TURNING COMMUNITY INTO A PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE:
HOW HIGHLAND SOCIETY CREATED A SYMBOL OF BELONGING ITS FOUNDERS COULD GATHER AROUND

When Highland Society brought its community of founders and CEOs together for its annual Highland Workshops in Whitefish, Montana, we transformed the Society’s crest into a custom LED neon sign that became more than branding. It gave the barn at the heart of the gathering an unmistakable Highland identity, became one of the event’s most photographed spots, and created a lasting symbol of the community its members belong to.

"Kings of Neon brought Highland Society to life in the most perfect way! Our sign now glows on the barn in Whitefish, Montana, and it quickly became the spot every founder wanted a photo under during Highland Workshops."

— Jael Johnson (Highland Partnerships & Content)

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Highland Society wanted more than event signage. The goal was to create a visual symbol of the community its members belong to, using the crest from the Highland Academy identity and giving it a permanent physical presence at the place where members come together each year.

The setting also created specific requirements. Rather than a polished office or storefront, the sign would live on a rustic barn at Scot Chisholm’s farm in Whitefish, Montana. It needed to feel at home in that environment while being able to withstand conditions ranging from freezing temperatures to intense sun and heat. With Highland Workshops approaching in September, the team also had a fixed deadline for having the sign delivered and installed before members arrived.

CREATIVE EXECUTION

We worked with Highland Society to translate its crest into custom illuminated signage that felt true to the brand while working within the distinctive farm setting:

A Recognisable Brand Symbol: The Highland Society crest was transformed into illuminated signage, creating a physical representation of the community and the identity its members share.

Designed for the Barn Setting: The sign was created to sit naturally within the rustic environment rather than feeling like a feature designed for a conventional office or storefront.

Ready for Montana Conditions: With the sign permanently installed on the barn, its construction needed to suit an environment exposed to everything from freezing temperatures to strong summer sun.

Delivered Ahead of the Event: With a fixed September deadline, the sign arrived with plenty of time to spare and was easy for the Highland team to install before founders arrived in Whitefish.At the current Temple, the signage has also become the centrepiece of Chrome Temple's podcast setup, extending its role beyond the physical environment and into the brand's content.

By the time Highland Workshops began, the barn had more than a branded feature. It had a focal point that connected the physical setting back to the Society and the community gathering there.

BUSINESS IMPACT

Immediate Results:

One of the Event’s Most Photographed Spots: Founders naturally gathered beneath the sign for photos, turning it into one of the most photographed features of Highland Workshops and creating a shared visual moment for members throughout the event.
A Stronger Identity for the Barn: The illuminated crest gave the barn a clear Highland Society identity, tying the physical environment back to the community and making the space feel distinctly part of the Highland experience.
Atmosphere That Extended Into the Evening: During evening programming, the illuminated sign brought the Highland identity into the nighttime experience while adding to the atmosphere of the barn.

Long-term Benefits:

A Permanent Symbol of the Community: Rather than disappearing when the event ended, the sign remains permanently installed on the barn as a visual representation of Highland Society and the founders who gather there.
A Repeatable Feature for Future Workshops: With Highland Workshops returning to Whitefish each year, the signage can continue to anchor the environment and welcome members back to a recognisable part of the Highland experience.
Organic Brand Content Built Into the Experience: Because founders naturally want to photograph themselves beneath the crest, the barn provides Highland Society with an ongoing branded backdrop for member photos, event imagery and content without needing to manufacture a separate photo opportunity.

For Highland Society, the project needed to come together smoothly and on schedule. With founders travelling to Whitefish for Highland Workshops in September, there was a firm date by which the sign needed to be installed and ready.

The Highland team found the process straightforward from beginning to end. Kings of Neon took the original idea and translated it into a finished design that remained true to the Society’s identity, while the sign arrived early enough to be installed comfortably before members arrived.

The team rated their overall Kings of Neon experience 10 out of 10, highlighting not only the finished product but the customer service and timeliness throughout the project.

As the Highland Society team shared:

“The whole process was easy and the finished sign is beautiful.”

For them, that level of service stood out just as much as the finished result, describing the quality of customer service and timeliness as “incredible” and noting that it can be difficult to find that standard of service today.

CONCLUSION STATEMENT

For a community built on belonging, the strongest brand assets are the ones members begin to make their own.

By turning the Highland Society crest into a physical part of the member experience, the signage gives founders something tangible to associate with the community they’re part of. The fact that it naturally became a place to gather and take photos shows the value of creating branded environments people actively want to engage with, strengthening both the member experience and the connection to the Highland Society brand.

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Follow Scot Chisholm on Instagram & Facebook

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TURNING COMMUNITY INTO A PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE:
HOW HIGHLAND SOCIETY CREATED A SYMBOL OF BELONGING ITS FOUNDERS COULD GATHER AROUND