2Heads counted down all the reasons 2023 has been our best year since the agency began back in 1983, and they are not always what you expect!
We Climbed Mountains
Twenty intrepid 2Headers took on the 24 hour three peaks challenge to raise over £15,000 for our 2023 charities; YoungMinds, Great Ormond Street and Freely Fruity.
We Turned 40
The agency celebrated it’s 40th birthday with a special party and retrospective on four decades of events and experiences.
We Launched Films
From London Screenings to the MIPCOM markets, we partnered with some of the best media brands in the world as they showcased their thrilling new content for 2024.
We Took to the Skies
Not literally, but figuratively as we partnered with aviation greats at this year’s airshows. From Paris Air Show to NBAA, and then over to Dubai Air Show , we used local suppliers to support our client’s vision for a more sustainable future.
We were Top 100 (again)
The whole team were thrilled to be recognised by EventMarketer’s Top 100 IT List of experiential agencies for the 2nd year running.
We Won Awards
The honors continued with acolades from EventMarketer & Campaign, including three silver Experience Design & Technology Awards for Best Consumer Environment, Best Sustainability Strategy and Best Tradeshow transformation for our clients Disney, De Beers and Sega respectively.
We counted Carbon
We rolled out use of the Trace and Event Decision carbon calculators across more events than ever, setting benchmarks for carbon tracking that support sustainability reports and strategies in line with our eco-conscious event agenda
We Got into Anime
We entered the exciting world of Anime, one of the world’s fastest growing content markets supported by some of the most enthusiastic fans. Partnering with new clients Sega and Hulu, we had a lot of fun bringing fan favourites to life.
We Made Some Cool S&*T
From launching Belden’s Customer Innovation Center’s around the world to creating parties for the Oscars, 2Heads had the best year creating amazing brand experiences and event activations. Our creative studio has generated some of the most fantastic work the agency has seen, every time evolving our live events, brand experience environments and innovation technologies.
We have the Best Clients #powerof2
Without doubt, the main reason 2023 has been not only successful but thoroughly enjoyable has been the wonderful clients we’ve partnered with. A massive thank you to our awesome clients all around the world for your energy, trust and enthusiasm. Here’s to a huge 2024!
2Heads review the latest in eco-event trends discussed during Event Sustainability Live and The Sustainable Events Show.
November had a distinctly eco-conscious theme in 2023, with a series of thought-leading conferences around London and the rest of the world. With an eye on creating sustainability strategies for 2024, conversations at both the The Sustainable Events Show and Event Sustainability Live varied from how to improve carbon reporting to how sustainability creates growth opportunities.
Our Global CGO took to the stage at Event Sustainability Live to discuss the solutions that are changing the face of event sustainability. The insightful session covered everything from energy options at live events to how partnerships influence internal stakeholders into embracing change. The live session is available below:
On the other side of London, our Design Director Lisa Hill took part in the ‘Material Girl’ masterclass, a female-led discussion that closed The Sustainable Events show. Evolving what is already known on eco-conscious material choice, the team talked about where to go next as designers, from being creative with repurposing furniture to exploring the positives of biophilia and living walls in event spaces. Our top ten takeaways from the shows are:
- The C-suite commitment to the 1.5° global warming target – Brands are placing the CSR policies at the heart of their live events & exhibitions, and we expect in 2024 to see content and activations that educate audiences on those commitments.
- The desire to reach net zero carbon – The push to net zero carbon events is going to ratchet in the next few years with accreditation and certifcation on the rise, along with the requirement for streamlined post-event reporting.
- The effect of political factors – Up and coming elections are going to have an effect on sustainable events with a disconnect between politics and science creating challenges for many brands and suppliers.
- The need for effective measurement – We predict a rise in innovative event technologies that track ROI and carbon data on attendees, and will include a level of automation.
- The pluses of biophilic design – Not only do living spaces increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment and increase oxgen levels, they are 100% renewable and look absolutely lovely.
- The rise of innovation – Every year new solutions arise that tackle problems with energy, storage and hospitality within events. Building a network of suppliers who are pushing boundaries has never been more important.
- The key is in the creative – Like all good events, eco-conscious activations are only as good as the creative design that sits behind them. If the budget moves away from ‘build’ to audience journey, we can get creative with the experiences we design.
- The ‘matters’ in materials – Recyclable and reusable materials are commonly known now but there is so much more they can do. Interior designers are expected to really push the limits in 2024, creating environments that are as much art as event.
- The power of knowledge – There are still a lot of unknowns around sustainability in events, and technology is shifting all the time. Conversation, discussion and sharing of ideas will be the engines that move the whole industry forward.
