October saw the fifth annual Identity Conference take place at a brand-new venue, the Welcome Building in Eastbourne.

There’s been a lot of change at Identity in the last twelve months. A significant number of client and project wins have necessitated rapid expansion and the conference provides a collective platform to address all colleagues with updates, plans for the future and engage in some supplier-led workshops.

To mark the significance of the last year and celebrate the fact we’re a top 50 agency, all Identity colleagues were presented with some branded mementos including a fully customised t-shirt and notepad.

After enjoying a light breakfast, colleagues headed downstairs to hear the keynote as delivered by Managing Director at Identity, Michael Gietzen. Michael outlined the fantastic success of 2018/19 and detailed future plans, including further international expansion and the vision for 2020 and beyond.

Following Michael were fellow Directors, Paul Fitzpatrick and Janet Dodd who delivered their respective speeches which included their own musings on the last twelve months. Paul’s thoughts were focused on the importance of effective logistics for project delivery while Janet’s were based around celebrating the success of this year but reminding us to maintain the momentum.

After the keynote address and subsequent speeches, Identity colleagues were divided into teams to participate in various workshops overcoming challenges and discovering solutions along the way.

The penultimate stretch of the conference saw colleagues learn more about innovative event tech direct from our partners, Creative Technologies, TSL, Crystal Interactive and NEP. Each of our partners demoed their unique technologies and were on-hand to answer the inevitable series of questions that followed.

Creative Technologies – Event tech heavyweight CT joined the conference to showcase some impressive projection mapping technology. Using a projector, the CT team were able projection map on a scale model of 3D printed building giving a real insight into what the final result would look like. If that wasn’t enough, a VR headset made it possible to experience the projection mapped building as if we were actually there – ideal for pitches.

TSL – Lighting specialist TSL demonstrated the importance of event lighting along with the intricacies of planning effective lighting setups. Introducing us to several different lighting solutions including various bulbs, technologies and layouts. Orchestrating and designing lighting arrangements can become a complex project, it’s great to know a partner like TSL can help at any stage.

Crystal Interactive – Demonstrating a variety of audience engagement technologies was Crystal Interactive. Audience engagement is undeniably important for live events and the tech Crystal is able to provide can go a long way to understanding and facilitating guest and delegate engagement. Smart wearables is where CI truly shines and the product demonstration didn’t disappoint.

NEP – Broadcast specialist NEP provided the team with access to a fully-fledged OB (outside broadcast) vehicle. The gargantuan truck has space inside for up to 15 people along with many, many screens and multiple studios. With an estimated value of £10 million, everyone was impressed by its capabilities and by just how much could fit inside the vehicle.

The conference ended with a closing speech from Michael reiterating the importance of teamwork, cohesion and efficiency while painting a vivid picture of what the future holds for Identity; needless to say, the future looks bright!

Once again, we’d like to say a big thank you to our suppliers for attending this year’s Identity conference – Creative Technologies, TSL, Crystal Interactive and NEP.

Thus concludes the Identity conference, until next year…