In professional services, trust, expertise, and precision are the foundations of your brand. But in a world where attention is scarce and expectations are rising, delivering memorable live experiences requires something more: it requires authentic connection.
At Strata, we’ve spent over a decade helping professional services firms bring their brands to life in ways that are both credible and compelling. And we’ve learned that some of the most effective approaches don’t come from within the sector, but from B2C brands who’ve mastered the art of audience engagement.
This isn’t about flashy gimmicks or sacrificing professionalism. It’s about using the proven principles of B2C experience design to cut through, connect, and stay top of mind.
B2C brands succeed because they put humans at the heart of every interaction. They create experiences that are emotionally engaging, highly tailored, and designed to leave a lasting impression. In a sector like professional services, where differentiation can be difficult, and the buying journey complex, this kind of emotional intelligence can be a powerful advantage.
Here are three principles the professional services sectors can borrow from the B2C approach to audience engagement:
B2C brands don’t start with formats or agendas, they start with how they want people to feel.
Professional services events often fall into routine: formal venues, tight schedules, and traditional formats. But what if your events focused on how clients and prospects experience your brand? That might mean:
B2C brands build their activations around story, not just stats. Whether it’s a product launch or a brand moment, they use narrative to build understanding and loyalty.
Professional services firms have rich stories to tell, about your people, your impact, your values. The most memorable events don’t just communicate what you do, but why it matters, and they bring that story to life through tone, content, and experience design.
We collaborated with a FTSE 100 leader to craft a powerful employer brand experience – so engaging, they rolled it out globally.
The most effective B2C experiences don’t end when the event does, they’re designed as part of a broader campaign. Every moment is intentional, every interaction a content opportunity. This campaign-led mindset ensures that live experiences aren’t isolated touchpoints, but catalysts for deeper engagement.
For professional services firms, this means:
By ensuring your events are part of your wider campaign strategy, you can turn one moment into many, amplifying your message, increasing ROI, and keeping your brand front of mind long after the event ends.
One of the reasons clients choose to work with Strata is because we don’t just operate in professional services. We also deliver experiences for leading tech, pharma, Government and automotive brands, sectors where innovation and emotional engagement are essential.
That means we bring cross-sector insights to every brief. We know what works in high-energy consumer activations and how to translate that into credible, sophisticated experiences for professional audiences. Our broad experience allows us to challenge assumptions, introduce fresh ideas, and apply best practices that elevate your brand, without ever compromising its integrity.
In professional services, trust is non-negotiable, but so is connection. People don’t just buy services; they buy into relationships. And relationships are built on more than credentials, they’re built on meaningful, human experiences.
Whether it’s an executive roundtable, a flagship conference, or a partner retreat, professional services firms have an opportunity to elevate events from informative to unforgettable, by designing them with people, not just process, in mind.
At Strata, we know how to balance professional credibility with creative edge. We draw on our diverse industry experience to bring ideas that feel fresh, relevant and effective.
We work with some of the biggest names in professional services to design experiences that deliver impact, through creativity, smart strategy, seamless delivery, and emotionally resonant moments.
Your event is one of the few times your audience will physically engage with your brand. Every detail, every touchpoint, shapes how they see you.
So ask yourself: Are you giving them something to remember?
If not, it might be time to think like a B2C brand.
In a world where £20 billion is lost annually to the UK’s “distraction economy,” brands can no longer afford to rely on outdated audience segmentation. At our recent Making Moments Matter event, we brought together industry leaders from Publicis Groupe, Mindscope, Convene, and Belmond to challenge the status quo and explore how brands can create truly resonant experiences.
Here are the five key takeaways from the event that are reshaping how we think about audiences:
Forget rigid personas. Today’s audiences reject being boxed in by age, job title, or demographic profile. Instead, they crave experiences that reflect their individuality and intent.
“Rather than segmenting groups and individuals, we just say we’re curators of experiences.” – Perrine Chapelain, Belmond
By shifting from static segmentation to dynamic co-creation, brands can build moments that feel personal, relevant, and emotionally resonant.