- The requirement to do more – Possibly the most heart-warming principle we took away from this last month of sustainability discussion is that the industry knows it can do better. There is a collective energy and desire to keep reducing, reusing and reviewing our event footprints, at the same as making them the best, most engaging and note-worthy brand experiences yet. Optimism is up and it feels like 2024 is the year for real change.
If you would like to join a complimentary SOS Lab or find out more about our work producing sustainable events and exhibitions, drop us a line: hello@2Heads.com
Belden and 2Heads celebrate the launch of historic fourth Belden Customer Innovation Center with grand opening event.
2Heads are inordinately proud of our four year journey with Belden, the leading global supplier of network infrastructure and digitization solutions. The flagship of our partnership has been the Customer Innovation Centers, also known as CICs, Belden’s newest methods of delivering value to customers through experience.
Utilising the very best of our experience designers, 2Heads designed and created a series of international spaces where solutions can be crafted and validated onsite. Debuting in Stuttgart, the CIC has subsequently opened in Santa Clara and Shanghai before returning home to Chicago, Illinois. The new Chicago center provides an ecosystem for Belden customers to co-innovate with sales and product engineers to develop, test, document, and validate proven solutions that drive efficiency, security and innovation.
To commemorate the opening, an exclusive event celebrating the newly commissioned Customer Innovation Center was held on May 4th and marked a return of the company to its roots. The location in America’s heartland holds special historical significance for the company as it was founded by Joseph C. Belden in Chicago in 1902. The original Belden home office was located on the top floor of a five-story building at 116-118 Michigan Street in Chicago’s Loop district and the event brought together customers, partners and Belden leaders to showcase Belden’s capabilities.
“We are thrilled to open the doors of our flagship Customer Innovation Center and return to the great city of Chicago,” said Andries Boone, Managing Director, Solutions Delivery at Belden. “This milestone is so much more than a facility opening, it represents the future of Belden and our commitment to collaborating, driving innovation and building solutions with our customers. We are looking forward to welcoming guests for many years to come.”
Belden and 2Heads have used a vendor-agnostic approach to provide best-in-class experiences that transform ideas into solutions, empowering companies to feel secure and maintain focus on their business objectives. The Belden CIC model was developed in partnership to address key business goals and outcomes that encompass various areas of customers’ operations.
Later this year, following the opening of the Chicago location, Belden plans to launch a Customer Innovation Center in Bangalore, India. If you would like to know more about how we partner with brands to create immersive hubs for product experience, please contact us.
In the first year of the 2Heads Charter Charity, the 2Heads team are taking on the three highest peaks of the UK to raise funds for our 2023 charities; Freely Fruity, YoungMinds and Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.
SPONSOR US NOW – https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/866/2heads-three-peaks-challenge/
As we enter the middle of our Charity year, the 2Heads team are gearing up for our two big summer fund-raising activities; the Dorney Lake 5k, 10k and half marathon, and the 24 Hour Three Peaks Challenge.
Both events are worthy challenges; for those 2Headers pounding the streets in preparation for July’s run around Dorney Lake and for those hikers hitting the hills every week, climbing these precious kilometers.
And why are we doing it?
At 2Heads, we recognise just how fortunate we are, and how all too easy it is to take the lives we lead for granted. We all face difficulties in our day to day life; from here in the office to back at home. However, we also realise that there are those facing far more difficult lives and it is our hope that by setting ourselves these challenges, we can raise funds that make a change.
And we are certainly challenging ourselves …
For our flagship fun raising event, we are taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge within a time pressured 24 hours. This means climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales, AND driving between each peak within a 24 hour time window.
The support from 2Heads has been overwhelming with twenty of the team involved in achieving this huge goal. Setting off at 5am on the morning of Friday 28th July, the team will scale the 10 mile ascent of Ben Nevis in Scotland first.
They then pile into two vans to rest while we drive them down to the Lake District for the tougher climb up and down Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak which does involve a fair amount of walking in the dark.
Onwards they will push to scale Snowdonia’s Llanberis path, a climb of 9 miles and a chance to meet the 24 hour challenge and watch the sun rise on the Welsh countryside.
Why is it important we raise funds?
This herculean effort from the team is to raise as much money for three charities close to our heart.
Young Minds are the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health. They want to see a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health, and all young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what. Find out more about the work they’re doing and what they’re trying to achieve here.
Freely Fruity are a local community charity co-founded by our Design Director Ryan Simpson. Their vision is to provide food to people and wildlife through planting fruit trees and bushes in local communities. Beyond sustenance, there is the added benefit the trees would directly reduce carbon emissions and lower the carbon footprint of shop bought fruit.
