Mark is the founder and CEO of the creative marketing agency Universum 8. He holds two degrees in economics and is considered a gamification expert (by his own admission). After he played handball for 25 years as a semi-pro and worked in the IT business world for 16 years, in 2017, he started his own company with a strong HR and marketing approach. Initially focused on international gaming and esports projects, the company has now developed into a multiple award-winning agency. Universum 8 is a proud member of the Special Effects Group.
Q1: Can you share the vision and inspiration behind your event?
Samsung launched the Jövőálló Akadémia (Future-Proof Academy) with the aim of providing Generation Z and Alpha with a series of online and offline programmes that educate and entertain them while also building a community. One of the milestones was the Jövőálló.Kampusz (Futureproof.Campus), an online conference where Minecraft influencers and popular futurologists explored the question of what the workplaces of the future will hold. The event took place in the world of Minecraft, a setting that has never been seen before.
Q2: How does it feel to win the Conventa Best Event title?
Over the years, the Conventa Crossover has become one of our favourite international competitions and events. I do not think many people realise the benefits of taking a prize from here to another country. We are very proud of our achievement and the prize and are extremely grateful to the judges for keeping their minds open to our innovative ideas. We see the competition getting stronger every year in all categories, which is why we appreciate our first place.
Q3: What were the features that made your event stand out?
In a completely unique way, the conference venue was not ready-made for the audience; they had to create it themselves in the digital world. A large number of people signed up to build the Future.Campus, players could start their creation in a pre-designated free space on a Minecraft server and their work was judged by a panel of influencers in a live voting show. The winning design became the venue for the event, where influencers and futurologists explored intriguing topics while playing some fun games.
Q4: Did you incorporate any new technologies or innovative ideas that contributed to the event’s success?
We would not say that we used a new kind of technology for the event, but rather that we were able to use innovative elements that we had used separately in previous years. We created a virtual world where we used digital avatars (digital twins) to present futurologists on different topics while actually broadcasting a live show into our Minecraft server from our own studio, and all this was well spiced up with different gamification techniques. All of these are skills that are not normally available in an agency.
Q5: Who was involved in making the event a reality, and how did you foster collaboration within your team?
For the entire organisation, we have practically listed all the competencies of our team (strategists, communication specialists, creatives, developers, gamification specialists, studio producers and so on). We owe a great deal to Samsung and their global lead agency Publicis Groupe Hungary, who also commissioned us. It should be noted that this Campus project was only one quarterly element of a year-long Samsung campaign, so the Publicis team is leading the year-long communication and strategy for this. It was a great experience to work with another agency on this project and to see how two excellent professional teams can complement each other’s skill sets.
Q6: What kind of feedback did you receive from attendees? How did you incorporate that feedback before or during the event?
As we were constantly introducing new features to the campaign, we were in contact with our users, either through the server administrators or the influencers involved. This way, we could always listen to feedback and see patterns of behaviour that allowed us to react immediately. At the end of the event, we received a lot of recognition and praise not only from the target group and contributors but also from the industry. Many people acknowledged that although they had seen similar collaborations or similar marketing stunts, they had never seen anything like it structured in such a complex way, and their jaws dropped.
Q7: How did you measure the success of your event, and did it meet or exceed your expectations?
The project was a success for both the client and the agencies. For Samsung, it was pivotal to be able to speak to the Z and Alpha generations in a way that was really relevant. They were looking for a platform and channel that was as authentic as possible for them. This goal was 100% achieved because the aim was to be able to talk to Generation Z in a completely new way about issues that we might not normally know about because it is difficult to get their attention. With Future.Campus, this has been achieved, while Future-Proof Academy is moving forward to fulfil its goal of raising interesting issues for its target group.
“Today, I see quality as a triple slider: a reasonable budget, an exceptional creative team and sufficient time for implementation.”
Q8: What events do you consider the benchmark in the meetings industry?
If we are just talking about this project, we honestly do not have much to compare it to because this is the kind of large-scale project that game developers organise such as Microsoft, Epic Games or Riot Games, when they announce a new game or future. It is thus difficult to find projects at the international level that operate with this kind of gamification element through an already existing game but with live content and live studio shooting with well-known scientists or futurologists. Inspiration has often been provided by the organisation of video game industry conferences, the quality of TED Talks and the momentum of large-scale community-driven events.
Q9: Do you have any plans for future events, or are there any new ideas you’re excited to explore after this win?
We continuously develop new concepts and solutions; we even advise or implement similar projects for the largest companies in Hungary. Currently, we see that we have very good answers to the HR challenges typical of our era in the direction of how to involve, motivate, and commit employees in order to achieve employer branding goals in a large organisation. By 2025, we will develop projects that support corporate education in sustainability topics with gamification functions.
Q10: Is Europe still the leading events destination in the world?
Currently, we mainly execute campaigns and projects in Hungary and neighbouring countries. However, thanks to our strategic partners, we increasingly see the Middle Eastern and Western European markets. I have to say that in most cases, it seems that if creativity is not combined with a suitable budget, the idea can be any good, but if it cannot be executed properly, then we do not see the true value of an event. In conclusion, I do not think quality is tied to countries or continents. You can find the best professionals and venues anywhere in the world. Today, I see quality as a triple slider: a reasonable budget, an exceptional creative team and sufficient time for implementation.
Personal questions for Mark
Q11: Do you enjoy podcasts? Which is your favourite?
I really like to read, but due to a lot of driving and travelling, I do not have as many opportunities to do so. I also tried audiobooks, but they did not stick in my head after listening. The podcast as a genre is a perfect educational and inspirational solution for me; I enjoy the conversations, and there is almost no part that does not inspire me in terms of my leadership or our projects. Every year, I follow different series or creators, mostly listening to topics about marketing, leadership, the videogame industry and gamification. My current favourite podcast channels are: “WorkLife with Adam Grant”, “Freakonomics Radio” and finally – thanks to Crossover, I met Claus – “The Innovation Coaching Podcast with Claus Raasted”.
Q12: If you had an unlimited budget, what kind of event would you organise?
I am a big supporter of CSR activities that support the physical and mental health of children while also being a fan of esports and the whole video game industry. Putting these together, I would definitely think about a large-scale, cross-country event that educates children and parents about a more conscious and healthy life through games and gamification.
Learn more about Universum 8’s past projects here.