62% of consumers feel misunderstood by brand messaging. Why? Because personalisation has become too prescriptive. The future lies in collaboration; inviting audiences to shape the experience with you.
“It’s a collaboration… we’re studying the behaviours of our individual guests.” – Perrine Chapelain, Belmond
When people feel part of the process, the experience becomes theirs and that’s what makes it memorable.
AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not the whole solution. Without human context, data lacks meaning.
“The role of quality, foundational research into these models – human research – is going to be the differentiator.” – Phil Sumner, Publicis Groupe
To truly connect, brands must blend data with empathy, intuition, and real-world understanding.
80% of purchase decisions are driven by emotion. That’s why designing around mindset and purpose is more effective than relying on fixed roles or labels.
“The buyer might be the same person, but where they’re booking a training or a large–format event or something massive and experiential… what they’re trying to solve for is a set of people behind them who have different states, and different mindsets.” – James Frankis, Convene
Understanding the emotional and situational context behind decisions allows brands to stay relevant and human, no matter who walks through the door.
Culture isn’t created in boardrooms. It’s shaped by communities, creators, and shared experiences.
“Culture can’t be forced… Platforms are only as good as their creators and audiences…You can’t fake it. You can’t push it.” – Lea Karam, Mindscope
Brands must show up authentically, listen actively, and earn their place in cultural conversations, not lead them.
The experience economy is evolving. To stay ahead, brands must embrace co-creation, emotional intelligence, and cultural humility.
Download the full report here.
If you’re keen to explore how you can apply these insights to your own brand experiences, our team would love to help. From strategy to creative delivery, Strata is here to turn these ideas into impactful action.
The HCP Engagement Playbook: A framework for pharma leaders to map strategy to execution across omnichannel event touchpoints.
In an age of rapid transformation, pharma companies face a growing imperative: create meaningful, consistent, and customer-centric experiences that span every touchpoint. At the centre of this shift is HCP and audience engagement – not just as a buzzword, but as a business driver.
For commercial leaders tasked with defining enterprise-wide engagement strategies and embedding new capabilities across data, digital, omnichannel, and AI, this playbook provides a practical blueprint for turning ambition into action.
At Strata, we understand the unique complexities of pharma, but we also know that innovation rarely comes from looking inward. Drawing on insights from consumer brands, global sectors, and behavioural science, we believe that pharma can create experiences that are not only compliant and informative but also inspiring and personalised.
This playbook offers a practical framework to help pharma leaders align strategy with execution across the omnichannel event journey – with live events as a cornerstone of the HCP and audience engagement ecosystem.
Pharma companies are no longer just managing isolated events, they are curating continuous experiences that influence perception, loyalty, and outcomes.
Key Insight: McKinsey reports that companies delivering consistent and personalised engagement across channels can see a 10 – 20% improvement in customer satisfaction and up to 15% growth in sales conversion rates.¹
Companies with advanced omnichannel capabilities are seeing 2x the revenue growth compared to less mature peers. ²
In pharma, this means moving from siloed tactical activities to connected brand experiences that align with HCP, patient, and stakeholder needs.
Industry Insight: Veeva reports that 65% of HCP engagements are not synchronised across sales and marketing – a gap that creates missed opportunities and inconsistent experiences. Yet when teams coordinate, marketing effectiveness improves by 23%, and HCPs are 60% more likely to prescribe after visiting a brand site post-rep call.³
Despite this, only 24% of pharma organisations fully consolidate HCP engagement data, and fewer than 20% measure behaviour change or impact, leading to a fragmented engagement landscape.⁴
For leaders shaping a global vision of customer engagement, success depends on orchestrating seamless, relevant interactions across functions, teams, and territories. This requires not only coordination, but cultural change.
