Summer Gathering by Agency Folk (10th June)
About this Event
⚠️ NOTE: This event is for agencies with 50+ team members.
Join leaders from world-class agencies such as Ogilvy, Iris Worldwide, AND Digital, IMA, Emperor, Accenture, SAENTYS, Social Element, OMD, BrandPie, Assembly Global, Future Group, Rise at Seven, Manifesto, Reboot, StrategiQ, GAIN, Ponderosa, NewGen, Pearlfisher, GOOD Agency, Manifest Group, Matter of Form, The Midnight Club, Torchbox, Journey Further, Reading Room, Brand Potential, Global, Spin Group, The Content Emporium, Latcham, Made Media, Definition, TMW, Ragged Edge, Conscious, Siya, Axelerant, Tank, Comtec, Great State, Born Ugly, True Agency, StudioHawk, Jungle Creations, The Boda Group, Didomi, Quickfire, Digimaze, FX Digital, CACI, Cyber-Duck, Digimaze, Squiz and many more.
Bringing together the UK's biggest agencies. Grab your chance to be part of this high-quality room!
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“Great people, good conversations, and useful connections.
Highly recommended.” 🤩
(previous agency attendee)
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💡 Game-Changing Insights:
Hear from six leading industry experts sharing practical, game-changing insights. From growth and profitability to sales, operations and culture, the sessions focus on what actually moves agencies forward. 🚀
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🎤 Our Speakers:
- Ingrid Olmesdahl - AI Transformation Director at Ogilvy
- Ian Millner - Co-Founder at Iris Worldwide
- Zoe Kelleher - Managing Director at AND Digital
- Nickii Gray - Former Chief Executive Partner at IMA
- Danny Bluestone - Founder at Ducks House (ex-Cyber-Duck/CACI)
- Jane Aston - Head of Product at Teamwork.com
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⏱️ Agenda:
☕ 1:30pm – Registration & Networking
Grab a cuppa and connect with other agency leaders.
🗣️ 2:00pm – 3 x Inspiring Sessions...
1. - Head of Product at
"Breaking Point: Why Established Agencies Lose Operational Control"
As agencies mature, their challenge shifts from visibility to operational control. Jane Aston will explore the complexity that multiplies with growth, and how it creates operational friction across delivery, resourcing, forecasting, and profitability. Drawing on Teamwork.com research, industry benchmarks, and lessons from leading client service firms, this session examines why operational maturity has become a defining advantage for modern agencies navigating increasing complexity, tighter margins, and higher client expectations.
2. - Co-Founder at
"Are you ‘all in’ on agency growth?"
Growth can be messy, expensive, intense, and counter-intuitive. Are you ready to do it? Trenton Moss will dig deeper into what growth truly means for Ian Millner during this fireside chat.
More details about the session to follow soon.
3. - Managing Director at AND Digital
"Leading with authenticity, humanity and clarity and why this matters now more than ever"
We are into the Agentic era where nobody knows exactly what the impact on their role and skills will be. More uncertainty for us all after the last 6 volatile years! It’s also exciting, an opportunity to carve a new path, think differently, learn new things but…It is still scary. In agencies our people remain our greatest assets so now more than ever, we need to show up in a way that supports them on this journey, builds trust and encourages transparency and collaboration. In this talk, Zoe will address why these values have always been the foundation of how she leads, why they matter and why now more than ever, to succeed alongside AI, leadership underpinned by authenticity, humanity and clear direction is crucial.
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🤝 3:10pm – Short Break & Peer Discussion
Pause, recharge and reflect on the insights so far.
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🗣️ 3:35pm – 3 x Inspiring Sessions...
4. - Former Chief Executive Partner at IMA
"Growth ≠ Headcount – winning agencies won’t necessarily be the biggest, they’ll be the ones doing more with the people they have."
