What to Expect
A systematic, well-structured, and low-maintenance process. No surprises, minimal requirements, and absolute clarity from contracting to final delivery.
1. Engaging & Prep Work
Upon reviewing and accepting your visual quote, I kick off a simple onboarding process to align on schedules, agendas, and deliverables.
- Detailed Visual Quote: Transparent pricing customized for your specific agenda.
- Contract & Statement of Work: Straightforward terms, contract, and invoices (typically a down payment and final invoice).
- Notion Project Portal: A live, private Notion workspace tracking checklist items, links, and logistics (view example project page).
What I'll ask from you: In the days leading up to the event, I'll request digital copies of slides, schedules, runs of show, or suggested background links to help me review specialized terminology and acronyms.
2. Media, Boards & Equipment
I aim to be the lowest-maintenance vendor on your planner sheet. Setup is straightforward, and I manage almost all materials.
Drawing Surfaces
I draw on heavy 40x60-inch (or 4x8-foot) foam core boards. 90% of clients have me order and manage board delivery directly to the hotel or venue. Sustainable all-paper boards are also available upon request.
Markers & Tools
I use only high-end, refillable Neuland drawing markers. I bring my full, extensive marker toolkit to every event to capture color highlights.
3. On-Site Expectations
I illustrate events for up to 6 listening hours per day, with a total of 10 daily on-site hours. This includes:
- Morning Preparation: Drawing board titles, header layouts, and pre-loading speaker names.
- Speaker Alignment: Checking in briefly with presenters to align on their core talking points before they walk on stage.
- Live Recording: Listening, synthesizing, and illustrating in real time.
- Attendee Interaction: Standing by the boards during breaks to answer questions, explain the concepts, and help attendees take photos.
- Media Digitization: Photographing and scanning boards on-site for immediate digital processing.
4. Event Sponsorships
Graphic recording is a highly visible asset. If your conference has exhibitors or sponsors, they can sponsor the boards:
- Logo Placements: Feature corporate sponsor logos directly on the board headers.
- Visual Sponsor Area: Designate specific board sections or create a fully dedicated infographic board for your headline sponsor.
Visit my dedicated Sponsorship Page for copy templates and placement diagrams to share with your sales teams.
Visual Logistics Guides
Reference setups for hotels, board setups, and sticker programs.
Sturdy Artist Easels
Venues provide 2–3 sturdy tripod or A-frame artist easels. A stable easel is critical for live illustration, holding the large foam core boards firmly during real-time drawing.
Neuland Markers
Matt brings his own Neuland Marker and extended tool kit.
Highboy Table
Positioned next to the drawing space, this table keeps markers, tape, and tools at a comfortable, active working height.
Foam Core Panels
Foam Core Panels shipped to your venue from Uline.
Speaker Headshots
I bring Headshot stickers to every event where it makes sense.
Planner FAQs
Answers to common logistical, technical, and contracting questions.
Is this a caricature or entertainment service?
No. I provide B2B visual synthesis, information architecture, and real-time concept mapping under the Big Paper Strategy banner. I do not provide party sketches, caricatures, or guest drawings.
How fast is the "Instant" digital delivery?
Attendees and event staff get access to spell-checked, shadow-corrected, and color-enhanced digital image files in under 60 seconds after a session completes, direct via on-board QR codes.
Does our organization get full usage rights for the digital assets?
Yes. Your organization retains perpetual, non-revocable, and infinite rights for all internal and external marketing, archival, reproduction, and social media use. This is explicitly stated in my contracts. You also own the physical boards as soon as they are completed.
What technology do you use for image capture?
I use a proprietary system combining a custom local software wrapper with human-in-the-loop AI processing. This lets me straighten, color-correct, crop, and polish drawings on the fly at high velocity. Crucially, no client images are ever used to train AI models.
Where does the illustrator stand in the room?
Wherever fits best. I can stand on stage next to or behind the speakers, off to the side, or at the back of the room for a low-profile setup. Between sessions, boards can easily be moved to pre-function spaces to create a networking artwalk.
How much floor and wall space is required?
The active drawing area requires a compact 6x8 ft footprint for two easels, a highboy table for markers, and me. For exhibiting the finished panels, 10 boards double-stacked will require approximately 25 linear feet of wall or aisle space.
What materials need to be provided?
I draw on 40x60 inch foamcore boards which I typically ship directly to the venue. I ask you or the venue AV team to supply 2–3 sturdy tripod/A-frame artist easels, one highboy cocktail table, a low chair, and a waste bin. I bring all markers, tape, and visual materials.
How do we get a project started?
Contact me with your dates, times, and location. I will send a visual quote and Statement of Work. Once booked, I'll set up your private Notion workspace to track checklist items, slides, and agendas leading up to day one.
Have Logistical Questions?
Every venue and event has unique requirements. Let's discuss your floor plans, agendas, and board shipping addresses.