That's a wrap on REFRAME 2025!
Vimeo's video innovation conference was a day to remember. More than 500 creators, marketers, and enterprise executives joined us in New York City to discuss everything video and Vimeo.
To share the story of REFRAME, we're taking you behind the scenes with Vimeo's Director of Integrated Marketing, Maya Sykes. Maya leads the Vimeo REFRAME project from beginning to end, working closely with our brand, content, and production teams to bring the video innovation conference to life.
In this Q&A, Maya delves into the meaning behind REFRAME, selecting the ideal venue, and creating a program that caters to every type of video professional. She also explains the energy in the room and what she hopes guests took away from the definitive video event of the year.
Setting the Stage: Vision and Planning
Q: What were the overarching goals for REFRAME, and what were your priorities going into this year's event?
Maya Sykes: Last year's conference focused on enterprise and technology; this year, we took a more holistic approach.
Our main goal was to bring together video enthusiasts, people who love the brand, and anyone who wants to learn more about Vimeo and video innovation. From filmmakers to brand marketers at creative agencies to C-suite directors using video for corporate communications, we wanted to create a conference that had something for everyone.
Q: How did you choose the REFRAME theme, and what does it signify?
MS: You can think of it as reframing your perspective on video and the future of video. The tagline for the event is "the video innovation conference." I believe taglines should be clean and clear, and REFRAME is just that: a video innovation conference.
The look and feel of the event are based on the color strip you see when testing out a video feed. Last year, we applied a gradient effect, but this year, I wanted to lean into the colors, just like we were leaning more into innovation. That branding was present in every aspect of the event, particularly when it came to the venue.
Q: Which teams were involved in bringing REFRAME to life?
MS: REFRAME is a team effort: the event producer was Dani Daubaras, Nolan Ether served as the content and programming lead, and Sheryn Anthes worked closely with the customers. We're all passionate about the project — there's a real energy in the team, and that's one of our secrets to success.
At events like this, something will always happen that requires you to be quick on your feet. I knew that the team already had ideas and plans to fill any gaps fast — we had a full six-page contingency plan!
Q: Can you give me an overview of the planning timeline, from the initial concept to execution?
MS: For the first edition of REFRAME last year, we were working on an accelerated timeline; we spent about four or five months on the project from beginning to end. For 2025, we were preparing for the event for a full year. We took everything we learned in 2024 and expanded the experience, offering more content, topics, relevant audiences, and stages. The day was also a little longer this year, including an on-site reception, so it took extra planning.
Content is King: Building the Agenda
Q: What were your criteria for choosing the speakers? Can you tell me about the final selection?
MS: We started with a call for speakers around June and received over 300 responses. This year's talk by Jason Druss from Adobe came out of that process.
I also worked with Nolan to balance the different content types for our audience. For example, we made sure we had content covering learning and development, inspirational content, as well as more tactical discussions.
Q: What formats did the different sessions take?
MS: The opening keynote by Vimeo CEO Philip Moyer was presented in person and live-streamed. Product announcements and a couple of other talks were also streamed to audiences live. Other formats included fireside chats and panel discussions to keep the sessions compelling and interesting.
Q: How did you make sure the content was relevant and valuable?
MS: We thought about what the general population was talking about, the trends we were seeing, and our stance as a company. That led to a morning AI segment, including an opening keynote focused on elevating creators in the age of AI.
We also chose celebrity guest speakers to provide value to as many people as possible. Emmy award-winning host, actress, entrepreneur, vegan food chef, and best-selling author Tabitha Brown closed the day with an inspiring fireside chat.
Q: How did you balance the programming so that it would be just as interesting for a creator as it is for an executive?
MS: The team looked at the conference holistically instead of only focusing on the content. We had three talks at the same time, each lasting around 30 minutes. In that 30-minute slot, we made sure there was something for creators, something for enterprise professionals, and something inspiring for a general audience.
If at any time we weren't serving a particular audience, there was always something else for them to enjoy. For example, we provided food throughout the day — fruit in the morning and popcorn in the afternoon to tie in with the video and film theme.
Q: How did you lean on interactive elements throughout the day?
