Gianfranco Chicco
I'm a London-based creative producer, strategist and writer connecting design, technology and craft.
I write The Craftsman Newsletter.
Social Media Week London
I served as Executive Director of Social Media Week London from 2013-2016, leading the 2014 and 2015 editions. (I was also the Conference Director of Social Media Week Milan for the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 editions.) Social Media Week operated as a prominent media platform and worldwide event with
Social Media Week Milan
I served as Conference Director of Social Media Week Milan for the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 editions, leading a team from digital agencies Hagakure and later Doing. Social Media Week (now part of Adage) was a prominent media platform and worldwide event with local presence across five continents: Europe,
Taking it slowly: why I love to send (paper) postcards
uring a recent lunch with a good friend who works as a digital strategist, I casually mentioned that I like to send postcards, to which she commented quite baffled “you still send postcards?”. My natural reply was “dozens, probably hundreds, of them each year”.
Why Conferences Should Have an Expiration Date
I’ve been involved in designing, marketing and managing events — mostly conferences in the management, technology, design and creative sectors — for more than ten years now, and I’ve come to the conclusion that conferences need to have an expiration date, like food. A sort of “best before dd/mm/
TEDxSilkRoad
TEDxSilkRoad was a one-day conference in Istanbul, Turkey, bringing together East and West to discuss global commerce, social innovation, future trends and storytelling. With 18 international speakers and 120 participants, it took place on 11 April 2012 at the Feriye auditorium, a historic 19th century Ottoman building on the Bosphorus
Red Innova
I served as Chief Operating Officer of Red Innova in Madrid, Spain for the 2011 edition, held on 15-16 June. Red Innova was the community on innovation, internet and entrepreneurship connecting Latin America with the world, bringing together influential entrepreneurs, developers, mentors, investors, executives and media to share projects, learn
Frontiers of Interaction
I served as Conference Director of Frontiers of Interaction in 2010, joining cofounders Leandro Agro' and Matteo Penzo to lead business strategy, transforming the event from a non-profit academic initiative into a for-profit company. Founded in 2005 to explore Interaction Design, Frontiers of Interaction rapidly established itself as Italy&
PICNIC Festival
I served as head of strategy, marketing, digital (new website development), print (catalogues), ticketing and partnerships for the 2009 and 2010 editions of the PICNIC Festival in Amsterdam. The international PICNIC Festival was a pioneering platform for innovation and creativity in technology, media and design, establishing Amsterdam as a global
World Business Forum
I served as Marketing Director & Business Manager of the Italian branch of HSM Group (now WOBI) based in Milan between 2003 and 2008. As the first employee in Italy, I managed the local office, coordinating activities with other countries. My responsibilities ranged from company startup operations—securing office space,