PLAN: Create an HCP-Led Engagement Strategy
• Align event goals with customer journey stages
• Prioritise omnichannel planning (digital, hybrid, in-person)
• Use data to segment audiences beyond role and specialty (e.g. behaviour, motivations)
• Integrate your engagement and brand values into every event touchpoint
At Strata, our experience spans multiple sectors – enabling us to bring a customer-first lens to pharma planning. We don’t replicate. We reimagine.
Industry Insight: Veeva’s latest research shows that pre-launch scientific outreach accelerates treatment adoption by 40%, particularly when engaging digitally savvy, early-career HCPs.³
With strategic omnichannel planning, you can turn pre-launch moments into adoption accelerators.
PERSONALISE: Tailor Every Touchpoint
• Use modular content frameworks for scalability and local adaptation
• Embed live feedback mechanisms to adapt in real time
• Leverage behavioural science and UX to enhance emotional connection
• Build pathways that feel personal, not programmatic
We apply lessons from retail, automotive, and tech sectors to create bespoke and human-centric pharma experiences that resonate.
80% of HCPs believe they receive a ‘one size fits all’ experience at pharma events.⁵
HCPs are clear: 67% say tailored engagements improve their understanding of a product, and 80% highly value personalised information over generic content.⁶
PERFORM: Execute with Precision and Insight
• Streamline planning with end-to-end logistics and project management
• Implement feedback loops and analytics across all touchpoints
• Evaluate not just outputs (attendance, NPS) but outcomes (perception shifts, intent)
• Enable agile iteration based on results and changing needs
Too often, global strategies fail at the local level due to poor integration and disconnected delivery partners.
Strata are part of a family of agencies, allowing for bespoke, joined-up integrated solutions across strategy, creative, logistics, production and delivery. Our single touchpoint approach enables cost efficiencies, ensures brand guardianship, and ultimately drives better business outcomes.
As you lead change across the value chain, Strata’s integrated model ensures connected delivery across all customer-facing functions. Our structure eliminates silos, enabling you to act as one company in front of the customer.
This means faster activation, better outcomes, and fewer silos — across regions and business units.
– Live Event Journey Mapping Templates – tailored tools to visualise and align HCP touchpoints from invitation to follow-up, integrated with broader omnichannel journeys.
– Touchpoint Evaluation Matrix – assess and optimise every element of the live experience, from pre-event engagement to onsite interactions and post-event actions.
– Modular Event Content Playbooks – enable personalisation at scale through flexible formats adaptable for local markets, languages, and preferences.
– Live Experience Feedback Dashboards – real-time insight capture and post-event analytics to measure outcomes, sentiment, and actionable next steps.
– Global-to-Local Delivery Framework – ensure consistency in brand, compliance, and logistics across regions, while empowering localisation.
– Engagement Synchronisation Planner – design strategic connections between live event milestones and supporting digital content to increase impact and prescribing behaviour.
IQVIA reports that in-person congresses remain the second-most preferred touchpoint for HCPs (16%), while face-to-face rep visits still make up over 40% of preferred interactions. ⁷
We don’t just deliver events. We architect experiences that drive transformation and authentic audience engagement.
• Multi-sector expertise with a pharma-savvy approach
• Advisory mindset: strategic thinking meets executional excellence
• In-house team of pharma experts and broader sector specialists
• Integrated strategy, creative and delivery under one roof
• Proven results for global pharma and life sciences brands
• A single touchpoint end-to-end solution bespoke to your needs
If your goal is to build a globally scalable, customer-centric model that brings together data, digital, omnichannel, content, and live experiences – Strata is your brand experience agency partner. We act as an extension of your team, to help you drive organisational change.
Ready to evolve your event strategy into an audience engagement engine? Let’s talk.
References
Strata has announced a major leadership restructure to support its continued expansion and ambitious growth plans within the events and experiential marketing sector.
This marks a formal leadership shift as Simon Hambley and senior colleagues transition to group-level roles focused on strategic growth across the wider agency portfolio. Day-to-day leadership of Strata will now be led by a new executive team comprising Cole Mulkerrins as Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Bishop as Managing Director and Giles Cattle as Chief Growth Officer.
