SXSW made its London debut this year – right here on our home turf in Shoreditch. Known for bringing together the sharpest minds across tech, culture, business and creativity, it’s safe to say the festival launched in Europe with a bang.

From the first panel to the final keynote, it delivered big ideas, bold claims and plenty of punchy one-liners that got us thinking about AI, brand, culture, innovation and, yes, more AI.

Between the packed schedules and even more packed venues, we didn’t catch everything thanks to the questionable queuing system, but we caught enough to bring back the best bits. 

Now, in case you couldn't make it, we've rounded up our top 10 need-to-know insights below. Each one links out to a deeper write-up on LinkedIn, where we posted all the latest live from SXSW for our clients, colleagues and followers. Ready to dive in? 

1. Transformation vs. maintenance: the real tech gap in banking
Monzo’s CEO, TS Anil, gave a sharp reminder that not all tech budgets are created equal and that for many banks, transformation begins with untangling what’s already in place.

2. Imagination is more expensive than we think
Idris Elba made a case for imagination as a kind of currency and the starting point for real change. A powerful provocation for anyone building ideas, businesses or culture. 

3. Great experiences shouldn’t cost the earth (literally)
What happens when you price every aspect of a live event for its carbon cost? Sam Booth from AEG Europe shared what that looked like and why it’s now a benchmark. 

4. When everyone’s using the same tools, originality wins
If everything looks and sounds the same, what will stand out? This panel posed tough questions about the role of culture, taste and truth – and who is best equipped to lead creative work that stands out. 

5. From docs to design: how the workplace is going visual
Canva’s Duncan Clark laid out the shift in how we work and communicate and why visual fluency matters as much for internal comms as it does on social media. 

6. Staying iconic without losing your edge
What do Dove, Guinness and Vaseline have in common? A long legacy and a strategy that prioritises culture over trends. This talk unpacked what that actually looks like. 

7. Chocolate with a mission and message
Tony’s Chocolonely isn’t your average chocolate brand and their approach to branding and storytelling isn’t either. A standout reminder of what it means to build with purpose. 

8. Maybe AI isn’t here to take jobs 
Microsoft’s Jed Griffiths unpacked the productivity crisis no one is talking about and the role AI could play in addressing it. Not disruption but relief. 

9. Old-school journalism meets new tech
The FT team shared how AI is helping them surface leads, verify facts and report at scale without replacing the role of real reporters on the ground. 

10. The real AI transformation hasn’t started yet
Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis offered a reset on how we think about AI, providing a look at what’s really at stake as it transitions from novelty to infrastructure.

That’s just the start. We captured a lot more, so head to our LinkedIn page for all our live coverage and keep an eye out for more content in the coming weeks.