MARCH | THE COLUMNISTS
Access’ 30 Under
30: Next Generation
columnists Simon
and Mehram reflect
on the past, while
Avantgarde’s
creative director
examines
‘storytelling’...
56
Storytelling at events
Steve Austen-Brown, creative
director at Avantgarde Legacy? What Legacy?
Kilimanjaro Live, event manager,
Simon Skelt The five-year mark
Mehram Sumray-Roots, founder,
YADA Events
Before we immerse our visitor,
just like any blockbuster summer
movie, it should start with the
tease. We need our visitor to know
just enough, but not too much.
Consider all the touchpoints
that the visitor will require to truly
engage with the story. The story
should build and trigger emotions
as the visitor adapts and responds
to the experience.
Finally, when working with a
brand story, be as bold as they let
you! Take the brand to unexpected
places, but don’t lose focus and
relevance as you reach the final
denouement.
Soon we will all be using AI to
assist in the generation of open-
ended narratives and testing out
scenarios. This will allow the
visitor to choose which rabbit hole
to jump down within experiences.
Responsive technology will adapt
instantly to these choices creating
infinite readings of the story.
We are beginning to look at
hybrid real and virtual experiences
to create completely new
storytelling techniques, applied
across different time frames
and spatial and geographical
considerations.
Never forget the audience’s
imaginations will fill in big gaps
(better than you can). It’s now been nearly eight years
since the Olympic circus came
to town. How time flies. I was
21 during the tournament and
unfortunately had not yet stepped
in to work in the industry, so did not
have a first-hand experience of the
games.
I would have loved to have been
a part of it though as, from the
perspective I had at the time, it
seemed as though the country was
actually, somewhat united. Well,
for the month and a half during
the course of the Olympics and
Paralympics at least. A year before
and there were the London riots.
Four years after and the ‘B word’
happened and now the country
seems as though it has never been
so divided. Not in my lifetime at
least.
It’s clear on what lasting impact
the Games has had on London, East
London in particular, with Hackney
going from having a ‘Murder Mile’
to now having an array of Vegan
cafes. If only the societal Olympic
legacy managed to sustain a
lifetime outside of the Games –
we’d possibly live in a much more
welcoming and unified land. But
hey… at least we can always look
back at Boris stuck on a zipwire and
remember the good old times. YADA is turning five, and I find
myself constantly reflecting
on what we have achieved, the
mistakes we have made and the
lessons that we have learnt along
the way. We have welcomed some
incredible talent into the team and
have been excited to see them leave
and start on their own, we have
had ups and downs, we have been
horrendously busy and at times it
has been a struggle to fill a day or to
feel productive.
Nevertheless, the one thing that
has stayed the same is that being a
part of this industry means being
part of a community – a diverse
and creative group of people who
have a passion for bringing people
together through live experiences.
Whether it’s a technology
conference, a student festival or a
product launch with a twist (we
have seen them all!), organising
an event is a journey. From the
brainstorming session to the event
day, there is a lot to consider along
the way. And you can’t do it alone.
No matter who you meet in the
industry this month, remember you
are part of a community. There’s
nothing wrong with asking for
advice and nothing better than
lending a helping hand.