Microsoft at Bett 2020

Agency: Client: Microsoft

When Microsoft found out that one in six British children feels unhappy at school and that 43,000 teachers quit the profession in the UK in 2018, they knew that radical change was needed. They also knew that they could help inspire and facilitate such change.

Inspired by the concept of Joy Economics, Microsoft’s ‘Permission to Play’ project aims to improve student and teacher outcomes by using happiness as a motivating principle of achievement.

To prove Joy Economics works, we brought Microsoft’s Permission to Play experience to the largest ed:tech event in the UK, Bett2020 - bringing joy to teachers, school leaders and IT decision-makers. Where B2B has a reputation for being bamboozling and boring, Permission to Play makes enjoyment and fun central to learning and therefore central to the experience on the day.

Through a series of kinaesthetic games using cutting-edge technology across VR, 3D and 2D on Microsoft devices, we stood out from the crowd at Bett2020 by inviting visitors to embrace play in an interactive environment of joyful learning. We brought to life the ways in which education can be future-proofed through technology and alternative approaches to teaching and learning - surprising, delighting and inspiring our audience in the process.

Results at a glance:

•30K Attendees

•Number 1 Most Visited Bett2020 Stand

•Microsoft Off-Show-Floor Sales Engagements +40% (versus 2019)

•954 ‘Quiz on the Court’ participants