Great Ormond Street Hospital need little introduction. Every day, young lives hang in the balance as patients, families and staff battle the most complex illnesses. Their greatest hope is GOSH where every day, the brightest minds come together to achieve pioneering medical breakthroughs that change the lives of thousands of children – and change the world.
Please sponsor our amazing team as they take on this challenge and help make a change today. CLICK HERE.
The cancelation of E3 sent reverberations through the gaming events community and when the industry’s leading press EventMarketer asked 2Heads for commentary, it got us thinking on what’s next for gaming brands.
We spoke to our Strategy Director Bertie Ager and Dan Hall, Business Director, about how to pivot in the wake of this critical shift.
It’s no big secret that E3 attendance numbers have been declining since before the pandemic. Nonetheless the last-minute cancelation of this bold, dynamic show is a of huge consternation to the industry… and hopefully a wake up.
Since 2017, E3 has been shifting from an all-encompassing industry event to a public convention and showcase; an event which could be covered from home without the cost of attendance. That is the demographic attendees Xbox, Nintendo, and non-attendees like Sony and EA both want to attract; the online ‘gamer’.
There is a lot of commentary about how some of the big guns backed out in previous years, and how the industry is reliant on three or four companies for success but we believe the failure of E3 and the subsequent rise from the ashes of gaming shows comes from creating events that ‘fit’ better with what a gaming brand does.
Gaming brands launch and update games constantly, so maybe the cost of putting one large exhibition experiences doesn’t make sense anymore. A rigid tradeshow approach doesn’t help an industry that relies on getting ‘playable code’ ready in time. Imagine it – the studio is late by one week and the whole focus for E3 fails.
We would suggest a different model for the gaming industry that’s more decentralised and focuses on regional attractions. Gaming is an industry focused on creating virtual worlds with limitless possibilities and tradeshows haven’t changed in a century, so maybe a new approach is due; one that connects that values innovation even more than experience.
E3 went digital in 2021 with some success, and though this was in response to the pandemic, there is a strong argument for E3 to return as a hybrid event. For organisers to give the event an online presence but in a meaningful way. What if we gave the gamers and players control and a share of voice with eyeballs on their channels through the likes of Twitch etc? Imagine using activations to switch focus from developers and manufacturers to the following and reach of their fans – this is an influencer industry after all.
We would create events that would leverage the millions of ‘views, likes and shares’ of a streamer’s content, to reimagine games launches and big announcements in a language that connects with this new order. It can be done, look at ComiCon, WonderCon, AnimeExpo – they’re as popular as ever because they are cool for fans, but even they’ve yet to discover the nirvana of hybrid events that create a true virtual counterpart to the live event.
If E3 and the gaming industry do adopt a hybrid approach, we would recommend that it is, by its nature, content driven. The content can still be used regardless of the event and if it has currency; features new footage, gets fans closer to the game they love, gives them access to development, then it will definitely be attractive to fans who live for gaming 24/7. Create FOMO and gift loyal fans with experience they want; let them meet sponsored e-athletes for free and then exhibitors can still engage with the audience who would have been attending E3, but on their own terms.
Subscribed to EventMarketer? Read the full article here.
Interested in fan-focused events and content-driven experiences, give us a call or contact us here.
2Heads take time out of creating events to attend Marlow’s Pub in the Park, supporting the local food and music festival
At 2Heads, we believe in the work-life balance. And though we love putting on events the world over, it is nice to have some time out to enjoy a festival too.
Pub in the Park, founded by celebrity chef and personality Tom Kerridge, launched in 2017 and has taken the country by storm with its unique mixture of pop-up pub food, amazing live music and local food supplier stores.
As a local events industry, 2Heads is proud to support Pub in the Park and hold our spring social here every year. Though not all of the team could be here as many were travelling overseas for different campaigns, it was great to get the agency together and celebrate all things wonderful about events.
If you would be interested in joining our fun, vibrant and growing team, please contact us here.
Andrew Ager | Strategy Director | 2Heads Global
There has been a lot of chatter coming out from industry gatherings over the last few weeks – yes SXSW I am talking about you – about the rise of AI and its role in marketing. If we are to believe everything that was said, then in a few years we will all be augmented by technology incapable of individual thought and acquiescing to algorithms in our efforts to engage with audiences and influence consumer behaviours.
Future gazing is all well and good, but I think as an industry we are all trying too hard in the pursuit of the next big thing.
The power of experiential marketing in my mind is its ability to connect with people on an emotional level.
There is no other channel that can match it for pure engagement.
If an individual chooses to spend time engaging with a brand experience, be it pop-up retail, fully immersive showcase, brand pavilion, event, or everything in between, then we are already half-way to nirvana. Yes, their experience needs to be compelling, it needs to have utility, be arresting and thought provoking, it should inspire and entertain, it should elevate the brand and create advocacy, but it also needs to speak to them as humans.
