Each year, the Internet Education Foundation’s annual “State of the Net” conference (SOTN) brings together industry leaders, policymakers and advocates from across the tech policy landscape. For the 2026 event, the Glen Echo team supported panel development, conducted press outreach and stepped in to refresh the conference’s visual identity to reflect the timely theme: “More Than Meets the AI.” 

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We sat down with TJ Chase, a creative director with the Glen Echo Group and lead designer on the project, to talk about the vision behind this year’s branding, the creative process and how thoughtful design enhances the overall event experience.

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Meet TJ

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Q: What was the starting point for this year’s conference branding? Why did it need a refresh?

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TJ: Every year, the State of the Net Conference chooses a new theme to help anchor the programming and give the audience an immediate idea of what type of topics and discussions they’ll be hearing. After they landed on the title “More than meets the AI,” I thought it would only make sense to try to incorporate some sort of optical illusion to play off of this year’s programming theme. 

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Q: How does this year’s branding differ from previous conferences?

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TJ: I think one of the biggest ways this year’s branding differs from other conferences is the way we are able to introduce movement by leveraging the visual treatment of computer code ― similar to the art direction of the Matrix movie franchise. We’ve been able to do some cool things with animation to help bring backgrounds and digital graphics to life and help everything feel more dynamic.

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Q: Can you walk us through your creative process?

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TJ: When designing around a niche conference like this, I thought it was important to lean into the visual cues that came out of this year’s title, for two reasons. First, State of the Net is a well-established and widely known conference in the tech policy community. Beyond that, the AI space ― and the AI policy space ― is increasingly crowded. Everyone is talking about the technology and how to regulate it, so we needed to make sure to differentiate ourselves. My goal was to create a new world and visual language that was clever, immersive and clean for 2026. Year after year, our creative capabilities are constantly improving, and AI has been a part of that transformation, so I think it’s cool that we’re able to represent that in a subtle way through some slick visuals.

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Q: What was the significance of the theme or visual concept this year?

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TJ: I believe the theme came from the widespread feeling that AI has become so pervasive in our everyday lives, yet there’s so much happening behind the scenes that we should be paying more attention to as the tech continues to evolve. We’re constantly seeing movement in not only the nitty-gritty technical developments in AI models and capabilities, but also the policies and regulations governing the technology. We tried to reflect that sentiment in this year’s visual brand and represent not only the moment the industry is in, but also where it’s headed next. 

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Q: How does branding impact the attendee experience at a live event?

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TJ: It has an impact on almost every single part of the attendee experience. From the first save the date graphic a person sees, to the name badge they receive when they walk in, to the schedule they reference throughout the day, to the swag bag they take home with them, and everything in between. To me, the branding serves as the plate and utensils with which all of the information and experiences are consumed. Branding is what makes an event memorable — an easy way to remember a conference you may have visited in the past is to recall how it looked when you were there.

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Q: How did the design integrate with Glen Echo’s broader event production work?

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TJ: Glen Echo's approach to events is holistic. Regardless of the event topic or format, we’re looking at how our clients’ programming, branding, participating speakers and even venue selection all work together to highlight their overall message. Aside from designing event materials, we can actually unite the expertise of our in-house creative and communications teams to tackle every item on the to-do list ― media outreach, social promotion, production and on-site support, and post-event video editing and recap materials. It makes it that much more seamless when the team can handle every task.

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‍Q: What are you most proud of in this year’s final result?

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TJ: I’m just proud of how well-received everything has been and how quickly everything came together in the initial design. It isn’t often that a big moment comes along with such a creative and relevant theme that immediately provokes concrete visual concepts that both designer and client love equally.

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Q: What do you hope attendees take away from this year’s conference branding?

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TJ: This is one of the first big events of the year for the DC tech policy crowd. Given the tumultuous political climate, I’m certain there are going to be a lot of serious and nuanced conversations happening onstage. I hope that the look and feel of the event serves as a complementary backdrop for the experience, and that attendees remember being a part of a forward-thinking event that was as polished as it was informative. I hope it leaves them feeling open to new ideas and curious about what’s to come in the future.

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America’s premier internet policy gathering required branding as cutting-edge as the technology being discussed. Combining strategic insight and creative design, SOTN 2026’s refreshed look shows how thoughtful design can elevate an event and amplify its impact. 

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From concept to execution, our team partners with clients to deliver end-to-end event experiences. Whether you want to host a series of virtual briefings, a seamless hybrid event, a reception to remember or a daylong conference that dives deep into policy, the Glen Echo Group can deliver. Need help making your event more memorable? Reach out to us.