American Electrical Power Event: Concept Development
American Electrical Power Company (AEP) is an investor-owned electric utility in the US, delivering electricity to millions of customers in 11 states, with a focus on innovation and sustainable energy solutions. They issued an RFP to create and host their premiere annual event – bringing together their employees, investors, and even some government regulators who share oversight of their business.
What was unique about this RFP is that the client already had a creative idea they wanted to see considered – a “Shark Tank” style competition where Energy sector tech entrepreneurs were invited to pitch their innovations and compete for funding capital. They had acted on the idea a year earlier – but the execution was underwhelming, too “grassroots,” and didn’t capture the potential. (Think folding tables in a tacky hotel conference room – they needed scale, increased production value, and a scripted experience from start to finish!)
Objectives
- Position American Electric Power as a leader and facilitator of innovation and disruption for the Power Generation Industry
- Excite participants to become more open to change, creativity, and innovation
- Demonstrate the potential for disruption of the industry through real-world examples, rich conversations, and educational thought-leadership
- Embody the mission of making the impossible possible
Our response approach
I led the agency pitch team to respond with an overwhelming “Yes, and…” that would springboard the client’s idea and build out a complete experience and execution beyond their imagination.
The unique response to this challenge was to take a user-centric POV to empathize and understand various groups in attendance – ranging from employees, investors, tech startups pitching for capital, government oversight agents, etc.
Additionally, we can categorize individual personality types in attendance, from extroverts thrilled by the networking opportunities to introverts whose attendance is a mandatory function of their job. We designed the experience to accommodate and engage all with a spirit of innovation and friendly competition from the moment of arrival.
Spark Tank 2.0
- Expand and improve upon Spark Tank 1.0
- Utilize the competition to entice participants to attend the showcase and to excite the attendees about the possibilities of innovation
Exhibition
- Provide a different, exciting approach to the exhibition rather than simple trade booth approach
Networking Reception
- Facilitate informal conversations where regulators and policymakers can learn from the industry and innovators about moving the industry forward
State of the Industry
INNOVATION MAY NOT COME EASY
“Utilities have little financial incentive, if any, to pursue longer-term, riskier innovations, unless the regulatory environment directs them to do so.”
Jesse Jenkins, MIT
“There is a natural tendency for regulators to be cautious because they don’t want utilities experimenting with ratepayer dollars.”
Steve Chadima, AEE
“The research and development (R&D) budgets of U.S. electric utilities – both POUs and IOUs – tend to be slim, and in many cases near zero.”
Marilyn Waite, Venture Capital
Getting our attendees to open up to change, creativity, and innovation requires them to gain entirely new perspectives.
Source: The Utility of the Future, MIT; Why Utilities Should Invest in Innovation, Utilitiy Dive; Why Can’t Utilities Invest Like Startups?, Utility Dive
Creative Spark: Different Perspectives Fuel Innovation
Every meaningful element of human progress has happened only because humans have shared ideas with each other and then collaborated to turn those ideas into reality.
Chris Anderson, Chief Curator, TED
When different perspectives come together – magic happens – new ideas, unexpected creativity, and remarkable accomplishments.
Our Ambitious Shift for the Showcase
While previous events spoke to AEP’s “Generation” division, we sought to create a flagship event that would draw from unique perspectives through the enterprise network and beyond.
The industry won’t change in one day, but one day can be the catalyst to change the industry.
Unifying Idea
GENERATING INNOVATION THROUGH CONNECTIVITY
The need to form valuable connections is a universal human truth. This is prevalent in our personal lives, our business relations, and is at the foundation of problem-solving and innovation.
Whether a handshake across the meeting table, completing an electrical circuit, transferring power to an entire region, or forming the breakthrough idea to create something never before imagined.
Connections make the seemingly impossible now possible.
Creating Innovation will ensure the future security and vitality of the industry. Let’s innovate together and determine WATTS NEXT.
