Events
Interview
Experiences
Turning Heads
Feature
Trends
ISSUE #8
AUG 24
It's that time of the year when we all step away from our screens and our desks, get outside and seek out new experiences.
So, this August issue of HUC is dedicated to just that – experiences (and events).
This summer, when you're out and about enjoying doing 'your thing’ – whether you're chilling poolside in Ibiza, following the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail at the V&A in London, showing your support at the Paris 2024 Olympics, or exploring the backstreets of a village or town you've never been to – we want you to stop, take a moment to look around and think about what it is that makes the 'thing' you're doing such a great experience. And how can you apply this inspiration to B2B events and brand experiences?
“Festivals promote diversity, they bring neighbours into dialogue, they increase creativity, they offer opportunities for civic pride, they improve our general psychological well-being. In short, they make cities better places to live.”
David Binder - Producer, Curator and Story teller
For this issue we had the privilege of interviewing Chris Do, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind, visionary founder of The Futur, and Emmy award-winning designer and director. Chris has been a headline speaker at Adobe Max, AIGA Design Conference, HOW Design Live, and The Design Conference, as well as sharing his experience on international stages such as SXSW and TEDx.
Chris’s tips for creating content that turns heads:
In this exclusive Q&A, we asked Chris to share his 'secret' for coming up with head-turning ideas and what the most inspiring event experience he’s had in his illustrious career is, so far. Read on to find out Chris’s take on the electrifying atmosphere of SXSW and why he thinks the social content being inspired by the Paris Olympics says a lot about the power of an event to shape our cultural narrative.
MOI: First off, what's your secret to getting attention and turning heads with your work?
Chris: For me, the only ‘head’ that matters is the one that hired you. I think it's important to do the job you were paid to do and put that ahead of your own desire to create award-winning work - that is a perk to me. When you accept money from a client, this should be your highest priority—serve the client's needs.
For this issue we had the privilege of interviewing Chris Do, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind, visionary founder of The Futur, and Emmy award-winning designer and director. Chris has been a headline speaker at Adobe Max, AIGA Design Conference, HOW Design Live, and The Design Conference, as well as sharing his experience on international stages such as SXSW and TEDx.
Chris’s tips for creating content that turns heads:
In this exclusive Q&A, we asked Chris to share his 'secret' for coming up with head-turning ideas and what the most inspiring event experience he’s had in his illustrious career is, so far. Read on to find out Chris’s take on the electrifying atmosphere of SXSW and why he thinks the social content being inspired by the Paris Olympics says a lot about the power of an event to shape our cultural narrative.
MOI: First off, what's your secret to getting attention and turning heads with your work?
Chris: For me, the only ‘head’ that matters is the one that hired you. I think it's important to do the job you were paid to do and put that ahead of your own desire to create award-winning work - that is a perk to me. When you accept money from a client, this should be your highest priority—serve the client's needs.
MOI: What recent campaign has got your attention?
Chris: I'm loving the organic posts that are emerging from the Paris 2024 Olympics. It's not an organized campaign by one entity, but rather the output of so many people having a genuine emotional connection to what is going on. For a short period of time, we can forget that we're in a contentious election cycle, multiple wars going on, and celebrate individual human achievement.
MOI: What’s the coolest event or experience you’ve gone to - or been involved with?
Chris: I really enjoyed my first time at SXSW. I spoke on a panel but the best part for me were all the parties and independently organized events. For the first time, I went to an event and didn't make any plans. I kept it open so I could just go with the flow. I had dinner with some of my friends and peers from the Asian American community. It felt like a long time coming, but seeing a diverse group of Asian professionals coming together was really heart-warming for me.
It has to be said - listening to Chris is an experience in itself, promising to enlighten and inspire anyone passionate about creativity and innovation.
Thanks Chris. We know you’re a busy guy and you’re in high demand, so we really appreciate you being generous with your time.
MOI: What recent campaign has got your attention?
