Momentum and Meaning: Starting Strong, Purpose, Progress, and Possibility
By Kai Duggal, Executive Director, EVCOM
It’s July already — somehow. The year’s flying by, and with it, the momentum at EVCOM is building. These first months have been full of meaningful encounters, powerful conversations, and purposeful action — all culminating in our first major event of the year: the EVCOM Clarion Awards 2025.
What a way to begin.
This was my first of EVCOM’s core events as Executive Director, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we delivered — or more grateful to the community that helped bring it to life. The Clarions have always stood apart in our calendar, and this year reinforced why. The evening was a celebration of creative excellence with purpose at its heart — work that shifts perception, challenges systems, and sparks real change. From start to finish, it felt like a room full of people who care deeply about the power of communication to do good.
Thank you again to every sponsor, partner, judge, speaker, and entrant. Together, we created something genuinely meaningful — and, of course, to LSEG for the use of their roof (and for booking the sunshine!).
As is so often the case, the conversations in the room were just as impactful as the awards themselves. Our closing panel — Sustainability and Winning Business: What Clients Want — left a strong impression. It echoed what we hear time and again: sustainability is not a side issue or a brand add-on. It is the brief. Clients expect action. They expect accountability. They expect outcomes that don’t cost the earth — literally or figuratively.
But at the heart of this conversation is also an important truth: your understanding of sustainability — and how to communicate what clients are doing as part of their sustainability programme — is your USP. It’s one of the reasons you’re likely to win that brief, because you can help them do something they may not know how to do themselves. That is your value.
Then there are, of course, the harder questions: What do we all actually mean by sustainability? Is it carbon neutrality? Circular production? Ethical labour? Reduced travel? Green energy? The truth is, sustainability means different things to different people — and that’s part of the challenge. Without shared understanding, we risk talking past one another.
What we can agree on is that sustainability is about more than just the environment. It’s about the long-term health of our planet and the people on it. It’s economic fairness. Social equity. Resilience by design.
To move forward meaningfully, we need a shared language, better benchmarks, and a commitment to continual learning — together.
While the most widely cited definition frames sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” , the Brundtland definition has been expanded on by frameworks like the UN SDGs and Doughnut Economics, but interpretations still vary widely across sectors. And when definitions are not aligned, so expectations aren’t aligned and can lead to confusion, compromise, or inertia.
Of course, it’s not always easy. Let’s be honest — we’re working in a world where the political narrative is often driven by the loudest, not the wisest. And when that narrative deprioritises climate science, minimises inclusion, or reverses progress, it sends a dangerous signal — that these things are optional. That they can wait. They can’t.
Which is why we must continue — as an industry, as organisations, and as individuals — to lead with purpose. Because sustainability isn’t just about emissions — it’s about building for the future. Because diversity isn’t just good practice — it’s the foundation of creativity. And because our industry doesn’t just reflect the world — it helps shape it.
We must also acknowledge the challenges that smaller organisations face in implementing these changes. There is a cost, and not every business can absorb it easily. But embedding sustainability from the start — building a business and building it sustainably — is vital. It’s part of futureproofing, not just values-driven work.
It’s not everything. But it’s a start. And it’s a signal of intent.
The road ahead might feel long, but it’s also full of possibility and potential — to re-imagine how we work, how we create, and what we stand for. Momentum only matters if it’s going somewhere. And ours is pointed in the direction of progress.
If you’re creating work that deserves to be seen, don’t forget that entries for the EVCOM London Live & Film Awards are still open now. So get those entries in! Enter for the Clarion Awards. (And of course get your tickets now!) While the Clarions spotlight purpose, the EVCOM London Live & Film Award awards shine a light on pure creative craft — the highest standards of storytelling, design, and live experience in our industry.
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Enter or Attend: Entries for the EVCOM London Live & Film Awards are open — and tickets are also available. Let your work be seen.
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Follow Us: Stay up to date by following EVCOM on LinkedIn — we’re posting regularly with insights, opportunities, and community updates.
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For Members: EVCOM is about you. Send us your news, projects, campaigns, and content — whether it’s an event highlight, a thought leadership piece, or a short film. We want to spotlight your work across our platforms.
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On YouTube: We’re also curating standout work and industry films on our EVCOM YouTube channel — if you’ve made something you’re proud of, send it our way.
Let’s keep pushing forward. Together.
Onward
Kai Duggal
Executive Director, EVCOM