A Live Illustration service to delight and surprise your guests and attendees!
Content generated at meetings is generally linear, forgotten, and often not exciting. Realtime Live Illustration takes spoken content and transforms it into giant sketchnotes. Visually connecting ideas, issues, and comments, live illustrations are suitable for conference keynotes, panel discussions, breakout sessions, strategy deployment events, leadership workshops, and sales meetings.
Happening in tandem with the spoken word in the room, live illustrations grown on big paper or foam core boards in front of an audience. This entertaining addition allows attendees to engage with the illustrations (reading, discussing, photographing) and share the content out to their networks.
Matt Orley illustrated his first meeting in 2010. He started Big Paper Strategy in 2018. He is your main contact, and your artist.
Typical Live Illustration Projects
Matt drew 3000 sqft worth of projects in 2022, and is on target for 5000 sqft in 2023
Native American Finance Officers Association Conferences
Twice a year, NAFOA brings Big Paper Strategy to their annual conferences. Matt draws for two hours of plenary sessions with a mixed bag of speakers, and three breakout sessions during each day of the conference.
Restaurant Leadership and FSTEC
Winsight Media has brought Matt in to illustrate multiple plenary sessions at various conferences. These sessions include keynoters, panels, and Q&A Interviews.
Space Futures Convening
Arizona State University gave Matt a glossy blackboard and asked him to go! Taking topics originated from astronauts and rocket scientists and included the need to sketch rocketships, asteroids, and space stations. What a day!
Dell Presentations at ISTE
Dell regularly invites Matt to work at ISTE in their vendor conference room. He draws through panel discussions and presentations. Illustrations are re-presented each year to bring continuity from year to year.
CCWA Centennial Civic Forum
Drawing on just one board at their request, Matt helped the Cleveland Council on World Affairs celebrate during their afternoon of speakers and discussions.
IFDA SMart Conference
IFDA had Matt draw through their two-day SMart conference. His work was sponsored by CHOCO- which was denoted on each board. Read more about sponsor opportunities.
The emcee also used photos of each board as a memory tool to recap the conference
PCMA Convening Leaders 2023
PCMA's 2023 Convening Leaders event. Working on oversized, multi-layered boards, Matt crafted speaker messages on black panels with white ink, and attendee feedback with colored ink on pre-cut white panels.
NBOA Annual Conference
Matt illustrated during the 3-day NBOA 2023 annual conference. During this intense week, all 22 boards were lined up together- telling a lengthy story of their conference.
Fortune 500 Sales Meeting
Under NDA, this corporate sales meeting gave participants extra opportunities to learn the content they were provided during the event.
Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium
As with all other conference events that hire Big Paper Strategy, speakers stand next to completed illustration boards.
OASBO Annual Conference
This OASBO annual conference featured keynoter, John Ratzenberger. John interacted with Matt from the stage (to his surprise) but also took time to take photographs with adoring fans. Big Paper Strategy was there to help tell the story.
Northstar Meetings Group IPEC event
Northstar's IPEC meeting invited Matt Orley to draw for meeting planners. Hundreds of photos were taken.
Pulled from a recent Google Review...
Big Paper Strategy's impact on our SMart conference was truly remarkable, thanks to Matt Orley's exceptional illustrations. His artwork brilliantly captured the event's highlights and themes, elevating the overall experience for attendees. Many participants were so engrossed by the visuals that note-taking became obsolete, and they praised the illustrations as invaluable reminders of the valuable insights gained. Matt's artistic talent and Big Paper Strategy's dedication make them an excellent choice for organizations seeking visually captivating content. Kudo for a job well done, and we look forward to future collaborations!
70+% of us are visual learners. That means that visual reinforcement of ideas and concepts is essential to convey messages, solidify meaning, and improve retention of information. Visual Engagement through live illustrations verifies an event attendee's thoughts, experience, and memory of a discussion or session.
I had no idea what the heck you guys were talking about until he drew it for me.
Benefits of Utilizing a Live Illustrator at your Event
Event Attendee Engagement
Visual Learning aside, live illustration encourages and honors those who contribute to an event's content (a single keynote speaker or a public discussion participant).
Creativity
Hiring a live illustrator shows a commitment to creativity, playful attitudes, and a willingness to explore ideas and thoughts in new ways.
Entertainment and a Fuller Experience
While we capture content, Big Paper Strategy is on location to perform. It is powerful to see someone capture ideas as they are occurring in real-time. People enjoy watching an individual drawing in front of a crowd- they make meetings or conferences more fun. Enriching and deepening the group experience by going beyond business-as-usual and thinking outside the box, live illustration provokes more participation and a more profound thought process.
