Five questions for Matthijs Menses

Matthijs Menses (27) is an enthusiastic alumnus of the Media Future Week. Matthijs studied Communication and Multimedia at the Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden (NHL). After hearing how inspiring MFW was, he decided to take part in the event in 2012. He had such a positive experience, that he joined us the following year as an alumnus, and then again 2014, this time as an event reporter. Needless to say, Matthijs has a lot of MFW-experience! We asked Matthijs five questions about his MFW experience.

What experience and/or knowledge did you gain from Media Future Week?
I really enjoyed teaming up with people I didn’t know and to get together and focus on a subject. After a few hours you already know who can do what best and with that knowledge you create a good functioning team. If you got a team that works well together you catch momentum and create something great in just a few days.

What one activity or experience did you enjoy so much at MFW12, that if you had the chance, you would do again?
The Pecha Kucha presentations. I enjoyed it because you really have to focus on the content of your presentation. It was a great challenge and I think a lot of people enjoyed getting challenged this way. I like to do it again, so I won’t fail as hard as the first time.

What are your two ‘do’s and don’ts’ of MFW?
Do’s:
1. Try to chat with the speakers after their presentation, even if it’s only for 5 minutes.     Sometimes they motivate or inspire you more during that chat than during their whole presentation.
2. Get some time for recapping; take a walk, sit in a quiet place. During the week there   are a lot of impulses, it’s okay to go with that flow. But it’s never bad to have a moment to yourself.

Don’t:
1. Argue too much with your team. It’s okay to have an opinion, but keep in mind you all have the same goal. Sometimes you just have to let go of something you wanted. It is for the best in some scenarios.
2. Stay in your comfort zone. It’s easy to connect with the people you already know, Step out of your comfort zone and connect with people you don’t know yet. Just talk and have a good time, it doesn’t always have to be about business/networking.

What would you say is the best way to prepare for MWF?
Get some good nights sleep before the event. The rest is taken care of.

How would you sum up Media Future Week in one word?
Bananas