Driving User Engagement and Adoption of Collaboration at UBM

London, UK

Project Information.

About the client

UBM is a global events and publishing group that relocated its UK Head Office to a striking seven-story glass and steel building in London’s Blackfriars. This move wasn’t just about changing locations, it was a complete transformation of how 400 employees worked, introducing a modern, agile workspace designed for collaboration and flexibility.

What they needed

UBM wanted to move away from traditional office setups with fixed desks and limited meeting spaces and instead create a smart, flexible working environment where:

Employees could book workspaces via touch panels rather than having assigned desks.

Meeting rooms were fully equipped for seamless brainstorming, collaboration, and video conferencing.

Automated room settings adjusted lighting, climate, and AV systems based on meeting type and participant numbers.

The key challenge was ensuring that employees fully embraced the new technology and felt confident using it from day one.

The Brief

Our Operations Director, Pip Leaver, led the user adoption and training strategy to support UBM’s transition. The goal was simple: empower staff to explore and use the new workplace technology with confidence - from the room booking system to interactive collaboration tools, digital whiteboards, and video conferencing.

What we delivered

To prepare employees for the shift, we developed a hands-on, engaging training programme that launched three months before the move. This included:

Technology familiarisation - introducing employees to the new systems gradually.

In-depth training sessions - interactive, hands-on learning rather than passive instruction.

Hearts-and-minds engagement - a buzz-building competition where employees could win a state-of-the-art smartphone by engaging with the new technology.

Mirroring the non-hierarchical, flexible nature of UBM’s new workplace, the training programme was open to employees across all levels, job functions, and age groups. This approach encouraged collaboration, confidence, and a shared learning experience.

The Impact

The results were clear from day one. With 95% of employees engaged before the move, workspaces were immediately occupied, and staff quickly adapted to the new way of working. Employees confidently used the room booking system, meeting controls, and collaboration tools, experimenting with different spaces and integrating the technology into their daily routines. The transition was seamless, with only a minor increase in IT support requests.

UBM’s transformation is a great example of how a well-planned user adoption strategy can drive the success of a new workplace. By focusing on efficiency, collaboration, and an intuitive user experience, they successfully created a modern, agile office environment that empowers employees and enhances productivity.