MIKE BELL: Freelance Event Experiential Exhibition Design

Freelancer Rule #2

2012-02-27T19:09:00.001Z

Second in a short series of Freelance Enlightenment

Things you cannot charge for (normally) as a freelancer:

Your own investment in hardware/software/underwear
Time spent travelling miles and miles to the rural location of your terribly rural client, who will not pay London rates - "Not in bloody Soho now, me lad"
Time spent downloading attached images/files that turn out to be a complete waste of time
Time spent uploading re-attached images to explain the moot point
Hire of machinery/stationery that you hump to their office because the 'hot desk' is a bare surface
Therapy before a pitch
Sickness of a pitch
Holidays after a pitch
Late payments
Repetition, hesitation, or deviation.. Not even just a minute's worth

Freelancer Rule #1

2012-02-23T18:49:00.001Z

First in a short series of Freelance Enlightenment

As a freelancer you should NEVER give your time up for free, no matter, whatever, never, ever, without question... ever. If you do you will:

Live with animosity forever that 'client'
Kick yourself for the time you did when you could have been charging
Not have added to your portfolio, you will have reduced it, because you know some of it was given away without anything given back..
Not have created a valuable relationship, because you gave it no value
Lost credibility with anyone you relate this stupidity to
Be propping up a business that CAN afford to pay for you EVEN if it is a pitch, "a great mutual opportunity", "the start of a wonderful relationship"..

If you get asked to work for free, or on a 'joint bid' for free, you could:

Ask them if they would come and cut your grass/look after the kids, etc this weekend/overnight whilst you are developing their brilliant idea?
Put them in touch with your bank manager to see if he wants to get involved for free too
Ask how much he got paid last month, will get this month and then next month.. Or is he working for free too?

There is no 'Free' in Freelancer.

Quirk..

2012-02-14T13:21:00.001Z

Loved this little creation .... " MESH Architectures handcrafts pipe lights in a variety of configurations including custom installs.."

Source: design-milk.com via Mike on Pinterest

Interviews - some thoughts after school

2012-01-20T09:48:00.005Z

The other day I spent a few hours at my wife's secondary school helping the final year students practice their interview techniques. In the gym hall, behind scattered small exam desks, you know the ones 500mm x 500mm, wooden, a bit wobbly, sat various individuals willing to also give up their time and come into the school to assist in the process. In came the pupils, sitting at the vacant chairs, each in turn then put through the outlined process that 'us' outsiders were asked to complete.

All-in-all I found the exercise useful, from my perspective, and, hopefully, the pupils gained some insights. I may not be the 'best' kind of person to instruct anyone in getting the most out of the education machine (having left school with paltry results, and not even allowed to do Art, down to admin-hell rather than life skills), but having had many interviews - on both sides of the desk I think I know a few things about that, so I will offer, up my key points to 16 year olds everywhere - these were the common issues:

Handshake, Hello, wHo - The three Hs first - firm, loud, and clear...
Smile - it helps you gain time whilst thinking of an answer
Eye contact - go for the bridge, rest momentarily, return. But keep at it.
Body - posture in the chair, helps you breath, you look great!
Hands - movement, yes: wringing, no!
Voice - speak to the face, the desk is not interested.
Think - you have time - smile and think before you answer
Truth - never lie, just tell the truth beautifully - you never got a medal in sport, but your parents think you are brilliant in helping get your siblings through life, worth a few medals alone..
Ambition - show some, 'Dunno' inspires no one. Talk about dreams. We all should.
Shine. From when you walk in, and after you have walked out..

Good luck, I think all our kids, no matter how many certificates they gain, need that too.

Recent Guardian Reply..

2012-01-11T15:50:00.003Z

Following article on the Guardian (UK): (link here)
"The supply chain is an essential part of the sustainability jigsaw
A company's sustainability credentials should consider its supply chain and avoid a one-size fits all approach"

I posted:

As a designer and developer of live events - across the exhibition, meeting and experiential markets - in my (ugh 30-year) experience- the desire to create 'greener' events is a shout I hear expressed by many buyers, but not keenly echoed back through the supply chain.

The monstrous end-client buying machines demand sustainable solutions and the hard-selling agencies tick boxes claiming sustainability.. and many attempt the feat, but very, very few achieve the task. Very few.

Design a green exhibition, event or experiential solution and it will not:
1. Come in budget
2. Look great, or
3. Work beautifully..... according to the buyers..

When the buyers can compromise, then the suppliers won't have to be compromised in their promises..

When the supply chain can make money out of green, then they world will change for the better.

Ticking green boxes will not change practices, practice changes boxes to green..