For years, agency growth has been measured by headcount. More clients meant more hires, bigger teams and more complexity. But the world has changed. Clients expect more while paying less, AI is reshaping how work gets done, and the agencies that thrive in the next decade won’t necessarily be the biggest. They’ll be the ones that can achieve more with the people they already have. Drawing on her experience scaling IMA through rapid growth and a merger that doubled the business to 400 people, Nickii will challenge the traditional “hire to grow” mindset and share why the future belongs to leaner, more capable and more strategically structured teams. The question for agency leaders is no longer “How do we grow the team?” but “How do we grow what the team can achieve?”
5. - Founder at Ducks House (ex-Cyber-Duck/CACI)
"Using Hackathons to change your Business"
In this Fireside chat with Trenton Moss, Danny Bluestone, founder of Cyber-Duck and former innovation leader at CACI, will share how hackathons can be used to genuinely change an agency business. Drawing on annual Cyber-Duck hackathons, client-led prototypes, new business wins, a CNBC-featured Barclays Hackathon success, and rapid technology adoption at CACI, Danny will explain how focused innovation sprints can energise teams, create marketable propositions and accelerate delivery. He will also explore with Trenton what agencies can do today, even without deep technical teams, using AI, no-code tools and vibe coding to prototype ideas, test client opportunities and build a practical culture of innovation.
6. - AI Transformation Director at Ogilvy
"Hype to Human-Centred AI Transformation: How creative campaigns, culture, and mindset shifts creates real change."
- Understand why AI transformation succeeds only when organisations prioritise human behaviour, culture, and mindset shifts—not just technology adoption.
- How Ogilvy used creative campaigns to transform their workforce to an AI powered team.
- How they turned internal expertise into scalable, repeatable products that strengthen brand distinctiveness rather than erode it.
- How they blend behavioral science, storytelling, and systems thinking to drive real adoption and lasting, human‑centred change.
🚀 4:40pm – Wrap Up & Next Steps
Note down your actions and continue the conversations.
🍻 5:30pm - Pub Social (recommended but optional)
For those keen to keep chatting, we’ll move to The Refinery Bar, just steps away.
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💡 A High-Impact Afternoon for Agency Leaders
An afternoon designed to fit neatly into your busy schedule. No full-day commitment. A few hours of high-impact, bite-sized learning and meaningful connections. The Summer "Game Changer" Gathering is a conference where agency leaders and industry experts share their secret sauce, cheat codes, and fresh perspectives that have helped you grow, adapt, and thrive. No hacks here, just the stuff usually kept close to their chest. Think of it as your tactical toolkit top-up, with insights you can action immediately, as we give experts the opportunity to “show and tell” their best kept secrets! 😜
During this session, you'll benefit from an afternoon of real talk, real insights, and real connections with agency leaders who want to do things better.
Running an agency is a wild ride and as you grow, so do the challenges:
🚀 Bigger clients, tighter margins, more pressure to deliver
🧩 More moving parts, more people, more process
📈 And an ever-growing need to run things smarter, not just harder
We’ll explore:
- Optimising operations for scale and sanity
- Adapting to the world of artificial intelligence
- Winning (and keeping) the right clients
- Hiring well and building culture that lasts
- Boosting profitability without burning out your team
- …and anything else you want to throw into the room
You’ll hear from experienced leaders, share your own stories and walk away with new ideas, fresh connections, and renewed energy. This is a deliberately intimate event with limited spaces. So if you're the kind of leader who wants to grow your agency and enjoy the ride, grab your place now.
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Why join us?
Our events regularly sell out and have a 95%+ approval rating, so we must be doing something right. You'll get:
🧠 Fresh thinking: Practical ideas you can apply immediately
💬 Genuine connections: Conversations with ambitious agency leaders
💡 Real solutions: Bring challenges, leave with clarity
🤝 Collaboration: Opportunities to support and be supported
🚀 Momentum: Renewed focus and energy to move forward
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Key Details:
📍 Venue: Impact Hub Euston - 1 Triton Square, London, NW1 3DX
🚇 Nearest Stations: Warren Street / Euston / Euston Sq. / Russell Sq. / King’s Cross St. Pancras
🧑💼 Guests: up to 100 agency leaders (directors and decision-makers with 50+ team members each)
🎟️ Price: See Eventbrite ticketing (+ booking fees)
What’s included:
- Exclusive access to the private venue (inc. service charge and staff)
- Guided sessions via hosts and industry experts
- Light refreshments (including hot drinks and sweet treats to fuel your afternoon - let us know dietary requirements upon sign-up)
- Free access to the Story Cube framework (worth £250)
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Guest testimonials from previous events...
