Preena Gadher on why getting away from the desk should be a business priority

The leaves are changing colour and for many creative industries, autumn is one of the busiest times of the year, as it is for us. But as we knuckle down, we also prioritise getting away from our desks as a team to explore what else is happening in the world. It’s so easy to get buried in day-to-day emails, hamstrung by meetings and deadlines, and executing client work in isolation to what is actually happening outside. It’s one of the reasons we love working in Bethnal Green. Our office is surrounded by flats and the squeals from the children as they play in the communal playground outside our windows reminds us that culture is for real people and helps keep our feet on the ground. 

Preserving, and even nurturing this connection to real life, is why we created our monthly ‘Outside Ins’. Every colleague has a chance to choose a location, event or venue connected to culture which we make time to visit and discuss during the working day. It’s a highlight of Riot life, but more than that, it’s a way for us all to exercise our creative muscles, which in turn helps us deliver outstanding client work. 

After 18 months of virtual ‘Outside Ins’, today, ahead of the opening of the Frieze Art Fair, we met in person and visited Frieze Sculpture in the English Gardens of Regent’s Park. Responding to themes of architecture, geopolitical power structures and environmental concern, we spent the morning discussing the pieces and thinking more generally about the impact of art in public places. 

We returned to the office full of ideas and energy, and personally I felt nourished. As a culture and entertainment specialist PR agency, prioritising time for wild ideas and big picture thinking is essential to the creative process. But in a profession known for stressful working days too, granting permission to nourish ourselves through the very thing we exist to promote is more than a work perk – it’s critical to our overall success as a business. 

So what are you waiting for? Go and see what’s happening outside.