As Emmelie de Forest’s Only Teardrops was the front-runner to win the contest in 2013 already months before according to the bookmakers and fans, then DR had - just in case - internally decided who would take the job of the Executive Producer should they have the chance to host the shows the year after. That person was Pernille Gaardbo. But how were the Danes able to pull off such a huge venture? She explained just that at the workshop held this week in the German capital.
"We started with a vision," she explained. DR wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page when taking on such a large event. "Live your vision! We really tried to be #JoinUs."
Talking about her main takings from her time at the helm of the contest in 2014: "Getting a team was the most important - get the best in the business!" Gaardbo pointed out
"Don’t forget, it’s the EBU’s baby and we are just taking care of it for a year," the Danish TV executive concluded.
This content is unfortunately no longer available
Learnt from DR
"It’s a big job," Edgar Böhm, the Executive Producer of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, described how it had been for the Austrian broadcaster ORF so far. To him, the advice they had got from DR and the EBU has been priceless.
As had DR, Böhm went on to form a mission statement - an explanation of how they would see the show and want to organise it - already in the very first months and got the best people on board. Through this way of working, they have already chosen the core team, the host city, the venue and even the slogan, meaning ORF is already well off in their preparation work.
It was the second time TV professionals gathered in Berlin to discuss different topics with the goal to improve the Eurovision Song Contest’s as the world’s leading entertainment show. The event was held during the EUROVISION Creative Days, one of Europe’s largest gathering of TV format and programme makers, organised by the EBU.
