Fall Tour Interactive, what a great experience.
Fall Tour Interactive, what an awesome experience. I personally had never gone to anything like this before and I believe it was a great opportunity for me to go; along with my classmates. It had given me a better understanding of the industry and had also given me the chance to meet and recognize agencies within Toronto. I think I should and would go to more events like this. So the tour was 2-day event; during those 2 days I had the chance to visit with 8 agencies along with a few guest speakers, workshops and 2 panel discussions about internships and education.
The first day for me was about advertising, not just advertising but directed more on the digital side. The agencies had introduced us to a few of their campaigns in order for us to understand who they are and what they do. This had given me the chance to think more about the direction I'd like to go towards. On this day we had gotten to visit: Bensimon Byrne, Innocean, John St. and Shopify. There was a presentation from the creator(s) of Hailo Cabs and a workshop from Saatchi & Saatchi (Rachel & Shauna: The Ballsiest Interns). During this day there was also a panel discussion on “education and beyond”.
On the second & last day, once again was about interactive advertising. Similar to the first day, we had gotten to visit a few agencies, had guest speakers and a panel discussion. We had gotten to visit: Secret Location, Usability Matters, Taffy and Cordon Media Inc. Very similar to the first day, the agencies had given us a taste of who they are and what they do. On this day we had a guest speaker from MacLaren McCann (Dave Stubbs), who presented a few of his campaigns for Wendy’s Canada and other informative information. The panel discussion for this day was about “do internships need regulation”.
I think the tour itself was a great experience personally. It was very informative and helped me grasp a better understanding of the industry and various aspects of it. The highlight of this trip for me was getting the chance to go inside these agencies office space and getting to preview a nice little introduction of whom they are. It had kind of shown the vibe and feel of the office and who they are as an agency. As a Visual Merchandiser I was kind of awed over most of the buildings I had went into. I had really enjoyed both panel discussions; they were great and informative from the inside. I really enjoyed listening to the speakers; they way they had spoke had kept my attention and had me interested and wanting to hear more.
My suggestions for next year students are to participate in both days because each day brings something new and interesting; You'll never know what you'd miss out on. Also if you are looking to network, this is a good place to be. Be sure to bring business cards, as most people do not have time to remember precisely whom you are but may remember you from your business card. The card will also help others remember who you are, what you do and other information that they can keep on hand.
I would like to thank Oddly Studios and sponsors for hosting this wonderful event.
