Hello Sunshine’s mission is to broaden perspectives, build community and empower women by providing a platform that helps them shape culture and the world around them. So when it comes to the female-founded media company’s annual Shine Away event, which aims to provide attendees with actionable tools for personal and professional growth, it’s critical that the experience serves as an extension of the brand and its purpose.
Hello Sunshine aims to celebrate and elevate women by putting them at the heart of every story. Through engaging media, storytelling, and community-building, we continue to light the way for women as they chart their own paths forward. Our goal was to celebrate this community, both those who are already involved, and those who are just starting their journey.
Our target audience was the Hello Sunshine community, consisting of primarily women all over the globe who share the same values of lifting up and inspiring other women.
The second annual Shine Away did just that—uplifted and inspired—while scaling and evolving the attendee experience. Over 1,250 women from across the country, and as far as Japan and Belgium, gathered at the state-of-the-art Nya Studios in Hollywood to reclaim their joy, connect with their peers and learn from professionals in an environment that felt like Hello Sunshine from head to toe.
Over two days, attendees were treated to curated programming, bespoke activations, a special performance by all-female band The Castellows, networking moments, and panel conversations with top talent across media, literature, and more. The agenda strategically tapped into the culture-forward brands from across the Hello Sunshine portfolio, including The Home Edit, Reese’s Book Club, The Hello Sunshine Collective, and The Bright Side.
Upon arriving on-site, the attendee journey began with a beautiful entry moment, complete with custom vignettes and flags, dramatic arches, overflowing blooms and an intention-setting activity that set the tone for the weekend.
We took over both the West and East campuses of the property, converting empty sound stages into two panel stages, a theater, a rooftop VIP lounge, recharge lounge, and a brand marketplace in a way that made the environment feel cohesive and connected. Staffers were on hand to ensure a seamless guest flow between stages. Additionally, keeping attendees fueled throughout the weekend was catering from Joan’s On Third, a Los Angeles culinary hotspot beloved by celebrities.
Sponsors were essential to the experience, and integrated in a way that felt both organic to the event, and valuable to the audience.
Presenting sponsor AT&T recruited inspirational women for panel discussions exploring how the power of connection fuels their journey to success. The brand also provided opportunities for attendees to recharge and engage in professional development at the AT&T Recharge Lounge, where they could network, take a breather, charge up their devices and participate in hand massages. Another attendee favorite: the chance to get a professional headshot and receive personalized consultations with a LinkedIn expert to enhance their profiles.
Meanwhile, Chase Ink curated a shoppable small-business marketplace of locally-sourced, women-owned shops in a beautifully crafted setting, allowing attendees to engage with and draw inspiration from successful entrepreneurs, and shop for purpose-driven products.
The L’Oreal Paris Worth It Experience was also on display, reminding women of their power via inspiring words and powerful reflections from the brand’s dynamic global ambassadors. Attendees could additionally select an inspirational affirmation to take home with them. A live “Bright Side” podcast recording presented by the brand, which focused on overcoming imposter syndrome and stepping into one’s personal power, was another draw for the audience.
And then there was the Reese’s Book Club Book Shop, which was brought to life with the help of Sheraton Hotels and Santa Monica’s female-owned Zibby’s Book Shop. There, attendees could purchase books from all 100 Reese’s Book Club authors and other Shine Away panelists, on top of the opportunity to meet and greet with select authors.
The Home Edit Experience came to life in a meticulously organized and vibrantly colored series of home vignettes. Plus, in partnership with Eli Lilly and Company, we hosted an inspiring discussion among celebrity breast cancer survivors on the main stage with The Home Edit’s Clea Shearer.
Finally, Peoplehood, a first-of-its-kind practice designed to improve interpersonal relationships, collaborated on an AT&T experience to help facilitate conversation and engagement between attendees, many of whom attend the event for its community-building opportunities.
From both a design and engagement perspective, Hello Sunshine left no event stone unturned. When you’re catering to not just an audience, but a sisterhood, the stakes are high—and from the soul-nurturing content to the opportunities for interpersonal connection, we delivered.
Ultimately, Shine Away was created in response to the insight that women are facing unprecedented levels of burnout and unable to find time to focus on themselves. And during the second annual affair, while fostering connection at every point of the experience, Hello Sunshine’s talent provided attendees with relevant tools to elevate their personal and professional lives in a curated and comfortable setting.
Shine Away delivered on a clear societal demand from women to connect more, work together, and engage in dialogue that matters. The event far exceeded expectations from a social and press standpoint. The event garnered 8.1 billion press impressions (over 30% increase from the 6 billion the previous year) and 104MM social impressions.
Guest feedback was overwhelmingly impressive, with 94% of attendees rating their Shine Away experience as good or excellent.
• "I left feeling recharged and ready to take on the world"
• "Getting to watch women connect and empower each other was an absolute dream come true"
• "Seeing over a thousand smiling faces—laughing, crying, and learning together—was immensely rewarding"
The ultimate success metric being that the event will again take place in 2025, and the brand has tapped Mirrored Media to help expand the reach of the event, both locally and digitally.
