Change Agent Tuesday, March 09, 2010 Editor’s note: The trick to writing profiles for Event Design is to listen for the golden nugget—the little piece of insight that sums it all up in a sugar-coated spoonful. When we interviewed Eddie Newquist, that little tidbit in the pot at the end of the rainbow came early: “The tides of change aren’t coming. They’re here.” “The days of designers and design firms sitting in silos is over. We’re not going to be successful that way,” says Newquist. From trade shows to museums to consumer events, existing definitions of the right way to do things are out. Every single project is unique and driving success means looking at the entire world of possibilities to create the ultimate solution. Everything from architecture and retail to entertainment, and theme parks; from 2D to 3D to media to interaction—is a possible source of learning or inspiration, he says. Newquist’s own position reflects this philosophy. As the recently named senior vp/chief creative officer for the newly consolidated GES—the combination of GES, Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, and Becker Group (the latter was renamed EG Branded Entertainment)—Newquist sits over a team of 100 exposition, exhibit, and branded entertainment designers spread across the country. His official charge: bring his 25-years of experience in the entertainment industry for companies such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal Studios—which includes the design of consumer promotional events, theme park attractions, and museum exhibits—to the world of corporate event marketing. Prior to the promotion, Newquist was president of EG Branded Entertainment, a cross-functional team of 50 experiential designers specializing in promotional tours for the motion picture industry and mass appeal-type museum exhibits, all of which has now been rolled into the new GES. The group—whose recent projects include a major market tour for the Disney Pixar film “Up” and “Harry Potter: The Exhibition—was acquired by parent Viad in January 2008. In addition to its own projects, the branded entertainment group worked on a number of GES and Exhibitgroup/Giltspur projects in the exposition and exhibit arenas. And now, with the consolidation of GES, Newquist and the branded entertainment team will be integrating entertainment industry thinking and approaches into GES’ full portfolio of expositions, exhibits, and events. Start at the Finish Newquist is a firm believer in forging new paths on every project. “If you immediately say, ‘I’ve got a ten-by-ten [exhibit], what can I put in it?’ you’ve absolutely lost,” he says. Likewise, approaching every project as just another project is the kiss of death. “That’s probably the first way to, number one, not win the project. And number two, screw it up because you’re taking a lackadaisical approach.” Newquist starts each project at the end—the project’s finish line—by defining what ultimate success for that project would be. This discussion among members of the design team delves into the project from both strategic and emotional standpoints and includes developing answers to questions like: What does success look and feel like? What do we want to be able to report? What are the reactions that we want? Newquist says he likes to make these goals as specific as possible because from project to project, success can have very different definitions. For instance, success could mean attracting a very large number of people to an event, or the opposite: making a very intimate connection with just a handful of targeted attendees at a tradeshow. It might mean driving people to purchase a product, or to share their contact information. Knowing the specific desired outcome enables the design team to focus on a more targeted solution. Once a clear definition of success sits on the table, the team projects itself into the head of the target audience. With its feet planted firmly in the guest’s shoes, the team imagines who the audience members are, what they are doing that day, and what’s on their mind. “We say, ‘What does this need to achieve and how are these people feeling? Where will this be able to be successful?’” says Newquist. This includes imagining what the audience members’ businesses might be that week, and what their financial situation is likely to be that quarter. The team also identifies what might distract the audience, what preconceived notions the audience possesses, its existing beliefs and behaviors, and what might turn the audience off—all in the interest of defining the best opportunities to connect. From there, it’s a fill-in-the-blanks brainstorm to invent methods that can potentially move members of the target audience from their starting point to the desired outcome. In other words: what sort of activity or interaction could move that person—mentally, physically, and emotionally—from where they are to where you want them to be? Newquist says creating innovative solutions requires that the process be completed with no assumption of architecture, material, vehicle, or anything else. Although in the past, corporate marketers have tended to revert to a handful of common techniques, he sees that changing quickly. As we come out of the recession, Newquist