The DM Centre for Entrepreneurship

Digital innovators shared the secrets to their success at an event organised by the Centre for Entrepreneurship, CIM Dorset and Meetdraw and sponsored by Express Systems.  The Art of Innovation event took place at BU’s Executive Business Centre, and was open to local businesses, students and marketing professionals.

Over 80 people attended the event, which was opened by David Drysdale, editor of Innovative Onions, an online magazine dedicated to innovation.  He set the context for discussion, saying: “Innovation is confusing – sometimes we are told to read more about how to be innovative, and other times just to get on and do it”.

Andy Bell, founder and creator of Mint Digital shared his expertise in the crossover between the digital and physical worlds, including projects such as Foldable me, where online users can design miniature cartoon versions of themselves before constructing them out of cardboard, and StickyGram,  where people turn their digital instagram photos into physical magnets.

He said: “For all the wonderful things the web has given us, it has flattened our experience, meaning that our appetite for more textured experiences has grown,”

He went on to explain that there’s something about physical things that the digital world can’t replace.

Andy stressed that opportunities remain huge in the digital world with the large number of tablets and smartphones in use, adding: “So many new business opportunities are waiting to be discovered.”

Syd Lawrence of We make awesome Sh shared his passion for blending new ideas with creative solutions. He described the digital space as his playground in which the aim is to make things that people enjoy.  Syd detailed one of his most impressive projects where he secured the number one world-wide trending topic on Twitter in just six minutes to promote the launch of Kylie Minogue’s latest single.

Twitter users were able to unlock the accompanying music video but only once a given hashtag was tweeted 25,000 times. He said: “People online share – it’s simple!  The team at We make awesome Sh recently missed out on a Cannes Lions Award for their work promoting a Calvin Harris album.

Users were able to download and listen to the album for free, but only as long as they were dancing. The project saw huge success with 26% of those downloading the app going on to buy the album.

Syd’s advice to budding entrepreneurs was to “Just do it. What’s the worst the can happen?”

Syd Lawrence of We make awesome Sh shares his inspirational story at The Art of Innovation event. 

News Article provided by Toby Horner (BU Corporate Communications Officer)