PICNIC Festival
I served as head of strategy, marketing, digital (new website development), print (catalogues), ticketing and partnerships for the 2009 and 2010 editions of the PICNIC Festival in Amsterdam.
The international PICNIC Festival was a pioneering platform for innovation and creativity in technology, media and design, establishing Amsterdam as a global creative hub. Our innovative formats and experimentation later became standard practice in other events around the world.
PICNIC 2010
The name PICNIC originated from the concept that, like a real picnic, we set the blanket and everybody—speakers, audience participants, partners and sponsors—contributed by bringing something to the gathering.
The festival attracted over 7,000 attendees and brought together visionaries, entrepreneurs and media leaders from international companies including BBC, Foursquare, Nike and others, featuring both renowned figures and emerging talent.
Much more than just talks
All participants received RFID ID tags they could use for interactive experiences, digital-physical networking, voting for their favourite sessions and games throughout the event.
We transformed Amsterdam's Westergasfabriek, a former gasworks complex, into conference halls, biotechnology labs, masterclass spaces, a fablab and a vast networking area, including a multi-level city inside the main 2500 m² gas tank.
Turning an unconventional venue into a dreamscape
Our programming combined conventional and experimental formats, all with distinctive elements that set them apart. Features ranged from real turf stages to yurts for biotech experiments. The festival celebrations included performances by international musicians such as Janelle Monae just before her global breakthrough.
Key partners included the City of Amsterdam, Dutch National Postcode Lottery, Mediamatic, Microsoft, Vodafone and numerous others.
Parties and performances were an integral part of the programme
