Facebook approached Opts at an interesting point in the new company’s existence – they wanted to do their first public event, an open conference for web developers that would draw attention to their platform, their philosophy and their meteoric growth.

Many companies have been here before. Facebook is following in their footsteps, but at the same time, doing something unique and revolutionary in its approach. The event theme had to capture attention and imagination, be fresh and evergreen, and convey meaning and relevance across diverse audiences and stakeholders.
They were starting from a blank palette, struggling with all the questions we face daily with every client:

• Where to do it?
• How much to spend?
• What would it look like?
• How would the company’s culture translate to the outside world?
• Who would come?
• What kind of goals can we reasonably expect to achieve?

These normal event issues were compounded by a decision-making process common to start-up companies—a process that was more collective than hierarchical, and subject to reversal at any moment. Opts has many years of experience working with dynamic young start-ups, and was able to instill confidence through a proven process and an experienced hands-on team.

Event Goals and Objectives

The challenge was simple -- announce to the world (by means of the press) that Facebook was opening up its business model to any developer to create applications that would be spread freely and adopted democratically by users. The two primary goals were simple and straightforward:

• Attract developers to create applications for Facebook
• Leverage the press and developer community in attendance to position Facebook as a developers site, not just a social network

With the help of the Facebook team, we identified a set of tactics we would implement to achieve their goals:

• Inspire developers to attend
• Present Facebook as dynamic, exciting, cutting edged, developer friendly
• Set expectations for a cool, sexy event experience

The Big Idea

Facebook got things rolling in true start-up style by requiring everyone—all of us at Opts and everyone in the media, to sign up for a Facebook profile to attend the event. Information and invitations were all done through the Facebook site.

We advised our client to create a totemic emblem and name for the event, which they did, deciding on F8 (fate) as the name for what has already become an annual event (Opts produced F8 2007 and 2008).

One of the key activities to drive excitement and fun was an all night Hackathon — an activity that is familiar and much loved by the many young developers Facebook was targeting to attend. Independent developers were challenged to create applications for Facebook that could be launched the next morning. Facebook engineers would provide seminars and individual advice, and lots of food, drink and a hip environment in which to work.

We spent considerable time becoming familiar with Facebook’s design sensibility and brand values, and came back to the client with well-informed visual presentations and site plans for how we would translate their look and feel within the metal roofed, open-beamed warehouse of the Concourse.

The challenge was primarily one of design and timing. The event was live for more than seventeen hours, with the Hackathon following a 3 PM Press Conference; a partner showcase; then an-early morning demo the following day with the newly “hacked” applications.

The Result

Both the inaugural F8 in 2007 and F8 2008 were sold out well in advance, and nearly every top-tier press attended.  F8 conveyed a balance of fresh eager energy with confidence, sophistication with brashness, and sent a clear message that the company was in it for the long haul.

The media reported favorably on the event itself as well as covering the key Facebook announcements. The Wall Street Journal’s top tech journalist, Kara Swisher, even created a handheld video of the 2007 event that she included on the All Things Digital blog, which includes excerpts from Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote.