All creative industries share a similar challenge: the constant need for innovation.
The events industry and the fashion industry share a lot of common philosophies. After all, as Alexandra Attias Mayer, the Head of U.S. Production at Richard Attias & Associates (RA&A), says, “Fashion is experience.”
“Fashion has always been about what’s new and pushing the envelope. But just because something at an event is new — and even very memorable and creative — doesn’t mean that it’s innovation,” says Alexandra. “Innovation really has to change how things are done, leave a lasting impact in the industry.”
Richard Attias & Associates: Empowering Clients to Inspire Through Live Experiences
At Fashinnovation’s 8th WorldWideTalks, Alexandra Attias Mayer shared her insights about innovation on stage during the fireside chat “Fashion is Experience” with Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins of Business Insider.
“No single event of ours ever looks the same,” said Alexandra. Many of the live experiences that RA&A organizes become recurring events like Fashion Futures or the PRIORITY Global Summit, but each edition has a completely different look and feel. “People want exclusivity, something unique. Innovation is a core part of our DNA.”
Just like in fashion, there’s no point in creating something new for an event just for the sake of it. Therefore, innovation goes beyond what is simply new and creative – there has to be purpose and vision.
“At Richard Attias & Associates, we never want to do something new just for the sake of it. We look back to see what works, and then we look forward to seeing how we can improve upon it for the next time in a way that will achieve our client’s goals through memorable live experiences ,” explains Alexandra Attias Mayer.
How RA&A Adapted Influential Live Events During the Pandemic
True innovation makes both a short-term and long-term impact.
Alexandra reflected on how, during the Covid pandemic, she transformed NYC’s Rainbow Room in NYC to become a broadcast TV studio so that some of the world’s leading CEOs could participate remotely in the Future Investment Initiative. Through incredible XR technology, the speaker’s images were integrated into immersive, futuristic sets on the main stage in Riyadh.
“Richard Attias & Associates found a way to bring the virtual speakers onto the stage, and to give the speakers and the audience the feeling that these speakers were really a part of the physical experience,” explains Alexandra.
Richard Attias & Associates also created virtual platforms for Fashion Futures (in a multi-hub format with TV studios in NYC, Paris and Riyadh), and made history with the first virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2020.
“Covid forced us to be more creative – and you can still see that many elements have stayed, as many conferences are offering virtual and hybrid options. And that’s great because, even though thankfully the borders have reopened, sometimes people have their own reasons for why they can’t travel. But with virtual, you don’t get the same networking opportunities.”
8th Worldwide Talks With RA&A
On February 7th & 8th, we had the pleasure of hosting the 8th Worldwide Talks in partnership with The Canvas. The event returned as a hybrid model with a physical summit in NYC and a digital summit with speakers across the globe. The event is on-demand on our Youtube Channel. You can watch it anytime by clicking here.
More about RA&A
RA&A is a global strategic communication firm founded by Richard Attias, a leading expert in executing high-impact live experiences, curating influential platforms, and creating unique content. Founded in 2008, the firm has grown to an international team of more than 120 across offices in New York, Paris, Riyadh, Dubai, Dakar, and Beijing.
Renowned for its ability to bring together diverse stakeholders from business, government, and civil society to engage in dialogue on critical issues, Richard Attias & Associates builds platforms that are instrumental in fostering economic growth, innovation, and greater cooperation – across all sectors, including fashion.
If you like this article, make sure to read this one: Fashinnovation 8th Worldwide Talks: A 2-day Hybrid Inspiring Event & A Partnership With The Canvas. The event received incredible speakers who were able to enrich the minds of the audience from all over the world. On the 7th and 8th, the panels were proper lessons about the fashion industry.