Chris: I'm loving the organic posts that are emerging from the Paris 2024 Olympics. It's not an organized campaign by one entity, but rather the output of so many people having a genuine emotional connection to what is going on. For a short period of time, we can forget that we're in a contentious election cycle, multiple wars going on, and celebrate individual human achievement.
MOI: What’s the coolest event or experience you’ve gone to - or been involved with?
Chris: I really enjoyed my first time at SXSW. I spoke on a panel but the best part for me were all the parties and independently organized events. For the first time, I went to an event and didn't make any plans. I kept it open so I could just go with the flow. I had dinner with some of my friends and peers from the Asian American community. It felt like a long time coming, but seeing a diverse group of Asian professionals coming together was really heart-warming for me.
It has to be said - listening to Chris is an experience in itself, promising to enlighten and inspire anyone passionate about creativity and innovation.
Thanks Chris. We know you’re a busy guy and you’re in high demand, so we really appreciate you being generous with your time.
Broadcast on TikTok to over 3 million viewers, the Live Fest show was hosted by Terry Crews and TikTok star TK, with live music performances and over 400 creators streaming live, getting their followers fully involved in every part of the experience, from the red carpet to the performances to the awards show.
Live Fest generated 55 million impressions, 2.7 million unique viewers, plus 72.7k peak concurrent users that led to 8k+ new TikTok followers.
Broadcast on TikTok to over 3 million viewers, the Live Fest show was hosted by Terry Crews and TikTok star TK, with live music performances and over 400 creators streaming live, getting their followers fully involved in every part of the experience, from the red carpet to the performances to the awards show.
Live Fest generated 55 million impressions, 2.7 million unique viewers, plus 72.7k peak concurrent users that led to 8k+ new TikTok followers.
Watch here
Turning Heads™
Experience
matters...
The experiences you have that turn your head and influence the choices you make; the experiences you create for your customers, your family and friends; and the experience you’ve acquired that makes you a unique individual.
We think that the B2B experiences that turn more heads are the ones that are “… not-so-B2B”.
If you want to get to these it helps to have a way to think and do things differently. We call this Turning Heads™.
It’s our own methodology and approach to problem solving which helps us to think beyond the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. Turning Heads enables us to get the right mix of experts together with their heads turned towards any challenge. And when we do this we’re able to develop next level experiences that result in better business outcomes… and turn heads.
How is it that certain events or experiences manage to capture your attention and create such a lasting impression in ways that others don’t? It’s not usually the result of one thing… let’s be honest, no one goes to an event, to ‘go to the event’. They go with the anticipation of having an experience. Chris Do talked about this in relation to SXSW in his interview with us this month.
We’ve all been to events or had experiences that have turned our heads. Here are a few that have made an impact on us recently that we think have been created with a Turning Heads approach…
A masterclass in creating an inclusive, accessible and awesomely engaging experience.
Free to visit, the Trail is a unique exhibition made up of 13 installation ‘Stops’ (her lucky number) strategically located along a 1mile trail, that winds through 4 floors of the Victoria & Albert museum. Featuring 16 outfits along with other artefacts showcasing a chapter in the songbook of Taylor’s career, it’s beautifully and sympathetically co-located in and around V&A permanent exhibits, which by default encourages you to explore.
What makes this exhibition so "head-turning" is the way it encourages visitors to explore beyond the trail itself. I took my teenage "Swifties" to the exhibition and like everyone else visiting, the further along the trail people ventured, the more they slowed down and started taking in the museum's permanent exhibits.
To prove the point and the power of the experience, I found one of my 13-year-olds mesmerised by the gothic Altarpiece of St George in the Rapahel Gallery (Room 48a) rather than the Romeo and Juliet inspired costume worn by Swift on the Fearless tour! The further we journeyed, the more people became comfortable drifting off the trail – stopping to take in art, jewellery and furniture design, fashion, sculpture - but always coming back to the trail and always with the same energy and excitement about each of the next 13 Stops.
This is an event and exhibition that has been produced with a clear appreciation of visitor psychology. It demonstrates a confidence that giving visitors freedom to explore doesn't mean you'll lose them.
Rather than guiding people to a single destination, every step of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail WAS the experience.
