Eurobest 2013 prepares a line-up of workshops with focus on quality content

Eurobest, international festival scheduled to take place in Lisbon, on December 4-6, will include three days of outstanding content, themed around creative bravery, including four workshops that are a “must attend”.

The program will be kicked off by author and journalist Rob Gray, with the workshop “Great Brand Blunders: Learning from Epic Campaign Flops and Marketing Disasters”. Rob Gray explores almost 200 examples of marketing misadventures spanning Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia. The workshop takes a fun and insightful look at the reasons behind some notable brand disasters and provides useful tips on steering clear of trouble.

I’m looking forward immensely to taking part in such a prominent, well-regarded event for Europe’s talent-rich advertising industry. Given Eurobest’s well-founded reputation for attracting the cream of creative talent, I’m sure my workshops will trigger plenty of intelligent discussion. And hopefully the odd laugh or two…in the interests of self-improvement, rather than Schadenfreude, of course

Rob Gray  

Tim Elliot and Tim Leighton from Jack Morton will host “The Experience Brief”. They question, as the Information Age gives way to the Era of Engagement, what does it take to stop thinking communications campaign and start thinking brand experience? What should brands be asking of their agencies and what sorts of conversations do agencies need to start having with their clients? 

We’re delighted to be part of Eurobest this year – escaping London in winter and soaking up all that creativity, what could be better. We’re also delighted to have the opportunity to talk brand experience. In fact, everyone’s talking about it, but does everyone know how to brief for it? Luckily we’re running a workshop on just that topic.

Tim Elliot 

Jack Morton, one of the world’s leading brand experience agencies, invites clients and agencies alike to a workshop all about understanding what it takes to craft a new type of brief: The Experience Brief.

Christian Mix-Linzer, CEO of Tracks & Fields, will focus his workshop on the use of music in creative communications. Using songs by real artists, from the super-obscure to the super-famous, is becoming increasingly popular with brands wanting to rise above the noise and distinguish themselves from their competitors. Bands are also looking at advertisers as a new way to reach audiences. But there are a number of challenges, from creative to legal to financial, that have to be overcome. A perfect band/brand fit can help turning consumers into fans, while a wrong turn and something can turn into embarrassment. This workshop will help attendees learn the most essential basics needed to get it right.

Steve Overman, CEO & Founder of Match & Candle, will introduce participants to an innovation technique called Rapid Prototyping, a method that’s deployed in the field of Industrial Design to quickly generate breakthrough product and service concepts, ideas and experiences.

As a global brand executive, I’ve experienced first-hand the distinctness and competency of every region around the world. Creatively, Europe stands tall; it’s a fusion of ancient and futuristic. Europe is justifiably proud of its long history of international creative leadership, but I think it deserves to be the epicentre of forward-facing innovation. Why does that accolade always go to California? To me, Eurobest is the perfect place to catalyze a new European renaissance, where the worlds’ toughest challenges and greatest opportunities can be re-created and remade. I can’t wait to work with some of Europe’s savviest creative talent, and redesign the system

Steve Overman

Workshops at Eurobest offer a hands-on experience with unique opportunities to broaden skillsets and boost ideas as experts lead one-hour crash courses across key creative areas. Each session will take place twice over Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 December, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, allowing delegates to make the most of the packed content programme on offer. This year, Eurobest pays tribute to the São Jorge Cinema, home of the Festival for the last three years, with some speakers creating film posters as a way to announce their seminars. 

Launched in 1988, Eurobest is Europe’s leading annual awards competition for creative excellence in the categories of Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Craft, Interactive, Media, Direct, Promo & Activation, Design, PR, Integrated, Mobile and Branded Content & Entertainment advertising. Since 2008, the awards, which are judged by Europe’s top creatives, form part of a two-and-a-half day Festival themed to identify and engage specific topics that are relevant to the European market. The festival, attended by more than 1,900 delegates in 2012, has previously been held in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Lisbon.