History, Evolution, and Challenges of Multilem España
Now, almost four years later, Multilem España is a reality and a project that is constantly evolving. And we have faced many challenges along the way. Starting is not easy, and we knew that. I would like to mention that, during this period, we truly learnt by making mistakes, by almost getting big projects, and by adjusting our direction. Most of all, we have learnt from our mistakes and by strengthening our clients.
The first year was an internship. Not only because we started with few resources, but also because we learnt many lessons in this business, especially of where we should concentrate our efforts. This was part of the way. We knew we would be disappointed, but we were sure that we had to move on and refine our strategy. The support from our parent office in Lisbon was quite important during the first months, because all our strength was here (in fact, that was our launching strategy). We didn’t want to bear high fixed costs, and Lisbon became our best trump. We opened doors, highlighting Multilem’s DNA, transferring the proven experience of a group that knew how to grew cautiously, and above all, how to learn. This was the true lesson we learnt during that first year.
There were many factors in that starting journey that helped us grow and develop our structure and team, but this was a milestone in our take-off. In 2017, we accomplished one of the most relevant, notorious projects in the history of Multilem: The Costumer Experience / Journey on the 22nd floor of Torre Picasso in Madrid. A project where we competed against two of the best international agencies and where Multilem’s wit, passion, and creativity were at its best. I will always remember our creative director Jorge Assis (on a presentation with Marta Roquette) presenting our project inspired by Alice in Wonderland (although the final result didn’t have Alice) and Dante’s Divine Comedy. A true work of art. Our project won the competition. A turning point in history.
From then on, Multilem España grew based on trust and on working the market and selecting clients who valued creativity and the quality of our services. And during that journey, we have, in fact, found what we were looking for. Clients started believing us and choosing us. And Multilem did what it had to do: work hard, understand the client well, and execute perfect projects. And without even realizing, 2019 was a key year. And then another one. And this will go on, despite our driving force being different every year.
In 2019, we learnt many lessons, from which I would like to highlight two major learning points: the chance of working and collaborating with other agencies, the fact that working with other offices in the Multilem Group makes us stronger. We were used to work as Multilem Iberia with our Portuguese colleagues, but we had the chance to manage and produce an event with Multilem Middle East: the presentation of the new Xiaomi phone in Spain for more than 500 people.
In short, in 2019, we consolidated and were able to grow with our main clients. Once our strategy and focus were set, we concentrated in the year of 2020, strengthening the team, and defining clear targets. We set out the basis for facing this year with certainties.
About 2020, I don’t want to go into details for obvious reasons. The truth is that we started strong and were able to close projects that marked a year of consolidation and taking off. But we encountered a “bug” that forced us to rethink our values and how this new direction could drive us to reinvent ourselves and focus on the near future. We know that these moments bring opportunities and that there is no point in standing idle. And has been a valuable lesson. Multilem showed its enormous adaptation and transformation capacity, with resilience and competence being the words that best define us. We are now more digital, stronger and more prepared than ever to face new challenges in the world of design and event production, fairs, and commercial areas.
Lastly, I would like to thank all people who helped us in this journey and that in one way or another have allowed us to get to where we now stand. It’s impossible to name them all individually, so:
– Thanks to the team of Multilem España who were in the forefront during the early years. Nothing would have been the same without your commitment and dedication. It’s a pleasure, and an honour, to work with you.
– Thanks to Multilem Portugal. This wouldn’t have been possible without your support in multiple areas (commercial, operational, creativity, and production). Honestly, it’s a huge privilege to work with Portugal, both due to the professionalism and work capacity.
– And obviously, thanks to Pedro and José Castro and Luís Chaves for your patience, trust, and permanent advices and constructive feedback.
Despite the current situation, our future is bright and hopeful. These are moments of serenity, where we still foster and prepare our comeback with strength and enthusiasm. And we have already carried out projects which were adapted to this new reality. We are a true, pretty close team that supports and encourages. We have a solid brand and the best professionals.
It’s time to become more autonomous, face projects bravely, and keep on growing, while being loyal to our philosophy and mission as a company: Being creative and distinctive while providing a high-end service.
We are relentless wolves that never give up and have an enormous organisational capacity.
Gonzalo Barbadillo, Managing Partner
Here you can find the latest article on Reinventing Christmas, written by Maria Villar.
