June 2016 - Sinergie Group

YEAR 2 - NUMBER 6 - JUNE 2016
EDITORIAL
LIVE or ALIVE?
T
hat’s what we asked ourselves to investigate the world
of Live Communication with its spectacular events and
live tweeting, a place where people can easily turn into
underground’s newshounds. We looked at trends and needs,
styles and new courses, always with a watchful eye and an
open mind. We interviewed some opinion leaders of this area
to know their vision on Live Communication; what do they
think about it and where are we headed for the next future.
Done that, we refuted their ideas, rowing against the current
in our Maverick’s Corner.
And since a good strategy, alongside the ability to impress, is
needed to create successful events, two related topics: the
Project Management explained by Paolo Rizzo, General of
the Italian Air Force who, since he started, he had to manage
precise planning and simulations; and then Walter Rolfo’s
disruptive training, a lesson from MISF 2015 President and
the organizer of WCM: the World Championship of Magic. A
man who knows wonder since he was a child and transformed
this art in a tool dedicated to self-improvement, that is useful
also for companies.
Mice News, with Nira Montana - an example of true elegance
that customers are starting to know - and Focus ON Art, will
show you the latest news on the sector and will analyze the
rules linked to beauty and ugliness, both in art and in the
events. Finally, Sinergie’s Sky Box, one innovative example
of CRM.
The hint of originality from Michele Farè and Gabriele
Perraro, made the two Art of Sinergie Live Communication
win the contest for the 6th cover of Focus ON; a new work
added to the long list of our magazine’s covers which are
becoming always more relevant when they can meet beauty
and functionality.
This issue is in line with summer: hot themes enriched by the
will of being always on top of things, presenting the best of
the event world and a way to communicate that now it’s in our
DNA. One DNA #madeinsinergie.
Fabrizio Mezzo
1
summary
LIVE
EDITORIAL
1
LIVE COMMUNICATION today
3
Live or alive?
Present and future scenarios.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
10
CANNES 2016
18
MAGIC TRAINING
22
Beautiful. ugly.
26
MICE NEWS
30
TOUCHLAND
36
SALONE DEI PAGAMENTI 2016
38
SKYBOX SINERGIE
40
IN NAMIBIA with SPECIAL
45
To be more competitive.
The 69th edition of the Palme d’Or.
The new frontiers of team building.
The two sides of art.
News and location.
We do wash our hands.
Future calls for a Payvolution.
When CRM means party.
The trip you don’t expect.
THE MAVERICK’S CORNER
Live or real life?
48
Live Communication TODAY
Present and future scenarios.
T
oday, the Live Communication could seem a predictable
subject of conversation. Summer’s almost here,
together with the thousands of people who will gather
around modern pied pipers, announced by noisy stories and
pictures. It’s the time of hopes and dreams, of big outdoors
events and big productions. It’s also the time to use these
sparks to analyze the past, the present or the future of this
area of communication.
However, the charm of live events is something that can’t
be explained, not even from a theoretical standpoint.
In the last years we attended to a melting pot made of
multimedia and spectacularization which, sometimes took
away the space reserved to contents, and other times was
capable of giving more value to them and to their implied
concept. In a short time we moved from simple events –
3
LIVE
almost without any scenery just a big screen
and some microphones - to a new kind of
event where technology is a fundamental
prerequisite; where multiple projections,
watch outs and lights are needed to exalt
the lecturers also in a meeting with just a
handful of people.
The live streaming nowadays is the best
of live broadcasting. Nowadays companies
tool to share an event with those who
communicate something when they can
can’t participate, chat rooms and social
interact with their own audience and market.
interactions are constantly created to
Otherwise, even the best products risk the
receive the questions of whoever wants to Benedetta Bergantino
obsolescence before reaching the store.
join the event from home and project them
on stage. We discovered a kind of event where time and space What is the future then? Benedetta Bergantino have no borders and have become a unique non-place, always Communication and Corporate Events Coordinator at Sigaro
more virtual and in which light designers, sound engineers, Toscano S.p.A - when asked of a comment on the matter,
telecommunication technicians, sceexplains: “The Live Communication is
nographers and directors are working,
the development of communication
To be effective, the event of Live
building every time something new and
itself, we must take it into account that
Communication, needs a strong interaction with the end users.
exclusive. It’s always a “good first take”
we can’t live without it. It is for sure an
followed by the anxious thought that
opportunity for companies who can use
it’s impossible to correct any mistake, bad scene or a sad
joke. There’s the wait for the famous Vip who will add more
value to a shared moment that is just the result of a detailed
planning and time sheet. Sometimes people lose the human
touch to profit from emotions. It may seem a paradox but
it’s true: just like the movies, when the thrill, the tear or the
applause comes from a perfect organization of every climax,
and not in an instinctive way.
However, the charm of live events is something that can’t be
explained, not even from a theoretical standpoint. The live
event is beautiful because, besides the planning, there’s the
improvisation, the last minute solution, that small spark of
unexpected that will make the same event memorable.
Today the event agencies know that
they are evolving into a new kind of
consultants, in addition to be an asset
for logistic and technical needs. Amaze
customers with the Wow effect is not
enough anymore, even if it’s still required.
To be effective, the event of Live Communication, needs a strong interaction,
not only among the participants, but also
with the end users, the stakeholders.
Institutional communication is always
more important, like the mechanisms
4
LIVE
it, involving directly their consumers and potential customers. the company to its interlocutor, can happen only on the web,
When I say “companies who can use it” I mean that some the place that doesn’t need a mediator, where the information
others cannot, like ourselves for example, or many others are sent as directly as possible. New technologies, social
that work in certain areas of business
networks in particular, allowed us to
Concerning the future, we should
that have strong obligations regarding
do storytelling, to share the values of
understand how new technologies
communication and advertisement.
a specific brand in a way that is always
and social network will influence our
more engaging”.
everyday life.
Concerning the future, we should
understand how new technologies and social networks Is the strategy developed like a one-to-one relationship?
(Snapchat above all) will influence our everyday life. While “Sure - continues Prandi - that’s why Edison was one of
regarding a smaller period of time, there’s for sure a new the first utilities to create an account on the main social
trend from the web and companies use whichever tool networking websites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube)
they have at their disposal to maintain an active role in the diversifying each community for thematic and following
communication process”.
the users’ interests. For example, we have three different
accounts on Twitter, both in Italian and English: the main
The importance of social network – of the interaction and the one is @EdisonNews that provides a panoramic view on
continuous request of feedbacks, of the dynamism proven our business, the industrial activities, financial results and
by a company in its online presence - it’s
an update on every cultural, social and innovative activity;
confirmed by Andrea Prandi. In the past,
@Edison4Gov is the specific channel of the Institutional
journalist for “Il Resto del Carlino”, with an
Affairs of the company and @EdisonGen is dedicated to
experience in Edelman, he was also Head
sustainable projects, meaning the events
of Press Office in Omnitel and Director of
for Corporate Social Responsibility”.
Communication and External Relations of
Indesit. Prandi arrived in Edison in 2004,
How does this interaction happen? How is
where today is the Senior Vice President
your communication system structured?
Corporate Communications. From 2005 to
“Our internal editors regularly update
2007 he was the Chairman of FERPI (Italian
each channel with news and videos
Federation of Public Relations) and still is
related to our initiatives and projects,
its Counselor. From 2005 he is the lecturer
they also manage prompt communication
at the Master’s Degree in Public Relations
in case there’s some critical issue. With
at Cattolica University in Milan, in addition
more than one hundred structures on the
to being member of the “Unità di missione”
Italian territory, Edison needs to have a
of the Government for the Digital Agenda
communication channel that is as direct
Andrea
Prandi
in 2013. He is our spokesperson, someone
as possible with its stakeholders and the
who has an influential opinion on the
social media are the best
argument.
tools to keep this kind of
conversation open”.
Andrea, from the point of view of a company like Edison, which
are the open scenarios in terms of Live Communication?
What about live events?
What do you do? How do you approach it? “Edison - says
“Whenever
we
plan
Prandi - gives a lot of importance to the direct and clear
some big event, one
relationship with its stakeholder: from our customers to team organizes the live coverage on social networks to feed
institutions, from the world of associations to new media. the online debates. We really appreciate the tool of Live
Such a commitment, where the communication is direct from tweeting and we used it during the event of Edison Open
5
LIVE
LIVE
4 Expo: the company’s program for the six months of the Industriale Maccaferri, she moved to Manifatture Sigaro
Universal Exposition. The discussions of researchers, Nobel Toscano, where since two years she works as Communication
prize winners and international artists were shared with our and Corporate Events Coordinator) - guides us in one analysis
community, we also talked with some users online, because of a world that’s changed many times. From the great parties,
we wanted to know what Italians expect from our country colorful events, promotions and advertising on racing cars,
movies where the bad guys always had
in the future. This experience led to
Essentially, our task is to commua cigarette in his mouth, to less events,
the creation of an e-book where we
nicate a product that can’t be
sober, almost silenced.
collected all the suggestions and
promoted. An oxymoron of some sort.
comments received from the collective
intelligence of the web about innovation. In that occasion, “Besides the remarkable legislative limitations - says
Edison was the first utility to use new technologies and social Benedetta - also the companies related to tobacco can’t
networks such as: Periscope, YouTube, for the live streaming back out from the relationship with the customer, but, on
and 360° videos to share information about the production the other side, they must also consider their accountability
sites. On its social channels, Edison is showing everybody the in the corporate communication. Like in our everyday life,
processes behind the treatment of oil at the Vega oil-plant in also in the world of tobacco, social networks have changed
Sicily through videos and photos that also show the wonderful the approach to communication”. We asked her to give us
wildlife that lives unharmed in that area. People can also see some examples of the way the company discusses with its
from a panoramic view the splendid Venina dam in Valtellina, customers in these times of moderate advertising.
or walk inside the Esterle power station on the Adda river.
By doing this, we give value to the user experience, our users
appreciated this move, because this is exactly what the online
community is expecting from us. Talking about facts, in the
first few months we published two 360° videos, we reached an
audience of 5 million people, only on Facebook”.
The social, web and viral aspects of an event are for sure winning elements. Nevertheless, not everybody can approach
the market through Live Communication, developing
strategies in such an “easy” way, without considering laws
and regulations. The communication of alcohol and tobacco’s
related companies, as well as for bidding games, can be an
interesting case to elaborate. Benedetta Bergantino - who
works in the communication field from many years, especially
in the tobacco area (after the takeover from Gruppo
6
could be seen as advertising smoking products. Tact and
attention are paramount, together with a pinch of sensitivity,
to talk about our products. For these reasons, after some
discussions and analysis with our legal department, we
decided to have an MST channel only on Twitter and limit
our communication to institutional information: balance
data and company’s results. The only concession we decided
to have is writing about Toscano cigars’ history, something
that’s essential for an enterprise that was born more than
200 years ago: tobacco, craftsmanship and the story of
our manufacturing sites are linked to many other cultural
activities that we support”.
The correct attention to the issues related to tobacco
dependence can become something that distracts from
the traditional and cultural point of view of a company. How
to reconcile then? Bergantino says: “Involving the users of
social networks on what was going on in the past, means
to share a centenary culture that had famous witnesses,
from Verdi to Soldati, Brera and Puccini. While each product
communication is carefully avoided. We do limit every
kind of Live Communication, which is usually directed to
brand visibility, involving people and consumers, asking for
feedbacks and opinions or just an approval. The “like” on
Facebook is considered both a neutral way to communicate,
but also a symbol of commitment from those who are the
first real testimonial, the consumers”.
A strategic choice that is even more clear on Twitter, that
doesn’t provide any button to express an opinion.
Mrs. Bergantino tells us about the difficulties of saying
without “actually” saying, of giving confirmations without
saying too much; like that sheer in some lingerie. How do you
flavor the Toscanellos? Did you change the blend of Toscano
Garibaldi?: these are just some of the questions that we
receive every day on our social channels; and if we delay our
response, it can happen that some users start complaining,
saying something like: They didn’t reply because they don’t
want us to know!. The social media manager finds himself
buried under hundreds of comments and retweets that have
a multiplying effect that is certainly not easy to manage.
