Interview with Pigalle Tavakkoli, jury member of the Conventa Best Event Award competition
Ahead of the Conventa Best Event Award 2024, the central and one of the oldest event competitions in Europe, we spoke to jury members who shared their thoughts on the most important event criteria, selecting winners and the role of event competitions.
Q1: What do you consider the most important criteria when evaluating projects?
– How well has the team understood the target audience and their deeper needs and motivations?
– Which methods were used in the final design (innovative/sustainable/imaginative) to connect with the target audience’s needs and motivations?
– What will the impact and lasting influence of the design be with the audience?
Q2: How would you define the mission of the Conventa Best Event Award?
Conventa Best Event Award is an annual event and marketing competition which highlights the best practices, showcases innovative approaches, and presents inspiring case studies which are leading the way across Europe.
“Event competitions should inspire the rest of the global industry with the best in class practices and innovative approaches.”
Q3: What do you believe should be the key message when selecting the winners of the competition?
Winners demonstrate a deep understanding of their target audience, to develop projects and campaigns which connect meaningfully for long-lasting impact.
Q4: What is the role of European event competitions?
To lead by example and inspire the rest of the global industry with the best in class practices and innovative approaches.
“We designed and produced an immersive takeover of the National Portrait Gallery, London, which broke previous attendance records of 2,000 visitors by attracting 5,000 visitors.”
Q5: Which achievements and milestones are you most proud of in your career?
– Designed and produced a charity fundraiser for the Chelsea Arts Club, which included artist contributions such as Peter Blake, Allen Jones, and Sarah Lucas, and broke previous funding records of £10,000 by raising £100,000.
– Designed and produced an immersive takeover of the National Portrait Gallery, London, which broke previous attendance records of 2,000 visitors by attracting 5,000 visitors, and press coverage by the BBC, The Evening Standard, Sunday Times Style magazine, and Jazz FM amongst others.
– Securing funding from the UK Space Agency to design and produce a theatrical show based on space science and vacations to the galaxy, which sold out tickets and reached 87,500 digital audiences.
– Voted ‘Best Speaker’ at Conventa Crossover last year (very proud of this!)
– Awarded ‘Empowering Learning Journey Hero’ this year for the impactful methods I use in teaching by Educators for Impact, a European consortium of academies, businesses and networks.
Find out more about the School of Experience Design here.