From Foundation to Future: Leveraging Experience to Drive Creative Risk-Taking
Posted by admincarolyn on Jul. 28, 2025 / Thought Leadership / Subscribe 0
Written by Jennifer Davies, strategic communications manager for the City of Las Vegas
After an 18 year communications career in Las Vegas and more than a decade with the city of Las Vegas, I’ve come to appreciate the delicate balance between honoring what works and being brave enough to challenge it. Institutional knowledge is powerful because it helps you see patterns, predict pitfalls and understand the rhythms of your organization. Curiosity and a willingness to experiment will always keep our work relevant.
I truly love serving the community I call home and that love drives my curiosity. I’m constantly looking for ways to improve how we connect with residents; not just because it's my job, but because I believe they deserve to see the full scope of what their city is doing for them. That means staying open to new platforms, fresh storytelling formats and evolving audience behavior, while still anchoring our work in strategies we know are effective.
For seasoned professionals looking to embrace curiosity and spark innovation, your experience isn’t a barrier; it’s your launchpad. Try something new: a fresh tone, a nontraditional partner or a campaign that pushes your comfort zone. Seek out people and brands you admire; learning from others doing impactful work can be reinvigorating.
One of the best ways to rediscover your passion is by connecting with the next generation. Teaching at UNLV reminds me daily why I love this field. Students bring energy and bold ideas that challenge and inspire. Mentor, speak to a class, or hire an intern; sometimes the spark you need comes from giving back.
To early-career professionals, I’d say: Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment to try something different. Ask questions. Pitch ideas. Take smart risks. But do your homework; study your organization’s values and learn from the people who’ve been there before you. And don’t discredit following people you admire on LinkedIn to engage and learn from.
One of the advantages of having spent more than a decade with the city is the credibility that comes from long-term results and a deep understanding of the organization. When I pitch something new, like a more playful campaign voice or an untested video format, I tie it back to past successes, data and a clear plan for impact. That foundation helps leadership see how small, strategic risks can lead to big results.
The biggest creative risk I took this past year wasn’t flashy; it was financial. I shifted our ad strategy to go nearly all-in on digital, increasing our digital ad spend from just 25% of our budget to more than 90%. This move required courage and conviction. It also required trust in our data, audience knowledge and in the patterns we’ve seen over years of tracking what works. I knew we needed to reach more people for less money with data to back up our performance and digital was the clear path forward.
Our Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs campaigns saw remarkable gains: event promotions tripled, with paid ads supporting 50 events (up from 13 the year before) and driving a 56% increase in RSVPs. Digital ads brought down our cost to reach 1,000 people by more than half; from $13.91 to $5.10 for Cultural Affairs and from $11.67 to $5.63 for Parks. We drove 280,000+ clicks and saw over 90% of free ticket RSVPs come directly from our digital ecosystem. Program participation rose 58% over two years, hitting 117,000 enrollments. This wasn’t just a budget shift; it was a mindset shift. It showed what’s possible when you pair institutional knowledge with a willingness to try new things.
Keep showing up with purpose, stay open to possibility, and remember: innovation and impact go hand in hand.
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