European Food Summit

Basic Event Information

Date: 16. – 19. 3 . 2019
Location: Ljubljana & Krvavec, Slovenia
Organizer: JEZERŠEK GOSTINSTVO d.o.o.
Event type: Culinary event

EVENT CATEGORY: CATEGORY CROSSOVER

Event description and key objectives

For four days, the European Food Summit transformed Ljubljana into the European culinary capital and placed Slovenia on top of the hottest destinations list. The event was met with strong interest by the local as well as foreign professionals, including chefs, reporters, influencers, not to mention the general public and in particular foodies. In the opinion of Ana Roš, who put Slovenia on the international culinary map, the position of Slovenia has been further improved thanks to the European Food Summit.

Key objectives:

The positioning of the European Food Summit as the most important culinary event in Europe.
The positioning of Slovenia as a unique, boutique-style gastronomic destination (European Region of Gastronomy 2021).
Positioning of Slovenia as green and sustainable destination (sustainable gastronomy, sustainable tourism, sustainable use of resources …) with the aim of creating higher added value.
Promote interest in Slovenia as one of the most beautiful European destinations for business event organization.
The positioning of Ljubljana as an important culinary capital.
Increase the number of overnight stays in Ljubljana as well as other Slovenian towns in Q1.
Increase the number of publications and articles on the event, Slovenia and Slovenian gastronomy in the most prominent local and foreign media.
Promote interest in Slovenia and gastronomy among the most important critics, influencers, foodies and the general public.

Key challenges

One of the biggest challenges in preparing such an event were most definitely international connections and forming recognisability of Ljubljana and Slovenia as a culinary destination. What makes European Food Summit unique and successful is above all cooperation and placing common interests above any individual interests.
One of the most important goals we set for European Food Summit is to contribute to an even greater recognisability of Ljubljana and Slovenia on the world culinary map through a rich culinary selection and various programmes.

Mag. Maja Pak, director at the Slovenian Tourist Board points out: “Projects as European Food Summit improve the visibility and reputation of our culinary offer abroad. But what I find particularly important is that, by listening to the stories about the work and lives of our famous guests, we will be let in on a series of best practices that will assist in our daily activities and future developments.” Our vision to transform European Food Summit into the most important culinary event, not only in Slovenia, has been reached.

Creativity

Thanks to the extraordinary programme composed of a series of creative events with internationally recognised names in food and top Slovenian chefs, as well as an excellent organisation, the European Food Summit will be remembered for years to come by both the guests as well as the attendees. With its concept, a combination of courage and creativity, the European Food Summit has taken its rightful place among Europe’s best food events, the future editions of which surely should not be missed.

Already at the opening press conference, Ana Roš spoke about how during one of her appearances abroad, foreign colleagues, chefs and reporters asked her if they could be part of the European Food Summit and come to Slovenia. The reason behind the huge amount of interest is also Andrea Petrini, named the “God of Food” by foreign media outlets, while in Slovenia he is known as a true culinary impresario. As promised by the organiser Jezeršek Catering joined by partners STO and Ljubljana Tourism, Andrea Petrini, in collaboration with the Slovenian Queenie, Ana Roš, succeeded in attracting to Slovenia the hottest international chefs, making true the promise of a truly remarkable and animated technical conference. Chefs who usually speak through food were taken out of their comfort zones and invited to deliver an actual lecture at Ljubljana Castle, where the obviously excited conference attendees were served lectures on sustainable values and the future of food.

Innovation

Another promise made before the start of the event was that the conference sponsored by the STO would also offer solutions instead of focusing merely on promoting the chefs, their establishments and philanthropy. This promise was realized through inspiring speeches by visiting chefs – the ambassadors of progress, who base their work on sustainability and deliberation.

Without a doubt, the Experience Dinner was an example of creativity which intertwined food with performance arts at the highest level. Creations by Ana Roš (Hiša Franko), Riccardo Camanini (Lido 84) and Luka Košir (Gostišče Grič) once again showcased their unparalleled performance talents while Jezeršek Catering once again succeeded in delivering an animated programme, professional organisation and breath-taking aesthetics.

The creative use of the cable car where Jezeršek Catering and Gostilna Krištof combined food, nature and an unforgettable ambiance to create a unique and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, dubbed the Cable Car Dinner, was applauded even by top chefs, who could not disguise excitement for this “simply brilliant” idea.

Ljubljana Tourism, the Gourmet Ljubljana brand and Ljubljana’s top chefs, uncovered their unique dishes accompanied by the best of Slovenian wines at a number of sights and landmarks in Ljubljana in the scope of the Gourmet Ljubljana Crawl culinary tour. Definitely, the Gourmet Ljubljana Crawl blending culture, architecture and food that holds the biggest potential.

Execution

The organizer of the event is a family-owned company Jezeršek gostinstvo which prides itself with more than 35 years of tradition and experience in catering at various events, organizing over 2,500 of them each year. The Jezeršek company is a reliable and flexible partner in Slovenia and outside its borders, which guarantees creative and culinary experiences and year after year upgrades the European Food Summit (before Gourmet Cup Ljubljana).

The execution of the European Food Summit was based on the work of experienced and professional team of over 60 people from the fields of catering, organisation, marketing and PR. Jezeršek gostinstvo realized the event almost entirely on their own (catering, organisation, marketing and PR, etc.) or with a bit of help from some outside contractors (set-up by Hiša Vizij, design and CPG of the event by AV Studio).

Definitely, the European Food Summit is the newest star on the list of the most important European food events. With that Jezeršek gostinstvo proved once again that they are the only catering business in Slovenia capable of realizing a top-level culinary event at a professional level and additionally contribute to the promotion of Ljubljana and Slovenia as a culinary destination. Jezeršek gostinstvo in positive that the event has inspired a number of ideas that will continue into the future: “The response has been overwhelming. We’re starting to realise that we have created something truly remarkable and unique.”

Measurable results

The greatest criterion for measuring the success of the European Food Summit is without a doubt the satisfaction of guests and other participants, i.e. chefs, reporters and media representatives, partners, sponsors, etc. Numerous praises, positive responses in local and foreign media, recommendations of influencers and renowned critics are most assuredly a great criterion of excellence and speak about the importance of the European Food Summit.

European Food Summit 2019 in numbers:
• 4 days
• Ljubljana, Krvavec, Slovenia
• 21 TOP Chefs
• 16 TOP Speakers
• More than 580 registered guests on all events, from that:

96 guests on Cable Car Dinner,
205 participants at the conference,
134 guests at the sold Experience Dinner,
144 participants at the Gourmet Ljubljana Crawl, and skiiers.
The estimated marketing value of all media coverage (contents/editorials) amounts to more than editorial
publications € 525,000 (AVE – Advertising Value Equivalent).