Full article here

Happy New Year..

2011-12-31T13:44:00.000Z

and it is my Wedding Anniversary too, so a great way to end a very busy year.. a huge mix of projects and clients - across event, exhibitions and experiential design. My 2011 range included:

Thorpe Park Fright Nights - my kids loved the bloodied visuals and designs
Farnborough Air Show - structure interiors - nice render and design challenges
Rolls Royce Showroom - lovely detailing work
Staff Engagement Venue - huge amount of development and design

Already have an automotive brief, experiential campaign, in the first months of 2012 to start to roll out, with various projection and screen issues to resolve at first, plus ongoing Mobile World Congress exhibition stand design. I am sure there will be more London 2012 Olympics activity, having already undertaken projects for the park and venues in the vicinity in 2011.

I hope 2012 is good for you all too..

QR Codes.. & events

2011-12-06T21:41:00.001Z

Recently I designed and costed a European road show which was part exhibition, part presentation and, equally, part education. A core device that I employed in the development of the project was the use of QR Codes, in association with camera-enabled tablets. Our goal was to both offer and gather information with a user's single click.

QR codes, 'Quick Response', do what they say on the tin, so to speak.. providing device-enabled activity - be it smart phones or tablets - links and grabs of data. We used this across all mediums of the event - from trucks (which gave users a story of the event when travelling) to labels on the products being exhibited..

There is no such thing as a 'Green Event'

2011-12-05T09:41:00.001Z

There is no such thing as a 'Green Event' because live communication demands impact. Simple. We can endeavour to create green events - conferences, awards shows, exhibitions, experience and gigs, but we cannot complete the process to any satisfactory level, no matter what the self-certification or self-applauding is 'reflecting'. We are stalled by the nature and complexity of a layered live event - the logistics, construction, and user-choices beyond event management control, keep the true green-delivery a narrowing pipe dream.

The core elements we can never truly 'green' are:

Delegate travel - an event is a gathering: for every one 'good' traveller five will always sin in cars, taxis or planes.
Venues - it is about location. There will never be a 'green hotel' in a city centre. They may try, but they will never provide anywhere near fully eco-responsible existence because of their location.
Suppliers - a huge element of greening events, that is often subtly ignored by those seeking 'green ticks', is the hire and purchase of equipment, furniture, staging, and multitudes of subcontractors involved in every scale of project. Whilst recession bites, short cuts and cost-cuts wipe out levels of responsibility.

What is beyond the event owner's control, any of the above to any degree, can never be controlled to the extent demanded by true green credentials.

I am not an eco-denier, I am an eco-realist. We can make changes, but such changes are very gradual, and, possibly, now hugely eroded by the economic downfall striking this part of the world. Cost-cutting comes before conscious-putting and any agency or supplier claiming faultless green credentials needs to face up to changes in the marketplace and keep the 'green' solution and offer an honest, and realistic, one.

Thorpe Park Fright Night: Development

2011-12-01T14:39:00.001Z

Earlier this year I started work on the design and layouts for a temporary attraction to be fitted out at Thorpe Park, Surrey. Working with 360 Events we explored various ideas - storyboarding and visualising content and construction - which ultimately took shape as 'Experiment 10'....

From the outset we accounted for the final construction methods - moving from considering prefab units and structural dressing to finally using secondhand shipping containers alongside theming and effects. The shape, size, and acoustics of shipping containers helped with defining the route, effects and impact of the experience.

Storyboard for route - developed in 3D and rendered

Various renders of work and design process

Early 'bloodied' concept

Staff Communication Event Designs

2011-11-30T16:15:00.001Z

These were a series of designs for a staff communication brief for Vodafone (UK) - looking to create a branded venue and environment in a temporary site. Using shipping containers as the core structure we developed a concept that allowed a cost-effective solution, easily adapted to create the experience 'routes', and with the opportunity for re-use at a later date in other brand activity - eg festival sites.

The design was produced in conjunction with staging and AV vendors to offer a complete solution that was practical and realistic from the outset

Experiment 10 - Thorpe Park

2011-11-17T12:22:00.001Z

A 'scare-em' experience is a difficult brief to develop - what scares whom? With 360 Event Services I developed the Experiment 10 temporary installation at Thorpe Park's Fright Nights 2011 which has just finished it's run. This review gives you a succinct summary of the experience - http://go-merlin.co.uk/wp/archives/4393 - which runs pretty close to the final story that we developed for the client.

3 reasons to spend the right time & money on 3D design

2011-10-31T13:52:00.000Z

3D design - in its full round, up, down, in, out, fly-through, augmented reality, in-your-face, whore-like rudeness, it provides a full-frontal of an event for the client, before it happens in three ways...

