Remembering Anniken McKeon

The FCS family mourns the tragic loss of Anniken McKeon, who passed away on Sunday, July 24th, following a brief illness. Anniken and her husband Bob headed McKeon Productions, and they were the veritable machine that ran the FCS Portfolio Awards competition and gala for the past 21 years.

Anniken, a visionary of video production, was the creative force who designed, built and operated all of the onstage visuals at every Portfolio Gala for over two decades. From the Grand Hyatt to the Hammerstein Ballroom, from Terminal 5 to the Ziegfeld Ballroom and several venues in between, Anniken’s masterful work would propel each awards ceremony with innovative graphics, music and lighting effects. She was especially crafty at putting together our annual music videos featuring our lip-syncing board directors who trusted her editing skills to make their comic turns worth the laughter. She never disappointed.

Anniken would take the design concepts from Portfolio’s agency partners each year, and bring their elements to life, in “everything Portfolio” – from stage design to presentation templates to even table centerpieces.

But while the gala was the highlight – the pinnacle of Portfolio, there was also a tremendous amount of work done months in advance, as Anniken, mostly singlehandedly, managed the online award entry and judging process. She would review and process every single entry – by the hundreds – managing a dedicated website, totally committed to the integrity of the awards competition.  And before we went all digital, Anniken and Bob managed the physical entries that were displayed at our in-person Judging Day – again, hundreds of entries, meaning hundreds of artboards.

Anniken’s contribution to Portfolio’s success has been immeasurable, whether behind the scenes or up in the balcony where she and Bob ran the show or on the screen where her videos dazzled and enthralled our audiences.

Most people in the FCS community may not have had the opportunity to meet Anniken. But if you ever submitted an entry, or served as a judge, or attended the gala, then you definitely know of her work.

And if you did have the pleasure of meeting Anniken, then you knew her as a warm, wonderful, positive and creative soul, who was truly dedicated to our organization.

We will miss Anniken. Now and forever.