Five of the Best: Summer in the City 2016

Summer in the City 2016 is over already! But wait, wasn’t it only just SitC 2015?!

We know, it’s utterly crazy that another Summer in the City has come and gone. It’s basically Christmas now, right? We might as well start ringing in 2017.

We may have to wait until next year to head back to our favourite London vlogger extravaganza, but in the meantime, we can rewatch all of the funky and cool moments from our favourite YouTube party of the year. From the incredible excitement and enthusiasm to some of the nervousness and trepidation that comes with meeting new people and creating new opportunities (and playing in the Expo Hall), we’ve put together a collection of some of our favourite videos from Summer in the City 2016.

So here they are, Five of the Best: Summer in the City 2016!

Thoughts Before SiTC – Francesca Georgiou

Our good friend Francesca Georgiou put together this fabulous video at the start of Summer in the City, chatting all about how her feelings pre-SitC 2016 are vastly different from the year before. It’s a beautifully constructed examination of her own growth over the past year and we’ve been inspired to reflect on our own changes since last summer.

The thing we love most about this video is the idea that Summer in the City can influence this kind of dialogue; a dialogue where we can self-examine and recognise our growth from year to year. Also, we love the concept that SitC can be a safe space to challenge our growth and learn even more, offering us a great starting point for next year’s shiny reflections.

With all the jitters and the excitement, this was a fantastic video to start our Summer in the City weekend.

SUMMER IN THE CITY 2016! – James Button

James Button is a new one to our Five of the Best collection, but we simply had to include his Summer in the City recap! Unlike bigger creators who have special access we might not be able to see, and fans who come specifically to meet them, James has put together the perfect montage highlighting the panels and atmosphere of SitC from the perspective of someone who is new to the whole experience.

James pulls some wonderfully thought-provoking quotes from panellists and a great clip from Jon Cozart‘s set, and conveys so perfectly what it feels like to be a young creator at a gathering like SitC. Also, James is so right: if you can’t vlog at SitC, where can you vlog? We love how this recap feels so unique to that experience and lets us take a look at SitC in a way that’s different to vlogs that emphasise so much of the gathering’s wild party side. (Not that we don’t love that side as well! We do love a good party.)

ANXIETY IN THE CITY • SITC 2016 VLOG – Kiera Rose

Next up is the marvellous Kiera Rose, who has cut together the most nostalgic video of Summer in the City we’ve seen so far this year. What we particularly adore about this video is Kiera’s candidness about what it feels like to meet new people and create new opportunities outside of her “safe” video-making space. As a platform that allows so many people to connect from the comfort of their own homes or bedrooms, expanding that to include in-person interactions is a feat not many creators talk about.

Especially for viewers who have anxiety in the face of new opportunities, Kiera gives us a unique look at what it feels like to be an up-and-coming creator in 2016. This video does a fantastic job of capturing some more of SitC’s playful elements, as well as the complexities that come with meeting so many people in the industry.

Summer In The City – Lucy Moon

Now we move to SitC veteran Lucy Moon! Moving into a space with bigger creators, Lucy’s video captures the experiences of creators who know the YouTube sphere better than the back of their vlogging hand. We particularly loved the little jump into Lucy’s conversation with Rosianna Halse Rojas and Dottie James, reflecting on how to get started as a YouTube creator and why making bad content can lead to great videos. From seasoned YouTubers, this kind of candid advice can be invaluable to new video creators.

Being a part of Lucy’s video also has us hanging out with some of our faves, including Tim Hautekiet, Hannah Witton, Niki and Sammy Albon, Liam Dryden, Jack Howard, and many more! There’s also a look out into the audience from the panel stage, which is a pretty cool perspective.

Winning the Smash Bros Tournament at Summer in the City 2016 – Evan Edinger Travel

Who better to round up our Summer in the City list than the spectacular Evan Edinger?

Evan brings the whirlwind of excitement and exhaustion that comes with being the Smash Bros tournament’s winner and an all-round great YouTube pal. From bringing us on stage for Dodie Clark‘s beautiful set to cosmic bowling and insisting we get our consistent upload (thanks Evan!), this video has the SitC energy we know and love.

Now, off to train for a year straight to see if we can beat Evan at his own Smash Bros game!

So there you have it…

We’ve laughed, partied, learned awesome new things, and met fabulous new friends, and we can’t wait to do it again next year. Until then, we have this spectacular playlist to help us relive all the SitC magic.

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