Stories From Fireworks Factory

For the first half of 2013, Capulet has had a specific gathering on its mind.
June marked the first Fireworks Factory, an intimate conference for smart, senior digital marketers hosted just off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.

Participants gathered for three days and two nights to absorb, discuss and share their marketing work through a storytelling lens. Our goal and hope was that people left with a new professional community from which they could draw and a sense of nourishment from the food, setting, and music that was part of Fireworks Factory.

Just over 40 participants joined us this year with a speaker line-up that included CBC Spark host, Nora Young, charity: water digital director, Paull Young, Lee Lefever of Common Craft, Rob Cottingham of Social Signal and singer-songwriter-storyteller John Mann. The agenda included keynote presentations, an “Epic Fail” session and case studies all threaded together by a storytelling theme.

In among the Gulf Islands at the Galiano Inn and Driftwood Village, participants were active in tweeting and posting photos. We’ve captured some of that social media flotsam and jetsam in a Storify thread here.

We had a remarkable time with all of our participants, the discussions they nurtured, and the network that will continue for years to come. Take a look at what some of this year’s participants had to say about the gathering:

“This was a rare bird in my typical conference year: a small, intimate gathering where every speaker was keynote-calibre, the discussions were deep and the takeaways were truly thought-changing.” – Laura Authier, St. Michaels University School

“Finally a conference for marketers that recognizes that the true value of an event isn’t in the formal sessions but rather in creating the space for informal communities of practice and trust networks to form. And the formal sessions were great too!” – Elijah van der Giessen, TechSoup Global

“This was the first non-BS marketing conference I’ve ever gone to. Talk about intimate and interactive. Egos (if they existed) and titles were parked at the door and everyone [was] looking to share and learn from one another. Can’t wait until next year.” – Kenny Grant, Full Stack

“Fireworks Factory was the ultimate blend of intelligence, creativity, and inspiration. The people, the conversation, the location, everything worked together to create this completely unique experience.” – Ian Walker, Perch

We’ve set the dates for our 2014 event. If you’re interested in attending Fireworks Factory June 3 – 5, 2014, let us know.