The Visual Thinking Global Summit is over and we're already missing it! For everyone who couldn't be there, we're sharing our experiences here…
This year's summit was organized by Muxote Potolo Bat in cooperation with the International Forum of Visual Practitioners and the European Visual Practitioners . They did a truly first-class job putting on this large international hybrid event and decorating the venue with such care. Of course, as one of the main sponsors, we were also there.
New territory
An invitation to the largest international conference for visual artists in Spain? We didn't need to be asked twice. We were absolutely thrilled! So we hopped on the next train in Fulda, traveled all the way to beautiful Bilbao, and started unpacking. Fun fact: Even after a day and a half of setting up our booth, we were still bursting with excitement.
Since our two newest products are the Neuland FineOne® and Neuland BigOne® Art markers, we naturally made sure we had plenty on hand. Because, as you know… a rainbow of Neuland markers is simply the best way to welcome everyone to our booth. 😉 And that wasn't all: Attendees could draw or write something on a piece of paper, and we'd quickly print their designs on the BigOne Art markers – our personal highlight.
It's actually easier than you think! A blog post and a special offer will be coming soon…
To ensure all participants could document their learnings, we designed a backpack for goodies and equipped it with the BulletProof and the Neuland FineOne® Flex markers . We were particularly pleased to see how well the new marker was received and immediately used for sketchnotes. But what was this summit actually about?
Shake it to shape it!
That was the motto of the Visual Thinking Global Summit. To shape our future in a positive way, we need to think outside the box. Participants were able to actively shape the summit by combining high-quality keynote speeches with methods such as Open Space and so-called sense-making dialogues. This allowed for the inclusion of topics of interest and their consideration from various perspectives.
Of course, everything was properly documented: on a GraphicWall V3 and two V3 XLs . Every day, five graphic recorders created their impressive visualizations. In the end, there were three graphic recordings – in English, Spanish, and Basque!
The keynotes
After being welcomed by a Basque chef, Ida Castiglioni gave a talk on intercultural communication and collaboration on day 2, followed by a sense-making session with Joanna Sell. Day 3 focused on the digital future with Nancy Rademaker. Day 4 featured two keynote speakers on sustainable value creation: Jackson Araujo and Lisa Lang.
The interactive part
Landing – connecting – transforming – acting. These words describe the journey from day one to day four. Not only were the speeches aligned with these concepts, but after each presentation, the participants decided which topics they wanted to address, formed groups, and then shared their findings – both in person and online.
The raffle
For the first three days of the event, everyone was invited to participate in the grand prize draw. There were many highly sought-after prizes to be won. It's hard to say which prize was the best. We can only say this much: a €250 voucher and a €500 voucher from Neuland were among the prizes. 😉 The winners were drawn at the Basque Fest on the final evening. But that was only the second-best part of the event. In total, the raffle raised €1300, which was donated to Aita Mari, a non-profit organization dedicated to sea rescue.
We are one!
At this event, everyone was truly included. The main language was Spanish, but some speakers gave their presentations in English or even Portuguese. There were more than 130 participants in person, 77 joined online, and 23 countries were represented. To ensure everyone had the opportunity to participate in the conversation, interpreters for Spanish/English and sign language were provided. Graphic recordings were also available in English, Spanish, and Basque.
It's impressive how the core team created such a strong sense of community by allowing participants, both on-site and online, to immerse themselves in Basque culture in various ways. Thank you for this unforgettable event!
