Strawberry is the Nordics’ second-largest hotel chain, with over 240 hotels across Scandinavia, Finland, the Faroe Islands, and the Baltics. The company has an annual revenue exceeding 15 billion NOK and approximately 20,000 employees. At Strawberry, the people are the brand, and building a strong internal culture is a crucial part of the company’s brand strategy.
About the Winter Conference
The Winter Conference (also known as VK) is the largest annual internal event in the Nordics. In 2025, the conference gathered 3,500 employees and 500 suppliers and partners for a weekend filled with connection, celebration, and cultural building. This year’s theme, “Gladiators for Good,” focused on strength, unity, and positive impact. The theme reflected an important milestone: the opening of Strawberry Arena in Stockholm the year before, which was also the venue for the conference.
The process
LIWLIG was tasked with developing a cohesive visual identity and delivering a seamless experience across all platforms and formats. The brief was to:
- Anchor the visual expression in Strawberry’s brand without using classic clichés.
- Give “Gladiators for Good” a fresh, modern, and non-stereotypical visual style.
- Create variation and keep the energy high across two full days and evenings.
- Deliver everything from scenography and digital content to film production and printed materials.
LIWLIG developed a modern gladiator universe where the arena feeling was reinforced through grand screen elements and a deliberate, minimalist design language.
We drew inspiration from arches, columns, and arena structures while avoiding Roman symbols that might feel cliché. We chose a monumental, yet sleek and modern aesthetic, where light and shadow created depth instead of heavy textures. A limited but powerful color palette provided an exclusive and cohesive visual lift.
Execution
We delivered a pre-project with invitations, teaser film, and a wide range of content across multiple stages and screens over two days.
Daytime Scenography: A massive setup with nine screens spanning over 80 meters in width, built with arch structures to create a distinct Colosseum feel.
Award Night: A 360-degree screen setup surrounding 4,000 people seated at round tables during the banquet. An experience that gave the awards the dignity and celebration they deserved.
Digital Content: Dynamic bumpers, vignettes, and keynote designs that tied all parts of the conference together.
Film & Direction: Creative direction of several film productions, including “Gladiator Games” featuring the top management, a theme film for the Get Together party, and a teaser film for the entire event.
Branded Content: Visual elements for everything from name tags and lanyards to seating cards and printed materials.
The result was an emotionally anchored, professional, and playful identity that tied the entire conference together and gave participants an experience far beyond expectations. This cohesive experience elevated both the Strawberry brand and the concept of “Gladiators for Good.”
