European Coffee Symposium

The European Coffee Symposium (ECS) is a premier event designed to bring together influential minds from across Europe's coffee and hospitality sectors.

Branding | Website Design & Development

Year
2023
Credits

Client: Coffee Ventures Europe

Art Direction & Design: Bonito Studio

Strategy: Bonito Studio

Photography: European Coffee Symposium

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the challenge

At Bonito Studio, our mission is to breathe new life into brands, ensuring they not only resonate with their target audience but also stand out in a crowded marketplace. When the European Coffee Symposium approached us, they were seeking a transformation that would refresh their brand, making it more progressive, clean, and fresh while maintaining its core essence.

The European Coffee Symposium had established itself as a leading event in the coffee industry, celebrated for bringing together the brightest minds and the latest trends. However, its brand identity and digital presence had become dated, failing to reflect the innovative spirit of the symposium within the coffee industry.

The challenge was to revamp the brand and website design to reflect a more modern, progressive outlook without losing the rich heritage and essence that loyal attendees cherished.

A modern branding collage for the European Coffee Symposium, showcasing the cohesive visual identity designed for the event. The design features an elegant logotype with clean, contemporary typography and a warm color palette of gold, black, and cream. Key elements include a coffee-themed images and an Instagram post promoting SHOTT Beverages, one of the event brands; award graphics for the European Coffee & Hospitality Awards 2024 with geometric overlays; and imagery of coffee equipment, highlighting attention to detail. The branding balances sophistication and industry relevance, emphasizing the event's focus on coffee and hospitality innovation.
our approach

Our approach centred on a comprehensive rebranding strategy that involved:

  • Retaining key elements: we decided to keep two iconic colours from the original palette, ensuring continuity and respect for the brand's heritage.
  • Refreshing the colour palette: incorporating new colours to enhance the original hues, we aimed for a palette that radiates freshness, vibrancy, and elegance.
  • Revolutionising typography: a complete overhaul of the brand's typography was undertaken to inject modernity and improve readability across all platforms.
  • Brand essence preservation: Careful consideration was given to maintaining the essence of the European Coffee Symposium, ensuring long-standing participants would still feel at home with the new brand identity.

What did we execute?

  • New colour palette: we developed a new colour palette that was both progressive and inviting, using the two original colours as anchor points. This fresh palette was designed to appeal to a broad audience, symbolising the symposium's commitment to innovation and inclusivity.
  • Typography transformation: our team selected a set of modern, versatile typefaces that communicated the symposium's forward-thinking mindset. This choice ensured clarity and consistency across digital and print mediums.
  • Brand identity and assets: with the new palette and typography, we crafted a comprehensive set of brand assets, including logos, icons, and visual elements, that reflected the symposium's refreshed identity.
  • Website redesign: The culmination of our rebranding effort was a completely redesigned website. The new design was not only visually appealing but also user-friendly, ensuring an engaging experience for visitors. The website effectively communicated the symposium's values and offerings, leveraging the new brand identity to attract a wider audience.

The European Coffee Symposium's rebranding journey is a testament to Bonito Studio's ability to rejuvenate brands, ensuring they remain relevant and competitive. By thoughtfully blending new elements with the symposium's heritage, we delivered a brand identity and digital presence that truly reflects the vibrant spirit of the coffee community.

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A visually striking display of branding guidelines created for the European Coffee Symposium. The layout features multiple design mockups, including logo variations, typography samples, and color schemes in a sophisticated palette of black, cream, and gold. Prominent elements include the primary logotype, detailed brand rules, and event visuals, such as a black-and-white photograph of attendees and a close-up of coffee preparation. The arrangement highlights a professional and cohesive visual identity, demonstrating meticulous attention to design principles for a high-profile coffee and hospitality event.
A sleek and modern showcase of the website designed for a high-profile event. The image features a tablet and smartphone resting on a minimalist black surface, displaying responsive views of the European Coffee Symposium's website. The tablet screen highlights the tagline "Where Industry Leaders Connect," paired with an aerial cityscape image and event details. Below, the page emphasizes industry growth in coffee and hospitality with professional imagery and sponsor logos. The smartphone screen presents a seamless mobile version, promoting "Hospitality at Its Finest" with elegant typography and visuals. The design reflects sophistication and accessibility, catering to a professional audience.A visually engaging layout displaying social media assets designed for the European Coffee Symposium. The image features a central smartphone with an Instagram post highlighting "Modbar," a sleek under-counter coffee solution, surrounded by additional branded social media graphics. These include a #BrandSpotlight showcasing a modern coffee bar, a detailed explanation of Modbar's benefits, a stylish "Pour-over magic" feature, and a call-to-action card reading "Join us Today" for #ECS2024. The cohesive design uses a sophisticated palette of warm tones, modern typography, and minimalist layouts, reflecting the event's innovative and professional identity.

Our client's thoughts

The Bonito team immediately understood the essence of our rebranding and website launch project. They deeply immersed themselves in understanding our brand and sector, quickly devising a comprehensive branding strategy that seamlessly integrates digital, physical, and experiential platforms. Working with Liza and Christa has been an absolute delight; they are grounded, exceptionally professional, modest, and truly excel in their work. This is our third time collaborating with them, and it certainly won't be our last.

Ludovic Rossignol
European Coffee Symposium
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