Collaboration Week – May 2025

Every quarter, we look forward to Collaboration Week, which is a chance to bring all our employees, whether remote or local, together. It’s a time for connection, collaboration, and creativity. While our March plans had to take a back seat due to tight client deadlines (our top priority, always), we were thrilled to finally host our first Collaboration Week of 2025 last week, and it didn’t disappoint.

We kicked off the week with a breakfast sandwich (or two!) from Stairwayz Café, a firm favourite and guaranteed crowd-pleaser. With caffeine and carbs flowing, Darren delivered a company update, sharing some of the latest news from across the business and looking ahead to our goals for the next six months.

We opted for a slightly more relaxed schedule this time around, giving teams time to collaborate and also focus on project work. Throughout the week, we hosted a series of focused workshops and roundtables, covering our latest product plans and technical updates.

One highlight was Erin’s “Developing You” session, a practical workshop on psychological safety and communicating with compassion. A standout moment was the ‘speed dating’ exercise, where team members answered thoughtful questions designed to help us understand what’s important to each other.

Chris, our Executive Director for Visualisation Tech, also ran a session on Unreal engine and our latest technical developments.

Of course, no Collaboration Week would be complete without a social to wrap things up. This time, we made the most of our very own terrace space, a sunny rooftop spot with sweeping views over the River Tyne. Back by popular demand (and last seen at our 2017 Family Day), Pimp My Pig served up a mouth-watering BBQ feast. Our Talent Team pulled out all the stops transforming the space, complete with drinks stations, summer vibes (hello, Pimms!), and a fantastic spread to suit all tastes.

The night ended with an extremely spirited (if not particularly skillful) game of beer pong, a fitting finale to a week full of energy, laughter, and shared purpose.

Collaboration Week reminds us of the power of being together in the same space, working, learning, and celebrating side by side. We’re already looking forward to the next one.