An ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) evening for young girls of different cultural backgrounds in and around Amsterdam.
Project time: 8 weeks
Role: creative strategist, concepting, branding and marketing strategy, event & stakeholder management.
Design Brief
Music Moves is an 8-week voluntary training program in Amsterdam under Maatschappelijke DienstTijd (MDT). The goal of this program is to host an event during Amsterdam's biggest event week of the year (ADE) for marginalised groups that often can't go to these events. Every Tuesday, my group and I would work on this event.
Target group and concepting
In the first phase of the process we got to know each other and shared ideas of whom we want to target and what the goal should be of our event.
Together with three other girls, I shared an interest for young women of colour that are underrepresented in society. Since we are all girls that come from non-Western backgrounds, it resonated with everyone in the group.
Thus we decided to focus our event on the female empowerment of young women of colour.
Event and stakeholder management
Music Moves gave us weekly trainings about event management. We had to partner with a relevant organisation and find a location to host the event at.
Since I wanted to learn more about stakeholder management, I took it upon me to contact possible partner organisation.
Music Moves helped us by getting in contact with Hotel Casa, a location in Amsterdam East with a unique concept that provides housing for students.
I contacted Girls Forward and Dynamo Girls, two organisations in Amsterdam East that focus on empowerment of young girls. They became partners of our event and helped us along the way.
Event concept
It is important to give special attention to young girls of color (aged 16+) in Amsterdam, as they often remain underrepresented and unseen in the events industry and other sectors. This invisibility leads to a lack of recognition of their talents and potential, while diversity and inclusion are powerful forces that enrich our society. We aim to take a positive approach and celebrate this diversity, which is why our event is specifically located in Amsterdam, a global city where people from diverse backgrounds unite.
Through different workshops and programs, we aim to empower these girls, boost their self-confidence, and inspire them to realize their full potential. This not only enhances their personal development but also combats social isolation, fosters solidarity across different communities, and promotes positive role modelling.
Our event was scheduled for October 18th from 16:30 to 21:00 at Hotel Casa Amsterdam Oost.
Branding
Since I was took on the role of creative leader, I got the responsibility to develop the brand of the event. In support of the group, we came up with the name HERA. Hera is a goddess from Greek mythology and considered a feminine icon with the peacock as her symbol. The saying "proud like a peacock" in Dutch (zo trots als een pauw) fits the empowerment aspect of the event. Hera can also be interpreted as the female version of hero. These elements made it a perfect fit for message that we want to convey.
My job was then to develop a logo, brandbook and marketing strategy. By creating an inspiration board, using AI tools like a color palette generator and simply experimenting, I produced the following brandbook.
Program
The event would take place from 16:30 until 21:00 which gave us the challenge, but also an opportunity to host an event filled with different activities. By co-creating with the location host, our partners and the target group, we came up with a linear program that could be followed during the event.
I was responsible for creating a program concept and finding people that could provide their services to our event such as buffet, workshop hosts, DJs and volunteers.
The event featured a make-over session, a wellness workshop, a dinner, an influencer panel talk and concluded with a dance workshop and silent disco— a rich evening dedicated to female empowerment.
Promotion
In order to reach the right target group, I designed a flyer that we were going to hand out. After printing 500 flyers, we went to high schools, sports clubs and other places where teenagers can be found in Amsterdam Oost. We also used our own network of people and encouraged them to ask their little sisters to come to our event.
Instagram is where the audience could be easily found and informed about the event. That's why all promotion was done through the Instagram page @heramsterdam.
18 OCTOBER EVENT DAY
On the 18th of October, HERA took place. 100 tickets were "sold" and 80 girls visited the event. It was an evening filled with activities, girls from different backgrounds, good vibes and inspiring moments.
During the event, people asked when the next edition would be and if they could join the organisation. This proves that a community such as HERA is still very much needed in our current society.
