Wellstar Grand Gala 2026

A cohesive event identity designed from concept through production

For the 2026 Wellstar Grand Gala, the Wellstar Foundation wanted a fresh, modern event design that could support an evening centered around cardiac health and heart disease awareness.

We developed the visual direction for the gala and carried it across the full event experience, from digital communications and presentation materials to programs, sponsor recognition and nearly 30 pieces of large-format signage throughout the venue.

The Visual Direction

Working within Wellstar’s established brand, we explored multiple initial creative directions before refining the strongest concepts with their team and developing the final event identity.

The selected direction took a distinctly modern approach to cardiac health. An EKG line became a recurring graphic element, paired with oversized translucent red circles and layered gradients moving between Wellstar’s purple, red and white.

The result was energetic and celebratory without losing the connection to the purpose behind the event.

Once the direction was approved, we developed the complete event system and prepared every piece for production.

Designing an Entire Event Experience

The gala required materials that worked at dramatically different scales and for very different purposes.

The final suite included an eight-page event program, thank-you card, PowerPoint template, email and web graphics, table tent cards, bar signage, two retractable banners and extensive directional and event signage.

Throughout the venue, 19 24×36-inch signs and 10 20×30-inch signs helped guests navigate parking, entrances, coat check and event spaces while reinforcing the gala identity at every step.

Sponsor recognition was another significant part of the system.

The retractable banners included multiple sponsorship levels, requiring logos to appear at different sizes alongside sponsors recognized by name. We worked closely with the Foundation team to source the highest-quality logo artwork available so even the smallest sponsor marks would reproduce clearly and professionally at large scale.

An Event Program That Doubles as an Auction Paddle

One of our favorite details is built directly into the gala program.

The tall, narrow eight-page program contains the evening’s information, but its back cover also serves as each guest’s auction ballot and paddle.

During prepress, we build the program so the printer can digitally produce a unique number on every copy. Rather than creating and distributing a completely separate auction paddle, each guest already has their number in hand.

The numbered programs have become part of the experience themselves. Guests hold them up during the auction, wave them in the air and even pose with their numbers for photos.

It is a small production decision that makes the event easier to manage while turning a necessary functional piece into something guests actually interact with.

Solving the Thank-You Card Before the Final Number Existed

Traditionally, the Foundation’s thank-you cards were sent to press immediately after the gala so the final amount raised could be included.

For 2026, the team wanted the cards printed before the event so they could begin mailing them almost immediately afterward.

The problem was simple: the final fundraising total did not exist yet.

Instead of leaving a conventional blank space, we incorporated the event’s EKG line into the card as a visual signature line. After the gala, the Wellstar team could handwrite the final amount raised onto each card.

It allowed the cards to be produced ahead of time, shortened the post-event turnaround and added an unexpectedly personal touch to every thank-you.

Print With a Little More Sparkle

The program and thank-you cards were digitally printed on Neenah pearlized stock, a paper we have used for the gala in previous years.

Its subtle shimmer gives the pieces a tactile, celebratory quality that feels appropriate for a formal fundraising event while allowing us to use full-color digital production.

For this year’s materials, we intentionally worked in CMYK rather than adding a Pantone ink, helping control production costs while still achieving bright, vibrant color through digital printing.

From Concept to Press

Our involvement extended beyond establishing the gala’s look. We handled the design, layout, production and prepress preparation required to translate that concept across dozens of individual pieces.

That included managing sponsor artwork, planning variable-number printing for the auction ballots, considering production methods and paper choices, adapting designs across dramatically different dimensions, and making sure the entire system remained cohesive from a PowerPoint slide to a 36-inch event sign.

The goal was not simply to create matching pieces.

It was to give the Wellstar Foundation one flexible visual system capable of supporting the entire event.