SAS INSTITUTE TRAILBLAZE: The ai journey for decision makers

SAS Institute Trailblaze virtual event - global

ATTENDEES

1000++

Event type

Global Virtual Event

MEETING TYPE

Strategy Program

When SAS Institute needed to engage mid-market customers and new prospects beyond their flagship in-person events, they partnered with us for a full-scale virtual event production designed for global reach and real impact. The result was Trailblaze: a premium, fully branded online experience that took over 1,000 participants on a journey from basecamp to summit, without a single flight booked. Powered by Proske‘s Magnid platform, Trailblaze proved that high-quality virtual event production can be just as immersive, memorable, and commercially effective as any in-person format.

THE CHALLENGE: REACHING MID-MARKET PROSPECTS WITHOUT A FULL-DAY TIME COMMITMENT

“SAS flagship events are excellent, but are aimed largely at existing enterprise customers. They are in person, demand travel and a whole day of time for each delegate. SAS Channel Marketing has a target market of mid-market customers and new logo prospects. We wanted to complement our face-to-face events with a premium online experience that involved no travel and less time commitment, while delivering a high quality engaging experience for our target market. That is why we turned to Proske.”

Stephen Yeo, Director Global Channel Marketing

OUR APPROACH: END-TO-END VIRTUAL EVENT PRODUCTION FROM CREATIVE CONCEPT TO PLATFORM DELIVERY

    • A CLEAR THEMATIC JOURNEY:
      We designed a visual and program flow that led attendees from “basecamp” through the trail to “summit,” giving the event a cohesive, exploratory arc rather than a series of disconnected sessions.
    • REIMAGINED PARTNER SPACES:
      Instead of generic booths, partners occupied virtual treehouses that invited authentic storytelling and engagement.
    • SPEAKER-FIRST PROGRAMMING:
      Business partners, customers, and practitioners presented real, tangible Al use cases. Speakers leaned into the theme some literally showed up in hiking gear which reinforced authenticity and helped make technical topics relatable.
    • PLATFORM + CRAFT:Magnid enabled an experience that felt intentional and memorable. Our creative team translated complex ideas into clear visualisations that converted curiosity into capability.
    • TEAM-DRIVEN EXECUTION:This came together because cross-functional teams at Proske believed in the “why” and executed with care, from theming and visuals to small creative touches that made moments stick.
An SAS employee joining the global virtual event
Stephan Yeo - Global Channel Marketing Director, SAS

WHAT MADE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS: FOUR LESSONS WORTH KEEPING

Icon showing a group of people with question boxes above their heads

DON’T ASSUME, ASK.
Listening to our business partner outside the Al industry helped us build the right promotional toolkit and shape the event narrative.

An icon of a computer with a box spinning around

SHOW, DON’T TELL.
Visualisations from our creation team help convert curiosity Into capability.

An icon depicting a magnifying glass reviewing a report

DETAILS MATTER.
Theming, visuals, and small creative touches make experiences stick.

Icon depicting collaboration between a group of people

COLLABORATION IS EVERYTHING.
Cross-functional buy-in turned an idea into something bigger.

WHAT MADE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS: FOUR LESSONS WORTH KEEPING

Icon showing a group of people with question boxes above their heads

DON’T ASSUME, ASK.
Listening to our business partner outside the Al industry helped us build the right promotional toolkit and shape the event narrative.

An icon of a computer with a box spinning around

SHOW, DON’T TELL.
Visualisations from our creation team help convert curiosity Into capability.

An icon depicting a magnifying glass reviewing a report

DETAILS MATTER.
Theming, visuals, and small creative touches make experiences stick

Icon depicting collaboration between a group of people

COLLABORATION IS EVERYTHING.
Cross-functional buy-in turned an idea into something bigger.

WANT TO SEE IT? IF YOU'D LIKE A QUICK TOUR OF MAGNID OR A REPLAY OF TRAILBLAZE, PING US! WE'D LOVE TO SHARE WHAT WE LEARNED AND EXPLORE HOW WE CAN APPLY THESE IDEAS TO YOUR NEXT PROGRAM.

EXPLORE MORE OF
OUR SUCCESS STORIES

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