Often the end of the year serves as a time of personal reflection, where we look back on milestones, growth, and even challenges that have shaped our lives. Reflective moments like these are significant, not only because they allow us to pause to express gratitude, but they also provide helpful lessons to prepare for the year ahead.
Similarly, the LaVant Consulting team has had some huge wins and even some lessons throughout the past year. Here are 3 highlights from 2023:
- No-Work Retreat: While we cherish the work we do as a team, not all of this year’s wins at LCI were tied to our client work. In fact, one of our greatest highlights of the year was NOT working. As a remote team, opportunities to bond and cultivate relationships outside “the office” are not as frequent as they are in traditional, in-person workplace settings. While we try to implement times throughout the year to connect as a team with moments like our monthly Boba Happy Hours and weekly “coffee & catch-ups”, there’s nothing quite like having extended time to just “be” together. Acknowledging this, in late May/early June the team came together at the San Diego Mission Bay Resort in southern California for four days of resting, dining, laughing, and of course, SHOPPING! This included massages, a makeup/dance party, and great food. And, no matter whether sitting by the pool or by the fireside, we truly enjoyed our time just sharing space and getting to know one another more.
- I AM Fashion Show: In early October as a lead up to LA Fashion Week, we co-hosted Los Angeles’ first truly inclusive and accessible runway show, the I AM Inclusive Runway Experience. Prompted by our Accessibility & Strategy Consultant, Natalie Gross, and her fashion brand, NYI, we felt that the show was an ideal way to demonstrate true event accessibility (one of our primary client services) and inclusivity. We desired to do this by creating an experience for models, artists, and guests of all identities to unapologetically occupy space, including disabled, queer, BIPOC, and plus-size folks. From our model call to our guest experience, the show was the first of its kind to provide accessibility before, during, and after the event. This included features such as American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters, Audio Description and Narration on the Red Carpet/Show, CART live captioning, Fragrance-Free Seating, Virtual Participation, Sensory-Friendly Considerations, masking requirements, and more. Moreover, we paid our models for their participation – an unfortunate rarity in the fashion industry. The energy at the I AM show was incredible! With six diverse brands and 25 models, it was truly a dream come true. So many people shared how much they deeply enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to the next one!
- 2023 ADCOLOR Award Nomination – Most Valuable Partnership: We were incredibly grateful to close out our year by being honored as a nominee for the 17th Annual ADCOLOR Awards. Being nominated for an ADCOLOR Award is incredibly significant, as the awards are designed to acknowledge people and companies who excelled in the creative and tech industries throughout the year (and beyond). Being nominated alongside our partners at Google for the Most Valuable Partnership Award was an extreme honor. Over the past few years, Google has consistently demonstrated their commitment to innovation and accessibility. Our collective nomination for our work together on various projects – including Google’s All In Marketing Playbook, Year in Search, and Google Marketing Live – accompanied by the opportunity to attend the ADCOLOR Conference and Awards Show, was a phenomenal highlight to the end of our year!
