Isaac B Watson

Role: Producer

Framer builds software to help digital designers get from concept to code as quickly as possible. In September 2018 they welcomed their vast community of users to their home—Amsterdam—for an inaugural conference about design, tools, and the future. The conference featured 3 distinct parties, a day of main stage talks, a day of workshops, and one surprise canal boat tour for each attendee. In partnership with Andy McMillan at Regular Events, we brought some of the best minds in the world of design to Amsterdam for an inspiring and challenging event.

Key responsibilities: comprehensive budget management, art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, vendor management, brand integrity, website content management, copy editing

Photos by MCKLIN Photography

Role: Production Manager, Branding Czar

"How do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world?

The World Domination Summit is an annual gathering which attracted 1000 people in 2017. Each year they descend upon Portland from around the globe to embrace the themes of community, adventure, and service for a weekend of main stage talks and several additional days of adventures, activities, meetups and workshops, as well as two raucous parties hosted by author and blogger Chris Guillebeau.

My sixth and final year, I returned by managing the main stage technical production and design process, maintaining the comprehensive event budget, and serving as the primary liaison with a new creative partner, Fuzzco, to start a refresh of the visual identity that would span the next (and final) three years of the event."

Key responsibilities: comprehensive budget management, art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, vendor management, brand integrity, website content management, copy editing

Photos by Armosa Studio

Role: Producer

After hosting annual summits for the last 3 years, the Association for Women in Science brought me in to help them take the even up a notch by introducing an awards dinner to an afternoon of thought-provoking panels and fireside chats with industry leaders. I worked closely with their board members and staff to create an event website, budget, and carry out the event's vision within a modest fundraising-fueled budget at a premiere event venue in San Francisco's Financial District.

Key responsibilities: venue and catering liaison, vendor coordination, creative direction, print production, stage design and layout, comprehensive budget oversight, team management

Photos provided by AWIS

Role: Registration lead

Craftcation is an annual business and makers conference in Ventura, California that blends hands-on craft classes with business workshops and an insane amount of crafty camaraderie. This year I returned to volunteer my services spearheading the frenzy of registration. In addition, I hosted several "Think Tanks"—roundtables dedicated to peer feedback about business topics—with friend and crafty co-conspirator Sharon Fain.

Key responsibilities: registration setup and staffing, attendee experience, orientation, workshop co-teaching, feedback/critique facilitation

Photography by Heather Shane

Role: Tech Team Lead

This was the fourth year I joined the tech team for TEDxMtHood (formerly TEDxConcordiaUPortland) and helped wrangle the content and run the show from the technical end of things. I worked with the stage manager, trained the content operator, and coordinated with the organizing and venue staff to make sure all of the speaker slides were up to spec and ready to go.

Key responsibilities: content management, asset preparation, vendor communication, setup/teardown oversight

Photos courtesy of TEDxMtHood

Role: Production Manager, Branding Czar

How do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world?

The World Domination Summit is an annual gathering which attracted 1000 people in 2017. Each year they descend upon Portland from around the globe to embrace the themes of community, adventure, and service for a weekend of main stage talks and several additional days of adventures, activities, meetups and workshops, as well as two raucous parties hosted by author and blogger Chris Guillebeau.

My fifth year, I reprised my role managing the main stage technical production and design process, maintaining the comprehensive event budget, and serving as the primary liaison with our stellar design team, Jolby & Friends.

Key Responsibilities: comprehensive budget management, art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, vendor management, brand integrity, website content management, copy editing

Photos by Armosa Studio

Role: Registration Lead

Craftcation is an annual business and makers conference in Ventura, California that blends hands-on craft classes with business workshops and an insane amount of crafty camaraderie. Having attended the event in 2016, I volunteered my services to spearhead the frenzy of registration. In addition, I taught a Pre-Conference Planning Workshop with friend and crafty co-conspirator Sharon Fain, and held several "Think Tanks"—roundtables dedicated to peer feedback about business topics.

Key responsibilities: registration setup and staffing, attendee experience, orientation, workshop co-teaching, feedback/critique facilitation

Photos by Photographers, Brian Feinzimer, LP Hastings, and Sarah Deragon

Role: Tech Team Lead

Design Week Portland is a week-long festival celebrating all facets of the designed world that also hosted a main stage component for the second time in 2017. I reprised my role as technical lead, coordinating with the venue staff (house production, sound, and lighting), third-party vendors (video, content), and helping make sure the budget was in line with the intended production level.

Key Responsibilities:

Vendor management, venue liaison (technical needs), asset preparation, content management

Photos courtesy of Design Week Portland

Role: Production Manager + Branding Czar

How do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world?

The World Domination Summit is an annual gathering which attracted 1300 people in 2016. Each year they descend upon Portland from around the globe to embrace the themes of community, adventure, and service for a weekend of main stage talks and several additional days of adventures, activities, meetups and workshops, as well as two raucous parties hosted by author and blogger Chris Guillebeau.

