Internal communicators would argue that employee engagement is the foundation of a successful brand, and ultimately good business. The BridgeCon conference on 14-15 October, 2015, brings together speakers from some of the world’s best brands. The representatives will demonstrate how the success of their organisations stem, at least in part, from strong company culture, and will explain how that was achieved.

The programme features major organisations such as Google, Lush, TGI Fridays, BBC Worldwide, Fitness First and Bacardi. Talita Ferreira, chief financial officer at BMW Group UK Limited, will speak about the development of an internal brand, while Karen Russell, chief people officer at Pizza Hut UK & Ireland, will speak about engaging and retaining top performers. Other speakers include Paul Dolan, professor of behavioural science at LSE and author of Happiness by Design, who will host a panel discussion about ‘Creating a happy and engaged modern workplace’ and Steve Knight, general manager at Hungry House, who will talk about using big data for the enhancement of employee experience.

The final keynote speaker on the first day is Simon Lewis, director at LFH International Limited, who will talk through the rebranding of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Palm Beach. A significant cultural transformation was required when the hotel was renamed the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Lewis will explain how putting values at the forefront of any major change can help to instil brand loyalty in a workforce that was once loyal to a different culture.

The second day of the two-day conference will take the form of a hackathon, with a more collaborative structure. The workshops will help delegates apply their ideas and inspiration to a practical situation. They will be given a full briefing on a hypothetical company and will be asked to explore happiness as an employee engagement strategy.

The BridgeCon event will take place at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in Central London. The event is presented by Bridge Training and Events and will be hosted by Dale Smith, its director of creation.