NAPA's Annual Conference
Project
NAPA
Service
Visual Notes, Event Activation
How the National Asphalt Pavement Association transformed the standard conference experience
“I needed a solution that would help attendees retain complex technical information, stay engaged across multiple sessions, and walk away with something valuable —even from sessions they couldn't attend.”
Kimberly Sumner, NAPA’s Senior Director of Meetings and Education
Challenge
NAPA needed a way to help attendees remember complex technical information over multiple day conferences
The Big Picture: How to keep attendees engaged during multi-day conferences
Keeping attendees engaged during multi-day events is no small feat. Add concurrent sessions to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for information overload, wandering attention spans, and serious FOMO.
Solution
Three artists, two days, one event activation, and a living mural
Visual notes that capture every key insight and keep working long after the last session ends
Here’s how NAPA elevated engagement at their multi-day conference:
Three artists: Taking visual notes of keynotes and breakout sessions simultaneously over the two-day event
Event activation: An interactive board that posed questions to attendees, which artists then drew in real-time, creating a growing conversation throughout the event
The living mural: An eye-grabbing display of 9 finished visual notes, 1 sponsorship board, and the activation board in a common space where attendees could view, photograph, and discuss the content
Result
Visual notes aren’t just a nice-to-have—they’re the most-requested asset at NAPA that keeps people talking, learning, and coming back.
Attendee reactions, benefits beyond the event, and a pro-tip for free visual notes…
It’s not just about the wow factor—it’s about capturing intent with precision. One speaker who had presented around the world had never experienced visual note-taking before and was blown away by the results:
“This captures literally every point I was looking to make. I’m amazed and surprised how accurately it reflects the conversation—using bolding and emphasizing the things that are actually key components of what we just talked about. The listening of the artist in order to capture the intent of the speaker… only I really know what all of my intent was as I was saying it, and the artist got it perfectly.”
Most-Requested Post-Event Asset: “That’s probably the most common thing we’re asked for following the event,” noted Sumner. Visual notes live on through webinars, newsletters, email follow-ups, and even as art in NAPA’s office.
Solves the Concurrent Session Problem: For attendees who could only attend one session at a time, visual notes provide the opportunity to understand what happened in sessions they missed.
Visual Learning Reinforcement: As Sumner explains, “It’s a summary that’s visual. Most people are visual learners, and this really reinforces the key messages.”
Attendee Magnet: Engagement soars when visual notes are in the room—speakers request copies, attendees flock to the living mural, and the engagement board draws constant interaction.
The impact was so strong that sponsor Vulcan, impressed by visual notes at previous NAPA events, ensured they’d be included at the latest conference—this time with Vulcan’s logo front and center.
NAPA has transformed its conferences from standard industry gatherings into interactive, memorable experiences that attendees and speakers alike rave about. By partnering with Ink Factory, they’ve created lasting assets that amplify key messages, solve real conference challenges, and deliver value long after the event ends.
"It's invaluable for us. I won't say that's the reason why people come, but it is the most valuable asset—an investment that just keeps giving."
Kimberly Sumner, NAPA’s Senior Director of Meetings and Education
Meet the TEAM
No, we’re not tattoo artists. We’re really big visual note-taking nerds. The kind of people who get genuinely excited about the perfect marker color and debate the best way to draw a lightbulb. Sure, we take our work seriously—but we refuse to take ourselves too seriously.
Emily Farrow
Artist
Anastasia Nesbeth
Artist
Wallis Essian
Artist
See it for YOURSELF
Finding the next step is harder when your wires are crossed. Drawing can help you get everyone on the same page—without all the sticky notes.
You won’t regret it