- "A must-go-to event for our agency. Meeting other agencies and learning from each other is the only way agencies can thrive."
User Experience Agency - "Would recommend this event to everyone looking to meet some others in the agency space. Speakers were excellent with some actionable advice I could takeaway and start on right away."
Brand Agency - "A great collection of like minded people, great food and interesting conversations. I would highly recommend"
Marketing Agency - "A really well run, informative and enjoyable agency event. Great venue, people, and speaker. Would 100% recommend to other agency owners ."
Video Agency
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Our Supporters
Headline Sponsor
Combining powerful project management and easily streamlined operations - Teamwork.com is the Ai-powered project and resource management software built for client work. This platform keeps your client projects on track, makes managing resources a breeze, and keeps your profits on point. Headquartered in Cork, Ireland, and founded by a team who have run an agency before, they have more than 20,000 customers around the world with a global team of over 350 employees. Visit teamwork.com for more information.
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MAP is a specialist accountancy firm and outsourced finance partner dedicated to helping digital and creative agencies achieve long-term, sustainable growth through "financial maturity." Moving beyond basic compliance, the firm offers high-level financial leadership, commercial business partnering, and strategic exit planning. Using their proprietary Finance Maturity Curve framework—spanning Essential, Enhanced, and Extended phases—MAP integrates cloud accounting technology with deep sector expertise to provide agency owners with the clarity and confidence needed to scale their businesses and ultimately build the life they want. Book a call today - https://wearemap.co.uk/discovery-meeting/
Addingwell is a data infrastructure platform that enhances Google Tag Manager Server-Side, enabling accurate, fast, and privacy-compliant data collection. Trusted by performance-driven marketing teams, we deliver an average +22% ROAS increase, faster load times, 99.99% uptime, and full GDPR compliance. Partner with them via https://www.addingwell.com/partners
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Led by Lukas Dopstadt, CrowdVoting.co.uk turns corporate giving into community brand experiences. Backed by 17 years of experience and 340+ successful campaigns, he builds white-label digital CSR platforms that drive massive engagement. Launching in the UK, Lukas is currently offering an exclusive, free flagship pilot slot for an ambitious brand.
Chris Demer is an independent filmmaker and photographer who works as a production partner to creative, digital and marketing agencies. He plugs into their projects however the brief calls for it — a single pair of hands on a quick shoot, or part of a full crew on a larger production. His work spans brand films, campaign and social content, and event coverage. It’s a simple way for agencies to add photo and video capability and capacity without growing headcount. Chris will be at the event, capturing the afternoon, so do say hi and reach out if your agency needs his services.
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Hosts:
- Trenton Moss (founfer of Team Sterka)
- Manish Kapur (founder of Manish Kapur Ltd.)
- Holly Tennock (founder of Wilder Work)
- Nathan Lomax (founder of Quickfire Digital)
- Michael Murdoch (founder of The House, Story Cube and Agency Folk)
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Questions: Please email [email protected]
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Refund Policy: Up to 30 days before the event starts. Eventbrite's fee is non-refundable.
Afternoon
🕑: 01:30 PM
Registration & Networking
Info: Arrive before the talks for a chance to connect with other agency folk over a cuppa.
🕑: 02:00 PM
Welcome and Introduction to Part 1
🕑: 02:10 PM
Session 1 - Jane Aston -Head of Product at Teamwork.com
Info: "Breaking Point: Why Established Agencies Lose Operational Control"
As agencies mature, their challenge shifts from visibility to operational control. Jane Aston will explore the complexity that multiplies with growth, and how it creates operational friction across delivery, resourcing, forecasting, and profitability. Drawing on Teamwork.com research, industry benchmarks, and lessons from leading client service firms, this session examines why operational maturity has become a defining advantage for modern agencies navigating increasing complexity, tighter margins, and higher client expectations.