Communication

Especially impressed by the friendliness and diversity of enogastronomy in Slovenia were a dozen invited foreign media outlet representatives and influencers, who took to exploring east Slovenia in the context of the special I Feel Slovenia press tour, joined by the visiting conference speakers. After their visit to Hiša Franko for the prepremiere of the new spring menu, the day concluded with the Cable Car Dinner. We were building our story mainly on the basis of content marketing and PR, via various communication channels (TV, radio, press, social media, web) where we included Ana Roš, speakers, TOP chefs (exclusive interviews, recipes…).

Media recognition exceeded all expectations, since the estimated value of editorials surpassed € 525,000. During the period from Dec and Apr, we identified 282 articles, posts ad broadcasts, 225 in domestic media and in foreign media.

PRINT
• 63 articles & 31 Different Magazines
• More than 37 domestic and 18 foreign accredited journalists and media representatives
• AVE: over € 306,000

WEB
• 169 articles on 60 different Web Portals
• AVE: over € 68,000

TV & Radio
• 24 broadcasts on 11 different TV & 4 RA Stations
• More than 1h 30 minutes of broadcasts and interviews
• AVE: over € 150,000

SOCIAL
• More than 2,700 new followers on FB, IG & Twitter
• 336,351 total impression on web & social media
• 879 numbers of mentions on web & social media
• More than 4,150 #EUROODSUMMIT
*AVE – Advertising Value Equivalent

The use of sustainable practices

In Slovenia at the junction of European geographies and cultures, the European Food Summit, with the main topic of the conference “Food – The bridge toward the sustainable identities of European cultures and nations”, featured an extraordinary programme full of inspiring stories from the culinary world and contributes to the shaping of a sustainable European future. The idea that the conference was attempting to convey is that we need to understand that sustainability in itself is not a value but instead a direction our actions should be aimed at. Neither is the sustainable approach the objective of culinary ventures, but instead the path to the one goal – a remarkable gastronomic experience. Sustainability should become an element of gastronomy, from the source to the plate. We should fall back on science and its findings, which are becoming increasingly important in gastronomy. This includes both culinary science as well as know-how associated with cooking techniques.

The speakers pointed out another amusing paradox that is becoming progressively more important not only in high cuisine, but in gastronomy in general. Namely, the opening and closing of borders have a significant impact on the development of gastronomy on a global scale. Instead of culinary imperialism, we should encourage a sustainable gastronomy prioritising diversity in palates, approaches and experiences.

Nike Air Max Launch

Basic Event Information

Date: 10. 04. 2019
Location: Klub K4 Ljubljana
Organizer: FABulatorij d.o.o.
Client: Buzz Sneaker Station
Event type: Product launch

EVENT CATEGORY: CATEGORY B2C – Best Brand Activation

Event description and key objectives

In early 2019, Nike began to increase presence in the SEE market (particularly Slovenia, Croatia and partially Serbia) through brand engagement activities, particularly on the BTL and experiential marketing levels. To understand the initial market conditions – all three markets are strong in terms of Nike brand presence, however, it is (or was, rather) limited to the presence in retail locations, sales-oriented ad campaigns, and a rather low level of consumer engagement. To change this, Nike began executing a wide variety of BTL activities for key target groups, partnering up with Buzz Sneaker Station as the retail brand partner in the process. With the support of all partners in the local market, the brand held its very first product launch in the local market (Slovenia), presenting the new Nike Air Max 720 sneakers to relevant local audiences. The campaign was designed as a 360-degree integrated campaign based on BTL activities.

The goal was the creation of a wholesome BTL platform, centered around an event with a bold wow factor and adapted to the specifics of the local market.

Key challenges

The brands’ communication channels: even though Nike is a global brand with amazing recognition and awareness in Slovenia, this is the result of retail relationships (consumers being used of purchasing and using the product), not actual brand interaction. This means that Nike had no established channel of communication (for the media or the event target group). This also includes Buzz Sneaker Station channels, where even if they had existed, their communication was multi-brand and was not meant to engage a specific brand target audience. We thus had to communicate with a digital generation of consumers, without an established platform with reach and credibility in the community. Additionally, Buzz Sneaker Station also entered the market recently, even though through the rebranding of existing retail locations.

The timeframe: due to market conditions and the timeframe of the project, the wholesome campaign had to be executed in 15 days (from receiving the brief to executing the project). These circumstances strongly influenced the manner in which the campaign was created in order to maximize results and spread the reach of activities as much as possible.

The target groups: as noted earlier, Nike had a rather low level of local marketing & communication activities locally, however, is of course still a globally recognized brand that yields interest from a wide range of target groups. All elements of the event had to be adapted to the fact that local marketing activities by Nike attract a wide range of audiences, all of which must receive a unified message throughout the campaign. In addition to this, the main consumer target group consists of members of Generations Y and Z, which are rather difficult to address and motivate, particularly without established channels and with a narrow timeframe.

The product vs. the brand: even though this campaign should launch and exemplify the Nike Air Max 720, the fact that Nike had not made significant brand presence in the past, made this just as much of a brand event, as it was a product launch. The content and communication had to be carefully segmented in order to create a clear line between brand awareness and product promotion.

Creativity

In the pre-event phase, it was crucial to create an effective promotional campaign. 5 ambassadors set off on social media to motivate relevant target groups. In cooperation with regional brand representatives, we chose Mike Vale (famous DJ who also loves fashion), Jasna Vale (very popular socialite), Katja Španja (makeup artist and influencer), Maja Šebenik – Sheby (singer and fashion designer) and Žiga Sotlar (dancer and choreographer). They were comprehensively involved in the campaign.

We also prepared the first official local Nike photo editorial with our ambassadors, published by Grazia as the media partner. This enabled us to have a solid platform for actual interaction with key TGs.

The main creative solution of the event was centered around effectively addressing and reaching key TGs: we partnered up with the legendary K4 Club in Ljubljana and prepared the first product launch in a nightclub to intrigue TGs and add urban credibility to our activities. Furthermore, we addressed the brand vs. product challenge by segmenting the event space: one room made for the product launch and TG pampering, while another room served as a Nike Lab: a place where brand aficionados can engage in experimental activations and win the new Nike shoe. All activations in the Nike lab were meant to promote the launched product, as well as create an engaging experience for the consumers.

The creative idea was thus a pop-up club experiential campaign and a product launch in one. We successfully intertwined entertainment content (supporting brand awareness), product promotion and engagement, as well as sheer fun (the people should, after all, just do it!).

