'Set it on fire!' Exploring the power of play with Broadsword
The Power of Play, Broadsword’s latest B.Inspired event, showed that games and toys aren't just for children - they can put a rocket under your business events.
Learning through play is an established theory in education and psychology to describe how children learn about the world and themselves through play.
Play is seen as a natural way for children to learn and develop social and emotional skills, cognitive skills, physical skills, and resilience.
But for adults, who have long been expected to put away childish things, learning through play might feel strange. With this is mind, the latest Broadsword B.Inspired event brought together event professionals, creative technologists, and corporate leaders to explore how learning through play can make events more impactful, interactive, and memorable.
The event at art'otel London Hoxton kicked off with a panel discussion on the definition of play and an exploration of how play can transform traditional event formats, moderated by Broadsword’s strategy director, Matt Green.
Panellists shared examples of gamified learning, immersive experiences, and physical play that encouraged collaboration, creativity, and participation. The discussion moved through to the benefits of adopting play within event design to fit the needs of your audience.
Janine Chandler, founder of HR consultancy Jump in Puddles, and a trained facilitator of LEGO Serious Play method discussed the role of physical play through the Serious Lego methodology put and how it is a powerful tool to build collaboration and creativity. Taking ideas into a physical build prompts the brain to work in different ways, allowing participants to communicate difficult concepts, explore ideas, and understand other perspectives.
As head of creative technology at Merlin Magic Making, it's Andrew Dobson's job to dream up the next generation of immersive experiences at attractions including Alton Towers, LEGOLAND and Chessington World of Adventures.
Dobson observed that eventprofs can unlock creativity by playing around with brand perception. With his role at Merlin and his background in working for creative agencies, he said he felt that true innovation for businesses can often be unlocked when they put aside their existing expectations of brand and instead play with new possibilities to disrupt.
For example, at one of Merlin’s flagship attractions, Alton Towers, they came up with the storytelling behind the wooden, volcano-themed Wicker Man ride by asking "what’s the worst thing you could to do a wooden rollercoaster?". The answer being "set it on fire!".
Paul Haynes, senior global graduate development at HSBC, uses play based strategies to engage and develop emerging talent in a corporate setting. Haynes shared that when he wants to engage and inspire participants in the graduate programme, he looks to push the boundaries both in technology and gamification.
In a recent project produced by Broadsword, the graduates recreated themselves as digital avatars in a virtual learning environment, working through gamified team challenges. For this particular generation, the digital setting helps reinforce key messages and is a natural learning environment.
Another benefit to using play as an engagement tool is that participants are learning soft skills such as collaboration and communication throughout. It’s often a more inclusive way to involve audiences where quieter voices can be heard.
And the play wasn’t just part of the discussion. Taking place in the interactive exhibition space at the newly opened Art’otel London Hoxton, Broadsword created activities for attendees to engage in both physical and virtual play, demonstrating the many options available at events.
Attendees used Lego to create physical models of their organisations while Meta Quest headsets created the opportunity to enjoy a mixed reality experience where attendees could choose from appearing on stage as Paul McCartney as part of a Beatles gig at the Cavern Club, or blasting their way around an alien planet (with a Tamagotchi on offer for the highest scorer).
Throughout the discussion, several key themes emerged including including how to align play-based strategies with core event objectives and using technology to enhance the overall experience, as well as how playful elements can improve engagement and learning.
A spokesperson for Broadsword said: "It was clear gamification doesn’t just mean fun and games—it’s about creating structured interactions that can boost learning, networking, and participation.
"As technology continues to evolve, the role of play in events will become even more significant. Whether through gamified elements, immersive technology, or hands-on activities, event professionals are finding new ways to captivate their audiences."
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