Simon Hambley, formerly CEO of Strata, now serves as Group CEO, a move that reflects the business’s evolution and its goal of accelerating growth across its group of agencies. He will focus on shaping overall strategic direction, performance and integration across the group’s brands, working closely with recently appointed Non-Executive Chairman John Farrell and leveraging support from investment partners at Ethos.
Joining Hambley at group level are Paul Querfurth (Chief M&A, Integration and Transformation Officer), Phil Staines (Chief of Staff), Jake Shuckburgh (Chief People Officer), Julie Phillips (Chief Finance Officer) and Liz Gear (Head of Business Systems). Together with Farrell, this expanded leadership team will drive the group’s long-term strategy, integration efforts and operational excellence.
The new Strata executive team brings deep experience and continuity, having all held long-standing leadership roles within the business. Their appointments reflect the agency’s commitment to strengthening leadership from within and building a future-ready structure capable of scaling with continued demand.
“This transition signals our intent to grow further and meet the evolving needs of our clients,” said Cole Mulkerrins, CEO of Strata. “I’m incredibly proud to step into the role at such an exciting point in Strata’s journey. We’ve achieved strong momentum, built a brilliant team and delivered outstanding work. I’m looking forward to leading the business into its next phase and continuing to raise the bar across everything we do.”
This leadership evolution ensures Strata is well-positioned to deliver exceptional client work while exploring new opportunities for innovation, integration and group-wide collaboration.
Following the success of our final insights event of the year in December, our exclusive trends report is available to download. This report showcases the key takeaways from our expert keynote by Ipsos UK and insightful discussions with panellists from CFLEX, Santander UK, Polestar, and Hearst. These industry leaders delved into the most influential trends that are set to shape brand experiences in 2025.
Key Trends Highlighted:
1. The Power of Trust: In an era where authenticity is paramount, building and maintaining trust has never been more crucial. Our experts discussed strategies for strengthening genuine connections with audiences, emphasising the importance of transparency and integrity in brand engagement.
2. Techno Wonder: Innovation is at the heart of redefining brand experiences. The panel explored how cutting-edge technologies can be leveraged to create immersive and memorable interactions, setting new standards for customer engagement.
3. Globalisation Fractures: As the global landscape becomes increasingly divided, brands face unique challenges. Our discussions highlighted the need for adaptive strategies to navigate these fractures, ensuring resilience and relevance in a fragmented world.
4. Retreat to Old Systems: In a surprising twist, there’s a growing appreciation for traditional systems. Rediscovering the value of tried-and-true methods can offer stability and familiarity in a rapidly changing environment, providing a solid foundation for innovation.
For a deeper dive into these trends and more, read our full report here.
In an era of digital overload and rising expectations, healthcare professionals (HCPs) are harder to engage than ever. Despite billions being poured into digital channels, many pharma and medtech brands are struggling to achieve meaningful, lasting connections with their most important audience.
According to a recent Across Health Multichannel Maturometer study, HCPs are exposed to 3,000+ digital brand touchpoints per year—but only 12% are considered impactful by the HCPs themselves.¹
Meanwhile, Veeva’s Pulse Field Trends Report shows that face-to-face access to HCPs rose by 59% in 2023, as more professionals seek authentic, high-value interactions in a world still saturated with virtual noise.²
The key message is clear: HCPs aren’t disengaged, they’re just selective. They are hungry for value but not interested in being sold to. To truly break through, brands must move beyond noise and numbers, toward experiences that create genuine value and lasting impact.
Live events offer a rare opportunity to engage HCPs in a way that’s human, immersive, and valuable. They turn passive observers into active participants and allow for nuanced, two-way conversations that digital alone can’t deliver.
Here’s how well-designed, insight-led live experiences can transform HCP engagement:
1. Humanising the Brand Experience
In a 2022 report by PharmaLive, 81% of HCPs said they’re more likely to engage with a pharma brand that demonstrates a deep understanding of their clinical challenges.³ Live events offer the perfect stage for empathy, education, and connection, helping brands show up as trusted partners, not just product providers.
