The Goalkeepers 2024 event, held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, was designed to bring together Heads of State, global changemakers, and advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s event focused on the urgent issue of malnutrition, with the objective of creating a high-impact, content-rich experience that could effectively deliver its message to a broader audience.
Faced with the challenge of increasing guest count by approximately 50% while reducing the event from its usual two-day format to a single evening, the event set out to reimagine the experience to preserve depth, energy, and engagement. Our goals included: Streamlining programming into a seamless two-hour event, hosting over 1,200 distinguished guests, designing immersive, shareable experiences tied to the event’s core themes, extending messaging beyond the venue to reach the general public
By combining world-class production, innovative use of space, and strategically placed creative elements, our aim was to deliver an experience that sparked global conversation. A key goal was to not only inform, but to inspire action—both in the room and far beyond it. The event also served as a platform to honor changemakers and spark dialogue about global equity through food systems and nutrition.
To bring this year’s Goalkeepers event to life, we collaborated with all parties and restructured the traditional multi-day format into a tightly produced, single-evening experience. The program took place at Jazz at Lincoln Center and welcomed over 1,200 guests for a content-rich event and immersive reception.
Redesigning venue usage was key. For the first time, the full program—including keynote talks and the Global Goals Awards—was held in the 1,200-seat Rose Theater. This allowed us to increase guest count while preserving intimacy and focus. The Appel Room, traditionally used for the main program, was transformed into a reception space enhanced with immersive projection mapping and custom creative builds. Overflow spaces were integrated with live-streaming to ensure all guests could engage in real time.
To manage a large ecosystem of stakeholders and external teams, a priotity was to build out a centralized backend using Airtable, Cvent, and Google Docs. These tools were critical to managing assets, timelines, and high-level talent logistics.
Key features included: LED stairs and angled screens as dynamic backdrops, six+ creative photo moments, including a 10’ LED-integrated SDG wheel, life-sized GK letters, and a food cart inspired by Marcus Samuelsson’s segment, “Content Creator” pins, Polaroid stations, and a gallery honoring Changemakers, an immersive, public-facing Goalkeepers Food Truck, which traveled around NYC sharing bold nutrition factoids.
The biggest challenge was executing such a complex, high-touch event on a condensed timeline while increasing scale. By combining centralized communication tools with strategic creative planning, it ensured seamless coordination across teams, stages, and venues.
What made this event truly unique was how it extended its impact beyond the room. The branded food truck engaged New Yorkers with vibrant, accessible storytelling about global malnutrition. The activation became a viral moment—spotted by influencers like Eitan Bernath and even Bill Gates, helping amplify the message far beyond the attendee list.
By merging mission-driven storytelling with bold design and flawless execution, Goalkeepers 2024 pushed the boundaries of what a one-night event can achieve.
Goalkeepers 2024 achieved and exceeded our objectives in impact, engagement, and reach.
The event successfully hosted over 1,200 guests—marking a 50% increase from previous years—without sacrificing the event’s hallmark energy or thoughtfulness. Feedback from guests, clients, and stakeholders praised the seamless execution and strategic layout of the venue, which supported both intimacy and scale.
The creative builds and interactive installations helped spark rich conversations and shareable moments, reinforcing key themes around food insecurity and the SDGs. The messaging was amplified significantly online, with content circulating widely via influencers, changemakers, and thought leaders.
The Goalkeepers Food Truck activation proved especially successful in extending awareness beyond the event. Its bold design and easily digestible factoids drove public engagement in NYC and created viral visibility across social platforms, even garnering interaction from Bill Gates and other high-profile figures.
Most importantly, our efforts created space for urgent conversations on nutrition equity and global development. The event not only met the client’s goals—it helped set a new standard for what purpose-driven live experiences can look like.
We are so grateful to Project Everyone and The Gates Foundation for letting us be apart of this monumental event.
