As the Activities Director of my church congregation in Philadelphia, I acted as Producer and Creative Director of our yearly Christmas Gala.

📍 Where it Started:

  • Relatively small 80-100 person gathering anchored around the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia.

  • One night only event starting around 7pm and ending at 11pm.

  • Basic decorations, little interactivity, and a lot of untapped potential.

⚡ What Changed?

  • Starting in year one I introduced interactive programming including speed dating, spiritual devotionals, and historic tours of Philadelphia which gave our attendees more opportunities to connect before the big dance.

  • I developed meaningful themes to guide the weekend festivities such as "The Enchanted Forest" which centered around themes of regrowth as the first Gala back after the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • We went ALL OUT with our decorations. From installing a faux big-top tent to crafting trees out of newspaper, paint and balloons, it was important to completely transform the church space to give this event the special feeling it needed.

  • Upgraded our marketing by creating a simple website, instagram account and email campaign which all aligned with the design language and themes for the year. We spotlighted attendees to make our digital presence feel authentic and get attendees excited leading up to the Gala weekend.

🏆 The Results:

  • Over three years, the event became a 500+ person experience.

  • The Gala grew into a three-day weekend event with programming designed to create meaningful connections and unforgettable experiences.

  • A sustained annual event in Philly that continues to draw hundreds of attendees each year.

  • The launch of similar experiences in Washington DC, Boston, NYC, and beyond inspired by our event.

Below is the welcome packet that guests received in advance of the gala.

Guests were given the option to share stories of moments that they had felt “Blessed”, experience “Joy” or “Overcome” difficulties during the year which were shared anonymously on the gala instagram to help set the tone for the event.