Big Picture
Live Illustration distills ideas to their essence and increases clarity. It organizes ideas by drawing connections and relationships, enabling participants to see links between ideas and understand the bigger picture. All content is visible and can be referred to simultaneously, while slides and talks are fleeting and quickly.
Sharing
Illustrations created live give a fast overview of the event's content for those that could not attend. - it gives them an insightful overview of what was said. Illustrations act as the basis for further conversations around topics, enabling a cascade of information and knowledge both during and after the recording.
Happy Clients
Holy wow I love this Matt Orley!
You provided great value to IPEC 2022. The proof of that is the apparent new business you may have picked up as a result of your work on-site! There’s no better testimonial to your value than having our attendees booking you for their future events!
Moreover, I know we all agree that your style – low-maintenance, self-reliant, easy-going, always professional – is doubly appreciated. You meshed really well with our team and our value proposition, which is very important to us!
Thanks again and we look forward to future opportunities to work together.
Jaw-dropping reactions. Well done!!!
...Matt was professional and very easy to work with both pre-planning and during the conference. The Graphic recordings of two of our plenary presentations were a huge hit for both our attendees and presenters. Attendees enjoyed the visual addition to the presentation and we had many people lined up to review the drawings in completion after the presentations.
Thank you for the graphics! These are WONDERFUL! I’ve had such positive feedback from the participants about this very special feature of yesterday’s meeting. I can hardly wait to show them to everyone at our Town Hall tomorrow morning!
You did an amazing job! Can’t sing your praises enough! Look forward to working with you in September at Annual!
This layering and cohesion was not at all visible in the linear presentation but presented as a whole, was exceptional- and, honestly a great way for those that would be in attendance to accept the vision.
Your leadership, direction and guidance last night thru the brainstorming was so much more than I ever thought or imagined!
You were tremendous this week, man! Please consider MCCA among your fans.
There were a lot of consistent comments about the quality of the venue and whatnot, but the most consistent thing I heard was compliments on your work and what you contributed to the convention.
We'd love to book you for next year's convention...
So some exciting news for you… our Executive Leadership Team, specifically our CEO, was so impressed by this art piece that he wants posters made to put in ELT offices and other M Health Fairview venues to remind us of our ongoing work and connection to the community. How awesome!!
Thank you again! I have already shared with my team! I love your style. You are so talented!
You brought a layer of richness and excitement to the conference that was pretty magical!! And thank you for sending the digital files ... they are gorgeous!!
These graphic recordings gave a fun and surprisingly on-point review of the meeting.
This session was outstanding! The way it focused more on Matt's drawings than Power Point was very effective!
Frequently Asked Questions
Leveraging years of experience, a phone conversation with dates, estimated times, and locations is all that is needed to get a full visual quote for your project.
You will receive a proposal via email to review. A 50% deposit invoice will be available to secure your meeting date.
Upon your request, we will also send a standard Non-Disclosure Agreement, or, if your legal team prefers- we can review and sign your standard document.
Live Illustration is fun to watch; however, it need not be the center of attention. So the answer to 'where does a live illustrator stand?' Matt has stood on the stage behind speakers, on the side of the room, or far in the back.
If illustrated boards will be quickly moved from a ballroom to a common area- it is a good idea to find a location with a quick and easy path between both.
We draw on paper, whiteboards, and foam core material. We utilize easels and our own set of moveable wall panels. Preliminary conversations will define which material is best for your event and how we will get it on site.
Depending on the project and location, we may ask for the provision of easels - which are generally available at hotels, conference centers, and other typical meeting locations.
Lastly, a small table and low chair are requested to set materials on during a live illustration.
A vast majority of human beings are visual learners. While PowerPoint presentations are helpful, a unique and eclectic creative experience can engage meeting attendees in new ways.
Hiring a live illustrator or visual practitioner shows investment in your people. Being able to hear "Wow, I didn't think they thought we were worth this much" shows your employees that they are valued.
Having a live illustrator practically guarantees that meeting takeaways will not be forgotten. Attendees often snap photographs of Big Paper creations.
Bringing in an outsider brings a new perspective to any meeting. Not only do we help ask the stupid questions no one else is seeking, but our loyalty rests solely with the outcome, Asking tough questions and being a No-Person in a series of Yes-men is freeing to all people involved.
Bringing a mind with other-industry knowledge, a wide array of experiences, and both left and right brain thought helps head in new directions and inspire creativity.
