NAHJ Conference & Expo 2025
When the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) brought together Latino journalists and media professionals in Chicago this past July, attendees and staff noticed something different. Their Conference & Expo brand identity used to be a box-checking exercise with generic visuals became a polished, Chicago-specific upgrade. Not only did their biggest annual event look sharp, the process set a new standard for how NAHJ approaches branding this event every year.
Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Creative Direction: Javier Suarez
Design: Javier Suarez
The NAHJ team came to me trying to break a pattern: generic conference branding that looked the same year after year, developed by designers who would disappear for weeks and return with finals for approval. For the 2025 conference in Chicago, they wanted something different: a fresh, bold visual identity that reflected both the spirit of the conference and the energy of the host city.
Together, we built more than just a logo. Throughout our process, I educated the team on thinking beyond "making pretty graphics" and helped them approach design as a collaborative tool with clear objectives and their audience in mind. We streamlined everything with a customized project tracker, file management workflows and a ticketing system for asset creation. This allowed us to develop every touchpoint quickly and efficiently: attendee badges, print signage, PowerPoint templates, backlit signs, stage backdrops and more.
This brand identity served its purpose brilliantly in 2025. But more importantly, I delivered a strategic process that can be reused year after year, transforming how NAHJ approaches conference branding from the ground up.
