Invent '17 Web

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Creative & Digital
Growth Programme

“Thanks again for a truly amazing
experience. Lots of good things
have happened since that I can’t
wait to tell you about.”
Anna Heyes, MD, Active Profile
Who is it for?
Invent is designed specifically for Managing
Directors , CEOs, and Senior Leaders
of growth focused creative and digital
companies.
Invent is run by Form, a leadership development and business growth consultancy focused
on equipping creative leaders to build remarkable companies.
We bring leaders together from across the sector - web agencies, design studios, tech
companies, app developers, digital marketers, film-makers and more - to learn, grow and
collaborate together.
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What is it?
The programme is a six-month experiential
learning journey, crafted to help leaders in
the creative & digital field accelerate the
growth of their business.
The programme helps leaders focus more clearly, compete more effectively and grow
more sustainably by offering...
Unparalleled access
to digital and creative
organisations
nationally and
internationally
A valuable and
sustainable network
of business peers
Practical skills that
can be applied
to business
immediately
A bespoke
business
growth plan for
future business
development
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How will you learn?
Invent provides a fully immersive, highly
participative programme combining study
trips, workshops, visits to world-class
companies, group work and mentoring.
The programme starts with a 3 day study trip where you will gain access to some of the
world’s most admired companies. Each day focuses on action based learning. Sessions are
delivered by a combination of practitioners and experts who have extensive experience of
working with and understanding the needs of small business leaders.
We will provide you with expertise in areas such as sales and marketing, raising finance,
attracting talent, conflict resolution and managing exit strategies. You’ll come away from
each session with practical skills that you can apply immediately.
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Typical speakers at Invent include...
Who will you meet?
A key part of Invent is gaining unparalleled
access to some of the world’s most admired
creative companies and their leaders.
Dan Taylor-Watt
Head of iPlayer - BBC
Martina Gobec
Head of Design - UsTwo
Andreas Anderskou
President - Hello Monday
James Haliburton
CEO - Topp
Each of the Invent sessions sees us spending significant time in the studios of leadingedge
creative companies with in-depth masterclasses, Q&A’s and collaboration sessions.
You’ll hear first hand their stories, their successes, their failures and be challenged to
apply the learnings back into your own business.
Jonathan Sands
Chairman - Elmwood
Claire Braithwaite
Ventures - Co-Op Digital
Nick Howe
MD - Uniform
Emma Cheshire
CEO - Dotforge Accelerator
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Staple Inn Buildings,
London
Hello Monday Studio,
Copenhagen
Locations
We believe location and environment
are vitally important to learning. With
this in mind our sessions take place at
locations with character.
Since we are all inherently creative by nature, having an environment that adds
to this is only going to be a good thing. We like to use spaces that inspire us to
reimagine our own.
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SoHo House, Copenhagen
Uniform, Liverpool
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Building relationships
Leaders share insights together, begin
collaborating on projects together and
solve problems together.
It may be a little niggle or a large issue, but having a group of peers that you can swap
ideas with and lean on for advice can be invaluable.
We’ll shape the agenda so that there are opportunities to get to know one another in a
relaxed context.
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How it works
Your six month journey
Step 1.
Step 2.
Step 3. Step 4.
Study trip
Invent begins with an immersive
study trip, to a renowned capital of
creativity & innovation. Here we will
take you out of your environment to
expand your thinking and gain new
insights and practices on areas like:
• Creativity & innovation
• Current trends in the
digital arena
• Solving old-world
problems in new ways
You and your business
• Leadership behaviours
• Understanding your
leadership style
• Setting personal goals
• Crafting your purpose
• Taking your people with you
Strategy, sales
and marketing
• Developing a strategic vision
• Refining your product &
service offerings
• Enhancing a sales &
marketing strategy
• Managing your sales pipeline
• Account management
• Pitching to win
People and team
• Building the foundations
of your leadership team
• Attracting and retaining
top talent
• Developing a collaborative
culture
• Creating a performance
management system
Operations and finance
• Managing projects for profitability
• Creating processes that scale
• Choosing key performance
indicators
• Developing financial &
management systems
• Improving cash-flow
• Accessing funding
Integrating your plan
for growth
Our final day together will focus
on consolidating all your learning.
