‘This event was one you don’t often come across. It wasn’t a networking or information session, but it wasn’t a conference either. So what was it? This event was entirely about creating the ultimate experience, with the end goal of bringing visitors together in a special way!’
On Thursday, January 31, we organized a special event for the connections and partners of Neerlands Diep, together with Pentascope and the Co-creative School, in Theater Flint. Janine van Oosten – Communications Advisor and Event Manager at Neerlands Diep – and Gijs van Bilsen – Chief Inspiration Officer at Live Action Learning – share in an interview what made this event truly different from others.
Unique approach
‘The theme of this day was ‘the task.’ After all, society is becoming increasingly complex, with new developments constantly coming your way. Everyone is moving away from working on projects by the book. Each part of a project has become a separate ‘task’. And that’s the part we wanted visitors to experience. But what does that mean, working from the task at hand? Looking beyond your own project is the starting point,” says Janine van Oosten.
Serious Escape Room
For this event, we embraced this theme by incorporating Serious Escape Rooms. We provide the story, the experience and the game elements. One of Gijs van Bilsen’s specialties is serious gaming. This is a game format that fully immerses participants. The entire day becomes a game. The same was true during this event…
The New Deeplands – how does the game work?
During this day, a fictional case was created. The New Deeplands is a newly raised island off the coast of the Netherlands. The goal is to create a sustainable living, working, and residential area for everyone. Unfortunately, this is not going quite as planned on several fronts.
The game started immediately when the visitor entered the building. At the entrance of Theater Flint, protesters wearing orange vests were present, inspired by the yellow vests movement. These orange vests mainly protested against the noise pollution of the new island. Upon entering, visitors got a feel for The New Deeplands through photos and posters.
The governor came straight to the point; ‘Guys, I need your help’. Participants were taken through the project and the situation. According to the governor, the project teams present were much needed to convey the thoughts behind the new project to the various parties involved. At the end of the day, a press conference took place, where the governor had to present a compelling narrative about the project’s progress. Indeed, the press had noted that expectations were not being met, for example due to the lack of sustainable housing. The governor’s address to the attendees concluded with: “Find and connect the information from institutions, authorities, businesses, politics, movements, residents, end users, and other stakeholders to achieve our shared ambition. The challenge we face: ‘The New Deeplands’—a sustainable, safe, and accessible living, working, and residential area for everyone.”
After this introduction, participants had to search for information about the island by playing exciting escape rooms….
Unique
‘This event is unique because we really opted for a total experience. “An experience within the same story, with constantly changing game formats and interactions for the participants,” says Gijs van Bilsen Janine van Oosten adds: “Creating an escape experience with nearly 200 people is truly unique.” People can learn about a complex topic in a playful way.”