Of course, who works in my same position has to face
complex limits and delicate issues. Essentially, our task is to
communicate a product that can’t be promoted. An oxymoron
of some sort. And if not replying to a comment is considered
as a lack of transparency towards the customers, doing it
“Yes - continues Benedetta - from this point of view, Twitter
allows us to just inform and not advertise (while I think that
in this, Facebook - especially for its tools - is the best social
network to do advertising), but when someone glorifies
our products - and it happens - we simply avoid to reply to
that comment, without “communicating”, as if it was a cold,
efficient, technical information. We often move this kind of
conversation on private messages, this to avoid possible risks
(that our consumers don’t run, but those people who don’t use
our products do). Even today - since we are not present on
every social network - for us the management of “info” emails
is paramount, it’s our first tool to contact our customers.
After all, also in our communication with the stakeholders
we reflect the company’s philosophy: innovation, but with an
important consideration of our tradition”.
The boundaries between virtual and reality are really
blurred, especially in the field of Live Communication. The
word Phygital is becoming a trend all over the web and it’s
an acronym of physical + digital. It doesn’t actually mean
a transaction from the physical world to the virtual one,
although an exchange, a new flow that changes some physical
realities into virtual ones and vice versa. So the event for
which it was unavoidable to participate live in the exact
location, for which we needed to move and organize our trip,
today is an occasion to develop new activities and experiment new options. For example, Samsung developed an app
that allowed everyone to see the Unpacking event of the last
Galaxy S7 through any mobile device; it is downloadable on
the Play Store from smartphone, tablet, tv and VR (this latter
showed the same immersive effects that the actual audience
in Barcelona lived during the event).
Regarding the possibilities to see contents in live streaming,
the event agencies equipped themselves with modern tools
of video recording in 4K, to reach the maximum quality.
They also use 360° videos to increase the engagement of
their consumers and users. Sinergie Live Communication
used this technology during the event to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of Media World; one of the hosts was present on
stage as an hologram.
New technologies are now overwhelmingly present in every
live event. There’s a continuous contamination of Phygital and
the old meetings, team building activities and congresses are
evolving into live streaming events, enjoying the benefits of a
wider audience and of social, immediate interaction.
Talking about live streaming, also the world of cinema is
innovating and trying new kinds of approach. The journalists
7
LIVE
LIVE
who couldn’t attend on site to the Press Conference of the
Cannes Film Festival could see it online, just by connecting
to the event’s website. Many possibilities were studied
to follow the event from home, to live its atmospheres by
simply loggin-into the dedicated app. Just a subscription and
everyone in the world could be protagonist of the Festival de
Cannes, even if miles away.
Another example of how and how much the apps are becoming
the main tool to live a real event is given by X Factor, Sky’s
talent show. This year’s news is the chance for the audience at
home to use the dedicated app, not only to vote their favorite
singer, but to enjoy specific contents created exactly for the
live show and could be shared also on social networks.
Last, but not least, the staff of the tv show invented an
enjoyable tool called “applausometro”, the feature enabled
the audience to applause by tapping on their smartphones.
Even the traditional Italian song festival, modernized itself by
creating a specific page on their website to analyze tweets.
The revolution of live events lies in the new apps. Considering
what’s happening with Periscope for example: the live
streaming app - bought by Twitter for a hundred thousand
dollars and then published on Apple’s App Store - allows
everyone to become a broadcaster, giving the opportunity to
share live what’s happening before our eyes. Like a concert,
a meeting, a product launch. The world
is connected in the moment when
The boundaries between virtual and
a General Manager reveals the top
reality are blurred, especially in the
product of the company, the Managing
field of Live Communication.
Director announces new outstanding
sales results, a band presents its new
EP. Thanks to Periscope, we can evolve: from being simple
spectators to directors of an interactive tv channel.
91x.com
This is a risk that everyone shall consider. With “everyone” I
am not just talking about those people who work on virtual
reality but also, and especially, the Event Manager who has to
decide and define how much importance he or she wants to
give to the virtual aspect of the event, to the live streaming,
tweeting, live blogging. What happens if someone spoils the
big surprise?
We said it: being live is fascinating because it’s something
unpredictable, but when the show is over and we count the
results, everything comes down to the planning which had to
be perfect. This is the next big challenge for whoever wants
to organize an event.
F. Mezzo
The arrival of Periscope can mean a great opportunity for
the young generations of youtuber. Nowadays, cooking
lessons, music performances, tips on lifestyle and trends
followed by some prophetic instructions to win your crush,
are omnipresent on the platform and keep on receiving
thousands of feedback a day. From this situation, the step
towards the live streaming is really short.
Summing up, we could say that the world of Live
Communication is evolving every day and it’s becoming more
and more suitable for everyone thanks to its virtualization,
but at the same time it is distancing itself from reality.
8
The revolution of live events lies in
the new apps. Considering what’s
happening with Periscope, the live
streaming app.
9
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
A sensitive and innovative
to be more competitive.
resource
brief
comments & corrections
creative
team
customer
board
completed
project
approval
ok
2nd review
It is complicated to organize events. The processes that
are needed to close an event are usually the result of
calculations, ideas and projects done together. That’s why
it’s essential for agencies to work carefully to avoid any
kind of mistake, becoming a sort of
Reducing the risk of failure
industry with planning and production
while trying to reach an objective.
systems similar to those of a big
company. Today, the agencies that
want to succeed and to be certain of delivering the event in
time and with the right cost, entrust Project Management.
But what is Project Management? Let’s try to understand it
starting from its history.
ok
creative
team
operation
team
final document
The main element that
draws the development
of this new method was
the need to elevate the
project’s complexity, aiming to a careful usage
of the resources and to a
better final quality without
forgetting about keeping the
costs under control.
completed
project
yes / no
An
expert
of
undeniable
originality in the field of Product
Management,
who’s
certain
to work in a structured way, is
General (now retired) Paolo Rizzo,
one of the founders of the Italian
lo
R iz
zo
Institute of Project Management. The
General introduced P.M. inside the armed
forces in order to make decisional processes more efficient,
by following a systematic approach.
o
Pa
Project Management is the outcome of rules chosen by an
organization to give a structure to its project activities.
These rules aim to reduce the risk of failure while trying to
reach an objective which sometimes is, especially in case
of Project Management, quite unpredictable and variable.
These principles have been developed since World War II in
the United States of America with the Manhattan Project,
launched by the government to produce the first nuclear
weapons before the Nazis.
that time it’s always been a
succession of new theories,
methods, and standards
that aimed to improve
system management, increasing consequently the
knowledge that turned
from simple engineering to
the fundamental concepts
like business strategies,
organizational changes and
personal relationships.
After 1950, the Gannt chart saw the establishment of new
techniques for time management: the PERT (Program
Evaluation and Review Technique) used for the Polaris project, General, what’s the situation of P.M. in Italy?
a missile managed by the American navy in collaboration “Especially in the beginning - says Paolo Rizzo - the
with the Lockheed Corporation. And
application of this method found
the CPM (Critical Path Method) for the
strong resistance among executive
Until a few years ago, the role of
projects of industrial maintenance. In
management and, in particular
Project Manager wasn’t particularly
the following years, these techniques
until a few years ago, the role of
considered and people used to spend
spread widely in the business world.
Project Manager wasn’t particularly
a lot of financial resources to develop
considered and people used to
projects that didn’t follow any
Initially, the system used engineering
spend a lot of financial resources to
techniques nor methods.
knowledge to simplify the manadevelop projects that didn’t follow
gement of complex working activities
any techniques nor methods. It wasn’t
which required the participation of professionalism and possible to provide any good factor, such as times, quality
technologies altogether. It’s just in the beginning of the Sixties and risks, which help to determine a project’s success.
that Project Management became a real discipline. From Today, these aspects are the main focus of a peculiar
10
11
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
professional and expert: the Project Manager. Usually, the
term “Management” is defined as “one operation between
human, financial and physical resources to reach
company’s objectives by planning, organizing
and controlling” (Harold Kerzner).
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
General Rizzo, please share with us your close examination
on this matter.
“The main advantages are:
Plan accurately, remaining focused on reaching goals
within a certain deadline with organizational efficiency and
care for business results;
Allocate the resources properly and manage every
possible risk, without forgetting the commitment to keep
costs down and high quality (fulfillment of P.M. milestones:
time/cost/quality);
Measure the difference between what’s been done and
what was planned (measure effectiveness) in addition to
the satisfaction of expected benefits;
Repetitive approach of Project Management processes
How do you see the future?
that accelerate the project’s development and maximize
“Enterprises - continues Mr. Rizzo - are overtaking the the business value for the customer, which includes the
culture of their role (invariability, predictability, and management of costs and timing;
prescriptiveness) and they’re going towards an antithetical
Improve the economic and financial management of
“culture of the task” where the merging elements a company, being more predictable thanks to a better
embody unpredictability and extent
planning and take every decision
Productive activities, in such
decision making. All of this is based
based on facts;
international environment, follow
on the result’s control and on the
Manage
customers
and
the constant element of change.
management of change (Russel
stakeholders expectations more
Archibald). We don’t have to think that the task is only linked carefully; suspend dropping project as soon as possible,
to a specific knowledge or method for which a person will seize the company’s opportunities and turn important
operate and reach the objective. The culture of the task projects into successes (lesson learned and best practices).
is connected to cross competencies that live among the
intricate network of the organization and make the high But we don’t have to forget the critical issues, meaning that:
quality its winning element”.
It is necessary, especially in the first stage of the project,
Productive activities, in such international environment, to connect with the company’s management (collaborate
follow the constant element of change. For this reason, it actively with the Sponsor, change the cultural side of the
has become more “difficult” for companies to manage their organization, give a proper training to the attendees and
own businesses in this complex, competitive and ambitious create a Project Management “model” with a specific
environment, where the strong variation of consumptions “approach” to satisfy everyone’s needs);
and increasing quality of the offer take place.
It’s important to notice as
To react, companies have to be even more productive, open soon as possible the “heavy”
and fast. They need to find flexible and innovative solutions documentation
and
long
without forgetting the scarceness of resources and the checklists that may draw the
ever-changing demands of the market.
attention on the schedule
without focusing on people.
While looking at this scenario, where the “usual business” is There must be an appropriate
now the exception instead of the rule, a possible solution is to process that aims also at
push companies towards a big change, a boost for managing flexibility and cares about
skills through a new approach to Project Management (P.M.) the team that works on the
that can speed up organizational and decisional processes.
project”.
The philosophy of Project
Management
represents
an entire system that is
oriented to offer the best
solutions for the problems
that arise in companies due
to their necessity to react
to the market’s flows and
customers’ requirements”.
12
Alongside the human commitment, projects are realized the coherence of the project. Its quality is the result of every
and shared in a context that is constantly determined by action that is in a balance between times, costs and the
objective of the entire plan”.
certain bonds.
It is necessary, especially in the first
stage of the project, to connect with
Project Management processes help
Traditionally, these are:
the company’s management.
the Project Manager to successfully
• Purpose/quality: the result (product or service) must manage every kind of project through a step-by-step,
be realized reached the agreed criteria confirmed on the flexible and adaptable approach.
contract (first thing to do: defined what it has to be done
Every project needs a certain level of coordination. The
and how):
• Time: determine the timing for the realization of a project bigger the project, the harder the coordination.
to reach every objective; a perfect timing is essential and
The processes related to Project Management can be
missing it increases the risks of failure;
• Costs/resources: the whole team of resources that has divided in:
been involved in the realization of the project; both financial
• Start to formally authorize the project
and human.
• Planning of the production plan
“These three elements - continues General Rizzo - are • Execution of the activities linked to the project
strictly related: reaching a higher objective usually means • Check to verify the cohesion to what’s forecasted in the plan
to increase time and costs; reducing the time leads to • Closure to end the activities related to the project
higher costs (more resources involved) and a small budget
(less people and funds) can imply a longer time to realize a The efficient management of these processes from the
Project Manager is a fundamental requirement to the
project, risking not to reach the objective.
success of the project.
