eBay OPEN25: A 30-Year Celebration of Sellers, Innovation, and Community

The Ask

In 2025, eBay celebrated its 30th anniversary—a milestone that honored decades of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community. The company wanted to re-energize its global seller network, many of whom operate full-time businesses generating millions in sales.

The goal: host eBay OPEN25, the first live seller event since 2019, offering education, networking, and celebration in both in-person and virtual formats. eBay needed a partner capable of delivering a seamless hybrid experience that combined large-scale programming, immersive activations, and operational excellence for a global audience.

The Solution

FG|PG partnered closely with eBay to reimagine the seller conference for a new era—producing a hybrid event that seamlessly blended live, digital, and virtual experiences.

Across three days, attendees participated in over 100 learning and networking opportunities, including high-energy keynotes, breakout sessions, seller-led workshops, and exclusive Top Seller programming.

The 100,000-square-foot Expo Hall was transformed into an immersive playground:

eBay Central, Community Lounge, Seller Clinic, and sponsor booths showcased tools across the eBay ecosystem.
Signature activations, including the Museum of eBay, Neon Tunnel entrance, interactive photo ops, and the LIVE Print Shop, offered memorable, hands-on experiences.
The eBay LIVE studio hosted continuous auctions, including a record-breaking Backstreet Boys collectibles session.
Evening events and Top Seller receptions fostered community celebration, while integrated technology—including multi-tier registration portals, a fully branded attendee app, and a virtual stage—ensured accessibility for both in-person and virtual participants.

FG|PG managed all logistics, from hotel and meal coordination to on-site operations, delivering a fully seamless, engaging, and memorable experience.

Challenge

eBay’s 30th anniversary presented a unique challenge: celebrate three decades of history while reconnecting a seller community that had not gathered live since 2019.

The objective: deliver education, inspiration, and unforgettable experiences that honored eBay’s legacy while propelling sellers into the future.

Idea

FG|PG reimagined OPEN25 not as a conference, but as a hybrid global celebration of education, innovation, and community.

In-person: immersive experiences, hands-on coaching, dynamic networking, and surprise moments of delight made the event feel part festival, part summit.

Global audience: a broadcast-quality digital program went far beyond simple keynote streams. Highlights included the eBay News Desk atop a double-decker stage in the Expo Hall, live breakout coverage, global trivia challenges, and real-time interviews.

Guiding principle: make the seller community the hero—while celebrating 30 years of history and showcasing the future of selling.

ebay-open25-install-double-deck and stage

Execution

Scale & Reach

Location: The Venetian, Las Vegas
Attendance: 1,300+ sellers onsite, including 200 Top Sellers
Onsite Experts: 700+ eBay staff providing one-to-one coaching, meetups, and clinics
Global Audience: 48,000+ virtual viewers worldwide
Multitiered Registration & App: FG|PG designed and managed a fully integrated registration site and attendee app experience.

Programming & Content

3 Keynotes: Energized with live DJs, leadership announcements, product innovations, inspiring seller stories, and surprise grants.
46 Breakouts: Covering growth, innovation, and practical business topics.
Top Seller Lounge: Exclusive space for eBay’s most successful sellers.
Spotlight Stage: 12 fast-paced, drop-in learning sessions in the Expo Hall.
120+ Speakers: Making OPEN25 one of eBay’s most ambitious content platforms to date.

Expo Hall Experiences

Immersive Entrance: A glowing tunnel led to a surprise clapping moment with eBay employees cheering attendees. The eBay CEO personally welcomed participants, making it immediately memorable.
Museum of eBay: Celebrating 30 years through artifacts, sound-cone storytelling, and a giant anniversary photo op.
Warehouse Photo Ops: Oversized props let attendees star in their own seller-story “ads.”
Sponsor Showcases: 11 partner booths featuring demos, tools, and takeaways.
Seller Clinic: 500+ one-to-one coaching sessions tailored to individual business needs.
Live Print Shop: Custom limited-edition t-shirts printed in real time as keepsakes.

Live Broadcast & Community

eBay LIVE Studio: Continuous auctions streamed worldwide, including a record-breaking Backstreet Boys collectibles event.
eBay News Desk: Pre- and post-keynote coverage with panoramic views, interviews, and takeaways from sellers and leaders.
Evening Events: A Welcome Reception, Top Sellers Reception at HaSalon, and a spectacular “Four Decades” Closing Party at Tao Nightclub, featuring immersive color-themed rooms, karaoke, arcade games, photo activations, and a DJ-driven dance floor.

Results

In-person attendance: 1,300+ sellers
Virtual reach: 48,000+ global viewers
Content delivery: 120+ speakers, 46 breakouts, and 500+ personalized coaching sessions
Community impact: Surprise grants, personal welcomes, and shareable activations generated lasting goodwill
Cultural buzz: Social content and media coverage positioned OPEN25 as a milestone celebration
Social scale: Carefully planned to create shareable, VOD-ready content

Why It Matters

eBay OPEN25 was more than a conference—it was a global moment of reconnection.

By merging high-energy live experiences with broadcast-quality digital content, eBay celebrated 30 years of seller empowerment while charting the next era of innovation. This hybrid approach reinforced eBay’s commitment to community, accessibility, and in-person experiences, successfully bridging live and virtual participation for a truly memorable global celebration.