Connecting The Dots

Over 200 investment clients are invited to The Londoner hotel in Leicester Square to explore investment insights that set the scene for the year ahead. Across the two days of the conference, delegates can expect plenary sessions designed to be bold on topics from Donald Trump’s return to the White House, to the path of interest rates and where AI could land in 2025. In addition, attendees can build a bespoke agenda from three different breakouts tracks. ​​​​​

Within the main agenda, experts discussed trending themes and topics with the goal to connect the dots on the challenges facing investors against the backdrop of an ever-changing investment landscape.

This year the conference kicked off with Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson from the BBC Radio 4 Today podcast with a scene setting keynote and Q&A on the political and economic climate.

Setting the scene

M&G’s event brand, ‘Intelligence connected’ powerfully conveys the integration of data, technology and insight combined with their expertise to deliver smarter investment decisions and better outcomes for clients. As such, our remit as event partner is to bring this to life in the live event environment. The event design needs to be visually stunning and is incorporated through a combination of digital and printed graphics, motion animation on screen, light and sound installations and bold brand activations.

Our set design incorporated a kinetic lighting installation forming a dynamic centrepiece and physical manifestation of ‘Connecting the dots’ that fused movement, light, and sound.

The 90 spherical lights were individually programmed to respond in sync with an impactful motion graphics opening video, the LED display, and soundtrack – setting the scene for the content sessions to commence.

The content was designed to be bold and visually engaging and this installation in particular served as a powerful symbol of momentum, reflecting the flow of data, innovation, and interconnected systems that defines the future of finance.

The venue was transformed from the outside in so attendees could be immersed in the brand identity and engage with different interactive touch points that brought M&G’s marketing campaigns into an offline environment.

The pop-up Ampersand café created in the foyer, as well as an Ampersand After Dark cocktail bar, allowed attendees to refresh and grab a digital or glossy print copy of M&G’s popular thought leadership magazine.

Attendees could also grab custom branded snacks including dispensable M&Ms and bars of chocolate from a vending machine to promote the firm’s new podcast ‘Dream Machine’.

Impact

These themed installations provided an opportunity to partner with brands with positive social and environmental impact. Social enterprise, Old Spike Roastery provided baristas and custom coffee for the event – 65% of the profits going to charities to support homelessness.The team also chose to partner with two other B Corps. Broadsword as their event agency and Tony’s Chocolonely for branded chocolate, a brand working towards ending exploitation in the cocoa industry.

Reach

The event exceeded objectives on client attendance and post event engagement. Broadsword installed an interactive, heat map style wall to canvas opinions on trending topics and what investors are prioritising or see as a risk in the year ahead – allowing M&G to collect data on the topics that matter most to their clients.

Reach was enhanced through videography on the day including speaker and audience vox pops which were edited into Match of The Day style highlights for social media post event.