Innovation

An innovative approach to such a project means primarily being able to efficiently and sufficiently implement it into the local market. One of the goals of the event was building and consolidating brand awareness but at the same time it had to be subtle in order not to drive people away. Our solution was also one of the key characteristics of the Nike Air Max 720 Launch in Ljubljana: the right choice of location for the event, which was very much in line with the brand itself, but a bit unusual for this kind of the event, which was essentially a brand promotion event and it started at 6 pm. We decided to organize the event in a popular night club K4 Club in the heart of Ljubljana.

For one evening therefore, K4 Club became “Club Nike Air Max”. The location offers lots of digital branding space (on the walls, ceiling, on their old retro but functional TV’s etc) we conveniently made use of. The location was perfect for this event and we were able to rebrand it in Nike as much as we needed: the entrance, all hallways and every area accessible to guests was Nike Air Max 720 branded. By using an underground, clubbing type of location, we could equip the space with a rather strong branding component. LCD screens and projectors were used, as well as custom-made lights programming to accommodate the brand visuals, and more. Scenographically, we approached a merge between the worlds of clubbing and fashion – the dancefloor became an exhibition of the latest Nike Air Max collection. We also transformed the centre of the dancefloor into a bubbly photo activation, thus employing the symbol of the bubble as of the key parts of Nike Air Max.

Execution

Spatial division of the club allowed us to create several interesting and interactive areas: in the main area where the main programme of the event was happening we had a DJ, innovative photobooth (Air Max Bubble Bath – a space filled with balloons which made a perfect thematic scenery for interesting and social media sharable photos) and Air Max Bubble Tea Station where we served bubble tea. In another space we had Nike Lab where guests had to successfully finish 3 interesting and very brand-related experiments – those who were successful were placed in a draw for the main prize – one of the three pairs of new Nike Air Max 720.

In the hallway, connecting both areas, we also had SNKR Refresh Station where guests had their sneakers professionally cleaned.

The host of the event was Klemen Bučan, very popular DJ and comedian, he was also DJ in the Nike Lab area. JAMirko was the event DJ while campaign ambassador and singer Maja Šebenik (her artist name is Sheby) was a special guest performer and her performance was accompanied by Jernej Kozan’s popping dance moves. Campaign ambassadors also participated during the official part of the event when Air Max 720 was presented – they shared their positive experience with 720 and what slogan “Just Go Bigger” means to them.

Measurable results

Over 250 people attended the event (objective exceeded by 67%)
Over 30 editors, journalists and digital influencers attended the event (objective exceeded by 120%)
83 people successfully completed experiments in Nike lab (objective exceeded by 66%)

Communication

Communication was an important part of the project, because on top of the event management the client also needed wholesome communication support for comprehensive coordination of influencers campaign and media relations. As such the campaign was designed as a 360-degree integrated campaign based on BTL activities from the very start.

143 user-generated social media posts (objective exceeded by 91%)
Cumulative reach of ambassadors’ content was 626.300 (objective exceeded by 25%)
11 earned media posts in key national lifestyle media (objective exceeded by 120 %)

Through carefully chosen influencers as ambassadors the right target groups were addressed in the Phase 1 of the project. Ambassadors got specific brief but they had creative freedom to address their followers in their usual tone of voice which led to genuine and effective communication that led to great results.

The day after the event a press release was sent to relevant media with an outcome of 11 published articles in various media outlets. 2 of those were a full page articles in print magazines, 1 was ½ page and 8 were online articles.

At the event itself the whole scenography and branding was very instagramable and it resulted in over 140 social media posts (mainly Instagram stories) by visitors of the event (campaign ambassadors and organizers not included).

The use of sustainable practices

There were several reasons why sustainability was an important part of the project planning and execution. Firstly, we have to note that Nike as a company signed on to the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, a commitment under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and thus joined UN Climate Change and global brands, retailers and suppliers in accelerating some of the industry’s most aggressive climate targets yet. Environmental policies present one of the cornerstones of the modern fashion industry, with Nike and other key brands spearheading the effort through various different campaigns and global initiatives.

In addition to the global brand directions, one must note that the key TGs are members of a generation that is increasingly environmentally aware (basic example is this years Youth for Environmental Change effort in Slovenia).

The project had sustainable practices at two main levels. Firstly, the communication itself. Every step of TG interaction was designed to be digital, with printed materials used only at POSs of Buzz (not distributed). Important part of the sustainability was the choice of location – with environment in mind we wanted a space which enabled us to use as much digital branding surfaces as possible – this resulted in much less printed materials.

Communication wise, we employed the ambassadors to always include messages about sustainability and environmental care in their interaction with TG. There were not direct promotional messages, but rather a fils-rouge of values that should spread across communication.

On the event itself a lot of existing branding from the stores was used which wasn’t only sustainable and environmentally friendly but it also meant that visual identity of the Nike brand and Buzz Sneaker Station was very much present which benefited our goals of consolidation of the brand image on the market.

European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) 2019

Basic Event Information

Date: 9 – 12, February 2019
Location: The Hague, The Netherlands
Organizer: The Netherlands Chapter, Meeting Professionals International
Client: N/A for EMEC19
Event type: Education and networking conference

EVENT CATEGORY: B2C – Best Association Conference, Congress

Event description and key objectives

MPI is the world’s largest professional association in the meetings and events industry. For EMEC 2019 the local MPI The Netherlands Chapter was responsible for the design, programming, planning, and execution of the event, instead of MPI Headquarters based in Dallas. With the idea that an event does not have objectives since it is a tool and not a goal, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) mapped objectives of the main event stakeholders using the Event Design Canvas methodology. Stakeholder empathy maps were created and translated into design principles that as of that moment, were fundamental for the event theme, narrative, delegate experience and overall production of EMEC19. Every new idea was measured against these design principles. If it didn’t match at least 80% of these principles, it would not end up in EMEC19.

Design Principles for EMEC19 ‘Changing the Game’

Change the way you MEET
Feel welcome and maximize precious networking time
Designed for attendees to build true and deeper connections
Time to bond with peers
Change the way you EXPERIENCE
50% of the event should take place outside the conference room
Cross-industry innovations
Ineffable experiences
Change the way you LEARN
Learning journeys
Education that catered to various learning styles
Mutual & Empirical Learning

Over 330 international event professionals joined EMEC19 during a five-day program that was incomparable to previous editions in its design, programming, and execution

Key challenges

Organizing an event for a very experienced and sometimes spoiled audience who’ve seen it all and are very critical towards events from a design, experience and production perspective.
Skepticism from potential delegates based on previous EMECs and whether the MPI NL Chapter could deliver the ‘Changing the Game’ promise.
Avoiding the boredom of limited interaction and delegate involvement typical of conferences and keeping them involved at the end of the multi-day event.
Managing expectations for the MPI volunteers serving as part of the boards or committees through an EMEC staff of just 18. As a nonprofit organization, MPI depends heavily on time-constrained volunteers.
Limitations on financial resources, yet a need to convince the supplier community to join and benefit from this unique event.
The need to incorporate and showcase sponsors organically on stage to enhance the attendee experience.
Establish the right way to balance MPI HQ’s experience with the new EMEC19 team and vision, all the while, being the first EMEC edition that is fully organized by a local European chapt

Although we’re all one MPI family, officially we’re different organizations. Therefore, GDPR law applied and making sure we were marketing the global/European/national community properly turned out to be a challenge.

