With Futurising looming large on the horizon it makes sense to give a quick preview of the elements which are particularly pertinent to the ECCA audience. Furthermore as Futurising is being held for the first time this year and is in itself a unique event means you'd be forgiven for not knowing exactly what to expect.
As one of the many people working on the preparation of the event to be held in the old Nicholls & Clarke building in the heart of Shoreditch I'm going to try my best to give you the inside track. With over 100 exhibition stands, one-to-one advice sessions, 'how to' presentations and headline talks in makes sense to formulate some sort of battle plan before making the trip to east London at the end of the month.
Before going any further if you haven't already you need to go and register yourself for the event. Registration in free ahead of time and can be done by visiting futurising.org or clicking HERE.
Now that you're registered, allow me just to clarify a few points. Firstly not all events are free. Both the headline talks and the 'how to' presentations both carry a charge of £6. For these events it's strongly advised that you book your place in advance. Although booking is available on the day at the reception why not save yourself both the hassle of queuing and the disappoint of finding out that your chosen event is fully book by signing up early for the events that are particularly relevant to you to avoid disappointment. The Futurising website allows you to filter events by discipline so there's no excuse not knowing exactly what's going on.
One-to-One advice session: for those unable take advantage of ECCA's free one-to-one advice session, namely those who have been graduates of UAL for more then three years, this is a great opportunity to get professional advice from specialists tailored to your chosen discipline within art and design.
Jotta's Me vs. We event in 'The Shack': freelancing can often be a solo pursuit and it's often be hard to making the meaningful professional connections you need no matter how strong your networking skills. Jotta aims to help you collaborate with your fellow creatives by providing a collaboration matching service. Whether you're a set designer looking to hook up with an illustrator or a fashion designer on the hunt for a filmmaker Jotta will help put you in touch with the people you need to reach your creative goals.
Exhibitors: there will be literally 100s of exhibitors all vying for your attention at the event. If you are looking for go into business for yourself rather than looking for a job then some exhibitors will be more useful to you than others. For a full rundown of partners already confirmed for the event, click HERE. Why not compile a list of exhibitors you definitely want to meet? I for one would definitely want to make sure I spoke to the guys from the AOI (Association of Illustrators).
And remember, its not all work, work, work. Whether its taking part in one of the interactive exhibits going on in The Shack or chatting with friend in the Diesel sponsored cafe area its a good idea to pace yourself to guarantee you make the most of the opportunities on offer.