This year, I reprised my role managing the main stage technical production and design process, maintaining the comprehensive event budget, and serving as the primary liaison with our stellar design team, Jolby & Friends.

Working on the WDS team is hardly a typical client relationship—our action team has become a tight-knit family of friends and collaborators.

Key responsibilities: comprehensive budget management, art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, vendor management, brand integrity, website content management, copy editing

Photos by Armosa Studios

Role: Tech team lead

This was the third year I joined the tech team for TEDxMtHood (formerly TEDxConcordiaUPortland) and helped wrangle the content and run the show from the technical end of things. I worked with the stage manager, trained the content operator, and coordinated with the organizing and venue staff to make sure all of the speaker slides were up to spec and ready to go.

Key responsibilities: content management, asset preparation, vendor communication, setup/teardown oversight

Photos by Alex McKissack

"Isaac took all the worry and hassle out of putting on a conference—and delivered on my vision of the perfect event. He made it so I could focus on my own strengths—speaking and performing—and never stress out about my weaknesses—project management and detail wrangling. I would work with him again in a heartbeat and I can't wait until I have the opportunity to do so."

—Tara Gentile, Founder of Quiet Power Strategy

Role: Producer

Tara Gentile had been hosting a casual beach retreat for her QPS alumni for a few years, but wanted to take things to a new level and offer something bigger, better, and more impactful to her alumni and extended audience. She chose the "hippy resort" of McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon (just outside of Portland) and we set to work creating a "classy family reunion" with a business focus.

I worked closely with Tara and her team on all levels of the production, from coordinating setup with the venue and production vendors to making catering selections for the meals provided. I also helped source some high-quality swag and brought in the production team to run everything smoothly.

The result? Tara's expectations were blown out of the water, and I enabled her to just show up, put on the host hat, and not worry about anything else but delivering stellar content to the 100+ attendees.

Key responsibilities: venue and catering liaison, vendor coordination, creative direction, print production, stage design and layout, comprehensive budget oversight, team management

Photos by Jessica Hill Photography

Role: Tech Team Lead

Design Week Portland is a week-long festival celebrating all facets of the designed world that brought a main stage component to its schedule in 2016. I joined the team as technical lead, coordinating with the venue staff (house production, sound, and lighting), third-party vendors (video, content), and helping make sure the budget was in line with the intended production level.

Key responsibilities: vendor management, venue liaison (technical needs), asset preparation, content management

Photos by Paul Searle and Nimi Einstein

Role: Producer and Host

Schooling you in the business of craft.

In 2015, my nonprofit, Maker's Nation, purchased School House Craft from its founder to continue producing the event under our purview. Keeping the existing branding intact, I assembled a team of expert instructors and speakers to help handmade business owners take the next steps toward a successful business.

When compared to other conferences I produce, SHC has a microscopic budget and scrappy DIY vibes, but the core processes are the same—think of things through the attendees' eyes, deliver an exceptional experience, and maximize the impact as best as possible. What resulted was a very close-knit group of new friends and peers ready to help each other succeed.

Key responsibilities: everything

Role: Co-Producer

Something big is happening.

The second iteration of Pioneer Nation took place in October 2015, and we really took things to the next level. Pioneer Nation 2015 was more of a retreat for your business, taking place at the Resort at the Mountain at the base of Mt. Hood (just outside of Portland, Oregon). This serene setting featured crisp mountain air, changing autumn leaves, and an environment that really allowed our 200 attendees to clear their heads, focus on what mattered most, and make lasting connections with their peers.

This year I took on the initial location scouting, comprehensive budget management, and worked closely with the venue to make sure our attendees were well-acommodated (nearly all of them stayed at the Resort during the conference) and attended to.

Our team delivered another fantastic main stage experience focused on case studies and lessons learned, and dozens more workshops across the property that dove into specific business-related topics with actionable outcomes.

Other highlights unique to this event included chartering coaches to transport attendees to the Resort, taking the pioneer theme to the next level in a few cheeky ways, and capping the weekend with a massive bonfire, food trucks, and an unforgettable line-dancing session.

Key responsibilities: art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, print production, vendor management, venue liaison, website content management, copy editing, comprehensive budget oversight

Photos by Armosa Studios

Role: Production Manager + Branding Czar

How do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world?

The World Domination Summit is an annual gathering which attracted 2,000 people in 2015. Each year they descend upon Portland from over 30 countries to embrace the themes of community, adventure, and service for a weekend of main stage talks, a world record attempt, breakouts and workshops, and two raucous parties hosted by author and blogger Chris Guillebeau.

This year, in addition to managing the main stage technical production and design process, Chris asked me to take the reigns on drafting, overseeing, and maintaining a comprehensive event budget.

What's more, I had a chance to dive back into something I've since left behind—producing a publication! We commemorated the 5-year anniversary of WDS with a 64-page large-format workbook featuring an entirely new evolution of the WDS branding, an entire revamp of the copy used in past program booklets, and much more.