1. Creative Explosion

For me 'Creative explosion' is defined as 'the idea made big by visual explanation' - three-dimensions help explore space efficiently - use true 3D tools and you enter the imagined world before it exists and can help form its creation..

2. Competitive Exploration

With 3D design of a live events - be it an exhibition, a conference, an awards, experiential or interactive solution - you can pitch the concept and bring it to life with fly-throughs, AR experiences and considered storyboards.

3. Dimensional Consideration

Sketches, loose scamps, great for concepts, crap for making it correct.. 3D visuals are scaled, sized and true reflections of what can happen in budget, on time, within the space. Plotting work and layouts can be transferred to 2D plans quickly for use by vendors in costing and agreeing the scope of work.

Live experiences need to exist before they can happen... 3D visuals make them first.

Why should I negotiate my time?

2011-10-02T22:22:00.003+01:00

Why should I negotiate my time? I have to usually negotiate my rate... but occasionally, after completing a project, I am then asked if I can do a deal on my time... What I am being asked for is to give away my working hours back, not charge for some of the time taken, in order to make my offer cheaper. That rankles. I have worked, I need payment for the work I have completed. It is not as though I have spent three hours of my week stood around the water cooler, popping out for a fag, or sharing YouTube frivolous moments across the office.. I have demands on my time. I get the job done and move on to the next.

My time is precious... It has worth ... It is not given away ... Please do not ask.

Time Management

2011-09-29T16:07:00.001+01:00

For a freelancer time management is critical: time is money, time is also a space filled by distraction, excuses, and kettle-filling...

In order to manage my time I have become a time sheet monkey. This helps me on a number of levels - I can be working on a number of projects at any one time - the days of a single project taking two weeks is now replaced by shorter turnarounds and many projects 'kept on the boil' for many stakeholders.. So a lovely spreadsheet keeps me on the straight an narrow..

How that is then filled is the next issue - chunks - chargeable, manageable, chunks are the key.. I work, sorry, I try to work, in 30minute periods.. Ideally I would not do anything else, apart from get 30 minutes of that project 'done' and then take a break - coffee/tea/email/tweet... then back into it. The wonderful online tool 'Focus Booster' - which uses the pomodoro technique (outlined above) guides me when I am in this mode..

Time is money... time is also mine...

Stop Waiting for Someone Else to Press 'Green'!

2011-08-30T20:21:00.000+01:00

Today I had to do a U-turn - I was meant to attend the Sustainable Events Summit at The Barbican - got there and then had to return home.. So I am now holding my own summit, alone at my desk. So where are we at with the green issues in the live experience world? How far have they progressed in the past few years? Depressingly not far.. yes there are more ways of measuring performance, but no real ways of changing performance. Like some overweight, out-of-condition runner, the events and exhibition industry lumbers along leaving a trail of chaos in its wake.. Green is still a colour, it is not an imperative. Why not? It could be a lack of INCENTIVES - from end-clients and their buying patterns, it could be CHOICES - from the supply chain and the products, services and materials offered to create live experiences, or, more likely, it could be APATHY - from everyone, because, to paraphrase Morrissey, 'what difference does it make?'

As an experience designer I have to work to a set of standards - these below were supplied by the USA Visitor Services Association, and listed by Graham Black in 2005 as 'The Visitor Bill of Rights' in his book 'The Engaging Museum':

Comfort: 'Meet my basic needs'
Orientation: 'Make it easy for me to find my way round'
Welcome/belonging: 'Make me feel welcome'
Enjoyment: 'I want to have fun'
Socialising: 'I came to spend time with my family and friends'
Respect: 'Accept me for who I am and what I know'
Communication: 'Help me to understand and let me talk too'
Learning: 'I want to learn something new'
Choice and control: 'Let me choose; give me some control'
Challenge and confidence: 'Give me a challenge I know I can handle'
Revitalisation: 'Help me leave refreshed, restored'

And to that we should now add:

12. Responsibility: 'I accept the experience includes compromise to help reduce waste' ..

Or you could/should make up your own.. But NOW is the short time we have to do that - to accept CHANGE, or to give up attempting to change OUR approach.

Green live events are within the responsibility of those in the creation process - Client, Agency, Venue, Suppliers and Delegates.

Just stop waiting for someone else to press 'Go' on Green!

Multi-tasking, yes men can..

2011-08-10T13:31:00.001+01:00

It has not just been sketching recently.. I have just completed an automotive proposal for a London agency - initially I was called in to 'do the images' and have now just completed the designs, CAD, budgets, tour schedule, and various proposal elements - from QR codes to software solutions - plus storyboard in comic style for the same job.

