The Value of An In-Person Kickoff

Our best work starts with connection. Before we dive into the project, we want to know who our clients are, how they think, and what success feels like in their world. We’ve found that a great way to fast track the getting-to-know-you process is to kick off partnerships with an in-person meeting.

Sometimes that means we’re traveling outside of Los Angeles for face time with clients like Nike in Portland, McGarrah Jessee in Austin, and Silver Ventures in San Antonio, and sometimes we're visiting the home bases of fellow companies in LA. Each time, we’re reminded how valuable that time together can be.

Beyond The Brief

When we sit in the same room as a client, we’re about to see for ourselves how their team interacts, how their office operates, and how their work comes to life. Immersing ourselves in their environment allows us to understand the things that live between the lines, like their energy, their culture, their preferences and tastes. Those details are often things you can’t glean from a brief or a remote call, and are valuable in shaping the creative process.

Building Trust

An in-person kickoff isn’t just about the meeting itself. It’s the time we spend grabbing coffee beforehand, walking around their neighborhood, and having casual conversation. These unstructured moments help everyone relax and see each other as people, not just partners on a project, and when that happens, collaboration gets easier. Trust creates more room for honesty and directness — we can play devil’s advocate or push for a creative risk because both sides know it’s coming from a place of shared investment.

Defrosting the Room

One of our favorite parts of these in-person kickoffs is how they “defrost” the room. Since we start with casual interactions, by the time we sit down to talk shop, the ice has already been broken. The pressure is off, and what could have felt like a high-stakes first meeting becomes a conversation between collaborators, allowing us to go deeper.

Unexpected Inspiration

Some of the best ideas surface in the unscripted moments. Whether it’s an observation made during a site walk or an offhand comment over lunch that you bring into the room, these are the sparks that you can’t plan for, but that can redefine the work. Meeting in-person opens us up to those unexpected sources of inspiration.

Making an effort to connect with clients in-person and beyond the agenda creates momentum that lasts long after the meeting ends. Great creative work grows from great relationships, and the best way to start one is to show up and spend some time together. We promise it pays off.