Most of the time, at least one of these three sides is
unmovable and we need to work on the other two to respect
Start up stage
Middle stage
Final stage
creation
evaluation
design
realization
Technical cycle
(Project Life Cycle)
conclusion
closure
Organizational cycle
(P:M. Life Cycle)
Check
planning
survey
preparation
conception
re-planning
stabilization
test
Time
13
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The Project Manager: Roles and Competencies
To manage such a complex reality, we need a meticulous
professional. General Rizzo shares with us the characteristics of the perfect P.M. “The Project Manager - he
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
says - is usually a professional with a technical training and a
specific competence. Companies - even if they recognize the
importance of the relationship they have with a P.M. - tend to
consider this figure as a technician that coordinates because
of his/her “first-person knowledge”. Actually, the Project
Manager is someone who’s called to integrate technical
competencies of others. It’s necessary to reconsider the remember that the Project Manager doesn’t work on the
professional role of a P.M., because, always more often, he or project by him/herself; every person in the team gives a
she is asked to be a capable resource manager and a delicate unique contribution and the result of the project depends
creator of business relationships with
on their cooperation. In this setting,
The Project Manager doesn’t work
customers.
the Project Manager is mostly a
on the project by him/herself; every
“situational leader” who has the ability
person in the team gives a unique
The opportunity of being employed
to create support the interaction
contribution and the result of the
in any kind of project, whichever
between the everybody and guide the
project depends on their cooperation.
its content, is the main feature of a
team towards a specific objective.
professional P.M. In the formative environment, it’s essential
to own the basic certification of Project Manager; in this “Concerning this, I like to look back at Fly for Peace, an event
context, the ISIPM has contributed a lot to the growth of coordinated by Sinergie Live Communication that took
planning culture with its classes and licenses. Being certified place on a Saturday night in the main square of Taranto with
is paramount, it is requested by the European Union as a more than 100.000 people and Frecce Tricolori. Lasting
form of guarantee for the client and the company”.
three days straight, it was aired on national tv channel for
more than 5 hours and hosted by the journalist Carmen
The training of a Project Manager requires, besides the on- Lasorella. During this event, I was assigned P.M. and in
field experience and the thorough study of all the techniques those days I found the core of my profession in managing
of Project Management and Problem Solving, strong both relationships and the event, leading it towards the
qualities such as: leadership, motivation, team. Building, objective that we had planned. The agency was super in the
teamwork, ethics and communication. It’s important to organization but, and I say this with a pinch self-esteem,
the result was outstanding also thanks to my
guidelines”.
The complete training of a Project Manager,
together with a good on-field experience,
makes this role the perfect match for the
following tasks:
Fly for Peace, Trapani
The Italian Institute of Project Management (ISIPM) is a
non-profit association founded in 2005 to increase the
awareness of Project Management in Italy and to add
value to this job . By promoting studies, researches and
cultural initiatives, the association stands out as a point
of reference for those who are interested in this field.
ISIPM is also the first national center that certifies the
professionalism of product managers.
ISIPM offers certifications to enhance the knowledge
and culture of Project Management and this objective
is supported also by recognized courses that facilitates
personal and professional development of associate
P.M. Moreover, the participation to ISIPM courses allows
14
to obtain credits for the maintaining the subscription
to Professional Project Managers active. The meetings
and seminars of the association are internationally wellknown, while its research on Italian companies’ maturity
and the annual convention about the trends of projects
management place ISIPM as an excellence of this sector.
More than 800people from 150 companies have attended
the last edition of PMexpo, where there were held
meetings, workshops and interviews on the topic. There are
also many important testimonials during the association’s
monthly meetings: ISTAT members, representatives from
the Ministry of Italian Economy and Finances, and Interior
Ministry.
The knowledge that emerges from formative programs
and certifications is constantly shared through numerous
networking activities among the associates and
ISIPM itself collaborates with different international
associations with the objective of improving its own
offer and increase the attention on the theme of Project
Management.
Fly for Peace, Trapani
Creation of a plan and detailed program;
Organize efficiently the work of the
resources available for a project;
Facilitate the communication and team
spirit of the group;
Assign properly the resources on every
activity and supervise their development;
Check periodically the evolution of the
project, sharing its results to the Project
Committee through the Statement of Work
(SOW document);
Participate in the Project Committee and
turn decisions into facts;
Take any initiative possible to prevent risks;
Keep in touch with the staff of reference
and final users, planning their involvement in
every project activity;
Work on the papers of his/her responsibility
and supervise the ones done by the team.
15
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
In this sense, we must underline the growing importance of
new technologies regarding
3
9
12
3
6
the collection and sharing
of fundamental information
2
2
4
6
8
among the members of the
1
4
1
2
3
team and also useful for the
correct planning of SOW
1
2
3
4
documents. For example,
Damage
dedicated software like mind
maps, WBS charts, Project Professionals and many other
platforms created to support the P.M. and his team. Thanks to
these new tools, they can assign resources to specific tasks,
manage deadlines and analyze possibilities and risks.
4
8
12
16
Probability
4
The identification of risk factors is paramount during the
planning phase since the uncertain areas can affect deeply
both partial and final results. Once a risk is recognized, the
P.M. and the team must work on an alternative plan which shall
be used in case the risk becomes a reality.
We asked General Rizzo a tangible example, a case history on
his resume. He brings out the systemic approach of P.M in the
Italian Air Force.
“The Italian Air Force (Italian Aeronautica Militare: A.M.)
was one of the first entities to understand the strategic
advantages and added values of having a Project Management
system to manage the most complex projects: starting from
2007, an integrated approach of P.M. based on the system
“culture, model, tools” was created with the objective of:
Prepare the ground for a sharing culture of Project
Management;
Realize a standard method for management;
Create an information architecture as support.
About Project Management, we chose PRINCE2 (Projects
in Controlled Environments) an English method from which,
after a customization, was born the new tool Touch&Go;
which has received the certification of PRINCE2 compliance.
Finally, for what concerns computer tools, it has been
developed a platform based on Microsoft Office Project
Server (MOPS) that, with its standard communication
modules, facilitates: the supervision and check of projects,
the perfect resource management and sharing of lessons
learned/best practices of all our project/programmes
already done under a wider perspective of Knowledge
Management system and learning organization.
What is now a start-up in A.M confirms that the methodology of P.M. is capable of creating profitable situations in
organizing projects (operatively, maintenance, events,
training) and, considering its positive results, it can become
crucial for a complete transformation as written inside the
White Paper for international security and defence in 2015.
an idea, have their own objective (create business) and We can confirm that the realization of events with a systemic
have to be managed from their Start until their Conclusion, approach to Project Management, once the cultural base is
going from their Planning, Realization
created and the management model
Event Project Manager: abilities
and Check, considering the different
is chosen, grants the Event Manager
of a creative, imaginative person,
variable such as Time, Costs and
greater serenity in terms of execution
professional and careful to deadlines
Quality.
of the activities.
and economics.
The Event Project Manager has to be both creative and
technical. To the abilities of a creative and imaginative
person have to be added also those of the manager;
professional and careful (especially for deadlines, that in
the event world are often mandatory) without forgetting
about economic aspects (costs/income) and the approval of
the customer. The Event Project Manager has to maximize
the usability of the event.
This will allow every stakeholder to participate consciously
in the event, happy of a complete communication and fewer
risks of delays, failures and budget exceedance.
M. Sinolo
If we look closely, we notice that all of this means creating a
system that, in respect of the time, uses many professionals
that have to be coordinated.
Talking about transformation, back in 2013, the Italian Air
Force has established The General Office for Management
Innovation (GOMI), placed under the direct command of the
Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force. Its task is to develop
communication policies and communication strategies
appropriate for the military context and projected along the
lines of development of society.
In this setting, the systemic application of Project
Management (P3O - Project, Portfolio and Project
Management) methods was preferred for the management
of organizational change, the achievement of goals and the
measurements of process quality (performances) of the
organization”.
We now come to something that is closer to our magazine’s
Regarding the sharing culture, many interventions from the focus: the Project Management in the event business.
A.M. were organized: from classes and seminars to coaching
sessions and training for the Army personnel. From 2009, Every event requires an organization split into different
there’s also a qualified course dedicated to the Project phases:
Manager A.M., and experience of five weeks with a blended
training (e-learning and classes) divided in: basic Support P3M
Detailed planning of the whole event;
culture (technical themes of Project Management),
Event management from the first minutes
usage of A.M. model and a fifth week of the
until the end;
technical tools (like learning how to use
Audit and analysis post-event.
Model
the sharing platforms MOPS 2010) and
Knowledge
the behavioral, including - just as an
These phases highlight the fact that
experiment for now - a class on soft skills.
events are real Projects that start from
Tools
16
17
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
CANNES 2016
The 69th edition of the Palme d’Or.
P
erfectly on time and as elegant as always, the Cannes
Film Festival amazed its international audience also
during its 69th edition.
Starting from the 11th May, movie stars from all over the world
walked on the tapis rouge starting a particularly surveilled
kermes, with high levels of security and constant supervision
from the police; however, these measures didn’t undermine
the magical atmosphere that everyone felt on the Croisette,
which became for the 69th time, the perfect location to
celebrate cinematographic art.
The official poster for the Festival takes its inspiration from
Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, a movie about the film industry.
The depicted location is Villa Malaparte in Capri, with a
staircase that faces a gold Mediterranean sea. Herve Chigioni
designed the poster which reminds of Michel Mourlet’s quote
used at the beginning
of the movie: “Cinema
replaces our gaze with a
world in harmony with our
desires”.
In fact, even though our directors didn’t enter the competition,
the 48th Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight)
saw many movies from our Azzurri.
The independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film
Festival, presented Marco Bellocchio with his movie Fai bei
Sogni, Paolo Virzì with La pazza gioia (the most criticallyacclaimed movie) and Claudio Giovannesi with Fiore. Stefano
Mordini’s Pericle il Nero earned a place of honor in the Un
certain regard section, the critic was very good but not
enough to outdo the winner of this edition: the Finn director
Juho Kousmaner with his The happiest day in the life of Olli
Maki.
Despite this tribute to
our country, the absence
of Italian movies in the
competition – especially
after the 2015 trio
Sorrentino, Moretti and
Garrone - was a bitter pill
to swallow for many; and
yet some Italian movies
did reach the Croisette.
Thierry Frémaux, director
of the Festival, had
already confirmed during
the first press conference
in April, that there was no
conspiracy against the
Italian cinematography.
18
The producer and actress
Valeria Golino brought
Italy back to glory with
her presence in the jury of
the Festival. Together with
other seven international
colleagues, she supported
the president George
Miller - Mad Max’s director and producer - in
proclaiming the winning
film of the event.
Like every year, the
Cannes Film Festival
tried to put together the
world of show business
and traditional movies,
inviting some of the most
important names of the
cinema without forgetting
the critics’ will, who
wanted Cannes to confirm
Cinema replaces our gaze with a world
in harmony with our desires.
M. Mourlet
archiwatch.it
cdn4.thr.com
Only this movie brings to Cannes many young actors. Talents
like Kristen Stewart, crowned “Queen of Cannes”, Jesse
Eisenberg as a reminiscence of a young Allen, a charming Blake
His movie Cafè Society launched the Festival and regarding Lively and the polyhedral Steve Carell, again in a comedy after
his choice to come as non-competing, Allen commented: the drama Fox Catcher. Out of the competition but applauded
“For any group to come together and judge the work of other by the critic: The nice guys with Russell Crowe and Ryan
people is something I would never do. To make a judgment Gosling as two private detectives involved in a crime related
that this is the best, with the implication that in some platonic to the porn industry of 1970’s; Money Monster by Jodie Foster,
way it is the objective ‘best’, is something I don’t believe in. So with George Clooney and Julia Roberts tied up with a man
I don’t want to participate in it. To be included in competition whose life is ruined by banks; and the unlucky The last Face
would be against my common sense”. And maybe this was by Sean Penn, booed and hissed by the audience together
for the best: presenting his umpteenth
with The Neon Demon. Nicolas Winding
The world of the movies is still alive:
pearl of cinema to an audience who made of stories to be told, in which it’s Refn’s latest film has definitely divided
appreciated from the first minutes the easy to empathize, that allow discussions the critic with an horror that reminded
glamorous and nostalgic atmosphere and debates, and let us discover some of the ones from Dario Argento
of Hollywood in the thirties.
but wasn’t truly convincing. Among
unexplored sides of the human being.
the international stars also Steven
Cafè Society is about love, dreams and hopes which Spielberg and Pedro Almodòvar who presented: the first, his
are punctually disregarded, leaving more room to vision of The BFG, based on Roald Dahl’s homonymous book,
disenchantment. But despite his 80 years, 46 movies under and the second, Julieta, the dramatic story of a mother full
his belt and a cynical consideration of life (that appears also of guilt for inexplicable reasons, a movie full of emotional
in the main quote of Cafè Society: “Life is a comedy written by contrasts.
a sadistic comedy writer”), Woody Allen actually still wants us
to love, to try at least, even if a disappointment is right behind One usual and precious addition to the Festival is the presence
the corner. And if this is ever going to happen, to fight our of budding actors and directors from all over the world. They
misfortune with a good laugh.
are present both in the official selection and in the parallel
its importance as a reference to auteur films. What better way
to do this than leaving the Festival’s opening to Woody Allen?
