Client: Association for Early Learning Leaders
Type of Event: Conference for early learning administrators, with educational sessions and keynote speeches presented by national experts
Video: Event Recap: Early Learning Leaders Annual Conference
Location: East Brunswick, NJ
Attendee Count: 500+
Photographer: New Moon Photography

Introduction to the Association for Early Learning Leaders

The Association of Early Learning Leaders (AELL) is an organization dedicated to strengthening the knowledge and skills of early child care professionals. The AELL offers various resources and events, such as national conferences, for early learning administrators. These conferences feature education sessions presented by national experts, designed to enhance the abilities and program quality of early childhood educators.

The Objective

For this event, the objective was to provide professional audiovisual technology for the entire event featuring a main stage, exhibitor floor, and eight conference rooms. With four days worth of important seminars and workshops, the ability for every attendee to be able to hear the message was crucial to the success of the event.

How AELL Chose Utopia Experience

Recently, Joey Goone, Utopia Experience’s President, was a mainstage speaker at Cause Camp, a conference where nonprofit professionals and leaders gather to glean information and network. Lori Buxton, the managing director of AELL, attended Joey’s session on ‘How To Make Your Event Unforgettable.’ After the session ended, Lori approached Joey to thank him. She explained that he had raised her expectations for audiovisual production. We kept in touch, introduced her to the rest of the team, and we immediately jumped into planning all of the technical needs of the conference.

Pre-Event Preparation:

Planning for this conference began months in advance, as is standard with Utopia Experience events. Our team met with the client a year before the event to discuss goals and expectations, ensuring that we could align our vision early on, and develop the event together.

With so many events happening at the same time, we needed to ensure that all tech needs were accounted for. The Utopia team planned out a giant LED wall for the mainstage, washing it with lights and surrounding either side of the stage with velvet pipe-and-drape. We studied the layouts of the conference rooms, organizing audiovisual technology as needed. On the exhibitor floor with 25+ booths, we designed a speaker layout that would properly disperse sound without distracting attendees. 

Week of Event:

The event was hosted in the Hilton East Brunswick, which was open to hotel guests through the entire week before and during the event. Because of this, we had to ensure that we could move our equipment efficiently and effectively as we were setting up. We had access to the ballroom that would be divided into the mainstage and exhibitor hall, as well as eight breakout rooms on three separate floors. This was crucial to set up, as we would need to transform each of those spaces in the day before the event was to begin.

Part of the Utopia team focused on building out the main stage for any keynote speakers. This involved setting up the LED wall, cameras and speakers, hiding all wiring and dressing it with black pipe-and-drape. We tested all videos and slideshows that would be displayed on the wall, and walked the client through the run-of-show.

The rest of the team built out the breakout rooms. Depending on the size and layout of the room, we set up 75” flatscreen televisions or HD projectors with screens. We also tested all of the presentations provided by the speakers. When the speakers arrived each day, we would have a team member stationed in each room, ready to walk them through the technology and answer any questions.

The Results:

Going the extra mile, caring about our partners is the extra difference that Utopia provides when it comes to event production. Ensuring that we have video assets, that all of the formatting is right, that the sound has been tested, that each keynote speaker is comfortable onstage. We provided a level of confidence and trust to the AELL team, where they could delegate event planning and production onto us, letting them focus on delivering an exceptional experience to their attendees.

Their team appreciated the extra touch – that we didn’t just provide A/V as some other event companies they’d worked with in the past. We were a partner in planning their conference, and were always thinking of how we could greatly impact the overall experience. 

Minutes after the event wrapped, Lori and Joey began speaking about the 2025 AELL Conference, and the planning process continues. The conference next year will be in a new city, in a new location. With that comes new challenges, ones that Utopia is excited to rise to.

Looking Ahead

Engaging attendees with your mission lies at the core of Utopia’s event planning and production expertise. Connect with us today to explore how we can transform your upcoming conference into an extraordinary experience!