NAHO Role Model Awards  |   MediaStyle Case Study

On June 20, 2009, two-hundred guests gathered at the Museum of Civilization to celebrate the achievements and dedication of a brilliant group of young Canadians.

NAHO Role Model Awards 2009 from Ian Capstick on Vimeo.

For twenty-five years the National Aboriginal Role Model Awards have celebrated and promoted the work of outstanding Inuit, First Nations, and Métis youth from across the country.  MediaStyle worked with the staff at the National Aboriginal Health Organization to create an exciting and vibrant event to honour the NAHO 2009 Role Models and the programs silver anniversary.

High-quality production for less

The gala evening, held in the spectacular Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, was a celebration of the young role models and a showcase of Aboriginal culture in Canada.  The twelve role models and youth spokesperson watched an honour song from the mezzanine level of the Museum of Civilization, were introduced individually, and entered the Grand Hall to a “voice from above.”

Here is a sample: “Please welcome…”

By using a NAHO staff member and keeping audio cuts to a minimum, we were able to put a polished element into the show for little to no additional cost; music was donated by former role model Ry Moran and was an important part of the show.

Creative Visuals

This annual awards event honours Inuit, First Nations, and Métis youth aged 14-30 and their experiences as aboriginal people.  We worked with Leslieville Production’s Aylwin Lo to create animations and templates for a multimedia show to compliment the event.  MediaStyle used the template to bring images of the role model’s home communities into the event; the screens also served the dual purpose of thanking the role model program sponsors.
This is a video of the animated slides used for the awards show.  The role models and photos of their communities are featured after the sponsor slides at the 2:05 minute mark.

NAHO 2009 Role Model Awards slides from Ian Capstick on Vimeo.

Special Touches

• To keep event costs down, MediaStyle designed and constructed the floral arrangements using a floral wholesaler.  We also made sure the flowers didn’t go to waste at the end of the night by providing a small printed gift tag attached to a ribbon instructing guests to take the flowers home.  You can download the PDF for the stickers (flowers-takehome) we used.  (print on clear Avery labels, number 8660, and attach to simple tags)
• Colourful in-house NAHO banners added a directional element and colour in the registration area and upper mezzanine area
• MediaStyle had a dedicated VIP handler on site to escort guests to a pre-event cocktail
• We ensured extra time at the VIP reception to allow for an outdoor smudging and blessing