19
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
ones which welcomed movies and short films from Iran, South
Korea, Israel…each one of them with its own cinematographic
identity, united with the Festival to show that the world of the
movies is still alive, more than ever, with continuous cultural
influences and stories to be told; stories in which it’s easy to
empathize, that allow discussions and debates, that let us
discover some unexplored sides of the human being.
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
update of pictures, videos and reports led to a complete
media coverage.
The live streaming of the event was available since day one
on the Festival’s official website; the usual collaboration with
Orange also allowed French citizens to watch the event live on
TV while a new attention was given to the younger audience by
broadcasting the Festival on YouTube and Dailymotion.
Between old and new VIPs, photographers had a real job in their hands The Cannes Film Festival is a complete In addition to the video coverage, the
during the Festival, this year once more event for every kind of audience and for Organization managed to send every
every distance in time or space: a tanthe most observed and discussed event
possible update - both in French and
gible example of a Global live event.
for trends and lifestyles. Scoops were
English - through their social network
always present: from Blake Lively’s pregnancy to the rumors accounts like Facebook and Twitter (the latter was used
of those actors who would’ve shown up with or without already during the first press conference in April when
their partners. Whether single or in a couple, everything the Official Selection was presented supported with a live
was commented live on the main social networks, blogs and tweeting activity). A complete event, intended for every kind
tabloids, as in the real Live Communication.
of audience and for every possible distance in time or space;
this is a tangible example of a global live event.
The Festival organization took advantage of the digital
evolution to share the most important moments of the event; As per tradition, many exclusive occasions allowed every
meaning those related to movies, actors, live streaming of the Vip in Cannes to show the press the expensive and elegant
evening show (hosted by the maître de cérémonie Laurent dresses designed specifically for them by the most important
Lafitte) press conferences and much more. The continuous fashion designers in the world. Among these events, the most
festival-cannes.com
popular and important was the annual gala dinner, organized
by amfAR Cinema against AIDS foundation which this year
raised 30 million dollars to support the research to fight
AIDS. Moncler, in collaboration with the artistic duo from
Los Angeles FriendsWithYou, managed the after party at the
Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, customizing the location fronting
Cap d’Antibes with a post-pop setup.
Some of the stars who attended the auction:
Leonardo di Caprio, Kevin Spacey - who
hosted the evening - Adrien Brody, Ellen
Miller and many other guests from the
fashion and music business, like Katy
Perry who performed at the end of the
event.
Also this year, Cannes gave to its audience
unique movies. New successes, new
failures. New and old stars walked
the red carpet today deserted. The
Festival has ended, the lights are off.
me d
Cannes goes back to the quiet town of
our dreams on the Côte d’Azur…until
the next edition of the Festival!
The last projection of the Festival was
given to the legendary Paul Verhoeven
who presented his movie Elle, a real
success for the director of Basic Instinct,
complimented on how he told a story about
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20
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sexual abuse with respect, intelligence and also a bit of
courage. During the ending ceremony, Mel Gibson gave the
Palme d’Or to the winner of the Festival, Ken Loach, for his
movie I, Daniel Blake; a story of political and social struggle
caused by a system that is everyday more bureaucratized.
Loach said: ”We must give a message of hope, we must say
another world is possible”… and maybe we’re all waiting
for it to come.
om
F. Passoni
21
TRAINING
TRAINING
Magic Training
The
new frontiers of team building.
path led by creativity, until he finds a solution, because he’s
always one step ahead.
During our interview, he surprised us by making
our pens, notebooks and recorder disappear
right under our noses. Of course the second
after his trick, the objects were on the
table right behind us and of course we
didn’t notice a single thing… This kind of
wonder reminds us the feeling that every
child must have had when reading Harry
Potter’s books, bewitched by this amazing
magic world. Now we understand how he
can change the habits and behaviors of
the managers that meet him for the first
time and a boring training session.
Here’s what he’s told us between one trick
and another. Walter, what’s the meaning of
coaching for you?
W
hen we walk out of an event, usually the first
question that pops into our heads is: “What am
I taking home from this experience?” The same
question can become even more relevant right after our
company’s training or team building activities. Enterprises:
what are they looking for? What do they want to accomplish?
We discuss this matter with Walter Rolfo: journalist, creator,
and producer for the television and, more importantly, front
man of original magic shows and unconventional thinker.
Walter Rolfo has developed a new method to approach
education which can be the right answer to companies’ needs.
It is dynamic, innovative and engaging and it conveys ideas in
a subtle way that leads to great successes at the end of his
training sessions, where the audience achieve their own peak
performance and goals.
22
Since participating in a magical team building is like entering
the world of Funland, we decided to meet Walter after his
tour in Russia, where he went to teach some entrepreneurs
how to apply an ingenious thinking to business models. Yes,
because Walter can be depicted as a versatile chameleon who
can design strategies and employ them in specific models,
thanks - first of all - to his degree in industrial engineering
at the Politecnico University in Turin. He tells us that he has
been studying how to get back to being a child for 40 years.
From one of his many Thinking hats (obviously a top hat) not
only he can pull out so many bunnies to enter the Guinness
World Records, but he also creates new projects and services
for companies. The average person thinks in a linear way, the
well-known Socratic method (If a = b, and b = c, then a = c) and
usually stops to acknowledge the impossibility of a certain
thing. Walter is quite the opposite, he follows an intricate
“For me, coaching is a term that goes beyond
learning and education. It’s a strong engagement. After
the activities that I did in the past years, I wanted to create
different projects that could reach important results in the
training environment. I call this approach Coaching 3.0. Today,
we live in a world where the Story Telling turned into StorySelling: establishing a strong connection to sell a product. My
personal attitude is the Story-Coaching: one moment where
contents are conveyed through emotions. People don’t
realize how many information they can obtain in this way, in
just a few times, because everything seems just a euphoric
and happy moment. Magic is just a special effect that that is
used as a catalyst”.
In his new coach show “the art to solve the impossible”,
Walter teaches how to obtain what seems impossible in our
everyday life, how to manage companies’ resources, how to
increase the turnover; all way down to reveal his secret to be
happy. And that’s nothing small!
Once ended the interview, we participated to one of his
coaching sessions. We actually saw something impossible on
stage, but then he gave us the proof that impossible doesn’t
exist and in that moment, every message that he sent was
strong and entered our minds. This formula is very successful,
Walter confirms that his coaching sessions, almost every
time, end with a standing ovation from the audience, thrilled
Walter can be depicted as a versatile
chameleon who can design strategies
and employ them in specific models.
of what they’ve felt during the show (this happens also thanks
to 30 years of stage presence of Walter who can turn every
session into an international show).
Walter, what is the structure of your coaching method? How’s
your Coaching 3.0 like? He stares at us for a while, then he
takes my pen and makes it disappear and reappear right in
front of me. After he finished to explain how he did, he says:
“Here. That’s my coaching. I ask people to do things, I ask for
their complete involvement, I create unforgettable memories.
My training sessions can last 6-8 hours with a program that
is built together with my clients according to the company’s
objectives. There’s one part dedicated to theory followed
by 4 hours of team building (brand new and invented by
Rolfo Ed.) with the advantage of leaving to my guests some
tangible objects, little magic tricks that they will propose
again to their families, children, colleagues, always thinking
about the message behind the game. Like yourself, now you
want to go home or to your office and show your friends this
trick right? It’s a strong ice-breaker for a salesman don’t you
think?”.
23
TRAINING
Walter works also during conventions, where he gives his Companies can choose between many activities, not only the
emotional speeches for one hour. There’s a news, though: 3.0 Coaching sessions. “I love to propose this concept - says
the coaching live show as the closure of a convention. By Walter - it’s the Guerrilla Magic. Magic puts people in front
paying the same price for a coaching session or a show, of something physically impossible to do, it plays with our
you hand the finale of your convention to Walter who turns perceptions, with our idea of reality. This guerrilla marketing
everything in a surprising event. The audience doesn’t even idea, thanks to illusionism, can be applied to a brand or a
realize the importance of the messages
product, creating the unexpected for
The most effective themes?
is receiving, because they are conveyed
the public. The Guerrilla Magic is used
Creativity, leadership, salesmanship
in a subtle way, through magic. This
during conventions to give visibility to
and communication with “The art of
makes Walter’s events very effective to solve the impossible” as leitmotiv. something, it can also blend with the
both for the company and for the public,
concept of flash mob and involve many
connecting every kind of budget to the functionality of the people gathered in a specific location. To launch the DigitAlb
show.
platform in Albania, a man was suspended at 30 meters in the
air for more than one hour, above the national museum in Tirana.
Preparing a 3.0 Coaching session is not easy. Walter and People tried to understand what was going on, they were
his staff work to satisfy a company’s needs, together with fascinated by how this thing could be possible”. The strategy
its directors and managers. The shows are always tailor- behind the event made it catch the attention of every media in
made and Walter’s talent lies in his ability to go on stage and Tirana, people looked above their heads for the extraordinary.
act as if he knows the lines by heart, that he has done this
thing for decades (and actually, he has) people can’t believe This giant machine works because Masters of Magic, Walter’s
that such event is thought precisely for them. The most production company, chose magic as mean of communication.
effective themes? Creativity, leadership, salesmanship, “Magic - says Rolfo - has always been considered just as
communication. The art of to solve the impossible is the entertainment, but actually its values, such wonder and
leitmotiv. Educational concepts are linked to his idea, for amazement, are important to bring the extraordinary in the
example the company Dodo - Pomellato, this year has ordinary. Promises that many people make during events, but
reached, a +32% of turnover thanks to Walter’s coaching just with words. Masters of Magic uses magic to transmit
sessions.
meaningful contents”.
24
TRAINING
These ideals are transformed into a show where you see
incredible things happen on stage. In this time of history,
where everything seems old, banal and hackneyed, being
the first - or the only one - to propose a new kind of
entertainment makes Masters of Magic commercially
strong and interesting. Two examples. Infinity: the company
gives the input - as Wind did by asking for “strong messages
and passion” - and Walter’s staff create a customized show,
supported by a network of 1350 artists from all over the
world. Or Eclipse: dinner show. The whole evening is linked
to magic, starting from the menu (the waiter makes the
bread appear on the table, the chef does the same thing
but with the dishes and on stage, the artists perform their
show surrounded by the tables of the guests like in Vegas).
People are bombarded with emotions from beginning
to end. And obviously, everything can be customized.
We leave Walter to his new projects and we go
home with a new awareness. The one that the
impossible doesn’t exist. We just have to put
aside the Aristotelic thought that links point
A to a point B with a straight line, we have
to work around our obstacles like the
magician does: he is the most sincere person in the world
because he promises that he’ll fool you and he does it in front
of your eyes, leaving behind him the wonder and the will to do
it again. “Life is too short - ends Valter - to stop in front of a
No and waste another chance. I want that everyone can live
their lives saying Yes to their dreams. Because Walt Disney
taught me that…if you can dream it, you can do it”.
G. Merini
wired.it
25
ART
ART
beautiful. ugly.
The two sides of art.
W
hen we talk about art it seems to have a slippery bar
of soap in our hands. It’s a word with the consistency
of a bubble. It’s a concept, a value, it’s an estimate, a
perception or intuition; sometimes it’s just a remark.