Naming and Brand Identity
My process to create a program name began – as it often does – by generating pages of iterations, moving quickly and evaluating very little. Along the way, “buckets” of themes that naturally grouped together helped to compare ideas and judge their relevance. After another pass of choosing “selects” – they were shared with the rest of the agency team. “WATTS NEXT” was irresistibly fun, and lighthearted, and allowed a great opportunity to put some forward movement into the logo.
The red framing element from AEP’s logo would be employed as a graphic and structural element throughout the event as it creates a strong “visual bullseye” for important info and has high visual impact.
Run of show
Large companies like AEP must create a culture of innovation in order to thrive in the coming decades. “Disrupt, or be disrupted” is both mantra and a fair warning. The goal is clear – to break down barriers to participation and focus efforts on creating connections throughout each touchpoint of the Electric Innovation Technology Showcase. Each key point on the agenda will work to inspire Innovation by providing exciting content and fostering conversation amongst the diverse group of attendees.
Pre-Event Awareness
A teaser email blast will create buzz and pique interest around the event. Visuals are abstract in nature and showcase the beauty of forming connections.
Follow-up messaging creates the call-to-action to join the Innovative Tech competition and/or to register for the Summit.
Continued communications drive excitement as pitch competitors prepare their presentations!
Event Microsite
Attendees are invited to register and join the communication portal.
They enter their basic profile information, as well as some non-traditional experience, which will later be used to create discussion panels, and ideation groups, focusing on a diverse range of personalities and areas of experience.
The microsite serves as the hub for all content throughout the event calendar.
Content is pushed to attendees throughout the event such as:
- Mini-hacks
- Trivia or “what if” thought-starters
- Discussion points coming out of Open Forum sessions
Day of the Event
Our strategic position as experts in creating connections will be evident from guest arrival. We realize that at a completely new event, attendees may know few others. Event staff will help to break the ice by assigning guests to problem-solving teams with diverse talents and backgrounds based on the previously submitted profile information.
“SNACKABLE HACK-A-THONS”
Idea generation and out-of-the-box thinking will be encouraged throughout the event and put to the test in quick puzzles, challenges, and other opportunities to engage e.g., a quick, unified team effort is needed to unlock the morning coffee bar.
Environmental design
The pitch event stage would be the focal point – both in function and spirit – so we created a large stage that extended naturally into the audience seating. The competition room would serve a dual purpose – with high-capacity seating during the competition and casual seating during networking sessions. The floor plan was designed to reflect the various types of interactions – canopied sections offered a sense of privacy and togetherness, standing tables with phone chargers accommodated collaborative sessions, and low-slung lounge seating undulated the space and created a flowing footprint.
Pitch competition
The “Watts Next” Pitch Competition is amplified with a talented and engaging MC, and stage set akin to “The Voice” or “America’s Got Talent.”
- Each team is given 20 minutes to pitch their tech innovation concept in front of a panel of judges and a live audience of our attendees.
- 5-10 minutes will be dedicated to questions from the judges, and then from the audience, via our event portal communication.
- Music interludes, stage lighting, and presentation templates amp up the production value.
Networking Reception
Ensuring the event’s theme is carried throughout, moderators will ensure connections are being made amongst diverse groups and each attendee has a chance to engage – no wallflowers in here!
Event takeaways
A book will be compiled of “100 innovations” both big and small which were created throughout the event process. This will include a broad range of ideas derived from AEP employees, Pitch teams, mini “hack-a-thons” all the way down to simple tips and tricks captured from the guests during the event.
Results
This was the kind of new business pitch where you travel to their office, and wait in the lobby to see the incumbent agency leaving – smiling, hugging the clients – our work was cut out for us! Thankfully, AEP was impressed by the unexpected and thoroughly disruptive approach – knowing that appealing to each guest’s experience and leaning on the diversity of minds in attendance would be key to the apparent success of the event. It was a win!
