We caught up with Marissa Lewis-Peart, winner of the Bristol Media Ben Martin Apprentice Award, two months after her trip to SXSW in Austin, Texas to find out more about her experiences of the festival. Read on to hear Marissa’s story and how she ended up at the world’s largest annual celebration of the interactive industries.

“During Easter 2018 I attended a two-week placement at Epoch Design, after presenting a leave behind in the form of a personalised water bottle label to the CEO at a 3rd year university talk. Later that year, one of the managers told me about the Ben Martin Apprentice Award opportunity and encouraged me to apply for it. I was asked to submit a short video and/or 500 word paragraph about my design strengths. After speaking with studio staff from Epoch, one of them asked me what my ‘why’ was which prompted me to spend the next couple of weeks filming and editing a 40 second video about why I wake up every morning excited to design. One face-to-face interview and a few weeks later, I was announced as the 2019 Ben Martin Apprentice Winner! As part of the opportunity I was able to attend the world’s largest Tech, Media, Music and Film conference festival: SXSW 2019 in Austin, Texas.

My first day at SXSW was International Women’s Day and so it was only right to begin the day with a women’s led panel talk about how adaptive design is transforming brands. The physical ability and racially diverse panel of four women spoke about how brands are becoming more inclusive to cater to all audiences and the possible downsides such as diversity being a ‘trend’ rather than a genuine brand value. I attended 4 more conferences throughout my first day ranging from a Black Women in Tech conference through to a talk by author Laura Otting about Becoming Limitless – How to Live Your Best Life.

That evening I attended the IPA welcome drinks at a local hotel with Chris Thurling, Chair of Bristol Media and my mentor, and a couple of others where I had the chance to network with many people who are established in their industries. By the end of the day, I was shattered!

I attended many more talks over the course of the next few days however one that stood out to me was ‘An Ad Guy and a Psychologist Walk Into an Ad Agency’ where an ad guy and a psychologist deconstructed a few of the most iconic TV advertisements and explained why they were so successful through behaviour economics. I found it really interesting to see how psychology can have a real impact on how an audience engages with creative media and how I can introduce some of the tactics in my own work. Later that day, Chris introduced me to Ann Hiatt who worked in executive positions for both Amazon and Google for 15 years at her talk; Grit, Reinvention & Pivoting for Success, which was inspiring as she spoke about how she grew to end up in her executive positions. On the final evening at SXSW, Ann hosted an open invite dinner where attendees who work in the tech, media, music or film industries could network and build connections, which was interesting as everyone had such diverse experiences.

“Having this experience and the support has really helped me to feel more confident in getting ready to start my career.”

There were a few pop up buildings scattered around the local area from brands such as Amazon, Sony, Samsung, LG, Snapchat and Twitter, where I could get interactive with their latest tech prototypes like robots and sensory gaming as well as network or listen to smaller talks. As a graphic design student I’m aware of how artificial intelligence and augmented reality are changing how brands communicate with consumers however, before this trip I was feeling confused as to how I can harness this new technology and take my work to the next level. Having the chance to play around with new tech helped to open my eyes to the possibilities and I ended up including augmented reality in a D&AD submission back at university.

Aside from the overall SXSW experience and opportunities to network being huge highlights within themselves, a smaller highlight of SXSW19 was seeing one of my favourite rappers, A$AP Rocky, talking about ‘Using Design Differently to Make a Difference’ with the Chief Design Officer of Mercedes Benz. As A$AP Rocky is an artist and general creative that I’ve loved for both his music and style for years, it was exciting to see him on stage and for once not rapping but talking about something that I’m also passionate about; design.

Thank you to the companies and organisations that came together to give me this opportunity, I’ve learnt so much and now have a clearer vision of the direction I would like to take my career in. As I’m currently completing my final months at university, having this experience and the support has really helped me to feel more confident in getting ready to start my career.”

