News comes following an increased demand for the agency’s services,
and an enhanced focus on its existing purpose-driven approach
Sledge, the UK-based agency with a global footprint and expertise in live experience and film, today announces it has appointed a new team member, and formalised its sustainability vision, goals and roadmap.
Sophie Bowtell joins as Project Manager, and is responsible for working in close collaboration with her colleagues and the agency’s clients, to plan and ensure the smooth delivery of a varied range of corporate, consumer, government and non-profit experiences.
These include an ongoing partnership with Sage. The team supported on the organisation’s brand launch earlier this year, and the agency is now producing a series of permanent podcast studios in Sage offices throughout the globe, commencing with London and Newcastle.
Bowtell brings more than seven years’ experience to the role, and joins from the British Pharmacological Society. A passionate event professional, throughout her career she has overseen the planning and delivery of numerous meetings and events, catering to between 80 and 1,200 attendees.
Sledge is passionate about producing good work that also does good in the world. This can be seen through the relationships it has fostered with clients such as We Are Family Foundation (WAFF), where most recently, the agency designed and produced the non-profit organisation’s global youth initiative, the Three Dot Dash Just Peace Summit for the third consecutive year, and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for FACT Dialogue around COP26.
Sledge’s work with BEIS was recently recognised at the micebook V Awards, receiving the Best Sustainable Solution honour, and it was named a finalist in the Environment category at the EVCOM Clarion Awards, which recognise excellence across cause-driven corporate film, live events and experiences. The team are continuing the partnership this year, and will be supporting BEIS on their FACT Dialogue activity at COP27 in Egypt this November.
The agency has further solidified this commitment, joining the industry’s action-driven network isla earlier this year. It has subsequently established a formalised sustainability vision, six goals – which are tied to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and a corresponding roadmap that outlines the steps it is currently taking to achieve them.
Two Sustainability Champions, Elaine Byrne, Project Director, and Becca Shanks, Producer have been appointed to ensure ongoing action and education both within the agency, and among its clients.
Sarah Yeats, Managing Director, Sledge said: “Creating work with purpose is a core value of ours here at Sledge. It’s one that our people embody, and we seek out talent with similar values. I’m therefore thrilled to welcome Sophie to the agency, and have her join us on our journey to delivering not only a superior quality end product, but a more sustainable one too.
“Partnering with clients such as FACT Dialogue and WAFF, combined with the innate passion of our team, means we are naturally strong believers in the idea that sustainability is a responsibility that we must all take on. As an industry it’s important we re-consider how we’ve always done things, and treat sustainability not simply as a nice to have tick box exercise, but a must have. We are therefore committing to reducing our own impact, and supporting our clients so that they can deliver more sustainable events.”
David Saddington, Head of Nature Campaign for COP26, BEIS added: “Given our work on sustainability and climate change, one of the most important things for us, is that our agency partner shares the same purpose and integrity as we do. We seek out those who are environmentally conscious, understand the importance of the issue, and not only deliver an authentic event, but collaborate with and complement our team in government, who are very passionate, purpose-driven individuals.
“All of this is why we enjoy partnering with Sledge on a range of event and content projects. Having worked with lots of creative people in the climate change space, I see the value in creativity as a means of communicating with the general public. So, it’s exciting that as well as succeeding on the policy component with FACT Dialogue at COP26, we are also award-winning in terms of how we communicated it, following our recognition with Sledge at the micebook V Awards.”
