The Morgantown Area Partnership Annual Dinner 2026
Each year, the Morgantown Area Partnership brings together businesses, organizations, and leaders from across our region to recognize the people doing the work through their Annual Dinner.
It’s a night built around connection and recognition. But what people remember are the stories behind the awards.
That’s where we came in.
Bringing the Stories to Life
For this year’s event, we produced nine award winner videos along with additional video content shown throughout the evening.
Each one was built to give the audience a real look at who these organizations are and what they actually do day to day.
Because an award title only goes so far.
People connect with the work behind it.
But these videos aren’t just for one night.
From the start, they’re produced to live beyond the event. Something each business can use in their own marketing moving forward. That’s a big part of how we approach this project, making sure the videos hold up not just in the room, but after it.
What Made This Year Different
Producing nine videos simultaneously adds a layer of complexity we don’t get every day and it really pushes our team to operate at a higher level of organization and collaboration.
This year, that showed up in how the team operated. More of our video team was involved in capturing b-roll, which not only improved the overall look, but gave more people a real stake in the project.
On the production side, Shayla Klein, Multimedia Producer at IAM, led the coordination of the entire series. Scheduling interviews, organizing shoot days, working with editors, tracking revisions, and making sure everything was ready ahead of the event.
With nine videos in play, that level of organization made a real difference.
The Work Behind the Scenes
Scheduling is always one of the toughest parts of this project.
You’re working around the calendars of business owners and community leaders, and this year was no different. At one point, both the mid-size and large business award winners were out of town at the same conference.
It’s the kind of thing that could slow everything down.
Instead, it was just something to work around.
One decision that helped was locking in an efficient production schedule early. Most interviews were grouped into a tight three-day window, with only a few needing separate days. And now, in our new office space, we have a much larger studio, which allowed us to handle most interviews in-house without disrupting our other productions.
That kind of coordination doesn’t show up in the final video, but it’s a big reason everything comes together the way it does.
Building on What Works
Creatively, this year continued to build on a foundation that’s been developing over time.
A few years ago, Director of Photography Gabe Ofca helped establish the look and feel of the series. The pacing, music, and graphics that keep the videos moving and engaging.
Since then, the focus has been on refining that style.
Keeping it consistent, while still making sure it doesn’t feel the same year after year.
Supporting the Full Event
Beyond what was shown on screen, our team was on site capturing the night as it happened.
We handled photo and video coverage throughout the event. The conversations, the reactions, the in-between moments that don’t show up on a run of show but end up meaning just as much.
Those are the moments people go back to later.
They’re what keep the event going after the night ends.
A Moment We Didn’t Take Lightly
This year, we were also named Small Business of the Year.
That made the project feel a little different for our team.
We weren’t just telling the stories. We were part of them.
“I’m incredibly proud that IAM was named Small Business of the Year. But even more than that, I’m proud of our team. Seeing the talent, dedication, and collaboration that went into producing these videos makes that recognition even more meaningful.” – Liza Gangi Heiskell, Creative Director of Video Production
That’s how we look at it.
Not as a finish line, but as a reflection and affirmation of the kind of work we want to keep doing.
Why This Work Matters
Events like the Annual Dinner aren’t just about handing out awards.
They’re about showing what’s happening across this community. From growing businesses to organizations serving others, to the people doing the work behind the scenes.
When those stories land, they have the potential to inspire our community to press on in the good work that they are already doing.
Looking Ahead
We’re grateful to work alongside the Morgantown Area Partnership on an event that brings so many parts of our community into one room and to be able to have some fun along the way.
We’re always thinking about how to make moments like this feel real for the people in it.
If you’re planning something and want it to connect the way this project did, we’d love to start that conversation.
