Creative brand engagement agency, Strata, has enhanced their team across all areas of the business. Welcoming eight new starters into their operations, technical production, event project management, and HR teams to deliver increased demand across multiple client accounts.
Supporting this growth is the new Director of People, Jake Shuckburgh, who joins in this newly created position to lead the agencies people strategy. Jake is responsible for all things people, and will be incorporating employee wellbeing, mental health, and culture development of the workforce across all Strata locations.
In the Live Department Katie Lewis joins as a Senior Delegate Manager, previously of WRG, bringing her five years of experience to the department. This team also welcomes Charlotte English, Project Account Executive, who will primarily support on event delivery for the agency’s automotive clients.
Matthew Vallis, previously of Chameleon Event Production, strengthens the production team as Technical Production Manager, in response to the growing demand for both live and virtual experiences.
The operational department has seen the biggest growth recently, with four new team members including, Lauren Hayward in the new role of Operations Assistant; David Rayner, Warehouse Manager; and Adam Tait and Colin Waldron as new Warehouse and Event Operatives respectively. All strengthening the delivery of event operations across all client accounts.
This recruitment drive comes as the agency continues to see a rapid influx of briefs following the lifting of restrictions combined with new client wins, as well as a continued need for virtual experiences. Furthermore, as the industry returns to its full force in 2022, the agency continues to advertise for new vacancies and expects to expand their team by a further 30% over the next six months.
At the end of November, our team celebrated together the achievements of the past year with a day of strategic updates and creative workshops, bringing our 50+ team together in-person for the first time since 2019.
Seeing as it was also one week before our third Birthday, celebration was on the agenda with the inaugural Strata employee awards presented in the evening.
Awarded by the senior leadership team, The Growth Award recognised our team members that have not only performed outstanding service to our clients but done so whilst reaching key milestones in their personal development.
Izzy Toussaint, Producer, who originally came out of our intern programme, was recognised for her work delivering creative content and production management for our key automotive clients, also receiving The Colleagues Colleague Award, voted by her peers.
Two of our employees that permanently work for clients on secondment, Samantha Murphy, and Laura Emery, were both acknowledged for the unique service they provide on behalf of Strata, delivering solutions for our clients on the ground day-to-day.
Also receiving The Growth Award, Rayna Jeffrey who was appointed Deputy Head of Production earlier this year, has delivered outstanding virtual solutions for a key pharmaceutical client. Constantly reviewing the ongoing programme to ensure it delivers optimum results.
Two Project Coordinators – both of whom previously worked on placement at Strata whist completing their studies – Sophie Austin and Charlotte Bute, have quickly proven how capable they are of working on high profile projects. Sophie was integral to the successful rollout of a Gen-Z student campaign back in September, whilst Charlotte has worked right across the client base to support almost every project in the last few months.
Charlotte also received the employee voted accolade The Get Stuck in Award, acknowledging how Charlotte is always willing to help, and no matter the task, will dive in headfirst to support her colleagues and help drive a project forward.
Both are shining examples of how vital you can be to a team regardless of your experience level.
Also receiving The Growth Award were Eve Dawson and Gabriella Hey from our Public Engagement Team, and Gina Cundy in the Live Department. All of whom have successfully delivered high profile consumer campaigns within the automotive and public sector industries, proving how capable they are to run complex large-scale projects.
The need for us all to adopt more sustainable practices is headline news more than ever before and our industry can make a real difference, proactively delivering sustainable solutions that meet the increasing demands of both brands and their customers.
A barrier to this has been a perception that sustainable choices compromise the experience – negatively affecting cost, and quality.
However, in our experience, we are finding quite the opposite, and that if the right solutions are adopted, sustainable also means efficient.
The economic strategy – the ‘triple bottom line’ of Sustainable Efficiency – highlights how the planet, people, and profits are all connected. Like a three-legged stool, truly sustainable success benefits each in unison.
This holistic approach to sustainability holds everybody’s attention by addressing the needs of everyone, from brands to agencies, from clients to customers – we all have a vested interest in making this work.
What is remarkable is that sustainable business solutions and practices by their very nature, promote efficiency – in supply chains, in manufacture and distribution, in re-use and through the circular economy.
We are seeing this right across our business when clients are adopting new approaches to their brand engagement.
At a recent product launch, we designed the experience to maximise sustainable efficiencies at every touchpoint, not least to amplify the brand and product message at the event for every audience – Press, Media and Consumers.
By focusing on sustainable solutions, we minimised the carbon footprint of the event and saved money. Local supply chain solutions actually worked out cheaper. We made inhouse AV our first choice, and thereby reduced all associated bought in costs – and created a net zero carbon footprint.
