Disappointing numbers confirmed for the PADC Festival of Ideas; book by end of day tomorrow
PADC President Spencer Battista says the response to the 2012 Festival of Ideas has been disappointing, and has issued this plea for more support for the event.
“I’ll get straight to the point: the response to this year’s Festival of Ideas registration has been underwhelming,” said Battista. “This year, unfortunately, some of our judges could not stay for the weekend and the Festival. So the committee has endeavoured to lure some of the world’s leading creative minds to come to Perth in a short period of time. It isn’t often the local industry is exposed to national and international talent of this calibre. And you’re never ‘too old’ or ‘too experienced’ to learn something new.”
“I for one am looking forward to hearing from Nick Garrett, MD of Colenso BBDO, the agency that won 12 Lions at Cannes this year. Or Christiaan Van Vurren (aka The Fully Sick Rapper) who became an internet sensation from his hospital bed. Or, local boy and urban artist, Drew Straker, who will be giving a talk and a demonstration. For those who want to improve their digital skills, we have Bradley Eldridge, a founding partner and Creative Director at Soap Digital. And from one screen to another, we have Johnathan Samway, Executive Producer and Managing Director of Prodigy Films.
Battista said this is a once a year opportunity, might very well be the last if the PADC don’t make the numbers this year.
“The speakers have invested a huge amount of time and effort into preparing their presentations and it will be embarrassing not only to the club but the local industry if they are greeted with a lack of interest as opposed to a show of respect,” said Battista.
“This is an opportunity that’s not just limited to Creatives. To all of you young (and old) suits and planners out there, creativity and passion are not just the domain of the creative department; everyone is responsible for the work. This is an opportunity for you to be equally inspired by some world-class creative talent and share some of that inspiration with your clients.”
It’s not too late to register. The PADC will keep the door open until end of play tomorrow (Wednesday 12 September). So show your support, show your respect and show that you care about creativity.
Book online now at www.padc.com.au
7 Comments
I didn’t see any advertising about this event until last week. I already have plans, in my opinion there are two good speakers with some filler, and it’s overly expensive. Sorry I’ve been so very disappointing.
Like Jeff, I was unaware of this event until recently and its too short notice to change plans. Also agree looks like 2 good speakers and some filler or perhaps an attempt at being cutting edge/edgy/different? Why not have a broader audience for these events such as non members – probably a lot of client side interest in a couple of the speakers?
The line up’s great and I’m looking forward to it.
Fillers – what a load of codswallop.
1. PADC should make submission to the PADC Awards conditional upon attendance at the Festival of Ideas. You’ve got to be in it to win it.
2. Agencies should pay for their creative staff to attend and offset the cost against CPD budgets instead of inventing all that nonsense about going to museums and cinemas that they invent each year for accreditation purposes.
3. PADC should drop the worthiness, rebrand as The Bacchanalia of Creativity and make sure it lives up to the name.
4. Bob’s your uncle.
Waste of time for the speakers to be honest. (Pearls before swine.)
Look at how many Lions have been won by Perth agencies in the last ten years. D&AD pencils…you name it.
There is the ‘occasional one-hit-wonder’ but the reality of the local work can be seen on television, heard on radio or seen in the print media.
And where is the great digital work and ideas?
Perth is a small town with tiny budgets. Basically a retail advertising outpost.
The weather is lovely, the beer’s cold and the lifestyle wonderful which is why many of the creatives stay in WA and tolerate doing rubbish work, day after day after day.
Doing better ideas and brilliant creative work is not a priority.
If it was, said creatives would be moving East or overseas in droves.
Instead, they prefer to just go through the motions, happy to be big fish in a tiny, tiny, tiny pond and put up with the retail crap thrown at them.
So hardly surprising the lack of interest in the Festival of Ideas.
Boo hoo
I’ve attended the PADC Festival Of Ideas in the past, felt it was basically a circle jerk for agency creatives.
I’m an digital publisher, toyed with going again this year ( I do like the lineup) but prefer to use my meagre play kitty to make my way East to Vivid Sydney and one of the Ad Techs.
agree with some of the above comments and if strays away from creativity in making ads to a more looser creative theme then my team would attend.