The Studio 34 team did indeed head up the road from our Tring office for Ideas Fest 2025. Two days of talks, networking, and more rain than anyone asked for. We braved the mud, soaked up the conversations, and left with new ideas—and a fair bit of wet-weather resilience.

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The honesty behind the talks

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What stood out most wasn’t the setting (though Tring is charming even in the drizzle), it was the honesty. From family businesses like Simmer Eats embracing the “messy but brilliant” reality of working with loved ones, to founders sharing how they scaled without losing their sanity, every session felt rooted in the real challenges of building something that lasts.

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We dipped into it all:

How not to burn out before you exit.
How to actually keep good people once you’ve found them.
How to stay human in a divided world.

Some talks were big-picture (are we all influencers now? Spoiler: yes, if you want to be). Others were gloriously blunt, like Dan Meredith’s hilarious session on how to be [insert swear word here] happy, wealthy and productive—and still have a life.

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Spotting the opportunities in AI

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Of course, AI had its moment. But instead of hype, the focus was on opportunities hiding in plain sight. That’s something we’ve been thinking about a lot as an agency: not “how can we replace people with tech?” but “how can we use AI to free up time for the work that actually moves the needle?”

This balance—between efficiency and human creativity—is exactly where we see the future of performance marketing heading.

Remember to download our AI Guide.

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‍A familiar face on stage

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A personal highlight? Seeing our own founder, Mariano, on stage. He shared part of his story and dropped in a smooth plug - though not quite as smooth as this one - for the free AI-powered marketing event we’re hosting in Aston Clinton on 14th October at the Red Kite Pavilion. Come along if it sounds interesting!

For us, that moment summed up Ideas Fest: not just chasing growth, but making work and life more useful, accessible, and impactful for the people around us.

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Lessons from the lineup

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The speaker list was stacked: marketing legend Rory Sutherland, Ruby Wax, and Chris Kenna (whose live podcast Don’t Work Harder was another standout). Each, in their own way, reminded us that business isn’t just about strategy. It’s about people, perspective, and - sometimes - keeping your sense of humour when the rain comes down.

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