Yves Saint Laurent The Hamish Bowles Collection

NYSID Spring Gala

Vince Camuto Holiday Campaign, Pitch Perfect Style

The Brief

The New York School of Interior Design's Spring Gala is one of the design industry's most anticipated events of the year. Bringing together leading designers, industry executives, alumni and design enthusiasts, the Gala raises critical scholarship funds for the next generation of design talent.

NYSID wanted its three honorees to be more than names on a program. They wanted guests to understand the people behind the achievements—and, more importantly, to feel a connection between the honorees' success and the students whose futures the Gala helps make possible.

Boatman Media was brought in to create a series of short, cinematic profile films that would bring those stories to life. The films were designed to capture each honoree's personality, passion and journey while reinforcing a larger idea: investing in design education means investing in the future of the industry itself.

The Challenges

The Gala already had everything you would expect from a premier design-industry fundraiser: an impressive room, influential guests and three extraordinary honorees. The challenge was making the evening feel personal.

How do you connect individual stories to the very real impact that scholarship support can have on an aspiring designer's future?

The films needed to accomplish this without feeling overly produced or promotional. They had to be polished enough for a room filled with the industry's most discerning creative professionals, while still feeling intimate, honest and human.

Boatman Media approached each honoree as a story. Through thoughtful interviews, carefully selected locations and an editorial approach focused on personality and emotion, we created films that allowed the audience to see these industry leaders from a more personal perspective.

The result was storytelling that didn't simply tell guests why these honorees mattered. It gave them a reason to care.

The Results

$735,000 Generated for NYSID student scholarships

Since Boatman Media's involvement began in 2021, the NYSID Spring Gala has consistently sold out at New York City's University Club, drawing more than 375 guests.

In 2026, the Gala generated $735,000 for NYSID student scholarships—the highest-grossing fundraiser in the school's history.

The films became a central focus of the evening's storytelling, transforming the traditional honoree award presentation into an emotional connection between the people who have helped shape the design industry and the students who will shape its future.

For Boatman Media, the success is more than a fundraising number. It demonstrates the power of authentic storytelling to turn recognition into connection—and connection into action.