Art. It’s intimidating, it can cause admiration, it can reawaken fears, keeping himself company and decorating the thing
our attention or just cross our path without being noticed that today we call home.
or appreciated. It can create a sense of disgust, repulsion,
anger, and this happens because there aren’t objective So what’s beautiful? What can be defined ugly? What has
criteria for this kind of evaluation. Art touches the most value and what not?
intimate and private parts of ourselves
It is not possible to determine with
Someone has tried to set the standards
that are hardly computable. Art moves
certainty what is beautiful and what
of beauty. The parameter of perfection
our subconscious, it makes us smile or
is ugly.
has characterized the entire Greek era,
cry, it makes us ask for more, like an
uncontrollable desire of beauty that we wish it could match where the sculpture was considered as the closest thing to
excellence and was taken as a model in all arts. The body, seen
with our vision of personal and moral cleanliness.
through Greek ideal, is something beautiful and harmonious:
its perfect proportions are what made this style the concept
Art. What is art? This question goes back
of perfection that we also have today. And it’s from the
to the dawn of time, in the caves where
ancient Greece (5th century B.C.) that the real rules of beauty
Neanderthal scratched the stones
are born and established worldwide.
with mud and the blood of his
prey, exorcising his
There have been many periods and interpretations of
beauty. Beauty as matched forms and materials in
Michelangelo’s first works, as the David and the
Pietà. Beauty as a challenge, like the flaming gothic
cathedrals or the high towers made of steel and
glass, built to fight the skies.
David, Michelangelo Buonarroti
Germany has also had its delusion about beauty, interpreted
as the “perfection of the race”, something so absurd to be
almost inconceivable, if only today these concepts weren’t
used by plastic surgeons who draw on the skin of their
customers/patients like new Canovas. Talking about patients,
they are surely patient since they undergo many operations
to achieve their idea of beauty as if they were made of marble
and needed to be more and more smooth.
Il Ratto di Proserpina, Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Truth is that is not possible to determine with certainty what
is beautiful and what is ugly. Too many cultural, social and
emotional factors intervene. This is valid for art but also for
all the other things.
It can happen - actually it always happen - that what we call
beautiful something really similar to reality. Being good at
drawing is easily recognizable and it’s even clearer when the
artwork is a faithful copy of reality. Generally speaking, with
some indication, anyone can do it. There are rules to follow
and small tricks, for example: the border between light and
shadow is not dark, but bright. So, the more it looks like
reality, the more we say something is beautiful.
Finally, as we say, beauty is in the eye of the
beholder. Or even more, in the
heart or in the brain;
because it’s a
26
Le Tre Grazie, Antonio Canova
Dione e Afrodite, frontone est del Partenone
27
ART
Summertime, Jackson Pollock
La notte stellata, Vincent Van Gogh
transient glance, a quick movement,
an irrational alternative that is more
frequent that we think.
For this reason, it’s important to try
and recognize a value that doesn’t
belong exactly to the classical
beauty but takes other visual roads
where contents and thoughts are
very different.
The assessment is not always
determined by how much an artwork
looks like reality, it is also built on the
interpretation of the artist, on the
thought that’s behind an image or a
specific form, even the absence of an
object can influence our perception
of a painting or a statue and finally,
there’s the ability of art to send a
message.
Les demoiselles d’Avignon, Pablo Picasso
28
Since the times of Impressionism,
artists started to abandon the
necessity of reaching the objective
reality in favor of their own
interpretation. Van Gogh’s paintings
are not credible, they are the product
of his anger, strong strokes taken from the land and thrown
on canvass. His sunflowers shine of his personal light and the
crows aren’t just black birds, they are nightmares.
Following this dynamic, beauty and art find their own
composition in a guideline that, once synthetized, it can be
brought back to three simple concepts:
We can see the deep reasoning behind a work of art in Alberto
Giacometti’s fragile, stick-like figures: “I always have the
impression, or the feeling, of humanity’s weakness, it’s like
we need an incredible energy to just stand up, moment after
moment” (Alberto Giacometti, Un Homme Parmi les Autres
di Jean-Marie Drot). These are the artworks that give more
value to the concept than to formal perfection.
1) Evaluate the whole project and not just one artwork.
2) Identify the thought, the idea behind the artwork: it must
say something that goes beyond its appearance.
3) Recognize a path.
Speaking of beauty criteria that go beyond the simple
appearance, entering the world of the artwork, we must
mention to the master of rapture and metaphysical. No,
it’s not De Chirico, who’s obviously in my
top ten, but I’d consider more Picasso.
I believe that he’s the greatest artist
from a wide perspective; his ability of
shaping reality into anything is breathtaking and he could
really dig into the material to discover what was hidden
for all of us. He used to say: “It took me four years to paint
like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child”. The artistic
equivalent of Steve Jobs and his: “It’s better to be a pirate
than join the navy”.
In Picasso everything goes beyond belief. Everything is
beautiful if we stop looking at the plausible and we look for
an intimate reality. Cubism, which Picasso was one of the
greatest representatives (together with Georges Braque,
Guillaume Apollinaire, Robert Delaunay, Marcel Duchamp)
is a decomposition of reality
where the artist knows how to use
fragments of shapes to get away
from reality; not because he’s
not able to represent it properly
(Picasso was one of the most
important realistic portraitist of
his time and maybe of history),
but simply because he’s not
interested into what is visible to
Visage de Marie-Thérèse,
Pablo Picasso
our naked eye.
We give value to art even when we know or perceive the
story behind an image, it’s the artist’s story, the one of a man
or woman guided by their passion to
follow an idea, reach the excellence and
satisfy their own needs. They go further
to catch the eye of the audience, like
a burning arrow on the sky of the
future.
Artists
are
being creative
exhausting
job,
uncertainty and the
them every day.
misunderstood,
of their true value
The difficulty is in
an explanation. It’s
the artwork comes
need, a personal
artist,
before
of a reality. It’s
towards the perfect
be reached.
brave people. Because
is a hard, intense and
often dominated by
risk of failure that haunts
Their works are often
underrated,
emptied
and deep meaning.
understanding without
a windy path, because
to life from an intimate
investigation of the
becoming a representation
a
continuous
exploration
canvass, something that won’t
Anyway, going back to
concept of beautiful or ugly
his painting of Marie-Thérèse
30 million dollars…and this has
with personal opinions!
Picasso and the
art, the value of
Walter, is 20nothing to do
S. Viola
Falling man, Alberto Giacometti
29
mice news
mice news
MICE NEWS
Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, Huzhou, Cina
arch2o.com
The world’s strangest hotels
The hotel is not only a place where to stay while you’re away
from home. It’s a haven, a reference, an experience to be lived
and shared with others. Today, even more than in the past, it’s
important for the hotelier to leave a mark in the minds and
hearts of the guests. A challenge that is definitely won by the
50 hotels that Wired IT presented on its chart as the strangest
of the world, real examples of originality that easily emerge
from the long lists of hotels from Booking.com, Hotels.com
and many others.
From the suspended rooms in the Inca Valley (Peru) to the
ones in Hogwarts style of the London’s Georgian House,
Yellow Sub, Liverpool, Regno Unito
quieropuroviajar.com
quirkyhotels.com V8 Hotel, Stoccarda, Germania
30
Quinta Real Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Messico
for Harry Potter’s biggest fans; from the igloo rooms with a
view on the Nordic sky at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in
Finland to the architectural masterpiece of Sheraton Huzhou
Hot Spring Resort in China; and then to Italy that shows its
originality with the Bivacco Gervasutti, one pearl on the
Mont Blanc. Fifty hotels to browse, dream of and - budget
permitting - to book.
Among these 50, we want you to give a look at:
The Library Hotel, New York, United States.
Books everywhere. With thematic rooms based on your
favorite literary genre.
Inntel Amsterdam Zaandamn, Amsterdam, Holland
Why limit yourself with just one style?
V8 Hotel, Stuttgart, Germany
Between carwash and small gas stations, this hotel is the
dream of every vintage car’s fan.
Leuchtturm, Breege, Germany
Take a lighthouse and turn it into a hotel. Here come the magic.
iRooms, Roma, Italy
Thematic rooms, like the one with a digital panorama at 360°.
Quinta Real Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico
History and luxury in one hotel.
Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, Huzhou, China
An architectonic jewel directly from the Arabian Nights.
Yellow Sub, Liverpool, United Kingdom
A yellow submarine in the Beatles’ hometown. Unmissable.
The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, United States
The ship hasn’t sailed for a long time, but its cabins still host
new visitors.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland
Falling asleep under the sky of the North is priceless. Isn’t it?
andrewharper.com
Hotel Legoland, Billund, Denmark
The perfect place to celebrate the passion for colored bricks.
Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah, United States
A Spa among the rocks of a Canyon. 100% luxury.
Magic Mountain Hotel, Huilo Huilo Reserve, Chile
A waterfall just a few centimeters from your windows. Wow!
The Liberty, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
It’s like living in a gigantic mall.
Henn Na Hotel, Sasebo, Japan
The only staff members are robots, like the fantastic dinosaur
at the reception.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finlandia
Henn Na Hotel, Sasebo, Giappone
kakslauttanen.fi
cbsnews.com
The Liberty, Boston, Massachusetts, Stati Uniti
Magic Mountain Hotel, Huilo Huilo Reserve, Cile
bwme.org
booking.com
31
MICE NEWS
MICE NEWS
After the sky, EasyJet
travel…by foot.
Dogalize
The new social network for animals lovers
is called Dogalize and in two years has
reached more than 350 thousand users.
Today it launches a new project that
aims to involve pet-friendly hotels and
beaches: “The world of hotels, beaches and
places that welcome domestic animals
is a phenomenon that it’s exploding
also in Italy and it’s positively affecting the cases of pet
abandonment”, says with a note Dogalize. For this reason,
the social network is showing to its users every structure
that is open to accept animals, giving them the chance to
become a Dogalize Partner.
Moreover: for each pet-friendly business subscribed to
Dogalize, the association will give 50 euros and a month of
meals to one of those who support the initiative Aiutaci ad
aiutarti.
City insiders: a trip with the Vips
for the guests of Rocco Forte Hotels
In this world of experiential tourism, having a local as a
guide to cities or to any other kind of destination, is one of
the most desired feature of a traveler. A need that Rocco
Forte Hotels noticed and decided to satisfy by launching
City Insiders: a network of ambassadors to give the hotels’
guests a real stay in the name of authenticity. Considering
the value of Rocco Forte, its locals are definitely peculiar:
that is 30 VIPs - 3 for each hotel of the Group - who will lead
customers to discovers their favorite locations, the most
important and curious activities and the places that are
usually hard to find. Once arrived in their room, guests will
find a list of 10 cards containing some suggestions from their
City Insiders. Among them, in London there are the model
David Gandy and Sir Paul Smith (famous English stylist), in
Ponte Longjiang, Cina
32
highestbridges.com
Berlin, professor Thomas Olbricht, curator of The Olbricht
Collection (one of the greatest private collection in Europe),
in Munich there’s Prince Luitpold von Bayern, owner of the
Nympheburg Porcelain Manufactory, in Saint Petersburg
Mrs Shorena Dzhinali, director of Saint Petersburg’s
Christian Dior boutique.
The Italian ambassadors of the Russie Hotel in Rome
are: Pierluigi Roscioli, manager and owner of the famous
restaurant and wine bar Roscioli, countess Marina Cicogna,
one of the most famous filmmakers in Italy and Mr. Fulvio
Pierangelini, celebrity chef.
The City Insiders of Verdura Resort in Sicily are: Domenico
Macaluso, honorary inspector of Cultural Heritage
department, the knight Diego Planeta, owner of Cantine
Planeta and finally Accursio Gulino, Sicilian artist who’s
displayed his artworks all over the world.
For the Savoy Hotel in Florence, you can count of the advice
of Laudomia Pucci, CEO&Image Director of Pucci, Allegra
Antinori, member of the prestigious family of wine makers
and Natalie Rucellai, Managing Director of the well-known
PR agency PRco, based in London and New York.
Colossal bridge in China
Travelling at 280 meters above the ground for 2.4 kilometers.
The experience is possible in China, where the suspended
bridge Longjiang was completed and inaugurated.
The structure rises in the province of Yunnan, in the southeast part of the country.
Majestic, as it’s easy to think, also the budget required to
build the bridge: a total of 1.5 billion yuan, equal to 230 million
dollars. As Repubblica.it highlights and as it’s shown in its
gallery the distance between the two central towers is 1196
meters, meaning just a little less than the Golden Gate in San
Francisco.
ArcelorMittal Orbit, Londra
meteoweb.eu
The world’s longest slide
Everything is ready, the tickets are already on sale: the world’s
longest slide is about to open. It’s in London, it has 178 meters
of dive, designed by the German artist Carsten Höller, who
worked on the Orbit’s restoration, the London tower shaped
as a DNA string realized by Anish Kapoor in 2012. Thirty
sections, 12 curves, in some spots it’s also possible to reach
24 km/h and the descents lasts 40 seconds. The opening
is planned for the 24th june but the tickets are already
purchasable online: 13euros for adults and half for children
who must be taller than 130 centimeters.
