Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Strategic’s inaugural Innovation Sprint brought communication leaders and industry specialists together in London to move beyond discussing professional challenges and begin developing practical solutions.
Yesterday, Strategic brought together communication leaders, business leaders and industry specialists at The Trampery for the first Innovation Sprint London.
The ambition behind the event was to create something different.
The communication profession has no shortage of opportunities to discuss the challenges it faces. What is often missing is dedicated time and space for people with different experiences and perspectives to work together on possible solutions.
Innovation Sprint London was designed to provide that space.
Rather than following a traditional conference format, the event brought participants together in four multidisciplinary working groups for a full day of collaborative problem-solving.
The Sprint focused on three challenges facing communication leaders and their organisations:
Two groups explored communication value and business impact, one examined organisational trust, and one approached AI implementation from complementary perspectives: in-house organisational leadership and agency, advisory and specialist practice.
This structure was deliberate. By bringing together people from different organisations, sectors and professional backgrounds, we wanted to create opportunities for participants to challenge established thinking and consider approaches they might not have developed independently.
Throughout the day, participants worked through Strategic’s Discover – Design – Deliver methodology.
The Discover phase encouraged groups to examine their assigned challenges and identify underlying causes rather than immediately jumping to solutions.
During Design, participants explored possible approaches, drawing on their collective experience and the perspectives of their facilitators and mentors.
In Deliver, groups refined their thinking into practical recommendations before sharing their work in the concluding Solutions Showcase.
The purpose was not to suggest that complex professional challenges could be solved in a single day. It was to move the conversation forward from identifying problems to developing ideas that can be examined, shared and built upon.
The expertise was in the room, and the participants were at the centre of the process.
The first Innovation Sprint London was made possible by the commitment and contributions of many people.
Above all, we thank every participant who joined us, shared their experience, challenged assumptions and contributed their time and ideas.
A collaborative working session asks something different of its participants. It requires a willingness to engage, listen, question and help develop solutions collectively. We are grateful to everyone who embraced that opportunity.
Our AI Innovation Partner
Our thanks to James McCann and Everhaze, our AI Innovation Partner, for supporting the Sprint and contributing specialist perspectives across our AI working group.
We were also delighted that the day coincided with Everhaze’s UK launch of Lú, their PR intelligence platform, in Shoreditch, providing an opportunity for conversations and connections to continue beyond the Sprint.
Our Industry Leadership Partners
We extend our thanks to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII), European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and Markson Partners for their support in bringing this new format to life.
Their involvement reflects the value of collaboration across professional bodies, organisations and disciplines in addressing shared challenges.
Our Executive Mentors
Special thanks to Richard Bagnall, Orla Graham and Padraig McKeon for contributing their expertise and helping participants challenge assumptions, test ideas and strengthen their recommendations.
Their role was not to provide ready-made answers, but to support the groups in developing their own thinking.
Our Facilitation Team
We are especially grateful to Louise Thompson for leading the day and guiding participants through the Discover – Design – Deliver process.
Thank you also to Jon Gerlis, Laura Wall, Dennis Larsen, Renna Markson and Jonathan Phillips for facilitating our working groups and helping ensure that every discussion remained focused, inclusive and productive.
The conclusion of Innovation Sprint London is not the end of the process.
The ideas and recommendations developed by the five working groups will inform the forthcoming Strategic Insights Report, which will bring together the thinking generated during the Sprint and share it with the wider communication leadership community.
The report represents an important part of the event’s purpose to ensure the experience and expertise contributed by participants can have value beyond those who were present in London.
It will also provide an opportunity to examine the connections between the three challenges and consider what they mean for the future of communication leadership.
Innovation Sprint London was founded on a belief that bringing different perspectives together can help us move from identifying problems to developing solutions.
Our first Sprint was an opportunity to put that belief into practice.
We hope the conversations, connections and ideas developed throughout the day will continue to evolve as participants return to their organisations and professional communities.
To everyone who contributed to making the inaugural Innovation Sprint London possible: thank you for helping turn an ambition into reality.
We look forward to sharing the Strategic Insights Report and continuing the conversation.
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