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  1. BizBash Lists
  2. Brands & Event Pros

Event Innovators 2018: Piera Gelardi

Refinery29's creative director chats about the power of Instagram and the need for phone-free zones.

Michele Laufik
November 13, 2018

Piera Gelardi, executive creative director and co-founder, Refinery29

Background: Gelardi, 38, got her creative start at an indie magazine called City, starting as an intern and working her way up to photo director. It’s there where she learned the ins and outs of editorial, design, styling, photography, art direction, and production, and where she met Christene Barberich, Refinery29’s co-founder a.k.a. her “work wife.”

On the Success of 29Rooms: “The first event was during New York Fashion Week, which was always exclusive and a passive watching experience, and here we were with a free event, open to the public, that welcomed people in and allowed them to be a part of the worlds of fashion, art, and technology in a way that was participatory and fun,” she says. “Where you could put the clothes on, be the star of the show, touch the art. People were wowed by that.” 

On Using Instagram: “We were one of the first events to really harness the power of Instagram and visual culture in a way that fueled creativity and meaningful conversation. We saw that getting great photos was a social currency and something our audience really valued. In addition to the storytelling behind each room, we considered how participants could interact with each room and how the space could fuel their social content creation within our walls. We saw that really fuel creativity, with people creating music videos, doing fashion shoots, and even taking wedding photos in our space.”  

[PULLQUOTE]

29Rooms’ Impact on the Event Industry: “Overall, I think the biggest impact 29Rooms has had is on event design and considering the digital audience for physical events in a new way. For better or worse, a lot of people have taken inspiration from the visual and shareable nature of 29Rooms and that has birthed a whole new genre of Instagram-friendly playgrounds," as in the new class of selfie museums.  

“For us, the social sharing is an important aspect of the event but, as an editorial-driven company, storytelling has always been the root and we use our event to talk about a lot of timely topics—from voting to reproductive rights to mental health. As we see more photo-capture-driven spaces emerge, it motivates us to keep pushing the in-person experience, go deeper into narrative, and even integrate phone-free zones within our space.”  

What’s Been the Biggest Surprise? “I would say that the biggest—and very pleasant—surprise has been the openness and creativity of our audience and seeing how fully many of them embrace the experience. To see them dance, paint, stare a stranger in the eyes, write to their inner child, give a damn. It’s beautiful to have created a space that makes people shed their armor and discover new things about themselves and the world around them.” 

Follow Gelardi’s work on Instagram at @29rooms and @refinery29

Back to the Most Innovative People in Events and Meetings list.

“Getting 29Rooms launched was by far the biggest challenge,' Gelardi explains. 'It was really hard to get people to understand the concept, to get sponsors on board to help finance it, and to prove that people would come to an art warehouse party all the way in Greenpoint [Brooklyn] during New York Fashion Week.”
“Getting 29Rooms launched was by far the biggest challenge," Gelardi explains. "It was really hard to get people to understand the concept, to get sponsors on board to help finance it, and to prove that people would come to an art warehouse party all the way in Greenpoint [Brooklyn] during New York Fashion Week.”
Photo: Courtesy of Refinery29
“To create 29 different rooms with so many collaborators, brands, performers, and craftspeople is a lot of moving pieces always. It’s our complicated puzzle and we put a lot of thoughtful consideration into the meaning and alignment with our editorial. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves,' Gelardi explains. “Sometimes we groan ‘why did we have to do 29?!’” Refinery29 collaborated with the New York Mayor’s Office to create a full New York City-inspired newsstand called ‘The Values Stand’ for this year’s 29Rooms event.
“To create 29 different rooms with so many collaborators, brands, performers, and craftspeople is a lot of moving pieces always. It’s our complicated puzzle and we put a lot of thoughtful consideration into the meaning and alignment with our editorial. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves," Gelardi explains. “Sometimes we groan ‘why did we have to do 29?!’” Refinery29 collaborated with the New York Mayor’s Office to create a full New York City-inspired newsstand called ‘The Values Stand’ for this year’s 29Rooms event.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
In a collaborative and ongoing experience, performance artist Cocovan invited guests to “write a love letter to the world” as part of this year's 29Rooms.
In a collaborative and ongoing experience, performance artist Cocovan invited guests to “write a love letter to the world” as part of this year's 29Rooms.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
“Ace the Midterms' was created in collaboration with actress and activist Yara Shahidi and her eighteenx18 initiative and featured a high school-inspired look with lockers, bleachers, and voting booths.
“Ace the Midterms" was created in collaboration with actress and activist Yara Shahidi and her eighteenx18 initiative and featured a high school-inspired look with lockers, bleachers, and voting booths.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
“For us, the social sharing is an important aspect of the event but, as an editorial-driven company, storytelling has always been the root and we use our event to talk about a lot of timely topics—from voting to reproductive rights to mental health. As we see more photo-capture-driven spaces emerge, it motivates us to keep pushing the in-person experience, go deeper into narrative, and even integrate phone-free zones within our space.” Inside the A.C.L.U. room, guests spun a Price Is Right-style wheel to learn about civic rights. They could also flex their muscles by swinging a hammer at a carnival strength test.
“For us, the social sharing is an important aspect of the event but, as an editorial-driven company, storytelling has always been the root and we use our event to talk about a lot of timely topics—from voting to reproductive rights to mental health. As we see more photo-capture-driven spaces emerge, it motivates us to keep pushing the in-person experience, go deeper into narrative, and even integrate phone-free zones within our space.” Inside the A.C.L.U. room, guests spun a Price Is Right-style wheel to learn about civic rights. They could also flex their muscles by swinging a hammer at a carnival strength test.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
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