Tickets for SXSW2020 go on sale 1st August 2019. If you’d like to find out more about joining Chris Thurling and the Bristol & Bath delegation at next year’s event, please email: [email protected]

Read on for more highlights from SXSW >>>

Bristol Media’s Chair, Chris Thurling, has just arrived back from Austin, Texas where he’s been attending SXSW 2019 – the world’s largest annual celebration of the interactive industries. On Tuesday 19 March, Chris will be joined by Ann Hiatt (former Amazon and Google Chief of Staff, SXSW speaker and one of our Keynote speakers last year) for a ‘hot off the press’ lunchtime digest to share their highlights and latest trends emerging from this year’s festival.

Following the 40-minute talk, there’ll be an opportunity to ask questions in a 20-minute Q&A.

The talk starts at 12.30pm on Tuesday 19th March at Zone, The Brew House, Tower Hill, Bristol BS2 0EQ. There’s a small fee of £10+VAT for Bristol Media members (£15+VAT for non-members), light refreshments will be provided.

We have very few places remaining for the talk so book now!

Today is International Women’s Day, an annual day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women all over the world. To raise awareness against gender-based bias, the theme this year is #BalanceforBetter.

While it may seem like a balanced world at times, with female prime ministers and CEO’s, the truth is women are often under-represented in business and their achievements can go unnoticed. At Bristol Media, we recognise the integral work women do within the creative industries in Bristol and feel it is important to celebrate and show our support. Fortunately for us, we have some inspiring women on our board of directors who want to highlight what International Women’s Day means to them.

“If there’s one thing I want women on this day to do, it’s apply for that job.”

For Kate Gorringe, Bristol Media Director and Creative Director at Mr B & Friends it’s about raising women up in opportunity and confidence to achieve the success they deserve:

“Not long ago I met a design director who quizzed me on how to make the leap from senior creative to creative director. I was taken aback that the more I talked to her about ‘putting yourself out there,’ the more she tried to talk herself out of it – ‘What if I can’t do the job?’ This just throws a spotlight on how we habitually doubt our own abilities. Thing is, she almost certainly can do the job already, she’s probably been doing it for years, but she’s shrinking back when we know the guys are pushing themselves forward, even if they’re less experienced.

“If there’s one thing I want women on this day to do, it’s apply for that job. You won’t be able to do everything on the job spec, you won’t get every question right in the interview – but guess what, neither will the men. Let’s redress the imbalance – apply for that job, we are all routing for you.”

“Making gender balance a matter of fact rather than a matter of ambition must be the goal.” 

Roberta Fuke, Bristol Media Director and CEO of Speed Communications adds: “Balance in all things just makes sense. And gender balance in business makes perfect sense. So why are women so under-represented and under-rewarded so often? Empowering, encouraging and enabling women to both effectively contribute to and benefit from their contributions, is not only good business practice, but critical to shaping a balanced and better world. Making gender balance a matter of fact rather than a matter of ambition must be the goal. I’m delighted to support #IWD2019 and #BalanceforBetter.”

“I take responsibility in my role as a mum and a woman in helping (my son) experience balance.” 

Lis Anderson, Bristol Media Board Director and Director of AMBITIOUS PR: “Promoting gender balance in our business is something that we discuss openly and importantly act upon. The industry is changing, and we support that. At home, one of the challenges / opportunities I think about often is being a mother of a young son. I will never know what it’s like to walk in his shoes, as he’ll never understand what it’s like to walk in mine, but I take responsibility in my role as mum and a woman in helping him experience balance and hopefully playing some role in equipping him for his future.”

“I pledge to celebrate women’s achievements.”

It’s not just the females on the board who are working towards achieving a better balance. Chris Thurling, Bristol Media Chair and Executive Chairman of Armadillo CRM, says “I have two daughters and don’t like the idea of them experiencing a gender-biased society. Women need to have the same opportunities as their male counterparts and I will support them at every step, so I pledge to celebrate women’s achievements, not just on International Women’s Day but in the future, too.”

