★  Hermes Creative Awards  ·  Category 165C — Live or Hybrid Event

Beyond the DM:
Scaling Authenticity
at Instagram Summit IRL

How a Kickstand + Manychat Collaboration Created a Sold-Out, Industry-Defining Moment.

September 2025
1 Hotel West Hollywood, Los Angeles
300 Attendees — Sold Out
Agency: Kickstand
Instagram Summit IRL — Speaker on stage

Entry Overview

A Niche Brand Steps
onto the Main Stage

Manychat had earned deep loyalty in the creator economy as the go-to platform for DM automation. But with a $140M funding round behind it and a clear ambition to lead in AI-powered conversational commerce, the brand needed to break out of its niche. The Instagram Summit IRL is produced by ManyChat in cooperation with Instagram. The Instagram IRL Summit was designed to bring together 300+ creators, marketers, and brand owners for a one-day, invite-only experience in Los Angeles.

Kickstand served as Manychat's Agency of Record. For this event, our focus was driving attendance, amplifying the executive narrative, and positioning Manychat not just as DM tool, but as complete creator platform defining a new era of marketing.

300
Attendees
100%
Capacity Hit
8
Media Placements
14
Days to Pivot Venues

The Story

Challenge. Strategy.
Impact.

The Challenge

Manychat was beloved by creators but that connection existed entirely online and centered around a singular DM function. The Instagram Summit IRL marked Manychat's first-ever in-person event — a bold step from digital-only brand to live experience. With a flagship summit on the horizon and a last-minute venue change already underway, they needed more than logistics support — they needed a PR and communications partner who could fill seats, generate buzz, and make sure the right people showed up.

A significant comms challenge also emerged around naming: the summit was previously known as "IG Summit," but Instagram required 100% accuracy in using the full "Instagram Summit" name. Kickstand navigated this shift across all media outreach and coverage without missing a beat.

The Strategy

Kickstand stepped in as the PR and communications lead — not as event planners, but as the team that made sure every seat was filled and every headline was earned. We worked in close coordination with the event production team, activated creator networks, drove attendance through strategic outreach, and built the "Conversations, Not Posts" media narrative from the ground up.

The Impact

The event sold out, hit 100% capacity, and generated 8 major industry placements that shifted Manychat's narrative from "Instagram tool" to "AI-powered commerce leader." The numbers were the result of a targeted PR strategy — strategic media outreach, creator activation, and communications that made the event unmissable.

Engaged audience at Instagram Summit IRL
Full House
Attendees networking at 1 Hotel West Hollywood
Creator Connections
Attendees at Instagram Summit IRL
The Energy in the Room

How It Unfolded

From Crisis to
Sold-Out Success

T-60 Days

New Client Lead, Same Momentum

A new primary contact joined Manychat's side of the partnership just two months before the event. Kickstand quickly built trust, aligned on strategy, and ensured the transition added energy rather than friction to an already packed planning process.

T-14 Days

The Venue Crisis

The original Hollywood venue became unavailable just 14 days out. While the event production team handled the venue transition, Kickstand activated immediately — standing up a rapid media and communications response to keep attendees informed and excitement high.

The Pivot

14 Days. New Venue. Zero Compromise.

The event team executed a full venue transition to 1 Hotel West Hollywood. Kickstand's role: keep the story positive, keep press engaged, and keep the attendance pipeline full. No panic in the headlines — just anticipation for what was shaping up to be an unmissable event.

Event Day

300 Industry Leaders. One Room. Full House.

Creators, marketers, and brand owners from across the ecosystem gathered for a day of breakthrough conversations and real-world case studies. Featured talent including Zach King brought star power that made the Manychat story land at a whole new scale.

The Aftermath

Media Lift and Lasting Trust

8 industry placements ran in the weeks following the event, cementing Manychat's position as a thought leader in AI-powered conversational commerce. Internally and publicly, the Kickstand team was recognized for going well above and beyond.

Kickstand generated 8 earned media placements in the weeks surrounding the event — securing coverage that positioned Manychat as the must-attend destination for creators, operators, and brand builders.

Measured Outcomes

The Results That
Spoke for Themselves

300 attendees from the creator, marketing, and brand ecosystem — a sold-out Instagram Summit IRL from start to finish.

100% capacity achieved — driven by Kickstand's attendance strategy, media outreach, and proactive communications that kept audiences engaged throughout.

8 industry media placements featuring the event and Manychat executives, driving a category-level narrative shift. Including important media to the creator ICP such as Creator Logic.

Full narrative shift — from "DM automation tool" to category-defining platform for the next era of AI-powered commerce.

100% Naming Accuracy — Coverage had 100% accuracy in correctly referring to the event as the Instagram Summit.

60% Full Message Pull Through — Going beyond discussing the event, 60% of coverage was also able to introduce the new AI narrative and automation tools.

About the Agency

About Kickstand

Kickstand is a data-driven communications agency built for high-growth tech brands. As Manychat's Agency of Record, the team manages integrated communications across PR, executive thought leadership, and event strategy — helping the company expand from a creator economy darling into a recognized leader in AI-powered conversational commerce.

The Instagram Summit IRL represents Kickstand at its best: moving fast under pressure, protecting the client's brand at every turn, and building the kind of human relationships that no press release can manufacture.