Bringing back the buzz at our London PR agency
After many long months of press release writing at kitchen tables, and creative brainstorms over Zoom, the joy of being able to physically return to work at our London PR agency is contagious. Things we never thought we’d miss, like the countless black cabs and the gangs of self-assured pigeons are there to greet us like old friends, as the buzz of the city’s business hubs gradually returns.
Ok so we can’t pretend it’s entirely back to business as usual. We’ve pretty much forgotten what our colleagues look like without face masks and we’re still being guided around the city’s buildings in Ikea-style one-way systems, but these are things we’ve come to accept as normal. And there are a few benefits to the new status quo with wider adoption of remote or hybrid working meaning less crowds on the Underground and shorter queues for a morning coffee.
While the excitement of being back in the capital remains, we thought we’d explore three of the things we love about being a PR agency in London.
A vibrant tech market and start-up scene
As a London PR agency that specialises in B2B tech, the capital’s thriving technology ecosystem is a major benefit. The city was recently named by Startup Genome as one of the world’s best tech environments, taking joint second place with New York behind Silicon Valley and ahead of both Beijing and Boston. London’s coveted position was credited to the availability of support and investment – gained through accelerators, incubators and research grants – as well as its strong pool of STEM and tech talent.
Edtech and fintech, which are both GingerMay specialities, were highlighted by Startup Genome as two of London tech’s strongest sub-sectors. And it seems the city’s fintech scene is about to get even hotter with the Bank of England and Bank for International Settlements launching a London coordination hub to bolster post-pandemic digital acceleration. The hub is designed to support tech innovation in next-gen financial market infrastructures, central bank digital currencies, open finance, cybersecurity and green finance.
Start-ups and small businesses can find the support and funding they need in the city, with the London & Partners’ Business and Growth Programme, for instance, helping over 1,200 businesses from all sectors become established and attract investment. Larger businesses are seeing success on the stock market, with cyber security company Darktrace and consumer review site Trustpilot both successfully going public in London this year.
Endless opportunity for industry events
Industry events of all sizes have been thin on the ground over the past year, with social distancing and restrictions on in-person meetings resulting in a shift to virtual conferences. But nothing can quite beat the atmosphere of a live gathering and, with the pendulum swinging back to potentially settle around a hybrid event model, London is the place to be.
We are already seeing some calendar highlights returning to the larger event centres, where social distancing is a realistic possibility. ExCeL London, for example, will host The AI Summit this September as part of London Tech Week – a week-long celebration of technology innovation which will focus on artificial intelligence, 5G, quantum computing and the future of work. While cybersecurity conference Infosecurity Europe was an all-virtual event this month, next year’s event is expected to be back at Olympia London where it belongs.
In addition to the larger convention centres, London has a fantastic selection of smaller venues that can be used for more niche events, or combined as part of a festival-style event. For example this year’s Fintech Week London was a hybrid event, with some in-person events held at etc.venues 133 Houndsditch and at Canary Wharf’s Level 39.
Innovative spaces to inspire creativity
One of the great things about working at a PR agency in London is the opportunity to make use of a variety of inspiring locations in addition to the agency’s London office. Whether it’s a client meeting at a café by the Thames, a team catch-up on the terrace of a museum or gallery, or an ideas session at one of the city’s beautiful parks, there is an endless supply of fascinating spaces to open the mind and get the creativity flowing.
And it’s not just public places that provide locations of interest. The disruption to traditional workspaces over the past few months means businesses and investors are taking a fresh look at offices in London to see how they could be used more innovatively and effectively. Investor interest in City office buildings is high, with almost £560 million in sales agreed last month, according to Savills.
Trends for modern, sustainable offices, as well as more flexible co-working spaces, were already in motion, but the pandemic has accelerated this shift. Businesses recognise that an increase in remote and hybrid working is likely to endure, but that at the same time the opportunity to go to work and interact with colleagues is more valued than ever. Some businesses such as Arcadis, Adform and Hybrid Theory are actually expanding their office space for the post-pandemic world, making room for the teamwork and collaborative creativity that simply can’t be replicated remotely.
If you’re a B2B tech company looking for a PR agency in London, please get in touch at hello@teamgingermay.com