Client
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West Monroe Group
Event
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All-Employee Offsite Celebration
Location
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La Villita Historic Arts Village, San Antonio
Guests
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2,000
West Monroe Group partnered with Circa DM to produce a large-scale offsite event during their All-Employee Conference in San Antonio. The goal was to deliver an authentic, immersive experience that celebrated local culture, food, and music while staying within an allocated budget.
A key requirement was walkability. With attendees staying in four nearby hotels, the venue needed to be within walking distance to eliminate shuttle transportation and simplify logistics. La Villita Historic Arts Village offered the ideal setting, blending history, charm, and proximity.
The event theme, “San Antonio Street Fair,” was inspired by the city’s iconic Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA), featuring local entertainment, festival-style food and bar tents, interactive activations, photo moments, and custom West Monroe branding throughout.
Two months before the event, unexpected city construction began at La Villita’s main entrance forcing a complete change to the guest arrival experience.
The new reality included a required shift to a secondary entrance, ongoing construction and fencing near guest entry points, and the need to reroute traffic, redesign guest flow, and preserve a strong first impression without increasing the overall budget
Circa DM worked closely with the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, and trusted local partners to transform a potential disruption into one of the event’s most memorable moments. We designed and fabricated a custom 12’ x 20’ branded truss entrance featuring a 3’ x 20’ West Monroe welcome banner, oversized 16’ guitar props, and festive balloon art, instantly setting the tone as guests arrived. Local street performers welcomed attendees at the new entrance, creating energy and excitement from the very first step.
To visually shield ongoing construction, our team created a custom “cup art” installation that masked fencing and blocked unwanted sightlines, turning a challenge into a playful design element. We also reworked the event layout to ensure smooth guest flow from the new entry point, while negotiating added value and discounts with existing vendor partners to absorb unplanned costs without compromising the creative vision. Updated digital maps were added to the attendee mobile app, and strategically placed event staff guided guests seamlessly to the fun.
Despite late-stage challenges, the event exceeded expectations. Attendee satisfaction scores surpassed typical benchmarks for the conference, and guests continued talking about the experience all the way to the airport.
Six months later, the client shared that she still thinks about the event!
This project highlights our team’s ability to adapt quickly, solve complex challenges creatively, and deliver memorable experiences no matter the circumstances. By combining local expertise, strong relationships, and thoughtful design, Circa transformed an unexpected obstacle into a standout moment.
