On today’s episode of How Brands Are Built, I invited Jacob Cass to talk about one of his most significant undertakings to date: the first Brand Builders Summit in 2024.

If you don’t know Jacob already, he’s a multifaceted designer, brand strategist, educator, and the founder of Just Creative—a prominent branding and design consultancy that also serves as a renowned blog and community hub for creatives. His impressive portfolio that includes collaborations with giants like Disney, Nintendo, Nike, and Red Bull. I was eager to get some behind-the-scenes insight into his Brand Builders Summit, a groundbreaking four-day virtual event featuring 24 speakers (full disclosure: I was one of them), all geared toward brand builders, strategists, designers, and marketers.

Jacob starts off by sharing the impetus behind launching this ambitious summit, emphasizing his desire to innovate beyond the typical design conference. After participating in various summits and understanding their structure and marketing potential, he finally took the plunge fueled by a blend of personal interests and professional experiences. Listeners will learn about the event’s innovative format, which not only offered pre-recorded sessions but also included live Q&As, panels, and workshops.

Jacob’s approach emphasized a mix of brand strategy, design, marketing, and business—elements he sees as vital for any brand’s growth. He points out the need for community and connection among participants and shares firsthand insights into the promotion strategy that led to over 20,000 attendees from 156 countries.

As a speaker at the summit, I was able to highlight impressive promotional push that Jacob executed leading up to the event—the marketing seemed omnipresent in the branding community. Jacob responds by explaining how he built buzz through strategic partnerships and thorough preparation, which allowed him to surpass his initial expectation of 5,000 attendees.

The conversation then delves into the logistical aspects of running a large-scale virtual summit, the technology stack used, and lessons learned, including the importance of maintaining strong relationships with speakers for effective collaboration and promotion. As we discuss the intricacies of managing speaker relationships, communication, and the potential overwhelm that can accompany such a large project, Jacob reflects on how he implemented tools like AI chatbots for customer support and how the transitions between multiple platforms shaped the attendees’ experience.

However, amid the challenges, Jacob expresses a fierce passion for improving the participant experience and plans to integrate more networking opportunities and social interactions in the future. He mentions his commitment to reflection and feedback post-event to cultivate an even better summit in 2025 (should he decide to give it another go), reinforcing the notion that great events stem from meticulous planning and adaptability.

Listeners are encouraged to visit Just Creative and Brand Builders Summit to catch a glimpse of Jacob’s ongoing work. This episode offers great insights not only for established professionals looking to improve their branding skills but also for budding entrepreneurs seeking to understand the mechanics of successful event planning and execution in the evolving landscape of branding.

A few other things we mentioned during the conversation:

• Summit in a Box®: Krista Miller’s virtual summit course
• Summit Host Hangout®: Krista’s podcast, on which Jacob will appear sometime in 2025
• Designing Brand Identity, sixth edition (in which some of Jacob’s work is featured)

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Thanks to Tracksuit for their support of this episode.