Fall Tour of Interactive Studios 2010 |

It was my first time participating at the Fall Tour of Interactive Studios and I was glad to be part of it because it was filled with inspiring ideas and advice by some of the most creative people in the industry. The tour was organized by Oddly Studios, and was already their fifth annual event this year. The tour showcased over 30 famous digital studios with more than 400 participants from colleges and universities of various majors. Students and people who are interested in going into this industry should definitely join this tour because it was a great chance to build your network, get inspired, and learn how the industry is like. Most importantly, you actually get the chance to meet and talk to the directors who can influence your life. I mean how often do you get an opportunity to meet these people? I must say it was a well-organized tour, Oddly provided all participants with binders and tour guides, encouraging them to drop down any notes that they feel are significant to them.

The tour was a span of 2 days. At the end of the last day, there was a party for every participants and speakers to join in and mix and mingle. Great band and great food as well. The speakers of the tour were fantastic. Some of the studios or speakers we got to visit and meet include: Digital Cement, Espresso, Jam3 Media, One Method, Teehan + Lax, The Marketing Store, SociMedia, Amoeba Corp, Blast Radius, Grip, Idea Couture, Henderson Bas, John St, Mighty, NFB, NurRun, Organic, Sapient, Taxi, Ubisoft, MacLaren McCann, Lamin Martin, Pixel Dreams, Jalani Morgan, Simon Rojas, Secret Location, TBWA, Trapeze and Pixel Gallery. It was very beneficial to the designers to learn more about how the industry is like and what exactly they need to get in. Speakers of the studios took the time to prepare a great presentation, explaining their company and design process, environment and work. I was very impressed.

However, I do recommend everyone who is thinking of joining this tour to be well prepared as well. Fresh grads should definitely prepare some business cards and be aggressive enough to approach these important people. I was actually quite passive normally and not really the type who socialize with people or have the initiative to approach people first. But I realize how important it was to be aggressive and make yourself stand out from the crowd. You must introduce yourself to them and exchange business cards. Make a lasting impression. Voice your concerns or questions you have regarding their company or the industry. Last but not least, follow-up with them after the tour by email or phone, so they know you are passionate about this field and remember you if there’s any openings available. I’ll definitely recommend this tour to all my fellow designer friends, they are very motivated after my success of getting into one of the largest ad agency worldwide.