Welcome Speech

Central theme: Accelerate growth of your business through service innovation, Kristi Hodak (UK), Assistant Director of Design at McKinsey & Company

We live in a paradoxical time. We have the tools to connect with people around the world in an instant, and the technology to share our knowledge in an instant, yet we still spend hours and hours filling out forms on paper for simple, everyday services and pointless tasks. Kristi Hodak, a service design specialist and expert in the sustainable implementation of transformation services, will talk about rethinking these time-consuming, bureaucratic and complex systems and how to replace them with simple, useful services that improve our daily lives.

Leaders’ Panel: From Unplanned Spill-overs to Deliberate Cross-overs moderated by Ragnar Siil (EST), Cultural Policy and Creative Industries Expert

Governments around the world are starting to understand the spill-over effects of the creative industries – the unplanned impact on other sectors, e.g. tourism or social well-being. However, what is still mostly absent is deliberate and planned coordination between the creative industries and other policy areas to foster positive results and fully take advantage of the transformative impact.

Ministers and high-level representatives of the European Commission and the OECD will discuss practical ways  to advance impacting crossovers between culture, the economy, and other areas, and to bring culture from the wings to centre stage. Together, we are seeking an answer to the question: what is the role of creativity in the building of more cohesive, more innovative and happier societies?

Service Design in Slovenia – Why, When, Where and Who? moderated by Aleš Ugovšek (SI), PhD, Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Services are booming and taking on an increasingly important role in our daily lives. As consumers become more critical and demanding, it is becoming even more important to design these services more effectively. Over the past 30 years, many service design methods have been developed in order to better understand the customer’s perspective. How have these methods reshaped the Slovenian service sector? In which industries has design thinking taken root? Join us and meet some of the companies that have stepped up their game with service design!

Preparing Fertile Grounds: Policies to Connect Business and Creativity moderated by Bernd Fesel (DE), Chair of the European Creative Business Network

The value of cultural and creative industries extends far beyond the immediate beneficial effects of culture on an individual’s well-being and community cohesion. Establishing links to industry and commerce has beneficial spillover effects, not only for businesses but also for the economy in general. This is why governments actively support further integration of the CCI into other economic sectors. Which policy instruments have proved effective when trying to bring companies and creatives closer? We will take a closer look at selected policies that have made the biggest bang!

Creating Value: Companies and Creatives Hand in Hand moderated by Matej Golob (SI), Innovation Management Consultant

Innovative practices in culture and creativity not only reinforce the innovative capacities of the CCI sector, but spill over into new approaches, practices, services, and products in the economy at large. Companies that understand such potential include creatives in their production processes. What do the cultural and creative sectors bring to the table? Which approaches of CCI inclusion have proved to be the most successful? Join the panel to see first-hand how companies benefit from collaboration with the cultural and creative sectors.

Art&Science: What Artistic Innovation can Give to Science&Business? moderated by Peter Purg (SI), PhD, Researcher of Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship

Artists are increasingly joining scientists in their research facilities; the tools and methodologies used by artists and designers radically shift the way research questions are conceived and the way problems are discussed and articulated. These unorthodox methodologies often lead to unorthodox solutions, providing inspiration not only to the teams they are part of but also to society at large. Can artists engage meaningfully in all phases of scientific research? Where could the outsiders’ artistic approach contribute the most? Can these participatory methodologies also provide inspiration for addressing the burning issues of the present? Join leading entrepreneurs and researchers to find out how artists add value to their work.

Creative Hubs Session: Hacking New Realities, moderated by Luka Piškorič & Eva Matjaž (SI), Poligon Creative Centre
(on invitation only)

Recognised for their important role in fostering communities of creative professionals and businesses, creative hubs are on the frontline of the challenges facing the creative sector. While the coronavirus crisis has forced many of the hubs to drastically limit their activities, this session will invite creative hub managers to co-create survival strategies for their hubs and communities.

Innovators workshop

Networking and discussion

Award ceremony