Hyperloop one:
a supersonic train at 1200 km/h
Just a few meters of rail in the desert of Nevada. This is what
it takes to check the motor’s functionality of the Hyperloop
One, the futuristic train that can travel up to 1.200 km/h. The
tests’ results were positive and architects and designers
are encouraged to share hypothesis of starting the service
in 2021.
The innovation behind the Hyperloop project, wanted by
Elon’s Musk SpaceX, consists in the creation of a pipe where
inside futuristic trains will reach velocities that nowadays
are possible only to planes that use compressed air and
magnetic strength. After these tests, they will build the first
tunnel of 1.5km in order to proceed with the first trip. Once
reality, Hyperloop One will be able to cover the 600km that
divide Los Angeles from San Francisco, in just 34 minutes.
will change
the way we
The airline company has invented the Sneakairs. A pair of
EasyJet customized shoes equipped with an innovative
insole, adaptable to every kind of shoe and that will guide
any traveler in his/her trips. How? Thanks to some sensors
that, connected to the
smartphone, provide the
indications on the itinerary.
As shown on a video posted
on YouTube by EasyJet,
people will just need to
select their destination
wired.com on their mobile phone.
After that, they can put it
in their pockets because the shoes will show them the way
through some vibrations: left foot to go left, right foot to go
right. A double vibration will suggest to go back, while three
vibrations will confirm that the destination’s been reached.
The project is still in beta testing in Spain where the company
has launched The Barcelona Street Project. Once the tests
will be over, this new insole could be sold on board of the
EasyJet fleet.
Ape Tizer
Ape Tizer is the new way to bring the techniques of slow
cooking and healthy food in the streets of Italy. With a pinch
of irony and a whole of independence, Giovanni and Lorenzo
are working on adapting
the gourmet cuisine to
a high quality street
food by cooking at low
temperatures in order to
keep the fragrances intact.
The duo proposes something healthy and innovative,
an entire world of flavors
zonasantambrogio.com
on three wheels. Where
tradition and creativity meet at the same table; or better, in
the same square!
33
mice news
Luxury and nature meet
in one unforgettable show.
MICE PLACES TO GO
www.niramontana.com
Nira Hotels & Resorts offers a unique approach to hospitality,
based on the ability to propose a holistic experience, where
time and space acquire one only and complete meaning. An
elegant and relaxing location welcomes the guests with a
warm professionalism, courtesy and by delighting them with
infinite attentions.
La Thuile
La Thuile, a city situated at the extreme north-west of
the Aosta Valley at an altitude of 1.450 meters, preserves
the atmosphere of the authentic village in the mountains,
surrounded by the nature of the Alps.
The name of the city originates from the latin “tegula”: with
the word “thuile” people refer to the “lose”, big rock plates
that cover the roof of their traditional houses. La Thuile is
strategically situated at just 15km from the French borders
and close to Courmayeur, for this reason, people can explore
over 160km of ski slopes between Italy and France.
The ski area Espace San Bernardo links La Thuile to La Rosière,
to ski during the whole season (with 37 ski lifts and 80 ski runs).
It’s also possible to enjoy off site activities such as Snowcross,
Snowkite, Fat-biking, cross country skiing, Nordic walking,
mountain-climbing, Eliski and Freeside; while at the Skyway
-new name of the Monte Bianco’s cable car - people can reach
3.500meters and admire the astonishing beauty of the Alps.
Who prefers a relaxed vacation can choose between the
various greens in the close Courmayeur and play golf, or
visit the roman monuments in Aosta and enjoy the special
treatments of Pré Saint Didier and Nira Montana Spa.
La Thuile is famous also for its culinary tradition, in fact, in
2009 it was appointed “City of Chocolate”, in addition to this
prize, when visiting it it’s important not to miss: the Tometta,
a local delicacy of milk and hazelnut chocolate and hazelnuts
from Piemonte, the Torta 1441 or the dark chocolate from La
Cremerie. Don’t forget to try the Motzetta, cured meat from
bovine, chamois, deer or boar; the local salami named Boudin
and the Fontina, always present in every typical meal of the
region. Visit La Thuile and live like a real “tchullein”!
M. Saccenti
Nira Montana is the first 5 stars hotel in La Thuile, (Aosta
Valley). Member of the Design Hotels, it brings to this
destination new high standards of accommodation.
The building is located at the foot of Mont Blanc in the
picturesque citadel of La Thuile and it presents 55 rooms and
suites. The hotel design is typical of the area and reminds
of the traditional houses of the valley, wood and stones add
elegance and value to all its three floors. For Nira Montana,
the territory is paramount and so are its roots and history, for
these reasons they put the maximum efforts and commitment
while designing the hotel. It is, in fact, a structure that has a
low environmental impact, that uses excellent materials and
products with a high thermal insulation.
The mountain’s lovers can find the Nira Montana very appealing
since it’s located just a few minutes from many ski runs and
some of the most evocative trekking trails in the Alps.
A special note for wellness: the Nira Spa makes available
for its guests one covered pool, 4 rooms for massages and
therapies, a generous
wet area with sauna
and a steam room and
a fitness center with
Technogym machines.
The Stars Restaurant,
mentioned in the
Espresso Guide 2016 as one of the best in the Aosta Valley,
promotes a gastronomic experience completely Italian in a
location designed to welcome with style.
Summer is the best time of the year to have long walks and
excursions on mountain bike, practice trekking and climbing.
The Rutor waterfalls are a breath taking must-see.
Every summer, the equestrian centre Cheval D’Aoste, organizes
tours on horseback and pony trekking in the mountains.
Fishermen can catch trouts in the Verney lake at 2.088mt.
34
…Let the show begin!
Nira Montana - Località Arly, 87 - 11016 La Thuile, Italy
Tel. +39 0165 88 31 25 - [email protected]
35
TOUCHLAND
TOUCHLAND
Touchland
We do wash our hands.
M
ilan. Underground Yellow line. Rush hour.
We are all packed like sardines on this coach, So why don’t we do it in a safe, eco-friendly and fun way?
struggling between the sneezes of allergic people and the Yes, because differently from many other sanitizers that aim
continuous coughing of those who still can’t follow this crazy just to the effectiveness of the product, the Kub family was
created also thinking about its design.
weather of May. I sink my head between
According to the World Health
Its surprising colors and seductive
my shoulders, pulling the scarf over my
Organization, around the 80% of
lines, remove the strange anxiety we
face while trying to stay balanced; I’d
contagious diseases are spread
have whenever we use this kind of
do anything to avoid the handrail where
through our hands.
product in public.
a kid’s just put his hand after blowing
his nose. My hellish trip continues like this for the next 10
Let’s be honest: we’ve never heard of an appealing sanitizer,
stops, but finally I can reach the office and wash my hands.
but Touchland - a Spanish company, founded by the young
My little phobia is well known also
among my colleagues, maybe that’s
the reason why they left on my desk
something that, at first, I thought was
a mix between a candy box and the
latest technologic device from Apple.
Of course, it was neither of those
things, but it would’ve solved my
problem with germs all over the world!
An ordinary action for us, an increasing
The question comes up almost sponhazard for the rest of the world; in fact
taneously: why nobody has thought about
it’s estimated that in 2025, two-thirds of
this before?
the population will have limited access
to water. Touchland, besides disinfecting,
Sinergie Live Communication always
it’s on the frontline to fight this issue: with
welcomes new ideas, while its care for the
just three sprays, your hands will be sanitized
environment and cultures is part of its DNA. For
without needing water. Kub and Kub2go are hand
these reasons, the agency decided to become the
sanitizer suitable for companies and final users. Both
ambassador of this project, in the name of a Corporate
versions are have reached the European Standard EN 1500 Social Responsibility towards our planet and a commitment
(hygienic hand rub) and are super easy to use. You can choose to its customers. Hoping to raise the awareness on the
among 7 different fragrances and it’s
important theme of water wastage,
Sinergie Live Communication decided
also possible to customized the label;
Sinergie is planning to give one Kub2go
to become the ambassador of this
moreover, each sanitizer contains aloe
to every guest of its incentive travels.
project, in the name of a Corporate
vera to moisturize your skin.
It’s a small deed for a serious cause and
Social Responsibility towards our
if it’s going to become a habit or a trend
planet.
(Kub2go is easily purchasable online) it
We are looking at an innovative, smart
and eco-friendly product (the 5% of the company’s profit is will be just another small contribution from an agency to the
used to ship Touchland goods to developing countries, where improvement of everybody’s lives.
the scarcity of water and low hygiene conditions cause the
diffusion of many infective diseases).
F. Passoni
It’s called Kub2go and it’s a portable
hand sanitizer, it’s the little brother of
Kub, projected and designed for large
retailers.
But what’s exactly this little thing?
And why do I have the feeling that I
won’t be able to live without it?
Kub2go is a liquid sanitizer that, once vaporized on your
hands, it cleanses and disinfects them without using water.
According to the World Health Organization, around the
80% of contagious diseases are spread through our hands
and the best way to avoid a contamination is to keep them
clean.
36
entrepreneur Andrea Lisbona - decided to bet on design
and quality, offering an innovative and useful product to
the market; with the addition that it can contribute to the
global revolution against water’s wastage. Every time we
wash our hands, we waste 2 liters of this precious resource.
37
SALONE DEI PAGAMENTI
SALONE DEI PAGAMENTI
The Salone dei Pagamenti will take place at the MiCo
congress center in Milan, next 9th, 10th and 11th November.
The organizers decided that the entrance will be free,
right to underline the fact that things like discussions and
conversations have no price, especially if oriented to create
a positive awareness of something that is close to home.
SALONE dei PAGAMENTI 2016
Future calls for a Payvolution.
How will our futuristic society react to its citizens’ needs
who, surely appreciate simplicity and velocity, but at the
same time demand safety and respect for their privacy.
In front of such a growing convergence
between tools and channels, are we
really going to say goodbye to
our bills? Will our wallets be
overtaken by one single credit
card, suitable for every kind of
payment? What is the No cash
policy and which scenarios
shall we expect in the next
few years?
These are the main topics
of the Salone dei Pagamenti,
the first Italian event related
to payments’ evolution and
innovation. An occasion to
reunite banks, companies, clients
and end users to share doubts and
more importantly, knowledge and
certainties on the subject.
T
he constant evolution of payments is often subject to
many considerations and critiques. In a world where
the e-commerce is rapidly becoming the main tool to
do shopping, where new technologies are used to make our
transactions faster and always more automated, plenty of
people are wondering what is going to the future of their
payments. Which boundaries can be overcome both in terms
of hardware and software, which new apps will be confirmed
in the market, allowing us to pay with our NFC - enabled
smartphones by simply touching a button or a photocell.
38
people are going to be the protagonists of this society’s
change, even more than adults. Because of this, the FEDUF
(Organisation for Financial Education and Savings Plans)
is going to bring to the Salone dei Pagamenti its proposals
to offer students from primary schools and high schools a
complete and interactive financial education.
Over 100 lecturers will come from all over the world to share One heterogeneous public, different generations and
with their public the international and European scenarios social individuals will join a discussion that wants to be an
linked to the ever-changing payment methods. They will innovative project, something that can be an important
present the best practices, introducing tool and solutions reference to the Italian world behind payments.
to welcome this new chapter of global
Are we really going to say goodbye to Sinergie Group will support the
economy and finance.
our bills? Will our wallets be overtaken
organization of the event by managing
by one single credit card, suitable for
There will be five thematic itineraries
the entire communication plan. The
every kind of payment? These are the
(banking, corporate, public admini- topics of the Salone dei Pagamenti.
agency will deal with the website
and its contents, alongside with the
stration, small business & VAT,
final users & education) which will promote one positive customized platform to manage the guests’ flow who will
environment built on sharing, networking and updating come to the convention. The communicational materials will
lessons, hoping that this innovative event will grow new be adapted also for the social networks, right to reach also
opportunities and business collaborations.
those who use them in their everyday life. A gesture that
not only will delete any possible generation gap but will also
The main objective of the Salone dei Pagamenti is to round influence the communication of those sponsors and vendors
up every Italian event on this matter, creating one unique that will participate in this big event. They will become an
exhibition. Together with big financial and banking realities, entire media fleet which will promote Salone dei Pagamenti.
the organization wants to consider also some startups and The event will be supported also by newsletters, Facebook
blossoming companies to discuss new businesses and about and LinkedIn posts and live tweeting with daily hashtags.
how the consequences of this evolution will affect our sales
habits and personal behaviors. We could say, that young
S. Beretta
AbiEventi, AbiServizi’s society specialized in conventions
dedicated to the banking and financial fields, decided to
treasure Sinergie Group’s expertise to make a “qualitative
leap” and organize together the next two editions of the
exhibition. Their collaboration will lead to a national event
that will put together technical and educational contents
in order to reach a wider audience. The target isn’t either
B2B nor B2C, is the step forward: the B2B2C: customers,
producers and professionals, together with universities and
students.
