Workplace benefits are critical to attracting and retaining top talent in just about any industry, but the topic isn’t typically enthralling. So at Morgan Stanley at Work’s Thrive 2025 conference, which educates human resources professionals on the brand’s employee benefits solutions, the company added a little Hollywood magic to its presence on the show floor.
Throughout this year’s event, hosted June 9-12 at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles, Morgan Stanley at Work’s “Be a Star” activation aimed to transform traditional financial services marketing into a memorable, silver-screen-inspired journey through its core offerings. Following is a quick rundown of what event teams can learn from a compelling conference activation that didn’t break the bank. (Agency: Something Different)
GAMIFICATION
The setup included six interactive stations, each themed around a made-up film that directly mapped back to Morgan Stanley’s service offerings. Think: “Chasing Dreams” (investing and advice) and “The Vesting” (equity award analysis). At each mini theater of sorts, attendees collected a movie ticket as part of a gamified experience that centered around interactive touchscreens and QR codes that linked participants to detailed service info.
THE RIGHT APPLICATION OF AI
The brand leveraged AI extensively in the development of animated movie posters used within the activation, and the team ultimately generated nearly 100 poster concepts using Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Magnific and Runway.
Not every conference is suited to attendee-facing applications of AI, but in this case, Morgan Stanley at Work used it to enhance the aesthetic of the Be a Star experience, rather than shoehorning the tech in where it felt forced or didn’t belong.
ORGANIC CONVERSATION STARTERS
Networking is one of the top reasons h.r. pros attend Thrive, and while the show offers some traditional opportunities for connection, the Be a Star experience helped foster more organic conversations. Between the visually arresting artwork and the creative approach to financial services education, attendees used the movie theme to engage with others in a way that made a dull subject seem approachable and appealing.
