Overlooked by institutions in terms of projects, teenagers are frightening and targeted even though they are at the dawn of everything beautiful in life. The awakening of ideas, desire, friendship, love, involvement, courage – they begin to grasp and understand what the world is made of. It is not uncommon to see young people promoting ecological or humanitarian initiatives, new celebrities, or great athletes and for other treasures, they remain anonymous, unknown, and in the shadows.
Adolescence builds the adult and the more we respect and encourage these young people, the better they will be tomorrow. This is the belief that many good-hearted people had before the team that organizes the event for them, who deserve a great salute because it was high time there was finally a key innovation in the field.
Nice Premium: Who are you?
First and foremost, a motivated team dedicated to this event for teenagers.
I initiated this event, and have twenty years of organizing events, conferences, seminars… including 17 years at the presidency of a business tourism agency in Paris, which I had founded in an international advertising group…
Having sold my agency, here I am back on my native soil… with this “new baby” that will quickly become a “teenager” and then an “adult”!
It’s the encounter with a team of wonderful young women who have decided to “raise” this “baby” with me… A beautiful human, social, and humanitarian adventure!
NP: How did you come up with this idea?
– My experience during my stint as a guest professor at universities.
– The students’ lack of knowledge about the business world, life “on the ground”, and the fear of “tomorrow”.
– My “former life” experience traveling the world for the last 20 years… being touched by the state of our Earth but also by meeting people who are aware that we really need to shake up consciousness!
– The experience of my own children, who are in their “adolescence” and who make me grow, pushing me towards a tomorrow that resembles them.
– By my passion and “curiosity” in human beings which made me realize that this pivotal period, adolescence, is critical in the building of an adult.
NP: Why?
To really highlight this age group, which is still feared, because it’s “disruptive” and too often associated with the word “crisis”!
While the majority of teens are “good in their shoes”, curious, open, demanding, indeed searching, but it’s an essential search to transition into adulthood and build themselves.
Because many, especially institutional figures, take an interest in these young people, but do not openly express it or showcase it “to the general public”.
This is not the case for events and communication about children aged 0/12, and then after 18, extensively exploited by trade shows, media, etc.
Why not value teenagers?
NP: What response have you received from our various institutions?
Our wish was for these days dedicated to teenagers to showcase all the actions carried out by national, regional, departmental, and municipal institutions.
We put all our organization, our dynamism, and a professional framework at the service of these institutions so that they can communicate to this awaiting and demanding target audience.
We received a very warm welcome, the idea being highly praised even at the ministerial level!!! However, afterwards: it’s a struggle to get financial aid or support!
Because an event like the one we organize corresponds to more than a year of work in advance and a very heavy technical, commercial, and media investment.
We thus discovered a “particular” world… which made me think, like a “mirror”, of these young people in “search” who dive into active life…
“Go ahead, prove yourselves and we’ll follow you when you become known…”
Perhaps the mirror reflects the words “trust, support, guidance” – these words that teenagers demand and which continue into entering active life!
We are therefore very grateful to the General Council for trusting us and taking a major space in our first edition.
The City of Nice will also be present with a space and through associations that will perform on the central stage.
The Regional Council will not be present, nor will the Canca, so I leave it to the visitors, the youngsters and their parents, to deduce what they wish.
Other national institutions, surely more concerned by a decisive period for their future than by this event close to elections, will be with us, we hope in the near future!
We of course regret the absence of organizations like the CAF, ANPE, CPAM… which however have more than useful tools in favor of young people.
The future will undoubtedly be more clement with us…
NP: Who are your other supporters?
Companies concerned about young people, who trusted us and whom we wholeheartedly thank.
And our own funds, our year without salary, and our great energy.
NP: What feedback do you expect from this exhibition?
From the teens
That they find two days of happiness above all, of shows, workshops, information, prevention, advice, etc… that they get filled with ideas!
Certainly, this is only our “first” and not as “spectacular” as we would have wished but that will come…
From the parents
Likely, mainly advice and that they maybe understand a bit better the “complex” world of their children, their universes… That they meet professionals, get aid, and support…
From professionals of adolescence
To finally have this target “live”, to measure their reactions, their expectations, their wishes… to adapt in the future and propose solutions in line with the demands of the young.
NP: What do you think about the different youth initiatives like the General Council of Youth or the Day of Young Journalists?
It’s great, all these initiatives should be encouraged!
We can offer our event as a relay and thus multiply the impact.
NP: Do you think this action might reveal the evolution of this population of teenagers as consumers, proposers, and initiators?
Yes, why not… We can become a true “laboratory” of trends, studies of consumption… We will evolve and adapt ourselves to the demand and the evolution of the young. We must listen.
But above all, our wish is to really “get the message across”, prevention, protection, awareness…
The event is meant to be “institutional” but we can’t ignore the commercial part… which the young people mostly demand from us!
It will be necessary to find a beautiful and harmonious balance between substance and form! But everything of high quality, professional, aesthetic to elevate the term “adolescent” and thus elevate the young…
It’s certainly ambitious… but our small team has great faith!
NP: Will there be a guest book to collect the various opinions of the public on the spot?
That’s an excellent idea… we will do it thinking of you!
NP: Your website announces a blog reserved for the young, what is its address?
www.lerdv2007.com
