Hosted by Hawley

By: Chandler Saxton (COMM 297R)

Project Purpose

The goal of this project was to help my client, Megan Hawley, bring her dream and myriad of ideas to life. As a wedding and event planner with over ten years of experience, Megan noticed a gap in the market. People love to host, but many don’t have the time, resources, or artistic vision to do it well. Her idea was to create a party-in-a-box subscription with beautifully curated decorations, balloon kits with videos of local balloon artists showing quick and easy balloon decorations to elevate a room, quality tableware, and more. My role was to help her shape that idea into something tangible through brainstorming, branding, content shooting, and creation to develop a realistic plan to launch.

It takes time, creativity, and careful coordination, and that’s exactly why, after working with Megan Hawley in her endeavor to start Hosted by Hawley, I helped her to organize everything, starting with their mission and vision statements.

Vision: To inspire a new era of hosting where gatherings feel intentional, beautiful, and joyfully simple, reconnecting people through the art of celebration.

Mission: We create beautifully curated party kits by combining elevated design with seamless setup for people who cherish meaningful gatherings, to help make hosting feel both effortless and inspired.

In response to this, here is what my client, Megan Hawley, had to say.

What We Created

Throughout the project, we were able to accomplish a lot together:

• Worked through her vision in collaborative planning and creative meetings
• Developed a clear vision and mission for the brand
• Identified her target audience through demographic and psychographic outlines
• Set both short-term and long-term goals that she can realistically grow from
• Designed the brand’s foundation—logo, color palette, typography, and overall visual identity
• Organized and shot a full content photoshoot for a summer-themed party box
• Built a mock month-long social media calendar
• Created a launch strategy using Airbnb Experiences for local party setups in the Provo area

Challenges Along the Way

Initially, the plan was to launch with a full subscription box service. But as we dug deeper, we realized that jumping into subscriptions right away would require a lot of product development, inventory, customer retention strategies, and a strong base of loyal customers. After discussing it further, we decided to pivot.

One of Megan’s connections had used Airbnb Experiences before and suggested it as a potential launchpad. That idea sparked a new direction: instead of launching with a line of boxes right away, she could start by offering beautifully designed party setups through Airbnb Experiences to gain client awareness and retention. This change allowed us to focus more on building the brand in a more natural and consumer based way helping us promote gathering feedback before diving into full-scale production.

Our biggest challenge was wanting to bite off more than we could chew in this beginning planning, researching, and preparing phase of building a business. We discussed just releasing up to 3 different variations of these boxes but none of it was clicking, it just didn’t feel like it was right to the client. Taking a step back and looking at something smaller to begin with locally helped move the process along a lot more smoothly and naturally.

The Process

A lot of the work started with research and planning to figure out what the brand could look like, who it was for, and how it could stand out. From there, we worked on creative direction, drafted branding elements, and planned a product photoshoot to use for listings and social media. We completed a fully set up outdoor table to gather content, test the amount of time it would take to assemble, and find the most effective and essential products needed to create an elevated experience. Working hands on with the client as she instructed me in her creative vision and sought out mine helped me to better see the full picture inside of my clients head. Our progress came from staying in close communication, brainstorming together, and being open to adapting the plan wherever necessary.

I spent many hours on research. I looked at other event companies, party boxes, and event planners’ social media pages and websites to see what was working for them and to define my client’s niche. I took this research and spent a great deal of time communicating with her. I presented new ideas, sketches, and outlines to my client via phone call, email, text messages, and in-person meetings.

Click through these pictures to see the setup process from beginning to end!

Gained Experiences

This project gave me the chance to apply everything I’ve learned in school in a real, hands-on way. It helped me gain confidence in working directly with a client, leading branding decisions, and creating a plan that felt both creative and strategic. I saw firsthand how ideas evolve when they’re given time and structure. I also learned how to handle brainstorming, coming up with a direction, and then shifting directions to create something better than what was originally sought after. Being able to pivot plans and ideas to create something alligning with a clients goals was a journey I was excited to be apart of. When a client has passion for their work and ideas it creates a beautiful process of creative flow and growth.

Final Thoughts

At the beginning of this project, I created a contract outlining what work I would complete for my client. This not only kept the project organized and on track but also ensured accountability and clarity in my collaboration with the client. While I am not involved in the direct company launch I helped my client to lay a solid foundation of core beliefs, strategic guidance, brainstorming, organization, branding, and content creation.

I’m proud of how far this project has come from an idea mentioned in passing to a brand that’s now equipped and ready to grow. It’s rewarding to know that my contribution will support the client’s next steps in building something meaningful and lasting. I’m also deeply grateful for the journey, one filled with growth, reflection, and the chance to apply my skills alongside a client who trusted me with their vision.