Since a new event for graphic designers called CROP was originally announced in May, organizer Matt Dawson says response has been so overwhelmingly positive that what started out as a single day of speakers has grown into a two-day conference.
The response is testament to what Dawson says has been a monumental increase of local interest in graphic design in recent years. And he’s convinced there’s substantial talent in the Baton Rouge area to be developed.
“There are 16- and 17-year-old kids who know what they want to do right away, and they’re designing circles around other people,” Dawson tells Business Report in a feature from the current issue. “It’s really great to see such a passion and interest in the discipline itself. But there’s no other pride like Louisiana pride. My wife and I both graduated from LSU, and we wanted to provide a resource for designers in Louisiana and the surrounding areas as well.”
CROP, which is slated to take place April 14-15 in downtown Baton Rouge, will feature workshops, speakers, networking opportunities and more. Along with local professionals, there will also be presentations from some of the nation’s top designers from Portland, Atlanta and New Orleans, as well as Newport Beach, California, and Columbus and Augusta, Georgia.
AAF President Becky Sadler of Emprint/Moran Printing says CROP will provide a valuable networking opportunity for the region’s creative community.
“We bring everyone together to share ideas and engage with experts in the field,” Sadler says of AAF, whose members represent all aspects of the business, including public relations, marketing, digital media and graphic design professionals. “Having a conference within any aspect of our industry would only bring more of these opportunities.”
Richard Doubleday, an assistant professor of graphic design at the LSU School of Art, says CROP will also expose graphic design students to a side of the industry to which they previously had limited access.
“In the graphic design department we have a very active internship program, and many of our students are working throughout the campus and regionally, especially in Baton Rouge and New Orleans,” he says. “For our students who are hopefully attending CROP ’16, they will be immersed in a professional culture that is almost impossible to replicate here at LSU, recruiting them to stay in Baton Rouge and showcasing Louisiana’s creative community as they network with professionals.”
Read the full feature. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
