W&M Featured Events
[PAST EVENT] The Art of Branding, with Chris Smith ?07 & Robby Willey ?05
Access & Features
- Open to the public
- Registration/RSVP
In a world dominated by more ? more brands, more offers, more locations, more social media ? branding is more important than ever before. Putting an idea into visual format can attract the right attention and bring in the desired consumer. The wrong brand identity can be hard to shake.
The Virginia Beer Company ? an award-winning Williamsburg, VA brewery founded by William & Mary alums ? has undergone an extensive brand refinement process that continues to evolve as the brewery grows. Co-Founders Chris Smith & Robby Willey will discuss their experiences working to define a new business through simple but effective imagery, and how they use that imagery to express the soul of the brewery and the flavors of the beers.
ABOUT CHRIS SMITH ?07
Originally from Connecticut, Chris? first Williamsburg experience was as a student at William & Mary. After graduation, Chris spent five years working for a large financial firm in New York City and later Boston. He and his wife Erin (also a member of the Tribe, and now a local veterinarian) returned to Williamsburg in late 2012 to begin scouting locations for The Virginia Beer Company. Chris spends most of his free time taking care of their rescue animals (Jasmine, a 10 year-old fluffy brown cat, and Gracie, a one year-old Australian Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix), eating Haribo gummy candy, and running.
ABOUT ROBBY WILLEY ?05
Robby was born and raised in Northern VA. After a brief stint out of state as a student at the University of Rhode Island, Robby made his triumphant return to Virginia when he transferred to William & Mary in 2002. After graduating in 2005, Robby worked in the finance field for a firm in Arlington, VA for almost 10 years before making his full time return to Williamsburg in 2014. Robby spends his free time volunteering for W&M, serving as a member of the City of Williamsburg EDA, and working to transcribe his adventures 140 characters at a time on any social media platform accessible via mobile device.
For more information on the festival, visit https://wmglobalfilmfestival.com/