As importantly, we chose a venue that was designed to benefit the local community, and the reduced impact of production and increased economic spend locally benefited them too.
Another project that is demonstrating ongoing sustainable efficiency is an annual academy programme for one of our global clients. In the heat of the first lockdown, we helped our client deliver on their continued objectives to engage and educate graduate intakes in the global brand by transitioning their extended F2F residential event to a fully virtual experience.
Although driven by the travel limitations of the pandemic, this new approach has provided our client with a more efficient format in every area. By designing a participative, highly engaging platform and content agenda, and then measuring it – we proved equal performance levels for attendees, and built a compelling business case to continue to use this approach even as restrictions were lifted.
Now planning its third year, we continue to reduce carbon emissions by avoiding the need for hundreds of global flights, improving attendance to nearly 100%, and reduced budget spend by 40%, even with increased content production levels.
Hybrid, or pure virtual, will become a conscious choice for sustainable reasons – as we all know, it doesn’t have to compromise the experience and our clients know it is more cost efficient too. It won’t replace live F2F completely, but it can be part of the event programme mix, and it would be short sighted to ignore the benefits.
There are of course endless ways small changes can add up to make a big difference. Whether you change your catering plan – lower food miles, or a vegan menu, reduces carbon emissions, and cost – or make venue choices for ease of public transport links, or use inhouse digital wayfinding to avoid unnecessary single use print, it is about embedding this new sustainable efficiency into every decision made throughout a project lifecycle.
Ultimately, we recognise that solutions need to be good for people, the planet, and businesses, to deliver true sustainable efficiency.
Speak to us today if you want to benefit from sustainable efficiency through your brand engagement.
September has resulted in not just one, but two awards for our Club Excel virtual incentives.
Earlier this month we were delighted to receive the Best Incentive award at the inaugural V Awards by micebook. This was swiftly followed by another win for Incentive Event of the Year at the C&IT Awards on Friday 17th at the Londoner Hotel.
Virtual events have proven to be a viable solution for many throughout the last year or so, and our WOW factor online incentives with famous faces and unique zoom sessions have proven to be a successful solution to motivate and reward sales teams at home.
The V Awards brought together industry suppliers, agencies, and corporates to celebrate the incredible virtual and digital work achieved over the last 18 months when live events have not been possible.
Hosted by the micebook team at the recently opened Nobu London Portman Square, the event itself was the debut night of the venues Ballroom and main function space.
The C&IT Awards champion, showcase and elevate events that are innovative, reactive and original, in an ever-changing landscape and environment.
The evening was hosted by C&IT Magazine at the recently opened Londoner Hotel – The world’s first super boutique hotel. Set in the heart of the West End, Sixteen storeys bring to life a considerately engineered collection of spaces, tastes and textures: a first-of-its-kind super boutique luxury hotel in London.
Strata, a leading integrated brand engagement agency, has enhanced their team across all areas of the business by increasing their headcount by ten since the start of the year.
This recruitment drive comes as the agency has seen a rapid influx of enquiries following the lifting of restrictions on live events earlier in the summer, as well as a continued need for virtual experiences.
Steve Sellick has joined the agency as Creative Director. His extensive background in the world of branding and design adds further depth to the Strata creative offering and supports the broader creative ambition of the agency.
Paul Querfurth, the recently appointed Director of Public and Consumer Engagement, has welcomed two new team members to the Warehouse and Operations department, Richard Liddle as the new Operations Manager; responsible for storage and asset management solutions, and Martin Ford as Event Operator.
Lenka Gibbons, formerly with BCD M&E, joins the client services team as a Pharmaceutical Account Manager and Octavia Kerr, formerly with Circle Agency, joins the Live team as Project Manager.
Other additions to the Live team include three new Project Co-ordinators, as well as Becca Campbell and Sarah Dalziel in fixed term positions for an automotive client project.
The agency continues to advertise for roles, and expects to recruit at least another ten people over the next six months, both in the UK and their growing European operation.
Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata said: “The industry is in a very different position right now compared to one year ago. We are seeing growth across our whole client base as the demand for live experiences returns, and many of my industry colleagues have confirmed this is a common pattern. We also have the added benefit of the 13 new clients we gained during the pandemic which has increased workload.
So not only are live events in high demand, but virtual experiences also continue, particularly for clients that still have limitations around international travel. The development of our digital, data and insights offering is also driving higher demand from clients. This combination has meant we’ve been able to bring forward our recruitment plans and welcome new team members now, instead of 2022 as originally planned.
