CAPI USA is a nonprofit organization providing social service resources to immigrants and refugees, focused on building community relationships and advocating for political change.
CAPI has long been dedicated to supporting Minnesota's immigrant and refugee populations by addressing social issues, providing essential resources, and advocating for political change. One of their signature initiatives is Twin Cities World Refugee Day, an annual event that brings together Minnesota’s refugee and immigrant communities through storytelling, music, dance, art, and cultural awareness.
In 2019, CAPI sought out Mirror Ink to oversee and produce the Twin Cities World Refugee Day festival. With only four months to plan, the stakes were high, but Mirror Ink's experienced team was confident in its ability to deliver a successful event. Mirror Ink's role was to manage the event logistics, marketing, public relations, and stakeholder coordination.
Successful Event Production: Plan, manage, and execute Twin Cities World Refugee Day within a tight timeline, ensuring a seamless experience for all attendees and participants.
Community Engagement: Increase the visibility and impact of the festival, drawing more attendees and engaging the refugee and immigrant communities in meaningful ways.
Marketing & Public Relations: Develop and implement a marketing strategy that would raise awareness of the event and attract local media attention.
Partnership Coordination: Manage relationships with multiple community partners to ensure a collaborative effort in producing the event.
Mirror Ink’s approach was both methodical and flexible, allowing the team to manage the project effectively while adhering to a tight deadline. Several key steps were involved in ensuring the event's success.
Event Planning & Logistics
Venue Selection & Coordination: Mirror Ink helped CAPI USA identify the optimal event location and worked closely with venue staff to coordinate logistics, including staging, accessibility, security, and seating arrangements.
Talent Sourcing & Coordination: We sourced and secured performers, speakers, and artists who reflected the diversity and richness of Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities. This included dance groups, musicians, and local storytellers, each contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the event.
Logistics Management: Mirror Ink handled the day-to-day logistics of the event, ensuring everything from transportation, vendor coordination, permits, and volunteer management to technical production was executed flawlessly.
Marketing & Public Relations
Community Engagement & Stakeholder Coordination
Partnership Building: Mirror Ink worked with community partners to ensure a broad coalition of support for the event, including local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and cultural institutions. These partners contributed both resources and talent, ensuring the festival was representative of Minnesota’s diverse refugee and immigrant communities.
Collaborative Planning: Mirror Ink facilitated regular planning meetings with CAPI and all stakeholders to ensure alignment and timely execution of tasks. This collaborative approach ensured that each partner's contributions were integrated into the event planning process.
Program Design & Execution
Festival Programming: Mirror Ink and CAPI developed a dynamic program that showcased the diversity of the communities in attendance. This included live performances, art installations, food vendors, and interactive community-building activities.
Storytelling & Cultural Awareness: The event featured cultural storytelling sessions and performances that allowed attendees to share their personal experiences and celebrate their heritage. This helped foster a sense of unity and solidarity among refugee and immigrant communities.
Event Day Coordination & Execution
Mirror Ink led the onsite management on the day of the event, coordinating volunteers, overseeing the schedule, and ensuring all elements of the festival ran smoothly. This included managing stage transitions, audience engagement, and ensuring that logistics were handled efficiently.
Conclusion
Mirror Ink's partnership with CAPI USA for the 2019 Twin Cities World Refugee Day was a resounding success. Despite the short timeline, Mirror Ink’s expertise in event planning, marketing, logistics, and stakeholder coordination helped produce a festival that exceeded expectations. The increased attendance, widespread media coverage, and strengthened community engagement reflect the success of the initiative, which not only celebrated the diverse cultures within Minnesota’s refugee and immigrant communities but also highlighted CAPI USA’s ongoing work in advancing equity and cultural awareness.
The success of this event has set a new standard for future iterations of World Refugee Day, showcasing the power of collaboration, strategic planning, and community engagement in creating meaningful change.