What You Missed at PF On Tour: London

(And the Advice Everyone Was Writing Down) 

If you couldn’t make it to the Roundhouse this week, don’t worry. 

Some of the most talked-about sessions from the day will soon be available to watch on demand, so you’ll still be able to hear directly from the speakers. 

But while those talks are being prepared, we wanted to share some of the biggest takeaways people were scribbling down in their notebooks throughout the day. 

Because across the talks, panels and conversations, a few themes kept coming up again and again; the kind of advice that can genuinely shape how you approach your career. 

Here are some of the moments and insights that stuck with us. 

1. Communication is still the most valuable skill you can develop 

One of the clearest messages of the day came from Lou Robey and Claire Preston from Work Ready Collective. 

Right now, communication is the number one skill employers are looking for. 

That doesn’t mean you need to be the loudest person in the room. But you do need to be able to: 

As one speaker put it: If you can’t communicate your value, people can’t see it. 

2. Your career isn’t a race 

Another theme that came up again and again: stop comparing timelines. 

There’s no single “correct” route into the creative industries anymore. 

Some people start straight after school. 
Some change careers later. 
Some move sideways into new roles. 

And that’s okay. Your career isn’t a race, it’s a journey, so enjoy it! 

3. Failure is part of the process 

Several speakers talked openly about things going wrong. 

Jobs that didn’t work out. 
Projects that failed. 
Moments of doubt. 

The advice? Reframe failure as feedback. Every experience teaches you something that helps you move forward. 

4. Initiative matters more than you think 

Across panels with speakers from Red Bull UK, The Zoo XYZ, ourppls and Well-Being Well-Known, another key point emerged: 

Employers notice people who take initiative. 

That could mean: 

In creative industries especially, the people who progress fastest are often the ones who don’t wait to be asked. 

5. Rigging is one of the industry’s hidden opportunities 

One session that surprised a lot of people focused on rigging, the specialist work that literally holds productions together. 

It’s demanding work. Early starts, long days and plenty of responsibility. But it also offers clear progression routes and strong earning potential. The advice from the panel was simple: 

Get trained. 
Show up on time. 
Be polite and easy to work with. 

Because in this industry, your reputation travels quickly. 

6. Connections still open doors 

If there was one piece of advice repeated across almost every session, it was this: 

Relationships matter. 

Not transactional networking. 
Real connections. 

Ask someone for a coffee. 
Join mentorship programmes. 
Let friends introduce you to people in the industry. 

Sometimes the opportunities that change your career start with a simple conversation. 

7. You belong here 

One of the most powerful moments of the day came during a panel discussion on belonging in the industry. An audience member asked how to deal with feeling like they don’t belong in these spaces. 

The response from the panel was clear: 

You do belong. 

The key is finding your community; the people who will support you, advocate for you, and remind you why you started. 

Events like Production Futures exist to help you find exactly that. 

Watch the talks soon 

If you found these takeaways helpful, you’ll want to catch the full talks when they’re released. We recorded the day’s panels including discussions with speakers from across the industry, and they’ll be available to watch soon. 

So if you missed London, you’ll still be able to hear the insights, stories and advice directly from the people who shared them. And if you’d like to experience it all in person… 

Next stop: Manchester 

Production Futures On Tour heads to Manchester on 20 April at the AO Arena. 

Another full day of talks, networking and opportunities with industry partners across live events, music, broadcast and creative technology. 

And if you can’t make it in person, you can still stay connected here, where you can: 

Because building a career in this space doesn’t happen in one moment. 

It happens through conversations, connections, and showing up when the opportunity comes.