Project overview
From concept to execution.
UNDP wanted a bold physical expression of how emerging technologies could support sustainable development — one that would stand out at a major global gathering and give delegates something to explore, question and discuss.
Under a compressed delivery timeline, we developed The Future Is… from concept through execution, shaping the exhibition environment, digital experiences, media, technology integrations and communications around one central idea: make innovation tangible.
The exhibition combined AI, interactive mapping, immersive media, video and real-time translation to bring UNDP’s global portfolio and future-facing thinking into one coherent visitor experience.
UNDP "The Future is..."
EXHIBITION DESIGN · CREATIVE DIRECTION · EMERGING TECHNOLOGY · COMMUNICATIONS
AI Insights Hub
Turning project knowledge into conversation.
At the centre of the exhibition was an AI interface designed to demonstrate how machine learning could make large bodies of development knowledge easier to explore.
AI Insights Hub
Turning project knowledge into conversation.
At the centre of the exhibition was an AI interface designed to demonstrate how machine learning could make large bodies of development knowledge easier to explore.
The system allowed delegates to move beyond static reports and interrogate UNDP project information more intuitively — surfacing themes, patterns and insights across a large project dataset.
UNDP later highlighted the installation as an example of how AI could transform the way project-level knowledge is extrapolated and understood.
Interactive global portfolio
A multi-level interactive map allowed visitors to move through UNDP’s GEF portfolio geographically and thematically, turning a vast global body of work into something delegates could explore for themselves.
Video and project storytelling were integrated throughout the experience to connect the data back to people, places and outcomes.
Interactive global portfolio
AI Translation
With delegates arriving from around the world, accessibility extended beyond the exhibition itself.
We sourced and implemented an AI-enabled real-time translation platform for UNDP side meetings and panels, enabling participants speaking different languages to follow discussions and engage more fully with the programme.
The Dome Experience
The Dome Experience
For the GEF Partnership Dome, we curated and adapted 360° footage from conservation projects across 14 countries, preparing it specifically for a shared dome experience rather than individual headset viewing.
A snow leopard conservation film from the Himalayas became a visitor favourite and won the Assembly’s People’s Choice Award.
SGP — 30 YEARS
OF LOCAL ACTION
Alongside The Future Is…, we designed and delivered the GEF Small Grants Programme’s 30th-anniversary exhibition for UNOPS and UNDP — combining timeline storytelling, large-scale photography, digital media and meeting space to celebrate three decades of community-led environmental action.
SGP — 30 YEARS OF LOCAL ACTION
Outcome
The Future Is… gave UNDP a platform to demonstrate innovation rather than simply describe it — turning AI, global project data, immersive conservation stories and real-time translation into experiences delegates could question, navigate and engage with.
The work also extended beyond the exhibition floor. We developed communications across the full event cycle, shaping pre-event content, producing rapid-turnaround photo and video during the Assembly, and creating follow-up material that allowed the stories and ideas from the exhibition to continue across UNDP’s digital channels.
Project Credits
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)
CLIENT
7th GEF Assembly · Vancouver, Canada · 2023
OVERVIEW COLLECTIVE
Concept Development · Creative Direction · Exhibition Design · Interactive Media · AI Experience Development · 360° Content Curation · Content Production · Event Communications
AI INSIGHTS HUB
Custom LLM Experience · Project Data Integration · Interactive Knowledge Exploration
GEF PARTNERSHIP DOME
360° Content Curation · Technical Adaptation for Dome Projection
EVENT ACCESSIBILITY
Real-Time AI Translation Integration for Side Events & Panels
COMMUNICATIONS
Pre-Event Strategy · On-Site Photo & Video · Social Content · Exhibition Media · Post-Event Editing
The exhibition in action
