Podge Lunches-Creative Directors Network

Podge Lunches-Creative Directors Network

Podge Lunches-Creative Directors Network

Podge Lunches-Creatives Network
 The first Podge Lunch took place in the private room of Quaglino’s back  in 1994 and will be celebrating it’s 20th anniversary in 2014. What started off as a one-off get-together for thirty leaders in the world of design seemed to tick a huge box for all the guests. They were only used to seeing their rivals when competing for design awards or pitching against them, to enjoy a long (very long) lunch and share information with them was unheard of and they were all surprised how much they enjoyed the unique experience.  Some lifetime friendships were made that day and many more in the years that followed (including two weddings and five children). The guests at that first lunch all asked me if I would keep it going and get them together again and the annual podge lunch was born.
1994 was of course in the pre-digital era that was to transform the design industry and in 2003 I was asked if I would set up a similar gathering for leaders in the digital community. 11 years on The Nash Room at the Institute of Directors was the venue for this year’s gathering of the great and the good from the digital world. Digital Podge saw 250 of the UK’s most senior people get together and sample some of IoD chef Roger Evans great food. 
One thing that has remained constant throughout the two decades is that a creative in the room has to volunteer to create the design and theme of the following year’s lunch and the  theme this year was REALTIME and six screens around the venue were constantly being updated throughout the lunch with live twitter feeds  being created by people in the room (#digitalpodge) as well as a Getty Live Feed and a host of great moustaches from guests using the Nokia Movember app. Big Data specialists Corethree were co-ordinating all the technology on show, Weapon7 did the design and everyone in the room got into the spirit.
And speaking of spirit, the bar bill came in at over £10k so those digital folk certainly know how to enjoy themselves. I think the total bill in 1994 came it at under £2,000 including the food.
Sports Podge came onto the scene 8 years ago and 2013’s rugby theme will be replaced by the Commonwealth Games theme in 2014. The Café Royal has agreed to play host to the very first Music Podge in the summer of 2014 which should be another fun gathering of great people.
www.philjones.co.ukwww.podgelunch.comwww.digitalpodge.co.ukwww.sportspo…
Photographs by Christine Donnier Valentin