Where creative people come together.

ALOHA 2011 – 16th International IFVP Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii

All participants agreed on one thing: "This was the best IFVP conference ever." And it was also the one with the most participants. Visual Practitioners from 12 countries came to exchange ideas and find inspiration. We were there of course and brought back some interesting impressions.

ALOHA 2011 – I'm going – are you?

That was the text on the stickers that were handed out at the end of the last IFVP conference in San Francisco. For us, it was a no-brainer – of course we were there again this year – as exhibitors – and, in the few remaining free moments, also as conference attendees.

The venue was the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa – located near the famous Waikiki Beach. The third floor was the hub of the conference of the year – the IFVP Conference 2011.

The chosen conference location was both a gamble and an opportunity. Honolulu, Hawaii – on the one hand, of course, a dream location – but on the other hand, a long journey for everyone. Even for Americans who had to travel from the mainland. And they, in our experience, make up the majority of the participants. Fortunately for the organizers and sponsors, more people than ever before decided to attend this year's conference of "visual practitioners."

The location of our sales and information booth provided a truly unique experience. It wasn't, as usual, somewhere inside the building, but rather in the open-air area in front of the conference room. Plenty of sunshine and fresh air – after all, we were in Hawaii. So, a vacation feeling even while working. And there was plenty of work to be done. We had many new products on board, including the new VarioOne and the new fineOne by Neuland. How would they be received? Was the theme of visual sketchnoting appropriately placed here as well?

Let's sketch the notes

The feedback was clear, ranging from astonishment at the many new products since the last visit to genuine enthusiasm. Sketchbooks and fineOnes quickly found their customers and were already in use during the conference.

It was great that we had our entire range of fineliners and the new brush markers with us. The latter, in particular, received consistently excellent marks from the participants. The quality of the Neuland Sketchbook was also highly praised – after all, you can use markers on both sides of the paper without the ink bleeding through.

International Speakers

The official conference program once again featured a top-class lineup. This year, Patrik van der Pijl, a European, was among the speakers.

Patrik is the managing director of Business Models Inc. from the Netherlands. Their book "Business Model Generation" is now available in 18 languages ​​– recently also in German – and was awarded "Management Book of the Year 2011".

We met up with Ole Qvist-Sørensen, a long-time acquaintance, at this conference. Ole's company, "Bigger Picture," is based in Copenhagen and operates successfully on an international level.

The Dane Jørn Nielsen presented tricks and tips for successfully using comic characters in the context of visualization.

As expected, much of the visualization process is still analog – using markers and paper. However, the iPad has also found its way into this field, so it was no surprise how many participants were now drawing on the small tablet. Rachel Smith from Grove Consultants offered an interesting workshop on this topic.

And many of the participants used the iPad for digital visualization.

David Sibbet

Of course, one person couldn't be missing – the veteran David Sibbet. He appeared on the second day of the conference, perfectly orchestrated, to present his new book during the lunch break. But was it really a book presentation?

What began rather unspectacularly as a simple coordinate system (I was genuinely afraid it might be boring) quickly developed into a fascinating presentation of fundamental knowledge. No, this wasn't a dull book presentation; it was a chance for everyone present to glimpse some of the comprehensive knowledge this man has accumulated over many years. I, for one, was thrilled—and not just because I received a book with a personal dedication afterward.

That David Sibbet is also an enthusiastic sketchnoter is clearly visible in this photo. Old school: with a fountain pen and various colored pencils.

Mahalo!

We would like to extend our personal thanks to Lynn Carruthers, who, together with Sophia Liang and other helping hands, so successfully prepared and conducted this conference. It was a great pleasure for us, and we hope that its success rewards your efforts!
Further information can be found at: www.ifvp.org