Ferenc van Damme Communication strategist | Crossmedia Communication | Gold Sabre Award winner

As communications strategist, digital producer and manager I (co-) produce internal and external crossmedia communication strategies and implementations; from plain old print to huge innovative, interactive participation projects for the general public.

I am project leader of the main publicity-, information- and participation campaign (Provincie Overijssel), which involves a host of media, including live webcasts in HD and large public awareness events. 

My current job adds a lot to my strategic sensitivity and skills in achieving communication innovation within a large, complex organisation, with a political board and internal and external stakeholders on many different levels.
 A challenge I am enjoying immensely. 

In 2012 we won a Gold Sabre Award for best campaign in the Benelux, as well as an OLON Cross Media Award with our innovative web platform, www.jijenoverijssel.nl.

Before working for the Provincie Overijssel I was Senior Producer at Opus Arte. I have produced and directed hundreds of commercially available -, and business-to-business multimedia projects, and directed and produced over a hundred cultural TV programmes, all recorded in High Definition since it first emerged in 1991, all over the globe.

Since I started working for Opus Arte in 2001, I have produced hundreds of innovative DVDs, digital cinema ‘broadcasts’, Blu-ray titles and TV programmes of the highest international standard, taking full responsibility for the logistical-, technical, – financial- and artistic supervision and overall project management.

Because of my background I was able to actively support the sales and marketing of products to a worldwide consumer market, as well as stimulating the design and operation of our website and other marketing tools, such as our catalogue, promotional videos and presentations.

I have been a key factor in making the company world market leader in its field, and in 2008 I produced the first live public broadcast of a full-length Western ballet (The Royal Ballet’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’) on Chinese national television (CCTV), reaching an audience of well over 400 million viewers.

As producer I have been nominated for 3 Grammy Awards and I have won many international awards, including the Gramophone Award, the MIDEM Classical Award, the Edison Award and the Diapason D’Or.

Ferenc was a dragon at the Dragons’ Den IJsseldelta about social innovation and the changing role of government.