39
crm
crm
reputation that makes the brand stand
out among the others in the market.
skybox sinergie
When CRM means party.
The word CRM (Customer Relationship
Management) is well known to
businessmen, it’s a term that always
more companies have decided to put
into the list of fundamental tasks of
their Marketing & Communication
departments. The CRM is an actual
approach useful to analyze needs,
requests and every other important
information linked to prospective
customers: to the most valuable ones
or to those that have just entered
the company’s portfolio. The main
objective of managing the relationship
with customers is to anticipate
their demand, creating a two-way
conversation that, if well conducted,
leads to a sales growth and to the
satisfaction of the company’s targets;
creating an enduring connection
between the two parties.
40
The
more
structure
and
details we give to
our CRM strategy, the more
customers will get close to our
company, letting themselves be
intrigued by the customized activities
and contents which seem created just
for them.
Enterprises are getting used to the
tool of CRM. Besides their talent
to propose innovative and high- The CRM is also communication, or
quality products to the market, they maybe we should say that is especially
also address their attention to the communication. And in the same way
customer: the only real figure that the biggest mistakes of a company can
can affect the success or the failure spread online, also the greatest results
of a project, or worse, of an entire in terms of customer relationship have
company. CRM doesn’t mean just to a strong impact on consumers who, in
create an engaging marketing plan and most cases, decide to become the real
to invest in the latest IT systems that ambassadors of the brand. Whether
can register customers’ preferences. It we use emails, posts on social
is necessary to make the relationship networks or newsletters, the contact
between the company, targets, with the customer is paramount to
and processes as
understand
CRM doesn’t mean just to create an
harmonic as possible.
how
to
engaging
marketing
plan.
Only if we do so, we
change or
can obtain a high level
of customer loyalty that will make
people get used to a certain brand,
service or product.
correct
some corporate strategies and
behaviors to offer a unique service or
product. The result is a strong brand
But CRM activities go beyond the
simple newsletters and giveaways.
Sinergie Group, since last year, has
decided to add value to the time
spent with its customers by using the
new SkyBox areas in the Mediolanum
Forum arena, in Milan. The SkyBox is
an exclusive private room, reserved for
the guests of the agency who can join
a relaxed and informal environment
while participating in the best events,
even if sold out. Thanks to its exclusive
and spectacular position, the view
over the Arena is unique, as unique is
the lounge bar and the private parking.
An idea that is totally unconventional
and that allows customers to see live
some of the most important artists
of the world. The calendar of the
Mediolanum Forum is shared
to clients, who are invited to
join their relative salesman
in the event (concerts,
theatrical shows, and
basketball matches).
characterized every other important
show that remained in the memories of
everyone who has participated. After
every event, everyone is invited to
leave their comments and signatures
on the guest book at their disposal.
A good result also for the CRM activity
organized for the finals of X Factor
2016. Sinergie Group offered to the
most loyal customers the chance to
see the talent’s final event live from
the SkyBox. In order to select fairly
the guests and guarantee the same
possibilities to each one of them,
they were asked to share with the
agency what is the key element that
made them work with the Group. Their
answer couldn’t come with an email,
of course, they needed to do so much
better than that! In fact, they had to
present their most creative tweets.
Just a few days before the event,
Sinergie Group created the hashtag
#xfactormadeinsinergie on Twitter and
Facebook and asked its customers to
share on the social networks a simple
sentence that would summarize their
idea of Sinergie, leaving to its jury of
accounts and creatives the hard task
to select the most original ones.
The tweets on the page @Sinergie_Mi
on Twitter and on Facebook,
were the proof that confirmed the fact
The opening of
the SkyBox CRM
project goes back
to October 2015,
when
Sinergie
Group had the
chance to offer
its customers an
amazing
event
during the MTV EMA
2015.
An impressive evening
where
international
artists made everybody
dance and sing inside the
SkyBox, sharing this incredible
moment of the history of show
business. The event was commented
live by Sinergie Group through its
first live tweeting, an action that has
41
CRM
that CRM means also using every channel Give the proper importance to the
at disposal, in the best way. Through customer. Take into consideration his
this “young” and unconventional way to ideas, needs and how he perceives the
communicate, Sinergie Group reached company. This is the final objective of
the objective of letting its customers CRM. The CRM aims, through stable
enter the world
interpersonal
Sinergie Group, since last year, has
of the agency
relationships
decided to add value to the time
itself that has
and the collespent with its customers by using
shown its playful
ction of data
the new SkyBox areas.
and
informal
that comes from
personality. Because CRM sometimes them, to create always new projects,
represents a surprise. A different way products and services. It’s a virtuous
to look at yourself independently from circle, first based on the self-respect
business and letting it go by being for one’s brand image and for the
involved in a relationship that is mainly customer, besides the fundamental
human, made of gestures, friendly talks will of knowing each other. With an
and desire to be together.
efficient communication, accurately
crm
declined in every field, is possible to
create strong relationships that bring
long-term benefits to customers - that
will be satisfied with the product/
service and will share the experience
with others - and to the company in
terms of sales and brand reputation.
This first year of SkyBox will end in
October, among concerts, shows and
unforgettable sports matches in the
arena of the Mediolanum Forum in
Milan…but the MarCom department
is already working on new CRM
strategies, ready to amaze and involve
those customers who have always
placed their trust in Sinergie Group.
F. Passoni
From Sinergie
Group’s SkyBox.
concerts
& shows
up to 15th october 2016
(updated on the 30th May)
29th january
1st february
29th april
6-7th may
14-15-17-18-20-21st may
16th february
30th may - 11th october
23-24-25th february
22nd july
27th february
7-9-10th SEPTEMBER
7th march
16-17th SEPTEMBER
3rd april
19th SEPTEMBER
4th april
1ST OCTOBER
5th april
7TH OCTOBER
6th april
8-9-10-11-12-13th may
15TH OCTOBER
8-9th april
42
16th april
The Sales Department still has some availabilities.
43
adv agol
special
Namibia with Special
The trip you don’t expect.
N
associazione
giovani
opinion
leader
44
amibia it’s a land of infinite
landscapes, majestic dunes and
wild animals that live freely in
a territory that is both immense and
unaltered by time. Where the Namib
desert meets the ocean and the bush
of the savannah dots the coast that
welcomes the sun every night, while the
sky turns orange.
Because of its infinite expanse of red
sand and the distance that separates
one city from another, as if they
were some little oasis from a mirage,
Namibia is one of the most extreme
places on earth. Having a trip in this
country means to leave any kind of
order and comfort of civilization
behind, accepting one of the oldest
territories of the African continent.
An
important for such demanding tasks, turning them
choice that has to into great possibilities.
be made once you’re
traveling by yourself, After almost one year of planning,
but if you intend to organize an Special managed to take Allianz
incentive trip for more than fifty people, Bank’s best financial advisors, their
then the challenge becomes really families and the Top Management of
the company, in
interesting. And
Where
the
Namib
desert
meets
the
Namibia for their
for “interesting” I
ocean and the bush of the savannah
“Incanto” trip. To
mean with a high
dots the coast that welcomes the
enjoy the African
risk of failure,
sun every night.
landscapes
and
without
any
wonders at their best, the guests
possible plan B at your disposal.
headed out for a real travelers’
Namibia isn’t usually proposed as experience: a 360° adventure that
a destination for incentive trips. emphasized the emotions that only a
Transfers - which require an airplane country like Namibia can give, but only
most of the time, because of the to those who decide to embrace the
giant distances from one city to unexpected!
another - and the logistic behind such
a complex experience, make people The idea that this trip would’ve been
chose an alternative. Just think about different from any other was clear in the
the management of a simple dinner exact instant the guests reached the
in the desert, distant at least 4 hours capital Windhoek: a small city located
from the capital: what if you forget in the center of Namibia, with no more
something? For this and many other than 300 thousand residents. In this
reasons, there were some travel occasion, they lived the enthusiasm
agencies that decided not to deal and euphoria typical of the Sunday
with this kind of destination, leaving market in first person, surrounded by
the challenge up to someone else. the locals and with no sign of tourist
This someone was, of course, Special, activities: quite a singular happening,
Sinergie Group’s boutique incentive. A
team that has always shown its passion
45
special
special
sand dust meet along the coast, from
Swakopmund to Sandwich Harbour;
a stretch of land ventured on private
Land Rovers.
since it usually never happens during
an incentive travel not to see tourists
around you, but this first day made
everyone aware of the exciting
experience ahead.
After the first stop in Windhoek, Allianz
Bank traveled all over Namibia on board
of 10 private Cessna, a fleet that guided
them throughout the whole trip.
Namibia means also safari. And
the clients had the chance to see
elephants, zebras, giraffes and the
big African felines; all of them in the
Etosha National Park: a salt desert
“It seems a land
46
with white sand. In the same place, they
participated to many excursions in the
savannah, followed by entertaining
evenings and dinners under the stars.
Well far from the capital, in the
middle of the bush, Allianz Bank was
the protagonist of a jam session
from the African Cafè: the Namibian
band offered a unique moment of
aggregation and cultural exchange that
touched everyone. Nature as far as the
eye can see. Endless and powerful, with
its waves that break against the dunes;
and yet calm, like the wind that from
the dawn of time designs their crests.
The blue sea foam and the flaming
A breathtaking view that kept company
to the guests until a special point in the
desert, right after descending a dune, a
unique surprise: a white set up, ready
for a quick reception after driving on the
seaside. For Allianz Bank, one special
break with champagne and oysters;
because even if the trip is adventurous,
Special knows how to pamper its
customers. The wonder caused by
this unusual surprise continued when
guests were informed of the location
for their dinner: the renowned Tug
Restaurant. A culinary institution in
Swakopmund, where people can taste
the best fish of Namibia. Left the terra
firma behind, the experience continued
on dedicated catamarans, looking for
the marine wildlife of the area: sea
lions, dolphins and pelicans.
Not just savannah, not only deserts
that dive into the ocean; some parts
of Namibia seem to belong to another
planet. The rocky area on the north
of the Namib desert is in fact called
Moon Landscape because it reminds
of the lunar surface with its craters,
impressive canyons and mountainous
formations. This place is so evocative
that’s been selected by the director
of sun and sky. Now tha
t’s nig
ht, it
Now that th
is a f
e nigh
ragra
t sme
nce,
lls th
it is a
is g o
rustle
od, I
.
can e
xtend
my hand
and touch the
stars.”
But also unique, moving, exciting, free
in its vastness and definitely worth
of a visit once in a lifetime. Special
accepted this challenge and put itself
to test one more time trying to manage
a successful trip without forgetting
its high standards of comfort. The
challenge was won thanks to Special’s
sense of teamwork and its attention
to those details that would’ve been
easy to manage elsewhere but not in
Namibia; passion and professionalism
above all: this is what really enlivens the
boutique incentive in all of its trips.
George Miller for his movie Mad Max:
Fury Road. A desolated setting that is
at the same time breathtaking. Allianz
Bank enjoyed this location during
a gala dinner organized right in the
valley: hundreds of candles lit the night,
while fire dancers accompanied the
performance of Ann Singer, a young
icon for the Namibian music culture.
One last panoramic flight took the
guests at the final destination of the
journey: Sossusvlei. From their Cessna,
they could admire one last time the
contrasts of the sandy dunes against
the ocean and then the coast getting
dotted by wreckage, sea lion colonies
and mines. A landscape that is always
able to give incredible emotions, like
the one that Allianz Bank had once
they reached Dead Vlei: a big hollow
in the desert that is possible to reach
only by walking on the dunes’ crests.
There, the acacia trees once alive and
luxuriant, are today as black as coal
because of the drought that hit the
area during the time. The dark colors
of their cortex, the white sand and the
pink-orange shades of the desert that
surround Dead Vlei, make this place an
unforgettable must see.
