I’ve recently returned from the Shanghai Expo where I helped to co-host two creative workshops. They were part of UKTI’s ‘Sowing the Seeds of Creative Partnership’ programme of business events for the creative industries.
Shanghai is truly is an Expo for the twenty-first century. The UK have designed and built a pavilion http://www.ukshanghaiexpo.com/en/home.php that is a striking, visual demonstration of Britain as a creative and innovative nation – exactly as Crystal Palace was in the very first Expo in London in 1851.
Thomas Heatherwick, one of the UK’s leading creative talents, designed the UK pavilion at Shanghai. The centrepiece is a six storey high structure ”The Seed Cathedral” formed from some 60,000 slender transparent rods, which extend from the structure and quiver in the breeze.
It has been nicknamed the ‘the dandelion’ by the Chinese public and was in fact ranked second in popularity when I was there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpBa_QpkzNE
The two creative workshops went very well. The first one – led by the Institute of Practictioners in Advertising and eight of our leading agencies – explored the potential for Chinese brands to position themselves internationally. Over one hundred Chinese brand owners and government officials came along with the aim of exploring the potential of Chinese brands in the global market.
Bell Design led the second workshop with its focus on ‘Better Brand: Richer Region’ which examined brand building within the public sector. It was attended by Chinese regional government officials with an interest in branding their own region or city to attract inward investment.
Both workshops highlighted the UK’s capability in building brands http://www.ukti.gov.uk/investintheuk/sectoropportunities/creativemedia.html whilst positioning the UK as an ideal location for any business with international aspirations. http://www.go-uk.org/