November 2021, London. International business travel tentatively reopening. Through a recommendation from a mutual friend, PGIM approached us with the bold ambition to hold an in-person experience – 100 clients in the room — in Central London. For those attending, there was a desire to make the experience as valuable as possible. With a reluctance in alienating those who may not be able, or inclined to travel, we also explored the option for live streaming, with in-room interaction.

A concentration on both aspects of the UX was a massive focus throughout the planning process. Inviting in-person guests to arrive for lunch limited their requirement to travel into Central London in peak time. Covid protocols were in place to enable everyone to feel relaxed and safe throughout the day and the agenda ensured plenty of time was allowed for networking, with direct access to PGIM staff and connecting with other guests.

Online guests had their own dedicated platform with access to their own custom selected content. A separate stream was created to ensure the digital experience was curated for those online, and not simply a stream of the ​‘in-room’ experience.

Feedback from the in-person aspect was resounding and attendee numbers were in line with the best hopes. In return the retention numbers on the 200+ online guests exceeded expectation.

With Helle Thorning Schmidt, the former Prime Minister of Denmark and Professor Brian Cox providing contrasting, yet fascinating keynotes, the post event conclusion was that delivering the forum in this format in Autumn 2021 was the right decision to make.