Marielle Beek is the captain of two creative agencies in Haarlem, Netherlands focused on spatial projects and live events. She discusses the importance of storytelling and how to engage audiences by touching their hearts and minds so they love and live the story. She argues for combining the substantial world of museums with the connective world of live events to create meaningful stories and personal connections. As the leader of both creative agencies, she works with clients to understand their story and find the best way to tell it through experiences, exhibitions, events or a combination using real live contact.

1. Good evening to all of you. I am Marielle Beek. Captain of not one but two creative agencies based in Haarlem.
Perspekt, concept, design and real production of spatial projects. For example exhibitions for museums.
And since a year, I’m now also captain of East Side. Concepts and realisation of all kind of live events.
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2. Today I would like to talk about one of my passions: storytelling. Telling a story to an audience is one of the most rewarding
jobs. I’m looking for ‘the right way to do that’ for years now. Because just telling a story won’t get you there.
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3. I added a line to a well-known quote: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I will
understand.” I add: Touch my heart and mind and I will love and live your story.” So… How to get in touch with the
hearts and minds of our audience, so they will love and live the story? That is the big question.
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4. There is a change going on. It sounds a little like the words of the next American president, but it’s true.
Change is the only permanent thing. We want different things from life now then we wanted 10, 5 of even 2 years ago.
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5. 2 – 5 years ago, due to the crisis, all we wanted was to cuddle up and stay at home. Cocooning it was called. Now, we want
to meet people. Go out. Get in contact. Real live contact. The more internet and technology there is, the more we want a
good quality of real live contact with each other.
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6. One of those meaningful places to meet people. And get inspired. Is: the museum. Yes. Those old beautiful buildings stuffed
with paintings, pottery and other stuff, collected by rich white men over the centuries.
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7. These museums more and more look for different ways to connect with their audiences. Museum nights, parties, speak-out
evenings, readings, etc. All events where people actually get to meet other people.
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8. Sometimes, however, these museums forget they have the chance to tell their story during this real live event.
A party is not just a party. A reading is not just a reading.
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9. It’s a moment of unique commitment. Probably even with a group of people that normally would not visit your museum
for an exhibition.
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10. So why not seize the moment. Take control. Wrap your story in an live event. Give the audience what they came for,
a nice event. And so much more: your story.
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11. The other way around is the same. Events. Who has not visit them. Workshops, goodie bags, key-note speakers.
And at the end of the day you have collected so much information that you can’t even remember what to remember.
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12. Events should be fun, but also meaningful and inspiring. They should have a purpose. For example bringing co-workers
closer together. There should be a story there. Why are we here? What are we doing? And where are we going to as a
group?
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13. How great would it be to combine those two worlds? The substantial and contentful world of museums and the connective
world of live events. Together they could create the meaningful story and personal connections we all are looking for at this
moment in time.
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14. Fortunately, I was given this opportunity. I got a once in lifetime offer. To take on another company. An event-office.
East Side. I found the so needed and wanted live component, I missed in my line of work at Perspekt.
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15. When we meet with new clients now, I ask them what their story is. What is their drive?
What do they want to tell their audience?
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16. Then we take it from there. What is the best strategy to be meaningfull and in contact with the hearts and minds of your
audience? How will you reach your audience with your story? We don’t know that answer beforehand.
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17. This is what we call ‘middelenvrij denken’. Loosely translated as ‘thinking without means’. Because it is not about the
technology or a mean. It is about why you want to tell a certain story. Together with the client, we need to look what is
the best way to tell that story. The story could be translated in an event, an experience, a campaign, an activation, an
exhibition, online and offline. Or it is a combination of all the above. We believe in those combinations.
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18. So, remember. Choose the best way for the given situation. Find people around you who start with your story and think
‘middelenvrij’. First you have to know the story. Then you look for the best way to tell it. And: look for real live contact to tell
that story. That will give the highest score.
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19. At this moment, this is the way your story will touch the hearts and minds of your audience.
And they will love and live your story.
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20. Thank you for your time.
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