In yet another coup scored thanks to our partnership with the Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Creativepool founder Michael Tomes sat down with Simon Gosling, Creative Evangelist and Thought Leader at Happy Finish. The concept of creative evangelism is a relatively fresh one, but if there is one man that typifies the role it’s Simon, who has over 25 years of experience in the industry.
“I’m at one or another event every month, and the themes are very similar, but here (at Dubai Lynx) there seems to be more diversity”
Simon joined the high-end, creative production agency, in 2013 as CEO, and has spent the last 3 years expanding the business, alongside agency Founder and Chairman Stuart Waplington, into a full 360 production service. Simon is a seasoned and renowned speaker at global advertising industry events, having spoken at Ciclope, Cannes Lions, D&AD, Cristal, Adfest, BAFTA and TEDx, and represents Happy Finish across the world at numerous leading events as Evangelist and Thought Leader.
“I relish the day where YouTube is viewable in VR for everybody”
At the Dubai Lynx festival this evening, Simon gave an absorbing talk on the subject that has been a notable buzzword at this year’s festival and amongst ad land in general; VR. The ever genial CEO began by talking us through his long history with the Lions Festivals network, before getting to his work with Happy Finish (including a rather difficult to resist pun), who have expanded their services in recent years to include stills, motion and interactive, and his thoughts on AR and VR.
“Happy Finish is a global company providing 360 services from creativity all the way through production, post-production, delivery and development”
Simon is an experienced public speaker, who takes us through the salient points of his keynote talk, which was 50% composed of what he thinks is happening in the world of VR, and why it will be so big this year, and 50% composed of case studies concerning VR experiences that Happy Finish has created for various brands. He based his keynote speech around the question; “Is VR just a fad,” and then dived into what the major players in the industry are doing with it. His personal feelings are that VR is far from a passing trend, and he uses analysis from Goldman Sachs (who have analysed that VR will be bigger than TV by 2025) to back up his opinion, though he doesn’t deny that there are barriers standing in the way of the medium’s mainstream success.
“We want to say; this is what VR is going to be, this is what we’re doing in this space, and this is how brands can use it to engage consumers”
It’s an illuminating look into the mind of a man who really knows his stuff when it comes to VR, and is passionate about its immediate future. You can find the full interview below or via our official Soundcloud page, where you can also find all of the other interviews Michael has been conducting during his time in the UAB. To keep on top of all upcoming Dubai Lynx news, gossip and insight, meanwhile, be sure to check back with us as the festival continues to offer up its spoils. As official festival partners, we couldn't be better placed to offer the best news as and when it happens!