I was enjoying a G&T with a friend when we got talking about our plans for the week.
“Actually, I’m off to a festival on Wednesday,” I said.
My friend, a veteran festival goer who at this time of year is always on about Glasto, Reading and the Isle of Wight and knows how much I like my creature comforts, was understandably confused.
“Yeah, an internal comms festival,” I said. “It’s going to be brilliant.”
And it was. In fact, I am also a veteran festival goer – only these days I’ve packed away my glo-sticks and wellies and for the past four years have joined fellow comms professionals for the IoIC Festival for two days of inspiration, light-bulb moments and insight. Not to mention the chance to meet great people and share common comms woes. (“You got asked to do a random newsletter for this obscure team? Yeah, me too.”)
So what brings me back time and time again?
For one thing, the format is great. Split into zones, there are several sessions on at once, which means you can truly set your own agenda. Fancy a bit of ‘how did you do that?’ know-how? Then off you pop to the Practical Zone. Maybe you want to hear about the latest innovations in tech and how that will change the IC world? Then the Inspiration Zone is for you. Or perhaps you want to chat with others about a hot topic in the Conversation Zone? In other words, every attendee gets to choose their own festival experience – the only difficult decision is choosing which of the many great sessions to go to that are on at the same time.
A standout session for me this year was with Moto’s Emma James, who told us her secret recipe for communicating with frontline workers. Judging by the sheer number of people in the room, it’s a problem many of us are trying to solve, and hearing how Emma has made immense strides with humour, panache and listening carefully to what her people wanted was nothing short of inspiring.
So what were my key takeaways this year?
In number one spot has to be trust. We had a sneak preview of the latest IoIC Index and trust was a common theme in this and other workshops. We have a more cynical workforce in the main and they’re keeping a close eye on whether their leaders walk the talk, and what the stance is on major issues of the day. Trust needs to be earned, maintained, and nurtured.
Close behind was AI. Now this one was a key talking point for several of the keynote speakers and for good reason. It’s here to stay. So, we need to understand how to use it wisely and effectively, while remaining authentic.
And thirdly, it was how we need to adapt to a multi-generational workforce. Dr. Paul Redmond gave a hilarious and thought-provoking keynote speech that covered everything from linguistics to values, and gave this Gen X-er some real food for thought in how workers born this century prefer to communicate and interact, and how they expect their organisations to have opinions and articulate them on key issues, such as Ukraine, Israel-Palestine conflict and Black Lives Matter.
Dr. Redmond also spoke about how attention spans are lowering for everyone, so the content we create needs to be succinct and sexy. We need to keep it simple, and keep innovating.
Finally, special mention goes to Mike Bates – the final keynote speaker and all-round action hero, who got us thinking about building rapport, trust within teams, and communicating in a crisis. Move over, James Bond.
So am I coming back next year? You betcha.
Having been in IC for 20 years now, and freelance for ten of those, the festival is a significant investment for me. But it’s worth it. I come away inspired, energised, with reams of notes and new contacts. I get to go back to my clients armed to the teeth with insight and benchmarking, as well as case studies and new tools and techniques to suggest when the time is right. I get to catch up with familiar faces, spark new ideas and even unwind at the end of the first day with the infamous BBQ and drinks in a fabulous setting.
Speaking of which, this was the second year the festival has been held at Tewinbury Farm, a glorious location. There are even alpacas. As soon as you rock up to the check in desk, you hear the chatter of hundreds of people making connections over coffee, getting to know the sponsors, and snagging some freebies (why yes, I do need some colourful socks and a stress ball, thank you). This year every delegate even got a fab personalised box (including chocolate! And a notebook!) which made me feel even more connected to the wider community.
But more importantly, the event is underpinned by sound research, championed by professionals, and filled to the brim with inspiration. It’s a masterpiece of organisation, and designed to reflect the IC issues of the day, as well as predicting the challenges of the future. Ultimately, it’s the event that after 20 years keeps me in the profession.
If you haven’t been yet, or are umming and ahhing over whether to go next year, make sure you do. You won’t regret it – I’ll see you there over some coffee and pastries and we can put the IC world to rights.