And that isn’t going to happen if the experience is designed by computer.
It has to be imbued with emotion, it needs to spark something in the mind and tug at the old heart strings.
So that’s why I am starting a campaign, a rallying cry to our industry if you will, Made By Humans.
Think of it as a kite mark for our species.
Illuminating insights from a real person about real people.
Top notch creative from artists, magicians, writers, designers, entertainers not generated by ChatGP.
Craftsmanship, production and high-end delivery from the makers, shifters and doers who bring the vison of the creative to life.
Let’s remember, we are in the business of crafting human connections, and for that to be successful, then we need to ensure we don’t lose the humanity in our experience, by all means integrate technology, champion innovation, and create the sticky content that helps tell the story, but let’s make sure it’s the folks that get up every morning and do-the-do that are creating the show, not the machines!
Airbus and Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) return to Atlanta for Heli-Expo, the world’s largest vertical aviation event.
2Heads and Airbus Helicopters return to Atlanta, Georgia for HAI Heli-Expo 2023, creating a sensation at the rotorcraft industry’s largest event.
The March 7-9 event welcomed over 14,000 industry professionals to discover and discuss the very latest in in vertical aviation. At the heart of the 600+ exhibits, Airbus took center stage with their open plan showcase of cutting-edge range of helicopters.
Partnering with 2Heads for the fifth time since 2018, Airbus required an arena-style environment that introduced guests to the efficiences of the single- and twin-engine Airbus rotorcraft family. Event technology focused on sound and touch to explain current and future capabilities while digital content illustrated tomorrow’s innovations for urban air mobility.
HAI Heli-Expo audiences were introduced to the H160 Energy Sector helicopter through vignettes that explained this innovative helicopter’s reduced fuel consumption and quieter operation. Guests enjoyed the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition with it’s sleek balance of power and elegance synonymous with the sports-car manufacturer.
The liveried H145 HEMS for emergency medical services and H125 Law enforcement helicopter’s also put in an appearance at the show with important buyers given the low down on the full range of mission equipment. The star of the show however might arguably be the CityAirbus NextGen, their four seater vVTOL prototype, an emphatic symbol of Airbus‘s commitment to the application of electric power in sustainable urban air mobility.
If you would be interested in learning more about our award-winning experiences and events, please contact us here.
2Heads land three important nominations for this year’s Campaign Experience Awards
Campaign is the world’s leading business media magazine serving the marketing, advertising and media communities with valuable news and insights.
In recent years, Campaign has championed the new breed of creative brand-builder – the people who are disrupting and re-shaping our industry and pushing the boundaries of experiential marketing.
Every year the Campaign Experience Awards recognise and celebrate the continuous innovations of the brand experience and event sector with nominations hotly contested.
2Heads were thrilled to recieve three nominations this year with both Bombardier and Disney recognised for Best Exhibition Experience for 2023 and Bombardier again given the nod by judges for Best Sustainable Experience for their eco-conscious event at EBACE.
The Campaign Awards will be handed out during a special Gala dinner at the Londoner Hotel on Thursday 30th March and we wish all the nominees the best of luck.
Read about the Campaign Experience Awards and take a look at the complete list of honorees here.
2Heads and Bombardier win at the EN Marketing Awards debut in London, adding to the roster of wins for their brand experience at EBACE
The team at 2Heads were thrilled to win another award for Bombardier’s visionary brand experience at EBACE ’22. Picking up the gong for Best Digital Innovation at this year’s EN Marketing Awards, this honour makes it five wins for the Bombardier event which merged anamorphic 3D content with an eco-concious environment to create a 360 degree experience.
Gathered with a glittering array of peers at the De Vere Connaught Rooms in London, our work with Bombardier was also nominated for Best Use of Creative/Brand alongside Disney whose D23 Expo for Disney Bundle+ was nominated for Best B2C Campaign. A proud moment for us as the Gala Dinner on the 13th February celebrated the first ever EN Marketing Awards.
The success behind Bombardier’s brand experience at EBACE ’22, an important aviation event which launched the new Global 8000 business jet, is notably due to the event’s eco-concious credentials. The sustainably sourced and recycled materials used also earned the experience a Highly Commended Award from The Drum Magazine Experience Awards for Best Sustainable Event. The Drum Experience Award judges also nominated Disney again for Best Large Scale Event.
The judges at Eventmarketer also found much to love in how 2Heads utilised showstopping digital content to narrate Bombardier’s vision for a sustainble aviation agency, awarding our partnership with an Experience Design and Technology Award for Best Exhibit Design. Bombardier recieved the highest accolade with a Gold award.
