CONVENTA BEST EVENT AWARD – WINNING IDEAS
Kongres Magazine talked to Bošjan Prijanovič, whose project December Festivities APART TOGETHER won the award for the best B2I project, about his opinion on events and groundbreaking projects.
Q1: What do you think about the Conventa Best Event Award competition. Where do you see it going in the future?
In essence, CBEA is the only regional competition where the only contestants are solely the events. Events are a complex way of communicating, and they are often overlooked in general advertising festivals. Therefore, I believe that with its structure and chosen jury panel CBEA is a brilliant concept. I think that all specialised festivals and competitions have a bright future.
Q2: Why do you think your project convinced the international jury?
We’ve received the award for best B2I project, new year celebration for our client internal stuff, in times when we must work from home. I truly believe that we’ve made most of it, most of what can be done online. We had a very hands-on client that challenged us to create a festive atmosphere on the Teams platform! Perhaps it was entirely because of that challenge that we could carry out an event that incorporated all the necessary elements: creativity, relevance, and impeccable execution.
Q3: Do you think that event awards are important in the eyes of existing and potential new clients. Do they (still) have weight?
I think that lately, achievements at specialised festivals hold more weight; since the presented work is assessed more thoroughly.
Q4: What are the qualities and values that you want to transfer to your events?
I always long for idealistic logistics. Everything must be foreseen, every possible complication and its solution. When we come across a hurdle, we need to be innovative and resourceful. With creative concepts, we always need to ask ourselves if it will be possible to execute them in the desired manner. The attendees’ well-being must always be the primary concern.
Q5: What are some of the most common mistakes that companies and organisers make when organising events?
I think that the most common mistake is that they forget for whom they are preparing the event. They often forget about the attendees, their wishes, and their behaviour.
Q6: Which competencies of event organisers need to be strengthened the most after the corona crisis?
For sure, digital competencies. Obviously. From a broader point of view, I think event agencies that run business events should think about expanding their range of services – especially on the PR, Influencer, and Social Media management front. Because events are so tightly interlinked with these activities, it is optimal to carry them out with the same agency.
Q7: You have created many amazing events in your career. Is there an event that you have particularly fond memories of and is always stuck in your mind?
One always remembers his first😊. For me, it was the event for the new line of Max Factor. That was the first time I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster during the preparation stage, followed by enthusiasm after a well-played-out event. Nowadays, this event has to be This Changes Everything, which also happened to be the best B2B event at Conventa 2019.
Q8: What has been the most difficult event you have organised in your career?
I have to say that it was the Avon convention in 2006. Sometimes events can turn upside down, and everything possible falls to pieces. The event manager fell sick the day before, staff at the event did not follow the instructions, the waiter removed the props from backstage during the show, the audio assistant prepared a faulty audio recording… all in all, a disaster. The only silver lining was that we learned a lot from our mistakes.
Q9: We are constantly talking about future trends that will shape the meetings industry. But what past trend shaped your company and events the most in the last 20 years?
In the last decade, the biggest mega-trend is a growing need for more direct communication. Peer to peer, 121, F2F, whatever we call this. This need has brought forward ever-growing respect towards business events, with higher investments. I find it positively ironic that despite the significant surge in digital communication tools, there is proliferation and acknowledgement for in-person communication.
“My motivation for working in communications was entirely superficial. There was no need for me to wear a tie, and I met new fascinating people every day.”
Q10: What was your main source of motivation for choosing a career in the meetings industry? Does the profession still excite you in the same way?
My motivation for working in communications (which also encompasses the events industry) was entirely superficial. There was no need for me to wear a tie, and I met new fascinating people every day. The money was good too. At the beginning of my career, that was enough for me. After 25 years, I am still in this business due to the same three reasons😊.
Q11: What are you reading, watching, listening to at the moment?
Everything is historical, ranging from documentary to historical fiction. And Stephen King. Always. I mainly follow professional content through trend reports and articles rather than through books. I hate Netflix because it takes up too much of my time. 😊
Q12: What is your advice for those who want to enter the CBEA competition in the future?
Organise an event that will make an impact and will stir up emotions. Once you achieve this, it will be easy to present it and enter it into the CBEA competition.
