Local branding experts Maggie and Dave Cox have been invited to speak at the 6th Annual International Town and Gown Association Conference slated for May 31 through June 2 in Boulder, Colo.

The owners of Barnett Cox & Associates (BCA) in San Luis Obispo will be presenting “Cal Poly Sustainability Report Delivers More than Numbers,” a session on how the firm’s design and public relations work on a Cal Poly annual report created a springboard for statewide awareness of the university’s success in sustainability efforts.

BCA was retained by Cal Poly’s former assistant direct of planning Mike Multari to collaborate on the development of a Sustainability Report in 2010. Multari, who oversaw sustainability work on campus before retiring in 2011, and administrative analyst Pam Timm worked with BCA to produce a 27-page booklet that told the Cal Poly story in a visually compelling manner. Art direction was provided by BCA Creative Director Isaac Horton and photography was done by Chris Leschinsky. The report gained attention when it netted several national design awards. 

BCA has been invited to speak at the conference to tell how what could have been a run-of-the-mill report was instead strategically engineered to be a signature piece for the university and in turn became a centerpiece for a public relations outreach that won media attention.

The International Town and Gown Association exists to bring together communities with colleges and universities for problem solving and innovation. The organization got its start at Clemson University and in just six years has grown to include dozens of campuses. Several hundred delegates will assemble in Boulder from the United States and Canada for the five-day conference whose 2011 theme is Sustainability.

BCA is an integrated branding firm located in San Luis Obispo. More information can be found at www.barnettcox.com, www.facebook.com/bcabrand or follow BCA on Twitter at @bcabrand.com.