Creativity

Change the way you meet
Based on one of the design principles, EMEC19 facilitated meeting new people. There was a personal pick up when attendees arrived, and valuable networking time. The setting at the Louwman Museum was unique and people could meet based on country, order at food stations based on language, color, etc. and play games with other delegates. On Sunday people could meet each other based on personal preference. They would also meet like-minded people during learning journeys based on program topics. There was an escape room for 330 delegates, where content and networking were key to the escape.

Change the way you learn
Two design principles facilitated various learning methods that were interactive and energizing. 50% of the event took place outside of the ballroom. There were no long plenary sessions without interaction or ‘board room’ updates. High-quality content was delivered in original formats and in unique settings.

Change the way you experience
Based on one of the design principles, we wanted to move people on a personal base, rather than showing off with the biggest screens, largest historical special venues or over-the-top entertainment. Delegate involvement and an element of surprise was key and that’s what we designed for. Whether it was 80 local young artists welcoming delegates after hiding behind chairs for a while or a hidden bar during the party, it was all planned to bring joy and newness to the attendee experience

An unconventional part of the conference, for example, was a walking workshop with Slovak speed walker, and current Olympic champion in the 50 km walk, Matej Toth. The workshop was called “Walk with your GP” and took place in the early morning hours together with the participation of the Slovak public. It was a health-friendly and ecological meeting which fulfilled the main theme of the conference.

Innovation

By using the event design canvas, we designed literally every part of the event. By sticking to the design and its principles, we were able to design every single step of the delegate journey.

Delegates experienced ongoing networking opportunities including the opening night at the Louwman Museum, to education offerings, to raising funds for the MPI Foundation.
Learning Journeys gave delegates the opportunity to choose from seven different cross-industry innovation routes. Four main topics were offered: Leadership, Risk Management, Design Thinking, and Meeting Perspectives.
Keynote speaker and innovator Daan Roosegaarde was followed by an unexpected mega escape room with 330 people. The tasks of the escape room were based on the content of the learning journeys to anchor what people learned and to make sure they shared their experiences.
The entire conference was designed in four tracks and showcased the largest theatre room of the partnering venue although we had a relatively small group of 330 people. EMEC19 also offered free time with opportunities for activities including yoga, running, and sightseeing on Sunday morning.
Keynotes Steve O’Malley, Chair of MPI’s International Board of Directors and Irfan van Ewijk, founder of ID&T closed the event in a special setting. The costumes and props were intentionally white to represent the blank canvas for your new ideas, learnings, and experiences on.
People left the event invigorated and ready for Spain in 2020.

Execution

This was the first time a local MPI chapter was responsible for an event belonging to the MPI event portfolio and that meant there was a lot of project management and eleven months of preparation that included partner and volunteer engagement, purposefully designed experiences, and eighteen different venues to manage – all based on partnerships (no commercial rates).

Measurable results

MPI The Netherlands Chapter events offer event professionals a safe testing ground to experience experiments with new formats without having the risk of experimenting with these ideas in their actual jobs. They can tweak and tune concepts that can later be implemented in their actual working environment. EMEC19 was based on the same thought – to experiment with the current format and try to stimulate our industry friends to be creative and take risks to further develop their meetings. Based on the feedback we received we feel we certainly achieved this. The second evaluation that takes place 6 months after the event will confirm this. We delivered an event that aligned with the design principles of changing the way people meet, experience, and learn. Here are highlights from the EMEC19 survey results:

Scored a 9,3 on the networking events
Scored an 8,9 on the logistics
Scored an 8,9 for the overall EMEC19 experience
Scored an 8,2 for the connection value
Scored a +64 Net Promoter Score (NPS) score
+20% growth of membership for the MPI NL Chapter within 4 months
There was an average knowledge growth of 22% for attendees for defined topics (from 63% before attending to 85% after attending EMEC19)
85% of the respondents made a minimum of 6 strong new business connections
Delivered on business exchange with over 360 planned meetings of 28 international qualified buyers joining the hosted buyer program
71% of EMEC19 attendees intend to join EMEC20

Communication

In the marketing stage before the event, EMEC19 made use of the local hero story by involving chapter leaders from other countries to tell our story in their local language to their local community by video messages. We added and posted a total of 32 short, personalized videos in different languages. The videos were also used to explain the program, and were created by the emcees of EMEC19, allowing delegates to become familiar with them.

Every European chapter received a Marketing and Communications tool kit including different types of information. They were essential information and promotional tools including drafted messages, pricing, logos, videos, photos and other material. European chapters are important partners for EMEC and helped in Sales, promoting and selling tickets, partnerships and the hosted buyer program.

Communications reflected a positive image and attitude concerning the MPI Netherlands and the MPI EU community, recognizing the strength of MPI’s grassroots communities to deliver on an industry-leading promise of changing the way we meet, learn, and experience.

The EMEC19 story was covered by all major international MICE industry press, resulting in approximately fifty different articles. Social media exploded during and after EMEC19. Delegates posted an enormous amount of event related content, which resulted in thousands of views, likes and other forms of engagement. Pre- and post-event webinars had a remarkably high amount of attendees

The use of sustainable practices

Sustainability and CSR were part of EMEC19’s DNA. All suppliers were up to the challenge to make the event as future-proof as possible.
Examples include:

F&B
o No single-use plastic as in cups, straws, etc.
o Instead of providing single-use water bottles, delegates received a reusable water bottle from the company ‘Join the Pipe’. The company’s bottles are made out of recycled plastic and they use a percentage of their income to develop water taps in Africa.
o Use of high quality, locally grown products for catering.
o All catering was based on healthy fats, anti-oxidants and a low carb blueprint to stimulate the mind and keep people activated even after lunch.
Furniture, decoration and signage
o Use of modular furniture in order to reduce dimensions and number of trucks used for transportation.
o Usage of recycled pallets for stage design in the opening venue.
o Limited use of printed materials, alternatively using the mobile event website…
o Use of screens for signage within the venues instead of banners.
Waste Management
o No goodie bags, so no waste of resources and no waste after the event.
o 100% waste management to stimulate reuse and recycling.
Plus
o Rideshare or public transportation was encouraged. Airport pick up by local attendees provided.
o Investment in young local musical talent by adding cultural performances to the program.
o Koppert Cress, an organization concerned with tomorrow’s food future was a part of the educational programming.

