A lasting creative partnership for a life-changing event
Client
Chain Of Hope
Country
United Kingdom
Disciplines
Editorial Design
Environmental Design
Brand Identity
Sector
Not-for-Profit
The Chain of Hope Gala Ball is the charity’s flagship annual fundraising event, bringing together between 500 and 600 guests from around the world to support life-saving cardiac care for children in developing and war-torn countries. Over the years, it has become a prominent fixture in London’s charity calendar, welcoming international supporters, medical professionals, public figures and major donors.
The brief
For more than ten years, Chain of Hope has asked BakerWilcox to create and deliver the visual communications for its annual Gala Ball. The work has included invitations, event literature, auction catalogues, sponsorship materials, environmental graphics, table plans, menus, signage and supporting digital assets.
The execution
Each year, we developed a distinctive creative treatment around the established Chain of Hope identity, giving the event a fresh visual character while maintaining continuity with the charity’s wider brand. The chosen theme informed every element, from the first save the date invitation received by guests to the literature, auction materials and graphics encountered throughout the venue.
The invitation established the tone for the evening and became the starting point for the wider design system. Colour, typography, imagery and production finishes were then carried consistently across save-the-dates, sponsorship communications, menus, table plans and other guest materials, creating a coherent journey before, during and after the event.
The auction catalogue played a particularly important role in the fundraising experience. It needed to present a wide range of donated lots with clarity and desirability, combining detailed information with strong imagery and a suitably premium editorial treatment. Careful hierarchy and pacing helped guests navigate the catalogue easily while giving each item the space and prominence it deserved.
Within the venue, large-scale graphics and signage extended the theme into the physical environment. These applications needed to work alongside the architecture, lighting, staging and table settings, guiding guests through the space while adding atmosphere and reinforcing the Chain of Hope brand at key moments.
The longevity of our relationship gave us a valuable understanding of the event’s rhythm, its audiences and the practical demands of delivering a major annual fundraiser. It allowed us to build on what had worked in previous years while continuing to refresh the experience, ensuring that each Gala Ball felt distinctive rather than repeated.
The result has been more than a decade of carefully coordinated event communications, helping Chain of Hope present a polished and memorable evening while keeping its life-saving work at the centre of every detail. The Gala Ball remains instrumental in raising vital funds for the charity and has earned a strong reputation within the black-tie fundraising calendar.
Working on the Chain of Hope Gala Ball for more than ten years has given us the opportunity to understand the event in remarkable depth. Each year brings a new creative direction, but the responsibility remains the same: to create a beautifully considered experience that supports the fundraising, respects the occasion and never loses sight of the children whose lives the evening can help transform.
KELLY WILCOX
