Me and 'GOD' hang out.

Collaborative Engagement

Over the past month or so we have been paying close attention to our supplier relationships and sitting down to discuss how suppliers and agencies can work harder and be more creative to collaboratively engage with brands to ensure that we inspire the brands we wish to work with. For example we recently ran a full experiential day at the offices of Sledge that gave a group of clients an insight into the strategy and rationale behind some of Sledge’s recent Consumer and B2B experiences.

The day was supported by our friends from Mindstorm who wowed our clients with their installation in the Sledge built ‘O2 Fan Space’ at the Arena. Imagine if the technology from the film Minority Report was available to brands for consumer and internal events… well it is!

Mindstorm is an award-winning software company that helps you do more with surfaces than you ever thought possible. Across surfaces, industries and across the globe, Mindstorm transforms otherwise static surfaces into intelligent displays, and passive customers into active participants.

Also in attendance were our friends from Spoonfed, showing their mobile web services. The number of festivals, conferences and internal business communications events in the UK is rising each year. As this number grows it becomes increasingly important to ensure that customers and employees are highly engaged during events; have the best possible experience; connect with old colleagues and friends; and create beneficial relationships with new people.

Mobienz achieves all of this through mobile applications and interactive mobile web services. We create branded mobile experiences that span the pre-, during, and post-event life cycle and allow event attendees to make the most of their time.

This event then progressed to a fast rib boat trip up the Thames courtesy of London Rib Voyages. The trip was a fast paced tour of London with champagne and entertainment (we were informed that the Kings of Leon had just stepped of the same boat… that upset the ladies in the group!) 

I cannot recommend this Thames based experience enough, we had such a great time and there is no faster boat on the river. If you are going to a gig at the world’s greatest music venue then you MUST travel with these guys to top off the experience.

Once at the O2 Arena, we were given a full VIP tour of the building ending in a visit to the amazing British Music Experience played host to some of the worst drumming, singing and jamming to be seen since Boyzone launched their career. Again, this is a must for any music fan of any age.

In all the day was a huge success and the clients walked away inspired and motivated to lift the bar in terms of creativity and to be brave when considering the use of technology to engage consumers and staff alike.

This event also proved to all involved that collaboration between trusted and likeminded agencies can be hugely beneficial in these quieter times and even in the early stages of client relationships, these collaborations can really work in your favour and show that you are prepared to invest time and effort to ensure that clients are aware of the new developments in our industry.

If any of our friends or suppliers would like to try something similar or perhaps you are a venue or service supplier that would like to work with our client base and you have a unique and engaging proposition then please feel free to contact me to discuss.

The Royal Ballet - Cuba

Britain's Royal Ballet is making its first appearance in Cuba. On Tuesday it began five days of performances that star dancer Carlos Acosta, described as the "event of a lifetime" for his native Cuba.

Ninety-six dancers and band members are taking to the stage in Havana. Performers from Cuban National Ballet will join them for three of the shows. Tickets are priced at 20 Cuban pesos, just under one US dollar and have sold out quickly. Some of the performances will be shown on giant outdoor television screens for free public viewing.

I took interest in this news not because I am a fan but because the interview with the principal dancer Carlos Acosta on the John Humphries show this morning got me thinking about the costs involved in attending such cultural experiences in the UK. During the interview Carlos said “ballet is so important to Cuba and this event is of such historic importance, and it is so cheap in Cuba that anyone can afford to see it”.

 

In fact the event sold out in minutes so the Cuban Government has ordered that giant screens be placed around the city of Havana to ensure that every citizen has the chance to see the performances and guess what, no brands involved and no fee to see!

 

This got me thinking about what this exercise must achieve for the cities and perhaps the nations morale and how nice it must be to experience something of such cultural enormity for free and then it got me thinking about the amount of events that the Mayor has been canceling especially in times of such depression for many Londoners.

 

Wouldn’t it be great to see more events of this type in London and the UK, I had a meeting at the GLA recently were I was informed that they had a serious challenge with taking live immersive experiences that would introduce arts and culture to the more deprived areas of London. An example used was “we could never get a Hackney teenager to attend an event similar to that of the innocent village fete”, “and thus introduce them to healthy living and low tech family entertainment”.

 

Events like the Thames Festival achieve this so I don’t see why this should be such a challenge for the GLA, perhaps some pop up events that screen empowering and inspirational cultural events to areas of London that are “deprived” and that no doubt have communities that would enjoy such opportunities.

 

Any comments?

The Air Tattoo

Some Journalist friends and myself are off to Fairford this Sunday to the Royal International Air Tattoo. I have been asked to consult the on the Experiential and Brand Partnership potential of the event. 

This is an event that my father has attended for many years, he is ex RAF and particularly poignant at this year’s event is the flight of the Vulcan Bomber an aircraft my father worked on during his time in service.