Run For The Oceans

Basic Event Information

Date: 8 June 2019
Location: Prague
Organizer: CREATIVE PRO (CZ) s.r.o.
Client: Adidas
Event: type Brand Activation

EVENT CATEGORY: CATEGORY B2C – Best Brand Activation

Event description and key objectives

RUN FOR THE OCEANS is a global movement that harnesses the power of sport to raise awareness around the threat of marine plastic pollution and inspire action amongst Adidas consumers. Runners all around the world spend a whole week collecting kilometers via the Runtastic application, through which Adidas then donates $1 to the Parley Ocean School for each km run.

Dramatize the problem and increase awareness for the cause
Increase Participation for local Event
Provide a tangible Way for consumers to provide a change

Key challenges

Communicate threat of ocean pollution in an ocean-less country
Dramatize problem and increase participation among runners and people who care about sustainability
Maximize the reach of the event with minimum budget and low impact on the environment (no advertisement materials produced).

Creativity

We used the Think global-act local approach to illustrate the problem, to increase participation and to show tangible ways of making a difference. We focused on presenting local environmental issues and their global impact.

• We partnered up with celebrities and Influencers in order to show their unique stories and their individual approaches to the cause, inviting people to join the movement and take part in local events.
• We set up a local event – a kick of run pulling the community of runners, Influencers and sustainability activists together.
• We ran for sustainability. We chose to be one hundred percent ecological.

Innovation

We used two special innovation materials.

Oppboga Outdoor is a biodegradable, fibre based display board for outdoor signs and displays. It does not contain plastic or PE coating. As a result, when the board has served its purpose as a sign or display, it will simply degrade naturally.

Packwall: First-class board for construction. The structural and interior boards from used beverage cartons

Execution

On a special location Strelecky island in Prague, we created a local event. It consists of one main stage where were presented Influencers, Sustainable Activists and Adidas representatives. Eco non-profit organization has an edu point to localize the message. In pop up tents were led workshops – make your own muesli, eco deodorant, canva bag. Additionally, there were workshops of surfing and yoga to support an idea of oceans. The lawn area was set up as a nice natural launch area with blankets and beanbags. All event was 100 percent ecological. From giveaway t-shirts, catering, boards, flags, info panels…

Measurable results

We exceeded the target.

For KPI 150 Local Event participants we reached 210.
For KPI 500 Runtastic sign-ups we reached 20+K.
For KPI 300K social media we reached 310389.
For KPI 1MIO media reach we reached 17MIO.
Runners in the Czech Republic ran with Runtastic application 119,223 km.

Communication

Communication was divided into 4 main phases.

Tease (duration: 5 weeks) – Educate about oceans pollutions – local pollution and Create urgency & awareness around the problem
Recruit locals for the event (duration: 2 weeks) – Explain the local and global impact
Participate (1 week) – Celebrate participants and encourage impacting change
Recap (1 week) – Celebrate results

The media campaign was running on own social media channels Facebook and Instagram and supported by articles on other social media. Supported by Influencers, Sustainable activists with their unique stories and their individual approaches to the cause, inviting people to join the movement and take part in local events. The outdoor campaign was covered by guerilla Aqua Ads around the Prague and Educational panels were placed on the location of Strelecky Ostrov for 2 weeks before an event. Our social media reach was 310+K with total media reach 17+MIO.

The use of sustainable practices

We ran for sustainability. We chose to be one hundred percent ecological.

• Instead of printing posters, we cleaned the message to the sidewalks we used Aqua Ads
• Instead of polyester for branding flags, we used cotton and other natural and recycled materials
• Catering was vegetarian and served on biodegradable dishes (paper, wood & corn starch plastic)
• info panels were from local and natural materials.
• Giveaway t-shirts by Adidas were made of upcycled ocean plastic.

We used two special innovation materials.

Oppboga Outdoor is a biodegradable, fibre-based display board for outdoor signs and displays. It does not contain plastic or PE coating. As a result, when the board has served its purpose as a sign or display, it will simply degrade naturally.

Packwall: First-class board for construction. The structural and interior boards from used beverage cartons.

24th WONCA Europe Conference

Basic Event Information

Date: 26.6. – 29.6.2019
Location: Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Organizer: Guarant International
Client: WONCA Europe
Event type: Conference

EVENT CATEGORY: CATEGORY B2C – Best Association Congress/Conference

Event description and key objectives

The 24th WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE was with more than 1900 participants the biggest conference event in Bratislava. It created a great opportunity to share experience among the general practitioners of medicine. Exchanging new information provided by general practitioners will consequently help to increase the quality of services that are provided to the patients. The main motto of the conference was “The Human Side of Medicine”. Fostering open relationships and investing more time with the patients help family doctors increase the quality of prevention and care. The conference combined three venues in walking distance: Slovak National Theatre, Sheraton Bratislava, Cinema City Eurovea, all located close by the Danube river promenade in Eurovea complex.

Key objectives:

establish a close collaboration with governments, policy-makers and non-governmental organizations, to promote a better understanding of the nature and core services of family doctors and their central role in primary health care and increase the human resources where necessary;
work closer with educational institutions and current and future students of medicine;
continue taking care of and comforting the patients by tailoring treatment and avoiding over-diagnosis and overtreatment, as under-diagnosis and under-treatment;
develop an action plan and collaborate with all parties to improve the conditions of work of the primary health care workforce to ensure their social and mental wellbeing.

Key challenges

find suitable venue(s) for almost 2000 guests;
logistic (accommodation, transport…), because it was the first time an event of this kind and size took place in Slovakia (Bratislava traditionally hosts only congresses for up to 1000 participants);
prepare conference program that fulfill the main theme of the conference – “General practice – the Human Side of Medicine“.

Creativity

There is no venue in Bratislava designated for congresses and conferences with 1000+ participants. Therefore, the conference was held in 3 different buildings around one square – the new Slovak National Theatre, the Sheraton Bratislava Hotel and Cinema City Eurovea – everything within short walking distance (2 minutes as a maximum) close by the Danube river promenade in Eurovea complex. In this way, we connected education, history, nature and entertainment together at one place.

Innovation

The interactivity of participants was increased by the WONCA 2019 mobile app. The application gave access to the scientific and social programme, conference schedule or plans of the venue and allowed participants to organize meetings via networking module and matchmaking session – module which offered a marketplace of ideas and services. This innovation was helpful to cover diverse needs (for example research partnerships, mentorships) and was in line with the action points of the WONCA Europe Future Plan (e.g., strengthening the WONCA Europe conferences; promotion of collaborations for content creation among the networks; building competence through systematic support of future leaders). The mobile application WONCA 2019 was downloaded by a record number of participants (1323 times in total). The mobile application also offered interactive module called matchmaking which was used as a marketplace of ideas and services. The event also included less common e-poster presentations and one slide – 5-minute presentations.