A masterclass in creating an inclusive, accessible and awesomely engaging experience.
Free to visit, the Trail is a unique exhibition made up of 13 installation ‘Stops’ (her lucky number) strategically located along a 1mile trail, that winds through 4 floors of the Victoria & Albert museum. Featuring 16 outfits along with other artefacts showcasing a chapter in the songbook of Taylor’s career, it’s beautifully and sympathetically co-located in and around V&A permanent exhibits, which by default encourages you to explore.
What makes this exhibition so "head-turning" is the way it encourages visitors to explore beyond the trail itself. I took my teenage "Swifties" to the exhibition and like everyone else visiting, the further along the trail people ventured, the more they slowed down and started taking in the museum's permanent exhibits.
To prove the point and the power of the experience, I found one of my 13-year-olds mesmerised by the gothic Altarpiece of St George in the Rapahel Gallery (Room 48a) rather than the Romeo and Juliet inspired costume worn by Swift on the Fearless tour! The further we journeyed, the more people became comfortable drifting off the trail – stopping to take in art, jewellery and furniture design, fashion, sculpture - but always coming back to the trail and always with the same energy and excitement about each of the next 13 Stops.
This is an event and exhibition that has been produced with a clear appreciation of visitor psychology. It demonstrates a confidence that giving visitors freedom to explore doesn't mean you'll lose them.
Rather than guiding people to a single destination, every step of the Taylor Swift Songbook Trail WAS the experience.
“Beneath the deluge, the capital and its river, the Seine, became the theatre for a
dreamlike spectacle that acknowledged the history of a France that is mixed,
inclusive and unafraid of controversy,”
Le Monde - France
Every 4 years, one city gets the eyes of the world on it. But while each Olympic Games is linked to a host city, most of the action happens inside various stadia and arenas. So, the Olympics may take over a city, but it rarely takes in the city.
Enter creative director Tomas Jolly, with a Turning Heads idea that challenged the status quo. For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony of a Summer Olympic Games took place outside the main stadium, with Paris itself as the backdrop, connecting the Games to the host city in a much deeper, visceral and involving way.
And boy, did it turn heads! While some of the media commentary was negative and cynical—and there clearly were some provocative aspects to the event—there were far more positive reactions, proving just how head turning the ceremony was.
The Washington Post praised the ceremony’s “bold thinking (that) could bring a shine back to a global event,” even wishing Los Angeles good luck in doing better when it hosts in 2028.
It inspired us to consider how much more closely we could integrate B2B events with their host cities, leveraging all the unique local culture and opportunities to create really valuable experiences, rather than keeping a narrow focus on delivering an event that’s limited to the traditional exhibition centres.
“Beneath the deluge, the capital and its river, the Seine, became the theatre for a
dreamlike spectacle that acknowledged the history of a France that is mixed,
inclusive and unafraid of controversy,”
Le Monde - France
Every 4 years, one city gets the eyes of the world on it. But while each Olympic Games is linked to a host city, most of the action happens inside various stadia and arenas. So, the Olympics may take over a city, but it rarely takes in the city.
Enter creative director Tomas Jolly, with a Turning Heads idea that challenged the status quo. For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony of a Summer Olympic Games took place outside the main stadium, with Paris itself as the backdrop, connecting the Games to the host city in a much deeper, visceral and involving way.
And boy, did it turn heads! While some of the media commentary was negative and cynical—and there clearly were some provocative aspects to the event—there were far more positive reactions, proving just how head turning the ceremony was.
The Washington Post praised the ceremony’s “bold thinking (that) could bring a shine back to a global event,” even wishing Los Angeles good luck in doing better when it hosts in 2028.
It inspired us to consider how much more closely we could integrate B2B events with their host cities, leveraging all the unique local culture and opportunities to create really valuable experiences, rather than keeping a narrow focus on delivering an event that’s limited to the traditional exhibition centres.
