Jonny Virgo presented on his City of Conspiracy multi-platform experience that fuses thriller mechanics with conspiracy culture. It includes novels, immersive theater events, rap albums from character perspectives, walking tours involving novel scenes, and an Illuminati investment game. His initial goals were £10,000 revenue, increased presence, learning new skills and creating innovative IP. Over time he developed and expanded the experience through various mediums and events, facing challenges like lack of logistical experience, collaborator unreliability, and perfectionism. Future plans include releasing a reworked novel, street games, choose your own adventure fiction, organized music releases, augmented reality, tourism ventures, forensic science training events, e-

1. The Conducttr Conference 2014
Jonny Virgo
How to turn creative passion into revenue
@jonnyvirgo
#cdttr2014

2. WHO AM I?

3. Jonny VirgoRapper & Author (Jogging & Dogging). Rum enthusiast. Part-time creator-very precious. Short-attention span. Pretty slack about details. www.jonnyvirgo.com

7. What is City of Conspiracy?

10. A multi-platform experience fusing the mechanics of a thriller with the immersive
and disturbing mannerisms of the conspiracy-theory culture that is a widespread feature of
popular consciousness. All in the aim of good, old-fashioned entertainment.
So far it has featured:
•A series of novels.
•A series of immersive theatre events, detailing sub-plots in the first novel tentatively
entitled “Sherlock Delgado and the Illuminati Bitches”. (January 2015)
•Albums of rap music written from the perspectives of the characters in the story-world.
•A conspiracy-themed walking tour, involving scenes in the novel.
•A text based pitch-game allowing faux ‘big shots’ to simulate investment in Illuminati-
owned companies.

11. What was I trying to achieve?

12. Initial goals
•£10,000 revenue
•Increased presence and visibility
•Learning new skills
•Create some innovative IP.

14. How did it happen?

15. Timeline
1996Wrote first (unpublished) novel which featured same themes, character
archetypes and idioms.
2009 I left the SuperBlondes.
2010 I left my band Works in Progress.
2011I had my first ‘what if?’ moment concerning the project.
2012Play-tested a version of a street game that was linked to City of Conspiracy
off the back of a Gumtree ad.
20131st round of immersive theatre event at the Brunel Museum.
2013Groupon called (followed by Amazon Local, Time Out, Travel Zoo and some
others I haven’t heard of).
20131stround of walking tours.
20132ndround of immersive theatre events.
2014Redevelopment.

16. The conversation.

18. The plan.

20. Serial fiction.
Staggered release of material.
Short time span. (Time limited).
All in world.

21. The ad.

23. Testing.

25. Hmmmnnn!

27. Writing.

30. Initiation

37. Tours.

40. Illuminated.

41. ?

43. What were the challenges?

44. Lack of logistical experience.
Unreliability of collaborators.
Desire of the audience for more content than I had.
Lack of strategic thinking after the project changed
direction.
Perfectionism.
Lack of recording systems early on.
Lack of strategic input from hefty partners.

45. But NOT money.

48. What’s next?

49. -Release of re-jigged novel.
-Series of street games.
-CYOA fiction in story world.
-Organised release structure for music.
-Augmented reality elements.
-A venture into the tourism market.
-Provision of interactive events for
training in forensic science.
-Non-fiction e-books.
-Documentary