Execution

Bratislava is a safe, cozy but relatively small city and WONCA Europe 2019 was the first conference of this size in Slovakia. In spite of that, the event went absolutely smoothly and the participants enjoyed it without a single problem.

While organizing the event we tried to put special emphasis on two aspects:

presentation of Slovakia and particularly Bratislava (the conference venues were located right in the city center; the opening ceremony included a folklore group performance). Professional city presenters from Bratislava Convention Bureau provided tailored – made information about the city and its attractions and helped participants to get familiar with Bratislava.
the main theme of the conference – “general practice – the human side of medicine” (workshops also for the public, media coverage, following the statement: learning what it’s like to be a patient and what it’s like to be a physician)

Measurable results

A total of 1,919 delegates, exhibitors and guests came to the Slovak capital. Most participants are traditionally from Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands, and this held true again this year. The extensive scientific program included 6 plenary sessions, 236 oral presentations, 77 workshops and 673 e-posters. The total number of 1122 abstracts consisted for example of 98 one slide 5 – minutes presentations, 236 oral communications, 705 posters and 6 keynote lectures.

The mobile application WONCA 2019 was downloaded 1323 times and was actively used by 641 participants who sent 253 messages through the app. 16 offers/demands were made by its “matchmaking” module.

According to the internationally recognized metrics, the total economic impact of the event is estimated to reach more than 2 mil. EUR for the destination.

Communication

The media partner of the conference was Zdravotnícke noviny which published several advertisements. The press conference took place before the event. Dedicated PR agency mediated media outputs in TV, radio and press. Web and various social media were posting updates about the event. Overall, the conference got into general public awareness. Especially the Slovak public learned more about the importance of general practitioners which has increased the prestige of their work. The official web page of WONCA Europe 2019:

http://www.woncaeurope2019.org/

The conference perfectly fits the strategy of Bratislava as a MICE-destination which stands for Accessibility, Execution, and Innovation. Bratislava Tourist Board communicated Bratislava city via the destination video spot at the opening ceremony and in the breaks between the sessions as well as the information stand with the hostess who gave destination information to the participants. The conference was also communicated in Kongres Magazine.

The use of sustainable practices

Recyclable and reusable materials were used during the event, contributing to environmental sustainability. Cultural sustainability was also empowered: Slovakia is the land still living with its history and its folklore. As proof that our traditions are still alive, the opening ceremony presented performance of Lúčnica. The Slovak artistic ensemble Lúčnica, an awardee of the highest rank at home and abroad, symbolizes the original culture of Slovak nation, genuine in its dance, instrumental and vocal expressions. It has become an artistic and generational link between the traditions from the past and the turbulent yet strikingly beautiful present. This true cultural phenomenon is one of Slovakia’s best-known trademarks which have managed to move and excite spectators with its art for 70 years.

Additional material

WONCA 2019 Statistics Download

Bratislava as a Fast-Growing MICE Hub in Central Europe Download

IBA Welcome Party

Date: 7 October 2018
Location: Villa Aldobrandini, Frascati – Rome (Italy)
Organizer: AIM Group International
Client: International Bar Association
Event type: Welcome Dinner and Party

Basic Event Information

EVENT CATEGORY: CATEGORY B2B – Best ceremony

Event description and key objectives

The International Bar Association is the world’s leading international organisation of legal practitioners and law societies. For IBA AIM Group designed an incredible experience in the Eternal City for the Annual Conference Welcome Dinner. This event is the first moment of several days of intense work where international colleagues meet and establish a climate of collaboration. This event should surprise participants and be memorable, not an easy task as IBA is used to prestigious events and is not easily impressed. Moreover, +4.000 people were expected, which limits the location choice.

We chose the historical Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, well-known as a belvedere in the hills overlooking Rome. It is an architectural and artistic masterpiece, rarely opened to events. The wow factor was guaranteed by a creative project developed by AIM Group that made it unique. Taking inspiration from the sumptuous baroque feasts held at ancient Italian courts, the party recreated a sumptuous world full of surprises. Guests were free to walk around the villa, from the terrace to the gardens and the solemn nymphaeum, and everywhere they went, they came across scenes and performances nestled in the environment.

To make this execution as smooth as possible, the event space was enlarged, in addition to the luxurious interior rooms of the Villa we equipped the terrace and the beautiful garden, transforming the areas into a stage for live performances and a large pavilion of 2,500sqm.

Key challenges

“IBA is an Association that brings together members from all over the globe. Some of them become friends over the years: what they look forward to each year is to meet together in a new city for a new experience. This usually means beginning the Conference with a special party”, explains the client. The dinner is seen as a special event to mark the beginning of several days of intense work and to create the special atmosphere of ì collaboration. As a networking event it has to surprise participants and be memorable, not an easy task as attendees are used to prestigious IBA events. Furthermore, with more than 4.000 expected attendees, the options available for venues is somewhat limited and brings its own special logistic challenges. Moreover, it should not be just a large location, but a very special one that would allow to display a unique experience. Finally, Villa Aldobrandini was chosen as the perfect location, but since it is located on a hill bringing all guests up to the Villa and passing through steep narrow cobblestone paths, was not an easy task. We overcame the logistic limit by using bigger coaches to bring guests from Rome downtown to Frascati. Here they would be accompanied by smaller vans up on the hill, with a total of +130 shuttle buses. In the meantime, Frascati’s Mayor welcomed the guests with a typical Italian aperitivo with pizza and wine, which is one of the best wines in the Region with a registered designation of origin.

Creativity

As the dinner’s leitmotif, we interpreted the client’s request to offer the extraordinary atmosphere of Italy and its iconic culture, art, food, history, music. In fact, Villa Aldobrandini is one of the best examples of early Baroque. Built in the 16th century, it is sumptuously decorated and hosts a valuable collection of artworks including works by Leonardo da Vinci and sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini, from which we took inspiration to interpret the sumptuous baroque feasts held at ancient Italian courts and recreated a world full of real surprises. Guests were free to walk around the villa, from the terrace to the Villa’s rooms, to the gardens and the famous, notable nymphaeum, with niches, fountains and statues. Everywhere they went, guests would came across scenes and artistic performances inspired by baroque grandeur. The outstanding feature of IBA Party it is the high level of personalisation of the artistic project. In fact, we built coherent storytelling strongly linked both to the Italian culture, and Rome in particular, and to the location. The art collection of the Villa gave the inspiration to realise an astonishing baroque feast, while the Nymphaeum was used as the natural backdrop for the main stage where display an ancient show and the Italian-style garden was chosen as the ideal place to host the living Signs of the Zodiac garden. Finally, every detail of the feast was conceived to design a unique experience, with a truly local taste, inimitable and memorable.