As we enter what will be our busiest Q4 ever, I’m delighted to welcome Steve, Richard, Martin, Lenka, Octavia, Becca, Sarah and our three new Project Co-ordinators – Sophie, Jessica, and Charlotte to the Strata family. We have an exciting future ahead.”
As face-to-face events return (que the celebration), venues are seeing a surge in enquiries and bookings. So, do you have the right strategy to secure your perfect event venue in a post-Covid world? What impact has the pandemic had on venues, and how does your venue choice impact your live event, and in turn the user experience?
Here we breakdown the answers to your burning questions on all things venue strategy in six simple steps.
Gone are the days of finding a venue that just ticks the boxes of space, location, and facilities. Of course those requirements are vital to your event and audience journey, but to really create a ‘brand experience’, every single touchpoint needs to reflect what you’re trying to achieve, and your event venue sets the tone on arrival.
We recently hosted the DS Automobiles DS 9 press launch and the venue – Le Manior aux Quat’Saisons – was a massive part of that experience by bringing to life the French heritage of the brand through world class, indulgent service. Le Manior effortlessly expressed the brand without the need for additional comms and background explanation.
Successfully align the venue to your event objectives and you’re halfway to driving the message home for your audience.
The world has woken up to the climate crisis, and the events industry is no exception. Venues are responding and updating their policies and procedures accordingly, but think about how your venue choice will impact the sustainability of your event.
Will the location allow your audience to limit their travel, or come via public transport? Does the venue offer more sustainable solutions when it comes to things like catering, power, and waste management? This obviously links back to the brand values too, and if you’re aiming to create a more sustainable event, your venue needs to align with this objective.
There are of course venues completely dedicated to providing a sustainable offering. Recently we hosted an event at Storey’s Field Centre in Cambridge, a sustainable venue dedicated to the local community. Consider these new innovative spaces for a more sustainable event that also challenges the status quo.
In England, all restrictions on capacities and gatherings imposed during the pandemic have been lifted, but many venues are adapting to this change slowly. Don’t automatically assume your audience will be comfortable with a pre-pandemic style experience and consider how your venue choice and layout will appear to those that may be nervous about attending an event.
Perhaps limit your capacity to 75%, stagger arrivals at registration to prevent bottle necks and queues, and use table plans to reduce people movement. Whatever tactics you use to put your audience at ease, you need to balance the local guidance with audience expectations.
Plans are changing frequently, but opting for a last-minute booking strategy will limit your venue options considerably. Since the roadmap announcement in England, venues have seen a surge in bookings, and availability for the remainder of 2021 is extremely limited.
Many venues are already, or close to fully booked from September onwards, so you may need to consider adapting your plans to accommodate what’s available or widen your venue search area to maximise your chances of finding the right venue for your activity.
Whilst we’re talking about venue searching, expect this process to take longer right now. Venues still have staff on furlough, and many are working with a reduced staff. This means venues are taking longer to respond to enquiries, so factor this into your timeline when submitting briefs.
If you have specific questions, such as power availability for electric vehicle car charging, allow even more time. As more often than not, the sales department will have to gather more technical information from other teams.
Contingency planning has never been more important than right now. To ensure you are covered for every circumstance, review your venues cancellation terms and payment plans with a fine-tooth comb.
In what situations can you cancel or reschedule your planned event? How much notice do you have to give, and will it cost you anything? Could you use the venue to host a hybrid event instead?
Be realistic with payment plans too and don’t expect to be able to provide ultra-low deposits. Venues have seen a severe revenue reduction and will need cash flow to plan and prepare for your upcoming event.
The above is by no means an exhaustive list of things to consider when choosing your event venue. Of course, finding a venue that reflects your brand, is within budget, and meets your requirements has always been a challenge. But in this post-covid world, these new factors are something to add into the mix.
Strata are thrilled to announce becoming a member of isla. The new action-focused organisation dedicated to helping our industry create more sustainable corporate events.
Although we are already delivering sustainable events for our clients – particularly in the automotive sector – it’s important that our industry works together to combat the climate crisis, to ensure our whole supply chain is more sustainable. The tailored training and guidance that isla offers is specific to our industry, and particularly corporate events. So we are excited to discover the new opportunities the membership will provide for our team, but also how we can share our existing insights with others.
Our business is focused on providing innovative solutions for our clients, and sustainability is a large part of that. The tools that isla have developed, particularly proseed.events will enable our team to adapt our traditional event plans without it becoming onerous to ourselves or indeed our clients.
isla is a non-profit organisation founded as the event industry’s response to the climate crisis. Founded by 12 agencies, isla is an action driven network. It brings together expertise from across the entire events sector, provides resources and training and has developed tools to support and deliver industry wide standardisation and best practice on sustainable practices.
