ULTIMATE 2020 EVENT GUIDEKEY CREATIVE EVENTSsave money. “Day tickets are available,
which work well if there are only a
few speakers you want to see, but the
weekend ticket is always better value –
especially if you get a group rate or
early bird.”
Access to the delegate party, held
on the first night of the conference, is
exclusive for weekend ticket holders.
It provides a space where the barrier
between speakers and attendees fully
breaks down, says Meg. “Activities in
the past have included live draw-offs
between anyone and everyone, drunken
declarations of love between students
and their favourite speakers as well
as DJ sets from the likes of SNASK
and Shepard Fairey.” Having first
attended OFFSET as a student, Meg
says the conference will always be the
benchmark to measure other festivals
against. “The sense of community I
think is something you can only find in
Dublin. Everyone knows everyone, but
it’s not cliquey – it’s inclusive.”
For those with a limited budget, Glug
Events offer a taste of the conference
experience on a smaller scale. Starting
out as a gathering of friends in a
London pub 15 years ago, Glug Events
is now a global network of design talks
with hosts in over 50 cities worldwide.
“We wanted to have a place to go with
friends in the industry. Something
work-ish, but also just a nice chance to
catch up. We were so frustrated with all
the boring, formal networking events
that went on,” says Output Group
CEO and Glug Events co-founder
Ian Hambleton. “Doing something
you enjoy and is fun, and is far more
important and enriching for the soul
than something that makes money, but
isn’t something you care about.”
DRIVEN BY PASSION
Assuring the continued success of any
design event or festival is no easy feat,
especially when considering ticket
prices and accessibility. Arguably one of
the more expensive design festivals on
the calendar, D&AD (with the support
of its partners) has made some radical
KEY INFO
- Dates: 19-21 May, 2020
- Location: London,
England - Fields covered:
advertising, design, craft
and culture - Year founded: 2016
(D&AD was established
in 1962) - Attendees: over 7,000
dandad.org
D
&
A
D
D&AD Festival invites visitors to come
and see the best work in the world and
hear from the brightest minds, from the
most exciting new talent to the industry’s
leading lights.
One of D&AD’s key missions is to lead
us toward a fairer, more diverse industry,
and one of the ways it’s addressing this
is by having a broad variety of speakers,
from seasoned industry legends to up-
and-coming designers. Festival director
Patrick Burgoyne says they’ve worked hard
to make the festival content more peer-to-
peer, rather than have everything confined
to a large room with one person on stage.
“We’ll have opportunities for people to
interact with speakers in smaller groups,
where they can really pick their brains for
advice and insight, as well as other formats
that allow for a more open discussion
so that people who come can really feel
they’re participating rather than just
listening,” he explains. “There’ll always
be a role for a hugely inspiring individual
to tell their story or show their work up
on stage, but we need to offer more than
that if people are to come away from the
festival feeling like they have had a really
enriching experience.
“There was one day last year that
summed up what we’re trying to achieve,
not just at the festival but at D&AD
generally,” says Patrick. “On the same stage- though at different times – we had Danny
Boyle talking about the incredible Pages of
the Sea project he did for 14-18 Now, but
also Charlotte Regan, who won our Next
Director award, talking about how she
had begun her career by making music
videos for the rappers on her estate. So we
had someone right at the top of his
profession and someone just starting out
on the same platform.”
“There was so much to see and do
everywhere – from the main stage to
smaller stages and master class settings –
not to mention the displays and exhibits
in the galleries,” says graphic designer Rob
Janoff, who spoke at the festival last year.
“The energy level was high and I could feel
the buzz of excitement.”
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