ITV is proud to be at the heart of popular culture. Together, the company create ideas that capture the hearts and minds of the world and bring enjoyment to millions. But in 2014 ITV wanted to become even more creative. So May 2014 saw the birth of a new creative programme and the launch of an annual event for ITV colleagues, ITV Big Think. Think TED talks but ITV style. Throughout the day we welcomed inspirational popular culture makers of today, and of the future, to give colleagues their genuine insights into what they think the role and development of popular culture is. It was all about thinking big.
Each year the speakers were forward thinking, surprising, an eclectic mix of those who pull on the heartstrings and the big name powerful game changers. With different perspectives and styles from all speakers all responding to one unifying purpose – to share and inspire. The format was short, snappy sessions, 20 minutes max, minimal or no Powerpoint and all talks had a focus on forward thinking. Hosted by talent from the ITV family, the ITV Big Think stage has hosted some of the most impressive speaker line-ups ever.
ITV Big Think was for all colleagues, in any role, across all departments and regions. It was an inspiring environment that both engaged and encouraged two-way conversation. The spaces intentionally felt as unlike a traditional internal conference as possible, with unexpected elements and a sumptuous creative design througout.
We knew we couldn’t physically host every ITV colleague in one space, so we created an application process. This really created a buzz and ITV Big Think quickly became the hottest ticket in town. Colleagues had to answer the simple question ‘What idea inspires you?’. We were blown away by the responses. From the humble potato peeler, to personal travels and family, inventions and poems – it confirmed one thing at least – ITV is a diverse company, rich in creative and thoughtful people. These answers became part of the fabric of the event. We created beautiful videos using colleagues’ answers and ITV Big Think branding all woven together and played them out on screens across the venue all day. For colleagues who couldn’t attend, we streamed the whole event live across all sites, including the US, on our intranet. This was watched by 800 extra people.
To make sure all colleagues could be involved in the event, wherever they were watching, we built an event app. This meant that people could ask the speakers questions via the app and we had interactive polling too, as well as all the pre-event information that our colleagues needed. With our partner, BrandFuel, we transformed the BFI into a creative, fully branded, inspirational and interactive space. Not only did we have the amazing speakers, but the refreshment area was full of forward-thinking, interactive product demonstrations. ITV colleagues could have a go with the first 3D writing pen; 3Doodler, experience virtual reality through your iPhone with Altergaze and even listen to a music machine made from Lego! And, we even had lunchtime entertainment as improvised hip hop group, in 2014 Abandoman, took to the stage and got everyone on their feet, laughing, singing and energised ready for the afternoon.