Tech Open Air (TOA) is an annual event, held in Berlin, exploring the future of technology and how our world is evolving. Our Founder & Creative Director Tom Chown was invited to join a group of creative businesses in Kent as part of ISE2Seas attending TOA19.
Published: July 2019
Cal Fussman, Journalist
Journalist Cal Fussman spoke to a packed Studio 1 audience about ‘How to Tell Your Story’. During his illustrious career he’s been fortunate enough to interview high profile figures, including President Gorbachev and Muhammad Ali.
Cal shared his secrets for cutting through the increasingly noisy world we live in, with good old fashioned storytelling.
All great stories start with vulnerability; we need vulnerability to step into the character’s shoes. Always aim your first question to the heart, which follows the pathway to the head, and then to the soul.
A single question can get you to the most powerful people on earth.
Björn Welter, Brand Disruptor
Björn Welter is a brand disruptor, who’s spent that last decade leading some of the most popular tech, food and consumer brands.
From the belly of Studio 2 he shared his insight into how to build a connected community, the heart of which rests in our DNA, appealing to our deep-rooted inner child; to feel protected, to explore our environment and find a sense of belonging.
As humans we need family and a circle of friends to not feel lonely, whilst seeking a purpose in life and a sense of belonging.
When brands are able to tap into this psychology and clearly demonstrate their purpose, this leads to empathy, understanding and enables them to connect with their customers and build strong communities of loyal followers.
Marie Chevrier, Sampler
The strong sense of belonging was echoed by Marie Chevrier from Sampler, a platform which sends consumers samples and start a conversation, helping retailers to move from selling a product to a ‘brand experience’.
Online shopping has destroyed the traditional relationship between manufacturers and retailers, with the disruption caused by the likes of Amazon, high streets globally are changing. This has led to a fragmented market for retailers where the product is less important to the customer.
People buy based on values, convenience, performance, lifestyle, personalisation and exclusivity. Physical retail isn’t dead, boring retail experiences are.
What do your consumers think about their lifestyle, not your product. Create a conversation and make it an experience work sharing.
TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS
Urbania at Tech Open Air
Urbania played host to Daimler and T-Systems, showcasing the innovative Digital Life Campus. This initiative is an opportunity for tech start-ups to showcase their concepts, including a prototype service that allows smart cars to communicate with nearby Points of Interest (POIs).
City Tree from Green City Solutions
‘City Tree’ is a prototype living wall, developed in partnership between Green City Solutions and T-Systems. Inside the wall fans draw air over a unique moss, which cleans harmful emissions and pollution from the air. Whilst inside the structure, a wide range of monitoring and technology devices can be mounted out of sight to help connect our streets. A prototype in Darmstadt is able to filter 3,500 cubic metres of air per hour.
Google’s beach on the River Spree
Google gave insight to a new tool in development. The currently unnamed cloud based solution is designed to help investigative journalists trawl through information for example documents sourced from FOI requests. Currently in alpha, it’s being trialled globally by organisations including The Washington Post and ABC News. Journalists are able to upload PDF documents, highlight key names, phrases, organisations etc. to perform a deep search for possible connections for further analysis.
DJs in the Haus of Tech
