Interconnected - Annual Leadership Conference

Client: Highbourne Group

Liverpool, UK

Highbourne Group (HG) came to build the bandwagon (BTB) having outgrown their traditional conference format and wanting something more engaging, elevated and ultimately, different.

BTB facilitated an initial workshop for a selection of employees and levels of seniority from across HG. A clear set of objectives and design principles took shape and the ‘Interconnected’ identity emerged. Interconnected would run through every touchpoint, uniting the eight brands within HG around shared purpose and a culture where everyone can contribute.

Exhibition Centre Liverpool was a fantastic host venue. The main auditorium featured an octagonal stage beneath an eight-screen display, each side of the octagon representing one of HG’s eight brands. It was a deliberate creative choice that showcased the Interconnected theme in something tangible from the moment attendees arrived. Keynotes, vodcast-style conversations, a live gameshow and an interactive performance from a musician who builds instruments from plastic pipes kept the energy high and the format anything but familiar.

Breakout sessions added further immersion and interactivity. Opportunity Town, home to an immersive art gallery and fictional pub, the Scout & Striker, offered a revamped way to explore new products and client retention & business development support. The exhibition was gamified to sustain footfall across more than 40 suppliers, and structured commercially to make the whole event cost-neutral for HG.

A traditional 3 course evening dinner was replaced by street food, live music and more opportunities to catch up with colleagues and put names to faces. Delegates had asked for more of that. BTB delivered it.

We scored the experience in our post-event review against the objectives, seeing an excellent outcome. The event looked and felt different for attendees and it performed incredibly well. So well in fact that HG are busy planning with BTB for 2027. Feedback doesn’t get much better than that!