LEGO Inside Tour 2015: I was there and I'm telling you everything (Part 2)

Let's pick up where we left off. Arrival on Tuesday at noon at Billund airport after a few hours by plane, I mark the brick wall of the hotel with my passage before a very pleasant and very constructive lunch in the company of Kim, one of the members of the EEC Team (The team in charge of relations between LEGO and AFOLs). This meeting was not foreseen in the program, we had organized it in parallel and it was an excellent moment of exchange and feedback face to face. It's always better than email and it avoids misunderstandings and misunderstandings.

Important note: If you are not proficient in English, save your money. Some speakers sometimes have a strong accent and to follow, it is better to have revised its basics.

On Wednesday morning, after a somewhat laborious introduction to the LEGO company which was only useful to members of the group who only follow the brand's news with one eye, head to the Lego idea house. The place is not open to the public, LEGO uses it as a reminder for new employees who will discover the history of the LEGO group and the evolution of products from wooden toys to the most popular ranges. most recent. I took the opportunity to explore the office of the brand's founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen, to sit in his place in his "historic" office.

In the same building, a quick tour of the "Vault", the place where LEGO treasures a copy of (almost) all the sets released. Obviously, I tried to take a look on the shelves decked out with the 2015 label to try to see a few unpublished sets, but this section was closed for the occasion.

Upstairs, in the museum which presents the brand's first wooden toys and some machines used to mold the first ABS plastic parts, a very interesting meeting with two representatives of the brand's legal department who came to talk about the counterfeiting of the LEGO products. Contrary to popular belief, LEGO seems to be rather actively fighting against the counterfeits that are currently flooding the market, even if it is a long-term job that will take time to bear fruit.

Back to the hotel for a moment that I was impatiently awaiting, the meeting with the designers. Really very pleasant moment, after a short presentation of the novelties of the moment (nothing new), the designers are available and willingly talk about their work. Special mention to Olav Krøigaard, designer in particular of sets 75059 UCS Sandcrawler, 75095 UCS Tie Fighter or even the oldest 8038 The Battle of Endor who really took the time to discuss his work with us. I was like a kid in front of a star, it feels good.

All the designers present play the game and answer, when they can, the questions of the members of the group. Then comes the moment of the animation of the day: It is for the members of the group to build something by respecting the rules of the briefing provided. I must admit that I did not really give the best of myself on this challenge, preferring to discuss again and again with the designers present. Some members of the group got caught up in the game and stayed there very late at night to finalize their creation.

Flash in the afternoon from the CEO of the brand, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, who apologizes for not being able to stay longer, answers two questions from the audience and slips away and to whom I had planned to give a Hoth Bricks minifigure. Left in a gust of wind, he won't get it, too bad for him ;-).

Thursday was the busiest and most "timed" day: A quick tour of the "Kornmarken" factory where the parts are molded, a quick visit to the brand's headquarters which, moreover, will not have passed the entrance. . We were then gathered in a room for a presentation of a vague video game project under development.

Passage through the place where LEGO manages its "Customer Service", the one who sends you the missing or broken parts of your boxes, presentation on the design of the assembly instructions which would have benefited from being longer and very" corporate "presentation of the LEGO Foundation with a highlight of its actions in Africa from South.

Then, visit dedicated to the LEGO House project, the large complex that LEGO is building in the heart of Billund and which will open its doors in 2017. Presentation around the model that you see in the first part of the report and quick visit of the site where there is nothing to see except two cranes. Useless moment, I do not see the point of wasting time admiring a few construction huts from a raised platform. You can also learn more about this project without leaving your home. at this address.

Later, visit to the store reserved for employees of the brand where the prices are much more interesting than in the shops of the LEGOland park (10% higher than in France at the current exchange rate). Without going into details, the store reserved for employees displays really very very (very) competitive prices ...

Big regret, we have not seen anything "in real life" concerning the manufacture, assembly and printing of minifigs ... It's a shame, I was also here ...

The same evening, a very pleasant dinner in one of the restaurants of the park in the company of the designers before a prize-giving ceremony rewarding the best creations of the challenge mentioned above. Another opportunity to discuss with the designers, I enjoyed this moment of informal exchange. Obviously, I didn't win, but I still got a small gift (an Elves set) that I gave to the only little girl in the group.

In the third part, I will tell you about the last day, the stuff I bring back from there and I will finally give you my opinion on this "experience".

Do not hesitate to ask your questions in the comments.

to be continued...