Innovation

One of the actual trends in event organisation is the participants’ expectation to be directly involved and emotionally engaged with all the five senses. At IBA Party there were multiple areas where different performances and shows were simultaneously offered to the guests and repeated several times, as to allow all the 4,000 participants to have the chance to enjoy them. And apart from the show at main stage, most of them were really plunged among guests, with dancers and performers staying along the path and near to the public. Being free to walk within the different areas of the location (the terrace, the garden, the nymphaeum theatre, the interior of the Villa, the Pavilions) the Guests were able to have each a different experience depending on the way they chose and time that they decided to spend. Personalised experiences are the key!

As we wrote at the beginning of this piece, in order to offer a true personalized experience, it is crucial to address the event to all five senses. In fact, the IBA Welcome Party was a triumph of bright colours, majestic music, fancy textiles and gourmet tastes. This enabled guests to really feel as a part of the show, to enjoy their time and consider their experience as new, innovative and unforgettable!

Execution

Guests were welcomed at the front terrace by dancers in sparkling crinolines three-metres-tall, accompanied by a jazz band. Living installations dedicated to the Four Seasons were performed as a tribute to sculptor G. Bernini, as his masterpieces just representing the Four Seasons are housed in the Villa. Spring Awakening and Summer Tarantella were performed by dancers with flowering costumes under a suspended ceiling with 15,000 fresh spikes and flowers. Autumn Leaves and Winter Reflections were showcased in a column of fluttering leaves and sparkling snowflakes with dancing figures. The fairy Signs of the Zodiac Garden were stage to accompany guests along a path with discoveries of fascinating elements at every step. Each Zodiac Sign was represented by a flower, anthropomorphized by ladies with decorated garments who resembled Botticelli’s Venus. A dedicated show called “Il Fin, la Meraviglia”, was performed at the nymphaeum and provided an exclusive opportunity to enjoy a breathtaking masterpiece based on the piece staged in 1589 for the wedding of Ferdinando de’ Medici. The performance featured aerial acrobats, pyrotechnics and an ever-changing scenography that unified video projections with mythological figures. The night was crowned by spectacular firework displays with giant balloons and flying acrobats, Guests watched from the privileged location of the terrace overlooking the valley: the icing on the cake to this event with an outstanding WOW factor!

Measurable results

The dinner was carried out at a well-engineered pace and was a perfect mix of remarkable moments containing the opportunity to move freely through different areas, enjoy the shows, chat and eat. Surprise and delight were shared
emotions throughout the invitees. “To have the setting of Frascati, this enchanting Villa and these fantastic performances insured a warm and welcoming experience for all of us,” commented the client. “You can judge the wow effect by the number of people holding up their smartphones and filming what they were watching and recording the music!” These comments from the client confirm that we were able to offer that atmosphere of grandeur, surprise and a sense of awe. We provided an opportunity to experience Rome and Italian culture in an astonishing, original way, usually inaccessible and unique even for those who have already been to the city several times. Spirits were high during the evening and most of them not only filmed what they were watching but also spontaneously shared it on social media and posted their impressions all through the night: Twitter was the most used social platform by the attendees in real time and the hashtag #IBARome exploded with hundreds of engagements.

The gala dinner in numbers:

4,000 guests
2,500 square metres of pavilion
15,000 fresh flowers and spikes
130 buses + 45 minivan
75 dancers and artists involved overall
3 fireworks displays
234 tweets & retweets within few hours

Communication

As the Welcome Party should become a unique night for the guests, communication followed an ascending climax of curiosity. At first, a simple presentation of the event was provided on the event website. This page showed some practical info related to date and place and a description regarding the history of the location on a white background with no particular hint to the grandeur of performances. A second step was handing out some small leaflets during the congress registration. This leaflet contained a more detailed description of the location and its history, the reproduction of the villa in an ancient painting, the buffet menu, but also a rendering of the Villa and its areas where guests could walk through. Moreover, this map displayed the tag with the name of the performance that was going to be executed in that particular area. A further step into the night, but still not many details about how sumptuous it all would be! The night before, both the IBA social media accounts and ours at AIM Group International, started to post some sneak peaks of what was going to happen. In fact, artists and performers were doing rehearsals and part of the scenography was still being set up. The morning of the day a 20-seconds video was posted on social media to anticipate the mood of the night. As hours went by, more and more details were published online, but making sure guests were left open-mouthed as soon as they saw the first performance in action!

The use of sustainable practices

For the IBA Welcome Party no badges were printed especially for the night, as the guests were coming directly from the Congress Centre were they collected their conference materials. For what regards the catering service, biodegradable paper dishes, cups and recyclable cutlery were used for the typical Italian Aperitivo that was being served on Frascati’s square. Moreover, the food and wine that was served during the cocktail was locally sourced to actively involve the local enogastronomic community. Especially the wine came from canteens located among the vineyards of Castelli Romani (Roman Castles) and the province Lazio, where some of the best Italian wines are being produced. All of these wines have a registered designation of origin, so they are somehow protected from imitations.

Game City Vienna

Basic Event Information

Date: 18th – 20th of October 2019
Location: Vienna – City Hall
Organizer: MICE & Men Eventmarketing
Client: Gaming Industry
Event type: Gaming Convention

EVENT CATEGORY: CATEGORY B2C – Best Festivals

Event description and key objectives

13 years ago when the idea of the Game City was born, the world was hit with the horrific news of shootings at schools around the world, and the world blamed shooters games for this kind of violence. Instead of banning such games from the public, the city of Vienna decided to open up the City Hall invite young adults, kids and their families to a gaming event for free. The unique part is that this event is taking place in the heart of Vienna in the City Hall. Not only are the latest games being shown, but there is a section for families where parents and students can inform themselves on safer gaming etc. As well as a big international gaming conference with speakers from all over the world. Out event today caters to over eighty thousand people.

Key challenges

Logistically it is a challenge to have this event in the historic City Hall, but unthinkable to have it at any other place. Another challenge is getting enough companies to show case their products. It always depends on the market, and since we are a free to enter event we totally reply and depend on our exhibitors and sponsors. But one of the biggest challenges yet is that the location of our event is a political building, so anything can happen.

Creativity

The most beautiful part about the Game City is seeing literally all ages come together and celebrate games and entertainment. People always say that this is the place for everyone, everyone come together once a year and share their worlds with each other. Every year we come up with a theme for the event, this years theme is: Gaming Connects.

Innovation

We are always looking for new creative ideas, our exhibitors are companies that come up with new innovations and grab the chance to show case those at our event, with cool creative ideas, stands and entertainment for our visitors.

