London Event: Closing the AI Valuation Realisation Gap

The conversation around AI has shifted. What began as buzz and experimentation is now a pressing business reality. Our recent London event explored how organisations can move beyond pilots and hype to unlock AI’s full potential - focusing on real-world impact, scalable implementation, and long-term strategic value.

Through a series of expert-led sessions spanning Marketing, Production, Content, Experience Design and Creativity, five key themes emerged - revealing not just where AI is making a difference today, but what it will take to sustain and scale that success going forward.

Key Themes

In a live experiment, David Stocks, EMEA Head of Strategy, and Kristin Thompson Fallon, CMO, RPR Strategies, showed how AI is already streamlining workflows and boosting performance. But they stressed that impact depends on where you apply it. Broad, unfocused use leads to shallow gains. The real ROI comes from targeting high-effort, high-value problems — especially for larger enterprises navigating legacy systems and internal inertia.

Trust is another critical factor. As Bianca Mack, Senior Vice President - Immersive Experiences, shared from WongDoody’s "Faces of the Future", audiences are increasingly comfortable with AI — but only when it’s used transparently. Authenticity, ethical clarity, and inclusive design are now essential. Without them, trust erodes — and so does value.

Dennis Dünnwald, Senior Vice President - Digital Solutions, reframed the conversation around content: it’s not just about creating more, but making it work harder. AI is evolving into a curator —powering intelligent interfaces that personalize delivery and surface insights at the right moment. Without smart access, even the best content underdelivers.

On the production side, brands like smart are closing the content gap with AI-powered virtual pipelines. These tools drastically cut time and cost, enabling agile, scalable content creation. What once felt futuristic is now mission-critical.

Creativity, however, remains human. As a panel of creative leads discussed, AI enhances ideation and execution — but the best outcomes come when humans guide and refine its outputs. Ethical use must be embedded from the start, not bolted on later.

The message is clear: AI’s promise is real, but value isn’t automatic. To close the gap between potential and performance, businesses must apply AI with intention, build trust through transparency, and design experiences that keep people at the centre.