This week an event titled, thefuturestory – Today 2014, brought together IC professionals and data experts from across the field in a bid to unravel data’s role in communications.

The major theme for the day was ‘creating stories in a data-driven world’, whether that be internally or for the consumer. Kathryn Corrick, head of learning and content at The Open Data Institute, explained how data is passive information that needs a storyline to give it value.

The event combined a panel discussion with extensive group workshops and networking opportunities.

The panel was led by Stuart Rock, editor in chief of Business is GREAT, The GREAT Britain campaign. Speakers included Declan Trezise, consultant for Monster.com’s government solutions division, Guy Stephens, managing consultant specialising in social customer care at IBM, and Julian Ranger, chairman and founder of SocialSafe. The panel discussion helped define data, while conceding that it means different things to different people, and all were in agreement that data has the potential to improve communications when used effectively.

Group discussions covered a variety of topics, one being the importance of individual business culture in the way communications operates both internally and externally. The day ended with each of the speakers offering relevant book recommendations, a fitting way to end a day that championed the power of storytelling for its capacity to share knowledge.

The thefuturestory event concluded with an announcement from the event organisers, the blueballroom. The consultancy has made two new promotions; Kate Shanks, deputy managing director for client services and Dawn Warwick, deputy managing director of finance. Sheila Parry, owner of the blueballroom, says, “We’ve seen such a development in the way internal communications and PR are seen within organisations. Internal communications have become much more strategic, the sector has evolved, and I feel very much that, as an agency, we have evolved with it”.

Thefuturestory marked its one year anniversary with its ‘Today 2014’ event, held on 7 May at RADA Studios, London.