240 people, three days, unique: EuViz2014

Connect nine points with four lines. (Is that possible?)

Over 50 years ago, in 1963, neuroscientist Martin Scherer presented the nine-dot problem, which involved connecting nine dots arranged in a square with four lines in one go. This task can only be solved by thinking beyond the square defined by the dots.
And this goes far beyond solving seemingly trivial picture puzzles….

Because this thinking outside the box is precisely what unites the participants of the EuViz2014 conference – which we organized together with the communication guides in the second-to-last week of July.

Connecting 240 people in three days. (How is that possible?)
For three days, the “European Conference for Visual Thinkers, Practitioners and Facilitators” – here is a quote from participant Sandra Dirks – brought together all the “crazy people who work with visualizations in and with groups. Or even without groups, and just with visualizations. Ah!”
The co-organizer was the “International Forum for Visual Practitioners”, so to speak the worldwide trade association, which met in Europe for the very first time in its history with EuViz2014 – which is hardly surprising when you know that the methods of visualization were first developed in the USA about 40 years ago and only gradually gained a foothold throughout the world.

The motto of EuViz2014 was “Connecting the dots” – but its meaning went far beyond the rather sober connecting of nine dots in a square.

Learning from each other:
The first day focused on current developments and advancements in visualization, its methods, and goals. Participants could learn about these topics, ask questions, share their own experiences, and draw—lots and lots of drawing—in five so-called "tracks."

Try it out together:
The second day was entitled "Expanding the practice." Twenty clearly manageable groups now began real work, which... also consisted largely of drawing, lots and lots of drawing...

Exploring new paths:
The third day summarized the experiences of the previous days and suggested making even more intensive use of the possibilities of a universal language in the future – so not English, but again: drawing, lots and lots of it…

In fact, this was perhaps the most intense and visible experience of the conference: After just one day, there were hardly any surfaces left in the event rooms of the Berlin nhow hotel that were not covered with large flipchart sheets displaying impressive visualizations.

And wherever you went, there were people standing together, passionately talking about their own and their shared work, constantly reaching for their markers, sketchbooks, or tablets.

In fact, this was only different on one occasion – and even then, some people were still drawing….
Having fun together:
For the evening of the second day, a ship had been booked, on which all participants traveled towards the Bundestag and back after a bar-BQ. (Those who were dancing below deck probably didn't notice much of this...)

Just before docking again, there was a raffle: Prizes included tickets to the next international conference (congratulations to Liiisa Sorsa from Toronto), packages from the Communication Guides, Neuland shopping vouchers, and useful gifts from our sponsors. (We would like to take this opportunity to thank them all – Pan Pastel , Pfleiderer , and Smit Visual Suppliers for the generous materials, iskn for the particularly beautiful prizes, and Halfar for the sturdy bags. A special thank you goes to everyone who sponsored scholarships for participants who otherwise wouldn't have been able to attend. So, a special thank you to: Riegg & Partner , Spindler GmbH, 3AComposites , and rocada – and a few others who wish to remain anonymous.)

We also thank all the helping hands and everyone in the core team who stood by us from (or before ) the first to the last minute and weren't too proud to join in some silliness...

But most of all, we thank our guests, whose enthusiasm and joy showed us that the hard work of preparation was more than worthwhile. Yes, we are tired. And we are overjoyed.

See you in 2015!

PS

More information: www.euviz.com
More pictures from EuViz on Flickr
All photos: Marzena Traber
Graphics “9 Points”: Thies Thiessen