sees corporate America experiencing a huge wake-up call where people will realize that they can’t approach business the same way they did in the past. Designers have to be ready to create new solutions because the same-old approach isn’t going to cut it. “Corporations and people are starting to say, ‘How do I work differently? How can I ensure that we’re going to have success,’” he says. And it’s a wonderful opportunity for designers who are ready to embrace this perspective. Dare to Go The new world of corporate experiential design calls for innovation. Newquist says the trick to achieving that is to really define and drill down on the strategic parameters. Once a designer has those parameters nailed, he can determine the right vehicle. When a designer does this correctly, the right vehicle won’t always be the one that the client expects. When this is the case, it is the designer’s job to share that recommendation—and the justification behind it—with the client. Newquist says it takes courage to tell a company that its booth is too big or that it should really be in a meeting room rather than on the show floor. Or that there is a better way to reach its audience than by going to a trade show. Or that a road show won’t work for them. But that’s what designers need to do. Even once a creative direction is set, Newquist stresses that designers need to remain flexible on how they develop the various components of the experience. For instance, Newquist’s team tries to maximize the quality of the experience by allocating budget to the areas where it will make the largest impact. “We ask: Can we taper back in that area to make this area more heightened?—because this is where we’re going to really get the bang for the investment and for the interaction,” he says. Accomplishing this means being able to consider anything and everything. “Your arsenal has to be so wide and so vast and you have to be a student of not only the industry you work in, but virtually every other industry. And you better know your geography, you better know your architecture, you better know your lighting, you better know the latest advances in audio/video technology,” says Newquist. Newquist acknowledges that being a “student of the world” is a tall order, but it’s something that will also separate the good designers from the great ones. He says that every individual is going to have to ask themselves how they can get there. “They can sit back and say ‘Woe is me, how could I ever do that?’ or they can compete with the person next to them who is probably spending weekends and nights on the computer looking at these other experiences, and going out to these different industries and going to these other types of events.” It’s a tireless road to travel, but it’s going to ultimately lead to success. Diverse Team Newquist’s team practices what he preaches. “Working with people with diverse backgrounds from mine, or that are complimentary, or that look at things in a very different light is incredibly positive,” says Newquist. Although he assembles a team at the beginning of every project, other team members may flow in and out as someone in particular’s perspective or experience is relevant. The “new” GES creative team is as diverse as it is huge. For instance, one designer came from the Royal Shakespeare Theater and has a terrific track record of doing great theater productions throughout Europe. “He always approaches reaching guests or visitors in a little bit of a different way than some of our other designers would,” says Newquist. Some of the designers are patented inventors who have incredible technical skills and understand technology and engineering at a nuts and bolts level. Newquist explains that this diversity of experience and perspective leads to ideas—such as to float reporters into the sky with huge helium balloons as part of the “Up” experience. Full Speed Ahead Newquist sees blue skies ahead for the events industry. “If you’re a designer who wants to push the envelope and push the boundaries, I think people are absolutely going to be looking for that as we come out of this tough economy. People are starting to say, ‘How can I be noticed again? How can I tell my story in a way that will be engaging and memorable for whoever my target may be?’” he says. Likewise, he predicts doom for the uninspired. “If you have your head down and you’re hoping and praying that you can stay in your seat and keep designing the way that you have been for the last ten years, you’re in for a big splash of cold water,” says Newquist. His suggestion is that every designer look at how they can work differently. Educate yourself in any way possible to stay in the forefront—not only of what’s happening today, but of what you believe is going to be happening in the next two-to-three—or even five—years. Newquist says that if you take a look into the future and see that things have the potential to be dramatically different, you’d better get out of your chair and make sure that you are ready for that. “Because if you’re not,” he says, “You’re not going to be in that chair anymore.”
Main Office: 10 Norden Place Norwalk, CT 06855 Tel. (203) 854-6730 Fax (203) 854-6735 © 2010 Red 7 Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us