The Future of Creative Agencies

Conference evening

19 Şub 2009
19 Şub 2009
  • Platform21
  • Prinses Irenestraat 19, 1077 WT Amsterdam

On February 19 2009, a conference on the future of creative agencies is taking place at Platform 21.

The world is changing. Some ask for change - some try to avoid it. Media is obviously changing and so will creative agencies. What is a creative agency? Creative agencies work in different fields: From architecture to advertisement, from film to web - all with the shared scope to use creativity to create business for clients.

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Creative Agencies evening organized by Club of Amsterdam -

A definition can be that a creative agency has to create formats, messages etc. that differ from established communication methods. The agencies use creativity to advise clients on how to reach their goals.

Creativity is a hot topic. Cities consider it essential to support creative industries because it stimulates the development of a city and attracts quality companies as well as people.

The first creative agencies were usually linked to a person, the one designer - the one name. Most agencies therefore worked along the vision of this individual designer(s). Agencies however have grown over the last years and the founding fathers have left. You can see that more and more agencies are now built round shared values or concepts, rather than around a person. One of the questions is how this will evolve in the coming time.

Another question to address is the role of the client. Clients are becoming more and more professional, more and more creative functions will be part of the corporations itself. How do you connect as agency and how do you add value? Everyone is creative. Or not? A step further will be the influence of crowdsourcing, what if creativity does not start with a vision of an entrepreneur or company, but with an individual? The co-creating agency, enabling customer advocacy, vendor relation management?

How is the agency organised? Is there a smaller basis in the agency that works more and more with a flexible workforce with specialists that work independently? At what stage is the agency no agency anymore? What is the balance between their own vision and the workforce? Do we move to bigger agencies - more full service or do we tend to smaller focussed agencies that work together in networks?

Is the agency more and more a producer of the products or only an advisor and project organisation. And what if it is producer, and even manufacturer?

Programme

18:30 - 19:00
Registration & welcome drinks

19:00 - 20:00
Introduction by our Moderator
Seth van der Meer, Creative Director, Sandfire b.v., Chairman, NLGD Festival of Games

Part I:
Jann C. de Waal, Managing Director, Info.nl
A new breed of creative agencies

Paul Hughes, Strategic Director and Partner, Lava graphic studios, Coach to the Creative Class
Design for change

Robert Marijnissen, Programme Manager, Creative Cities Amsterdam Area (CCAA)
The City as a Creative Agent

Jochem Leegstra, Founder, Creative Director, ...,staat creative statements

20:00 - 20:30
Coffee break with drinks and snacks.

20:30 - 21:15
Part II: Open discussion

Thursday, February 19, 2009. Registration: 18:30-19:00, Conference: 19:00-21:15. Visit the website of Club of Amsterdam for more detailed information.