What will the cultural events of 2021 be like? Interview with Anna Rossell, Production of the Museu del Disseny de Barcelona.

My career is very varied. I started my degree in Conservation and Restoration at the UB. I was an intern at several museums in Barcelona, and I saw that, in reality, many things are done in museums; they are very lively spaces. Then I became interested in heritage management and museology, so I signed up for a master's degree, and from there to Cultural Management.
Sometimes, I have the feeling that I have gone from specific to general because, in this last Master's, I was interested in the topic of events and big festivals. I started with sporting events as a volunteer to gain experience. Finally, I joined an agency called Grup Congres, this is where I learned everything I know today.
In this case, I am in the Disseny HUB as an external company managing the activities and events in the building.

Being such a versatile space, I've seen everything. And I have absorbed everything I could.
Currently, we are trying to adapt to the changes as an institution. But it is curious to see how my company has adapted to the changes radically, while in the public sector, things go at a different pace.

My job consists of marketing the spaces, managing the event's logistics, talking to suppliers, managing the equipment, making budgets and schedules, etc. The most significant advantage is that you do everything and learn a lot in production.

A typical day, not in times of pandemic, could be more manageable. There are lots of meetings, planning and organising events, generating their production... And, of course, the events themselves. In one day, several in a row or a very long one lasts until the early morning hours. And also... a lot of walking.

This past year, we had to improvise a lot.

As an institution, we were forced to be a witch in this regard. During the lockdown, we had to prepare many protocols for different possibilities. So the first thing we did was imagine a lot and then draft protocols so that, once we opened, we could hold events with maximum security.
Although, at the moment, the building is like a set. It was challenging, and it's still complicated. It's a never-ending story.

The trend for this year will be like last year: try to save the events and do the best we can. As I said, we are a walking set, and the trend will be that.

The new event formats we are seeing are here to stay. And we are going to see new professional profiles.
In institutions, this is a little more difficult to visualise. They still want to do events as before, and it's hard to see it, unlike agencies or private companies that have put this focus quickly.
Has the role of production changed with this digitalisation?
Of course, it has! In a few months, the classic profile of the event organiser has evolved and changed radically. The walkie is getting dusty. From what I've seen, everything is going more slowly in a public institution. On the other hand, agencies are adapting faster. They are beginning to integrate profiles related to anthropology, design thinking, artificial intelligence, or big data into their structures or through outsourcing.

The event industry system is bound to change. There are different needs, new platforms, and new suppliers. We have gone from having an app or website for the event to digitalising the whole process. This paradigm shift requires a transformation and adaptation of the entire sector: agencies will have to diversify revenues and redesign their business models to capture the investment made in other marketing channels.

Also, more than ever, they have to value their role as consultants, talk more with the client, advise them, provide more solutions, and provide new solutions.

The worst thing is to continue as we have been doing; everything is a bit dead. The best thing is that we will see how people reinvent themselves to generate experiences for those who attend the events that are made.

From Misterio Studio, we always seek to support culture in all its disciplines. In the coming days, we will publish the following interview on cultural trends for 2021. If you do not follow our blog yet, this is an excellent time to start 🙂