2025 SPRING BENEFIT
Sky's The Limit
A World’s Fair–inspired Spring Benefit built around legacy, optimism, and forward momentum.
TOTAL RAISED: $283,116.40
The 2025 Spring Benefit marked a milestone moment for YouthBuild Lake County. Sky’s the Limit: A World’s Fair Legacy was inspired by the innovation and forward momentum of the Chicago World’s Fair. The theme was originally suggested by a Board Member three years prior and was intentionally held for a moment that aligned with a larger organizational milestone.
That moment arrived with the announcement of YouthBuild Lake County’s new facility as part of its Capital Campaign. The theme was used as a strategic reveal for top donors, pairing the optimism and ambition of the World’s Fair with a real, tangible investment in YBLC’s future.
The event brought together history and mission, using the World’s Fair as a metaphor for progress, possibility, and long-term impact. The event was designed to feel aspirational, reinforcing YouthBuild’s role in building pathways forward while honoring the legacy of bold ideas and transformative change.
That moment arrived with the announcement of YouthBuild Lake County’s new facility as part of its Capital Campaign. The theme was used as a strategic reveal for top donors, pairing the optimism and ambition of the World’s Fair with a real, tangible investment in YBLC’s future.
The event brought together history and mission, using the World’s Fair as a metaphor for progress, possibility, and long-term impact. The event was designed to feel aspirational, reinforcing YouthBuild’s role in building pathways forward while honoring the legacy of bold ideas and transformative change.
BRANDING
The brand identity for Sky’s the Limit was designed to reflect the handcrafted optimism and forward-looking spirit of early World’s Fair design, while remaining clear, modern, and highly adaptable. The system balanced warmth and nostalgia with structure and clarity, allowing it to scale seamlessly across print, digital, and environmental applications.
The color palette drew directly from historic World’s Fair materials, using warm neutrals, muted greens, and deep accent tones to evoke legacy, craftsmanship, and permanence. Motifs and iconography referenced innovation and exploration, drawing inspiration from early exhibition graphics and fairground signage.
The color palette drew directly from historic World’s Fair materials, using warm neutrals, muted greens, and deep accent tones to evoke legacy, craftsmanship, and permanence. Motifs and iconography referenced innovation and exploration, drawing inspiration from early exhibition graphics and fairground signage.
The Mission Moment video centered on the idea of legacy, aligning directly with A World’s Fair Legacy theme. Three YouthBuild Lake County alumni shared personal stories about how YouthBuild shaped their lives, their families, and their futures, illustrating the long-term impact of mentorship, opportunity, and community investment.
I managed this project from concept through delivery, including shaping the narrative focus and conducting the interviews. I partnered closely with an external video vendor, leading creative direction, timelines, and approvals to ensure the final piece aligned with the event theme and overall storytelling goals.
I managed this project from concept through delivery, including shaping the narrative focus and conducting the interviews. I partnered closely with an external video vendor, leading creative direction, timelines, and approvals to ensure the final piece aligned with the event theme and overall storytelling goals.
PRE-EVENT MATERIALS
I designed all pre-event print materials for the Spring Benefit, including the Sponsorship Packet, Save the Date, and formal invitation. Each piece was developed from the same core branding, but designed individually to fit its purpose, format, and audience.
In addition to the printed pieces, I deigned and released a series of emails to support sponsorships and ticket sales. One of these emails can be found linked below.
I managed timelines across all three pieces, coordinating approvals and print deadlines to ensure all documents were produced and distributed on schedule.
In addition to the printed pieces, I deigned and released a series of emails to support sponsorships and ticket sales. One of these emails can be found linked below.
I managed timelines across all three pieces, coordinating approvals and print deadlines to ensure all documents were produced and distributed on schedule.
I designed the event program book distributed to guests upon arrival, which included event details and live auction package information. This piece required tight coordination between content, design, and print timelines, as many auction packages were finalized just days before the event, and all edits, approvals, and vendor deadlines were met on schedule.
I expanded the live auction signage program, doubling the number of signs from previous years to account for the size and flow of the venue. This included both clear package overview signs and more design-forward, vintage travel poster–style pieces that reinforced the World’s Fair theme throughout the space.
I designed all night-of signage, including registration, sponsorship recognition, wayfinding, and supporting event graphics. To manage placement and scale, I created a full venue map outlining the location of all 30 signs well in advance to reduce any possibility of issues.
