Mars Wrigley, One Demand to Growth, 2025.

The brief

Connecting 750 people across 23 office hubs throughout Europe is no small task. For Mars Wrigley, it meant finding a way to bring teams together without asking everyone to be in the same room. Following an in-person ‘One Demand to Growth’ event in Paris, the team wanted to explore whether a fully virtual format could deliver the same sense of energy and connection, while significantly reducing environmental impact. The challenge was designing a virtual experience that carried the same sense of connection and momentum across all 23 hubs.

Our approach

We converted part of Mars Wrigley’s Paddington office into two fully equipped broadcast studios, creating a production setup closer to a live TV show than a traditional corporate event. The programme combined live presenters with pre-recorded contributions from senior leaders, with quick turnarounds, interactive sessions and team games built into the running order.

Inspired by Eurovision, the broadcast brought in live feeds from hubs across Europe, with teams joining as co-presenters at different points in the programme. The chat function formed part of how people took part on the day, including one session where teams across all locations competed to build the best ship and shared live photos to decide the winner.

The thing about working with Lemon Lane is that I feel a sense of overwhelming safety. I know they’re a safe pair of hands, [...] and I know that when I’m working with Lemon Lane, I can feel confident we’re going to get there, and we’re going to do it together. They’re like an extension of our team. It doesn’t feel like an external agency. We’ve worked with them a number of times, they’ve gotten to know our strategy, they've gotten to know the way we work, and so I know that the results we are going to get are going to be amazing.

Julie Lovell

Regional Corporate Affairs Director, Mars Wrigley Europe and Central Eurasia

The Result.

The event showed that a virtual format didn’t mean compromising on impact. Feedback reflected strong confidence in the direction being shared, with 95% of attendees leaving with confidence in the company’s plans and 87% feeling engaged throughout the conference. The format proved so effective that Mars Wrigley has since committed to running the event virtually again in 2026.

Moving the event fully online also brought clear environmental benefits. The event was delivered using existing office spaces and technology, keeping production focused and efficient. By replacing an in-person gathering with a virtual format, Mars Wrigley achieved an 80% reduction in carbon emissions, removing the need for travel for 750 attendees and eliminating physical resources such as printed materials and temporary infrastructure.

The virtual format also supported more inclusive participation, with the chat function allowing people to contribute in a way that suited them, creating space for involvement regardless of presentation style or language confidence. As one attendee put it, “The hybrid approach worked equally as well, if not better than a F2F, as it had clearly been really well thought through. Like watching a TV show.”

Most importantly, the success of the event has helped shape Mars Wrigley’s long-term event strategy, showing that sustainability and business effectiveness can work together, rather than sitting in opposition.