You will leave with a comprehensive
and achievable 3 year plan
for your business.
There will be a final opportunity
to share stories, experiences and
celebrate each others’ successes.
We’ll also begin building your
customised growth plan.
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3 Days 2 Days 2 Days
1 Day
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Support during & beyond
We want to see you flourish over the long term, so Invent
provides an ongoing context to support your growth.
Networking,
peer learning
and exchange
Working with other leaders
offers different perspectives
and experiences, accessing a
rich resource to support you as
you look for new and different
ways to run your business.
Business
support
As well as the comprehensive
learning programme, Form
will connect you to a range
of business support services
including accounting, banking,
branding and legal partners.
Alumni
membership
To support you in your
ongoing growth, after
graduating the programme
you will benefit from the
opportunity to participate
in alumni events including
networking sessions,
seminars & workshops.
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The team
We are a team of practitioners, collaborators and mischief-makers, helping leaders to focus more clearly, compete more effectively and grow more
sustainably through leadership development and growth consultancy programmes.
Matt Johnson, Founder & MD
Sean Sankey, Co-Founder & Director
Mark Harland, Director
Jon Minchin, Programme Manager
Form’s founder Matt Johnson has spent more than
20 years growing a number of businesses, including
the digital agency Mando, of which he was cofounder
and CEO.
Mando works for leading global brands and is one of
The Sunday Times top 100 companies to work for.
After selling his interest in Mando Group in 2013 he
founded Form with the mission of equipping creative
leaders to build remarkable companies.
With a background spanning finance, tech,
consultancy and creative, Sean has been trusted by
organisations large and small to deliver change in
their companies.
Over the last 15 years, he has worked in or been
consultant to executive teams in organisations
as diverse as Aviva, Capgemini, Ofsted, HMRC,
Skyscanner and Shop Direct, as well as a range of
creative & digital SMEs.
Mark is a leader, consultant and social entrepreneur.
Over his career he has worked extensively with
global brands including Cadbury and Jaguar, as well
as supporting high growth SMEs, working with their
management teams to unlock growth potential.
Mark has more than 25 years’ experience in running
businesses and coaching leaders from business and
third sector organisations.
Jon is a creative at heart. He spent 5 years working
for Unilever he has helped to shape and define some
of the largest brands in the world including Magnum,
Walls, Carte d’Or and Lipton.
He has partnered with some of the brightest creative
minds in the industry such at DCA, Design Bridge &
JKR and leverages his insight into managing agencies
and projects into his role in Form.
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What do others say?
Here are a few quotes from some
of the folks who have been on this
journey with us.
Studio-40
Concept 22
Attending the leadership development programme with Form allowed me to connect
with other like minded business leaders and learn key techniques of how to grow
Studio-40 in a sustainable way”
Nick Light, MD, Studio 40
“Thank you for such a great trip. Beautifully organized, masterfully delivered and
forever remembered.”
Jonathan Holden, Creative Director, Concept 22
Mocha
Graham Fifteen
Underexposed
Unravel Digital
Hitch Marketing
“We have worked with Form for the past two years, during which time we have
continued to double in size year on year whilst reaching ambitious milestones.
Form has helped facilitate strategic decision making at key moments in our history
and continues to offer valued input as we push into realising our full potential. We look
forward to benefiting from Form’s future growth consultancy programmes.”
Gary Wootten, MD, Hitch Marketing
igoo
Uniform
Active Profile
Kaleidoscope
Confederation Studio
“It’s been really good to get away and hear from some great agencies. Having the
opportunity to grill them has been so helpful. I particularly loved the last working
session and have started to reframe Confederation’s offer in response.”
Nahim Afzal, MD, Confederation Studio
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What’s next?
Getting a place on Invent starts with a conversation.
Why not email us now at hello@weareform.com to find
a time that suits you to sit down and work out what your
growth journey would look like.
For more information visit www.weareform.com.
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Studio visit to UsTwo
Malmö, Sweeden
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@weareform hello@weareform.com weareform
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