THE POWER OF CREATIVITY
Creative agencies are the real powerful drivers of the UK – and global – events industry , writes Dax Callner , strategy director at Smyle
n the world of advertising , the term ‘ agency ’ enjoys a mystique and reverence that goes well beyond the Mad Men ‘ three-martini lunch ’ stereotype . Agencies are where big ideas emerge from a black box swirl of intelligence , insight and hubris .
Not as well understood is the role of the agency in the events industry . Here ’ s a secret : global brands often turn to specialist creative agencies to help them develop compelling , high-impact events for an array of audiences , such as consumers , business customers , media and influencers , and even employees . These agencies are operating behind-the-scenes ( literally ) to bring to life incredibly creative and commercially impactful events . In this piece we will explore the role event agencies play in this critical industry .
What is an agency ? An agency is a collection of people who have come together to help a brand take on creative and business challenges . In the events industry this differs starkly from suppliers , but event agencies often work with an array of suppliers and freelancers , driving economic impact that goes well beyond their own retained services .
An event supplier might provide audio and visual services or catering for a physical event , or a technology platform for a virtual event . An agency , on the other hand , will work in partnership with the client at the onset of a project to refine goals and objectives , develop key insights and creative ideas to help solve a business or communications challenge and oversee all aspects of event implementation and measurement . Here ’ s an example : when the pandemic presented challenges to Samsung participation in the 2020 IFA ( a massive electronics industry trade show ), they still needed to launch products to business customers , consumers , and the media . They collaborated with us at Smyle to develop a one-of-a-kind live online experience that would get key messages out there during IFA , capitalising on the energy of the event and solving a tricky event challenge in today ’ s world .
When should organisations engage a creative agency for their event ? A company , NGO , or government body should consider hiring an agency when they need experienced , expert help and creativity to deliver a high-impact experience for their audiences , hopefully resulting in significant business impact . Agencies are designed to increase the odds of success by bringing smart thinking and an external perspective to a creative challenge . Event agency people are experts at bringing brands to life and in communicating key messages in a live setting , very different from a digital marketing or broadcast advertising campaign .
So , if you ’ ve got a significant challenge and need help figuring out a way forward , consider engaging an event agency .
What makes for a good agency ? Here are three things to think about when selecting an agency :
Creativity : will they bring smart , fresh thinking to the table ? Chemistry : is the team a group of people you want to work with ? It ’ s all about positive working relationships . Cost : Will they deliver value for your investment ? You may want to take a deeper look before selecting an agency based on cost alone .
Let ’ s talk about cost for a moment . I ’ m not suggesting that higher cost is always better , but the agency relationship is about value . You want to make sure you will get www . conference-news . co . uk