Dublin illustrator Bren Byrne, perhaps better known to those in the industry as Bren B, took time out of his hectic schedule to chat with MEG about his upcoming project OFFSET.
OFFSET is a gathering of creative minds and a chance to listen to some of the world’s best. An event created to bring together and inspire those with a love for good design. A mini TED if you will. The event was founded by Bren and fellow designers Peter O’Dwyer and Richard Seabrook. (Left to Right Peter O’Dwyer, Richard Seabrook and Bren Byrne)
OFFSET takes place from 09-11 March 2012. Click here for schedule information.
Congratulations on an amazing line-up, three events in a row. OFFSET seems to be gaining momentum in the industry – is there anything there for the casual design fan?
Thanks, we are constantly humbled by the reaction of the speakers we approach (all heroes of ours of course) who, almost all say “Yes Please!” and to our delegates, who from our feedback find it such an inspiring event. The wide variety of speakers make it attractive to the casual design fan and with our just released Day tickets its perfect for someone who wants to dip in for 1 day without the commitment of a weekend pass.
You mention on the site that folk have compared OFFSET with TED, I love this idea – the fact that something like this can originate and, dare I say, thrive in Ireland. What made you decide to do something at this scale?
We have been working together in various guises for nearly 10 years putting on one night presentation style events as well as exhibitions, magazines and many other things. We took a little break a few years ago and felt that when we came back we wanted to do something bigger, with a slightly different agenda and a greater ambition. The idea to run an international 3 day conference was always there but that was the initial focus of this new direction. Where it happens is in some ways irrelevant as we attract more and more international delegates but in other ways the appeal and personality of Dublin is vital to our success.
OFFSET’s three organisers are all creatives, living and working in Dublin. You have a great combination of industry experience and knowledge and no doubt very busy lives – how has this helped or hindered the organisation process?
Coming from different creative backgrounds and having different personal interests is hugely influential in the running of OFFSET especially in choosing the lineup every year but its the crossover of shared experiences that means we compliment each other well. It’s true are all extremely busy as Creative Directors outside of our work with OFFSET but this is down to our personalities, we love to work hard and push ourselves.
Is there a way for Irish creatives to get involved with OFFSET?
Part of the appeal for us is the opportunity for Irish creatives to share the stage with the international speakers, its very democratic and non-hierarchical. There is absolutely no positive discrimination, we choose Irish speakers who are on par with anything around the world but its great to put the spotlight on the creative scene here. In terms of the next generation we have space in our second room stage for creatives to get involved but the best way is to keep pushing yourself.
After taking a break in 2011, what changes can we expect from OFFSET 2012? Any future plans for the event?
Not having an OFFSET2011 was really just a scheduling issue when we decided to push the event by a few months so really we don’t feel there was a yearly break. In saying that we are aware that the excitement is building (as it it for us) due to those few months and we can guarantee that the inspiration will be bursting off the stage. In terms of the future, lets get OFFSET2012 out of the way first and then we can chat about where we see this event growing.
Trish Keenan