You may not be aware but this Cold War Nuclear bomber flew one of the most daring bombing raids in RAF history during the Falklands War as revealed in Rowland Whites number one bestseller Vulcan 607 (a great read!).

I am really flattered to have been asked to consult and cant wait to take in the enormity of this event, the attractions and interactive content appears to be vast and I am sure to be impressed by the production value of the event and the work carried out by my host Francesca Heap and her colleagues.

RECIPEASE

Those that know me will know I am a bit of a food nut and cook and have a number of courses and cooking experiences under my belt, but I’m thinking I’m behind the curve a little when it comes to my discovery of Jamie Oliver’s new venture, RECIPEASE.

These Deli come Cookery School outlets have popped up in Clapham Junction, London and Western Road, Brighton and not only offer Jamie branded products, a wide range of good produce but also really useful experiences to help your confidence in cooking to grow.

I have just booked a lesson so watch this space for an update on the quality of the experience and any hints and tips gained.

Another shout out for Shoot Nations

I just thought I would help out Alexandra in the press office at Shoot Experience with another big up for this fantastic event. A panel of judges including representatives from Plan, Shoot Experience and MTV will choose their top images, which will then be exhibited at the Oxo Tower from 23rd-27th September 2009.

Last call for entries for the 2009 Shoot Nations photographic competition
 
Time is running out to submit your entry for the Shoot Nations MTV worldwide photography competition.
 
With just a few weeks left hundreds of budding young photographers have already entered their best efforts in a bid to be crowned the 2009 winner.
 
The competition is open to anyone between the ages of 11 and 25, with winning entries showcased at the powerhouse of global decision-making – the UN headquarters in New York.
 
Run by in international children’s charity Plan and photographic organization Shoot Experience in partnership with MTV, the competition offers young people a unique opportunity to express how they feel about the world they live in through pictures.
 
Georgia Arnold, Senior Vice President, Social Responsibility, MTV Networks International, says: “We are delighted to be the media partner for the 2009 Shoot Nations competition, helping to give a voice to thousands of young people all over the world, through which they can make a difference to their own community.”
 
Shoot Nations is free to enter and the deadline for this year’s competition is July 31st. This year’s theme is ‘Growing Up in the 21st Century’.
 
Shoot Nations is an online competition, making it accessible to young people all over the world. Entrants are encouraged to submit photographs, drawings or graphic designs relating to their own changing world.
 
Over the past three years the competition has received over 2,500 entries from 108 countries. Over 15,000 people have attended exhibitions of Shoot Nations photographs on four different continents.
 
This year, selected photos from the competition will be presented to the United Nations Headquarters as a light-box installation in New York to celebrate International Youth Day on August 12th.
 
Plan spokesperson Sharon Goulds, says: “A great photograph can tell you so much about a person’s life; it’s such a powerful, immediate and impactful medium.

“I’m always very impressed by the standard of the entries from young people right around the world, and I’m sure this year will just as good if not better.”
 
Two age group categories will be open for entries, 11-16 years and 17-25 years.
 
Competition organisers expect about 2,000 entrants to submit up to three images each, with a brief explanation of why each photo demonstrates the photographer’s feelings towards growing up in the 21st Century.
 
In particular, gender will have a strong influence over the competition, with entrants being asked to look carefully at their place in the world and whether they feel there are any limitations or opportunities that come from being born male or female. The briefs for the competition are: Because I am a girl/Because I am a boy, What’s holding me back? and Taking control – what could I be? 

Jeff Koons: Popeye Series – 2nd to 13th Sept at Serpentine Gallery

80’s nostalgia artist Jeff Koons has his first solo show in a British public gallery will combine paintings and sculptures that combine historical art references with everyday images and objects.

This series revolves around the cartoon figure Popeye, who I am informed was invented around the time of the Wall Street Crash, could there be any relevance to the current boom or bust cycle we are in at the moment, or is it just that Koons was a former Wall Street broker and he is making a statement and laughing on his way to the bank?

Shoot Nations – Ends 26th July in Liverpool

This is an international photography competition for young people and sees many youngsters choosing to document serious issues like climate change and pollution in their photograph’s, I’m informed the results are very impressive.

See Shoot nations to see some stunning images.

And that a child can shoot an image like this is amazing, makes me realise I still have a very long way to go with my own photography.

Bastille Day Garden Party - 12th July at Battersea Park

July is going to be a great month for sunshine and interesting events and exhibitions around the UK. Here are just a few that I have been looking at and hopefully will attend.

Bastille Day Garden Party - 12^th July at Battersea Park

New to London, this celebration includes a French food market and picnic areas, tons of family-friendly activities and best of all a petanque competition.