The communication profession needs space to solve its challenges: Time for the Innovation Sprint

Orla Clancy:

“Now that we have identified the challenges in our profession, what’s next?”. One of the participants asked me this question at the end of our first Communication Leadership Summit in Brussels in September 2025. This question stayed with me and we decided it was time to respond by creating a space to solve these challenges.

That’s why Strategic is introducing our first Innovation Sprint.

This Innovation Sprint will be held at The Trampery, Shoreditch, London on Thursday, 17 September. It is not a “conference.” It is a cross-functional executive working session designed to move from identifying challenges to developing practical solutions. Participants will work collaboratively through a Discover – Design – Deliver methodology to discuss the challenges, develop solutions and design practical recommendations. 

The day will involve three phases. 

During the first phase (discover) teams will explore the reasons behind the key communication leadership challenges, share perspectives, and identify high-impact opportunities for change. 

The second phase (design) will be a collaborative session to generate innovative, practical solutions with support from facilitators, mentors, and partners. The teams will challenge assumptions and test actionable approaches.

During the third phase (deliver) teams will focus on refining their ideas into concrete recommendations, detailed implementation considerations, and preparing their final presentations.

The final part of the day will be a solutions showcase where teams will present their recommendations and key insights to the full group. 

It will be facilitated by Louise Thompson, with participants supported by James McCann, CEO, Everhaze (AI Innovation Partner), representatives from the CIPR, ICCO, PRII, Markson Partners and EACD (Industry Leadership Partners); and an Executive Mentor Panel. The most important voices in the room will be the participants. Their recommendations will be captured in a Strategic Executive Insights Report.

We all know communication leaders need to demonstrate measurable business impact. We all know that organisational trust is under scrutiny due to the gap between what leaders say organisations do and what they actually do. We all know that AI is changing how organisations communicate, operate and make decisions. We all know the key challenges. Now we have an opportunity to do something about them.

Join us as we tackle these issues at the Innovation Sprint in London in September.

For more information, visit the Innovation Sprint London page, or email events@strategic.global to express your interest in participating.

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Orla Clancy is founder and managing director at Strategic, the global network for communication, strategy, and leadership.