It’s possible to turn heads for the wrong reasons, as proven by these absolute disasters
Fyre Festival, 2017
The event organiser being jailed for six years for fraud is never a good sign. Tickets to Fyre Festival cost up to $100,000 but attendees turned up at the festival site (an island once owned by Pablo Escobar) to find their “luxury” accommodation to be a mattress on the floor. And the less said about the food, the better. But the music must’ve been great, right? Nope, all the musicians dropped out.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience, 2024
You like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Well, this extremely off-brand “experience” was nothing like that. With misleading, AI-generated marketing, an AI-driven script for the actors that was complete gibberish, and children being rationed to just two jellybeans each, this event was far from magical.
DashCon, 2014
With attendee numbers only reaching a fraction of what was estimated and special guests and vendors dropping out left, right, and centre, every part of this Tumblr-inspired convention was a disaster. But what truly secured a place in the history books was the offer of “an extra hour in the ball pit” as reimbursement for a cancelled panel.
It’s possible to turn heads for the wrong reasons, as proven by these absolute disasters
Fyre Festival, 2017
The event organiser being jailed for six years for fraud is never a good sign. Tickets to Fyre Festival cost up to $100,000 but attendees turned up at the festival site (an island once owned by Pablo Escobar) to find their “luxury” accommodation to be a mattress on the floor. And the less said about the food, the better. But the music must’ve been great, right? Nope, all the musicians dropped out.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience, 2024
You like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Well, this extremely off-brand “experience” was nothing like that. With misleading, AI-generated marketing, an AI-driven script for the actors that was complete gibberish, and children being rationed to just two jellybeans each, this event was far from magical.
DashCon, 2014
With attendee numbers only reaching a fraction of what was estimated and special guests and vendors dropping out left, right, and centre, every part of this Tumblr-inspired convention was a disaster. But what truly secured a place in the history books was the offer of “an extra hour in the ball pit” as reimbursement for a cancelled panel.
So, you’ve been invited to a picnic. But there’s a catch! It’s down to you to make it an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each issue, we’re asking someone new to tell us what their ultimate fantasy creative picnic looks like. Remember, the sky’s the limit!
For this inaugural picnic, we asked MOI creative director Mike Christodoulou.
I’d love to invite the Super Mario Bros. to a picnic. Mario and Luigi, and Princess Peach too. I’ve grown up obsessed with the Nintendo games, racing endless laps playing as Peach on Mario Kart. Weeeeeeeee!
Think about it, we’d have superpowers to jump, flip, slide, fly, go invisible, and jump down portals into other dimensions, reappearing for cocktail hour. And of course, the cocktails have got to be magic mushroom potions that turn you into a giant.
We’d chat adventures, skills, superpowers, game plans, strategies for defeating Bowser. And then we’d head off for the next Mario Bros. experience.
Let us know who and what you’d bring to your own fantasy picnic!
So, you’ve been invited to a picnic. But there’s a catch! It’s down to you to make it an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each issue, we’re asking someone new to tell us what their ultimate fantasy creative picnic looks like. Remember, the sky’s the limit!
For this inaugural picnic, we asked MOI creative director Mike Christodoulou.
I’d love to invite the Super Mario Bros. to a picnic. Mario and Luigi, and Princess Peach too. I’ve grown up obsessed with the Nintendo games, racing endless laps playing as Peach on Mario Kart. Weeeeeeeee!
Think about it, we’d have superpowers to jump, flip, slide, fly, go invisible, and jump down portals into other dimensions, reappearing for cocktail hour. And of course, the cocktails have got to be magic mushroom potions that turn you into a giant.
We’d chat adventures, skills, superpowers, game plans, strategies for defeating Bowser. And then we’d head off for the next Mario Bros. experience.
Let us know who and what you’d bring to your own fantasy picnic!
GTFO… is what today’s event-goers want to do
of 21- to 35-year-olds said they’re looking forward to getting out of their comfort zone to try new experiences and connect with others.
GTFO… is what today’s event-goers want to do
of 21- to 35-year-olds said they’re looking forward to getting out of their comfort zone to try new experiences and connect with others.
Need inspiration for your next campaign, or want to chat with our global Creative
Team?
creative@moi-global.com
Join our mailing list
