OMD UK is set to welcome over 30 of the world’s leading thinkers and innovators from Monday for Innovation Week 2016, a week of inspiring talks and sessions on the changing media landscape. In the run-up to the event, we caught up with Chris Lewis-Jones, Executive Director – Digital and Technology, to hear all about what he’s got planned for the week.
Hi Chris – Innovation Week 2016 is just around the corner! Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from the week?
In short, loads of awesome talks, panels, demos and working sessions featuring some of the smartest thinkers around. The team has worked tirelessly to secure some fantastic sessions. Over the course of the five days, each of which takes on a different theme, you can expect to have your mind blown by the incredible power of artificial intelligence, your horizons expanded by both Augmented and Virtual Reality, learn about the rise of messaging apps and the bots that live within them and experience what it’s like to live in a truly connected home… And much more in-between. We have big time influencers, start-ups flying in from the States and some serious industry figures all getting involved. It’s going to be a cracking week!
The event is now in its third year here at OMD UK. How did it come into existence and how did you end up getting involved?
We started Innovation Week back in 2014 as a way to really drive home the importance of innovative thinking in everything that we do. It has grown each year to include more hands-on experiences, client specific sessions with hand-picked start-ups and even an extra day that focuses on Frontier Thinking. I put my hand up to help right from the start as I’m something of a technology geek and a firm believer that as agencies we need to expand our approach to problem-solving so it was a bit of a no brainer really!
What sessions are you particularly excited about?
Ok, that’s a tough one, it’s a little like (I imagine) being asked to pick your favourite child! They are all going to be great but the three I’m most looking forward to are; AOL’s Creative Strategists talking to and showing us the new realities that Microsoft’s incredible AR headset Hololens brings, the IBM session, ‘From user experience to human experience with the help of A.I.’ because what they have created in Watson, their super-computer, is mind blowing and finally we have a Q&A session with Solly and Arian the Co-Founders of TheLADbible Group to hear about how they have grown from a Facebook page to a fully blown media company. It is going to be fascinating.
More generally, what’s the best part of your job?
I’m very lucky, I love pretty much all aspects of my job and the best part is helping our clients build and execute digital transformation and acceleration across their business.