2. Enabling Peer-to-Peer Learning
One of the top reasons HCPs attend events is for peer exchange. Medical Marketing & Media found that 68% of HCPs consider peer interaction a top factor when deciding to attend a live event.⁴ Roundtables, panels, and collaborative workshops give professionals the opportunity to share knowledge, debate ideas, and connect with like-minded peers.
3. Building Trust Through Transparency
Trust is critical in healthcare. A McKinsey survey found that HCPs are 2.5x more likely to prescribe a brand when they have high trust in the company behind it.⁵ Events provide an environment for open dialogue, live Q&As, and behind-the-scenes access that digital tactics struggle to replicate.
4. Creating Memorable Moments
According to Event Marketer’s EventTrack, 74% of attendees say they have a more positive opinion of a brand after an experiential event.⁶ Immersive storytelling, interactive tech, and sensory design ensure your message doesn’t just land, it sticks.
5. Capturing Actionable Insights
Face-to-face interaction also yields richer feedback. When HCPs are engaged in-person, feedback quality and depth improve by 60% compared to digital surveys alone.⁷ These insights can inform future campaign strategy, content planning, and product development.
To truly engage HCPs, experiences must be strategically designed, insight-led, and outcome-driven. That means:
It’s not just about creating a moment, it’s about creating a moment that matters.
The HCP engagement challenge is real – but so is the opportunity. As digital channels continue to fragment attention, live events have never been more powerful as a tool for connection, trust-building, and lasting impact.
If we want to make moments that matter, we need to create experiences that speak to HCPs not just as professionals, but as people. Live events do just that.
If you would like to speak to us about how Strata can help with your live events, get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
Sources:
In a sector built on trust, collaboration, and shared purpose, it’s no surprise that healthcare professionals (HCPs) are seeking more than just content; they’re seeking connection.
Today’s HCPs don’t just want to attend events; they want to engage. They’re looking for opportunities to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and build professional relationships that go beyond surface-level networking. The brands that can facilitate this in an authentic and valuable way are the ones that will stand out.
According to a 2023 MM+M survey, nearly 7 in 10 HCPs said the opportunity to connect with peers is a primary driver for attending events. But they’re not talking about standard drinks receptions or forced icebreakers. They’re seeking meaningful, purpose-led conversations that enrich their practice and broaden their perspective.
HCPs are time-poor, insight-hungry, and increasingly discerning about where they invest their attention. Traditional top-down events that focus solely on product messaging often fall short. To drive real engagement, brands need to become facilitators, not just presenters.
That means designing experiences where networking isn’t an add-on, it’s a core part of the value proposition.
Here are four ways brands can meet the growing demand for more meaningful HCP networking:
1. Facilitate Peer-to-Peer Dialogue
Panel discussions, roundtable formats, and facilitated small-group sessions allow HCPs to share insights, learn from others, and engage in open, solution-focused dialogue. This kind of structured, purposeful networking adds genuine value, without putting people on the spot.
2. Build in Time to Talk
Too often, events are packed from start to finish, leaving no room for organic conversation. By intentionally designing in space for informal connection—whether that’s longer breaks, interactive installations, or ‘lounge’ environments—brands enable more authentic relationship-building.
3. Curate the Crowd
Smart delegate targeting can help ensure that attendees are surrounded by peers with shared interests, challenges, or specialisms. 57% of HCPs say relevant attendees are a key factor in choosing to attend an event (PharmaLive, 2023). When people feel they’re in the right room, they’re more likely to open up.
4. Add Digital Layers to Extend Connection
From pre-event networking apps to post-event communities, there are smart ways to extend and enhance in-person networking through digital tools—helping HCPs stay connected and continue conversations long after the event ends.
At Strata, we don’t design events, we craft insight-led, campaign-driven experiences with connection at their core. Every interaction is intentional. Every environment is designed to spark conversation. And every experience is built to create moments that matter, for the people in the room and the brand behind the experience.