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? Are you or your business promoting a balanced workplace? If so, we’d love to hear how! Connect with us on Twitter @Bristol_Media.

[Image: Roberta Fuke (top left), Kate Gorringe, Chris Thurling (bottom left) and Paul Appleby, Directors of Bristol Media]

According to Business West’s Business Skills and Training Survey 2017, 64.9% of businesses in the West of England have never hired an apprentice, with lack of time cited as the main reason.

Yet with 96% of companies who take on an apprentice reporting benefits to their business (National Apprenticeship Service), organisations who do not consider this option when hiring or developing staff could be missing out.

Read on to find out more about some of the key benefits to employers of hiring an apprentice:

Increased Productivity

An astonishing 72% of businesses report improved productivity as a result of employing an apprentice, according to the National Apprenticeship Service. Having an extra pair of hands on the team means more tasks can get completed and you may even have time to explore projects or carry out research that you would not have previously been able to do. Although there can be time spent assisting an apprentice, the increased overall productivity can outweigh this.

Increased Revenue

On the back of this, increased productivity usually means an upturn in revenue and profit. The National Apprenticeship Service claims that the average person completing an apprenticeship increases productivity by £214 per week, so what’s not to like about that?

Lower Staff Turnover

Apprentices are often loyal to the company in which they gained their training and qualifications, with The National Apprenticeship Service reporting that 71% stay with the same employers once they finish their apprenticeship. They recognise that you have invested time and money into training them up in a particular skill, and at the same time will feel integrated into your organisation so will repay that with loyalty, resulting in a lower staff turnover and in turn, less money spent on recruitment.

Fix Skills Gaps

Taking on an apprentice within your company means that you can teach them the specific skills you need as a business. Working with a training provider, you can also use apprenticeships to upskill your existing staff where you feel it is needed most, so whilst technology advances and different skills are needed, you can protect your company from skills gaps that could have a negative impact in the long run.

Revitalise Your Business

Apprentices often come into an organisation with a fresh perspective, as well as bags of enthusiasm and energy. This can have a positive effect on your existing staff too, who may enjoy having someone with new ideas join the team.  A positive workforce are more likely to perform better as well, so really it’s a win-win for you.

Build Your Brand

Apprenticeships are big news and are becoming a more popular recruitment method across all industries. Any organisation that has an apprenticeship scheme is likely to be seen as a business that is forward thinking and likes to invest in their staff, and that is attractive to anyone, whether they’re looking for a new role, or great company to work.

Apprenticeships can benefit any size of business, whether you’re a large corporate, SME or start up. Need more advice and information on where to start? Why not get in touch with the Skills Team at Business West who can let you know the best next steps to take. You can email them or call 0330 124 4446.

On March 14th, Design/Build/Market is bringing together a panel of startup experts to discuss the most effective ways to build and launch an app.

The quarterly D/B/M event promotes collaboration between founders, designers, developers and marketers to devise better solutions in the tech industry. It’s run by CookiesHQ, an agency that turns innovative ideas into digital products.

Past events have focused on topics such as social media, VR and web performance – this D/B/M will feature specialists from the Bristol tech community tackling questions about research, development, release and everything in between.

The speakers will be TechSPARK’s Ben Shorrock, founder of Yena Ash Phillips, angel investor David Harris, technical director of CookiesHQ Nic Alpi, and a representative from startup hub We Are Growth. The event will be chaired by Briony Phillips, Associate Director and Scale-up Enabler at Engine Shed.

The CookiesHQ team will be giving away tips, tricks and insider knowledge – plus running a competition for aspiring founders to win a free discovery workshop.

Design/Build/Market: Building and Launching an App takes place on the 14th March, 6.30-9.30pm at Engine Shed, Bristol. It’s open to founders, developers, creatives, business owners, students – or anyone who’s curious.

Places are limited, so book your place now.