Semi Permanent Auckland 2016 announces panel and speaker line up

The countdown is on to the annual gathering which brings together industry powerhouses and creative heavyweights from some of the world’s most talked about businesses.

Semi Permanent 2016, August 12-13, has a packed line-up of speakers, interactive and inspiring workshops, film screenings and for the first time this year, panel discussions on the Future of Business and the Future of Content.

“Semi Permanent evolves as the world evolves” says organiser, Simon Velvin.

“My aim is to promote relevant topical conversations and I am both nervous and excited about the new panel discussions. They should certainly open up debate as I have tried to make them diverse and topical so they are not singular and agreeable in views”

The Future of Content often poses more questions than it does answers -is content really king anymore? Or is it context? When will virtual reality really take off, or is it already here? This panel will explore - the evolving landscape of content platforms, what good design looks like and some of the challenges designers and agencies are facing.

The panel includes Duncan Shand of leading NZ digital agency, Young + Shand; Rebecca Carrasco, Creative Director at Clemenger BBDO Sydney; Shana Allen, who launched Twitter in Australia in 2013 and is a frequent speaker on content strategies and lastly Ted Cohen, American digital entertainment industry executive, formerly of EMI Music and now managing partner of TAG Strategic.

The Future of Business panel will discuss what businesses need to stay relevant in this evolving media landscape and how to create meaningful experience through creativity, new business models and the importance of culture and diversity.

The panel includes Melissa Clark Reynolds, successful entrepreneur and CEO of a number of technology companies; Peter Biggs, National Chief Executive of Assignment Group New Zealand, Sven Baker, Chairman and group CEO Designworks and Cecelia Herbert the leader of Diversity & Inclusion for Google Australia and New Zealand.

Not to be forgotten are the other award winning, game changing industry leaders who fill the two day symposium. These include:

• Paul Stafford – Co-founder and CEO DesignStudio, London – Paul has helped transform and implement brands at c-suite level, recently working with clients such as Airbnb, Logitech and the Premier League.
• Alain Brideson - kiwi industrial designer who works for companies in Europe and Asia on projects ranging from ski-grips to prototypes of electric vehicles.
• Mimi Gilmour Buckley – restaurateur, businesswoman and entrepreneur – Mimi co-founded MEXICO restaurant group and is also responsible for Auckland’s most recent dining phenomenon, Burger Burger and Fish Fish.
• Rebecca Carrasco – Head of Facebook Creative Shop, Rebecca is responsible for the overall creative impact Facebook can have for clients and agencies.
• Zackary Canepari – award winning photographer and film maker, whose film ‘T-Rex’ about Olympic boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields will screen during the event.
• Tea Uglow – works for Google’s Creative Lab in Sydney who examine the technology that surrounds us and explore the potential of digital tools to make the world a better and more enjoyable place.
• Cleo Wade – poet, artist and speaker that creates empowering messages blending simplicity with positivity, femininity and arresting honesty. Dedicated advocate of female empowerment, Cleo will be speaking and performing a live poetry reading.
• Wesley Grubbs – founder and creative director, Pitch Interactive a studio whose focus is weaving with code with design with statistics to find versatile solutions to communicate complex data for clients such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Wired and Popular Science.
• Andrew Stevens – Director, Graphic Thought Facility – London based design consultancy whose recent work includes M&S stores, exhibition design for the Science Museum and campaigns for Kvadrat and Frieze Art Fair.
• Sam Bompass and Harry Parr, founders of Bompass & Parr who are world leaders in experience design, culinary research and architectural installations.
• Chris Fjelddahl – founder of Eight, one of Asia’s most renowned and respected branding and design firms, Chris has worked with the likes of Apple, Cathay Pacific, Dyson and Blackstone.
• Steve Selzer – Experience Design Manager for Airbnb, over the last decade Steve has led engagements with a broad range of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 companies spanning education, finance, entertainment, consumer products, transportation, communications, and social enterprise.
• His passions and areas of expertise include design research, experience design, and building products that span devices, service environments, and beyond.
• Roland Snooks, the director of architecture practice Studio Roland Snooks and leads Kokkugia, an experimental architecture research practice as well as being a senior lecturer at RMIT university.
• Jessica Dimmock – award winning Director and Cinematographer, listed in Filmmaker magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Jessica will be screening new film ‘The Pearl’ at the event.
• Maria Scillepi – founding director of 72U, a creative residency at the intersection of art, technology and storytelling. She was recently honoured as one of Adweek’s 30 star players at US Agencies 2015
• Gunnar Green and Richard The – from Studio TheGreenEyl, a Berlin and New York based design practice creating exhibitions, installations, objects, electronics, algorithms and graphics. Work has included the corporate design for MIT Media Lab, various installations for permanent and special exhibitions such as Jewish Museum Berlin and Museum of Natural History Berlin.