Blue sky
planning pays off
SAP Sapphire is the flagship event for SAP's customer community and partner ecosystem showcasing its latest cloud and business technology solutions in
a singular, hands-on destination. As an annual event, SAP Sapphire is designed
to be an informative and rewarding experience with a fresh spin each year.
The brand envisioned an intuitive experience that delivered what today’s attendees want: flexibility, personalization, hands-on learning, and networking in a relaxed, convenient space. The reimagined space also innovates sponsored offerings to benefit all: attendees, partners, and SAP.
The final goal to sync the overall design? A new brand approach. Eye-catching signage featuring the new brand identity took the "anvil" block shape from behind
the SAP letters and brings it front and center across the event.
Evolve the experience design
to meet new audience needs
Challenge
As longtime partners, Freeman and SAP collaborate early to actively workshop
the content strategy and overall event approach. That vision drives the environmental design and ultimately the on-site experience.
With the intention to move away from the packed keynote model, SAP
had the vision to make the new design more intuitive and purposeful.
The result?
An intricate yet simple distribution grid where relevant topics are covered
in the keynote, which serves as a nucleus. From there, all information
(and experiences) flowed across the environment.
Those focus areas cascade from the keynote into more detail across the floor
to SAP solution areas, partner offerings, food and beverage stations,
and networking spaces where colleagues could discuss common challenges,
share personal experiences, and discuss how they formulated solutions.
Clear the way with an intuitive, informative environment
Working together from the beginning, our team helped SAP set the reinvention planning wheels in motion. By being intimately familiar with the brand’s content goals and its attendees' needs, our team orchestrated a new experience design
that helped SAP Sapphire truly shine.
Cloud coverage, fan feedback
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Results
Case study
Solution
Case study
Blue sky planning pays off
The substantially sized space was thoughtfully designed
for an essential facet of Sapphire’s purpose: closing business. The expansive business space featured large-scale graphics surrounding meeting spaces in a variety of sizes to ensure every deal had room to close.
Meeting centers for closers
On the grid: Noteworthy spaces and features
Hover over the circles to learn more, or click the numbered buttons below to change views.
“Central Park†and smaller, surrounding “parklets†offered multipurpose environments to recharge and network.
Design details included “grass†carpet, ample greenery
for an outdoorsy feel, open space, and lounge seating that encouraged laid back networking (and serious business dealing!) in a relaxed setting.
Get in the [Networking] zones:
New this year, the main keynote space purposefully accommodated only 1500 people for an 11K person event. Why? To spread the keynote love across various listening parties (in multiple networking zones). This "distribution strategy" encouraged people to gather, watch from afar, and actively discuss topics being covered in real time.
Cascading keynote
The keynote topics flew out across the grid into individual solution areas. Color-coded LED signage created visual beacons for each topic area that included specific SAP
and partner solutions, connection opportunities,
and theaters featuring relevant experts.
Clear solutions, color-coded content
How SAP reinvented
its cloud user conference for today’s attendee
SAP strategically built
a seamless experience
across three locations:
Orlando, Barcelona,
and São Paulo.
Did we mention
the international factor?!
"What we wanted to accomplish was multilayered. It wasn’t
just branding, it was implementing brand consistency across
the program. And it wasn’t just planning content around
the attendees: it was creating an attendee journey that could
be personalized for each person. We achieved all of that
and much more. "
"It’s one thing to know attendees have higher expectations, it’s another to deliver on them. And partnering with someone who knows us and can guide us through changes in the industry, was essential to delivering a personalized experience, that was more than just an event, for 11,000 people."
Colorful, cloud-like LED panels featuring the SAP anvil offered a dramatic and memorable welcome above
the space.
Cool entry vibes
Each attendee can choose their own Sapphire adventure based
on personal preferences
and business priorities.
New design bonus:
Each attendee can choose their own Sapphire adventure based
on personal preferences
and business priorities.
New design bonus:
