From Bristol to Haarlem
The Imaging Days, an international gathering of imaging producers thats takes place annually in Haarlem, Holland, in October. Now in it's third year, this was my first visit - and a fantastic experience it was too.
Coming from the UK, it's really not hard to get to either - flying from Bristol, I touched down in Amsterdam in just over an hour, followed by a 25min cab ride to Haarlem. There's several good hotels within a half hours walk to the conference venue, The Light Factory, or take a cab for approx €10.
The Sessions
The lineup of speakers across the two days was strong, featuring producers from the UK and across the continent, as well as the US. I took something from pretty much all the sessions, with the exception of one or two. The new 'Imaging 1 on 1' session on day one seemed a little slow, but rallied on the second day with the excellent Ableton Live tutorial from Chris Stevens and Nik Smon. The standouts for me were Chris Stevens (Ignite Jingles) discussing effective time management techniques, Chris Ward (Bauer Media) discussing the challenges and initiatives used in branding 50 different stations all named individually (something I can sort of relate to at UKRD), and Staxx Williams (Z100) session on creativity, inspiration and writing.
These Two Know Their Stuff!
At this point, I need to mention both Ryan Drean (TM Studios) and Steve Martin (Earshot Creative) - both have written detailed blogs and accounts of the Imaging Days event, complete with photos, audio, reaction, and detailed info on all sessions. If it happened, it's in here - so check them out!
Mr Socialable
As is usually the case with conferences such as this, perhaps the best part was the chance to socialise and chat to producers from all over the world in one place. I've spoken with many of those present via email over the years, so to put faces to names from a computer screen was great. Reinforcing relationships and making new contacts is so important, and enjoyable as they're a friendly and sociable bunch!
So in summary; great people, great friends, great learning. I came away having learnt more than I thought I would, and also realised I know far less than I thought I did! If you've never been, I'd highly recommend a visit. See you there next year!
Adam.