed outlining signage needs from directional and informational signs to fast-fact yard signs, water station markers, and photo opportunity backdrops. We created event maps, social media graphics, and branded signage, including reserved seating and liability disclosures.
In addition to the main groundbreaking ceremony, two accompanying events, a private reception and a public festival, were also produced. Careful organization, cross-team coordination, and proactive planning were essential to ensure a seamless experience across all touchpoints.
Step 3: The Day!
When it all comes down to the big day, flexibility and adaptability are everything. You can plan for every possible curveball, but something unexpected will always find its way in. The stage is a foot taller than expected, the ground is too hard for yard signs, it rained (of course), and mud is everywhere.
But the best part? Everyone’s moving toward the same goal. The stage height gets fixed, holes are dug for the signs, the puddles are handled, with shop vacs, no less, and the show goes on.
And while only I noticed that our lower-third PNGs somehow became JPGs with bright white boxes on the livestream (it’s fine, really), everything else ran smoothly. Guests felt like they were part of something big, the energy was high, and the giveaway cart? Completely picked clean.
