Gravity
1. The force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth.
2. Heaviness or weight.
3. Serious or critical nature.

I thought I would put the definition of gravity out there before I talk about Gravity Free — the meeting of creative professionals that took place May 12-14 in Chicago. This Exhibitor Magazine event brought together creative professionals from a wide range of industries and backgrounds. What struck me the most about the post-meeting comments from MC² designers was how they align with the definitions above. In the B2B or the B2C worlds, the need for creativity is now more important than ever. But the forces that hold this energy down — deadlines, budgets, ego, brand guidelines — are a reality that our designers face every day.

So there is a balance that all creative designers need to be able to perform – on one side there are the soaring, never imagined fresh ideas that answer all the clients’ needs, and then there are the realities of day to day business processes.

That is what this conference was about. This was a coming together of many highly creative artists, designers, writers, animators, architects, film makers, and thinkers. Professionals from divergent industries and backgrounds with the intent to spend a few days free of corporate gravity, sharing their ideas, stories, processes.

It has been proven by NASA that chemical reactions in zero gravity yield much purer results than here on earth. A similar reaction took place at Gravity Free. The ability to mingle with a film-title designer or a Disney animator or an architect designing inflatable moon bases gave rise to unique conversations and insight into the creative process in other domains.

There were formal presentations made that highlighted individual projects and personalities. These were followed by round table discussions that gave everyone the ability to meet and talk closely to the presenters. There were many discussions regarding process and day-to-day challenges.

It was interesting to see that while the creative process can be so different in so many ways, the corporate process is remarkably similar with deadlines, budgets, problem solving, committees, and the like.

As one of our designers put it, "It was a conference that forces us as designers to really focus and think about how and why we are doing the things we do. Ask ourselves...does it mean anything? Are we contributing to this world and changing culture?" That’s a far cry from "I can whip up a 50x50 booth design in 15 minutes if I had to" response.

I was thrilled to know that all of the MC² designers that attended Gravity Free were allowed to 'space walk' for a couple of days – and get to know how others in their domain work and flourish. I’m sure the interactions that took place at Gravity Free stimulated our designers and creatives and will be reflected in our work for a long time to come.

Check it out for yourself at http://www.exhibitoronline.com/gravityfree/2008.asp