In 2025, SRS Event Design partnered with Preble Street, Maine’s largest service-based nonprofit, to plan two events commemorating their 50th anniversary. For five decades, Preble Street has been at the forefront of addressing homelessness, hunger, and poverty across the state — and we were honored to help them mark this milestone with thoughtfulness and purpose.

From the start, the project called for a delicate balance. How do you celebrate an organization whose very existence reflects ongoing need in our communities? Together, we set out to create two experiences that were equal parts reverent, uplifting, and inspiring — celebrations of compassion, community, and action.

We wanted these events to feel appropriately celebratory, appropriately humble — and absolutely aligned with the heart of Preble Street.

The first event, held in April 2025 at Maine Studio Works in Portland, was designed as an open invitation to the community — a chance to learn, connect, and take action.

We wanted to move far beyond the expected “panel and pamphlets” setup. Instead, we built an immersive, multi-sensory experience that reflected the impact and spirit of Preble Street.

Guests explored three distinct zones:

• Basic Needs: A hands-on showcase of food programs, shelters, and health initiatives, including a reimagined refrigerator display where everyday pantry items carried messages about ways to get involved.
• Advocacy: In collaboration with ILAP, guests could call their legislators on-site using provided scripts — removing barriers to real-time advocacy.
• Solutions: A storytelling space highlighting Preble Street’s long-term housing and recovery programs, including an interactive art project with the Equality Community Center.

We designed the space with a central stage surrounded by stations hosted by partner organizations Greater Portland Health, Maine Needs, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, and Equality Community Center; allowing for movement and engagement. Short speaker segments alternated with open mingling, ensuring the event felt accessible, active, and dynamic.

The second event was a larger, more formal gathering hosted at Brick South — one of Portland’s most iconic industrial venues. Over 700 guests attended, including staff, donors, community partners, and elected officials.

This was the “celebration” — but not a party. It was about reflection, togetherness, and gratitude. The team at Preble Street expressed that they wanted the event to be an opportunity to pause and be together to take pride in everything they have accomplished, and in order to gather strength for the hard work ahead. What they described to me sounded like a deep exhale, and that was exactly what we tried to create space for.

Highlights included:

• Interactive museum installation: A walk-through timeline of Preble Street’s 50-year history, featuring artifacts, images, and stories brought to life through custom gallery walls.
• Immersive storytelling: Physical objects — from a tent to a doctor’s coat — were used in place of traditional foam boards to tell the story of Preble Street’s work in housing and healthcare.
• Purposeful design: Sustainable, reusable centerpieces made from glass vases filled with snacks and hand-held Preble Street flags added color and engagement to each table.
• Surprise finale: The Ideal Maine Band, a social justice jazz ensemble, closed the night by getting guests on their feet — a joyful, energizing end to an emotional evening.

At SRS Event Design, we believe meaningful events are about more than aesthetics — they’re about alignment, emotion, and experience. Every decision, from spatial layout to decor materials, was made intentionally to reflect Preble Street’s mission and values.

These two events became living examples of what we love most: designing spaces where people feel connected to something bigger than themselves.

If your organization is celebrating a milestone, launching a campaign, or hosting a mission-driven event, we’d love to help you bring your vision to life with the same creativity, strategy, and heart. We don’t believe in doing things the same way they always have been or the way everyone else is doing them just because that is what is expected. We’d love to talk with you about how to create an event that feels deeply rooted in your mission and genuinely resonant throughout.

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To learn more about Preble Street and their ongoing work across Maine, visit PrebleStreet.org.

Venue: Maine Studio Works
Planning, Design, and Guest Management: SRS Event Design
AV: AV Technik
Catering: Lake & Co
Photography: Stoptime Live

Venue: Brick South
Planning, Design, and Guest Management: SRS Event Design
AV: AV Technik
Catering: Black Tie Catering Co.
Photography: Stoptime Live