MS: We know how important networking is at events like REFRAME. There was a conference app that allowed people to connect with other guests, and they could also click their badges together to transfer information for networking engagement. In addition, we worked in a couple of networking mini moments where guests could head to a certain area of the venue, hang out, and have guided conversations.
The Logistics Labyrinth: Bringing REFRAME to Life
Q: Why did you choose Center415, NYC, as the venue?
MS: Our first decision was whether to hold the event in New York or in another city. We looked at where our audience would be coming from, as well as the cost differences and venue availability. Ultimately, we decided on New York. Not only is Vimeo based here, but there are also so many filmmakers — it's the heart of video creation.
Q: How did the venue contribute to the overall attendee experience?
MS: We chose a boutique venue, Center415, suitable for a mid-sized event. REFRAME is designed to be large enough for you to meet a diverse group of people without getting lost in a sea of attendees. Every single design came from the in-house team, and that allowed us to really connect the space to Vimeo.
Another reason we selected Center415 was that it has lots of nooks and crannies — spaces where people could go off and have more organic conversations. That combination of the right city, venue, and branding made people feel excited to be in the space.
Q: How did you use Vimeo's own technology at the event?
MS: Vimeo offers live streaming production as a service; you can hire us to come and live stream your event. So we live-streamed REFFRAME using our own, in-house live stream production team. The whole live stream component was a program in itself.
We had a pre-show for the live stream, influencers, and two hosts — Vimeo employees — who walked around behind the scenes talking to people. We also set up demo spaces where attendees could try out Vimeo products.
Marketing & Engagement: Spreading the Word
Q: How did you spread the word about this year's REFRAME?
MS: The marketing strategy started with last year's event. We created a recap video and sent out a feedback survey telling people to stay tuned for REFRAME 2025. After that, I picked the October 23rd date and launched a teaser marketing campaign and the call for speakers. We then started working on the content in order to tighten up the strategy and launch our broader campaign.
Our marketing leveraged last year's success while jumping on this year's excitement. As we got more speakers who were approved and said yes, we would mix them into the marketing promotions.
Events are a unique challenge for marketing because they have a clear end date. You’re always optimizing your messaging based on the previous promotion and updating content to add in new speakers. You can’t keep selling tickets to an event once it’s already happened, so agility and optimization is crucial.
Q: How did you communicate with Vimeo employees?
MS: Vimeo employees are our brand champions. I spent a lot of time sharing details of the event with our internal audience, and we had plenty of resources that employees could use to invite people to REFRAME and market the event.
The Event Itself: REFRAME in Action
Q: Can you talk about the vibe at the venue and the excitement among attendees?
MS: We wanted to encourage people to come early and help with the energy. The doors opened at 8 a.m., there was networking and coffee in the morning, and the first 100 people got a swag item.
We were also careful about choreographing the day. We intentionally closed the upstairs of the venue because we had a unique stage and a unique way for people to engage with video production before they sat down for the keynote. We had people come through the behind-the-scenes “video village” and walk through the large, wall-to-wall LED screen stage before sitting down. We wanted that magic moment to be a surprise, so we opened doors early and had networking and food downstairs while keeping people away from the main event.
Q: Did that energy last throughout the day?
MS: At the end of the reception, we played the song "Closing Time" by Semisonic to let people know it was time to leave. But we had to keep playing the song, dim the music, and turn the lights off because everyone was having such a good time and wanted to continue the conversation! The energy was great from start to finish.
Post-Conference Reflection and Impact
Q: What is your main takeaway from REFRAME 2025?
MS: The main takeaway for our audience is to keep living the name of the event: REFRAME your perspectives, network, and spend time with other members of the video community. You can feel the energy of a film or video without being there in person; that's the beauty of video. Events like REFRAME build on that energy, allowing you to meet different people, share ideas, and get excited about what the future might hold.
My personal takeaway is that, if you really believe in something and have the right team, passion, and a clear strategy, you can get it done. Everyone who touched this project is part of its success — thank you to our amazing attendees, speakers, and the entire Vimeo REFRAME team.
Missed the event or want to rewatch your favorite sessions? REFRAME 2025 is now ready for replay! Check out REFRAME 2025 On-Demand to access all the content from the show.
