Generation Discover Festival is a celebration of science and innovation for children, engaging young minds to take action in the global challenges of today. This five-day interactive festival was designed to inspire youngsters and to give them an opportunity to experience science and technology on a whole new level and in a way they could relate to; that is, learning by doing.

The Generation Discover Festival was a five-day celebration of science and innovation. The main purpose was to engage young minds in the global challenges of today, inspiring not only children but also teachers, parents, stakeholders, employees and the government. The festival took place in the centre of The Hague, which is the seat of the Dutch government and home to the world headquarters of Royal Dutch Shell and numerous other major Dutch companies.

Children explored the futuristic domes to find out all about energy, bringing their own creative ideas to life and even building and racing their own cars that run on salt water.

Shell’s low-emission GTL fuel kept the entire festival running. Even Ben van Beurden, the CEO of Shell, took part, challenging children to beat his drone flying skills.

31,880 people visited the first-ever Discover Festival. To give you an impression of the effect the festival had: it was reported in over 300 publications, reaching 116 million people worldwide.

The event was part of an internal and external communication campaign, in which digital communication played an important role. Shell’s brand appreciation increased from 6.3 to 7.5 during the festival period.

Most importantly, the percentage of children considering a career in science or technology increased from 47% to 58% after attending the festival.