🕑: 02:30 PM
Session 2 - Ian Millner - Co-Founder at Iris Worldwide
Info: "Are you ‘all in’ on agency growth?" - Growth can be messy, expensive, intense, and counter-intuitive. Are you ready to do it? Trenton Moss will dig deeper into what growth truly means for Ian Millner during this fireside chat. (More details about the session to follow soon)
🕑: 02:50 PM
Session 3 - Zoe Kelleher - Managing Director at AND Digital
Info: "Leading with authenticity, humanity and clarity and why this matters now more than ever"
We are into the Agentic era where nobody knows exactly what the impact on their role and skills will be. More uncertainty for us all after the last 6 volatile years! It’s also exciting, an opportunity to carve a new path, think differently, learn new things but…It is still scary. In agencies our people remain our greatest assets so now more than ever, we need to show up in a way that supports them on this journey, builds trust and encourages transparency and collaboration. In this talk, Zoe will address why these values have always been the foundation of how she leads, why they matter and why now more than ever, to succeed alongside AI, leadership underpinned by authenticity, humanity and clear direction is crucial.
🕑: 03:10 PM
Short Break & Peer Discussion
🕑: 03:35 PM
Introduction to Part 2
🕑: 03:40 PM
Session 4 - Nickii Gray - Former Chief Executive Partner at IMA
Info: "Growth ≠ Headcount – winning agencies won’t necessarily be the biggest, they’ll be the ones doing more with the people they have."
For years, agency growth has been measured by headcount. More clients meant more hires, bigger teams and more complexity. But the world has changed. Clients expect more while paying less, AI is reshaping how work gets done, and the agencies that thrive in the next decade won’t necessarily be the biggest. They’ll be the ones that can achieve more with the people they already have. Drawing on her experience scaling IMA through rapid growth and a merger that doubled the business to 400 people, Nickii will challenge the traditional “hire to grow” mindset and share why the future belongs to leaner, more capable and more strategically structured teams. The question for agency leaders is no longer “How do we grow the team?” but “How do we grow what the team can achieve?”
🕑: 04:00 PM
Session 3 - Danny Bluestone - Ducks House (ex-Cyber-Duck/CACI)
Info: "Using Hackathons to change your Business"
In this Fireside chat with Trenton Moss, Danny Bluestone, founder of Cyber-Duck and former innovation leader at CACI, will share how hackathons can be used to genuinely change an agency business. Drawing on annual Cyber-Duck hackathons, client-led prototypes, new business wins, a CNBC-featured Barclays Hackathon success, and rapid technology adoption at CACI, Danny will explain how focused innovation sprints can energise teams, create marketable propositions and accelerate delivery. He will also explore with Trenton what agencies can do today, even without deep technical teams, using AI, no-code tools and vibe coding to prototype ideas, test client opportunities and build a practical culture of innovation.
🕑: 04:20 PM
Session 6 - Ingrid Olmesdahl - AI Transformation Director at Ogilvy
Info: "Hype to Human-Centred AI Transformation: How creative campaigns, culture, and mindset shifts creates real change."
> Understand why AI transformation succeeds only when organisations prioritise human behaviour, culture, and mindset shifts—not just technology adoption.
> How Ogilvy used creative campaigns to transform their workforce to an AI powered team.
> How they turned internal expertise into scalable, repeatable products that strengthen brand distinctiveness rather than erode it.
> How they blend behavioural science, storytelling, and systems thinking to drive real adoption and lasting, human‑centred change.
🕑: 04:40 PM
Wrap Up & Next Steps
🕑: 05:00 PM
Pub Social (recommended but optional!)
Info: For those keen to keep chatting, we’ll move on to The Refinery Bar just steps away to celebrate some more!
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00 to GBP 161.14
