Overview: A Global Gathering with Lasting Impact
Every five years, the Seventh-day Adventist Church convenes its General Conference Session—a global gathering that brings together clergy and delegates from around the world to shape the future direction of the church.
In June 2025, thousands gathered in St. Louis at The Dome at America’s Center for a multi-week event that combined governance, worship, and community at an extraordinary scale. Bartha was proud to support this milestone event, continuing a partnership that began in 2022 and has grown through multiple large-scale conferences.
The Relationship: Built on Trust, Experience, and Continuity
Bartha’s partnership with the Seventh-day Adventist Church began in the early 2000s, evolving from single-session support into a multi-decade collaboration. For over 25 years, Bartha has served as a steady logistical engine behind many of their global gatherings.
This deep institutional knowledge proved vital when the pandemic delayed the 2020 world event. Because of our long-standing history, we were able to seamlessly pivot and preserve years of planning, finally bringing the massive project to life in 2022. Today, that relationship continues to expand, spanning international General Conference sessions and large-scale ancillary events, anchored by a trust that can only be built over a quarter-century of execution.
The Challenge: Scale, Complexity, and Alignment
The 2025 General Conference Session presented unique challenges:
- An international audience representing the global church
- A football stadium–scale venue, requiring extensive preplanning
- A multi-week schedule spanning meetings by day and worship services by night
- Large planning committees with many stakeholders and decision-makers
- Distinct technical needs for governance sessions versus worship services
- Sabbath observance requiring advanced planning and adjusted workflows
In addition, the length of the event demanded two separate production crews and crew chiefs, ensuring consistency and quality across long days and varied programming.
Bartha’s Role: Designing for Scale and Purpose
Bartha supported the event from early planning through execution, providing strategic guidance and technical leadership across the venue.
Key responsibilities included:
- Designing and deploying 40-foot (5) and 100-foot (1) LED walls to ensure visibility and engagement across the stadium
- Managing complex audio environments, adapting sound design for both spoken governance sessions and large-scale worship services featuring choirs and music
- Coordinating extensive rigging and infrastructure planning suited to a stadium venue
- Preparing for special services, including Sabbath worship, which required thoughtful planning and compliance with observance needs
Bartha’s experience in large religious gatherings and major venues allowed the team to anticipate challenges early and guide decisions toward clarity and cohesion.
Navigating Evolution: Adaptability in Real Time
During the production process, the scope naturally expanded to include integrated content from additional partners. Bartha acted as the central hub, synchronizing timelines and multi-party approvals to integrate new creative elements seamlessly into the live experience.
Bartha acted as the central hub between the planning committee and the creative teams to:
- Align screen assignments with evolving content formats
- Synchronize production timelines and multi-party approvals
- Integrate new creative elements seamlessly into the live experience
This proactive collaboration—driven by steady communication—ensured that every new variable enhanced the final production, keeping the focus exactly where it belonged: on a flawless attendee experience.
Collaboration as a Force Multiplier
The event also required close collaboration with the North American Division’s internal production team, which provided cameras and select equipment. Bartha made it a goal to work seamlessly alongside this internal team, aligning workflows and responsibilities to deliver a unified experience.
That collaboration not only strengthened execution on this event—it directly contributed to future opportunities, including Bartha’s continued involvement in additional Seventh-day Adventist gatherings.
The Outcome: A Cohesive, Purpose-Driven Experience
Beyond the technical scope, the success of the General Conference Session came down to alignment.
Bartha helped bring together:
- complex schedules
- diverse stakeholders
- multiple production teams
- distinct program formats
into one cohesive experience that supported the purpose of the gathering.
The result was an event that honored tradition, enabled meaningful decision-making, and supported worship at scale—while meeting the operational demands of a global audience.
Looking Ahead: Partnership That Grows Over Time
Long-term partnerships allow Bartha to do more than execute events—they allow the team to anticipate needs, guide decisions, and continuously refine the experience.
With each event, Bartha deepens its understanding of the client’s goals, structure, and values—creating a foundation for even stronger collaboration in the future.
