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ILEA Live Fest 2027 - Behind the Brand: The Inviting Pear
By Travis Young, Conference Chair, ILEA Live FEST 2027
Before a stage is built, speakers arrive, or guests walk through the doors, an event has already started telling its story.
For ILEA Live FEST 2027, one of our earliest challenges was deciding what that story should look and feel like. We knew we wanted something creative, energetic, and distinctly different from a traditional conference identity.
That search led us to The Inviting Pear, an Austin-based stationery and graphic design studio, and started a creative process that would eventually become the visual identity for FEST 2027.
That's where The Inviting Pear came in.
Meet The Inviting Pear
Founded in Austin in 2005 by owner and graphic designer Shannon Ferguson, The Inviting Pear is a full-service stationery and graphic design studio specializing in custom work. Shannon works alongside senior graphic designer and watercolor artist Arielle Vicaria and graphic designer Kat Murph, bringing together expertise in stationery, illustration, print, event collateral, and corporate design.
You can read more about Shannon's journey building The Inviting Pear in her previous Voyage Austin profile.
From an Idea to an Identity
We came to Shannon with inspiration, but not a finished answer.
We knew we wanted bold typography, color, energy, and something that made FEST feel different from a traditional association conference.
Shannon's first concepts explored different typography, layouts, colors, and ways of bringing ILEA LIVE and FEST together.
They gave us something to react to.
We could identify what felt right, what didn't, and where we wanted to keep pushing.
That collaboration eventually led to the identity we're using today — a much more refined and flexible system that gives FEST its own energy while remaining connected to ILEA.
Good Design Takes Time
One thing the process reinforced for us is that faster technology doesn't necessarily mean faster creativity.
“With advances in technology, people think designs shouldn't take long. However, everything we create is custom.”
Shannon says The Inviting Pear can accommodate rush projects, but their best work starts with getting to know the client and understanding what they're trying to accomplish.
And clients don't have to arrive with everything figured out.
“Mood boards are great, but we really don't need anything before the first meeting,” Shannon says. “As long as you communicate what you do and don't like, we will take it from there.”
That was certainly true for us.
We brought ideas. The Inviting Pear brought another perspective. And through feedback and refinement, we arrived somewhere stronger together.
A Brand Should Make You Feel Something
When we asked Shannon what separates a cohesive event brand from simply having a great logo, her answer captured exactly what we're trying to accomplish:
“Branding at the event should give the guests a ‘feeling’ of what's to come. It should really set the vibe of the whole event.”
The logo is only the beginning.
The identity now has to move into the actual experience — signage, stages, digital communications, printed pieces, registration, menus, and all the smaller details attendees encounter along the way.
“We love all of the little details,” Shannon says. “Menus, bar menus, cocktail napkins. Those items really take an event to the next level.”
That's one of our biggest takeaways from working with The Inviting Pear:
Instead of asking where the logo should go, ask where guests should feel the brand.
Trust the Creative Process
When we asked Shannon about her favorite kind of client, her answer was simple:
“Someone who trusts our creative process and design expertise.”
That doesn't mean staying quiet or accepting every idea.
Good collaboration requires communication. Share what works. Explain what doesn't. Be clear about the experience you're trying to create — and then give your creative partners room to do what you hired them to do.
Looking back at the first concepts and comparing them with the final ILEA Live FEST 2027 identity, we can see that process clearly.
And as we continue building toward ILEA Live FEST 2027, that identity will move beyond the logo and into the experience our attendees will eventually have in Austin.
The Inviting Pear didn't simply give ILEA Live FEST 2027 a logo. They helped us create the first glimpse of what FEST 2027 could feel like.
About the Author
Travis Young serves as Conference Chair for ILEA Live FEST 2027, taking place August 23–25, 2027, in Austin, Texas. He is working alongside the conference planning team and creative partners to build the 2027 experience. Contact Info:
Email: info@theinvitingpear.com
Website: www.theinvitingpear.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_inviting_pear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinvitingpear
Twitter: https://twitter.com/invitingpear
Other: https://www.pinterest.com/theinvitingpear Photography & Creative Credits
Shannon Ferguson, Owner & Graphic Designer, The Inviting Pear Photography: Yanire Yaniz Photography
Arielle Vicaria, Senior Graphic Designer & Watercolor Artist, at work on a custom illustration Photography: Yanire Yaniz Photography
Custom luxury invitation suite by The Inviting Pear Photography: Anastasia Strate Photography
Custom acrylic bar signage by The Inviting Pear Photography: Julie Wilhite Photography
Behind the Design: Early concepts for the ILEA Live FEST 2027 identity Design: The Inviting Pear
The final ILEA Live FEST 2027 identity Brand Identity & Logo Design: The Inviting Pear
