T-Shirts and Suits: Creative Marketing seminar, December 6th, Manchester
Posted on December 8th, 2007 at 10:23
On Thursday 6th I spent the day at an absolutely fantastic creative marketing seminar hosted by Manchester's Creative Industries Development Service (CIDS) and facilitated by David Parrish, the author of T-Shirts and Suits, A Guide to the Business of Creativity, which if the seminar is anything to go by ought to be a definite purchase for small creative businesses everywhere (or you can download a free e-book version of the whole text from his website, take a look and see what you think before you buy).
Along for the ride were ten other incredibly creative business people from around the Manchester area, hailing from a real mix of business backgrounds, artistic disciplines, and project types, but all of them incredibly interesting, talented and friendly folks and each with a similar aim: to build on an existing base or concept; to reach new customers and goals.
By the end of the day I think it's safe to say that we'd all learned an incredible amount; about our own businesses, about each others' businesses, about how to focus on our goals and plan for the future rather than just drifting from half-grasped opportunity to half-failed side-project, and most of all about how being a creative business doesn't mean that you have to be a starving, garret-based artist... it's okay to succeed without selling out.
David was an absolutely excellent facilitator. Unlike some seminars, in which the whole point has clearly been for the speaker to talk about their ideas, their vision and, ultimately, so they could hear the sound of their own voice parroted back at them by their new acolytes, David's approach is much more about putting the emphasis on the participants of the group. He very quickly got a room full of strangers to relax, talk to each other and about each other, and freely discuss their own state of mind, issues, problems and, ultimately, swap ideas and potential solutions for each other.
Okay, from my point of view it helped immensely that David turned out to be a local bloke, based in the town I was born in and a fellow armchair supporter of Bury F.C. to boot, but those were just bonus items. Ultimately, it was his quiet, intelligently expressed pointers, questions and comments that ensured that the emphasis of this session was on us, our businesses and how we could succeed, both individually and perhaps, if circumstances allowed, as future project partners or co-clients. I know I'll certainly be buying my next bit of camera equipment from a chap called Jem who owns the Real Camera Company in Manchester's Northern Quarter, and who happily spent twenty minutes over lunch explaining (with illustrations!) how I could use even my bog-standard pocket camera to take better photographs in future.
So, all in all this is one seminar I'd definitely recommend you try to get a place on. If you live in an eligible area of Greater Manchester then CIDS will fund your attendance for you, otherwise, shell out whatever David Parrish is asking these days. You certainly won't regret the investment.
And before I finish, shouts out to my fellow seminarians (in no particular order): freelance graphic designer Jon Drew, freelance composer and poet Anwen Lewis, Mark Stringer of Bourn Design in Stockport, artist and surface pattern designer Mark Finzel, bespoke bridal accessories designer Lucy Griffiths (no website yet?), jewelled garter designer Beth Lomas, freelance arts and education consultant Annie Anderson (likewise, website pending), urban arts promoter Nick Hardy, 'Not Part Of' festival organiser Gareth McCann and photographic equipment supplier Jem Kime (website planned, awaiting implementation).
Hey, if any of you guys end up dropping by, do leave a comment below, say hi, yeah?
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3 Responses to “T-Shirts and Suits: Creative Marketing seminar, December 6th, Manchester”
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Sounds like a great networking opportunity!
Hi Paul - Certainly is. I'd definitely recommend getting along to one of David Parrish's sessions if he hosts one in your area.
For sure... this guy is LEGEND!
Would recommend anyone with any form of creativity to sit in front of David Parrish!
10 STARS!