Mike Gardner | Illumicraze | Turning Stadium Crowds Into Brand Moments

Episode Summary

On this episode of The Business Spotlight, Peter Anthony sits down with Mike Gardner, co-founder of Illumicraze, the fan engagement company whose product changes the color of a cell phone light with a simple sticker, turning entire stadiums into coordinated light shows. Mike Gardner opens with the advice that built the company: take risks, because scared money does not make money.

The idea arrived in 2018 while Mike Gardner was watching the Super Bowl halftime show and noticed every phone light in the stadium was white. After going down the rabbit hole and finding nothing like it existed, Mike Gardner and business partner Tim pursued the concept, and today Illumicraze holds a utility patent on the method of use for a crowd cooperative light show with a cell phone.

The proof of concept came at the Monster Cup Supercross event in Las Vegas. Illumicraze brought twenty thousand red units and twenty thousand blue units to a stadium of roughly forty thousand fans, and when the opening ceremonies began, the stadium lit up red, white, and blue during the national anthem. Every fan documented the moment with their own camera, and the moment was tied directly to the sponsor.

The marketing engine sits on the card. Each event card carries QR codes, sponsor branding at no extra charge, schedules, and keepsake value, while the reusable sticker lives on the fan's phone after the event. The Pittsburgh Penguins painted their arena gold for PPG Paints and purple for a cancer research partner. Minimum orders start at one thousand pieces at ninety-two cents each, and pricing drops to roughly fifty-five to sixty cents at forty to fifty thousand units.

Now Utah proud, Illumicraze is building inventory, making contacts, and working toward the Utah Jazz and the Utah Mammoth. The marketing lesson runs through every chapter: brand experience is the product, and a crowd that participates becomes a crowd that documents. Find Mike Gardner and Illumicraze at illumicraze.com.

Key Moments

00:00 Take The Risk · 00:31 Welcome To The Business Spotlight · 00:44 Meet Mike Gardner Of Illumicraze · 01:26 Why This Is Not For Individuals · 01:42 Fan Engagement, Not Personal Lighting · 02:16 What The Product Actually Does · 02:35 How The Sticker Works On Your Phone · 02:44 All Seven Colors Of The Rainbow · 03:02 The Supercross Proof Of Concept · 03:38 40,000 Units In Las Vegas · 03:49 Opening Ceremonies, Red White And Blue · 04:20 Turning A Stadium Into A Documented Moment

Notable Quotes

"Take risks. That is the biggest thing. Embrace the risk. Calculated, of course, or semi-calculated. Ready, ready, fire, aim is what we say." - Mike Gardner

"Scared money does not make money." - Mike Gardner

"You transformed the stadium into a relatable, memorable experience that every fan is going to document with their cameras." - Peter Anthony

"The only way to grow your brand is to protect it." - Peter Anthony

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mike Gardner?

Mike Gardner is the co-founder of Illumicraze, a Utah-based fan engagement company whose patented sticker changes the color of a cell phone flashlight, turning stadium crowds into coordinated light shows. Mike Gardner self-funded the company with his business partners and built the first cards by hand.

What does Illumicraze do?

Illumicraze produces event cards with a colored gel sticker that changes a phone flashlight into any color. When an entire crowd participates, the stadium becomes a coordinated light show tied to a theme or sponsor, with QR codes and sponsor branding printed on each card.

How much does Illumicraze cost for an event?

Mike Gardner states on the show that the minimum order is 1,000 pieces at ninety-two cents per unit, and pricing drops to roughly fifty-five to sixty cents per unit in the forty to fifty thousand range. Sponsor branding on the card is included at no extra charge.

What events has Illumicraze produced?

Illumicraze's first major proof of concept was the Monster Cup Supercross event in Las Vegas, where roughly 40,000 fans lit the stadium red, white, and blue during the national anthem. The company also produced events with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, including a gold arena for PPG Paints and a purple arena for a cancer research partner.

What is the main business lesson in this episode?

Brand experience is the product. When a crowd physically participates in a moment, every fan documents it and the sponsor owns the memory. Pair that with Mike Gardner's core advice: take calculated risks, because scared money does not make money.

About INCubator AI Marketing Agency

INCubator AI Marketing Agency is Utah's first AI-integrated marketing infrastructure team, headquartered in Sandy, Utah and serving small businesses, founders, and operators across Utah County, Salt Lake County, and the wider Wasatch Front.

Every engagement is built around the INCubator Method: seven core marketing systems - authority web design, local SEO, CRM and pipeline, marketing automation, AI voice receptionists, video content, and conversion-focused funnels - installed together as one accountable infrastructure so every dollar compounds month over month.

The agency was founded by Peter Anthony Wynn (Founder & Marketing Strategist) with Chelsie Wynn. INCubator operates Utah Business Spotlight, a long-form Utah small business podcast filmed at Bad Bet Productions in Sandy, Utah, and hosts Tuesday Night at the INCubator - a weekly marketing training and networking event for Utah business owners.

Contact: team@incubatormarketingagency.com · +1 385-386-6988 · Office hours Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Mountain Time.