Seeing our world through smaller eyes: A first for Inizio Engage XD UK

There are some days you know are going to be special before they even begin.

Bring Your Kids to Work Day (BYKTWD) was one of them.

This year marked the first time we celebrated BYKTWD across some of our UK offices, welcoming more than 70 children into our Manchester, London and Ashby locations.

For a business that spends its days creating experiences, having the chance to create one for some of our most important visitors felt special.

The result? A day full of creativity, curiosity, laughter and just the right amount of organised chaos.

There were little people proudly wearing hi-vis vests, adult-sized lanyards hanging somewhere around their knees and, by the end of the day, plenty of happy, tired faces.

Every office has a story

The adventure began with an activity sheet full of mini missions, sending our newest colleagues off to explore the office with their grown-ups.

Along the way they discovered whether the meeting pods were really soundproof, counted more office plants than any of us realised we had, perfected the art of the spinny chair and made sure to wave hello to plenty of colleagues.

It didn’t take long before the office felt just a little bit different.

Watching the office through younger eyes was a reminder that even the places we spend every day can feel exciting when you’re seeing them for the first time.

It was also just really lovely seeing our offices filled with so many children, making friends, asking questions and throwing themselves into every activity.

Sharing a little of what we do

Before the games began, our host shared a little about Inizio Engage XD and the different kinds of work we do, giving everyone a glimpse into the world their parents are part of every day.

Then it was time for the all-important Parents vs Kids quiz.

There was plenty of laughter, a healthy dose of competitive spirit and, depending on who you ask, some very questionable answers.

The competition was followed by an Ask the Leaders session, where our youngest visitors had the chance to quiz members of the leadership team. The questions weren’t about budgets or business plans. Instead they wanted to know what our leaders wanted to be when they were younger, what hobbies they enjoy and what their favourite subject at school was.

The answers sparked plenty of smiles and left many of us knowing our leaders just a little bit better than we did that morning.

The power of a good brief

If there’s one thing we know at Inizio Engage XD, it’s that great ideas don’t appear out of nowhere.

Our Healthy Living mascot challenge gave the children the chance to experience that creative process for themselves.

Each child completed a creative briefing form before sketching a scamp of their mascot idea, just as we might at the start of a creative project. Our team then transformed those briefs into AI-generated mascot posters, bringing each character to life.

It was a simple way to show that while technology can help bring ideas to life, every great idea starts with a blank page, a little imagination and someone willing to think differently.

After a busy morning, everyone stopped to refuel with pizza, crisps, cake and, much to everyone’s surprise, quite a few cucumber and carrot sticks before heading into the afternoon.

Teamwork, sustainability… and a little sparkle

The afternoon brought one of the day’s biggest challenges.

Teams answered sustainability questions to uncover hidden cardboard pieces before racing to build their very own cardboard character.

Of course, building the character was only half the fun.

Once assembled, it was time to decorate. Out came the glitter, stickers, gems and plenty of imagination as every masterpiece took on a personality of its own.

Some were glamorous. Some were gloriously chaotic. Every single one deserved a place in the showcase.

A gallery of proud creations

Before heading home, everyone added their handprint to a collaborative mural, creating a colourful reminder of a day spent learning, creating and spending time together.

Then it was time for the showcase.

Each decorated cardboard character proudly held up the AI-generated poster inspired by its creative brief, turning the room into a gallery of everything the children had imagined and created throughout the day.

There was just enough time for one last look around before goody bags were collected, goodbyes were said and a few very tired little legs made their way home.

More than just a day at the office

Bring Your Kids to Work Day wasn’t about showing children exactly what their parents do all day.

It was about sharing a little piece of our world with the people who matter most.

For one day, our offices sounded a little different. There was more laughter, more excited chatter and more people stopping what they were doing just to smile as another little visitor wandered past.

We finally got to properly meet the little people we’d only ever waved to through Teams and share the place, the people and the work that we talk about so often at home.

And perhaps the biggest takeaway from the day wasn’t for the children at all.

It was the reminder that behind every Teams profile, every email signature and every busy diary is a person with a life beyond work. Spending the day with their families reminded us just how lucky we are to work alongside such brilliant people.

More than 70 children spent the day exploring our world.

We hope it’s the first of many.