The Ask
The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology wanted their Opening Session to immediately immerse attendees in the energy of Nashville while celebrating the nurse anesthesiology profession. The goal was to create a visually engaging experience that connected the conference’s opening keynote with the evening’s “Party with a Purpose” event on Broadway, while reinforcing pride, community, and the unique culture of CRNAs.
The Idea
Inspired by Nashville’s iconic Broadway district, Projection created a custom stage and content experience that blended Music City’s neon-lit energy with profession-specific references familiar to CRNAs. Rather than recreating Broadway exactly as it exists, our creative team reimagined recognizable landmarks through the lens of AANA culture, creating a visual environment that felt both authentic to Nashville and uniquely relevant to attendees.
Key creative elements included:
- The AANA Stage – Inspired by The Stage, replacing the sign’s barbed wire with Mac and Miller blades – tools essential to CRNA practice.
- Welcome to CRNA Town – A playful adaptation of Nashville’s Welcome to Crazy Town sign.
- Big Time Crocs – Reimagined from Nashville’s Big Time Boots sign as a fun tribute to a staple of nursing culture.
- The Sleepies Expert Lounge – Anesthesia Valley – A nurse anesthesiology-inspired take on Tootsies Lounge.
Custom 3D animations, neon-inspired motion graphics, and a Nashville-themed opening video featuring AANA President Jan Setnor tied the experience together, creating a seamless transition from video to live stage and maintaining energy throughout the Opening Session.
The Result
The result was a high-energy, immersive Opening Session that helped set the tone for AANA’s largest-attended Annual Congress to date. By combining Nashville-inspired storytelling, custom animation, and profession-specific creative elements, the experience resonated with attendees, reinforced AANA’s brand, and created memorable moments that celebrated both the host city and the nurse anesthesiology community.
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