Other highlights from this year included domestically produced t-shirts, enhanced motion graphics, a tighter visual production, and an epic closeout at Pioneer Courthouse Square featuring a 170-foot wide building projection and a surprise LED-illuminated beach ball dance party.

Working on the WDS team is hardly a typical client relationship—our action team has become a tight-knit family of friends and collaborators.

Key responsibilities: comprehensive budget management, art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, vendor management, brand integrity, website content management, copy editing

Photos by Armosa Studios

Role: Tech team lead

This was the second year I joined the tech team for TEDxMtHood (formerly TEDxConcordiaUPortland) and helped wrangle the content and run the show from the technical end of things. I worked with the stage manager, content operator, and organizing staff to make sure all of the speaker slides were up to spec and ready to go.

Key responsibilities: content management, asset preparation, IMAG switching, vendor communication, rehearsal evaluations

Photos by Alex McKissack

Role: Co-Producer

Something big is happening.

Author and World Domination Summit host Chris Guillebeau approached me and a small team of people in 2013 with an idea for a sister event to WDS—an indie business conference that was focused on actionable steps instead of big-picture inspiration or motivation. Pioneer Nation was born out of that idea and debuted in March 2014.

Held at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, Pioneer Nation brought 300 independent entrepreneurs into a pioneer-themed space to hear main stage case studies and learn from their peers through  dozens of action-oriented workshops across two focused days of content.

Our first pioneers found friends, collaborators, and clients by the time we were finished, but more importantly, they walked away with clear next steps for their business and renewed vigor for forging their own independent path as part of the DIY work revolution.

In addition to working with Jolby & Friends to develop the conference branding, I oversaw all of the technical production, was liaison to the venue, and collaborated with our lighting designer and sound engineer to create a designed environment that captured the pioneering theme.

Key responsibilities: art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, print production, vendor management, website content management, copy editing, production budget maintenance

Role: Production Manager & Branding Czar

How do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world?

The World Domination Summit is an annual gathering which attracted 2,500 people in 2014. Each year they descend upon Portland from over 30 countries to embrace the themes of community, adventure, and service for a weekend of main stage talks, a world record attempt, breakouts and workshops, and two raucous parties hosted by author and blogger Chris Guillebeau.

After attending the conference in 2012, I joined the production team for the annual event in 2013, and my responsibilities have evolved and grown with each year. Initially brought on to manage backstage technical production, in 2014 I assumed the role of production manager and branding czar.

In addition to working with the core team on all facets of the five-day event, I collaborated with the talented crew at Jolby & Friends to expand upon the existing identity and assets with a focus on the attendee experience, environmental design, and consistent branding throughout.

There is always an element of fun involved in producing such a unique event, whether it's putting on a spectacular dance party or devising a way for the team "magician" to mysteriously—and epically—appear on stage. Other proud elements include creating animated intro slides for each speaker, working with our lighting designer and sound engineer to design a "hurricane" special effect, and commissioning a local fabricator to build an 8-foot-tall, CNC-routed icosahedron globe as a lobby sculpture that served as a key design element.

Working on the WDS team is hardly a typical client relationship—our action team has become a tight-knit family of friends and collaborators.

Key responsibilities: art direction, asset management and preparation, main stage technical production, print production, vendor management, brand integrity, website content management, copy editing, production budget maintenance

Role: Tech team lead

This was the first year I joined the tech team for TEDxConcordiaUPortland (now TEDxMtHood) and helped wrangle the content and run the show from the technical end of things. I worked with the stage manager, content operator, and organizing staff to make sure all of the speaker slides were up to spec and ready to go.

Key responsibilities: content management, asset preparation, video switching, vendor communication

Photos by Armosa Studios

Role: Tech Team Lead

How do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world?

The World Domination Summit is an annual gathering which attracted 3,000 people in 2013. Each year they descend upon Portland from over 30 countries to embrace the themes of community, adventure, and service for a weekend of main stage talks, a world record attempt, breakouts and workshops, and two raucous parties hosted by author and blogger Chris Guillebeau.

After attending the conference in 2012, I joined the production team for the annual event in 2013, and I was initially brought on to manage backstage technical production. Those responsibilities have since grown, and this first year with WDS was critical to realizing that this is work I was born to do.

Working on the WDS team is hardly a typical client relationship—our action team has become a tight-knit family of friends and collaborators.

Key responsibilities: main stage technical production, content management and asset preparation

Role: Co-Organizer

My first foray into conference production was in 2011. As co-chair of Etsy's I Heart Art: Portland project, I helped the organizing team put together a local edition of the global Hello Etsy simulcast conference hosted at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Our team of 10 volunteers assembled the local programming, including a keynote conversation between Stumptown Coffee founder Duane Sorenson and Queen Bee Creations founder Rebecca Pearcy (moderated by Diane Gilleland). The conference also featured a dozen breakout sessions, make-and-take stations, and other content designed to help Etsy sellers succeed and build their community.

Key responsibilities: program planning, budget oversight, speaker introductions, venue liaison, Etsy liaison, livestream video broadcast, documentation

Photos by Matthew Miller for PNCA