"The Power of the Flow: Emotional Intelligence vs Artificial Intelligence" was the Creativity Day 2024 theme, taking place on April 1st, at Spaces Unirii, the hype-cocoon downtown for all digital nomads in search of a safe-haven for work.

Culinary jokes on April Fools' Day

As usual, at #TheAlternativeSchool’s events,  a handcrafted menu declining the theme, was in order: salty Madeleines for Proust’ awe or Alice in Wonderland cakesicles, anyone ? This time, the authors of the flavors’ extravaganza were Denisa Scripcariu @BerryO, signing the sweets menu and Oana Ozdemiroglu @Crafted: Food / Stories for the salty one, upon Tedi Migdalovici mirthful play-with-the-palate plan. And forget about the regular Cuba Libres, Hugos and Margaritas. For the first time ever, exquisite cocktails inspired by Aqua Carpatica’s Flavours rounded up the experience, in the key of Zaza & friends, our bartenders with imagination gone wild. Should we mention the rosé for the occasion was Alai, to be read Al_AI for the sake of the event’s highly debatable topic ?

The power of the flow

As Madalin Dragnea, the highly appraised animator & Creative Director, was homesick with Covid - remember, it was April first, all right, and the universe had its way of joking as well - the evening unfurled its curtains with the host’s unexpected presentation.

Tedi Migdalovici, the school’s founder, delivered a talk on Emotional Intelligence vs Artificial Intelligence, documented with internationally awarded case-studies, betting on a common goal: experiences that put people in a state of flow. Humor, unleashing the power of the inner child, expansion & genuine deep connection at mass scale, recalling why gamevertising became such a buzzword at this school’s module, were the keywords of the moment. Both EQ and AI have the power to compress time or make it irrelevant. In a life-frame where most of the people have a fight or flight response to zillion tasks piling up and as much triggering temptations aiming at their attention, don’t you think marcom should consider that angle ?  

Immersive experiences: escaping the dictatorship of time

Oana Ispir, the White Raven awarded illustrator, demonstrated the power of emotion through visual statements to create immersive experiences - defined in the opening presentation as flow, grace-related state, thus helping people escape time's dictatorship. What tango and lithography had in common in Oana’s becoming journey as cherished creator, why the labor behind a visual statement matters, how well written stories set the rightful mood for their visual translation, how whimsical, humor and a glimpse of magical vibes can erupt in commercial illustrations, to bring, at last, some Vitamine D for the quality-longing sophisticated consumer served, all, as long applauded highlights. 

Craft your edge

Venturing deeper, Razvan Ghilencea, former Young Lions Digital Gold winner & founder of Ayz & Hendz, shared with participants aiming for the Young Lions competition how to win a lions in 24h. Here's a handful of insider secrets: “Step 1: Know your goal / Step 2: Find the edge / Go beyond the brief Step 3: Make your point like no one else in the Palais.”

The emperor is naked. Now what ?

The evening effervescently bowed out with Dinu Panescu, The Circus’ founder, Titanium winner, and former Cannes jury member. He spoke about how to win beyond the Lions, in the game of life (and advertising), exploring it through both lucid & fun lenses and a constant interest for unskippable quality. Some cut-the-bullshit comments on God syndrome some Clients & Creatives tend to acquire whilst working in marcom pigmented the talk.  

And ? …How was it ? 

The whole shebang echoed nicely within the eclectic audience - around 80 people from the business, gaming, advertising, PR, social media, architecture and design communities, with a soft spot for innovation, quality and uplifting experiences.

Some of the impressions shared by the participants in the aftermath of Creativity Day, below:

"If you're a client or a creative looking to expand your horizons and delve into the realm of innovation, there's no better place to be than at Creativity Day 2025. This annual event is not just another run-of-the-mill gathering; it's a catalyst for unleashing your creative potential. From workshops led by industry experts to thought-provoking discussions, Creativity Day offers a plethora of opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with like-minded individuals." Mihaela Trandafir @Tribal Worldwide "

If you want real insights in a domain full of plastic quotes, please do stop by!" Ana Maria Dumitru, @WeChange Association | "You should come to Creativity Day to expand your perspectives - to find out what catches on - but more importantly, why it catches on." Carmela Stanciu @McCann |"Dream big and make your dream come true!" Maria Hodor. illustrator.

 "Creativity Day breaks barriers between generations by erasing the need for a hierarchy based on years of work experience. Here you will find discussions purely about creativity and ideas, where everyone's input is precious, no matter their age or achievements." Irina Blansek @Tribal Worldwide

Sanziana Vladutu, The Script: “I am impressed by the quality of the speakers, the content consistency, the number of countries involved, the opportunities and…should we mention - the outcome versus the price ? Creativity Day and the associated intensive training Module It’s an unmissable experience for every professional of this industry that’s deeply passionate.”

The evening was handsomely supported by Aqua Carpatica, Phoenix, BerryO, Crafted: food / story and Spaces.

To be continued -)