If you are a brand interested in reducing the carbon footprint of your events and making them more sustainable, then get it touch to find out how we can support you.
Alternatively, if you work within the event supply chain please visit the isla website for more information and to find out how you can join fellow industry professionals in the transition to sustainable events.
We are thrilled that our Club Excel incentives at home programme has made it to the shortlist of the 2021 C&IT Awards in the “Incentive event of the year” category.
These events are a new way to deliver reward programmes and engage hard working sales staff at home. Creating unique virtual experiences that don’t compromise on ROI. To learn more about the programme read the full case study.
Having industry peers recognise the innovation our team are bringing to our clients is a fantastic form of reward. Well done to Lucy, Louise and Steve who lead the programme. We have our fingers crossed for the final awards ceremony in September.
This is the second nomination our virtual incentives have been shortlisted in. The club excel programme is also a finalist in the V Awards by Micebook.
Next up in our confessions series is Megan Mulholland, a Project Manager in our Public and consumer engagement team.
From the managing a crisis at the London 2012 Olympics, to creating a temporary venue in the Sierra Nevada Desert, Megan’s 10 years in the industry has been varied to say the least.
I work specifically with clients that engage with the general public and consumers, mainly within the public or financial sectors.
My day-to-day involves putting together project plans, liaising with clients, writing proposals, and going onsite (when possible!) Most of the events I run are roadshows and campaign activations. I don’t often work on conferences or private events, although in the last year things have changed slightly where face-to-face events haven’t been possible.
When it comes to engaging the general public, my clients were not sure if virtual would be suitable. But once they saw what was possible through our successes with other clients they bought into virtual, and we’re now running virtual events alongside planning for face-to-face campaigns from this summer onwards – which I’m very excited to get back to!
More recently I ran a fully virtual AGM for a financial client which was a first for them, so that really allowed me to put my virtual event experience to good use.
On crisis management
My events career started at 18, working for an exhibition stand business which involved a lot of travel around Europe which I absolutely loved. However I wanted to move into a role that required more creativity and strategy which I’ve been able to do since joining Strata.
I do enjoy the practical logistics side of things, but for me it’s key to bring that into the wider fold of why a campaign is being run in the first place.
There is a huge focus on sustainability in events which is really exciting, but also necessary. The pandemic has really highlighted that and shown how we can all be doing more to reduce our impact on the wider environment.
Building sustainability into our campaigns is now standard, and clients want to see how we can help them minimise their carbon footprint and other environmental considerations.
For me, I love the people. Being onsite and meeting new people all the time means every day is different and there is so much variety.
I also enjoy the project structure to events, as you’re working towards something which in the end you know will be rewarding. I thrive working under pressure so deadlines and critical path plans keep me focused.
Trust is vital. There is a lot of work behind the scenes that my clients are responsible for, so anything I can do to take strain and pressure away from them is how I add value. Also understanding that I am one part of a much bigger picture helps me and my clients work together to problem solve and create solutions that are right for everyone involved.
For newcomers to the industry, my biggest tip is to just go to everything. Attend every supplier event, go on FAM trips and get yourself out there. Meet people to learn about different destinations and suppliers, as networking gives you vital contacts that can really come in useful later down the line.
Dealing with the public certainly has some surprises, but I can’t really go into detail on that!
One minor debacle was when I worked on the London 2012 Olympics supporting on the sponsor suites. A client had designed their own bespoke furniture that we manufactured, but unfortunately, three days before the sponsor suites opened our supplier had a fire in their workshop completely destroying everything.
We were not prepared to accept something off-the-shelf, so we worked day and night with local suppliers and carpenters to get replacements made. So I had no sleep for four days, which aged me about 20 years, but we got it done and the client was happy!
About six years ago I ran an event for an automotive client in the Sierra Nevada Desert in Spain, and there is literally nothing there other than a racetrack.
We had to bring in everything required so installation was over two months long, but literally creating a venue from nothing was so rewarding. Creating a completely bespoke experience for your guests isn’t something you get the opportunity to do on every project, so its one that I’m really proud of.
It might sound a bit mad, but I actually love the time just before you get onsite when you’re juggling 100 different balls and have lots of spinning plates; it’s the definition of organised chaos and I thrive on it.
Some people might say this time is the most stressful as there is a lot of nervous energy. But I love the adrenaline rush that comes with it all.
If you want more from our team, head over to Amelia’s confessions.
Every brand touchpoint is a moment that matters. A chance to strengthen your message with clarity and relevance. To make your audience feel like they're part of something extraordinary, get in touch.