It was a joy getting dirty with a real budget (spreadsheets) again - working through roadshow schedules, well creating them, for a pan-European activity - thinking about time, money and design together in the communication cake - and coming up with all the answers - it certainly engages the mind.. On to the pitch and see how it works out!

Greenwalls by Greenworks » CONTEMPORIST

2011-06-17T11:58:00.003+01:00

Greenwalls by Greenworks » CONTEMPORIST

Loving this installation and decoration solution from our Nordic chums - for both temporary and permanent interior space dressing. Thinking about greenery beyond cube planters is something that we can all consider - and mixed with clever lighting the surfaces look, smell and feel good... well better than bloody vinyl!

Contact Mike Bell - +44 7970 646705 - mike@mikebell.eu

pitch win... how we did it

2011-05-18T19:00:00.003+01:00

I am involved with a whole range of event, exhibition and experiential agency/contractor suppliers in helping win and deliver projects. My input could be simply identified as the 'design', but, in reality, it comes down to a slightly more complex offer, which, I suppose, is my 'added value', summarised as:

Experience - in 'doing it' - possibly having staged similar in the past rather than just suggesting it I can offer my client-chain guidance to avoid pitfalls at pitch & production stage.
Education - I have none - mine is thirty-odd years of being taught (still) by those who have done it better, and I continue to learn!
Expectation - I have a self-belief that what I do has to work and doesn't hang from air-hooks and will work within spaces and budgets

The creative process for the 'live event' space can be challenging - there are so many pressures bearing down upon the activity - it is the Designer, Production Manager, and Producer's responsibility to work together to find the continued balance - with creative and responsive supply teams - to exceed the client's expectations. Having worked across all three disciplines I appreciate these pressure points and endeavour to avoid such obstacles in partnership with the production team and client.

visuals: any way is possible..

2011-03-15T14:23:00.007Z

The wonders of 'progress' often take us down a path that we assume is the best because it is the 'brightest' - and within design the glory of high definition, super-shiny renders, we assume, are the ultimate dream to show everything as 'realistic'. But are they?

I produced a set of designs for, Jack Morton, in London, for an experiential roadshow. One would assume that at such a level it would be 'full-on' visuals and finishes to help develop the final design. But, instead, the client insisted on 'sketches'. Having a short time we had already developed the engineering CADs from within the 3D model, and were ready to render the 'art-worked' 3D skins to show how it would look in the 'Real World'.

But it was as easy to use the same model to create a retro 'sketch'... Simple filters applied to the current model gave us a choice of pen styles to give the CAD model a 'loose' look that gave the end-client a work-in-progress design, even though we had, underneath, an engineered solution.

february 2011...

2011-03-02T20:21:00.001Z

Well the first two months have flown past - and its almost Spring!!! Birthday due on 30th March (take note) and lots happening - both corporate and private events - design and development for a range of agency and staging clients. So a summary of the past few weeks:

Two exhibition designs for GSMA at Mobile World Congress - for a new client here in the UK - developing the spaces in 2D & then 3D to maximise brand and working spaces.
Conference concepts and designs for another new client, for a pitch - a high tech users conference in London in 2011.
Staff engagement pitch visuals for new brand engagement agency in London. Creating a venue from shipping containers.
Experiential designs and layouts for new product campaign in central London in 2011.
Exhibition designs for UK government communication programme around 2012 trade activity.
Wedding designs and visuals for European royal family - in both 2D & 3D.
Staff communication programme venue and staging designs
PLUS a couple of conference layouts, awards shows and receptions...

I haven't analysed the breakdown of work in any scientific way, but there seems to be a flood of event activity at the moment, having gone through an 'exhibition phase' - ' I expect its to do with solar flares. But ever onwards and busy..

january 2011.. quick summary

2011-02-02T14:57:00.001Z

Busy start to the new year, once swine flu had been shaken off, after 3weeks of illness.. ergh!

EXHIBITION design developments completed for stand design company for Apps developer - lots of detail and tweaks in 3d visuals and 2D CADs for clients and construction vendors
In-house AV supplier CONFERENCE set designs in 3D at finance client - the world continues to spin!
Early layouts for huge and exciting EXPERIENTIAL campaign for this summer in central London for major food brand new product launch
CONFERENCE pitch development - concepts, designs and narratives for UK event management client
EVENT design at The Dorchester - layouts and 3D renders
EXHIBITION design developments for stand design company for UK Government Department
STAFF ENGAGEMENT pitch design development and concepts for collaborative agency

And a few other bits...

