RIP Fast Track – hello Ones to Watch!

Fast Track is 18 years old this year, so what better way is there to celebrate its coming of age than … killing it off?
 
Bear with me.  There is method in this.
 
Fast Track has had a brilliant track record of identifying the best and the brightest talent in the industry.  Conrad Green, Andrew Zein, Claire Zolkwer – all hugely successful people who came through the Fast Track ranks.  

BUT, although any Fast Tracker will tell you how amazing their experience was,  not everyone who’s been in the industry 3-5 years had heard of it, so  there were plenty of potential applicants who weren’t switched on to it.  
 
Frankly, Fast Track never quite got the level of brand recognition that it deserves.  The name didn’t quite sell it well enough and, despite everyone’s best efforts, people still got it mixed up with The Network, which is a very different beast.  (Everyone knows The Network- the bright fresh young things who are desperate to get their first jobs in TV… sadly for Fast trackers, people often thought of them in the same way, which could be a bit, frustrating, on occasion).
 
So, we decided to go back to basics, think about what we were offering, and see how we could brand it more effectively. 
Over a few cups of coffee (and a decent amount of chocolate), we isolated the key elements of the scheme:
 
•    Identifying industry talent
•    Rewarding them with access to exclusive opportunities and sessions at the TV      
      Festival
•    Celebrating them by giving them recognition within the industry
•    Fair and accessible process anyone can put themselves forward for a place 
 
The people we selected for Fast Track are the people we considered the industry leaders of the future –the ones to watch in the industry. So… why not call the scheme that?  Ones to Watch it is.

 
We’ve made a few other tweaks to make Ones to Watch the most exciting and career- enhancing package in the industry.
 
•    Judges from our Executive Committee will make the final selection of the 30 delegates - so those selected on to the scheme have been endorsed by people working at the highest level in TV.
•    The 30 will be profiled in the MGEITF programme – so they will be showcased to over 2000 industry leaders who come to Edinburgh.
And this is in addition to all the excellent benefits that Fast Track offered already – exclusive sessions, free accommodation, access to MGEITF and all the social events you can squeeze in over 4 days.   
 
We’re really excited by Ones to Watch.  We’re open for applications now, so let us know if you are One to Watch by applying or, if you know someone who is a One to Watch, please give us their email address so we can encourage them to apply.