Because when HCPs connect with purpose, the impact goes far beyond the event itself, it fuels trust, loyalty, and long-term advocacy.
The legal industry is in the midst of a technological shift, and AI is leading the charge. From document review and contract generation to predictive analytics and legal research, artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how firms operate. But as impressive as these tools are, they can’t replace one of the most valuable assets in law: human connection.
In a profession built on trust, judgement, and relationships, law firms need to embrace the rise of AI while staying rooted in what makes them human. Live events are one of the most powerful ways to do just that.
Legal tech is evolving at pace, and forward-thinking firms are already investing in the tools and platforms that promise greater efficiency and insight. But there’s a risk: in the race to modernise, firms may unintentionally distance themselves from their people – both internally and externally.
Live events can act as a bridge, ensuring AI-driven change feels inclusive, considered, and human-centred. Whether it’s internal sessions that demystify new tools, or external forums that explore AI’s ethical implications with clients and industry peers, events can help facilitate the conversations that matter.
Ironically, the best way to bring tech into your event strategy is to use it with restraint. Smart tools, like AI-powered networking platforms or personalised agendas, can improve the experience without making it feel overly digital. The key is to use technology to remove friction and free people up for meaningful interaction.
An AI-enhanced event shouldn’t feel like a tech demo. It should feel seamless, intuitive, and deeply human.
Hosting your own event on AI’s role in law shows clients, colleagues, and competitors that you’re not just reacting to change, you’re leading the conversation. It’s an opportunity to bring together cross-functional thinkers: legal experts, technologists, ethicists, and policymakers, all exploring the future from multiple angles.
Done well, it positions your firm as forward-thinking, collaborative, and conscious of the balance between innovation and integrity.
For many legal professionals, the rise of AI brings anxiety: “Will I be replaced?” “Will I have to retrain?” “Is my value diminishing?”
Live internal events offer a safe space to explore these questions, share knowledge, and reinforce the message that AI is a tool, not a threat. When your people feel informed and empowered, they’re more likely to engage with change positively.
AI might be transforming the legal world, but it doesn’t have to compromise the core of what makes your firm special. With the right event strategy, you can harness the power of innovation while reinforcing the culture, empathy, and trust that have always underpinned legal practice.
Want to explore how your firm can use live events to lead through change?
Get in touch.
Strata has appointed John Farrell as its new non-executive Chairman, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued growth journey. The appointment follows a strategic minority investment from Ethos Partners and is aimed at accelerating Strata’s expansion, innovation and integrated service proposition across the sector.
Simon Hambley, Group CEO of Strata, said of the appointment: “This is a significant moment for Strata. John’s experience and industry gravitas will be vital in supporting us on the next stage of our growth journey, which we are ambitious to continue. John brings an incredible depth of sector expertise that will strengthen our leadership and help us deliver even greater value for our clients. He has already taken a proactive approach to understanding the business and shaping the thinking behind our next major strategic initiatives.”
John Farrell brings exceptional expertise to Strata at a pivotal time in its evolution. Selected in partnership with Ethos Partners, he is a respected figure in the advertising, marketing services, digital, media and brand experience world. His track record on assisting companies in these disciplines with their growth agenda and creating associated shareholder value is second to none.
His experience includes senior roles at Huntsworth, Oliver, Feed, as well as the successful $175m exit of programmatic media company Blis to T-Mobile. His appointment reflects Strata’s ambition and readiness for its next phase of growth.
John Farrell said: “I am thrilled to take on the role of Chairman at Strata at such a pivotal time in the company’s evolution. Strata’s impressive growth and strategic acquisitions, such as On Event Production Co., Trinity Event Solutions, and Element London, have solidified its position as a leader in the integrated events and brand experiences industry. I look forward to working with the talented team at Strata to build on this momentum, ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients.”
“John’s appointment is another important step in building a stronger, more strategic Strata,” Hambley concluded. “As we continue to grow, we’re focused on scaling our capabilities and delivering even greater value to clients across every touchpoint.”
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.
