Loeries Week found its heart at IDIDTHAT HOUSE

For two unforgettable days, IDIDTHAT HOUSE turned into the ultimate hangout space at Loeries Fringe. Production companies, agencies, and brands came together to talk shop, eat toasties, share drinks, and dance it all out.

Julie Maunder, founder of IDIDTHAT.co, says, “IDIDTHAT HOUSE wasn’t just about the panels or the parties, it was always about the people. We wanted to create a space where everyone who makes this industry tick could hang out, connect, and remember why we actually love doing this. The energy, the laughter, the dancing was everything I hoped for and then some. We’re already dreaming up next year.”

To our brand champions and the incredible teams they brought with them, Tebogo and Kensi from Nedbank, Star from Spotify, Andrea from Heineken, Grant from KFC, Bridget from VW, Hylton from 99c, thank you for bringing the faith, chat soon And to our creative collaborators Texx and the City, Markus Wormstorm, Biblo.tv, Prop Art, Kirk Doman, our fearless event coordinator, Philippa Dresner and POPCO, your craft made this space feel truly alive.

And then our production partners, all 27 production companies that rallied together, thank you for your ongoing support, for trusting us with this wild idea and for making this HOUSE everything we dreamed it could be. We now have a space we can call HOME at the Loeries.

Two Unforgettable Days

VIEW DAY 1 GALLERY / VIEW DAY 2 GALLERY

Brekkie rolls, toasties, and Bloody Mary shots (a huge hit in the House) kicked off the mornings before everyone headed upstairs to the Nedbank Loft, where panel discussions unpacked the conversations that keep our industry awake at night.

Thursday began with ‘Future Proof: What Will a Winning Production Company Look Like in the Age of AI?’ featuring Stuart Stobbs (MonkeyDonkey Creative AiGency), Alexa Wilson (Darling Films), Jarred Cinman (VML South Africa), and Shane Jacobs (GotBot AI), who explored how technology is transforming production as we know it.

That was followed by ‘Client Hot Seat: How Marketers Really Assess Creative, Briefs, and Production Partners’, moderated by Tebogo Motsepe (Nedbank) and joined by Grant Macpherson (KFC South Africa), Bridget Harpur (Volkswagen Group Africa), and Star Kachisa (Spotify), who shared exactly what excites and kills an idea in the client boardroom.

By afternoon, the smell of toasties drifted through the air and POPCO served up some delicious ice creams while Heineken’s bar flowed freely as the Heineken Mixer came alive. Spotify made sure we had only the best vibes, with a lineup curated by Texx and the City’s Tecla Ciolfi and music supervision by Markus Wormstorm, carrying everyone into golden hour. The lineup featured DJs Buli, Wata Mami, Kay Faith, and Digital Sangoma, setting the perfect tone for a day that reminded us how good it feels to be together again.

Friday morning started the same way, coffee in hand, brekkie rolls on the go, Bloody Mary shots and more packed panels in the Nedbank Loft. ‘The Great Debate: To In-House or Not to In-House Production’, moderated by Colin Howard (Egg Films), sparked lively conversation between Kathi Jones (Publicis Production Africa), Peter Little (Publicis), and Monareng Makwetla (Triple Story Content). The final panel, ‘Bigger, Better, Awarded: Creating Case Studies That Win in the Jury Room’, brought together industry heavyweights and Jury Presidents, Fran Luckin (VML South Africa), Khensani Nobanda (Nedbank Group), Xolisa Dyeshana (Joe Public), and Kabelo Moshapalo (Ogilvy), who pulled back the curtain on what it really takes to win globally.

By afternoon, the HOUSE hit full party mode with our exclusive invite-only IDIDTHAT HOUSE Party hosted by the Production Industry. We had a knockout lineup thanks to our besties as Spotify featuring Disco Dez, Manila von Teez & The Queens (Kitty de la Renza, Jayde Kay Johnstone, and Courtney de Vorst), KDOLLAHZ, and headliners Wormstorm (Sweat.X) + The Real Estate Agents, with Marc Algranti and Wata Mami keeping the party going after hours.

We opened the doors of our neighbour’s store, Vintage with Love and For the Record, and transformed it into a vinyl-spun dream, thanks to Prop Art and Kirk Doman. Huge thanks to James Matthes, who surprised everyone with a killer vinyl set inside the record store during the Friday party. Thanks to (KFC for feeding the party because not everyone gets to work on a KFC brief) and VW for arranging safe transport for our guests to the Awards show, legends!

VIEW DAY 1 GALLERY / VIEW DAY 2 GALLERY

Here’s to every production company, agency, marketer, and creative who filled The House. Until next year keep connecting, and keep backing South African creativity loudly and proudly.

VIEW THE IDIDTHAT HOUSE GALLERY – LOERIES FRINGE