Conferences
Conferences

Octopus Energy Tech Summit 2025

When Octopus Energy set out to host its annual Tech Summit, the goal was to create an engaging, future-focused event that reflected the company’s innovative spirit. Initially planned for 400 guests, interest quickly surged—turning a modest conference into a large-scale, experiential gathering.

The Brief

The Octopus Energy Tech Summit at Evolution London transformed from a 400-person conference into a 2,500-attendee experience in just six weeks. Facing a rapid venue change and large-scale expansion, the team delivered a future-facing, brand-driven event that blended high-profile speakers (including Chris Hadfield, Stephen Fry, and Yuval Noah Harari) with immersive experiences like an EV double-decker bus and a plush “Pink Octopus” wall. The summit balanced innovation and engagement, leaving a lasting impression on attendees and reinforcing Octopus Energy’s bold, inclusive identity.

The Challenge

When Octopus Energy first approached us, they were planning a conference of around 400 guests, but as interest grew the event needed to scale rapidly. The original venue no longer matched the size or ambition. With just six weeks’ lead time, the entire event had to move to a larger venue and be executed at scale.

Our Approach

From the moment the enquiry arrived, our emphasis was on a personal, collaborative relationship. The Octopus team were realistic and honest: they weren’t certain whether it could work at scale in the timeframe. Within a week of their first visit, our CEO personally attended the site-visit, we hosted them at a live event to demonstrate possibilities, secured the booking and immediately began working with them to expand their plans.
 During that period the project shifted from 400 to approximately 2,500 attendees – with just three weeks to adjust the detailed logistics, production and guest experience. Our team remained very hands-on, and senior leadership often onsite, because we believe for repeat clients and high-stakes events that level of involvement is crucial.

And as the Octopus Energy team said:

“When we first talked about scaling the event, we honestly weren’t sure it was even possible. We already had a pretty large summit planned— and suddenly we were starting from scratch on every element, and on a far bigger scale. What we needed was assurance, and that’s exactly what we got in spades. Even when we had doubts, the Evolution team never did. They’re total pros — calm, confident, and treated us like part of the family from day one. And that family feeling ran right through the event itself — it didn’t feel like a corporate conference, it felt like a huge family gathering: loud, fun, a bit chaotic at times, but full of energy. And we got through it together.”

Nikki Macmillan, Group Head of Events

The Day Itself – What It Entailed

The summit wasn’t just a typical conference – it had a strong experiential and brand-themed element, designed to engage a mixed audience (industry, customers, policymakers) and reflect the future-facing mission of Octopus. Highlights included:

  • A number of high-profile keynote and panel sessions. For example:
    • Chris Hadfield opened with a talk about global cooperation and energy use from his unique vantage point. 
    • A conversation between Sir Stephen Fry and Yuval Noah Harari exploring AI’s future in the energy transition.
    • A panel titled “Smarter Homes, Cleaner Planet: How smart-home tech can cut bills and emissions”, including panelists such as Tom Elvidge (Co-founder, Synth Solar), Fiona Howarth (Founder & Director, Octopus EVs) and Nigel Banks (Technical Director, Octopus Energy).
    • A panel on emerging markets and energy access, with speakers including Damilola Ogunbiyi (CEO & Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All) and Jono West (Director of Partnerships, MOPO). 
    • A closing keynote by Rory Sutherland on “The Human Side of the Energy Transition.”
  • On the exhibition and experiential side:
    • A EV electric double-decker bus, which became a talking point of the event.
    • A towering wind turbine (nick-named “Gusty the turbine”) positioned as a showpiece of renewables. 
    • The venue atrium was creatively adorned with a wall of plush “Pink Octopus” soft-toys – a playful but brand-coherent touch that reinforced Octopus’s friendly, good-humoured brand identity. 
    • A pop-up “Shoptopus” store allowing attendees to take home branded sustainable merchandise and plush reminders of the day.

 

  • From a content-perspective, the day blended serious discussions (policy, grid flexibility, smart homes, AI in energy) with memorable brand moments. It became as much about engaging people as informing people – signalling a shift toward inclusion, not just industry insiders.

The Outcome

  • The event successfully accommodated the higher-than-expected attendance (~2,500) and was delivered within the tightened timeline.
  • The expanded audience and experiential elements elevated the summit beyond a standard conference, aligning with the client’s brand promise of being bold, future-facing, and inclusive.
  • The build and execution of immersive elements (wind turbine, EV bus, plush-wall) helped embed the event in attendees’ memory and reinforced Octopus’s positioning as an innovator in energy.
  • The client feedback emphasises trust and satisfaction: our team’s presence, responsiveness, and senior involvement were singled out as key factors in their confidence the event would succeed.

What began as a question (“Can we make this work at scale?”) turned into a standout success. The Octopus Energy Tech Summit demonstrated that, with the right partner, you can deliver high-impact, large-scale events under tight deadlines – and leave attendees not just informed, but inspired, involved, and part of the journey.

If you’d like to know more about hosting an event with Evolution London, reach out to the team.

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