Victory must be shared also with Allianz
Bank, a customer that wanted to trust
Special’s talent in picking something
different from the usual incentive trip,
this time betting on emotions and not
on 5stars hotels and restaurants.
This choice was definitely appreciated
It’s a territory like the Namibian one by everyone, as the feedback sheets
that makes us
given to the custoThe challenge was won thanks to
think about how
mer can confirm.
Special’s sense of teamwork and
its geographical its attention to details: passion and They were in fact
dimension is hard professionalism above all.
given back with
to approach. A
the best mark
country needs a wider glance and an ever received by Special, which has
open mind to catch every big or small finally reached the 100% redemption
pearl it can offer. Special wanted to vote.
give to Allianz Bank the chance to see
Namibia from another point of view, One successful event in an adventurous
even higher than from their Cessna. destination, one important goal for
After waking up at dawn, the guests bid those who managed to make guests live
their farewell to Namibia on board of a a new experience in complete comfort,
hot air balloon, once more impressed keeping the standards as high as a
by the surreal landscape of this special company like Allianz Bank shall expect.
place. One unusual, complex, difficult
destination.
F. Passoni
47
The maverick’s corner
The maverick’s corner
LIVE COMMUNICATION
Live or real life?
D
o you know the great annual wildlife migration in team (or athlete). And again, depending on their specific
Africa? The same phenomenon repeats itself every taste, expectations or ideas, they will wander looking for the
year also for us, but is often
famous chef or the underestimated
We feel alive if we are considered. If
linked to some kind of event: like the
artist who doesn’t seem to seek
not, the virtual death is not so different
same old band that announces one last
publicity.
from the physical one. Being absent is
show before its retirement and after negative, being present is essential.
a while it comes up with a second, a
People need an excuse to be together.
third, a tenth one, just because…the audience demanded It’s a fact. The certainty they find in sharing a common idea
it. So the farewell event turns into a tedious tour like many is greater than the discomfort caused by the actual effort to
others, where everything is identical except for the final reach the location, to pay for attending an event. Everything
rigmarole full of nice words and emotions that can always is excusable if it’s done to participate.
bring a tear to the eye. It’s the same for sports, be it football
or any other discipline, if there’s a chance to see the match But what’s really behind this need of staying together? Of being
of the century, people move massively to reach their favorite united? Do we have to feel that way at all costs? Is there any
48
megasportingevents.org
cliparts.co
that can put what we think is the right distance between us and
the world. It’s such a paradox. We live when we are online! A few
years back, someone created a social experiment - luckily not
so successful - called Second Life. It
wasn’t just a game, nor
a website: it was - and
it is - a real second life,
where our virtual self
can go shopping, buy
a house, a car…with
our real money we pay
for our doppelganger,
for who we’d like to
be but can’t, in the real world.
That project was an anticipation of
what happened a little time later with
Facebook and Twitter.
A negative aspect of modern
We practically live joined to our
We send tweets about
history is that people want to be
smartphones that take pictures and
ubiquitous, meaning that they videos, making us feeling alive in the where we’re going, what
we are eating, who we
want to participate in public instance of a connection.
are meeting or what’s
events to show off. Driven by
important
for
us, even if it’s not for the
their only desire to stand out, we could explain this attitude
by recognizing a growing need to be admitted, acknowledged rest of the world.
by someone else. We feel alive if we are considered. If not, the
virtual death is not so different from the physical one. Being Social networks are full of cats,
absent is negative, being present is essential. We must be dogs and birds that apparently are
the most beautiful and intelligent
there, even if we don’t know exactly where.
of the world and can do something
We must be live. We live to tell everyone that we are alive. unique…like thousands more on the
However, to do so, we hide behind a nickname, we wear a mask internet.
moral obligation to partake in some events? I don’t understand
this will of being necessarily there, this new imperative to
“have it all and now”, as if a postponed research would ruin our
existence. Ultimately, there’s always an anxiety to be the first
to arrive, to catch something that is inevitably too far from us
and makes sense only if shared. Only if screamed together,
danced together, remember the key word: participation. What
about the pleasure of silence? Of those precious moments
while reading a book in a calm afternoon in summer? Or the
ones lived under a beech tree, while playing a soft music that
Tityrus considered as a merciful peace of a God? What about
the tales and stories whispered by the fireplace? Where’s the
calm that guided the old philosophers? Men and women, who
isolated themselves from the chaos to give birth to some of
the most important thoughts of our society.
49
The maverick’s corner
Whenever we need suggestions for restaurants, hotels,
means of transports, gyms or tour operators, we look into
the web hoping to find the perfect solution to improve our
vacation because we need to share this information all over
our social networks. After a while, we’ll end up tired of being
bothered by any kind of advertisement, appealing to our right
to be forgotten.
The maverick’s corner
When Kennedy announced to America the space program,
Because the thrill of being live is what he said: “We choose to go to the Moon!
We don’t realize that being live and it makes it unique, it’s the mistake, not ... We choose to go to the Moon in this
sharing our interests that we consider the perfection. I think about concerts. decade and do the other things, not
paramount for humanity, creates We all appreciate a small imperfection because they are easy, but because
another life in the system to which we due to an excessive enthusiasm.
they are hard; because that goal will
are connected that is able to classify us.
serve to organize and measure the best
A long time ago, we were alive at our first wail, today parents of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that
want to show the world their son’s first ultrasound, seeming we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone
more interested in filming the event than in enjoying the and one we intend to win ... We have had our failures, but so
moment. Pictures will all look the same just to let everyone have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may
know that we exist, that we are unique, while we’re actually be less public. To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind
conforming to millions and millions of others who only care for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay
about letting others know every detail of their lives.
behind, and in this decade we shall make up and move ahead.”
This is the secret of being live. It lies in our ability to dream
We practically live joined to our smartphones that take ambitiously, to admit any failures and difficulties. The secret
pictures and videos, making us feeling alive in the instance of being live attempting, not asserting oneself; it’s the trip,
of a connection. When we’re not online, we simply aren’t. not the destination.
And it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The same technology
that keeps us alive is often a support. Remember all my In these times, it seems that the contrary is prevailing, today
passwords would be harder than learning the 5th of May by we feel alive only when everything is working perfectly. Have
Manzoni or the 33rd canto from the Divine Comedy by heart. you ever seen a picture of something ugly on Instagram? No.
Because my real life - the one which I can definitely call “live” Because we look forward to being flawless, even if our will
as made of contacts, affections, and spoken words - is the generates an anxious mechanism that leads us to be always
result of my human imperfection; that’s why it’s beautiful. present on social media, asking to be considered. While I
I like trying to remember things that I punctually forget, I love my imperfections, I love my spaghetti and also the fact
don’t mind being a scatterbrain sometimes because it’s part that sometimes they leave a spot of red sauce on my t-shirt.
of being a man and not a cyborg. I find it ghastly when Google
automatically predicts the word I’m about to write, when it Today, since we live as long as we are online, we’re scared of
searches and suggests websites just because I looked for silence, we’re afraid of isolation; our compulsive research
a similar argument weeks before, because of an algorithm for something to do and to share makes us almost sleepless.
my interests have already been mapped. Sometimes I’d like We are always taking pictures, shot videos, but this attitude
to see it fail just for the sake of my human conception, I’d is starting to affect our everyday life. Who’s the director of
voluntarily watch it doing mistakes, just to receive some kind what goes online, if we can all publish any kind of content?
of confirmation that isn’t a machine, that it is actually alive.
Because the thrill of being live is what it makes it unique, it’s Just consider the latest app that allows everyone to share
the mistake, not the perfection.
a video live in any moment: Periscope. The last frontier of
streaming platforms is at the same time the Far West of
I think about concerts. We all appreciate a small imperfection live communication. Who checks on the contents? How
due to an excessive enthusiasm, a perfect melody can only long till some will live-stream his/her death? I think about
be the outcome of a recording studio where a metronome terrorists who want to film an execution or an attack. The
replaces the man who sings or plays an instrument. I also coward who decides to put online a stunt: robbery, violence,
think about classic music, about some performers who can rape. Who decides what can be shown and what not? Who
50
latoday.deviantart.com
plan a marriage like a tv show or a social
experiment.
really reach perfection but are unable to pass down any
message or emotion to their audience. I believe it was more
beautiful listen to those who were less precise but more
powerful in their act of playing. The stories that can excite us
are the ones of attempts, failures, efforts.
Maybe it’s the time, maybe the trends. But
I swim against the current. I hope I’ll be able
to continue living without being connected
to the world 24/7, without telling everyone
who I am meeting, what am I eating.
I hope that I will still enjoy reading paper
books in a few years, instead of surrender
to the useful eBook. It’s not that I don’t
like technology, but having a book in my
hands unplugs me from the Wi-Fi, from that
obligation to stay online and the annoying
requests for review.
i.dailymail.co.uk
censures (sad and yet powerful word) or better,
who moderates the videos?
The problem of being live isn’t the container but the
content. In the rush for being the first to see the
next news, the most innovative event, we risk going
beyond the common sense of decency. We’re slowly
becoming like the skyscrapers that are crowding
our cities: everybody’s finding new things to raise
the top, forgetting about the uselessness of the
flagpole: the most important thing is to touch the
sky before your competitor.
cittadinapoli.com
We live in an era where standing out is a proof of our
existence. We know this reality since many years now, but
today, this will to make an impression seems exalted by the
infinite potential of new technologies. They changed our
way of being. Years ago, we used to wake up at the sound
of the alarm, with the smell of coffee and a newspaper.
We wanted to know what happened in the world, we were
hungry for information. Nowadays we wake up and Twitter
gives us in a few hashtags the main news, newspapers have
lost their purpose. Reading it the next day doesn’t matter
because now it’s more a detailed analysis of an event that
media transmitted in real time. News are always on TV,
on the web, on app, on video reporting website…images
come before the message. I show you something and then
I explain it to you. It’s all super-fast, immediate, live. Maybe
too much. Interpersonal communication happens via chat,
we get married and we divorce through a webcam, we
I don’t want to tell everyone, immediately, what I think of
this book, I want to savor it, read it again maybe, take note
of my favorite statements and make them mine. Then, only
after that, maybe I’ll share my thoughts with someone else,
maybe by a fireplace, with a glass of wine in my hand, with
my friends.
I want my life to be made of sensations, impressions, built
and experienced moments. I don’t want to live them because
I must share them afterward. I’d take a real smile over a “like”
on Facebook anytime.
F. Mezzo
51
Magazine di comunicazione, eventi, incentive, marketing.
Managing Editor
Publisher
SG Srl
P. IVA 09005800967
Offices and editorial staff
P.le Giulio Cesare, 14 - 20145 Milano
Tel: +39 02 83450000 - Fax: +39 02 83450150
[email protected]
Year 2 - Number SIX - May 2016
Aut. Tribunale MI nr. 140
Printer
Jona Srl
Via Enrico De Nicola, 2 A/B
20037 Paderno Dugnano (MI)
Fabrizio Mezzo
Editor in Chief
Silvia Arosio
Editors
Francesca Passoni
Mario Saccenti
Collaborators
Carlo Mangime
Giosuè Merini
Sabrina Beretta
Marco Sinolo
Serena Viola
Art Direction
Greta Tremolada
MarCom Division Sinergie Group
Sales, Promotion and Advertising Manager
Davide Verdesca
Went to press on 31th may 2016
l Crociere l Crociere in flottiglia l Noleggio con e senza Skipper l Crociere Luxury con equipaggio l Scuola vela l Corporate ed Eventi aziendali l Servizi per gli Armatori l
l Crociere l Crociere in flottiglia l Noleggio con e senza Skipper l Crociere Luxury con equipaggio l Scuola vela l Corporate ed Eventi aziendali l Servizi per gli Armatori l
www.mondovela.it
www.mondovela.it
Mondovela Yachting & Vacanze s.r.l. / Via Washington, 7 - 20146 Milano / Italy / Tel. +39 02.4819071 r.a. Fax +39 02.468369 / [email protected]
Mondovela Yachting & Vacanze s.r.l. / Via Washington, 7 - 20146 Milano / Italy / Tel. +39 02.4819071 r.a. Fax +39 02.468369 / [email protected]
LIVE COMMUNICATION
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INTERNATIONAL EVENTS