Execution

Preparation time usually takes all year, finding exhibitors coming up with new ideas, traveling to similar exhibitions all over world, going for the latest trends and companies in the industry. Insuring that we get all the rooms the City Hall, taking care of permissions around the location. Building a strong team of around 150 people. Interacting with out visitors on social media etc.

Measurable results

The Game City started out 13 years ago with around 25 000 visitors this number has since increased to 80 000 visitors. We started with a few exhibitors and have now reached the number of 100 exhibitors annually.

Communication

Its mostly word of mouth, social media, media exposure (TV, paper..), and campaigns around the event date.

The use of sustainable practices

We have already begun work on how to implement ways that we can make our event environmentally friendly and therefor sustainable. We work closely with the City of Vienna, as well as out exhibitors.

Dream-team jury of Conventa Best Event Award: Stefan Kozak

[vc_custom_heading text=”CONVENTA BEST EVENT AWARD 2019″ font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Oswald%3A300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”]

Organizers of mind-blowing events from New European region are invited to enter the competition that will again acknowledge the best in the event business. All submitted entries will be evaluated by a jury consisting of international experts from the field of event organisation. We sat down to talk to the dream-team jury member of Conventa Best Event Award, Stefan Kozak.

Q: What do you look for when you’re judging the best events?

Working with events as POC (points of content), „Umbrella thinking“, Authenticity, Simplicity, Creativity, Experiences with a direct and clear impact on targets/objectives/goals

Q: How will your background influence the way you look at entries?

I am sure about one thing, in the past 16 years, I have done around 3 427 267 mistakes, while developing our event & live comm agencies and projects on four different markets. These failures help me at most to grow up professionally and so I believe this self-experienced „eventpedia“ could influence also the others 🙂

Q: Why are competitions like the Conventa Best Event Awards important?

To learn and stay humble, every time and always. The only way, how to be able to recognize, experience the overall event industry shifts are the competitions, where you can feel and understand different approaches and live comm outlooks from the view of different markets and of course also from your possible competitors and market influencers.

Q: What advice would you give to agencies and brands thinking about what events to put forward for Conventa Best Event Awards?

Choose the best ones. Those you strongly believe in. Explain and show why you believe that this is the best one. Build it up on your project´s extra miles – it can be a strong creative idea, lasting impact, visuality, dramaturgy and so on, pls do not just explain what and how have you done the project. Last but not least, without the right storytelling, there is no story-selling.

Q: Your hashtag suggestion for 2019 Conventa Crossover?

#CONVCROSS2019
#COVER2019
#CCROSS2019

[vc_cta h2=”About Stefan Kozak” h4=”Founder, Co-owner, Managing director and CEO of CREATIVE PRO”]Still a Doer. Still a Believer. Still a Creator.

At the beginning of his career, Stefan worked for an organisation which he founded and for civil society organisations operating in the field of theatre and art, he frequently contributed to various theatre and film projects as well as international festivals.

In 2003 Stefan founded a company focused on live & event marketing CREATIVE PRO and consequently he built a diversified group of companies, called CREATIVE PRO group, with businesses present mainly on Slovak and Czech market, Hungary and Poland. In 2017 he has also included digital perspective into an event and live marketing and has co-founded digital & content agency CUKIER (a happy member of CREATIVE PRO group) in Warsaw, Poland. CREATIVE PRO event and live marketing agency have won various national and international awards in the field of live marketing (Zlatý Klinec 2013, 2014, 2016, CEA 2017, Best Event Awards World festival 2013, 2015, 2017, Eventex Awards 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)

Along with managing the group and its organisations he is in charge of business development, strategic acquisition as well as specific „270 degrees live & digital marketing“ projects in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.[/vc_cta]

[vc_btn title=”APPLY WITH YOUR AWESOME EVENT” style=”classic” shape=”square” color=”black” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.survio.com%2Fsurvey%2Fd%2FX9I9D0B4U5X1Q4H9V|||”]

Dream-team jury of Conventa Best Event Award: Davor Bruketa

Q: What do you look for when you’re judging the best events?

I look for memorable experiences people will talk about long after the event finishes. Something that is different, creative, meaningful and inspires connections – because this is why events exist, for people to meet each other and have fun while at it. Too many events focus on Instagrammability alone, which is important these days of course, but if you leave an event with only an Instagram picture, what’s left? Real human connections and their creative facilitation is what makes events memorable.

Q: How will your background influence the way you look at entries?

Creativity and good ideas are always the first thing I look for. The second thing is making a smart connection between a creative idea and the brand behind it, because this is what creates meaning and results.

Q: Why are competitions like the Conventa Best Event Awards important?

It’s important to give credit to quality because this is what pushes any industry forward. The same is with events.

Q: What advice would you give to agencies and brands thinking about what events to put forward for Conventa Best Event Awards?

Show why did you do what you did and how did your event makes a difference.

Q: Your hashtag suggestion for 2019 Conventa Crossover?

#makeadifference

[vc_cta h2=”About Davor Bruketa” h4=”Creative Director, Bruketa&Žinić&Grey”]Davor Bruketa is the Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at Bruketa&Žinić&Grey advertising agency. He is a permanent member of the New York Cresta Awards Grand Jury, he was also a jury member of many other prestigious competitions such as Red Dot, D&AD London, Art Directors Club New York, New York Festivals, Graphis, Young Guns, Hiiibrand, Luxembourg Design Awards and he was the first jury president of the London International Awards coming from eastern Europe.[/vc_cta]

[vc_btn title=”APPLY WITH YOUR AWESOME EVENT” style=”classic” shape=”square” color=”black” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.survio.com%2Fsurvey%2Fd%2FX9I9D0B4U5X1Q4H9V|||”]

Dream-team jury of Conventa Best Event Award: Ivo J. Franschitz

Q: What do you look for when you’re judging the best events?
Authenticity in idea, content & execution.

Q: How will your background influence the way you look at entries?
Great & unique ideas are only one part of the formula. What it also needs is perfect execution.

Q: Why are competitions like the Conventa Best Event Awards important?
It creates the necessary & deserved spotlight on our livecom industry.

Q: What advice would you give to agencies and brands thinking about what events to put forward for Conventa Best Event Awards?
Events with an authentic & consistent story-telling.

Q: Your hashtag suggestion for 2019 Conventa Crossover?
#LiveisLife

[vc_cta h2=”About Ivo” h4=”Owner & Managing Director of Enited Business Events”]Ivo J. Franschitz owns a master’s degree in international marketing from the Vienna University of Economics. Currently, he holds a Board member position with EMBA (Event Marketing Board Austria) and with LiveCom Alliance, as well as being an active member of ICCA and of 27NAMES.[/vc_cta]

1...192021...26 Page 20 of 26