Contact Mike Bell - +44 7970 646705 - mike@mikebell.eu

a very green event for seventeen events..

2011-01-14T14:51:00.006Z

I recently oversaw the live production element of the Philip Lawrence Awards Network in partnership with Seventeen Events in London at BAFTA, Piccadilly:

"The Philip Lawrence Awards happen once a year in December. They celebrate groups of young people who are making a difference in their communities – breaking down barriers, tackling issues, strengthening communities and making lives better for themselves and others"

Set visuals in pre-production

The brief was tight across all key areas for production - staging design/feel, and budget. Working with Louise Davies from Seventeen, and the clients at PLAnet, we created a solution that was within strict budgets, tight schedules and was STILL 'green' - beyond the key brand and design colours. In our endeavours to deliver an ethical and thoughtful, but impact show, we came up with a virtual set - using in-house services and technology, no set construction, supplemented by a small element of hardware hire to create the 'show'.

Rt Hon Michael Gove, MP Sec State.

The projectors at BAFTA normally run at a fixed size for film presentations. We 'over-scanned' them, adding in picture-in-picture technology, so that the back stage wall became an animated projected set, with slides and videos played through the constantly flowing 'Matrix' set. Adding in in-house LED uplighting, in symapthetic hues, we created a funky, message-filled, but subtle and edgy environment for the young audience.

Using 'Keynote' to create a dynamic background (with looped 3D animations), and overlaid text - highlighting significant quotes, we took additional data and video sources - including live camera feed - to create a dynamic and professional screen show, with minimum of technology and equipment shipping. No additional lighting, set or audio equipment was required.. a truly GREEN event at every level....

experiential design: as featured in event magazine 29-11-10..

2010-11-29T13:14:00.008Z

I recently completed the development and design, through to early construction layouts, for INITIALS for Cadburys for a series of nationwide events for 2010-11 across the UK:

Video below shows the installation on tour with feedback and comments:

Using 3D modelling I was able to visualise INITIAL's concepts and help storyboard the 'flow' and event. These then formed the CAD elevations and plans for graphics mapping and scaling, and then, ultimately, construction layouts.

Full story at: http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/1043553/Initials-Experience-produces-Cadbury-Wishes-campaign/

is 'experiential' worn out?

2010-11-10T12:19:00.001Z

There are reinventions of this industry that come rolling along and are embraced, with glee, by all and sundry (even by me):

'Live Communications'
'Brand Communications'
'Live Brands'
'Live Experiences'
'Live Events'
'Green Events'
'Eco Events'...

and the latest is 'Experiential'... so what its it about and, possibly more importantly, did it ever exist? I certainly believe that true experiential events occur - having helped create some wonderfully engaging moments that were part of a larger campaign.. BUT there is a lot out there that is not, and is regularly labelled 'experiential'..Is the term now worthless, having had the shine rubbed raw by it being applied to dead-end marketing events and shop displays?

I would encourage any account director, event manager, supplier, upon hearing the term 'experiential' being thrown around to really ask if it is being applied correctly - is their project truly 'experiential' - does it tick the boxes? Does it really drive the brand and message in a live-dimension way? If it does not what is the project - has it failed before it has started:? that could be the case. For me the markers of a real experiential activity are:

attract and engage the public
open up the brand and product to experience
create positive/necessary response
embed experience in the public mind
create product/brand awareness beyond traditional media reach

Good luck with finding out what you are really working on....

Contact Mike Bell - +44 7970 646705 - mike@mikebell.eu

september 2010 round-up

2010-10-05T22:16:00.002+01:00

A summary of range of freelance concepts, layouts, designs and renders completed this past month include:

EXHIBITION DESIGN, CONCEPT & VISUALS

Retail exhibition, Zurich - Layouts, floor plans, project development & booth designs
BBC Good Food Show - Booth designs
Country Living Magazine - Various designs and visuals for 'new look' pitch
Fashion show stand/demos - Visuals
AV Installation - insurance offices London - Design and visuals

EVENT DESIGN, CONCEPT & VISUALS

Retail centre launch - Layouts and visuals
Banking internal conferences - various - Layouts and visuals
Luxury car showroom events - various - Layouts and visuals
Awards show publishing - Concepts, layouts, visuals and budgeting
Awards show print - Concepts, layouts, visuals and budgeting

EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN, CONCEPT & VISUALS

Retail experience for food brand in shopping centres - Layout and visuals
Clothing brand placement stand (stations) - Layout and visuals
Virgin Hand completion - Layout, visuals and project development
Automotive brand and model promotion - Concepts, designs, visuals and layouts