Having spent three days on a campsite for Comms Unplugged 2019 I wanted to share my thoughts on why the unconventional event is a must for all comms people.

It’s not like any other conference you’ll attend. The main difference is pretty obvious – you camp, rather than stay in a hotel. But until you experience it for yourself, it’s difficult to explain why this makes such a HUGE difference (the only real way to find out is to go yourself).

In the meantime here are my thoughts. You spend a lot of time getting to know other comms people in the field and everyone is really, really friendly. There’s something about the  campsite mentality that breaks down the usual sort of hierarchy you get at an event like this – I had many conversations about how “it’s a real leveller”. Definitely true, and it’s pet friendly which only helps add to atmosphere.

The focus on mental health and wellbeing was the other stand out difference. Many of the sessions looked at practical tips you can bring back to your organisation, as well techniques you can use yourself, which are so often overlooked.

Mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin proved to be my stand out speaker – his story about growing up with mental health problems and coming back from the brink of taking his own life, thanks to the help of a passing stranger was truly, truly inspiring.

I came back fired up to do what I can to make a real and lasting difference to how the organisations I work with support staff with any sort of mental health problem.

Thank you Comms Unplugged for a truly memorable event. See you in 2020.