Photo: Courtesy of Seán Doyle
How he got his start: "I have a lot of passions that could have taken me in a multitude of directions," Doyle says, noting that he was always drawn to both storytelling and design, and grew up with a family that ran small hospitality businesses.
"I considered every career choice from journalism to set design or even starting my own art-inspired retreat. For me, creating unique brand experiences that make people feel something and also tie back to business objectives is the perfect combination of my passions."
Doyle kicked off his career at a small boutique agency in London, where he gained experience in everything from location scouting to business development to strategy, design, production, and even accounting. From there, he moved to a larger agency and worked on "everything from car launches to fashion shows, international incentive programs to experiential stunts," he says, for brands like Virgin, Slack, PlayStation, Jaguar, and Facebook.
"I really got to understand how events can be the springboard for building real brand advocacy and, when measured properly, have a tangible impact on a company’s bottom line," he explains. "I went on to sit on the board of directors at Clive Agency, led the creative services and strategy teams, rebranded the agency twice, launched new divisions and offices in Europe and the U.S., and oversaw a team of around 50."
Fast forward to 2019, and Doyle found himself hungry for a new challenge. While taking a break to travel, he noticed a post from Pinterest about its recent Cannes Lions activation.
"They’d worked with one of my favorite artists at the time, Yinka Illori, to create what looked like a really visual, super-engaging activation bringing to life the mindsets of Pinterest users. From what I could tell, it looked so different from what other brands were doing at the festival, and I was hearing things from industry peers about how it had made them really reconsider their use of Pinterest," he says. "I showed a video of the activation to a travel buddy to try and explain the kind of work I love doing, and I remember him saying to me, 'There you are, I think you found the company you actually want to work for.'"
When Doyle returned from his travels, Pinterest was accelerating its growth in Europe and had recently posted an experiential role. "I started just a few months before the pandemic, so it was an interesting couple of years of pivoting, getting creative, and re-learning how our industry thinks and creates," he remembers. "We created some hugely successful digital events with a pretty lean but ambitious team, and the restraints actually pushed us creatively; I think we did some of our best work in the last 12 months—including our most recent activation at Cannes Lions."
He adds, "I feel so lucky to work for a business that really values the power of real-life experiences and storytelling. ... It's a pretty epic brief to bring to life the world’s inspiration company, especially at a time when people are starting to rebuild themselves and their lives."
What innovation means to him: "For me, innovation isn’t just about creating shiny new things," Doyle explains. "We can get obsessed with newness, especially within tech. I love to see brands and creators look around, observe what everyone else is doing, and find ways to do things differently."
Doyle also sees innovation in the way companies set their policies, the way they treat customers, the stances they take, and the partnerships they pursue. "I think there’s so much opportunity, especially for challenger brands to shake whole industries up and innovate by just doing things differently. ... Staying innovative and forward-thinking is non-negotiable. It’s a competitive world for audience attention, and for talent. Those that continue to push boundaries and do things differently are the ones that will see the most success."
How he stays inspired: Doyle finds inspiration from travel, art, architecture, fashion, and film. "I also think it’s particularly important to push yourself outside your comfort zone—connect with people who don't necessarily all look like you or have the same background as you, try new things, and discover other points of view," he suggests. "When I need a break and some visual inspiration, my go-to places are (unsurprisingly) Pinterest, or I’ll visit an art gallery or explore a food market."
Career highlights: "The thing I love about the experiential industry is that it’s ever-changing. I've had so many highlights, like traveling to unexpected places and working with creators from different disciplines to keep things fresh."
Since joining Pinterest, though, there are a couple experiences that really stand out to Doyle—including partnering with Sinéad Burke from Tilting the Lens and D.I.C.E (Charter for Diversity & Inclusion in Conferences & Events) for the brand's Pinterest Presents virtual summit in 2021, which included sign language, closed captions, and accessible design. "Social media was alight with praise from people who told us this was the first time they’d felt truly seen or considered at an industry event, and I’ve had numerous industry colleagues tell me that our events inspire them to create more accessible events," he says.
Doyle also cites a more recent project: Pinterest's activation at Cannes Lions in late June. "We wanted to do something different than everyone else ... We wanted to bring inspiration back to the Croisette, empower people to focus on themselves, and escape the saboteurs that stop them from creating," he explains. "So we showed up with a point of view. We created an immersive entrance that brought to life the distractions that people face in their everyday lives and on the internet, then we welcomed them into an oasis that literally brought to life everything that’s different about Pinterest." 
At the Cannes Lions activation, "people got to push their personal style with activations inspired by Pinterest trends, like getting a bejeweled up-do, mermaid hair extensions, ocean-inspired nail art, neon makeup, and even real tattoos," Doyle says. "We also had incredible creators hosting creative workshops like screen printing, mindful drawing, and customizing your own sneakers."Photo: Courtesy of Pinterest
His favorite thing about the event industry: "The creativity, the passion, and the opportunity to really change behaviors. You get to go really deep in terms of creating brand love and creating memories, because people remember how experiences make them feel," Doyle says.
"But most of all, I love the fact that we get a front-row seat to how our work is consumed and received by our audiences. That moment when you see your audience’s reaction, see your work pay off, and if you need to, make in-the-moment changes to make things even better—there aren’t many forms of marketing that allow you that pleasure."
This feature is sponsored by Hubilo, a leading virtual and hybrid event platform built to drive engagement, with clients including Deloitte, Coca-Cola, Amazon Web Services, and more.
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